Sooners -22 vs. Cornhuskers
One of the pseudo-annual gems in the college football season takes Saturday night in Norman Oklahoma as the Sooners welcome Nebraska. The game has lost some of its luster as of late because after playing for 71 straight season, the game has taken two lengthy breaks and Nebraska has struggled to regain its national power form they had prior to this decade. For Sooner fans, Texas is the big rival and maybe that plays right into the Cornhusker's hands. If Oklahoma is looking past Nebraska, they may be right for the upset. But upsets have been few and far between these Big 12 rivals as of late. The Huskers have not been victorious in the series since 2001. This comes after a decade of dominance for Nebraska over their southern rivals in the 1990s. The team won every game played from 1993 until 1997, when the series took a break until 2000, and in two consecutive years, 1996 and 1997, the Huskers posted 73 and 69 points.
The series is once again restarting after a regular season break. The last time the two storied programs met in the regular season was 2005 when Oklahoma claimed their second straight victory in the series 31-24. The teams did meet at the end of the 2006 season in the Big 12 championship game, with the Oklahoma Sooners winning again 21-7. This time around, this meeting will more than likely not be for crowning a champion.
Number four Oklahoma (7-1, 3-1) still has BCS hopes and faint Big 12 hopes, but they need help, namely someone to knock off the Longhorns who gave the Sooners their only loss of the season to this point. They also have to take care of their own business with tough tests against undefeated Texas Tech and one-loss in-state rival Oklahoma State to conclude the season. Last week Oklahoma continued their tough stretch of opponents with a scoreboard popping 58-35 win at Kansas State last week. The Sooners scored 55 points by half and noblely took the foot of the gas by only scoring three in the second half. Oklahoma rode three of five Wildcat turnovers to touchdowns, but also surrendered a boatload of offense, 550 total yards and 486 passing yards.
Heisman candidate Sam Bradford has a tough game even with all the points scored. He went 13 for 32 with 255 yards, a 2008 low. Bradford did throw for three touchdowns however.
While nowhere near there 1990's championship glory, Nebraska (5-3, 2-2) has quietly put together a solid season, however they have struggled with a .500 conference record. Last week, Nebraska beat Baylor in Lincoln 32-30 for their second straight win. Quarterback Joe Ganz achieved his third straight 300 yard game with 336 yards on three touchdowns. With the win, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have moved into a three way tie with Kansas and Missouri for first in the disappointing Big 12 North Division.
Oklahoma leads the all-time series 43-37-3. Since the formation of the Big 12, the teams have each won three regular season games.
Golden Bears -3 vs. Ducks
Oregon and California take on each other in a big Pac 10 clash. Neither team can really claim any momentum because the conference is filled with more 1-loss teams than candidates in swing states. One thing is for sure, by Saturday evening, one of these 1-loss teams will have 2 losses and can virtually kiss the Pac 10 title away.
The Oregon Ducks (6-2, 4-1) have quietly put together a solid year this season but as is the norm on the West Coast, a solid team means nothing when you have USC in your conference.
The 23rd-ranked Oregon Ducks will attempt to win their third straight in Berkeley and will look to transfer Jeremiah Masoli for guidance under center. Masoli began the year as the third quarterback on Oregon's squad after transferring in from the City College of San Francisco, where Masoli led that team to the junior college national championship last season. This will be the fifth game he has started and has thrown for 506 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Masoli was pressed into service after Nate Costa, who was slated to start the season under center had reconstructive knee surgery during fall camp. Backup Justin Roper came in only to hurt his own knee and despite being able to go last week, Roper sat and watched Masoli throw for 147 yards with a touchdown and interception, while achieving 85 yards and a touchdown on the ground as the Ducks easily bested Arizona State 54-20.
California (5-2, 3-1) is actually in better shape than their rivals from the Pacific Northwest. Though they are one of the four teams in the conference with one loss, they have yet to play Oregon and USC, also with one loss. After a disappointing loss to Arizona two weeks ago, which took Cal out of the Top 25, the Bears rebounded nicely with a win over UCLA 41-20.
Cal has been dealing with uncertainty under center, but has also been able to overcome it and contend for the conference title. Cal is tied for third place in the Pac-10, a half-game behind USC and Oregon, both of whom the Bears still have to play.
California is coming off a 41-20 win over UCLA last Saturday, bouncing back from a loss to Arizona the previous week that dropped it out of the Top 25. Backup and former starter Kevin Riley started under center for the Bears going 11 for 22 with 153 yards and two touchdowns. Riley had been replaced by Nate Longshore for two games. Longshore had been Cal's starter for the last two years but lost out to Riley for starter duties at the beginning of this season. It is unclear which of the quarterbacks will start or if California will implement a rotation quarterback system for the game.
