NFL Conference Championship Preview/Predictions

Credit to Brad Stewart for the Graphic

BY: Joe Smeltzer
This week, two games will be played in the National Football League. The winners of said games will earn themselves a trip to the city by the bay to participate in Super Bowl 50. Me and my kin have our picks in. I have just about sealed up the family championship. No more needs to be said.

3:05
AFC Title Game
Patriots (13-4) at Broncos (13-4)

Gotta love Gronk. Photo creds to itiswhatitis.com

Will New England survive Denver's vaunted secondary with virtually no running game? Will C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman take advantage of a banged up Pats front seven? Will Denver's receivers get the butter off their fingers? Will Aqib Talib suffocate Julian Edelman and still not get called for pass interference?

All of these storylines are more compelling than yet another Brady vs. Manning clash. I have an immense amount of respect for both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, as they are two of the greatest players in the history of the sport. While Brady is the best quarterback of all time and still among the best right now, Manning does not have a lot left in the tank, and if the Broncos win this game, it will likely be in spite of him, not because of him. When only one of the parties involved is still a star, the story is not as memorable as it used to be. So this game should be billed as ''Denver vs. New England'', not ''Brady vs. Manning''.

Denver is a weird team. They are the #1 seed in the AFC, but they sure don't feel like a team worthy of that honor. They have the league's best defense but have not been a dominant team all year. New England, on the other hand, has been dominant for the majority of this season, and now that Edelman is back, I think they are a force once again. The Denver team that my Steelers fell to last week did not look like a team primed for a Super Bowl birth. The receivers were terrible, the quarterback can't throw anymore, and the secondary was vulnerable. If Martavis Bryant can have a big day against Denver, so can Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. You can bet your life that Brady will bring his A game, and, at least, one of those two targets will benefit greatly from that. While New England's defense is banged up, they are more than capable of handling the Bronco, um ''attack''.

Patriots 24, Broncos 14

Player to Watch: Rob Gronkowski 

6:40
NFC Title Game
Cardinals (14-3) at Panthers (16-1) 

Photo creds to www.sports360az.com

Most of you are probably thinking that the Super Bowl will be played on February 7th in San Francisco. Not true. It is being played on January 24th in Charlotte. The winner of the NFC Championship Game will win the Super Bowl. I say that pretty comfortably because the two best teams in the NFL are in the NFC. This game will be great to watch, but I think Carolina's dream season will come to an end. The Panthers are great, but they have not been in great form the past few weeks, particularly when it comes to closing out games. I think that this will come back to bite them. Carolina will get out to an early lead, but Arizona, who I have long believed, is the most dangerous team in the NFC, will be led back by one Carson Palmer. As with Green Bay, the Panthers will be done in by Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald. Palmer will throw for 250+ yards in the second half and connect with Larry Fitz in the end zone twice in the final 30 minutes to lead a thrilling come-from-behind win. Cam Newton will make some nice plays, but he will make one or two crucial mistakes. This can go either way, but Palmer, Fitzgerald, and Bruce Arians have all paid their dues, and now is Arizona's time to be rewarded.

Cardinals 30, Panthers 27

Player to Watch: Carson Palmer

So your Superbowl match-up will be Arizona vs. New England. Palmer vs. Brady. It should be fun. 

Now for a quick edition of things that tick me off. On Friday, I was listening to Pittsburgh's sports radio station, 93.7 The Fan. They were discussing the NFL Playoffs and brought up that Steelers fans would love nothing more than to see the Patriots lose. They then went on to talk about how the Steelers felt cheated in the AFC title endeavors with New England in 2001 and 2004. So the overall gist that I got was that plenty of people in this city feel that Steelers-Pats is a rivalry. While Steelers fans have every right not to like New England, there is a difference between disliking a team and having a rivalry with them. Aside from the two championship games, along with  being two of the most popular franchises in the NFL, there is nothing about these two teams that fits the qualifications of a rivalry.

The Steelers have had rivals away from their division before. Some of the most heated contests in NFL history took place when the Steelers and Raiders faced off in the 1970's. But Steelers-Raiders qualified as a rivalry due to how much the teams hated each other and how that hate could be felt by whoever watched those two teams play. I never got that type of feeling when watching a Steelers-Pats game. Aside from the two contests mentioned above, all this ''rivalry'' is is two great teams who play each other about every other year. The Steelers and Cowboys played in different conferences, and yet there was something beautiful about how those two teams and cities, represented entirely different ways of life in the 1970's, with Dallas being a glamours team in a glamorous city, while Pittsburgh was a blue-collar team in a blue-collar city. The two teams did not get along, and they were also the two best in the NFL throughout a large portion of that decade, and took part in two of the most memorable Super Bowl's of all time. All of that made Steelers-Cowboys a unique rivalry. Steelers-Patriots does not have that same type of beauty.

If Steelers fans are still pissed off about things that happened 10+ years ago, they need to get over it. You would think that winning two championships would heal the wounds of the New England losses, but I'm sure that is not the case with some people.  The Patriots are recognized as an unlikable team, but nobody associated with the Steelers should feel that they are more entitled to hate New England than, say, the St. Louis Rams, who's Super Bowl loss to the Pats was a little fishy. Or the Oakland Raiders, who were victims of the ''Tuck Rule''. So fellow Steelers fans, root whichever way you want, but none of us should feel that we have more reason to root against New England than anybody else does. Well, unless the fact that the Pats crushed Kordell Stewart's dream of being a Super Bowl winning QB strikes a chord with you. Then it would make perfect sense.

Pittsburgh Steelers Requiem: Good, not great year/give Fitzgerald a break

Photo creds to www.sacebbe.com

Another season done. It's that time of year again when for eight months, the terrible towels are put away. For 8 months, there will be no cussing at Mike Tomlin, no getting drunk at 10:00 A.M. on a Sunday afternoon (at least I hope not), and the bland yellow seats at Heinz Field will be emptier than they are when Pitt plays. Yes, until training camps starts up in Latrobe this July, there will be no form of Steeler football to speak of.

Although the Steelers could easily have pulled off the upset of the #1 seeded Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon, I am nonetheless proud of how they performed as a whole. Yes, it was a sloppy game by both teams, but at the end of the day, the Steelers had the #1 seed on the ropes in their stadium, and that is commendable especially considering the injuries that were plaguing the Black and Gold.

However, the way the Steelers failed to close the deal will be in plenty of nightmares of everyday citizens between now and September. Pittsburgh was up 13-12 and driving late in the 4th quarter, when Fitzgerald Toussaint, the emergency running back, made a poor fundamental play, got stripped by Denver defensive back Bobby Roby, and just like that it was Denver ball. The Broncos scored a touchdown, got the two-point conversion, and after the Steelers stalled on their next drive, won the game.

