NFL: What a terrible day it was for the NFC East. The division, considered by numerous football experts, myself included, as the strongest division the NFL, seemed like it was going to eat up both of the wild card slots for the second season in a row just a few weeks ago. Now it appears that just the Giants (11-2), who have already clinched the division, will be heading towards the playoffs.
The Cowboys (8-5), the preseason pick of many experts (once again that includes me), were the favorite to win this division and are on the brink of losing out (they host the Giants, the Ravens and finish at Philadelphia).
Currently, Dallas is tied for the sixth spot in the NFC with Atlanta, but four other teams (Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago and New Orleans) are all only a game or less out of the race.
The Redskins (7-6), like the Cowboys, lost on Sunday on the road to an AFC team that is playoff bound.
Not only did the Ravens stop the Redskins, they held an injury-ailed Clinton Portis to just 32 yards on the ground.
And you’ve got to give that Steelers defense some credit too; holding Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo to only 210 yards and forcing three interceptions ain’t no walk in the park. The right-handed Romo had trouble holding on to the ball and was even forced to throw with his left hand while being chased out of the pocket.
And while I’m giving out kudos, Brian Westbrook … err … the Eagles deserve some major props.
Holding the worst record in the division going into the week, the Eagles (7-5-1), who are considered to be the NFC East’s “inferior” squad, pulled off the upset against the could-be-back-to-back Super Bowl champs.
Until this week the Giants almost seemed like a lock to repeat, but the Eagles proved even the best team in the NFL can lose on any given day.
Westbrook gained over 200 yards alone in his combined rushing/reception from the backfield assault.
If the beasts in the east don’t wake up, the sleepers in the south are going to steal the wild card slots in the NFC. Don’t count Da Bears out either though …
NCAA: If you missed the SEC Championship game … well … go to YouTube and watch it already!
Like, now … seriously … you missed the best game of the season.
Sure, now that Florida and Oklahoma have been declared the No. 1 and 2 teams in the nation (yes there was actually a consensus between the humans and the computers), the BCS Championship will be a heck of a … shootout … but none of the bowl games are going to be more excited and competitive than the Gators’ 31-20 victory over the Crimson Tide.
Tim Tebow and a Percy Harvin-less offense glided down the field to start off to a 7-0 lead, but Alabama’s defense and rushing attack (namely Glen Coffee) held in there and even reclaimed the lead (more than once) as the Gators trailed in a game for the first time since the infamous upset against Mississippi.
Looking back, its ironic to think that a single blocked extra point voided the Gators’ chances of being a unanimous No. 1 between the Associated Press (the humans) and the BCS (the computers).
Had Jonathan Phillips’ extra point not been blocked, the Gators surely would have won in over time against the Rebels and finished up the season a perfect 12-0.
But they made one mistake, and it cost them (slightly).
In case you don’t remember, or haven’t been following my Kwanzoo football blog all season long (shame on you!), I picked the Florida Gators to be No. 1 at the end of the season and for them to win the BCS.
So far, so good (well, kind of, minus the “BSC”).
I also picked Tim Tebow to become the second player ever to win the Heisman Trophy twice (Archie Griffin was the only one to achieve the feat), but we can save that for another time and another post.
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