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  • Michigan Punter, Blake O’Neill, Bashed on Twitter After Losing Big Rival Game In Final Play

    Michigan’s punter, Blake O’Neill is receiving a bashing on Twitter after shanking a kick that led to a surprising win for Michigan State on Saturday.

    The poor Michigan punter has received thousands of mocking and angry tweets from fans upset over the upset.

    As Fox Sports noted, O’Neill joins a club of poor kickers who have lost a game because of a fumbled kick. Others in the Kicking fail hall of fame include Garo Yepremian and Josh Scobee.

    As you can imagine, Twitter hasn’t been kind to Australian punter. He reportedly even received death threats.

    There was even a Twitter account created to mock the Michigan punter.

    There are also those rightly defending the humiliated Michigan punter.

    Let’s lay off Michigan’s punter. It’s all just part of the game.

  • Lacey Holsworth, Close Friend Of MSU’s Adreian Payne, Dies Of Cancer

    As a young girl battling cancer, Lacey Holsworth formed a strong bond with Adreian Payne especially, along with the rest of the Michigan State Spartans. She earned the nickname of “Princess Lacey,” and even gained national coverage through her incredible story, but lost her life this morning.

    She would accompany the team to their big games, and just last week, the 8-year-old was in Dallas, Texas cheering on Payne as he participated in a dunk contest that was held prior to the NCAA National Championship. She also traveled to New York in order to see them play in the NCAA tournament, where she was shown in the crowd.

    Lacey Holsworth became a close friend to Adreian Payne, and one of the faces of the Michigan State basketball team over the course of the season. The two of them met two years ago when Holsworth was in a hospital that the basketball team was visiting in Lansing, MI. Holsworth was from St. Johns, MI.

    Holsworth had been hospitalized for neuroblastoma, a rare childhood brain cancer, and while she gave a tough fight, her family announced her death via Instagram this morning, saying that she achieved the ultimate victory.

    The two of them shared an incredible bond, and Adreian Payne was looked up to as a big brother by “Princess Lacey.” Speaking on having her at the games, Payne said “It’s like having a family member who’s really sick. The only thing you can do is play basketball. You can’t be there with them. Just knowing that when I play well, it makes her happy. It feels like I’m doing something, in a way, to make her feel better.”

    The relationship with Payne and the rest of the Spartans certainly helped her keep fighting the cancer, and while she had some victories in her fight, the cancer kept coming back, and eventually spread to her neck, head and pelvic region.

    In addition to being Adreian Payne’s escort on senior night, Lacey Holsworth also went up to the top of the ladder with him in order to assist in cutting down the night following MSU’s win in the Big Ten Championship game against Michigan.

    Following the death of “Princess Lacey,” MSU’s coach Tom Izzo said “If there’s any way to go with dignity, she went (that way). Sad but I’m also proud, if that makes any sense.”

    Michigan State was predicted to go far in the NCAA tournament, and with the belief of Lacey Holsworth on their side, they made it to the Elite Eight, but could not get past UConn, who ended up winning the championship.

    The family of Lacey Holsworth will be in the thoughts of the Spartans and all of their fans, as they mourn their biggest little fan, “Princess Lacey.” Her bond with the Spartans was incredible to see, and the team continued to play for her, wanting to make their biggest fan proud.

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  • NCAA Final: Kentucky Wildcats Will Meet The UConn Huskies

    In an incredibly unlikely scenario in the NCAA Final, Kentucky will match up with Connecticut, in a game between the SEC and the AAC conferences. Neither team was predicted to go far, yet they will both be playing for the national championship.

    In order to reach the NCAA Final UConn defeated Florida for the second time this season, and Kentucky beat Wisconsin, which was a bit of an upset for both teams. Kentucky has risen above the competition, and has arguably upset their opponents in every game of the tournament, including a game against Michigan in order to make the final four, receiving a 3-pointer at the last second for the victory.

    Florida and Michigan State were two of the top teams heading into the tournament, along with Louisville heading into the tournament, and Michigan State and Louisville were taken out by UConn, while Kentucky took down their Louisville rivals.

    One thing that also makes this match-up unlikely, and incredibly rare, is the fact that neither Kentucky or UConn played in the NCAA tournament last year. UConn was ineligible to play due to academic issues, and Kentucky played in the NIT.

    The last time that two teams that did not play the year before, and still made the final, was in 1966, a game that Kentucky played in against Texas Western. This year, Kentucky has a crop of freshman that continue to improve together, and they become only the first all-freshman starting lineup in an NCAA title game since Michigan’s Fab Five in 1992.

    They are led by twins Andrew and Aaron Harrison, along with Julius Randle, who were all Mcdonald’s All-Americans when they were recruited by coach John Calipari. Kentucky was the No.1 team in the preseason, but struggled throughout the season, and were not in the top 25 heading into the NCAA tournament.

    Some people have said that it is destiny for the five freshman of Kentucky to have made it this far, and have also won their last three games from late 3-pointers from Aaron Harrison. However, the young freshman spoke about the issue and said “We all just fight, we don’t let the games go, and we know no matter what that we have a chance to win so we always try to keep fighting.”

