Last night's game between Kent St and Buffalo was cancelled on account of the 5-6 feet of lake effect snow that's swamping the city of Buffalo over the last 48 hours, with more on the way today. Here's an article from NBC News on the record snowfall - and "record snowfall" for Buffalo is really saying something!
How will it affect the potential game there Sunday between the Bills and the NY Jets?
Firstly, if it can't be played, it can't be played. Odds are neither team will need to make it up, to be blunt - certainly not the Jersey Jettisons, and (alas) probably not Buffalo with twelve teams in the AFC at .500 or above right now fighting for six playoff spots.
But secondly, the Buffalo team can't even practice right now. They're conferencing via internet, studying film at home, and that sort of thing, because that's all they CAN do.
Mark Schlereth of ESPN had some great points this morning, speaking on "Mike and Mike In The Morning" on ESPN Radio. The skills that every pro athlete uses every game - footwork, handwork, etc. - has to be honed every day in practice. Like a fine musician, missing one day of practice is devastating; missing a week is deadly. But his other point is more frightening - just because these athletes are paid doesn't mean they TRAIN like professionals. How many of the Buffalo players are treating this like a mini-vacation? Even if unintentionally, it's too easy to sit back, play with the kids, scan the sattelite dish for old movies or new sports, instead of working on your job, the one you're paid to be outstanding at. Come Sunday, assuming the game goes on, we may discover who on the Buffalo team made constructive use of the snow time - and who didn't.
Showing posts with label Kent St. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kent St. Show all posts
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Looking at the early games this week...
It's already Week 10, and with our usual November "MAC-tion" upon us during the week, we need to touch on the weeknight games now!
Tuesday: Starting this very moment are two Mid-American games, Bowling Green at Akron (unlike Vegas, we like the Falcons!) and Toledo at Kent St (hard to imagine Kent St winning tonight).
Wednesday: Two more MAC games, this time Buffalo at Ohio (the Bobcats get the three point home field advantage, which we think is about right) and Northern Illinois traveling to Ball St (the Huskies really should be favored by ten or more, not three. Take NIU).
Thursday: Two major games - one in the ACC, Clemson at Wake Forest (favored by 23, and we agree), and one on the NFL Network, with the Cleveland Browns visiting the Cincinnati Bengals (despite the balance in the division, we think Cincy's TD favorite's spread is at least right).
Friday: Four games to consider - two below the 49th parallel (Memphis at Temple, favored by a TD, and Utah St at Wyoming, also favored by a TD), and two above (Ottawa at Toronto, which should be a great fight for the REDBLACKS but a hard fought win by Toronto; and Calgary at BC, which will depend entirely on who the Stampeders choose to rest).
Tuesday: Starting this very moment are two Mid-American games, Bowling Green at Akron (unlike Vegas, we like the Falcons!) and Toledo at Kent St (hard to imagine Kent St winning tonight).
Wednesday: Two more MAC games, this time Buffalo at Ohio (the Bobcats get the three point home field advantage, which we think is about right) and Northern Illinois traveling to Ball St (the Huskies really should be favored by ten or more, not three. Take NIU).
Thursday: Two major games - one in the ACC, Clemson at Wake Forest (favored by 23, and we agree), and one on the NFL Network, with the Cleveland Browns visiting the Cincinnati Bengals (despite the balance in the division, we think Cincy's TD favorite's spread is at least right).
Friday: Four games to consider - two below the 49th parallel (Memphis at Temple, favored by a TD, and Utah St at Wyoming, also favored by a TD), and two above (Ottawa at Toronto, which should be a great fight for the REDBLACKS but a hard fought win by Toronto; and Calgary at BC, which will depend entirely on who the Stampeders choose to rest).
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Week 9 - the Basement Tiers (P through U, not that "P-U" is implied...)
Here are the lowest six tiers for Week 9, our "bottom 37", if you will...
Tier P: Colorado (2-7), Indiana (3-5), Ohio (4-5), Purdue (3-6), South Florida (3-6), and Alabama-Birmingham (5-4).
Tier Q: Buffalo (3-5), Florida International (3-6), Iowa St (2-6), South Alabama (5-3), Vanderbilt (3-6), and Wake Forest (2-6).
Tier R: Four-win Akron, three-win Appalachian St, Ball St, and Southern Miss, and two-win Army and Kansas.
