The New Orleans Saints are 0-3 for the first time since 1997. However, their numbers resemble another Saints team that started 0-3...the 1980 team. Now it's too early to say the 2012 Saints will finish with a 1-15 record or they are as bad as that team, but their numbers are closer the the 1980 team than the 1997 team.
So far the Saints have 1,132 yards of total offense, 285 yards per game passing and 93 yards per game rushing. After three games, the 1980 team had 929 yards of total offense. They averaged 237 yards passing and 73 yards per game rushing.
Offensively, the 2012 team is obviously better, but they have three things in common with the 1980 squad so far: a great quarterback, lackluster running game, and mediocre receiver production. For those of you who remember the 1980 team, the 2012 team has far better running backs and Archie Manning would have loved to have a player like Jimmy Graham or Darren Sproles on his team. Another thing both teams have in common was a fairly porous offensive line. Drew Brees is beginning to learn something Archie knew too well, to have to run for his life before he can even get set. It doesn't happen every play, but it happens enough.
The 2012 Saints defense allowed 1,432 total yards, 262 yards per game passing and 215 yards per game rushing. After three games the 1980 team allowed 1,093 total yards, 197 yards passing and 167 yards per game rushing.
At this point, the 2012 defense is worse than the 1980 defense. Granted, the 1980 team didn't have to face RGIII and Cam Newton, but the 2012 defense didn't have to face Walter Payton three games into the season. Oh wait a minute...Jamaal Charles put up Sweetness-like numbers on them. The point is, both defenses made great, if not career, days for some opposing offensive players. The frustrating thing is the 2012 defense has much more talent and is far better in all positions than their 1980 counterparts. Okay, Derland Moore was probably a better defensive tackle and then rookie Dave Waymer was a talented defensive back.
It's easy to blame the coaches. Dick Nolan was in his last year as head coach of the Saints in 1980, but even though he melted down and quit after game 14, at least the team had a head coach. The 2012 team obviously misses its head coach and probably knew from the outset that Joe Vitt and Aaron Kromer are no Sean Payton. However, no matter who the coach is, if they don't execute or they miss tackles, like the 2012 defense does, then it doesn't matter who the head coach or even defensive coordinator is, because they will lose.
Now what about the replacement refs? Sure, they have a measure of responsibility and they made some game changing bad calls against the Saints. In fact, there were a lot of bad calls and no calls that should have been flagged over the past three games. However, it's no excuse for not executing the basics of running, blocking, and especially tackling. As Sean Payton would put it, bad refereeing or not, the team is simply not doing its job and responsibility starts at the top.
So, is this deja` vu? Is the 2012 team is as bad as the 1980 team? Absolutely not! The 1980 team, minus Manning, Moore, and a few others, were a bumbling, fumbling bunch of players who were poorly lead by their coaching staff. Unless the 2012 team collapses, it would be a huge surprise if they finished 1-15.
So how will they finish? When will the Saints get their first win? How will they do in comparison with the 1980 team?
The answer? It's still early. The Saints need to take it a game at a time, which to their credit they do, and if the players do their jobs for sixty minutes, they'll win.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Last Place Update
Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. It's down to the wire now. The 58-94 Colorado Rockies have made their move, losing nine of their last ten games, but it's too little, too late. The 50-103 Houston Astros need two more losses or a Rockies win and an Astros loss to clinch a repeat as Kings of the Cellar. The 59-94 Chicago Cubs are a half game behind the Rockies and a win from being out of contention for the title. The AL worst Cleveland Indians are 63-90.
This week's honorable mention goes to the Toronto Blue Jays. They lost ten of their last twelve games and have six straight losses. The MLB leading and the last repeat Kings of the Cellar champions Washington Nationals have earned an honorable mention. Although they have the best record in the majors, they lost six of their last nine games.
Since the last update, the Astros are 2-4, the Rockies went 0-7, and the Cubs went 1-6. The Minnesota Twins did some winning and went 4-2, so they are off the radar for now.
Last year's Astros were 53-100 after 153 games.
Will the Astros clinch a repeat this week? Will the Rockies continue their collapse? Will the Cubs surprise everybody for no particular reason?
Stay tuned. Have a great day!!
This week's honorable mention goes to the Toronto Blue Jays. They lost ten of their last twelve games and have six straight losses. The MLB leading and the last repeat Kings of the Cellar champions Washington Nationals have earned an honorable mention. Although they have the best record in the majors, they lost six of their last nine games.
Since the last update, the Astros are 2-4, the Rockies went 0-7, and the Cubs went 1-6. The Minnesota Twins did some winning and went 4-2, so they are off the radar for now.