    Connecticut will be returning to the NCAA Final for the second time in four years, after having won the championship in 2011 behind their star Kemba Walker. Three seniors remain on the team from that year, and as Shabazz Napier continues to show similarities to Walker, they have found a way to keep winning.

    This NCAA Final marks the highest seed total to play in the title game since 1979 when the committee started assigning numbers to the teams. The previous high also included UConn, in the 2011 title game against 8th-seeded Butler. It’s also the fourth time an eighth seed has made the championship game, and the first trip for a seventh seed.

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  • Kentucky Upsets Michigan, Earns A Trip To The Final Four

    Kentucky came into the NCAA tournament as a No.8 seed, and many people did not have high expectations from the young team after mid-season struggles, but they have made quite a run to earn a spot in the Final Four.

    The Kentucky Wildcats and the Michigan Wolverines played a hard-fought battle, and it was an incredibly close game throughout. The game was tied at halftime, and the Wildcats would go on to win 75-72, following a late 3-point shot from Aaron Harrison.

    The stars of Kentucky, as well as some of their lesser-known players, were forced to step up with Willie Cauley-Stein out due to an ankle injury that he suffered in their previous game against Louisville. Marcus Lee, who barely played in the regular season, came up big with 10 points and 8 rebounds.

    Kentucky and Michigan matched up well, and while Michigan is one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country, the Wildcats kept up with them well in that category. Aaron Harrison delivered some huge shots from long range after being shutout for much of the game, and hit the game-winner with 2.6 seconds left on the clock.

    The young Kentucky Wildcats were forced to endure some tough losses throughout the season, including teams such as Arkansas and South Carolina, but they have matured over the season, and when it truly matters, the young team has shown up to play.

    Standout freshman Julius Randle came up big in their win today, and had his fourth double-double of the tournament, in addition to his 24th of the season, delivering a total 16 points and 11 rebounds.

    Kentucky was able to defeat the No.2 seed Michigan, while the UConn Huskies also had a big performance at Madison Square Garden in the first game of the day when they beat the Michigan State Spartans. Shabazz Napier led all scorers in the game with 25, and the Huskies will meet Florida next.

    After being one of the worst conferences throughout the season, the SEC now has two teams in the Final Four. The Kentucky Wildcats could get another shot at playing the Florida Gators if they are able to beat Wisconsin next Saturday.

    The last time that the two SEC teams played was in the SEC Conference Championship, and just when Kentucky started showing how tough they can be, and they almost came away with a victory then. Could they do it this time, and win the NCAA championship?

    After defeating the Michigan Wolverines, the Kentucky Wildcats are heading to their third Final Four in the past four years. As a team with a ton of freshman, many people think that their lack of experience could catch up with them eventually.

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  • UConn Upsets Michigan State, Advances To The Final Four

    In one of the worst offensive performances in the NCAA tournament, the UConn Huskies defeated the Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans were highly favored coming into the Elite Eight match-up, and many people thought that they had what it takes to win the championship.

    The Spartans struggled to score throughout the game, and ended the game with only 54 points, and 3 of those points came from a desperation three-pointer as the clock expired. The Huskies won the game 60-54, and the Spartans struggled throughout the game, only scoring 25 points in the first half.

    While the first half was incredibly to watch for Spartan fans, the second half did not prove to be much different, and they clearly did not have the desire to win. UConn, on the other hand, continued to fight, and saw big performances from each of their top players.

    UConn had troubles of its own, but also had help from an impressive performance from their veteran guard Shabazz Napier. The location also helped the Huskies, as they were almost playing a home game at Madison Square Garden.

    Napier helped UConn to a Final Four through his physical play, and an impressive offensive performance, which included 25 points. 17 of Napier’s points came in the second half, and like Kemba Walker did 4 years ago, he came up with some clutch shots in a big game.

    It is always hard to admit after a tough loss, but as a legendary coach, Tom Izzo spoke about the game and said “We got what we deserved today. I tried to tell these guys that, when you get to the tournament, you got to bring it every second. And today Connecticut did, and we just kind of weren’t as good as we have been.”

    Michigan State was picked by a number of fans and experts, and even President Obama, to win the championship, but they ended up falling short of the Final Four. Perhaps all of the hype simply caught up to them, but the Huskies simply outplayed the Spartans today, and MSU turned it over many times, while continually missing their shots.

    Tom Izzo has had a lot of incredible runs in the NCAA tournament, and continues to take his teams to the Final Four, as this now makes the current seniors the first four-year players recruited by Tom Izzo to fail to make a Final Four.

    Keith Appling and Adreian Payne were the two seniors who had worked four years for this moment, and while Payne still had a decent game, Appling only scored 2 points, and fouled out. Everyone struggled from the field, and while Dawson had just five points, Trice was unable to score.

    UConn truly fought harder as a team today, and while both teams struggled in the first half, the Huskies came away with the win at the end. The Huskies will play against Florida in their Final Four match-up, and an important thing to note going into the game is that the last time Florida lost was when they played against UConn.

    The UConn Huskies will be seeking their fourth national championship next Saturday. Can they beat the Florida Gators again, and break their 30-game win streak?

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  • NCAA Tournament 2014: Sweet 16 Match-Ups Are Set

    After what could be called one of the most exciting first weekends in the history of the NCAA tournament, the Sweet 16 match-ups have been set. The first weekend was filled with upsets, and overtimes, and a No.1 seed even lost.