Photo creds to www.sportingnews.com

While Toussiant made an awful fundamental error, he is a reason the Steelers lost the game, not the reason. His fumble turned the tide in the game, but other mistakes were made, two of them on the ensuing possession after the fumble. The Steelers defense was able to force a 3rd and 12, but Brandon Boykin did an awful job of covering Bennie Fowler, and Fowler as a result of the soft coverage ran for 31 yards, triggering what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown. Also on that drive, William Gay dropped what should have been an interception. Throughout the game, receivers dropped some balls, and the defense missed tackles. Hell, if you want to pin it all on one play, why not go back to Aquib Talib holding Martavis Bryant in the end zone on 3rd and 5 from the Denver 10 yard line? That missed call turned 7 points into 3, which could have been a factor in the outcome.

I'm not trying to sound like a typical coach, but team sports are never about one guy. I know it's so easy for yinzers eating their Pramanti's sandwiches to scapegoat, but I'm not one of those people because I know how dumb scapegoating is, and I also think it is heartless. CBS was seemingly egging on the Toussaint pitchfork crowd by showing the poor guy sitting on the sideline every 5 seconds. He made a mistake. Others made mistakes as well. Leave Fitz alone.

Now that the 2015 Steelers are history, what is the overall legacy of this team? My take is that the Steelers had a good year, especially considering that Le'Veon Bell, Kelvin Beachum, Maurkice Pouncy and Ben Roethlisberger were all MIA for multiple games each. It is also important to note that the Steelers won a playoff games for the first time since January of 2011. The Steelers took a step forward, not backward, and a lot more good came out of this season than bad. While it was a good year in a lot of aspects, it could have been better.

The Steelers did lose some winnable games, Baltimore 2X, Seattle, and the first meeting with Cincinnati all could have easily gone the Steelers way, but did not. At the same time, they did beat Arizona with Landry Jones, as they came back from 17 down at the half to down Denver in the regular season meeting, so the tough losses are somewhat balanced out. Yes, the Steelers could have been better, but there are a lot of positive things to take away from this year, and Pittsburgh showed that they are a force to be reckoned with in the AFC. I'm sure some people are angry with the way this season turned out and have dismissed this season as a failure. I have a message for those people: get out of the time bubble.

There is a high level of pride in this city, and that can be a bad thing at times. If people are disappointed with the way this season went to the point where they think that the negative outweighs the positive, they are probably basing that off of who the Pittsburgh Steelers were and not what they are. People in this city tend to think that because the Steelers have 6 Superbowl rings, they forever shall be the class of the NFL, and are shocked by anything less than an AFC Championship game appearance. Well, I'm sorry, prideful yinzers, but that is not an accurate way of thinking. It is not 2010 anymore (or 1978, if you really set the bar high). The past four years the Steelers records have been 8-8, 8-8, 10-6 and 11-7. The Steelers progressed more this season than they have since their Superbowl run in 2010, and that is a big positive.

The Steelers are no longer the class of the NFL. What they are is a team that is fantastic on one side of the ball and has a lot of growing to do on the other side. If you are that discouraged with your beloved Stillers right now, the least you can do is look toward the future. The Steelers at full strength are better than any other team in the AFC North and are my very early favorites to win that division. Our window for a 7th Lombardi is not closed by a long shot. We all know how good this offense is, and believe me, the defense will get better. The front 7 is talented and will get better with maturity, and the secondary has nowhere to go but up. If Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin are smart, they will take a defensive back with their first round pick, and he will be named the starter before he reaches the podium to shake hands with Rodger Goodell. One name to keep in mind between now and April 28th is Desmond King from Iowa. King was second in the country in 2015 with eight interceptions and was the heart and soul of that Iowa defense. I think he would be a great fit, and at the very least, an upgrade over Antwon Blake. Don't be surprised if the Steelers take another linebacker, but pray like hell that they don't.

Let the front office decide what needs to be done this off season. All we can do as fans is pray that this team has all of it's weapons ready to go in 2016. If Ben, Bell and Pouncey play a full season, and both the defense continues to make strides, Martavis Bryant becomes one of the games better receivers, and players like Chris Boswell and Alejandro Villanueva can prove that they are not one-shot wonders, 2016 will be a lot of fun.

Steelers-Broncos: 3 Keys to Victory

Photo creds to www.pittsburghsportingnews.com

Hello, all. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a relativity important football game this afternoon that will be played in relativity high altitude, and Pittsburgh has a some relativity large hurdles to overcome. DeAngelo Williams is out once again, and so is the best wide receiver in the world. To add to it, God only knows how much of the real Ben Roethlisberger we will see. Needless to say, it will be a tall task at hand. Here are three things the Steelers can do to overcome it.

Key #1: Stifle Peyton Manning 

Photo creds to www.espn.com

The Steelers offense is nowhere near at full strength, and Denver has the best defense in the NFL. So you could say that having the usual 30+ point eruption is probably not a realistic idea. If the Steelers want to book themselves a flight to Foxborough, the defense needs to step up. The way I see it, here are Keith Butler's two best options:
A. Take advantage of Denver's banged up offensive line and blitz a crap ton.
B. Disguise the blitz and try to confuse Peyton Manning the way AJ McCarron was baffled last week

The problem I see with option b is Manning's ability to read a defense. When Emmanuel Sanders said shortly before the regular season meeting between these two teams that Manning was the best at preparing for a game, many Steelers fans took it as a shot at Big Ben. While that might be true, Sanders had a point. Manning is one of the greatest ever for a reason, and his brain is his strongest asset. I'm sure Manning spent countless hours this week studying film of the Steelers defense and looking for any habits to exploit. Since option b worked so well in Cincinnati, Manning will probably be expecting it more so than option a. Butler knows what he is doing, and I trust he will call a good game. But if it were me, I would take advantage of the b-rate line and order a blitzkrieg.

Likelihood of Execution: It's Manning in the playoffs, so decent

Key #2: Quantity over Quality 

Photo creds to boston.cbslocal.com

With DeAngelo Williams out for the second week in a row, the Steelers running game will be the property of Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman. While individually, neither of these men are as good as Williams, collectively, they might make up for the loss. The Steelers currently average 107.8 rushing yards per game on the year. If the Steelers are smart, they will make Toussaint running back 1A and Todman 1B, giving them both similar amounts of carries. Last week, the two men accounted for a combined 123 yards, and I don't see why they can't do as well this week. Yes, the Broncos have one of the best run defenses in the league, but so does Cincinnati. Toussaint should also have a vital role in pass catching as he caught four balls for 60 yards last week. If the Steelers had blown it at Paul Brown Stadium 8 days ago, it would not have been because DeAngelo Williams was missing. If the Steelers lose at Mile High this week, it won't be because of DeAngelo Williams either.