Last year's Astros were 53-100 after 153 games.
Will the Astros clinch a repeat this week? Will the Rockies continue their collapse? Will the Cubs surprise everybody for no particular reason?
Stay tuned. Have a great day!!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Today in 1986 - Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets
Today in 1986, the Miami Dolphins went to The Meadowlands to take on the New York Jets in an exciting Week 3 divisional contest between two members of the great quarterback class of 1983. The best way to describe this game is that it was a carpet bombing by both sides.
The Jets got on the board first on a 32 yard field goal by Pat Leahy. The Dolphins responded with a touchdown pass from Dan Marino to James Pruitt. Miami led 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Then the scorefest began. RB Johnny Hector scored both of his rushing touchdowns for the game, putting New York in the lead 17-7. Dan Marino responded in kind for Miami by throwing touchdown passes to TE Dan Johnson and WR Mark Duper. Ken O'Brien countered Marino by throwing two long touchdown passes of 50 and 65 yards to WR Wesley Walker. The Jets led 31-21 at halftime.
The third quarter belonged to the Dolphins. Marino threw a 46 yard touchdown pass to WR Mark Duper. Fuad Reveiz later kicked a 44 yard field goal. Marino closed out the quarter by throwing a touchdown pass to TE Bruce Hardy. Miami led 38-31 at the end of the quarter.
But the Jets would not be denied. RB Dennis Bligen tied the game on a 7 yard touchdown run. Miami drove and took the lead again on a 4 yard touchdown pass from Marino to WR Mark Clayton. On the last play of regulation, the Jets sent the game to overtime on a 21 yard touchdown pass from O'Brien to Walker tying the game 45-45.
The Jets got the ball in overtime. There was a controversial call on the kickoff when Michael Harper fumbled and Mike Kozlowski recovered for the Dolphins. Before Miami could challenge the call, O'Brien quickly got the offense lined up and ran a play, which was a 15 yard pass from O'Brien to WR Al Toon. The Jets drove to the Dolphins 43 yard line where O'Brien threw the winning touchdown pass to Walker. The New York Jets beat the Miami Dolphins 51-45.
For the Dolphins, Dan Marino threw 30-50 for 448 yards, 6 TDs and 2 INTs. Mark Clayton had 8 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown. Mark Duper had 7 catches for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mark Brown had 2 sacks in the game, while Hugh Green had one sack.
For the Jets, Ken O'Brien threw 29-43 for 479 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT. Johnny Hector ran 22 times for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns. Al Toon had 7 receptions for 111 yards and Wesley Walker had 6 catches for 194 yards and 4 touchdowns. Joe Klecko had 1.5 sacks and Bob Crable had half a sack.
The Jets improved to 2-1 with the win. They finished the season at 10-6, 2nd in the AFC East. They made the playoffs, losing in overtime in the divisional round against the Cleveland Browns 23-20. The Dolphins finished the season at 8-8, third in the AFC East and missed the playoffs.
Trivia
The entire game is on YouTube in 15 parts. Here are the last two segments. I make no claim of ownership of any of the videos featured.
The end of regulation. The first two minutes and fourteen seconds of the video is blank, but the game continues after that with 1:11 left.
Overtime
Game stats can be found on Pro Football Reference at Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets - September 21, 1986.
The Jets got on the board first on a 32 yard field goal by Pat Leahy. The Dolphins responded with a touchdown pass from Dan Marino to James Pruitt. Miami led 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Then the scorefest began. RB Johnny Hector scored both of his rushing touchdowns for the game, putting New York in the lead 17-7. Dan Marino responded in kind for Miami by throwing touchdown passes to TE Dan Johnson and WR Mark Duper. Ken O'Brien countered Marino by throwing two long touchdown passes of 50 and 65 yards to WR Wesley Walker. The Jets led 31-21 at halftime.
The third quarter belonged to the Dolphins. Marino threw a 46 yard touchdown pass to WR Mark Duper. Fuad Reveiz later kicked a 44 yard field goal. Marino closed out the quarter by throwing a touchdown pass to TE Bruce Hardy. Miami led 38-31 at the end of the quarter.
But the Jets would not be denied. RB Dennis Bligen tied the game on a 7 yard touchdown run. Miami drove and took the lead again on a 4 yard touchdown pass from Marino to WR Mark Clayton. On the last play of regulation, the Jets sent the game to overtime on a 21 yard touchdown pass from O'Brien to Walker tying the game 45-45.
