A Lost Great

Its always interesting to me when great players fall through the cracks.  Its a fascinating discussion, even among hall of famers: what causes certain players to live on for casual basketball fans? Many times its the numbers, the titles, or the iconic plays that stand out so brightly that nobody can ignore them.  I guess to put it simply, quiet greatness doesn't stand out.  

Death seems to force us to remember the best about a person. We seem to be in that stage now with Moses Malone.  There have been the obligatory career summations on ESPN and other sports outlets,

  covering his tremendous rebounding, longevity, and MVP seasons.  All very significant points in the historical player discussions that he is so often left out of, but they all seem to ignore the color and incredible story of his career.  If someone were to look back 50 years later at the obituaries produced for basketball players in the September of 2015, they would conclude Darryl Dawkins and Moses were about the same in terms of impact on the league.  I love chocolate thunder as much as anyone, but this is an attempt to prove them wrong.

This is a young Moses Malone.  Much has been made about him being the first player to go straight from high school to the pros, and while that is historically significant, the ride that young Moses went on between his first and third year of pro basketball is one of the most incredible and "what if?" worthy in the history of not just basketball, but all of professional sports.  It was sort of a perfect storm.  Moses entered the ABA in 1974 signing a 1 million dollar contract (one of the famous back loaded ones that had payouts 25 years down the line) with the Utah Stars, who promptly folded the following season.  He was picked up by the immortal Spirits of Saint Louis, the ultimate head case team, featuring Marvin "Bad News" Barnes (who unfortunately also passed away relatively 

recently) of "I'm not getting in that damn time machine!" fame when asked to get on a plane that, because of a time change, landed before it took off.  Along with the rest of the zany crew (See Terry 

Pluto's Loose Balls for details) its a miracle a 19 year old Moses didn't end up showing up to games 2 minutes before tip wearing a mink coat, with only his uniform on underneath,  and a bag of 

Mcdonalds (yes Barnes did this also, and it is the writers opinion this moment should be immortalized in bronze).  

So it was probably for the best when the ABA reached a merger agreement with the NBA, which set the stage for Moses Malone to switch teams five times in less than a year.  It began when the New Orleans Jazz picked him first in the NBA's pre-merger draft of "underage" players at the expense of a first round pick.  They quickly went back on their decision, however, and asked for their pick back. They received it, and Moses was thrown into the general merger dispersal draft.  The pick and 3 others were used to "pry" Gail Goodrich away from Los Angles, and even though its almost impossible to justify choosing a 33 year old shooting guard over a future 3 time MVP or Magic Johnson (the 1979 first overall pick by the Lakers from the Jazz) I guess when you've got a chance to get a past his prime shooting guard for 3 first rounders you've got to do it.  

Moses next found himself in Portland when they picked him in the dispersal draft, but the Blazers refused to pay his 300,000 dollar a year salary. So they didn't read much into the only 21 year old Malone challenging Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas (at the time the most dominate big man pairing in the league) in training camp.  He played one tremendous exhibition game for them, which finally caused everyone involved to realize that they had a potential super star on their hands.  They rushed to stop the trade talks, but as fate would have it, higher ups had already agreed to traded him to buffalo for a first round pick and 232,000 $ (lord knows why that number).  

This obviously leaves the most haunting impression.  The 77' blazers are revered for playing some of the best team basketball of the last half century.  They won the title even after loosing Moses, but as we know, Walton s feet fell apart, and the hopes of a franchise crumbled with them. Its impossible to say what the exact impact would have been, but we know that with Malone there to take Walton's minutes (and a lot of his production) they wouldn't have felt pressured to rush him back.  He was exactly what the Blazers needed, they just didn't know it yet. 

                     

The Braves (now Clippers) were also not interested.  Its a miracle this picture exists because Moses only played 6 minutes over two games for them before they sent him to Houston for two first rounders.  The question lingers for Buffalo/San Diego/Los Angles, With Bob McAdoo steaming about his contract and likely to be traded, why not just keep Moses around? The picks didn't pan out because Moses finally found a franchise willing to give him a chance in Houston, and his production there was obviously a huge part of what would quickly making those picks irrelevant.