California has won two straight and three of the last four in the series.
Philadelphia -7 1/2 vs. New York
The 76ers game on Friday may be a little overshadowed. Not only is Friday Halloween, but the city is celebrating its first sports championship since the 76ers won it all after the 1982-1983 season. The Sixers hope they can catch just some of the Phillies magic after they won their first world title since 1980.
Things did not start out well for the Sixers (0-1) when they dropped their home opener to Toronto 95-84. Elton Brand's debut in Philadelphia was muted by the Phillies antics, but he did manage to score 14 points and pull down 13 points in the losing effort. It was a disappointing start to Philadelphia's season for a team with a lot of hope. While the defense played well enough to win, the offense was virtually nonexistent.
On the other hand, Philly's Friday night opponents, the Knicks (1-0) have already racked up a big victory over the improved Miami Heat 120-115 in New York's home opener. The transition of the New York Knicks new coach Mike D'Antoni's high flying offense was apparent as at times New York looked to be transformed into Phoenix. The defense of the Knicks also looked a lot like D'Antoni's Sun version as well.
The 76ers have won eight of the last ten contests with the Knicks, including their last matchup, a 124-84 destruction on February 20. New York won once in the four game series last season, with their only victory coming in Philadelphia.
Boston -8 1/2 vs. Chicago
Tuesday the Boston Celtics celebrated last season by raising their championship banner to the TD Banknorth Garden and receiving their rings and just about three hours later Boston started the current season the right way by defeating Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 90-85.
So many times when a team celebrates their championship from the year before, they go out and lay a bomb on the field, ice or court. It is usually tough to transition from the joyful glee of the championship for one last time to getting your game face on. But Boston (1-0) was able to manage it. The Celtics are eager to prove last season was no fluke and the Cavalier game certainly showed their willingness to do just that. While they struggled early and were down seven at halftime, they were able to get it together when it was needed. They were also helped out by Cleveland's numerous errors. James was a pedestrian 9 off 22 from the field and the Cavs committed 21 turnovers. The Celtics will welcome the Chicago Bulls to Boston Friday night.
Meanwhile after an incredibly disappointing year one season ago, the new look Bulls (1-0) got off to a fast start by besting the Milwaukee Bucks 108-95 in Chicago's home opener. The defeat was particularly sweet for the Bulls as they beat the coach that started last season behind their bench, Scott Skiles. Luol Deng and Ben Gordon provided the spark for the victory, while rookie Derrick Rose weathered the storm of his much-ballyhooed debut. The Chicago native wowed the United Center faithful with some fancy footwork, scored 11 points and 9 assists in 32 minutes. Rose also committed four turnovers.
Boston swept the four game season series last year. Chicago last won on March 13, 2007, a 95-87 road victory.
Suns -3 1/2 vs. Hornets
The New Orleans Hornets are eager to prove that 2007-2008 was no fluke. The team won 56 games and is off to a good start this season with a 108-103 opening road victory over Golden State. Meanwhile, the Suns who are not expected to be the Suns of old this season were able to ruin their arch rival San Antonio Spurs home opener with a tough road win 103-98. Tonight the two 1-0 teams will converge in US Airways Center for Phoenix's home opener.
Last season the Phoenix Suns could not manage a win against the upstart Hornets, who were coming off three straight seasons without a postseason berth, but would eventually win the tough Southwest Division title. Their last meeting was also in Phoenix and was quite a thriller with the Hornets coming out on top 132-130 in double overtime on February 6. The two stars shined as Chris Paul and Steve Nash combined for 74 points and 20 assists.
Paul has continued his exceptional play in 2008 when he netted 21 points and 11 assists in Golden State. Meanwhile in San Antonio, Phoenix got some revenge that New Orleans may be envious of. The two teams were both eliminated by the Spurs a year ago. Nash scored 13 points and assisted on another 13 as new coach Terry Porter earned a victory in his Suns' debut. Porter hopes to implement some of the patented Detroit Pistons level defense in the desert. Detroit led the league in scoring last season while Phoenix floundered at the bottom of the NBA in team defense.
Phoenix has had a few slow starts despite winning at least 54 games the last three seasons. They have not started out 2-0 since 2004-05. That season they won 62 games.
Cavaliers -9 1/2 vs. Bobcats
Cleveland traveled to Boston the other night to take on the defending champions in a matchup of the last two Eastern Conference Champions and they came up just short. While they played well and only lost by five points 90-85, the Cavaliers (0-1) did not do enough to win and that has been the story for Cleveland the last five years or so. They hope to turn that troubling trend around this year and hope to start that with a victory in their home opener tonight versus Charlotte.