The Jets got the ball in overtime. There was a controversial call on the kickoff when Michael Harper fumbled and Mike Kozlowski recovered for the Dolphins. Before Miami could challenge the call, O'Brien quickly got the offense lined up and ran a play, which was a 15 yard pass from O'Brien to WR Al Toon. The Jets drove to the Dolphins 43 yard line where O'Brien threw the winning touchdown pass to Walker. The New York Jets beat the Miami Dolphins 51-45.
For the Dolphins, Dan Marino threw 30-50 for 448 yards, 6 TDs and 2 INTs. Mark Clayton had 8 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown. Mark Duper had 7 catches for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mark Brown had 2 sacks in the game, while Hugh Green had one sack.
For the Jets, Ken O'Brien threw 29-43 for 479 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT. Johnny Hector ran 22 times for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns. Al Toon had 7 receptions for 111 yards and Wesley Walker had 6 catches for 194 yards and 4 touchdowns. Joe Klecko had 1.5 sacks and Bob Crable had half a sack.
The Jets improved to 2-1 with the win. They finished the season at 10-6, 2nd in the AFC East. They made the playoffs, losing in overtime in the divisional round against the Cleveland Browns 23-20. The Dolphins finished the season at 8-8, third in the AFC East and missed the playoffs.
Trivia
- There were 3 Hall of Famers present, all with the Dolphins: Dan Marino, Dwight Stephenson, and head coach Don Shula.
- This was Shula's 17th season with the Dolphins. He coached the team from 1970-95, leading the team to five Super Bowls, winning two of them (VII and VIII). He also was the head coach for the Baltimore Colts from 1963-69, winning the 1968 NFL Championship, but losing Super Bowl III to the New York Jets.
- This was Joe Walton's fourth season as head coach of the Jets. He coached the team from 1983-89.
- Shula played for the Cleveland Browns (1951-52), Baltimore Colts (1953-56), and Washington Redskins (1957).
- Walton played for the Washington Redskins (1957-60) and the New York Giants (1961-63).
- Shula and Walton were teammates with the Redskins in 1957.
- Dolphins defensive coordinator Chuck Studley was the interim head coach for the Houston Oilers in 1983.
- Jets WR Wesley Walker scored more touchdowns in this game (4) than he did for the entire season in 1977 (3), 1980 (1), 1987 (1), and 1990 (0).
- Jets offensive coordinator Rich Kotite was the head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles (1991-94) and the Jets (1995-96).
- Kotite was a tight end with the New York Giants (1967, 1979-72) and Pittsburgh Steelers (1968).
- Jets defensive coordinator Bud Carson was the head coach for the Cleveland Browns (1989-90).
- Dolphins LB Mark Brown had more sacks in this game (2) than he did for the entire season in 1984 (1), 1985 (1), 1987 (1), 1988 (0.5), 1989-91 (0). He had two sacks his rookie season in 1983 and five sacks in 1986.
- Both teams accounted for 1,066 yards of total offense, with 884 net passing yards.
- The six touchdown passes Marino threw are the most of his career in one game. He threw five touchown passes in a game several times.
- Marino threw more touchdown passes against the Jets (72) than any other team in his career. His next most was the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (54). His least? The New York Giants (1).
The entire game is on YouTube in 15 parts. Here are the last two segments. I make no claim of ownership of any of the videos featured.
The end of regulation. The first two minutes and fourteen seconds of the video is blank, but the game continues after that with 1:11 left.
Overtime
Game stats can be found on Pro Football Reference at Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets - September 21, 1986.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Some Top 10 College Football Trivia
Welcome to this week's edition of college football Top 10 series trivia, where there are some first ever meetings mixed in with some old rivalries.
After blanking two of their three opponents, the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide will host the Florida Atlantic Owls. This will be their first ever meeting.
The other SEC West team in the top two, the #2 LSU Tigers, will visit the Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium. LSU leads the series 25-20-1.LSU is 11-12 against Auburn since 1981, but is also 10-7 against their fellow Tigers since 1995. They first met in 1901, when Auburn blanked LSU 28-0. Their highest scoring game was a 30-28 Auburn victory in 1992. And let us not forget the Earthquake Game in 1988, when Auburn led 6-0 with less than two minutes left in the game, only to lose 7-6 on a touchdown pass from Tommy Hodson to Eddie Fuller. The crowd's reaction to the touchdown registered on a seismograph on campus. The last time LSU shut out Auburn was 6-0 in 1935. The last time Auburn shut out LSU was 3-0 in 1924. Their only tie was 7-7 in 1941.