The rest, to some extent, is history.  Moses would go down a the best statistical offensive rebounder ever (its not close he holds the career, season, and game, records along with having lead the league nine times and finishing top three another five) third most total rebounds, and 8th all time in scoring. Throw 12 time all-star, 8 time first or second team all NBA, and the Championship and Finals MVP with the Sixers (what makes the Moses poster is the Nike staff, and also just the shear amount of basketballs) and Moses made an incredible career for himself despite the early instability.  He stayed committed even in situations like the ABA where anything went, and believed in himself enough not to be discouraged by the ridiculous turn of events that kept him hopping from one team to another when the leagues merged.  He played 21 years in the NBA retiring with the spurs in 1995.  But his significance can only really be grasped by the number of teams that didn't realize what they had. Bill Simmons puts it best in the Book of Basketball:  "so if you're scoring at home, Moses hot potato ended up swinging the destinies of six franchise in fewer than five months: New Orleans, Los Angeles (drafted Magic), Buffalo, Houston (made 81 finals with him) and Philly (acquired from Houston won title)." So many of us are in the same stage now all those unwitting executives were when Moses entered the league. They didn't realize his significance until he was already gone.           

 

Steelers Fall 28-21 in Season Opener: Game Analysis

Steelers Fall 28-21 in Season Opener: Game Analysis

By: Bradley Stewart

            Make no mistake, I'm a Steelers fan for life, but I did not expect us to win this football game.  Pittsburgh lost to the defending- champion  New England Patriots, 28-21.  Keep in mind that the Steelers were missing three major pieces in Le'veon Bell, Martavis Bryant, and Maurkice Pouncey.  Even while those three pieces were lost, the Steelers are already seeming to start to fit in pieces to the Super Bowl puzzle together. Bell, Pouncey, and Bryant are all out for Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers (0-0).

Offense:

        

  Even while missing the standout wide receiver and the all-pro runningback and center, the Steelers still picked up a total of 464 yards of offense in the Week one loss.  With a healthy Roethlisbeger and Antonio Brown, the question mark of the Steelers' offense was on the running side of the ball.  With Le'veon Bell out for the first two games of the season, people wondered who and how the Steelers would gain rushing yards.  Pittsburgh's new signed veteran DeAngelo Williams took the lead and did not disappoint.  Finding holes that the offensive-line easily provided for him, Williams gained127 of the Steelers' 134 rushing yards.  New England played a lot of man-to-man coverage against the Pittsburgh receiving core, which greatly benefits speed.  It just so happens that suspended receiver, Martavis Bryant, has a rare combination of  speed and height that would have posed deadly against the weak New England secondary.  This offense looked magnificent as they seemed to drive down the field easily.  I can't wait to see how this offense will look full strength.

Defense:

   Coming into the game, the one weak point of this Steelers team was the defense.  I'm not going to spend much time describing Pittsburgh's poor defensive effort, because I don't want to cry myself to bed tonight.  The Steelers' defense came into this game like a piece of a new china glass.  And by the end of the game, the cup was in thousands of pieces from Gronk spiking it every twenty minutes.  

    Anyone who watched the game could clearly see the secondary's failure to play the game of football.  What annoyed me the most was not the big plays, but that New England just continually threw eight to fifteen yard passed across the middle of the field with ease.  Shockingly, the Steelers had over 100 more total yards than New England.  I am optimistic that Keith Butler and Mike Tomlin can fix the defense in the next ten days leading up to an important Week 2 game against the San Francisco 49ers. However, if the defense allows Colin Kaepernick to throw all over them like he is the greatest person to ever pick up a football in the history of mankind, than there is going to be a huge issue.  

Special Teams:

        Newly acquired Steelers kicker Josh Scobee missed two 40-45 yard field goals in Thursday night's loss to New England.  Not one, but two field goals missed inside forty-five yards.  Heck, my high-school kicker nailed a 44-yarder straight through the uprights, and my school has never had a consistent and powerful leg kicker field goals for us.  I guess you could say he made up for it by hitting a chip shot and a 44-yarder, but what else can you expect for the third kicker on your team in three weeks.  Hopefully, the Steelers will not need to rely on the shaky veteran's leg from here on out, but don't expect any 'chip' shots from Scobee this season.