Likelihood of Execution: Solid

Key #3: Bryant becomes a man

Alright, Martavis. It's your time to shine. Antonio Brown is out, which makes you #1. You are now seen as the Steelers biggest receiving threat in the eyes of the NFL's best secondary. You might recall that a few weeks ago, your QB called you out publicly, saying that you needed to ''grow up''. Your sick TD catch in Cincy was a start, but now you need to take it one step further. You need to be the shining star of the Steelers offense. You have the chance to silence those who criticize your football IQ. You have the opportunity to free yourself a little from AB's large shadow. You have the chance to lead the Steelers to victory. 

Unfortunately, I don't see your QB having the strength to be able to strongly throw you the ball. #7 will put his heart on the table this afternoon, but that damn AC joint won't allow him to be himself. I'd love to be wrong, but I think that the pain that Roethlisberger is in; assuming he plays, will be too much even for somebody as tough as Big Ben. 

Likelihood of Execution: Not good

Final Prediction 
The 1976 Steelers might have been the greatest team in franchise history. I see a lot of similarities between that team and this years edition. The 1976 Steelers had a historically good defense while this team has a great offense. The 1976 team lost their quarterback early in the season, just like this years team, and the 1976 Steelers were on fire towards the end of the season but ran out of gas in the AFC Championship Game, due in large part to running backs Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier being out with injuries. While this year's team is not quite as good as the '76 squad that fielded 8 Hall of Famers, the similarities are striking, and I think this years team will run out of gas one round earlier than the 1976 squad.

I'd love to be wrong, but beating the Broncos away would be a challenge no matter what personnel the Steelers had at their disposal. Now that some key pieces are missing/not 100%, I just don't think that they can do it. But this has been the craziest Steelers season I have ever experienced, and no matter what the result is, something weird will happen. Believe that. 

Broncos 27, Steelers 14. 

NFL Divisional Playoffs Preview/Predictions (except for Steelers)

Hello, all. It's playoff time. The wildcard round has passed, and it's time for the top 2 seeds in each conference to put up or shut up. What do I think will happen? Well, that's why we're here

Saturday
4:35
Upset City
Chiefs (12-5) at Patriots (12-4)

Photo creds to dailymail.co.uk

If you have read this blog before, you'll know that I love me some Tom Brady. However, I think the Pats injuries will be their doom. The game hinges on the health on one Julian Edelman, and even if the little slot receiver is able to play, I think he will be too rusty to be a factor against Eric Berry, Marcus Peters and the rest of the Chiefs secondary. Kansas City is a buzzsaw, and they are every bit as good as New England right now and a lot healthier. The winner of this game will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and that team will be Andy Reid's Chiefs. Book it.

Chiefs 34, Pats 24

Player to Watch: Alex Smith 

8:15

This might get ugly 

Packers (11-6) at Cardinals (13-3)

Remember that 38-8 beating that Arizona put on Green Bay a few weeks back? I don't expect it to be that bad again, but it won't be pretty. The Packers are not a great football team, and the Cardinals are. Arizona is better on both sides of the ball, and as of tomorrow morning, there will be nothing to look foward to in Green Bay, Wisconsin for 6 months. 

Cardinals 35, Packers 14 

Player to Watch: Carson Palmer 

Sunday 

1:05 

This could get ugly 

Seahawks (11-6) at Panthers (15-1)

It is an act of God that the Seahawks are still playing football this season, and Blair Walsh won't be able to save them from the big bad Panthers. Cam Newton and Jonathan Stewart will provide the glory to finally get Carolina passed the Divisoinal Round and avenge last seasons defeat at the hands of Seattle. 

Panthers 24, Seahawks 13

Player to Watch: Cam Newton/the Carolina defense 

Face the Facts: St. Nick is the best. Ever.

Photo Creds to www.wruf.com

A lot can be told about Nicholas Lou Saben Jr. In Tuscaloosa, he is a god. In a lot of other areas of America, he is the devil. But no matter what your opinion of Saban is, it should be recognized that Monday night's win over Clemson cements his status as the greatest college football coach to ever live.

Ever since Rutgers and Princeton played in the first collegiate football game back in 1869, there have been many great generals that have led their teams to greatness. As a die-hard Penn State fan, I will always look at Joe Paterno as an icon. But while Joe Pa is the most consistent football coach of all time, as he coached at the same school for over 62 years, he was only able to win two national titles. Saban has won 5 (four at Alabama, one at LSU in 2003). Notre Dame fans will always bow down to the immortal Knute Rockne, but his reign ended 85 years ago. College Football has become considerably more advanced ever since the Rock's plane went down in a Kansas wheat field.  The 7-7-2 defense is no longer a thing, and Rockne has long been surpassed as the gold standard in college coaching, even if some Irish fans seem to think he never left.

Getting into the present era, Ohio State's Urban Meyer, like Saban, has dominated during the past decade, and Meyer has 3 National Titles of his own. But 5 is > than 3, and Meyer will never be as good of a motivator as St. Nick, nor have his teams been as consistent (his Florida teams had some years of mediocrity ), so if I could hire any coach in America, I would consider Saban before Meyer. Saban's teams have either won National Titles or come pretty damn close, and Alabama has won 10+ games eight seasons in a row. While Meyer was coaching in the SEC, his overall record was 65-15. St. Nick is currently 100-18. So St. Nick only has 3 more losses at Alabama than Meyer had at Florida while coaching in 53 more games. While Meyer has done wonders in turning Ohio State around, his first two seasons were partly  a product of a pathetic Big 10 leaders division. Meyer is great, but Saban is better.

Now for the debate that has been the most prevalent over the past few days: Nick Saban vs. Paul "Bear" Bryant. There is no arguing that the Bear will always be the greatest folk hero in college football history, as his checkered suit, checkered hat, and overall aura probably won't ever be matched. Bryant is a greater legend, but I think Saban has cemented himself as the better coach.

People who long for the "good ol days" need to realize that college football is simply much harder than it was when the Bear was the king of the south. As far as statistics go, things are pretty even between Nick Saban  and Bear Bryant, as both have the same lifetime winning percentage at 76%. Saben will likely never catch Bryant's win total of 323. However, what Saban has accomplished in consideration of the times dwarfs what Bryant did.

This will give you an idea of how important bowl games were 40+ years ago. In 1973, Bryant's #1 ranked Tide took on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Sugar Bowl. The Tide lost the game by a score of 24-23 in what would normally be a crushing defeat. However, the blow was softened somewhat when Bama was awarded the National Championship in spite of the loss.

Nick Saban will never have a luxury where a bowl game does not matter, and Bear Bryant never had to coach in a conference championship game, didn't always have to play #2 in a bowl game when his team was #1, and never had to coach in a playoff. To win in college football is a harder task than it has ever been and the season is longer than it has ever been before (Saban's team played in 15 games this season, Bryant's played in, at most, 12 per year.) The Southeastern Conference, although currently in a bit of a downswing, has largely been much more difficult in Saban's regime than it was during the Bear's.