    Virginia, Florida, and Arizona all made it to the Sweet 16 fairly easily, but the Kentucky Wildcats were simply too much for the Wichita State Shockers, and the Shockers received their first loss of the season, keeping a No.1 seed from entering the round of 16.

    Several top seeded, and reputable teams such as Duke, Kansas and Syracuse all lost in the first weekend, and after Warren Buffet’s $1 billion bracket challenge started, no entry was perfect after the first round. Click here for a full look at the updated bracket, featuring all of the match-ups that will be seen on Thursday and Friday.

    Many people have had their brackets completely busted after the losses by the 2 and 3 seeds, but perhaps President Obama made some good picks, since his Final Four of Florida, Arizona, Michigan State, and Louisville, is still intact. He has Michigan State beating Louisville in the final, but Louisville has struggled in their first two games.

    A handful of incredibly exciting match-ups exist in the the round of 16, including in-state rivals Kentucky and Louisville, who both have something to play for. Louisville is the defending champion, and looks to do it again, while Kentucky was ranked No.1 to start the season, and has struggled since then.

    Three No.1 seeds will be playing the No.4 seed in the planned out scenarios, but there are a few wild match-ups as well, such as the No.10/No.11 game between Dayton and Stanford. One of the big No.1 vs. No.4 games to watch for is the Michigan State/Virginia game, following Michigan State’s Big Ten tournament victory, and Virginia’s ACC tournament win.

    One of the biggest surprises of the Sweet 16 could be the fact that all three SEC teams are still alive, which includes Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida, the only team that most people had predicted to get this far.

    The SEC had been perhaps the worst of the powerhouse conferences this season, and Tennessee barely made it in the tournament, but the Volunteers have made a huge statement with their past two games, and will face No.2 seed Michigan next.

    The Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament begins on Thursday, and will tip-off with Dayton and Stanford at 7:15. Louisville and MSU, the two teams that President Obama, and many others have in their Final Four, will each be seen in action on Friday, in two of the best match-ups of the round of 16.

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  • March Madness 2014: The Games Start On Thursday, Are Your Brackets Ready?

    The madness will soon be upon us, as all of the top teams, and their fans, prepare for the big NCAA tournament that will ignite March Madness 2014. It has been a wild year that has seen several top teams go up and down, and no team has much of an edge heading into the tournament.

    The seeds and first-round match-ups have been selected, and as people hurry up to finish up their brackets, they continue to debate about the right picks. Of course, it is impossible to tell who will win, and some people might even pick them at random.

    A perfect bracket has never been done before, but fans continue to do them every year in the hopes that they could be the first. This year, Warren Buffet is even offering $1 billion to anyone who is finally able to complete the near-impossible task.

    Some people could make rough drafts, and continue to edit them starting on Sunday night, and others may wait until the last minute. However, everyone must remember that in order for a bracket to be counted, they must be submitted before the tip-off of the first game on Thursday, March 20th.

    President Obama took time out of his busy presidential schedule to fill out a bracket as he has done every year, and while his Final Four was unveiled initially, every pick that he made was revealed to viewers on a special edition of Sportscenter this morning.

    If someone wants to copy Obama’s picks, then go with Louisville, Michigan State, Florida, and Arizona. He correctly picked Lousiville in the championship last year, and has them going again this year, but feels that Michigan State has the power to overcome the defending champions.

    The four No.1 seeds this year are Florida, who obtained the No.1 overall seed after going undefeated in the SEC, Wichita State, who is undefeated on the season, Arizona, and Virginia. Any of them has the ability to go to the Final Four, but then again, many others do as well.

    Two teams from Obama’s Final Four are No.4 seeds, Louisiville and MIchigan State, and both teams have a great chance of making the championship. There are several teams that have peaked at different points during the season, and if recent years have taught fans anything, it would be that any team is capable of making a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

    Michigan State may not be a No.1 seed, but they have plenty of experience playing in the tournament, and were picked to win by all five ESPN analysts, which includes Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas, Seth Greenberg, Jay Williams and Dick Vitale.

    March Madness 2014 will be underway on Thursday, and while plenty of people seem to be picking Michigan State to win it all, there are always surprises in the tournament. The Spartans did just win the Big Ten tournament, and when healthy, they are certainly one of the teams to beat.

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  • President Obama Reveals His Picks For The Final Four

    It’s March Madness time again, and like no president before him had done, President Obama has taken the time to publicly fill out an NCAA March Madness bracket, letting everyone know what his final four picks will be.

    He has proven over the years that he is a big fan of college basketball, and has even shown a bit of favoritism toward certain teams in a way. From 2009 until 2013, President Obama has picked three different teams to win the championship, and he as been correct once.

    In the era that has become known as “Barack-etology,” Obama has picked Indiana (over Louisville in 2013), Kansas (over Ohio State in 2011 and Kentucky in 2010) and North Carolina (over Kentucky in 2012 and Louisville in 2009).

    However, he did also correctly pick that Louisville would go to the championship in 2013, a game that they won. He predicted that they would lose to Indiana, and Louisville ended up winning when they beat another Big Ten school, Michigan.