The #3 Oregon Ducks will host the #22 Arizona Wildcats in Eugene. The Ducks lead the series 23-14 and are 15-3 since 1994. They first met in 1937 when Arizona won 20-6. The highest scoring game in the series came in 2005, with Oregon winning 55-45. The Ducks have scored at least 44 points in this series for four straight games. There is only one shutout in the series: a 21-0 Oregon victory in 1964.
In the game of the week, after also shutting out their last two opponents, the #4 Florida State Seminoles will take on the #10 Clemson Tigers in Tallahassee. Florida State leads the series 17-8, but Clemson is 6-3 against the Seminoles since 2003. They first met in 1970, with the Seminoles winning easily 38-13. The highest scoring game in the series was a 48-31 Florida State victory in 2002. The last time Florida State shut out Clemson was 48-0 in 1998. Clemson has never shut out Florida State.
The Vanderbilt Commodores will go between the hedges in Athens to face the #5 Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia owns the series 52-18-2, including five straights wins over Vandy. In fact, Vanderbilt has only beaten Georgia five times since 1961. They first met in 1893 at Vanderbilt, where the Commodores blanked the Bullldogs 35-0. The highest scoring game in the series happened when the Bulldogs dominated the Commodores 62-35 in 1984. The last time Georgia shut out Vanderbilt was 43-0 in 2010. The last time Vanderbilt shut out Georgia was 21-0 in 1961. Their last tie was 13-13 in 1985.
The #6 Oklahoma Sooners will host the #15 Kansas State Wildcats in Norman. Oklahoma dominates the series 71-17-4, with the Sooners going 8-1 since 2000. They first met in 1908, with Oklahoma winning easily 33-4. The highest scoring game in the series happened in 1971, when Oklahoma spanked the Wildcats 75-28. In fact, Oklahoma has owned Kansas State to the point where the Sooners shut out the Wildcats 23 times in the series. The last time Oklahoma shut out Kansas State was 63-0 in 1974. The last time Kansas State shut out Oklahoma was 14-0 in 1933. Their last tie was 6-6 in 1936.
One of the SEC's newest additions, the Missouri Tigers, will travel to Columbia to face the #7 South Carolina Gamecocks. They have only met two other times, the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1979 and the Independence Bowl in 2005. Missouri won both matches. There are no shutouts or ties in the series.
The #8 West Virginia Mountaineers will host the Maryland Terrapins in Morgantown. West Virginia leads the series 25-21-2, with the Mountaineers winning the last six games against the Terrapins. They first met in 1919 and West Virginia shut out Maryland 27-0. The highest scoring games in the series (there is a tie) were both Mountaineer victories, 55-24 in 1988 and 42-37 in 1993. The last time West Virginia shut out Maryland was 13-0 in 1996. The last time Maryland shut out West Virginia was 33-0 in 1999. Both of their ties happened in consecutive years: 6-6 in 1944 and 13-13 in 1945.
Fresh off their big win over the now #13 USC Trojans, the #9 Stanford Cardinal will invade Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies. Washington leads the series 40-38-4, but the Cardinal are 6-1 against the Huskies since 2004. They first met in 1893, with Stanford shutting out Washington 40-0. The highest scoring game in the series came last year when Stanford nailed the Huskies 65-21. The last time Stanford shut out Washington was 41-0 in 2010. The last time Washington shut out Stanford was 34-0 in 1985. Their last tie was 7-7 in 1955.
Since the #10 Clemson Tigers were covered already, let's add one more storied rivalry. This could be second Game of the Week. The #11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will host the #18 Michigan Wolverines in South Bend. Michigan leads the series 23-15-1 and is 5-1 since 2006. They first met in 1887 and the visiting Michigan team won 8-0. They met periodically between 1898 and 1943. They didn't play each other again until 1978 and it has now become an annual matchup. The highest scoring game in the series happened in 2009, when the Wolverines won 38-34. The last time Michigan shut out Notre Dame was 38-0 in 2007. Notre Dame has never shut out Michigan. Their only tie was 17-17 in 1992.
Here are some historical scores for this week's Top 25 matchups that were played on this day:
1953 UCLA 41 - Oregon State 0
1976 Maryland 24 - West Virginia 3
1982 Notre Dame 23 - Michigan 17
1982 West Virginia 19 - Maryland 18
1993 West Virginia 42 - Maryland 37
1993 Auburn 34 - LSU 10
1999 Maryland 33 - West Virginia 0
1999 Auburn 41 - LSU 7
2004 West Virginia 19 - Maryland 16
2004 Auburn 10 - LSU 9
2010 West Virginia 31 - Maryland 17
After blanking two of their three opponents, the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide will host the Florida Atlantic Owls. This will be their first ever meeting.