Overall:

            I can not wait for the rest of this season.  This Steelers offense was terrific on Thursday night 

without three important pieces.  In order for the Steelers to even make the playoffs, they can not let opposing Tight Ends score four touchdowns a game.  Overall, I was very pleased with the way the Steelers played.  If they only get better, I have no doubt that the no team in the country will want to face this team in January.

2015 NFL Week 1 Predictions

Thursday Night marks the beginning of the 2015 NFL Season. This is a very exciting time for most American sports fans, and I'm intrigued to see how the season unfolds. Below are predictions for each Week 1 game. This is not a one man show, as my cousins Brad, Jeff, and Ryan have also contributed their picks for this week.

Thursday Night: Steelers at Patriots

All for of us have picked the Pats in this one. We all agree that the combination of Tom Brady's suspension being lifted, and the suspensions of Le'veon  Bell and Martavis Bryant, will be too much for the Steelers to handle. The Patriots will be raising their Super Bowl Banner, and it will be hard to stop them with the energy that will be packed into Gillette Stadium.

Sunday
1:00
Packers at Bears

Another game in which the four of us are in agreement. The Packers are overwhelming favorites to win the NFC North, and a Superbowl birth is not out of the question. The Bears, on the other hand, are expected by many to be among the worst teams in football, as new head coach John Fox will inherit a horrid defense and shaky QB in Jay Cutler. My cousin Brad summed it up perfectly when he stated, ''simply, the Packers are the better team''.

Chiefs at Texans
The four of us were split here. I, along with my cousin Brad, picked the Chiefs to win this one while my cousins Jeff and Ryan both picked the Texans. I think that this will be a very close game, but the Chiefs will pull it out in the end. Houston is a team that made great strides in 2014 after a woeful 2-14 campaign 2 years ago, but I think Kansas City has a balanced offense that will chew up a lot of clock, which will be a huge factor in this game. The loss of Arian Foster is a bige blow to the Houston offense, and KC's solid D will take advantage of it. My cousin Jeff thinks otherwise. He stated: ''Brian Hoyer and Deandre Hopkins light it up and survive against the Chiefs late in the game''

Browns at Jets

Again, the four of us are all united. The New York Jets offense is a mess. QB Geno Smith was punched in the face during training camp, leaving him with a broken jaw. The Browns have a solid defensive unit that could make life very tough for new Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Jets have a good defense of their own which will keep this game relativity close, but I expected Cleveland to hold on for a Week 1 win. When asked to predict, Jeff said: ''The Browns defense will start to shine, creating turnovers and propelling them to a win.''

Colts at Bills

All in agreement again for this game. The Colts offense was explosive in 2015, with QB Andrew Luck and receiver T.Y. Hilton leading the way. The Bills could surprise a lot of people in 2015, but I am not sold on them yet. They have a good defensive unit, but their offense may be in for a sub-par year. Tyrod Taylor has been chosen by Rex Ryan to be the man at quarterback. If Taylor proves to be unsuccessful, it could be another disappointing season in upstate New York. The Colts will have too much firepower for Buffalo to handle in this one, as their defense will be able to control Buffalo's questionable offense.

Dolphins at Redskins

All four of us are going with the Fins in this contest. The Dolphins offense, led by underrated quarterback Ryan Tannehill, should have little issues scoring on the Redskins iffy secondary. Miami also has a solid defense, and Redskins running back Alfred Morris will have a tough time getting something going on the Dolphins run D. These 2 things are a recipe for a Miami victory.