Tier S is the other grouping with seven teams this week, including the following two and three win teams from the Group of Five conferences: Hawaii, New Mexico, Old Dominion, Tulane, UNLV, UTSA, and Western Kentucky.
The "Bottom Twelve" begins with Tier T, which features the following familiar names: Eastern Michigan (2-7), Miami of Ohio (2-8), North Texas (2-6), Tulsa (1-7), U Conn (2-6), and U Mass (2-7).
And finally, the "Bottom Six" (aka Tier U), the same six as last week: Georgia St (1-8), Idaho (1-7), Kent St (1-7), New Mexico St (2-7, but wins against other Bottom Six teams), Troy (1-8), and the only winless team in the Football Bowl Subdivision, SMU (0-7).
Tier P: Colorado (2-7), Indiana (3-5), Ohio (4-5), Purdue (3-6), South Florida (3-6), and Alabama-Birmingham (5-4).
Tier Q: Buffalo (3-5), Florida International (3-6), Iowa St (2-6), South Alabama (5-3), Vanderbilt (3-6), and Wake Forest (2-6).
Tier R: Four-win Akron, three-win Appalachian St, Ball St, and Southern Miss, and two-win Army and Kansas.
Tier S is the other grouping with seven teams this week, including the following two and three win teams from the Group of Five conferences: Hawaii, New Mexico, Old Dominion, Tulane, UNLV, UTSA, and Western Kentucky.
The "Bottom Twelve" begins with Tier T, which features the following familiar names: Eastern Michigan (2-7), Miami of Ohio (2-8), North Texas (2-6), Tulsa (1-7), U Conn (2-6), and U Mass (2-7).
And finally, the "Bottom Six" (aka Tier U), the same six as last week: Georgia St (1-8), Idaho (1-7), Kent St (1-7), New Mexico St (2-7, but wins against other Bottom Six teams), Troy (1-8), and the only winless team in the Football Bowl Subdivision, SMU (0-7).
Sunday, October 12, 2014
And let's not forget the Bottom Eight!
The Bottom Eight is represented by SMU of Conference USA, who at 0-5 seems without hope of a win this year; three teams from the MAC: Miami of Ohio (1-5), UMass (1-5), and the current loser du jour, Kent St (0-6, 40-17 victims of Massachusetts). The master of the Bottom Eight, however, is the Sun Belt conference, whose mediocrity is so profound that we have to expand to 8 1/2 for the week to accommodate it! Definitely in are winless Idaho (0-6, who managed to fail against the wide spread they faced this week) and newbie Appalachian St (1-5, who managed to lose to FCS Liberty). The other two spots are shared by three other SBC schools: New Mexico St (2-5), Troy (1-5), and Georgia St (1-5), who are beating each other up for those coveted final Bottom Eight spots!
Also waiting for a table... Ball St (1-5), UConn (1-5), and the Pointer Sisters of the Poor: Southern Miss, North Texas, and Eastern Michigan (all 2-4, by sheer will power and patsy FCS scheduling).
Also waiting for a table... Ball St (1-5), UConn (1-5), and the Pointer Sisters of the Poor: Southern Miss, North Texas, and Eastern Michigan (all 2-4, by sheer will power and patsy FCS scheduling).
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Daytime games - NCAA Week 6
* We HAVE to start with the outrageous game in Waco, where Baylor (and the home town refs and timekeepers) came from three TDs down in the 4th Q to outscore TCU 61-58.
In football, that is. Not basketball.
TCU's defense had gotten so exhausted by the time they had the ball at 58-all in the last two minutes that coach Patterson felt the need to go for it on 4th and 3 at midfield. A neglected PI call gave the Bears the ball, and they got down close enough on the non-neglected call for their frosh kicker to win the game. Amazing offensive display, an all-time record for points in a top ten game. TCU's 78 offensive plays would be impressive were it not for Baylor's 113 plays run! No wonder the Frog D was tired!
* Michigan St again wins its B1G game, but again allows their adversary a multi-TD comeback that threatens their win, in this case over Purdue 45-31. Fool me once, shame on you, but fool me twice...
* Somehow Oklahoma managed to go up 17-3 on Texas while getting only one first down over the first quarter. The Longhorns trailed at halftime while outgaining the Sooners by over 200 yards. Return touchdowns will do that for a team... By game's end, Texas had out possessed OU by sixteen minutes, outgained them by 250 yards, out first downed them 24-11, and lost 31-26.