The other SEC West team in the top two, the #2 LSU Tigers, will visit the Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium. LSU leads the series 25-20-1.LSU is 11-12 against Auburn since 1981, but is also 10-7 against their fellow Tigers since 1995. They first met in 1901, when Auburn blanked LSU 28-0. Their highest scoring game was a 30-28 Auburn victory in 1992. And let us not forget the Earthquake Game in 1988, when Auburn led 6-0 with less than two minutes left in the game, only to lose 7-6 on a touchdown pass from Tommy Hodson to Eddie Fuller. The crowd's reaction to the touchdown registered on a seismograph on campus. The last time LSU shut out Auburn was 6-0 in 1935. The last time Auburn shut out LSU was 3-0 in 1924. Their only tie was 7-7 in 1941.
The #3 Oregon Ducks will host the #22 Arizona Wildcats in Eugene. The Ducks lead the series 23-14 and are 15-3 since 1994. They first met in 1937 when Arizona won 20-6. The highest scoring game in the series came in 2005, with Oregon winning 55-45. The Ducks have scored at least 44 points in this series for four straight games. There is only one shutout in the series: a 21-0 Oregon victory in 1964.
In the game of the week, after also shutting out their last two opponents, the #4 Florida State Seminoles will take on the #10 Clemson Tigers in Tallahassee. Florida State leads the series 17-8, but Clemson is 6-3 against the Seminoles since 2003. They first met in 1970, with the Seminoles winning easily 38-13. The highest scoring game in the series was a 48-31 Florida State victory in 2002. The last time Florida State shut out Clemson was 48-0 in 1998. Clemson has never shut out Florida State.
The Vanderbilt Commodores will go between the hedges in Athens to face the #5 Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia owns the series 52-18-2, including five straights wins over Vandy. In fact, Vanderbilt has only beaten Georgia five times since 1961. They first met in 1893 at Vanderbilt, where the Commodores blanked the Bullldogs 35-0. The highest scoring game in the series happened when the Bulldogs dominated the Commodores 62-35 in 1984. The last time Georgia shut out Vanderbilt was 43-0 in 2010. The last time Vanderbilt shut out Georgia was 21-0 in 1961. Their last tie was 13-13 in 1985.
The #6 Oklahoma Sooners will host the #15 Kansas State Wildcats in Norman. Oklahoma dominates the series 71-17-4, with the Sooners going 8-1 since 2000. They first met in 1908, with Oklahoma winning easily 33-4. The highest scoring game in the series happened in 1971, when Oklahoma spanked the Wildcats 75-28. In fact, Oklahoma has owned Kansas State to the point where the Sooners shut out the Wildcats 23 times in the series. The last time Oklahoma shut out Kansas State was 63-0 in 1974. The last time Kansas State shut out Oklahoma was 14-0 in 1933. Their last tie was 6-6 in 1936.
One of the SEC's newest additions, the Missouri Tigers, will travel to Columbia to face the #7 South Carolina Gamecocks. They have only met two other times, the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1979 and the Independence Bowl in 2005. Missouri won both matches. There are no shutouts or ties in the series.
The #8 West Virginia Mountaineers will host the Maryland Terrapins in Morgantown. West Virginia leads the series 25-21-2, with the Mountaineers winning the last six games against the Terrapins. They first met in 1919 and West Virginia shut out Maryland 27-0. The highest scoring games in the series (there is a tie) were both Mountaineer victories, 55-24 in 1988 and 42-37 in 1993. The last time West Virginia shut out Maryland was 13-0 in 1996. The last time Maryland shut out West Virginia was 33-0 in 1999. Both of their ties happened in consecutive years: 6-6 in 1944 and 13-13 in 1945.
Fresh off their big win over the now #13 USC Trojans, the #9 Stanford Cardinal will invade Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies. Washington leads the series 40-38-4, but the Cardinal are 6-1 against the Huskies since 2004. They first met in 1893, with Stanford shutting out Washington 40-0. The highest scoring game in the series came last year when Stanford nailed the Huskies 65-21. The last time Stanford shut out Washington was 41-0 in 2010. The last time Washington shut out Stanford was 34-0 in 1985. Their last tie was 7-7 in 1955.