Panthers at Jags
3 of the 4 men in our panel have Carolina winning this, with Jeff being the only person believing in the Jags. ''The Jags somehow squeak out a win in a very bad game from both sides. The Panthers offense just can't click and they fail to score points''. While Jeff does have a point, I'm sticking with Carolina. Although the Panthers have an inconsistent offense, Cam Newton knows how to run the option, and I think that the Carolina offense will have one of its good days in Jacksonville. The Panthers defense should make life miserable for Blake Bortles, as Bortles was the most sacked QB in the NFL last season, hitting the ground 55 times, a testament to how badly the Jags Offensive Line struggled in 2014.

Seahawks at Rams

Once again, all four of us have the same winner. The Seahawks are the 2 time defending NFC Champions, and they will be looking to get back to the Superbowl for the 3rd straight year. While the Edward Jones Dome is no easy place to play, I think that the Seahawks simply have too much talent for the Rams to overcome. Brad stated: ''The Seahawks' offense and defense are simply better than a Rams team lacking a fully elite player''.

4:05
Saints at Cardinals
I am the only one out of us four that picked the Saints here. I picked them because I have a gut feeling that Drew Brees will have a big game, narrowly edging out a good Cardinals team. The Saints have the tools on offense to score a lot of points, and I think that will happen on Sunday. When asked to predict, Brad said: ''The Cardinals were 9-0 last year until Carson Palmer got hurt. Well, Palmer is back and this team will only get better''.

Lions at Chargers
In a rare twist, the 4 of us are split. Jeff and I have the Lions winning, while Brad and Ryan have the Chargers. I picked the Lions because of the combination of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. I think that ''Megatron'' will have a huge game to propel Detroit to a win. Brad has a different opinion. ''The Lions didn't get any better in the off season, they got worse. Lions can't beat a Phillip Rivers lead team''.

4:25
Titans at Buccaneers
This match-up would be dreadfully boring if not for the debuts of Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. All four of us have Tampa being the lesser of 2 evils. Jeff stated: "Winston gets the best of Mariota in their first game as pros. Winston has more weapons on offense and that will be the difference''.

Bengals at Raiders
I don't see the Bengals losing this one, and neither do the other 3. While drafting Amari Cooper makes the Raiders a better team, it doesn't make them that much better. They still have a long way to go, and are not ready to beat a possible playoff team like the Bengals week 1. Brad summed it up perfectly: ''They are playing the Raiders''.

Ravens at Broncos
Jeff, Ryan, and I all have Denver in this one, while Brad has picked the Ravens, ''The Ravens need a confidence boosting win after losing to the Pats in the playoffs''. I think that Peyton Manning has too many weapons offensively for Joe Flacco's squad to keep pace, and that will be the difference in a Bronco victory.

8:30
Giants at Cowboys
We are all united again. The Cowboys have a great offense, and their defense will be good enough to shut down New York. The Giants simply are not a good team and they are playing against a Dallas squad that will be pumped up playing at home on opening night. Expect Tony Romo and Dez Bryant to shine.

Monday Night
6:55
Eagles at Falcons
We all have the Eagles. Sam Bradford is going against a bad defense Week 1, and the likes of him, Jordan Matthews, and Zach Ertz still make up a good offensive core even after trading LeSean McCoy to the Bills. Atlanta will not be able to hold Philly's attack, and the Eagles will be flying to a week 1 win.

10:15
Vikings at 49ers
This is another "lesser of 2 evils" game. All four of us think that the Vikings are the "lesser" here. The 49ers lost so much in the off-season, with Patrick Willis's sudden retirement the biggest of them all. Fans in San Fran will be disappointed, as Adrian Peterson will shine in his return to the Vikings, while Colin Kaepernick will struggle, resulting in a Vikings win.