It's easy not to like Nick Saban. It's easier to admire Joe Paterno, Knute Rockne, Bear Bryant, Lou Holtz etc. But Saban is a better coach than all of them. He has dominated a time that is harder to govern than any other, and as a result, he has proven more worthy of having this GOAT (greatest of all time) honor bestowed upon him than anybody else. And just think, if flukes such as the "Kick 6" at Auburn in 2013 never happened, Saben might have even more hardware than he has right now. I'm sure there are plenty of people in Alabama who will always see Bryant as the king of kings. While there is nothing wrong with having that opinion, those people need to realize that Saban has a shot surpass the Bear's total of six national titles (St. Nick needs two titles to do that overall, 3 to set the Alabama record). If I had to bet, I would say that Saban will retire with more than six national championships. I mean, what can't the guy do? If Saban wanted to fly a rocket to Mars, I would not doubt his ability to do so at this point.

Great coaches are great coaches, no matter what era they come from. But what Saban has done, considering what he has been up against, trumps all. It doesn't matter what you think of guys like Saban and Bill Belichick as people. I am not crazy of either one of them as men, but what they are as coaches are second to none. If these men are jerks, then let's give the jerks their due.

Brad-ketology: Loss Moves Maryland To A Two Seed

Brad-ketology

By:    Bradley Stewart

         Resident Bracketologist

January 13, 2016

Hi everyone.  Since this is my inaugural post on my bracketology on "Smeltzer on Sports", I am going to describe what it is.  One of the most common practices held during the year is filling out a NCAA Tournament bracket.  Bracketology is the art of not-predicting who will win come March, but where the selection committee, will place the teams.  So, basically, bracketology is the art of predicting what seeds teams will receive.  For a full list of rules and seeding procedures visit: http://www.ncaa.com/content/di-principles-and-procedures-selection.    This is my fourth year doing bracketology and I am currently ranked third in the "Bracket Veterans" division on the Bracket Matrix.  The Bracket Matrix gives you points for every team you correctly seed, correctly place in the tournament, and for being one off the correct seed.  Other notable people in the Bracket Matrix is ESPN's Joe Lunardi and CBS's Jerry Palm.  The matrix also combines all the contributors into one bracket based on average seed.  For that list visit: http://bracketmatrix.com/.  For a more up to date bracket visit: bradketology.blogspot.com

We are nearly half way to Selection Sunday and the College Basketball Season is in full swing.  This season has had so much parody it is ridiculous.  Remember last year?  We were talking about the Kentucky Wildcats going 40-0.  They were the best team in the country and everyone knew it.  This year there are two remaining undefeated teams and neither of them are in the Top 5.  SMU is currently ranked 10th in the country, but are ineligible to go the NCAA Tournament, because of a post-season ban handed down from the NCAA.  The other remaining undefeated is the 15-0 South Carolina Gamecocks.  The Gamecocks did not make the tournament last year.  The primary reason they are undefeated are because they have played a very weak schedule.  Their weak schedule is a factor in their RPI rank that has them at 25.  Carolina's best win has been against the Vanderbilt Commodores, a team not even in my bracket or ESPN's Joe Lunardi's.          

The point of this is that this College Basketball season has shown more parody than we have seen in recent year.  Last year their was parody at the top, allowing for some very intriguing Elite 8 and Final 4 match-ups.  Because of that parody there was not a lot of upsets.  This year there is a lot parody between seeds 1-9.  Because of this there is no clear-cut favorite for the championship, like when Louisville and Kentucky were everyone's picks.  If I had to bet there will be at least three 1, 2, or 3 seeds knocked out of the tournament by the opening weekend.  That does not mean go and pick a three to lose in their opening game, but the six seeds (currently: USC, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Dayton) can all defeat the 3 seeds.  There is so much parody that just last night, the number one and number three teams in the country lost.

The story line I feel is the most intriguing is the success of Southern California.  Let's start with USC.  The Trojans currently has a 14-3 record and are fresh off of a 4OT win vs #18 Arizona.  What is intriguing is the success of Head Coach Andy Enfield.  Remember Florida Gulf Coast of March Madness Past?  America's favorite team for two weeks, Dunk City upset 2-seeded Georgetown and then proceeded to defeat seven-seeded San Diego State by a combined twenty points.  The dream died there when the Eagles flee to fellow Florida inhabitant, Florida Gators.  The Gators won by twelve, but USC took notice of Andy Enfield and signed him as their new head coach.  Enfield has transported his success across the state and has the Trojans one of the hottest teams in the country.

Here is my January 13th bracket:

Thank You for reading.  Feel free to comment your thoughts!

For a more up to date bracket visit: bradketology.blogspot.com

Clemson-Alabama: How they got to the dance/preview and prediction

Photo creds to fbschedules.com

Hello, all. The finale of the 2015/16 college football season is tonight, and the two best teams in the nation hope to provide a thrilling finale. Both the Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide belong in this exact spot, and Joe Smeltzer will now tell you how they got there.



Clemson 

Photo creds to www.sportingnews.com

The Tigers started the season ranked #12 in both the AP and Coaches Poll. Dabo Swinney's band was picked to by many to finish atop the ACC, although I had them finishing second to Florida State in the Atlantic Division (whoops). Clemson suffered what looked to be a massive blow on opening day when stud receiver Mike Williams was lost for the season with a neck injury. Luckily for DeShaun Watson, the loss of Williams has been well accounted for, as Artavis Scott, Charone Peake, Deon Cain ( who is suspsended), Jordan Leggett and Hunter Renfrow make up a deep and balanced core of pass catching options. After an opening day demolition of Wofford and a similar beating on App. State the following week, the Tigers were tested for the first time in 2015 when they traveled to Papa John's Stadium to take on Louisville in their ACC opener. It was a tight game throughout, but the Tigers held on for a 20-17 win. After a bye week, Notre Dame came to Death Valley, and this was when America took notice that Clemson could be a playoff team. After dominating ND on the scoreboard for 45 minutes, the Tiger defense held off a furious Irish march when safety Jayron Kearse forced a fumble at the Clemson 4-yard line. Notre Dame scored a meaningless TD in the final seconds, and Clemson held on for a 24-22 victory. After the ND victory, the Tigers shot up to #6 in both the coaches and AP polls. After taking care of Georgia Tech and Boston College at home, and performing a 59-0 waxing of the U in Miami, Clemson was #3 in the AP poll. It was also around this time that Watson began to be seriously looked at as a Heisman contender. An eventful 56-41 win at NC State brought up the second of the four ranked opponents that the Tigers would conquer when Florida State came into Death Valley. It was a tight contest, but the recipe of Watson and Defense got Clemson by with a 23-13 triumph, essentially clinching the ACC Atlantic. By this time, the Tigers were #1 in the land. Dabo's boys proceeded to pull away at Syracuse, take out Wake Forest, and survive a scare from pathetic rivals South Carolina. So they found themselves in the ACC Title game against a red-hot UNC team that was on an 11 game win streak. The Tigers survived a late comeback march and were aided by a controversial (and incorrect) offsides call on what would have been a perfectly executed onside kick attempt from the Tar Heels. Once again, Watson was the star, and Tigers were on their way to Miami for a hot date with the Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl, which was also the CFB Playoff semifinal.