Tonight's game will mark the first for the Bobcats and changes were rampant in their organization over the summer. Most visibly will be their carpet bagging coach, Larry Brown. The grizzled coach, who has won a championship in both college and the pros, will be the third coach in as many years for the Bobcat franchise in a seemingly constant state of flux and Brown's ninth NBA stop. This will be an interesting game for Brown, who while coaching the Detroit Pistons in an attempt to defend their 2004 Championship was constantly rumored to be salivating at the prospect of jumping over Lake Erie to Cleveland. The Pistons came up short in a seventh game against the Spurs and lost their title and soon after fired their coach. The Cleveland job fell through and Brown found himself in New York for a disastrous season behind the bench of the job he once called "his dream job." That turned into a nightmare with constant power struggles with former Knick General Manager Isiah Thomas.
With a franchise record 59 losses, Brown was dismissed from Madison Square Garden and promptly waged a public battle with the Knicks over the amount of money he was still owed. These ugly incidents, along with the bad blood with Detroit seemed to seal Brown's NBA coaching career. But the struggling franchise in Charlotte came calling to a North Carolina native.
Brown, now 68, may have his work cut out for his if the winless preseason is any indication of the Bobcats abilities.
The expected team leaders of the (32-50 2007-2008 record) Bobcats from a year ago are Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace, Adam Morrison and Sean May.
In the season series last year, the Cavaliers took three of four.
Cowboys -30 1/2 vs. Cyclones
Some say you can not take anything away from a loss, especially in college football. Still others think a good loss can be beneficial. Either way Oklahoma State has nothing to be ashamed of. The Cowboys suffered their first loss of the 2008 campaign last Saturday, but there is nothing disappointing about losing to the top-ranked team in the nation and keeping it oh so close until the very end. What would be a bad, would be a loss to a terrible Iowa State team in Stillwater or even a lethargic, uninspired victory over a possibly overmatched Cyclone team. With the undefeated Texas Tech looming on the horizon next week, Oklahoma State may be in the old fashioned trap game, in which a good team plays a bad team sandwiched between two good teams in big time matchups.
After the close loss to Texas, 28-24, Oklahoma State (7-1, 3-1) only fell two notches in the Top 25 and three in the BCS standings to number nine. A home loss to Iowa State Saturday, pollsters will not be so forgiving, but the matchups clearly favor a Cowboy victory.
Oklahoma State is proud to have the seventh best scoring defense with 43.6 points per contest and is ranked eight in total offense with nearly 491 yards per game. Conversely, Iowa State's defense is shaky at best and is ranked 102nd in points allowed at almost 32 points per game and they are giving up 422.8 yards per game.
The Cowboys will attempt to go to 8-1 for the first time since 1985 and have fared well by winning eight straight against unranked opponents in Boone Pickens Stadium. This does not bode well for Iowa State who have dropped 14 games in a row on the road and have not picked up a win outside of Ames, Iowa since 2005. Additionally, the program has not won a road game versus a Top 25 team since 1990, a streak that now spans 33 games.
Iowa State lost its sixth game in a row and was the most recent victim of the rising Aggies of Texas A&M last Saturday, losing 49-35. It was not all bad for the Cyclones as quarterback Austen Arnaud tossed a career high in yards, 371, and had a touchdown in a game which saw Iowa State rack up 574 yards in a losing effort. But the defense was horrendous, allowing 509 yards and letting Texas A&M stay on the field way to long by converting 11 of their 14 third down attempts.
The teams have not met since 2005 when Iowa State defeated Oklahoma State at Jack Trice Stadium.
Longhorns -3 1/2 vs. Red Raiders
Number one ranked Texas has run the gamut of tough Big 12 games against top teams (Missouri) and undefeated teams (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State) to increase their standing at the top of the polls. They will conclude this brutal stretch by traveling in-state to Lubbock to take on the surprising and undefeated Texas Tech Red Raiders. After this game the Longhorns can recoup against Baylor and Kansas before tackling arch-rival Texas Tech in the final game of the regular season. Texas has won three straight over top-11 teams and hopes to make it four straight this week. Make no mistake; if Texas (8-0, 4-0) escapes their schedule undefeated, there is no question who the top team in the country will be.
Last week the Longhorns dispatched the previously undefeated Oklahoma State Cowboys 28-24, while Texas Tech continued their assault on weaker conference foes by decimating Kansas 63-21. The Jayhawks victory marked the first time all season that the Red Raiders played another Top 25 team.
While Texas' tough stretch may be ending, Texas Tech's march of terror is just beginning. After the Longhorn's leave town, the Red Raiders (8-0, 4-0) will look forward (or not) to welcoming Oklahoma State next week and traveling to Oklahoma to play the Sooners on November 22 before finishing the season out with cupcake Baylor the following week. Even though their nonconference and early conference schedule was fairly easy, as with Texas, if Texas Tech wins out, they should be playing for the National Championship. This will be their second of four consecutive games in teams in the Top 25 and their number six ranking is their highest since 1976.