Penn State loses to Temple for first time since 1941: My depressing thoughts

It was January 3rd, 1987. A loyal and true Penn State fan had just fallen into a coma, just one day after the Nittany Lions captured their 2nd national title with a 14-10 win over Miami. The coma lasted 28 years, 8 months, and 3 days. When the fan finally woke in his hospital bed on September 6th, 2015, ESPN was on the television in his room. The first thing he recognized on the screen was Penn State's familiar plain white helmets. The second thing he recognized was the score: Temple 27, Penn State 10

The scenario that I mentioned above is not a true event and is medically improbable, but I will tell you that if that fan had been Joseph Arthur Smeltzer, he probably would have gone straight back to sleep, hoping to go back to the 80's. Losing to Temple should not happen to Penn State. I'm not saying that to disrespect the 2015 Temple Owls: they played a fine football game on Saturday and deserved to win. They were the better team and have a lot to look forward to this season under head coach (and Penn State grad) Matt Ruhle. The reason that this Penn State loss was so shocking is simple: before Saturday afternoon, the last time a Penn State team lost to Temple was before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

Since that fateful day in 1941, Penn State's football history has been excellent. Temple's - not so much. How good has Penn State been? The Nittnay Lions built a football empire under Joe Paterno, winning 2 national titles and countless other honors. How bad has Temple been? After the 2004 season, the Owls were kicked out of the Big East Conference after finishing with a record of 2-9. That's right, kicked out. Between 2004-2006, the Owls won a total of 3 football games. While the Owls have done a remarkable job rebuilding their program over the past decade, to me, that thought is only a small band-aid on the Beaver-Stadium-sized wound that was opened on Saturday. For a Penn State team to go 74 years without losing even once to Temple, and then to not only lose to the Owls but be publicly undressed for 3 quarters of the game, shows that this program has fallen from national prominence. While the Nittany Lions have not quite fallen off of a cliff as far as relevance goes, the Blue and White have taken a step back on the national scale over the past 5 years.

Temple is a respectable team, but with Penn States talent, national exposure and recruiting base, the Nittnay Lions should be handling Temple with little issue. Christian Hackenberg was touted by many over the summer (notably ESPN draft expert Todd McShay) as a possible #1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. A school with the ability to recruit a player with that talent should not be losing to Temple. DaeSean Hamilton led the Big 10 in receptions in 2014 and should be even better as a Sophomore. A school with the ability to recruit a player with that talent should not be losing to Temple. The Penn State defense is the strong point of the team, and has several key players returning from a very successful 2014 season under first year Defensive Coordinator Bob Shoop. Long story short, any team with what are theoretically  two of the biggest offensive weapons in the Big 10 and one of the better defensive units in the nation, as well as one of the biggest names in college football that still manages to reel in much better recruits then teams like Temple should not be losing to a team like Temple.

Although a 7-6 season in 2014 was not an ideal result for Penn State fans, the season was salvaged somewhat with an exciting 31-30 OT win over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. What encouraged me more than anything else about that win was that it was so different from most Penn State games that season. It really seemed like Hackenberg was running the show on offense, and Penn State opened up the field a lot more than in previous games, and as a result, more points were scored. I was expecting that change to carry over into 2015, but instead, I got more of the same, boring and ineffective play calling that had held the Lions back offensively in 2014, and I was greatly disappointed. Offensive Coordinator John Donovan needs to change things up, or else he won't win over very many fans in Happy Valley. I was also expecting an improved offensive line, but judging by the Temple defense picking up 10 sacks, that problem has not been fixed either.

The Lions have a game at home this upcoming Saturday against Buffalo. I will be attending this contest at Beaver Stadium. Hopefully, I will not have to write another post like this in 2015. The way I see it, things have nowhere to go but up.

West Allegheny 41,New Castle 14

The West Allegheny Indians got their 2015 football season off on the right foot with a 45-14 victory over New Castle on Friday night. Terrance Stephens got things started right away with a 75 yard TD run on the first offensive play from scrimmage. After a Tom Burke interception on the ensuing New Castle possession, the Indians made it 14-0 when Brandon Lipford recovered a fumble in the end-zone. New Castle would claw back, scoring 2 touchdowns to tie the game, but Stephens gave West A the lead once again late in the first half with his 2nd TD run of the night. The 2nd half started with the Indians up 21-14, and it would be all 24-7 from here on out. On the first possession of the 2nd half, Stephens had his 3rd TD run of the night, this one from 40 yards out. Whitney White would score 2 more TD's before the game ended, and him and Stephens both ended the night with 3 Touchdowns each. Stephens finished the evening with 214 yards rushing, while White had 155 yards of his own, making it an impressive start for what looks to be one of the strongest 1-2 punches in the WPIAL. Stephens and White are both my top 2 stars of the game, while my 3rd star goes to the West A offensive line. The line did an impressive job blocking, and without them, the success of the running game would have been limited.