After going into the locker down 17-16, Clemson turned it on in the second half, winning the game by a 37-17 margin that did not accurately tell how close the game was. And that, children, is how the 2015 Clemson Tigers made it to the championship game.


Now, here was Alabama's road.


Alabama

Photo Creds to www.pintrest.com

Bama is Bama, and before this season, as always, they were thought of to be in the hunt for a National Title. Bama's hopes and dreams took a hit when they were upset at home by Ole Miss, 43-37. The loss was a painful one, but it also marked a turning point. Before the game, nobody was sure if Jake Coker was to be trusted to quarterback Bama to the promised land. But after reliving Cooper Bateman and nearly leading the Tide back from a large deficit, Coker won over the team. It was Roll Tide from here on out, as the Tide won their next 11 games. 10 of the 11 victories were by a 10+ point margin, and 6 of them were against ranked opponents (Texas A&M, Michigan State, Geroiga, LSU, Mississippi State and Florida, in no particular order). Bama finished the regular season with a 11-1 record, setting up a date with the Michigan State Spartans in the Cotton Bowl (aka, CFB Playoff semi-final). 38-0 is all that needs to be said about that game.

Now that you have an idea of how these two teams got to the dance, here is how they match up against each other.

Offense

Photo creds to thetandd.com

Both of these teams are have one player on offense that shines about the rest, with Clemson's being Deshuan Watson and Alabama's being Heisman trophy winner Derrick Henry. What gives Clemson the edge is A. Watsons Versitility and B. His supporting cast. I think Clemson's core of receivers are stronger than Alabama's, and you better be watching for Wayne Gallman. Gallman is a tank at runnigback, and I have a feeling in my small gut that should Clemson win, Gallmen will be the game's most valuable player. 

Edge: Clemson 

Special Teams 

Cyrus Jones is a beast at returning kicks, while Clemson's kicker Ammon Lakip has only had the job for 3 weeks. If this game comes down to special teams, Bama is taking it.

Edge: Alabama 

Defense

Cyrus Jones can make big plays. Photo creds to www.baltimoresun.com

Both of these teams have among the best defensive units in the land, but I'm giving the edge to the elephants due to how deep and talented their front 7 is. Reggie Raglad, Jonathan Allen, Denzel Devall and A'Shawn Robinsion are just some of the talented names on the Alabama defense, and Watson should be wary of each and every one of them. Nick Saben's teams have always been defense uber alles, and this year is no exception 

Edge: Alabama 

Final Prediction 

These are the two best teams in College Football, but with all due respect to Dabo, Nick Saben will reign supreme. Alabama is on an incredible roll even by their standards, and I think they are a better team than Clemson right now. Saben is the best at preparing, and that will be evident when DeShaun Watson finally makes a mistake in a key situation. Both defenses will come to play, but Bama will make one or two more big plays than Clemson, and that will be the difference. Jake Coker will be cool, while Deshaun Watson will make a rare mistake in a tight situation. Roll Tide.

Alabama 24, Clemson 14

Alabama Crimson Tide, 2015 National Champions 

Steelers 18, Bungals 16: The scum of the NFL

Photo creds to larrybrownsports.com

Wow. It was a crazy game. Thank God the Steelers pulled that one out. For those who want an in-depth analysis on the Steelers win at Paul Brown Stadium on Saturday Night, too bad. I'm gonna talk about the Bengals.


I am fascinated by the thought of getting a look into the minds of Votaze Burfict and Adam ''Pacman'' Jones. What would we see? Would we see small pebbles? Would we see nothing but a giant blank space? Who knows. It is a mystery to me how these two gentlemen can function in everyday life, being as stupid as they are. In case you live in Pittsburgh and were asleep through all of Saturday, here is the situation. With the Bengals clinging to a 16-15 lead and less than 30 seconds remaining, an injured Ben Roethlisberger threw a pass that was well out of Antonio Brown's reach. What should have been an incomplete pass that brought up fourth down ended up being 30 yards worth of penalties.


After the play was over, a gentleman who had already established himself as the scum of professional football added to his infamous legend by going nailing Brown with a helmet-to-helmet cheap shot. A few moments later (Spongebob narrator voice), a gentlemen who is known for assaulting strippers,  throwing punches at police officers, playing in Canada when he became too out of control for even the NFL, and a failed career in professional wrestling decided to try and out dumbass the dumbass by getting into a altercation with Steelers assistant coach, Joey Porter (or Jerry Porter, if you saw Pac Man's gibberish Instagram rant.


I don't know which player to hate more. Burfict is a dirtier player than Jones on the field, but on the other hand, he is a young man at 25 years of age. Burfict has never had any major off the field issues, and Jones has a list that would be able to fill up the length of the Great Gatsby. The thing that is the most puzzling about Jones is that he was given a second chance, and judging from his actions tonight, he is not making the most of it.


Jones was granted a second chance by Marvin Lewis and the Bengals organization, and while he has stayed out of legal trouble, it appears that he still does not know how to act even at 32 years old. There are guys like Mike Vick, who have been given chances for redemption and ran with them, and then there are guys like Pacman who still act like complete asses.


While the behavior of Burfict and Jones is a slap in the face to Marvin Lewis, I think it is time for the Bengals to make a change at the head coaching position. I came into the week believing that Lewis deserved to keep his job regardless of the outcome of the game, but after seeing what I saw on Saturday, I have come to a conclusion that Lewis cannot cage the animals. I think that Lewis is a good man and a damn good football coach, but his teams have been getting into trouble both on and off the field for far too long, and because of that, I compare him to a substitute teacher who intends well but does not know how to control his subjects. That being said, Lewis would be fit for any other job in the NFL.


While the Bengals deserve the bulk of the blame for what went down on Saturday night, neither the Steelers nor the NFL have clean hands in this matter. Most of you are probably aware about what happened when Pittsburgh traveled to the Queen City in week 14, so it would have made some sense for the league to oh I don't know, not assign the same officiating crew for Saturday night's game? But the NFL did assign the same officials, and we got what we got.


The Steelers did not exactly behave like Eagle Scouts. The personal foul penalties speak for themselves, and Ryan Shazier is very lucky that one was not called when the inside linebacker looked to have hit Bengals running back Giovani Bernard helmet-to-helmet. But no flag was given. and a potential Bengals scoring drive turned into a turnover, as Bernard fumbled on the play. Shazier might have ruffled a few tiger feathers when he was seen celebrating on the sidelines after the turnover.