* It seems Kent St is really bad. UMass, losers of twelve straight, came to the Flash's home field and won 40-17. Can't explain how. Our Bottom Eight tomorrow will be MAC heavy, with Miami of Ohio joining both teams in there somewhere.
* The Sun Belt will be well represented as well, led by Appalachian St, who invited former FCS rival Liberty to town and lost in OT, 55-48. As many as five Sun Belt schools may darken the basement doors of our Bottom Eight tomorrow, as New Mexico St made their bid by losing to previously winless Troy handily, 41-24.
* When your first two plays from scrimmage are turnovers resulting in immediate TDs for your opponent, it's hard to win on the road - and sure 'nuff, Auburn fell at Mississippi St 38-23, in a battle of Tier 1 teams in the rain today. Dak Prescott's this year's Cam Newton or Tim Tebow, as CBS kept reminding us, but it's a fair comparison. Here's hoping for a pro career closer to Cam's...
*Minnesota won 24-17 on a 100-yd kickoff return after Northwestern tied the game. Great work being done at the U of M, as it is at Kentucky (cupcake winners against ULM today, but given their history, hard to argue) and at Duke, where they stomped all over 5-0 Georgia Tech after a long storm delay.
In football, that is. Not basketball.
TCU's defense had gotten so exhausted by the time they had the ball at 58-all in the last two minutes that coach Patterson felt the need to go for it on 4th and 3 at midfield. A neglected PI call gave the Bears the ball, and they got down close enough on the non-neglected call for their frosh kicker to win the game. Amazing offensive display, an all-time record for points in a top ten game. TCU's 78 offensive plays would be impressive were it not for Baylor's 113 plays run! No wonder the Frog D was tired!
* Michigan St again wins its B1G game, but again allows their adversary a multi-TD comeback that threatens their win, in this case over Purdue 45-31. Fool me once, shame on you, but fool me twice...
* Somehow Oklahoma managed to go up 17-3 on Texas while getting only one first down over the first quarter. The Longhorns trailed at halftime while outgaining the Sooners by over 200 yards. Return touchdowns will do that for a team... By game's end, Texas had out possessed OU by sixteen minutes, outgained them by 250 yards, out first downed them 24-11, and lost 31-26.
* It seems Kent St is really bad. UMass, losers of twelve straight, came to the Flash's home field and won 40-17. Can't explain how. Our Bottom Eight tomorrow will be MAC heavy, with Miami of Ohio joining both teams in there somewhere.
* The Sun Belt will be well represented as well, led by Appalachian St, who invited former FCS rival Liberty to town and lost in OT, 55-48. As many as five Sun Belt schools may darken the basement doors of our Bottom Eight tomorrow, as New Mexico St made their bid by losing to previously winless Troy handily, 41-24.
* When your first two plays from scrimmage are turnovers resulting in immediate TDs for your opponent, it's hard to win on the road - and sure 'nuff, Auburn fell at Mississippi St 38-23, in a battle of Tier 1 teams in the rain today. Dak Prescott's this year's Cam Newton or Tim Tebow, as CBS kept reminding us, but it's a fair comparison. Here's hoping for a pro career closer to Cam's...
*Minnesota won 24-17 on a 100-yd kickoff return after Northwestern tied the game. Great work being done at the U of M, as it is at Kentucky (cupcake winners against ULM today, but given their history, hard to argue) and at Duke, where they stomped all over 5-0 Georgia Tech after a long storm delay.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Games in American Football for Week 6...
The weekend starts on Thursday night, as the Indianapolis Colts go to Houston to play the Texans in the game of the night (BYU at UCF is a yawner - sorry, boys...). As much as the Following Football crowd loves JJ Watt (he who proposed to a six year old girl who swooned over him on YouTube last year!), you cannot bet against Andrew Luck in a prime time game (not that you should ever bet on football - especially pro football! WAY too unpredictable - even we so-called 'experts' are correct against the spread about as often as a coin flip!). We like the COLTS over the TEXANS by more than the 3 point spread.
Friday
San Diego State should beat New Mexico handily (by more than six), and we don't see Washington State allowing Stanford to beat them by the seventeen points the oddsmakers suggest. Take the Aztecs and the Cougars (for recreational purposes only!).