    Speaking on last year’s championship game, President Obama said that it was “one of the best championship games that any of us have seen in a very, very long time.”

    This year could be the most exciting one that basketball fans have seen in a while since no team seems to be a real front-runner heading into the tournament, except possibly Florida, who went undefeated in conference play, and earned the No.1 overall seed.

    As a result, President Obama only has two No.1 seeds in his final four, but as most people know, a Final Four that consists of four No.1 seeds almost never happens. The president’s final four picks are Florida, Arizona, Michigan State, and Louisville.

    Do you agree with Obama’s picks? Who will be making the Final Four this year?

    Last year Obama’s men’s bracket ranked 2,080,996 out of 8.15 million entries in ESPN.com’s free ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge, placing him in the 74.4th percentile. Every year is different though, and this could be his year again.

    Michigan State and Louisville are the No.4 seeds in the East, and Midwest, respectively. However, both teams are on a role after winning their conference championships, and are likely contenders to win it all. They are led by Michigan State’s Gary Harris, and Louisville’s Russ Smith, both contenders for the Wooden Award.

    President Obama correctly placed Louisville in the championship last year, but do they have the potential to get back? They lost Peyton Siva, but still have a load of talent on their team, and are seeking another championship.

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  • Mark Dantonio Will Remain At Michigan State Following Rose Bowl Win

    After an incredible win at the Rose Bowl, Mark Dantonio has decided to stay put. He was hired as the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans in 2006, and he will be receiving a new contract for the 2014 season.

    Following Mack Brown’s departure, there have been rumors going around about who would be the one to replace him as the coach of the Longhorns.

    After Mark Dantonio’s recent success, he was in talks to join the coaching staff of Texas, but says that will not happen.

    However, he refused to leave Michigan State, and has said that he feels that coaching job at Michigan State is a destination, not simply a stop along the way.

    Fans of the Spartans are certainly familiar with the situation, and will remember when a similar thing happened, losing Nick Saban to LSU.

    The new contract will place Dantonio among the top 3 highest-paid coaches in the Big Ten, and will be increasing his paycheck from $1.96 million to $4 million. Urban Meyer of Ohio State is paid the most at $4.6 million.

    He has worked to completely turn around the football program at Michigan State and does not want to abandon his team. He showed an incredible amount of emotion following their win of the 100th Rose Bowl last night, and showed that he has formed quite a strong bond with his players and the university.

    After being asked about a potential change in coaching jobs, and being linked to high-profile programs such as Texas, he simply said “That’s very flattering, but it would be hard to leave these guys. So while it’s very, very flattering, my intentions are to be at Michigan State. That’s all I’ll say about those things. I’ll look forward to seeing my guys back on Monday mornings for classes.”

    While MSU struggled for several seasons before hiring Mark Dantonio, he has lifted the spirits of the players and fans. As a coach, he boasts an impressive record of 63-29 in his seven seasons as head coach at Michigan State.

    Mark Dantiono led Michigan State to their first Rose Bowl bid since 1988, and in a special game for him as a coach, and the program, they defeated Stanford 24-20. The Spartans were able to stop Stanford on a 4th-and-1 to end the game, which is significant of how strong their defense has been throughout the season.

    After the game, Mark Dantonio said that Michigan State found “some type of way” to win the game. The phrase comes from a song by rapper Rich Homie Quan, and the team was seen celebrating to the song in the locker room following the game.

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  • Max Bullough Suspended For The Rose Bowl

    Max Bullough Suspended For The Rose Bowl

    Max Bullough, a senior linebacker for Michigan State, has been suspended for the rest of the season, after violating team rules. The suspension will make Bullough ineligible to play in this year’s Rose Bowl, disappointing not only his team members, but his fans as well.

    “Max Bullough has been suspended for the remainder of the season for a violation of team rules,” coach Dantonio said in a statement early on Thursday. ”It is extremely disappointing for all parties involved,” Dantonio continued. Dantonio did not reveal what rules Bullough had broken, and said their would be “no further comments” on the situation.

    The number 4 Spartans will go up against the number 5 Stanford in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2014 in Pasadena, California. This will mark Michigan State’s seventh straight bowl game and their first appearance in the Rose Bowl in 26 seasons. Bullough had 76 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss this season. His achievements earned him third-team All-America honors and first-team All-Big Ten honors.

    Bullough followed in his family member’s footsteps when he became a member of the Michigan State football team. Not only was his father Shane a Spartan in the 1980s, his grandfather Hank and his two uncles also played for Michigan State, and now his younger brother is a redshirt freshman.

    Despite his suspension, Dantonio said that Max will always be considered a Spartan. “Max will forever remain a Spartan and valued member in this team’s achievements,” Dantonio said in the statement.

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  • Montae Nicholson, A Four-Star Safety, Commits To Michigan State

    As if the Spartan defense was not good enough this year, Michigan State has gained another star for their team next year.

    Montae Nicholson is a four-star recruit from Pennsylvania, and as the No.1 prospect in his home state, it is a big gain for the Michigan State Spartans.

    Coming off of one of their best seasons in many years, this is big news for the Spartans. Nicholson had plenty of other offers from some of the top schools including Pittsburgh, Oregon, Florida State, and Virginia Tech.