It was an eventful night for the Steeler coaching staff, as offensive line coach Mike Munchak may or may not have purposely shoved Bengals free Saftey Reggie Nelson, which led to Nelson shoving back and Munchak getting a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called on him. I have told you all about the Porter incident, and while Pacman is obviously a moron, Porter had no business being on the field in that situation. Unless, of course, "J-Peezy" is now the team trainer.


Although there are other parties to blame, the Bengals and their fans were the biggest jerks by a long shot on Saturday night, and the most disgusting act of all may have been the Bengal faithful throwing debris at an injured Ben Roethlisberger as he was being carted off the field after suffering a shoulder injury in the 3rd quarter. After the game, the Bengals quarterback joined in the bozo barrage when he claimed that the weather of the game varied on which team had the ball.


According to AJ McCarron, the skies opened up when the Bengals had the ball, but not when Pittsburgh had possession. That's absurd. We all know that only Bill Belichick controls the weather. Marvin Lewis did not do himself any postgame favors when he said he did not know if Burfict's hit was dirty, and Pacman Jones performed a rant that is too profane to be quoted on this squeaky clean sports blog.


The one Bengal that did show class was Jeremy Hill, who blamed himself for the loss and apologized to his organization in a tweet. If Lewis wants to show that he cares about how his players act, Burfict and Jones will not be welcomed to training camp next season without a major transformation. The Bengals are a talented team that can do without those distractions, especially with the fact that Burfict deserves, at least, a four-game suspension at the beginning of next season.


Now back to the outcome of the game. We all know what went down. It was a great win that may have come at a cost. Both Big Ben (shoulder) and AB (concussion), may not play in Denver next week, and if that's the case, get ready for the season to be donezo. We will see what their status is. As always, just enjoy this Steeler ride for as long as you can.

Steelers-Bengals: 3 Keys to Victory

For those of you who live under a rock, The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the playoffs. It was one hell of a journey that brought insanity every single week, and as I have stated before, it has been the most exciting Steelers season in my lifetime. While winning 10 games making the playoffs despite dealing with injuries to key players is a pleasing accomplishment, the Steelers are not satisfied, no sir. To make this season special as well as exciting, the Steelers cannot be a one-and-done. Looking through all 6 AFC playoff teams, the Steelers are the most curious. They could very well run the table and get to Levi's Stadium to go for a 7th Lombardi, or they can lose in the bloody wildcard round for the second year in a row. Tonight, they are taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in said Wildcard round. Here are three things that the Steelers should do if they don't want their season to end tonight.  Also for those looking for my predictions for all playoff games, I probably will not have them today. I simply did not have enough time this week to write one, but should be good to go for the rest of the playoffs. 

Key #1: Big Ben 24/7

Photo creds to newpittsburghcourieronline.com

The Steelers currently do not have a running back. DeAngelo Williams is out, so Fitzgerald Toussiant is starting in his place. So allow me to correct myself: The Steelers currently do not have a running back. So it does not take a rocket scientest to know that for the Steelers to win this game, they will need to pass the ball even more than they usually do, which means that Ben Roethlisberger will need to get his act together after a rough past few weeks. Ben's #1 target will be Antonio Brown, but watch for Martavius Bryant. The young and raw receiver appears to have an extra gear after Roethlisberger called him out this week, saying he needs to toughen up after not playing well the past two weeks. Ben will need to be a leader, as he has struggled on the road this season. I don't think that Big Ben will choke, as he is center-stage now and has no other options.

Likelihood of execution: Good

Key #2: Pressure AJ McCarron

Cam Heyward. Photo creds to www.washingpost.com

The Steelers are currently 3rd in the league in team sacks with 48, so it might be a good idea to put pressure on the quarterback. While I understand that blitzing does not always equate to more sacks, it can't make the secondary any worse than it already is. I think if they Steelers blitz, especially off the edges, it can make life rather difficult for McCarron tonight.

Likelihood of Exeuction: Moderate

Key #3: Play like the underdog 

Add caption

The Steelers are currently the favorite to win this game, as the line is currently Bengals +3. However, that does not necessarily mean that Pittsburgh has more pressure on them than Cincy does. The Bengals have not won a playoff game since George H.W. Bush was president, and a loss today will mean a loss in the first round for the 5th year in a row. While Steelers fans will be as negative as humanly possible with a loss, Bengals fans will take it harder, and wonder what this season could have brought if Andy Dalton did not get injured. The Steelers should play like a team with less to lose than their opponent, as it will lead to a more relaxed, let-it-all-hang-out style of play.

Likelihood of Execution: Solid

Final Prediction
This should be a fun one to watch, as Steelers-Bengals is devolping into an intense rivalry. Although I don't expect another pregame fight, I do expect a physical game that might get a little chippy at times. The Bengals will be focoused, but I do not see AJ McCarron beating Ben Roethlisberger in a playoff game. The Steelers defense will have one of their good days and limit McCarron and the Bengals offense, Big Ben will find AB 11 times for 136 yards, and th Steelers will come away with a 10 point victory. What happens after this for the Black and Gold? God knows. They can run the table, or the table can crash on them tonight. We will see what happens.

Final Score: Steelers 27, Bengals 17

NFL Week 17 Preview/Predictions

1:00
The Steelers kinda need this one

Photo creds to www.thebiglead.com

Jets (10-5) at Bills (7-8)
Joe: The Steelers need a Jets loss to give them any hope of sneaking into the postseason. I'm hoping and praying to be wrong, but I don't think Rex Ryan will be their savior. Ryan Fitzpatrick will make some clutch plays while the Jets defensive line will blitz the hell out of Buffalo.

Jets 27. Bills 17

Player to Watch: Ryan Fitzpatrick 

This doesn't really matter
Patriots (12-3) at Dolphins (5-10)

Joe: New England already has clinched a first-round playoff bye, so they have nothing to play for except the #1 seed in the AFC. The Pats will be my pick to come out of the AFC no matter what seed they end up with, as neither Cincy or Denver have a playoff savvy quarterback, much less the greatest of all time. So this game will not affect my outlook on the road ahead. The Dolphins are a complete mess and are now without a GM, so.... yeah. They won't win this one.

Patriots 27 Dolphins 14


This doesn't matter either
Falcons (8-7) at Saints (6-9)

TBT Drew. Photo creds to betterhouskeepingvacuums.com

Neither of these teams will be in the playoffs, but I think New Orleans will play out the string the right way at home. The Falcons recently ruined a perfect season, and they tend to mess things up when they are looking up.

Saints 34, Falcons 21

Player to Watch: Drew Brees

You may have knocked the Steelers out of the playoffs, but you still suck
Ravens (5-10) at Bengals (11-4)

Photo creds to www.buzzfeed.com

Joe: Baltimore is a bad team. The Bengals are very good, and still have an outside chance of getting a first-round bye, so they will be playing hard. Keep in mind, Steelers fans, that no matter how bad the Ravens were this season, they have bragging rights.

