Michigan State VS. Louisville

The further a team advances in the NCAA Tournament, the more nervous a fan base becomes.  This year is no exception.  Michigan State advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 10th time under Tom Izzo.  Not without some sweaty palms from the Spartan Nation.  Saint Louis played them tough all game "uglying" the game with fouls and physical play.  MSU survived, and advanced.  Which is the name of the game this time of year.

They advance to play a very stingy Louisville Cardinal squad that won the Big East Tournament.  They are led by Point Guard Peyton Siva, whose defense and ability to get to the rim on offense can dictate how a game is played.  He can disrupt offenses by flustering opposing Point Guards and get opposing big guys in foul trouble and change the game plan entirely for an opponent.  He is the head of the snake if you will.  You cut off the head, and you beat Louisville.  MSU Point Guard Keith Appling is more than equipped to handle the type of pressure that will be thrust upon him.  It is the backups that worry me.  Travis Trice and Brandon Kearney have never seen any type of pressure like this.

How MSU wins...
Keith Appling is solid with the basketball and MSU limits its costly turnovers.  Turnovers are bound to happen but they must limit the ones that contribute directly to points at the other end.  Draymond Green does what he does and dominates the game because there isn't anyone on Louisville (or in the country) that can guard him.  Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne continue to be the 2-headed monster that they have become and own the paint.  Someone needs to step up and make jump shots as well (looking at you Thornton and Wood).

How UL wins...
Siva is as advertised and absolutely dominates the match-up between he and Appling.  They need to get easy points off turnovers (they were 13th in the Big East in points per possession) and they need to hold their own on the boards.  Kyle Kuric is relentless on offense and makes some long range shots.  Gorgui Dieng MUST stay out of foul trouble.

Prediction...
I think MSU wins 62-56 as the scrappy Cardinals keep it close.  However, Green and the battle tested Spartans outlast what becomes a defensive grind.

Manning to Broncos/Tebow to Jets

It always amazes me that the NFL can stay relevant all year long.  Is that some good Marketing or what?  In the middle of the NCAA Tournament and MLB Spring Training, the NFL still steals all the headlines.

Peyton Manning has worked out a deal to play for the Denver Broncos.  Not surprising that he would want to stay in the AFC as the NFC is loaded with great quarterbacks and good teams.  Matthew Stafford passed for more than 5,000 yards last season and didn't make the Pro Bowl (what a joke by the way)!  Not to mention that his brother is in NY.  Also not surprising that he chose to play in Denver with the higher altitude.  The ball will travel farther so he doesn't have to overextend himself (and his surgically repaired neck) to get the ball down field.  The Broncos have a good defense and look what Manning did for Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.  Now he has Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil to set up for big numbers.  Manning gives them the lead and they can pin their ears back and get after the opposing quarterback.  The Broncos also have weapons on the outside too with Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker.  The only facet that is missing is a decent Tight End.  Dallas Clark anyone?  The schedule doesn't do them any favors either with road games against Baltimore, Cincinnati, New England, Atlanta and Carolina.  4 of the 5 were playoff teams last season and Carolina is steadily improving with Cam Newton.  Home games include Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Houston, Tampa Bay and New Orleans.  3 of them made the playoffs as well.  Cleveland and Tampa Bay seem to be the only easy home games on the schedule.  Then there are the division games with the Chargers, Raiders and Chiefs and anything can happen in division games.

The signing of Manning has led to Denver trading golden boy Tim Tebow.  The Broncos received a couple of draft picks from the New York Jets in return for his services.  That is an interesting story in itself.  I know a lot of people are upset about seeing Tebow-mania leaving town.  He is a nice guy, a great leader and a heck of a role model.  He seems to do everything right (except complete a high percentage of passes).  He just wasn't that great of a quarterback.  In a league that requires great quarterback play to win championships, Tebow wasn't the answer.  When you get a chance to get arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play, you jump on it.  John Elway recognized that chance and after all, he wasn't the one that drafted Tebow.

So the next question is...What is going on with the J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS?  Why trade for another Quarterback?  They recently signed current QB Mark Sanchez to a new deal and then went out and got Drew Stanton from Detroit to back him up.  They also have former Alabama great Greg McElroy on the roster.  4 QB's?  Not likely.  Welcome to your new Wildcat role Tim Tebow.  It may not be the position you want but at least you get to make a lot of money doing what you love.  Plus you are in NEW YORK!  The concrete jungle where dreams are made of.

If Rex Ryan thought he had a rough year last season, wait until this season.  Good luck dealing with the media circus that is Tim Tebow.

Who will be more popular in NY?  Tim Tebow or Jeremy Lin?

5 things I learned last weekend (March 3-4)

Another weekend has passed and more sports stories surface.  Here is what I learned last weekend.