    It certainly says something about the recent reputation of the Spartan defense, and the way the Spartans performed this year, when a player chooses Michigan State over Florida State.

    Florida State is a team that is being predicted to win the national championship, and has the recent Heisman Trophy winner with Jameis Winston.

    Montae Nicholson made the announcement at his school on Thursday, and to the surprise of many people, he made the verbal commitment to be a Spartan. He is expected to official sign with the team in February.

    Nicholson is a four-star safety by Scout.com, while he has also played cornerback, and is open to the possibility of playing wide receiver for Michigan State. He is ranked as the No. 21 safety in the country, and the No. 4 player overall in Pennsylvania by Scout.

    Brian Dohn, a recruiting analyst for Scout.com spoke highly of the young player when saying “Nicholson is athletic and strong. He can cover sideline to sideline and has good ball skills. At The Opening over the summer, he showed good cover skills and the ability to break on the ball, and his ability to close is a big asset.”

    He will join an already outstanding defense that easily beat Michigan earlier this year, and prevented them from scoring a touchdown. The Spartans also beat Ohio State, removing them from national championship consideration, and sent the Spartans to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1988.

    At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Montae Nicholson is set to be one of the best in the 2014 recruiting class. The Rose Bowl berth for the Spartans was a nice bonus, but he said it was not the deciding factor. The Spartans will meet Stanford for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

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  • Urban Meyer Seen Eating Pizza Alone After OSU Lost

    Ohio State suffered a heart-breaking loss over the weekend when they lost the Big Ten Championship. As the No.2 ranked team coming into the game along with a 24-game winning streak, the odds seemed to be in their favor. However, the Spartans had other plans, and showed the strength of their defense once again when beating the Buckeyes.

    In a hilarious, and somewhat sad activity, Ohio State’s coach, Urban Meyer, was unfortunately caught eating a pizza alone on a golf cart after the game was over. There are many haters of Ohio State around the country for a variety of a reasons, and as a result, many people were happy to see them lose on Saturday night.

    Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes lost, but it certainly was not on any last second plays that could compare to what happened in the Iron Bowl in which Auburn defeated Alabama.

    Michigan State controlled much of the game, and even jumped out to a 17-0 lead. Auburn also had a reason to root for MSU in this game, due to the fact that if Ohio State were to lose, then they would be sent to the national championship. While Braxton Miller has been known to destroy Ohio State’s opponents throughout the season, he started out slow, and Michigan State’s Connor Cook finished with an impressive game passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns.

    The game had big implications for the Spartans too, sending them to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1988, where they will meet Stanford in Pasadena, California. The Spartans crushed any hopes of Ohio State heading to a national championship, and after two undefeated seasons, it has been all for nothing again.

    The Spartans have also had a long traditions of rioting and burning couches after games, and made their presence known in East Lansing after the win, helping to create this graphic.

    Despite the success that Urban Meyer has had with Ohio State, he has not been able to get them to a national championship. Last season, they experienced a post-season ban due to an NCAA investigation over improper benefits.

    Meyer thought he could have his chance at redemption this year, but after the loss, he simply consoled himself with a personal pizza from Papa John’s in the tunnel, while surrounded by family.

    While they were originally set to head to the national championship, Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes are now headed to the Orange Bowl to face Clemson, a tough ACC team that is led by quarterback Taj Boyd.

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  • Bowl Projections: The Top Teams Are Lining Up, But Which Match-Ups Are Likely?

    There has been much controversy over the BCS in recent years, and throughout this season especially. As Alabama has won the BCS title game for the past two years, and remained at the No.1 spot for much of this year, the idea of them playing for the championship again seemed almost inevitable, but after last weekend, things have altered drastically.

    It is still hard to speculate over much of the bowl projections as things will not be final until after the results are in after this coming Saturday, but many experts are at it already, predicting where each of the top teams will be headed.

    The loss that Alabama endured in the final seconds of the Iron Bowl on Saturday severely hurt them in the BCS standings, and knocked them out of the title game, in a huge upset that Auburn delivered to the two-time defending champions.

    While rivalry week usually works to shake things up a little bit, the games that were played out this past Saturday certainly changed things for several teams, but most importantly Alabama.

    The new national championship match-up between Ohio State and Florida State is also a dream for college sports fans, and to be able to see two undefeated programs play will certainly be excting. In addtiion, it could be the first time that the SEC has been left out of the national championship in several years.

    The BCS standings saw a new No.1 team this week, and due to Alabama’s loss, Florida State moved up, while it is currently looking like the Seminoles will play Ohio State in the national championship. However, the Auburn Tigers put up a strong fight against Alabama, and if they are to win the SEC championship, some people are arguing that they may have a chance to play in the title game over Ohio State.

    While Johnny Manziel impressed fans and commentators throughout this season, his Texas A&M Aggies are currently on a 2-game losing streak, which has dropped them several spots in the rankings.

    Despite almost beating Alabama and several impressive performances, the Aggies are only projected to play against Iowa as it stands right now. Texas A&M was originally projected to play against UCF in the Sugar Bowl, but since they have faltered recently, things are looking much worse for Johnny Manziel and The Aggies.