Bengals 27, Ravens 13

Player to Watch: AJ McCarron 

For all the marbles
Steelers (9-6) at Browns (3-12)

Joe: Oh boy. Are the Steelers capable of losing to a garbage team? Yes. Are they capable of losing to two garbage teams in consecutive weeks? Uh, I sure hope not. I think #7 gets his act together, and things get back to normal for the Steeler offense. Whether or not a win will matter remains to be seen.

Steelers 34, Browns 20

Player to Watch: Ben Roethlisberger 

The NFC South winner is set in stone
Titans (3-12) at Texans (9-7)

Future #1 Pick? I think so. Photo creds to www.cleveland.com

Joe: Houston is trying to shore up a division title, and if Tennesse is smart, they are gunning to shore up the #1 overall draft pick.

Houston 34, Tennessee 17

Player to Watch: Joey Bosa, next year

Irrelevant Rivalry Game
Redskins (8-7) at Cowboys (4-11)

Photo creds to www.barstoolsports.com

Joe: The Cowboys have nothing to play for while the Redskins have already won the worst division in football. Hopefully, Washington can help ensure that every postseason team has a winning record. Would you like that?

Redskins 33, Cowboys 22

Player to Watch: Kirk Cousins 

Another irrelevant NFC East showdown''
Eagles (6-9) at Giants (6-9)

Photo creds to www.quickmeme.com

Joe: Both of these teams have win-loss records that can be twisted into a sexual reference, and the Eagles are playing with an interim head coach for one week and one week only. Those are the only interesting things about this crap shoot, but I think the Eagles will play with an inspired ''awe, what the hell'' attitude and win this one.

Eagles 35, Giants 25

HAHAHA 69 again
Lions (6-9) at Bears (6-9) 
Joe: If there are any 6th graders reading this blog by chance, laugh it up. The Lions will win because..... aw, who gives a damn?

4:25
Remember the old AFL?
Raiders (7-8) at Chiefs (10-5)

Photo creds to www.spokeo.com

Joe: George Blanda and Len Dawson, how are you guys doing? Oakland's season is over while the Chiefs still have a shot at a division title. They won't get it, but they'll certainly try.

Chiefs 35, Raiders 27

Player to watch: Alex Smith

4:25
Will Carolina slip again
Buccaneers (6-9) at Panthers (14-1)
Joe: No. 

I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A.
Chargers (4-11) at Broncos (11-4)

Joe: Uh, yeah. The Dan Fouts era is long gone, and this might be the last game in San Diego Chargers history as they may be L.A. bound after this season. We will see.

The Best team in Football
Seahawks (9-6) at Cardinals (13-2)

Photo creds to www.nfl.com

Joe: Forget Carolina. The Arizona Cardinals are my pick to win the NFC. They have it all, and Bruce Arians is ready for a run. Seattle is running into a buzz-saw that is playing for an outside chance to become the #1 seed in the NFC.

Cards 34, Seahwaks 14

Player to Watch: Carson Palmer

I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A.
Rams (7-8) at 49ers (4-11)

Photo creds to onanygivensunday.com

Joe: Is this the last game in St. Louis Rams history?

8:30
This game actually matters
Vikings (10-5) at Packers (10-5)

Don't know if it will look quite like this on Sunday night. 

Joe: The NFC North is on the line. The Vikings are healthy, and they are currently playing better football than Green Bay is. However, this is a big game at Lambeau Field, and knowing the mystique, I'm taking the home team, however beat up their offensive line may be.

Packers 24, Vikings 17

Player to Watch: The Frozen Tundra

Penn State-Georgia: Does it really matter?

I'm 

James Franklin's seat will not be heating up regardless of the outcome. Photo Creds to Philly.Com

I am a die-hard Penn State football fan. Penn State is playing in their bowl game tomorrow against the 9-3 Georgia Bulldogs. You would not be blamed for thinking that Joseph Arthur Smeltzer would be excited about this. However, you would be wrong.

Penn State finished the 2015 regular season with a record of 7-5. They aren't a 7-5 team that had several hard luck losses and were better than their record showed. No, the Nittany Lions were a 7-5 team that is the epitome of a 7-5 team. In other words, they are painfully average. In four of Penn State's losses, they were dominated. In their other loss, they blew the game against an OK Northwestern team. 

Now one could argue that a victory over the 9-3 Georgia Bulldogs would salvage this season somewhat by ending on a high-note. However, the Nittany Lions have ended on a high the past three seasons, and none of those wins have led to the program elevating. When Penn State defeated Wisconsin in their regular season finale during the bowl ban years of 2012 and 13, I thought it was a sign of glory ahead. But those wins lead to mediocrity. When Penn State defeated Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium last December, I thought it was a sign that Christian Hackenberg was ready to become a star in his Junior season. But all that win led to was more frustrating play-calling from John Donovon (his reign of terror is over, praise God). So, if Penn State pulls the upset tomorrow, will it be a sign of things to come? History says no. If Penn State gets blown out of Everbank Field tomorrow, will it matter? I don't think it will. The season has seen enough embarrassment already.

For any Penn State fan who is excited about tomorrow's Bowl Game, I can understand why. However, I do not share in your excitement. For any Penn State fan who is dreading tomorrow's game, I can understand why. However, I do not share in your dread. I am indifferent (I expect Georgia to win by 10, for the record).

As with every game, I hope Penn State wins tomorrow. I will be pleased with a win, but not to the point where I am overly excited about 2016. The past few seasons have taught me to believe that Penn State is taking the steps to being an elite program when they show me something. Until I see Penn State's name in the top 15, until James Franklin beats a ranked opponent, until new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead unveils a fast paced Spread Offense that doesn't shackle Chirs Godwin, DaeSean Hamilton, and Christian Hackenberg if he does return (and the offensive line proves that they won't screw it up), I am not getting my hopes up. I look forward to the first game of 2016 regardless of the outcome of the prestigious Taxslayer Bowl.

One last word, since I did not have time to do an entry on hiring Moorhead as offensive coordinator, it's perfect. He did a stellar job as the head coach of Fordham (they looked better against Army than we did), and I'm anxious to see what changes he will make to Penn State's playcalling. I mean, he can't be any worse than he who proceeded him. 

2015 Sports Year in Review

Happy New Year to all. On December 30th, I published an article discussing the best and worst of 2015 in Pittsburgh sports http://joesmeltzer775.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-best-and-worst-of-2015-in.html. Now, I will go even further by breaking down what went on in all sports with my ''awards''. Unlike my first article, these will all be positive. Let's get into it.

Best Team: Golden State Warriors

Photo creds to celebrity.baby.com

NBA title in June. 30-2 start from October-December. Yes, 2015 has been quite kind to the Warriors. A lot of teams accomplished great feats in 2015, but none has made history quite like Golden State has. The Dubs have taken the NBA by storm, and they deserve all of the credit in the world.

Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Royals, New England Patriots, Chicago Blackhawks

Athlete of the Year: Jordan Spieth 

Photo creds to nbcdfw.com

How many golfers in the Masters era have won all four major tournaments in the same year? If you guessed 0, you are correct. Jordan Spieth almost accomplished that feat in 2015..... and he's barely old enough to drink a Budweiser. Spieth won the Masters in convincing fashion, then proceeded to edge out Dustin Johnson in the US Open. If Spieth had sunk that putt on 17 in the British Open, I reckon he would have won that sucker too. And damned if Jason Day didn't shoot -20 in the PGA Championship. What did Spieth shoot for that tournament? -17. Good enough to win most tournaments. All of the athletes that I considered for this award play individual sports, because I feel that those sports are the easiest to judge how awesome somebody truly is. Spieth is the future of golf, and could be the face that the sport has been lacking since Tiger Woods stopped winning.

Honorable Mentions: Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, American Pharoah 

Coach of the Year: Joel Quenneville 

Photo creds to www.nytimes.com

There might be a coach in American sports who is more under-appreciated, but I can't think of one. Quenneville's Blackhawks are the closest thing that America has to a sports dynasty, as they won their 3rd Stanley Cup in the past five years in 2015, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in 6 games. The Stanley Cup is, in my mind, the hardest championship in team sports to win, and the fact that the Blackhawks are tied with the San Francisco Giants for the most titles of any team in the four major sports since 2010 is simply incredible. Unfortunately, because the NHL is the least popular of the four major American sports (sorry hockey fans, it's true), Quenneville does not get the recognition that he deserves for his brilliance. Even for those who do not follow hockey, you should know Quenneville's name and realize that he is a winner. Plenty of coaches won championships in 2015, but Coach Q has the edge over all of them because of what he has done in the past five years.

Honorable Mentions: Ned Yost, Geno Auriemma, Coach K, Bill Belichick 

Game of the Year: Superbowl XLIX

Photo creds to q13fox.com

An instant classic. There were just so many things to love about this game. It was the football equivalent to a Heavyweight title fight, as the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks truly were the best teams in the AFC and NFC respectively. Seattle was looking to repeat as champs, which is a very special occurrence, and it was even more special because the greatest quarterback in league history was standing in their way. The game was already a classic before Seattle's final possession, as Tom Brady rallied his troops from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit and gave them a 28-24 lead at the 2:00 warning. Everybody remembers how the game ended, but what might be forgotten is the play that set the stage for the picture above. It was a catch by Jermaine Kearse that put the ball on the five-yard line, but you'd have to see it to believe it, and you can do just that by fast-forwarding to about 3:24 on the video below the picture. Had Pete Carroll not been a complete dolt, that would have gone down as one of the greatest plays in football history. But after the Seahawks moved the ball down to the New England 1,  Carroll was a dolt, and called a pass play on the one-yard line, even though he had one of the best running backs in the NFL to give the ball to. We all should remember what happened next. Russell Wilson gets picked off by undrafted rookie Malcolm Butler, and the Pats get their 4th Superbowl Ring.  Because of all that was at stake as well as the quality of play, Seahawks-Patriots is an easy choice for my game of the year. 

Honorable Mentions: Kentucky-Wisconsin, Rangers-Blue Jays (Game 5 of ALDS), NFC Title Game

Breakout Athlete of the Year: American Pharoah 

Photo creds to www.cnn.com

Yes, my breakout athlete is three years old and not a human. But, he is also a beast. American Pharoah became the first horse to win the ''Triple Crown''(Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont) since 1978. Winning the Triple Crown is one of the hardest things to do in all of sports, human or horse, and God knows when we will see something like this again. Another reason I'm giving Pharoah some love is because I know he won't shove his accomplishments in anybody's face. 

Honorable Mentions: Jordan Spieth, Kris Bryant, Jake Arrieta, Josh Norman

Biggest One-Minute Sensation: Matthew Dellavedova 

photo creds to www.huffingtonpost.com

Delly! Delly! Delly! Delly! Yes, this man played two good games in the NBA Finals and gave Steph Curry fits. Fair enough. But fans started to believe that this un-drafted free agent from St. Mary's owned the NBA MVP. Then Game 5 happened. Curry did what Curry does, the Warriors won the title in Game 6, and Cavs fans made lots and lots of excuses. Fast forward six months and Delly is back to being his 8 PPG self.

Photo creds to www.wsj.com

Upset of the Year: Wisconsin over Kentucky in National Semifinal
Who envisioned Kentucky losing to anybody? These guys were scary. So much so, that early last season, one of my friends compared them to the monstars from the movie ''Spacejam'', and he wasn't too far off. Almost everybody on that team looked like a giant. The Cats came into their Final Four matchup with Wisconsin with a 38-0 record and six players that are currently in the NBA. I estimate that coming into the NCAA Tournament, 90% of people who were picking their brackets either
A. Picked Kentucky to win it all
B. Were hoping Kentucky would lose and picked somebody else based on that.

It was all in the cards for UK to go 40-0 and win the National Title. Except that it wasn't. Wisconsin was supposed to be the next victim in the Final Four. But Bucky played a nearly flawless game and hung on for a 71-64 win. How shocking was Wisconsin's win? All five of Kentucky's starters on that night are currently in the NBA while Wisconsin's starters included a guy who is playing in Germany (Josh Gasser) and a guy who is playing nowhere professionally (Bronson Koenig).

Honorable Mentions: Holm beats Rousey, Ohio State beats Alabama, UAB over Iowa State

Play of the Year: Jalen Watts-Jackson beats Michigan 
If this happened in a Division III game, it would be incredible. But the fact that it happened in one of the game's most historic rivalries and ended up helping a team to the College Football Playoff makes this play a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. The only way you will ever see anything like this again is by watching the replay.

Honorable Mentions: Malcolm Butler INT, Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary, any ending to a game involving the Nebraska Cornhuskers, R.J. Hunter Buzzer Beater against Baylor


Emotional Moment of the Year
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/12/the-10-most-emotional-sports-moments-of-the-year
Would hate to single one of these out over another. USA Today sums it up better than I ever could. Enjoy the article.

Story of the Year: Deflate-gate

Photo creds to localsonly401.com

This story dominated the headlines for eight months. It was full of twists and turns, and it just would not die. I was sick of hearing about it, but its significance can't be denied. We should all know the tale of the New England Patriots allegedly under-inflating their footballs during the AFC Championship Game against the Colts. Opinions were divided. Did New England cheat? Was their title tainted? Was it simply mother nature? My opinion on this matter would require a separate blog post. Long story short, Tom Brady was suspended for four games, fought the suspension for months, and finally won in court. It's a long, weird, crazy story, and it dominated the headlines more than any other in 2015.

Thank you for reading, and have a blessed 2016.