The Tribe will now travel to Chartiers Valley to take on the 1-0 Colts this Friday night. Thank you to all for reading! Don't forget to follow my blog down below or comment if you have any thoughts

2015 NFL Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

By: Bradley Stewart

           The Steelers begin their season on Thursday night with a meeting against the defending Super Bowl Champions New England Patriots.  The Patriots have been the main headline grabbers during the offseason as the aftermath of "Deflate-gate" unfolded.  Pittsburgh had its share of headlines during the offseason.  Star runningback Le'veon Bell was suspended 3 games for a DUI last August.  

That suspension was later reduced to 2 games.  Upcoming second-year wide receiver Martavis Bryant was recently suspended a for the first four weeks of the season.  Earlier in the offseason, long-time Defensive Coordinator, Dick Lebeu left the Steelers. 

All-pro Center Maurkice Pouncey was injured in a pre-season blood bath against the Green Bay Packers, the game in which Packers' Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Just recently, Michael Vick was signed by the Steelers as a backup QB after Bruce Gradkowski was injured.  What may be the most frustrating thing for Pittsburgh this offseason was the injuries suffered by kickers. Early in the preseason, the most accurate kicker in Steelers history, Shaun Suisham, tore his ACL and was ruled out for the season.  The Steelers brought in Garrett Hartley to replace him, but a few weeks later Hartley hurt his hamstring and was placed on season-ending Injured Reserve.  The Steelers then proceeded to trade for former Jaguars kicker, Josh Scobee.  This is the 2015 Steelers Season Preview.        

Suspensions

          As mentioned above, All-pro runningback Leveon Bell was suspended for two games and wide-receiver Martavis Bryant was suspended for the first four games of the season.  Bell received a three game ban in April, so the Steelers had the entire off-season to prepare for his absence.  His suspension reducing to two games can only help their plan.  They prepared for the all-pro runningback's absence by signing veteran DeAngelo Williams.  Martavis Bryant's suspension came as a shock to almost everyone following the NFL.  The Steelers knew about the failed drug test that led to Bryant's suspension at the beginning of the offseason.  With that being said, an entire offseason to prepare for the suspensions, the Steelers talent level will be reduced, but the game plan they've built will help.

GRADE: D+

Offense:

         This offseason, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger made a team goal: Average 30 points a game.  When looking at their offense it makes sense.  Four Pittsburgh offensive players made it to the Pro Bowl last year.  The offense can only improve as the "Killer Bees" (Big Ben, Bell, Brown, and Bryant) attempt to set NFL Records in this upcoming season.  It appears the only thing that can slow them down is injuries and suspensions.  As mentioned above, Bell and Bryant are both suspended for a total of six games and All-Pro Center Maurkice Pouncey is out for at least 8 weeks.  But when Bell and Bryant are back, the Steelers offense will take off.  

GRADE: A

Defense:

           Without a doubt, this is the obvious weak point on this football team.  One of the most stereotypical statements regarding the Steelers in general is, that  "Their defense is old."  However, of their projected defensive starters, only one player is over 30 years of age.  Their front seven is electrifying.  Defensive ends Stephen Tuitt and Cameron Heyward are all-pro material and their linebackers are young playmakers.  Bud Dupree was a potential Top 10 pick in this year's draft and Ryan Shazier was a Pro-Bowl nominee until his injury last year.  New defensive coordinator, Kieth Butler will change their defense to a zone defense.  So expect a few slip-ups because of the transition.  The bottom line is the Steelers have a young, play-making defense.