    Michigan State is set to play against Stanford in the Rose Bowl against Stanford, and the Crimson Tide has dropped to the Orange Bowl where they are set to play against Clemson. Meanwhile, despite Auburn’s victory over Alabama, they are only predicted to go to the Sugar Bowl, with UCF as their opponent, a game that would heavily favor the Tigers.

    As the season comes to an end, fans can all get excited over the update bowl projections, and seeing where their favorite teams might head. Of course, there will be much debate over whether certain teams deserve to go to better bowls, and a variety of other scenarios, as they continue to play out in the minds of fans all over the country.

    Things are certainly getting interesting for Ohio State and Auburn as the teams head into their conference championships.

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  • BCS Standings: Things Are Shaping Up As The Season Comes To A Close

    The BCS standings have been released, and with only one more week to go in the season, things are finally starting to fall into place. After an incredibly dramatic finish between Alabama and Auburn, this week’s BCS standings also feature a new #1 team for the first time in a long time.

    The bowl games are shaping up to have quite the excitement in the coming weeks, with top teams losing and a variety of scenarios possible.

    The BCS standings have been significantly changing in recent weeks and with Auburn’s big win over Alabama, the top team that has won the past two national championships may have been taken out of the running for this year’s title game.

    For the first time in a long time, a new team is sitting at the #1 spot, and the new team is Florida State. Florida State has been dominant throughotu the season, and looks to be headed to the national championship shortly.

    The bowl projections, and where teams will be headed is narrowing down slowly, but the fate of several teams around the country will be determined shortly. The conference championships are coming up next weekend, and after Saturday’s games play out, college football fans will have a better idea of where their favorite teams will be headed during the bowl games.

    Here is a full list of this week’s standings.

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    Ohio State is also closely behind now at the #2 spot, however they have to get past a tough Michigan State team in order to make the title, and that could be a difficult task to overcome. If Michigan State is to win the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State, then they would be headed to the Rose Bowl for the first time in many years. After a hard fought season, a Rose Bowl berth for the Spartans is something that they could look forward to, and are deserving of the game. Michigan State’s only loss this season is to Notre Dame, an out of conference game, and anyone who saw the game would argue that MSU should have won the game if it were not for the way the game was officiated.

    Even if Ohio State were to win, some people feel that the SEC is such a strong conference that Alabama, Auburn, or possibly even Missouri might be more deserving of a shot at the title. Missouri’s coach Gary Pinkel said, for example, “Any one-loss team in the SEC (should be considered) just because of the strength of schedule. Hopefully that will be taken into consideration.”

    Alabama has been one of the top teams for several years, and as the SEC continues to dominate, especially in last week’s BCS standings, it is not hard to understand the argument that is being made for the top-ranked SEC teams, and their chances of going to the title game.

    With the current BCS standings, it seems that Florida State has their spot in the title game secured, however on Ohio State’s end, things are a bit different. Ohio State barely beat a struggling Michigan team over the weekend, and after Auburn’s upset, they might have what it takes to win the SEC championship game, and proceed on to the national championship if Ohio State were to lose especially.

    The fate of the BCS standings is coming down to the final week, and the results of the the Big Ten Championship and the SEC Championship will have a big impact on who goes to the BCS Championship, depending on who wins, and how each team plays.

    Images via Facebook and BCS Football

  • AP Men’s Basketball Top 25: New Poll Out, Where Does Your Team Stand?

    It’s the start of a new week, and all the basketball fans know what that means, right? It is time for a new poll showing everyone the AP Men’s basketball teams, and how they are all ranked.

    There was not a lot of movement this week, but certainly some, and while the top two teams remained undefeated, the top ten was shaken up some.

    The thing that really screwed things up was when Louisville lost to North Carolina, sending them from #3 down to #9, and allowing for several other teams to jump ahead of them.

    The latest poll was released today, which features Michigan State at the top, followed by Kansas and Kentucky.

    Michigan State came into the season ranked #2, and beat Kentucky who was the top-ranked team at the time on November 12, in order to move into the #1 spot. Kansas has also looked very good all year, and is currently undefeated behind their young star, Andrew Wiggins.

    The AP college basketball was shaken up most in the middle of rankings when VCU, Memphis, and New Mexico all lost. UMass was also the team that was able to take down the #25 ranked New Mexico, and remain undefeated with wins over LSU, Nebraska and Boston College.

    Michigan State won on Saturday, which secured them as the winners of the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic, defeating Oklahoma with a score of 87-76. The Big Ten looks to be a dominant force in college basketball once again, as Wisconsin and Ohio State are both currently ranked in the top ten, along with the Spartans.

    After the Big East was broken up at the end of last season, it is hard to keep track of what teams are in each conference. As the season progresses, that may become more clear, but the biggest change that fans will see is the fact that former powerhouses in the conference, Syracuse and Pittsburgh, have now entered the ACC.

    Some people would argue that the ACC was already one of the tougher conferences to play in with both Duke and North Carolina, and maybe the toughest. When Syracuse, currently ranked #8 in the nation, and Pittsburgh, are thrown into the equation, it almost creates a super conference that would be intimidating for any team to play in. It will certainly be interesting to see how things play out by the end of the season.

