On Divisional weekend, I was 3-1 straight up and 2-2 against the spread. That half point in the Packers-Cowboys game turned out to be painful.
Was it a catch? Yes, I think Dez Bryant should have gotten credit for making a catch. But by rule, the officials were correct. Since this call was against the Cowboys and Jerry Jones, I expect the NFL Competition Committee to make changes in the off season. It is a stupid rule.
I wiffed badly on the National Championship game. I had Oregon both ways and took the over. Wrong, wrong, and wrong. Ohio State was just too powerful for Oregon. The Buckeyes dominated the line of scrimmage and earned the title. I am a big fan of the four-team playoff. Now, I want eight teams and I think we will be good to go for a while.
The new playoff system was a big hit with college football fans. More than 22 million watched the two semifinal games and more than 33 million watched the National Championship game.
Let's take a look at Sunday's Conference Championship games:
Green Bay at Seattle (-7.0)
Much like the Carolina-Seattle game, I believe this game is a gift. Seattle is tough at home. I love Aaron Rogers but that calf injury is really bothering him. Seattle will be extremely aggressive defensively with the idea of making him move. If the Seahawks allow Rogers to stand in the pocket, he could cause some problems. But I think Rogers will be on the run, or on the limp, most of the game. Take Seattle and give the points.
Indianapolis at New England (-6.5)
The Colts suffocated the Broncos and Peyton Manning to earn a trip to New England. The pundits who declared Tom Brady and the Patriots dead in the water in early September must be feeling pretty stupid right now. I like Andrew Luck. I think he's got all of the tools you want in an NFL quarterback. But Brady is Brady. He not only has the accuracy, but he has the intangibles. At times, he wills his team to victory. New England will win and cover.
Clemson hoops returns home:
The Tigers finished a brutal road trip 1-2, losing at No. 5 Louisville and No. 2 Virginia. But progress was made in the three games. The Tigers are way ahead of where they were after the home loss to North Carolina on Jan. 3. They hung with Virginia for a half, but a lack of offense in the second half allowed the Cavaliers to turn a defensive game into a blowout. Virginia is the real deal. The Cavaliers guard as well as anybody in the country, and they are efficient on the offensive end.
Clemson's best performance of the season to date came at Pittsburgh, a place where the Tigers lost by 33 last year. The Tigers were 8-for-18 from behind the arc. The game is a whole lot easier when you make shots. The other positive factor in the Pitt game was the bench, which produced 23 points.
The Tigers open a three-game home stand against Syracuse Saturday afternoon. The Orange are known for their zone defense. That's all they play. That means the Tigers will have to make some outside shots and their interior passing will have to be a whole lot crisper. Trying to feed the post in the Virginia game, the Tigers committed several silly turnovers.
There should be a crowd at the Syracuse game because there will be football recruits in the house and the bowl trophy will be presented at halftime. Hopefully, the Clemson "fans" will stay for the second half.
Story of the Week, Possibly The Year:
In case you missed it, NASCAR driver Kurt Busch says his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll is a trained assassin.
Yes, you read that correctly. Busch says she has traveled the world taking people out. He says she left the trailer one night in camo and returned in a trench coat and wearing a blood-soaked dress.
Just when you think you've heard it all.
If you think your significant other is a trained assassin, why would you even think about having an altercation with her? If she can take out drug lords and kingpins, she certainly can take you out and make it look like an accident.
This story brings the James Bond element into NASCAR, which might add to the excitement especially in the plate races. Intentional oil slicks, intentional smoke screens, driver ejector seats, machine guns on the cars, exploding lug nuts, snipers shooting out tires, trap doors on the track. NASCAR czar Mike Helton will no longer go by his name just a letter -- H. Imagine the excitement and intrigue and the increase in ticket sales.
Kurt is not a fan favorite, which means if his ex made him "disappear" there would be more celebrating than disappointment.
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