The Red Raiders have gotten to their perfect record by displaying a very good offense which is second in the nation with 556.9 scrimmage yards per game and third with 48 points per game. Meanwhile the Longhorns offense is not too shabby either. They are ranked ninth in the nations with 486 scrimmage yards and just trail Texas Tech in points per game with 45.
The edge in defenses may go to Texas Tech as the Texas secondary is giving up 265.5 yards per game and ranks ninth from the bottom in the nation. So expect a shootout since the Longhorns' boast Heisman hopeful Colt McCoy.
Texas leads the one-sided series 42-14. Texas Tech has not won since 2002.
Philadelphia -162 vs. Tampa Bay
Phillies fans emotional rollercoaster may continue tonight. Midway through Monday's soggy Game 5, Philadelphia seemed destined to claim their first professional championship in the city since the early 1980's. Up 2-0 nothing with their ace Cole Hamels on the mound, it seemed celebration was imminent. Then the Rays tied it putting a stop to a premature celebration and then Mother Nature had her say. Despite raining heavily most of the game, it reached a breaking point when the rain and wind grew to heavy to continue in the 6th inning with the scored tied at 2 all. After a brief rain delay, the game was suspended. The weather was too lousy Tuesday to continue the game on what would have been the off day to travel back to Tampa Bay. Today they will attempt to finish Game 5 on what would have been the time and day for Game 6. Today's forecast calls for clearing skies by the afternoon with a game time temperature in the high 30's.
Philadelphia must put Game 5 behind them. The franchise has had plenty of demons over the years that may be weighing on their minds. But its quite simple for the Phillies, manage a run in tonight's game which will begin in the 6th inning, at 2-2 and hold of Tampa Bay and they are World Champions. If Philadelphia were to lose, its off to Tampa Bay where rain delays will not happen as baseball fans may be thankful a game is being played in the gaudy Tropicana Field for the first time ever.
Games 6 and 7, if they are needed, have not been scheduled yet. One thing is for certain, Cole Hamels who if the Phillies could have scored a run before the rain washed out their Bottom of the 6th, could have been looking at his fifth win of the postseason. Instead his spot which is due up in the inning in which they resume will be removed for a pinch hitter and a new pitcher will take the mound in the Top of the 7th. The pitching matchup for the abbreviated game is uncertain. It appears even if the series is extended back to Florida that Hamels is done for the year. However if the game tonight gets washed out and/or if Major League Baseball decides to have an off day before moving to Tampa, he may have enough time to go on short rest if needed to start, or more likely relieve in Game 7.
Bulls -2 1/2 vs. Bearcats
The darlings of the Big East from a year ago are still getting national love, even if they have more worthy conference mates. South Florida has not had a terrible year at 6-2, but their conference schedule has been a killer at 1-2. While they find themselves at number 24 of the Top 25, the Bulls can barely see sunshine from their seventh place standing in the Big East.
Losers of two of their last three contests, South Florida has fallen from an exceedingly high ranking of number 10 to fall to 24 after losses to Louisville last week and Pittsburgh on October 2, which were sandwiched around a win over an awful Syracuse team. The October swoon if very reminiscent of a season ago where the Bulls dropped three conference game in a row after climbing to the second team in the nation. They not only tumbled in the polls, but dropped out of Big East contention.
In last week's loss to the Cardinals, South Florida could only muster eight yards on the ground, which is an all-time low for the school. The onus was on Matt Grothe, who was a solid 30 of 40 for 344 yards with two touchdowns. But the reliance on the pass opened the door for tough pass coverage and Grothe threw two interceptions as well. His performance was particularly noteworthy considering the offensive line played so poor. In addition to the horrendous yardage total, the Bulls 0-line surrendered five sacks on Grothe.
The Bulls had a chance to go ahead late in the fourth quarter, but Grothe threw an interception, and on Louisville's next drive, South Florida was called for a holding penalty on a Cardinals' missed field goal. It never got the ball back again.
Their opponents this week will be the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-2, 1-1). Cincinnati has had a good season, but suffered a devastating conference loss to Connecticut last week. The 40-16 setback snapped the Bearcats four game win streak and gave them a severe set back at attempting to win the Big East.
Quarterback Tony Pike attemped to play last week for the first time since September 27 after breaking his non-throwing arm in their win against Akron. Pike played through the first half but was replaced with Chazz Anderson and it appears likely Anderson will go again Thursday. The duo combined for 259 yards against the Huskies.
Kickoff is slated for 7:30 on Thursday from Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. The Bearcats are looking to stay undefeated at home, while South Florida is 3-1 on the road. Cincinnati holds the edge in the series 3-2, including the last two and both games held in their home stadium.