GRADE: C

Last Season:

         The Steelers won the AFC North last year, but it came with a price.  Le'veon Bell hyperextended his knee in the Week 17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.  The Steelers received the number three seed in the playoffs, with a 11-5 record.  Bell was out and the Steelers weren't heavy favorites.  The Ravens cruised to a 30-17 victory in a ugly game for Steelers fans to watch.  However, since the Steelers finished first in the division, they now have the toughest schedule in the AFC North.  Since the turn of the century, only three teams have won back-to-back division champions in the AFC North.  Those teams consisted of the 2001-2002 and 2007-2008 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 2011-2012 Baltimore Ravens.  The past two teams to win the AFC North in consecutive seasons have gone onto win the Super Bowl.  History is not on the Steelers side to win another division championship in 2015, but if they do.  Look out.

GRADE: B+

Schedule:

       The Steelers have the toughest schedule in the league and what could be one of the toughest finishing stretches in NFL History.  Their opponents this year had a combined record of 147-107-2 last season.  Good enough for a .579 win percentage.  Being in arguably the toughest division in football, where three teams made the playoffs last season does not help.  Their closing stretch consists of games: @Seahawks, vs Colts, @Bengals, vs Broncos, @ Ravens, and @ the Browns.  Many Steelers have the opinion that in order to be the best you have to beat the best, so they at least have that going for them. It's safe to say the Steelers can't rely on late-season wins, which means they have to take advantage of games against bad teams.  They can not lose to teams with the caliber of the Buccaneers, Jets, and Saints, as was the case last season.

GRADE: C+

FINAL GRADE: B-

PROJECTED RECORD: 10-6

Thank you for reading! Don't forget to comment below if you have any thoughts. 

2015 College Football Preview/Predictions

The calendar has flipped from August to September, and that means that another College Football season is upon us. The rankings are out, and fans are endlessly debating each other, furiously stating why there team will be the best, either in the conference or in the country. As an avid sports fan, I, like a lot of Americans, have my opinions on how this season will turn out, and I will share them with you right here.

Champions: Ohio State over Wisconsin in title game 

This is a no brainier. Say what you will about Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes, but it has to be recognized that Coulombs is currently home to not only the best team in the Big 10, but in the United States of America as well. In case you were living under a rock this past January, Ohio State surprised everyone when they managed to upset both Alabama and Oregon to win the first ever 4-team college football playoff. 2 things in particular are impressive and scary about the Bucks magical run. One is that Ohio State did it in spite of losing both their first and second string Quarterbacks over the course of the season. The second thing is that nearly every player who played a role in Ohio State's title is coming back. 

QB Braxton Miller was a Heisman Trophy candidate before the 2014 season started, but he tore his ACL during training camp and was never able to play a snap of what would have been his Senior year. Now as a medical red shirt, Miller is back as one of 3 stellar options the Bucks have at QB. JT Barrett was an unknown name before Miller went down, but after taking over the starting role behind center, he set the world on fire, setting a total of 19 school and conference records. But disaster struck again for OSU when Barrett broke his ankle in the last game of the season against Michigan. In came Cardale Jones to save the day. Jones proceeded to lead the Buckeyes to wins 3 straight huge wins, the last one against Oregon for the national title. It is not yet confirmed who will be the main man under center for the Bucks, but they will be in good hands with any of these 3.

The Bucks also have a beast returning at running back, and his name is Ezekiel Elliot. Elliot is a Heisman candidate coming into the season and rightfully so. Zeke rushed for 1,878 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2014, and looks to post even bigger numbers in 2015. Ohio State is also strong on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive End Joey Bosa and tackle Adolphus Washington return to anchor the D-Line, and sophomore Eli Apple is a player to watch as a defensive back. All in all, things could not be looking better for the Buckeyes. 

 So, I predict that the big 10 standing will look like this:

East
1. Ohio State 

2. Michigan State

3. Penn State

4. Michigan
5. Maryland
6. Indiana
7.. Purdue
West
1. Wisconsin
2. Nebraska
3. Minnsota
4. Iowa
5. Illinois
6. Northwestern
7. Rutgers  

Champions: Florida State over Georgia Tech 

While the talent level at FSU is not as high this year as it has been in the past, the Noles are still the team to beat in the ACC. Notre Dame transfer Evrett Golson will play a key role as the teams starting quarterback and successor to Jameis Winston, while Dalvin Cook is poised for a big year at runningback, having rushed for 1,008 yards as a freshman in 2014. The Noles have enough talent coming back to repeat as ACC Champs, narrowly edging out Clemson for the title. 