1.  Michigan State had a chance to win the Big Ten outright but just couldn't get it done.  They had a 2 game lead with 2 games to play and all they had to do was win one and the title was theirs alone.  Unfortunately, the 2 teams that stood in their way were no cupcakes.  They had to play at Indiana, which is always a difficult place to play, and at home against Ohio State.  Indiana is playing as well as anyone in the country right now and the only team that has defeated top ranked Kentucky.  They have knocked off 3 Top 5 teams this season in Bloomington including the aforementioned Wildcats, The Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan State.  Ohio State was looking at the MSU game as a revenge situation after State bullied them in Columbus.  It was tough to see Draymond Green lose his final home game and I certainly feel terrible for him and the other seniors.  Usually a 15-point lead at home is a lock.  Hopefully Green and the Spartans will get the last laugh come Tournament time.

2.  MSU forward Branden Dawson left Sunday's game with a knee injury and it was later revealed that he had a torn ACL.  That is a serious blow to the Spartans title chances.  He is a very athletic forward who is a beast on the offensive glass.  He has the ability to play lock down defense and can change games with his freakish athleticism. Dawson was the 3rd leading scorer for the Spartans and he will be sorely missed as the NCAA Tournament approaches.

3.  Duke is who I thought they were.  Pretenders.  They live by the 3 and die by the 3 (as many teams do).  When you make 3's, you can be in the game with anyone.  When those 3's don't fall, you get pounded and beat up by the better teams (as was evident Saturday).  Duke doesn't have an inside game to lean on when the jumpers don't fall.  Their game is to spread you out defensively, attack the gaps and kick it out to jump shooters.  I don't begin to tell anyone that I am a Duke or North Carolina fan.  As a matter of fact, I don't like either one.  However, in watching both of their head to head games this season, the Tar heels are a much more talented team (and I don't think it is close).  Duke was lucky to win the game in Chapel Hill.  Carolina figured them out, adjusted, and exposed them for the nation to see.

4.  Rory McIlroy is now the world's top ranked golfer.  He had to earn it as a hard charging Tiger Woods was making his move.  Tiger had the putter working all day as he rolled in a long eagle putt at the 3rd and made another eagle at the 18th.  He had command of his game hitting whatever shot he wanted to with precision.  He finished with a final round 62 to post -10.  McIlroy was 6 groups behind Tiger and knew what was happening. He heard the gallery roar as Woods made his 8-foot eagle putt and knew that that wasn't the type of noise they make for birdies.  Rory was on the 13th green staring down a birdie putt of his own and when it dropped in dead center, it was game on.  Just like a true champion, McIlroy answered the bell and closed the door to win by 2 shots.  Who knows how long he will maintain the top ranking in the world but he seems to be a genuinely nice guy and I cannot wait to see what the Masters holds.

5.  Northwestern still has a chance to make it to the March Madness for the first time in school history.  They dodged two VERY large bullets this weekend as Creighton held off Illinois State and Murray State avenged their only loss of the season against Tennessee State.  If either had lost, someone's bubble would have burst, as they would have stolen NCAA bids.  That bubble could easily be Northwestern's.  First and foremost, the Wildcats need to handle their own business and beat Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament.  Then beating Michigan would go a long way to solidifying a bid.  They played Michigan very tough this year losing both games in OT.  If they are to make their first Big Dance, they need the teams that are supposed to win their conference tournaments to actually win them so no automatic bids are stolen.  I am looking at you Long Beach State.

Let me know what you learned.

Here is a video that doesn't have anything to do anything.  I just thought it was funny.  SHEED!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Z-CV2EWZo&feature=related

GUS JOHNSON!!!!

I was flipping channels last night trying to find something to watch and I came across the The Big Ten Network.  Ahh yes.  Big Ten Basketball.  In my opinion, there is nothing finer in the land (except for maybe Big Ten Football).  Ohio State was playing Northwestern and the Buckeyes were consistently up 10 or so.  Then the tide started to turn and Northwestern, behind all Big Ten first-teamer John Shurna, started to make a run.  After all, the Wildcats need another signature win to make their first NCAA Tournament.... EVER.

As Northwestern climbed back into the game, play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson reeled me in.  He is, far and away, my favorite announcer.  He seems to make everything more interesting and his excitement for the game is contagious.  I was actually excited about the finish of a game that I wouldn't otherwise care about.  This game had a NCAA feel to it, but sadly, we will not get the privilege of hearing Johnson, and his insane enthusiasm, at this year's tournament.  The Big Ten Network lured him away from CBS, and March Madness.  I think that is a shame but I do get to see, and hear, him more often on BTN.

Northwestern found themselves down 3 with less than a minute to go.  They tried to run a flare screen for John Shurna but against a really good defensive team, that isn't going to work.  So the Wildcats improvised and Alex Marcotullio let it fly from 25 feet.  That is when it happened.  OOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!  Vintage Gus Johnson!  After a Buckeye timeout, Jared Sullinger scored to give OSU a 2 point lead with 3.1 seconds left.  Johnson was a more subdued on that call but there is only so much you can do with a layup.  The final shot came from Shurna, a desperation heave at the buzzer that glanced off the rim.  Unfortunately, it didn't go in but could you imagine Gus Johnson's call if it had?  It would have been epic!

In case you didn't see it (or hear it), here he is at his finest!

http://btn.com/2012/02/29/best-of-gus-no-11-ohio-state-at-nu/