Since the #10 Clemson Tigers were covered already, let's add one more storied rivalry. This could be second Game of the Week. The #11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will host the #18 Michigan Wolverines in South Bend. Michigan leads the series 23-15-1 and is 5-1 since 2006. They first met in 1887 and the visiting Michigan team won 8-0. They met periodically between 1898 and 1943. They didn't play each other again until 1978 and it has now become an annual matchup. The highest scoring game in the series happened in 2009, when the Wolverines won 38-34. The last time Michigan shut out Notre Dame was 38-0 in 2007. Notre Dame has never shut out Michigan. Their only tie was 17-17 in 1992.
Here are some historical scores for this week's Top 25 matchups that were played on this day:
1953 UCLA 41 - Oregon State 0
1976 Maryland 24 - West Virginia 3
1982 Notre Dame 23 - Michigan 17
1982 West Virginia 19 - Maryland 18
1993 West Virginia 42 - Maryland 37
1993 Auburn 34 - LSU 10
1999 Maryland 33 - West Virginia 0
1999 Auburn 41 - LSU 7
2004 West Virginia 19 - Maryland 16
2004 Auburn 10 - LSU 9
2010 West Virginia 31 - Maryland 17
Monday, September 17, 2012
Last Place Update
Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. The new magic number is 6. The 48-99 Houston Astros did a little winning, but still lead the 58-88 Chicago Cubs by 10.5 games. The Astros need six losses to clinch an outright repeat as Kings of the Cellar. The Cubs lead the 58-87 Colorado Rockies by half a game. The AL worst Minnesota Twins are 60-87.
This week's honorable mention goes to the 78-68 Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They are 3-7 in their last ten games, losing five of their last six games.
Since the last update, the Astros went 4-3, the Cubs went 4-2, both respectable numbers. However, the Rockies went 2-4 and the Twins went 2-5.
Last year's Astros were 50-97 after 147 games.
Will Houston clinch a repeat this week? Will the Cubs continue their winning ways and let Colorado be Houston's runners-up? Will Minnesota make a move on both teams?
Stay tuned. Have a great day!!!
This week's honorable mention goes to the 78-68 Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They are 3-7 in their last ten games, losing five of their last six games.
Since the last update, the Astros went 4-3, the Cubs went 4-2, both respectable numbers. However, the Rockies went 2-4 and the Twins went 2-5.
Last year's Astros were 50-97 after 147 games.
Will Houston clinch a repeat this week? Will the Cubs continue their winning ways and let Colorado be Houston's runners-up? Will Minnesota make a move on both teams?
Stay tuned. Have a great day!!!
Friday, September 14, 2012
Corrections
This is why carefully proofreading your entry is so important. Yesterday's entry has not one error, but two. I apologize for the errors.
First, the Georgia Bulldogs are not the 8th ranked team in the country this week. They are ranked number 7. Second, the South Carolina Gamecocks are the 8th ranked team and they were omitted yesterday.
The #8 South Carolina Gamecocks will host the the second of two Conference USA teams they will face this season, University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers. The Gamecocks are undefeated in the series, 2-0. Every game, including tomorrow's, have been played at South Carolina. Both previous meetings were easy wins for the Gamecocks, but neither by shutout.
Here are a couple of historical scores on this day for teams facing each other this week:
1995 Kansas 38 - TCU 20
1996 Kansas 52 - TCU 17
First, the Georgia Bulldogs are not the 8th ranked team in the country this week. They are ranked number 7. Second, the South Carolina Gamecocks are the 8th ranked team and they were omitted yesterday.
The #8 South Carolina Gamecocks will host the the second of two Conference USA teams they will face this season, University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers. The Gamecocks are undefeated in the series, 2-0. Every game, including tomorrow's, have been played at South Carolina. Both previous meetings were easy wins for the Gamecocks, but neither by shutout.
Here are a couple of historical scores on this day for teams facing each other this week:
1995 Kansas 38 - TCU 20
1996 Kansas 52 - TCU 17
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Some AP Top 10 Series Trivia
Welcome to the first installment of this year's Top Ten Series Trivia. Here are the tidbits for this week.
The #1 Alabama Crimson Tide roll in to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. Alabama leads the series 15-7 and are on a five game winning streak. The only other time Alabama won five straight against Arkansas was the first five games of the series, from the two Sugar Bowl matchups in 1962 and 1980, and the first three years the Razorbacks were in the SEC, from 1992-94. The Razorbacks last beat the Tide in 2005 in a close one, 24-23. Arkansas's longest win streak against Alabama was only two games and they also did that twice, in 1997-98 and 2003-04. There have been no shutouts in the series.