    The AP men’s basketball top 25 has been updated for this week, and features many of the same teams that we have seen all year, with not a lot of change. With big tests for top teams occurring all the time, that is likely to change at any time though.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDZyWb2VLzQ

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  • BCS Standings: Top 3 Unchanged, SEC Continues To Dominate

    The BCS standings have been updated yet again, and without a change in the top 3 spots, Alabama and Florida State continue to show that they are the top two teams in the nation.

    However, Ohio State is making their case as well, and with big games coming up against Michigan and Michigan State, they have a chance at the championship game as well.

    The BCS standings have been changing a lot lately, and it was looking like Oregon or Baylor might even have a chance at the national championship with impressive wins in the next couple of weeks, but after they both lost on Saturday, it is not looking good for either of them.

    Alabama and Florida State have been dominating their opponents all year, and it seems to be set for them to play in the championship, but as the season comes to an end, it is hard to know what will happen.

    Auburn and Missouri are also in the top 5, as the SEC has continued to dominate once again this year. South Carolina and Texas A&M could easily shake things up as well during rivalry week, as they have big games against Clemson and Missouri, respectively.

    While Alabama and Florida State are still undefeated with 11-0 records, Ohio State is right up there with them, and will have an interesting meeting with Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship. If Michigan State wins, they will go to the Rose Bowl, something that has not happened for the Spartans in a long time, who is undefeated in the Big Ten this year.

    However, if Ohio State wins, and beats Michigan to close out the season next week, they will likely play for the National Championship. Jerry Palm, a BCS analyst said that if Alabama or Florida State are to slip up, then Ohio State would move up into the top spot, but speaking on the likelihood of Missouri or Auburn jumping into the equation, he said “The coaches in particular are not going to allow an undefeated to not play for the title. They understand how hard it is to finish unbeaten. It hasn’t happened yet in the BCS and there is no reason to think it would this year.

    Almost anything is likely to happen with the top 5 teams in the BCS standings as the season comes to a close, but the top 3 teams continue to give themselves more separation. Auburn and Missouri sit at #4 and #5, and a SEC championship win could potentially send either of them to the championship.

    The bowl projections are being set up with all sorts of scenarios already, and what happens in the SEC will likely be the deciding factor, since the SEC currently 3 teams in the top 5.

    Does anyone have any big predictions? What will happen once this wild season finally comes to a close? Discuss.

    As the top teams around the league head into rivalry week, anything is likely to happen with the BCS standings, and they all better play their best if they want to have a chance to play in the national championship.

    Image via Youtube

  • Bowl Projections: Which Match-Ups Are Likely?

    Well, we all know that Alabama will be playing in the championship yet again, but what about everyone else? The bowl projections have been released, and as the BCS continues to be shaken up week to week, other than the top two spots, it is hard to keep track of what might happen.

    The one thing that seems almost definite is the fact that Florida State, who has completely dominated almost every opponent all year, will be the one to play the Alabama Crimson Tide in the national championship.

    The national championship is supposed to be a game between the top two teams in the nation, and that is certainly what it would be with these two programs, who are both undefeated after 11 weeks, and other than Alabama’s game with Texas A&M, they have both handled each opponent fairly easily throughout the season.

    With still a few more weeks to go, things could certainly change, but with the way it is looking right now, fans are able to take a look at where their favorite teams might be headed. Georgia, who made an incredible comeback on Saturday, but lost on a hail mary, was almost able to knock off Auburn, which could have changed things a bit, and USC also knocked off Stanford, letting Oregon comfortably stay at the top of the Pac-12 standings.

    However, one thing that could shake things up is how Michigan State finishes, and if they are able to somehow beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game, then those two teams would switch places. Currently, Ohio State is set to head to the Rose Bowl to play against a tough Oregon team led by Marcus Mariotta, and Michigan State will face off against Taj Boyd’s Clemson.

    Additionally, the Fiesta Bowl will likely host Baylor against Fresno State, and the Sugar Bowl would play host to Texas A&M and UCF.

    The bowl predictions are now out, and as the season comes to a close shortly, the fates will soon be sealed for each of the top college football teams, and how they will finish in the BCS rankings.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_cxCkE-1yY

    Image via Youtube

  • Kentucky Vs. Michigan State: MSU Prevails, Knocking Off #1

    A showdown in the champions classic took place last night, and in a tough battle between Kentucky and Michigan State, Michigan State took the win. Any match-up that is set up with Kentucky vs. Michigan State is sure to be an exciting one, but this year was especially important since they were the top two teams in the country.

    Michigan State won with a final score of 78-74, although the way the game played out, they should have won by much more. The two teams competed in a champions classic tournament, which took place in Chicago, and also included powerhouses Kansas and Duke, which could easily be the Final Four in a few short months.

    The first half completely favored Michigan State, but eventually their foul trouble caught up to them, and Adreian Payne was facing 3 fouls early in the second half, and was forced to sit on the bench for much of it. After the Spartans jumped out to a 10-0 lead, and seemed to have complete control, the Kentucky Wildcats continued to do everything that they could to stay in it, particularly their young star Julius Randle.

    Kentucky’s coach, John Calipari recently came out and said that it was unfair for his young players to have to play such an experienced team like Michigan State, and maybe he was right, especially during the first half. There was no doubt that the Wildcats would get back in the game, and coach Tom Izzo admits that they are a very tough team when saying “We made some mistakes in the second half, but that’s because they’re a good team.”