Other teams to watch: Clemson, NC State, Georiga Tech, Pitt

Coastal
1. Florida State

2. Clemson

3. NC State

4. Louisville
5. Syracuse
6. Boston College
7. Wake Forest

Atlantic
1. Georgia Tech
2. Virginia Tech
3. Pitt
4. Duke
5. Miami
6. UNC
7. Virginia  

Champions: TCU

This is the hardest power conference to predict, as both TCU and Baylor have a shot at the CFB Playoffs as well as a conference title. I am picking TCU to narrowly edge Baylor out simply because I believe the Horned Frogs are more complete on  both sides of the ball. The Horned Frogs had an explosive offense in 2014 as well as one of the nations best defenses.defenses. Trevon Boykin returnes at quarterback as a Heisman canadite, and I think he will have another huge year.

Other teams to watch: Baylor, Kansas State 

1. TCU

2. Baylor

3.  Kansas State

4.   Oklahoma State
5. Oklahoma
6. West Virginia
7. Texas
8. Texas Tech
9. Iowa State
10. Kansas

Champions: Oregon over USC
The 2014 season was a combination of triumph and heartbreak for the Oregon Ducks. After romping through Florida State in the National Semifinal game, many expected the Ducks to win their first ever national title when they came up against the cinderella Ohio State Buckeyes. Ducks fans were left surprised and disappointed when they suffered a crushing 42-20 defeat. Although the loss of quarterback and 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota will hurt, I still think the Ducks are the team to beat in the PAC 12. Vernon Adams will take over for Mariota at QB, while Royce Freeman, who had 1,365 yards rushing in 2014, will be a force in the backfield as a Junior. Darren Carrington and Devon Allen will be 2 key returning receivers. All in all, the Ducks still have a lot of talent on the field, and I expect them to retain their title as champions of the PAC 12.

Other teams to watch: USC, UCLA
South
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Arizona State
4. Utah
5. Arizona
6. Colorado

North
1. Oregon
2. Stanford
3. Washington
4. Oregon State
5. Cal
6. Washington State

Winners: Alabama
Here in the mother of all conferences, I believe Alabama will repeat as SEC Champs. The Crimson Tide are a machine, and I believe that the Tide will have another successful year. Every machine needs effective parts, and the Tide have some coming back. Leading rusher Derrick Henry will return for his senior season, and I believe that receiver ArDarius Stewart will have a breakout year at wide receiver, helping fill the shoes of Amari Cooper. The Tide also have some freshman out of 2015's No. 1 recruiting class that will make an impact. I believe that the machine will keep on moving.

Other teams to watch: Everyone

East
1. Georgia
2. Tennessee
3. Missouri
4. Florida
5. South Carolina
6. Vanderbilt
7. Kentucky

West
1. Alabama
2. Auburn
3. Ole Miss
4. LSU
5. Texas A&M
6. Arkansas
7. Mississippi State

So, now that I have predicted how the regular season will turn out, let's see who I think will qualify for the playoffs.

My 4 teams are: Ohio State, TCU, Alabama, and Michigan State. Michigan State might come as a surprise at #4, but I think that Sparty will narrowly beat out Auburn and Baylor for that spot. The Spartans have a key match-up against Oregon at home in Week 2, and if they win that, even with a likely loss to Ohio State, their chances are pretty good in my opinion. Michigan State has been knocking on the door for a whille now, and I think that the door will finally open. Senior QB Connor Cook leads a talented and hungry group of Spartans that know that they can do anything.

In the national semifinals, Ohio State will beat Michigan State, while Alabama will beat TCU, setting up a rematch of the 2014 national semifinal. This years Ohio State team could be one of the better teams in a long time, and I don't see anything getting in their way. Your 2015 College Football

National Champions will be: The Ohio State Buckeyes