The #2 USC Trojans will invade Stanford Stadium to play the #21 Stanford Cardinal. USC leads the series 59-28-3, but Stanford enjoys a three game winning streak against the Trojans. The series is fairly even since 1991, with USC leading 11-10 since 1991. They first met in 1905 at Stanford, with the Cardinal winning 16-0. The last time USC shut out Stanford was 42-0 in 2006. The last time the Cardinal shut out the Trojans was 13-0 in 1941. Their last tie was 21-21 in 1979.
The #3 LSU Tigers host the Idaho Vandals in Tiger Stadium. They only played one other time and LSU spanked Idaho 53-20 in 1998, so LSU leads the series 1-0.
The #4 Oregon Ducks take on the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at home. This is their first ever meeting.
The #5 Oklahoma Sooners have a bye this week after nailing the Florida A&M Rattlers 69-13. The Sooners will host the #15 Kansas State Wildcats next week.
The #6 Florida State Seminoles host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Florida State owns the series 23-6-1. However, Wake Forest put together some wins and is 4-2 against the Seminoles since 2006. The last time Florida State shut out Wake Forest was 31-0 in 2010. The last time Wake Forest shut out Florida State was 30-0 in 2006. The only tie in the series occurred in their first ever meeting in 1956, a 14-14 score.
The #8 Georgia Bulldogs will play the Florida Atlantic Owls at home. This is their first ever meeting.
The James Madison Dukes have the unenviable task of playing the #9 West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown. They only played one other time, a 45-10 spanking at the hands of West Virginia.
The #20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will invade Spartan Stadium to renew their rivalry with the #10 Michigan State Spartans. Notre Dame leads the series 46-28-1. The Spartans have kept the series interesting since 2002, going 4-5 during that period. They first met in 1897 at Notre Dame, who won 34-6. The highest scoring game in the series happened in 2005, when the Spartans beat the Irish in South Bend 44-41. The last time Notre Dame shut out Michigan State was 16-0 in 1972. The last time Michigan State shut out Notre Dame was 21-0 in 1960. Their only tie was 10-10 in 1966.
There are no historical scores for the Top 25 games this week played on this day.
The #1 Alabama Crimson Tide roll in to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. Alabama leads the series 15-7 and are on a five game winning streak. The only other time Alabama won five straight against Arkansas was the first five games of the series, from the two Sugar Bowl matchups in 1962 and 1980, and the first three years the Razorbacks were in the SEC, from 1992-94. The Razorbacks last beat the Tide in 2005 in a close one, 24-23. Arkansas's longest win streak against Alabama was only two games and they also did that twice, in 1997-98 and 2003-04. There have been no shutouts in the series.
The #2 USC Trojans will invade Stanford Stadium to play the #21 Stanford Cardinal. USC leads the series 59-28-3, but Stanford enjoys a three game winning streak against the Trojans. The series is fairly even since 1991, with USC leading 11-10 since 1991. They first met in 1905 at Stanford, with the Cardinal winning 16-0. The last time USC shut out Stanford was 42-0 in 2006. The last time the Cardinal shut out the Trojans was 13-0 in 1941. Their last tie was 21-21 in 1979.
The #3 LSU Tigers host the Idaho Vandals in Tiger Stadium. They only played one other time and LSU spanked Idaho 53-20 in 1998, so LSU leads the series 1-0.
The #4 Oregon Ducks take on the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at home. This is their first ever meeting.
The #5 Oklahoma Sooners have a bye this week after nailing the Florida A&M Rattlers 69-13. The Sooners will host the #15 Kansas State Wildcats next week.
The #6 Florida State Seminoles host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Florida State owns the series 23-6-1. However, Wake Forest put together some wins and is 4-2 against the Seminoles since 2006. The last time Florida State shut out Wake Forest was 31-0 in 2010. The last time Wake Forest shut out Florida State was 30-0 in 2006. The only tie in the series occurred in their first ever meeting in 1956, a 14-14 score.
The #8 Georgia Bulldogs will play the Florida Atlantic Owls at home. This is their first ever meeting.
The James Madison Dukes have the unenviable task of playing the #9 West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown. They only played one other time, a 45-10 spanking at the hands of West Virginia.
The #20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will invade Spartan Stadium to renew their rivalry with the #10 Michigan State Spartans. Notre Dame leads the series 46-28-1. The Spartans have kept the series interesting since 2002, going 4-5 during that period. They first met in 1897 at Notre Dame, who won 34-6. The highest scoring game in the series happened in 2005, when the Spartans beat the Irish in South Bend 44-41. The last time Notre Dame shut out Michigan State was 16-0 in 1972. The last time Michigan State shut out Notre Dame was 21-0 in 1960. Their only tie was 10-10 in 1966.