SATURDAY
The games we like: Cincinnati won't lose by two touchdowns to Miami of FL...Expect West Virginia to go to Texas Tech and handle the Red Raiders easily...Texas Longhorn fans should watch something else Saturday than their game against Oklahoma: go cruise the State Fair, have a corn dog, or (gag!) deep-fried sweet tea (how do you even do that?). But the Sooners will demolish them sooner rather than later... Georgia Tech by more than four over Duke, thanks to the work of their chaplain's pre-game speeches...Kent State, despite being winless, will beat up UMass, who can't figure out how to win a game when the opposing team hands it to them (as Miami-OH did last week)...Not a no-brainer, but we like Baylor to win against the TCU Horned Frogs by more than the 8 1/2 point spread at home...Oregon will be quacking mad, and ready to rush right through the paper-mache offensive line of UCLA Saturday; expect a big Duck win...Idaho won't break their winless streak at Georgia Southern this week, but they will hold it closer than three TDs...We absolutely cannot believe that Michigan is favored over Penn State Saturday night; the Nittany Lions will make cat food out of them...LSU should be more than a 1 1/2 point favorite at Florida, but most bettors can't believe that the SEC West is as weak as the SEC East is strong. Literally, the first place team in the West would lose against all but Arkansas in the East, and even Arkansas would be 4-3 or better in the West. Take the Tigers.
SUNDAY
Again, betting on NFL games in the age of parity is like playing roulette, but here's a couple of games we think we can guess the way the chips will fall: The Broncos should end up ten or more points clear of the Jets, but Peyton'll wait until being back in Denver to break the TD record...We like the Panthers to keep close to the Bengals, and the Steelers to stay close to the Browns, although we have no confidence on victories in either case... The Redskins, Raiders, and Giants are all expected to lose (to the Cardinals, Chargers, and Eagles, respectively), but we think the line-makers are too conservative. Take the favorites and the points.
And on Monday night, it's hard for us to see the Rams staying closer than a field goal to the Forty-Niners, even at home.
Friday
San Diego State should beat New Mexico handily (by more than six), and we don't see Washington State allowing Stanford to beat them by the seventeen points the oddsmakers suggest. Take the Aztecs and the Cougars (for recreational purposes only!).
SATURDAY
The games we like: Cincinnati won't lose by two touchdowns to Miami of FL...Expect West Virginia to go to Texas Tech and handle the Red Raiders easily...Texas Longhorn fans should watch something else Saturday than their game against Oklahoma: go cruise the State Fair, have a corn dog, or (gag!) deep-fried sweet tea (how do you even do that?). But the Sooners will demolish them sooner rather than later... Georgia Tech by more than four over Duke, thanks to the work of their chaplain's pre-game speeches...Kent State, despite being winless, will beat up UMass, who can't figure out how to win a game when the opposing team hands it to them (as Miami-OH did last week)...Not a no-brainer, but we like Baylor to win against the TCU Horned Frogs by more than the 8 1/2 point spread at home...Oregon will be quacking mad, and ready to rush right through the paper-mache offensive line of UCLA Saturday; expect a big Duck win...Idaho won't break their winless streak at Georgia Southern this week, but they will hold it closer than three TDs...We absolutely cannot believe that Michigan is favored over Penn State Saturday night; the Nittany Lions will make cat food out of them...LSU should be more than a 1 1/2 point favorite at Florida, but most bettors can't believe that the SEC West is as weak as the SEC East is strong. Literally, the first place team in the West would lose against all but Arkansas in the East, and even Arkansas would be 4-3 or better in the West. Take the Tigers.
SUNDAY
Again, betting on NFL games in the age of parity is like playing roulette, but here's a couple of games we think we can guess the way the chips will fall: The Broncos should end up ten or more points clear of the Jets, but Peyton'll wait until being back in Denver to break the TD record...We like the Panthers to keep close to the Bengals, and the Steelers to stay close to the Browns, although we have no confidence on victories in either case... The Redskins, Raiders, and Giants are all expected to lose (to the Cardinals, Chargers, and Eagles, respectively), but we think the line-makers are too conservative. Take the favorites and the points.
And on Monday night, it's hard for us to see the Rams staying closer than a field goal to the Forty-Niners, even at home.
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