    This was a big game for both teams, but as both teams and all the fans know, it is only the beginning of the season, and it is sure to be an exciting one, based on how this game played out. The veteran point guard Keith Appling certainly understands this fact, and said after the game “We want to be No. 1 at the end of the season, not the beginning.” Well, they will now become No.1 at the beginning, the question is, how long will it last?

    Kentucky vs. Michigan State proved to be an interesting game throughout, and while Kentucky came in as the No.1 team, the Spartans will be stepping up as the top team soon enough. While Kentucky has recruited a lot of young stars, including six who were McDonald’s All-Americans, the Spartans also returned six of their top seven scorers, and are certainly no stranger to big games.

    Image via Youtube

  • Kentucky vs. Michigan St: Here’s What Twitter Is Saying In Real Time

    Currently #1 Kentucky is playing #2 Michigan State in the Champions Classic in Chicago. This is the first regular season meeting between a #1 and #2 teams since 2008 when Tennessee beat Memphis.

    Follow what people are saying about the game in real time.

    Here’s the #MSUvsUK conversation:


    What are your thoughts on the game? Let us know in the comments area below.

    (Image: ESPN Events)

  • BCS Standings: Another Switcheroo at the #2 Spot

    Another week, more BCS drama. The updated BCS standings were released last night. We didn’t see a lot of movement within the Top 10, but Florida State and Oregon did switch places. Again.

    Oregon had a BYE week last week and FSU played–and dominated–Miami, who was undefeated and ranked in the Top 10 before facing the Seminoles in Tallahassee. Not only did Florida State beat then #7 Miami 41-14, the Seminoles didn’t let the Hurricanes score at all in the second half, once again proving how dominant they are on both sides of the ball.

    Check out the updated BCS standings below.

    (image)

    Aside from FSU and Oregon switching places, Miami dropped out of the Top 10 down to the #11 spot, which allowed Clemson, Missouri and Auburn to all move up. Outside of the Top 10, the South Carolina Gamecocks moved from #14 to #12 after thoroughly thrashing Mississippi State at home. Michigan State also moved from #22 to #17 after beating Michigan 29-6.

    How did your favorite team fare this week? Respond below.

    With all of the switcheroos each week, fans can’t help but speculate where Florida State and Oregon will end up should both teams win out. Assuming Alabama wins out as well and retains their first place ranking and slot in the BCS Championship Game, it looks like Oregon will finish up at #2 based on the remaining SOS. They have #5 Stanford remaining on their schedule, while FSU’s toughest remaining opponent is an unranked Florida that is having a terrible season with a 4-4 record so far.

    Until the four-team playoff goes into effect for the 2014-2015 season, this shows just how important it is for teams like FSU that play in weaker conferences to schedule stronger OOC opponents.

    [Images via YouTube and ESPN]

  • State Beats Michigan Thanks To Spartan Defense

    Michigan State was able to bounce back from their embarrassing loss to Michigan last season, and with an excellent defensive effort, Michigan State beat Michigan in East Lansing on November 2nd.

    The defense was certainly the key to the game, and the spartan defense prevented Michigan from scoring a touchdown throughout the game, holding them to only 6 points, which all came in the first half.

    The game ended with a final score of 29-6. The two teams came into the game with Michigan ranked #23 and Michigan State being ranked #24, but it seems that this game put Michigan in their place, assuring that the Spartans are the better team this year.

    The game was deadlocked at 6-6 for part of the first half, looking like it would be a totally defensive game like the one they played in 2012 that ended 12-10, but that changed quickly. While the defense of Michigan State continued to shine, Michigan slipped up and allowed 23 points to be scored following the 6-6 tie.

    Pat Narduzzi, the defensive coordinator knows how important it is when State beats Michigan, and is willing to do whatever it takes to get his defense to get the job done. He didn’t want them getting stupid personal foul penalties and admitted that there was one, but he delivered a strong statement when saying, “We’re going to bully people — that’s the game of football.” The Michigan State defense did come out as the bully yesterday and completely shut down the Michigan offense, showing fans who the better team in Michigan truly is.

    This game that resulted in State beating Michigan was a very important one for both teams, and especially Michigan State, who remains undefeated in the Big Ten. The likelihood of the team advancing to the Big Ten championship is looking even better after the win, and a record of 8-1, and their only loss coming to Notre Dame.

    As if the scoreboard show for a defensive effort was not enough, Michigan State’s defense was able to beat Michigan down so hard that they ended up with -48 rushing yards by the end of the game, which of course was their worst output in the history of Michigan’s football program. Their previous low came in 1962, when the Wolverines were held to minus-46 yards by Minnesota.

    This time when State beats Michigan also marks the most lopsided win in the series since a 34-0 victory in 1967. In yesterday’s game quarterback Connor Cook was 18 for 33 and passed for 252 yards, also running for one touchdown.

    Michigan State is often a team that is overlooked in college football, but after they beat Michigan, they have a remaining schedule that consists of Nebraska, Northwestern, and Minnesota, and a chance to go undefeated in the Big Ten.

    Image via Youtube