There are no historical scores for the Top 25 games this week played on this day.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Last Place Update
Welcome to this week's Last Place Update.
And so it's done. The last of the modern records of futility, the 2003 Detroit Tigers, is safe for another season. The last goal for the 44-96 Houston Astros to achieve is a repeat as the 2012 Kings of the Cellar. With 22 games to go, they have a ten game lead over the 54-86 Chicago Cubs, so unless the Cubs collapse further, a repeat is a forgone conclusion. The Cubs lead the 56-83 Colorado Rockies by 2.5 games. The AL worst Minnesota Twins are 58-82.
This week's honorable mention goes to the Sox...yes, both of them. The Boston Red Sox are 1-9 in their last ten games and 6-19 since August 14. The AL Central leading Chicago White Sox are 3-7 in their last ten games and 4-9 since August 27.
Since the last update, the Astros went 2-3, the Cubs 3-3, and Colorado's five game losing streak put them back on the radar. The Twins went 3-2.
Last year's Astros were 47-93 after 140 games.
Can the Astros maintain or increase their lead over the Cubs? Will Houston lose more games this year than last year? Will Minnesota pull a September surprise? Can the Sox (either of them) win this week?
Stay tuned. Have a great day!!
And so it's done. The last of the modern records of futility, the 2003 Detroit Tigers, is safe for another season. The last goal for the 44-96 Houston Astros to achieve is a repeat as the 2012 Kings of the Cellar. With 22 games to go, they have a ten game lead over the 54-86 Chicago Cubs, so unless the Cubs collapse further, a repeat is a forgone conclusion. The Cubs lead the 56-83 Colorado Rockies by 2.5 games. The AL worst Minnesota Twins are 58-82.
This week's honorable mention goes to the Sox...yes, both of them. The Boston Red Sox are 1-9 in their last ten games and 6-19 since August 14. The AL Central leading Chicago White Sox are 3-7 in their last ten games and 4-9 since August 27.
Since the last update, the Astros went 2-3, the Cubs 3-3, and Colorado's five game losing streak put them back on the radar. The Twins went 3-2.
Last year's Astros were 47-93 after 140 games.
Can the Astros maintain or increase their lead over the Cubs? Will Houston lose more games this year than last year? Will Minnesota pull a September surprise? Can the Sox (either of them) win this week?
Stay tuned. Have a great day!!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Last Place Update
Welcome to this week's Last Place Update. Now that Hurricane Isaac has passed and power has been restored, let's get started.
The 1962 New York Mets' record of futility is safe for another year. The 42-93 Houston Astros have one game left to tie the 2003 Detroit Tigers modern record of cellar dominance. The 51-83 Chicago Cubs shrunk Houston's lead to 8.5 games. The 55-80 Minnesota Twins trail the Cubs by 3.5 games.
This week's honorable mention goes to the 70-64 Pittsburgh Pirates. They're 3-7 in their last ten games, losers of their last four. The Pirates are 4-11 since August 18.
Since the last update, the Astros went 2-5, the Cubs went 2-6, and the Twins went 3-5. The 55-78 Colorado Rockies did a little winning and went 6-3, getting themselves taken off the radar for now.
Although it appears the 2003 Detroit Tigers' record will be safe for another year, they were 34-101 after 135 games.
Will the Astros maintain their lead and repeat as Kings of the Cellar? Will the Cubs have a greater collapse and take Houston's title? Will the 62-74 Boston Red Sox, losers of their last seven games, give the Twins a run for the AL's worst team?
Stay tuned. Have a great day!!!
The 1962 New York Mets' record of futility is safe for another year. The 42-93 Houston Astros have one game left to tie the 2003 Detroit Tigers modern record of cellar dominance. The 51-83 Chicago Cubs shrunk Houston's lead to 8.5 games. The 55-80 Minnesota Twins trail the Cubs by 3.5 games.
This week's honorable mention goes to the 70-64 Pittsburgh Pirates. They're 3-7 in their last ten games, losers of their last four. The Pirates are 4-11 since August 18.
Since the last update, the Astros went 2-5, the Cubs went 2-6, and the Twins went 3-5. The 55-78 Colorado Rockies did a little winning and went 6-3, getting themselves taken off the radar for now.
Although it appears the 2003 Detroit Tigers' record will be safe for another year, they were 34-101 after 135 games.
Will the Astros maintain their lead and repeat as Kings of the Cellar? Will the Cubs have a greater collapse and take Houston's title? Will the 62-74 Boston Red Sox, losers of their last seven games, give the Twins a run for the AL's worst team?
Stay tuned. Have a great day!!!
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