47 reasons FSU will have its first losing record since Bowden's first season in '76

1. The hype around Greg Reid has been way overblown.
2. The hype around Christian Ponder has been way overblown.
3. The hype around Jimbo Fisher has been wrong all along.
4. Samford is only on the schedule once.
5. Mark Stoops' defensive scheme is equivalent to a high school 3A defense.
6. Jimbo Fisher is calling the offensive plays.
7. Greg Reid thinks he's much better than he is.
8. Christian Ponder thinks he's much better than he is.
9. Jimbo Fisher thinks he's much better than he is.
10. Challenging calls down 47-10 with 2 minutes remaining.
11. Calling timeouts with 18 seconds remaining down 47-10 at midfield.
12. Players are not motivated.
13. Players are lazy.
14. Players panic at the first sign of trouble.
15. Head coach panics at the first sign of trouble.
16. Players don't know where to lineup.
17. Players looking in the crowd while ball is snapped.
18. Players have no discipline.
19. Players have no self control.
20. The ACC is the worst conference in the country.
21. FSU fans are more dedicated than the players.
22. FSU fans are more dedicated than the coaches.
23. Coaches don't know how to adjust.
24. Coaches don't demand anything from players.
25. Fisher leaves key players in to get hurt in a game that's over at halftime.
26. Fisher thinks a drive in the final minute against backups actually means something.
27. BYU is on the schedule
28. Miami is on the schedule
29. Florida is on the schedule
30. Clemson is on the schedule
31. Virginia is on the schedule
32. North Carolina is on the schedule
33. Anybody else on the schedule can beat them on a given day.
34. Lamarcus Joyner
35. The best player on the field is the kicker.
36. The best play in a big game is a field goal.
37. Recruiting 5-star players means nothing if you can't coach them.
38. Maybe Fisher's recruiting prowess is overblown.
39. Fisher's play-calling is predictable.
40. Trick plays don't work down 27 in the second half.
41. Fisher's play-calling bag is empty.
42. Defensive lineman can't get further than the line of scrimmage.
43. Coaches should be able to figure out how to defend a screen after seeing it 30 times.
44. Should be able to run behind a college OL that has been together 3 years.
45. Jeff Bowden's play-calling looks sophisticated compared to Fisher.
46. Coach-in-waiting is the dumbest thing a school can do.
47. You don't screw with a legend.

Rangers inch closer

Improve to 1-3 vs. NYY this season. Have won 4 of the last 18 vs. NYY in Arlington. Close to within 4 games of NYY in AL standings. All of this accomplished against the worst lineup NYY has fielded in 15 years. Great win.

Did not gain any ground on the 40 pennants or 27 world titles. But that's coming. Go Rangers.

Decent day for Bombers

Tom Verducci says it best.

Take another team's starting left fielder and make him your fourth outfielder.

Take another team's closer and make him your 7th or 8th inning guy.

Take another team's middle of the order guy and make him your No. 2 hitter.

I love how the rest of the American League thinks they have a chance.

Should just start engraving No. 28.

Who gets shot to into the sun now, Schneider?

So, my last post - before last week's games talked about how the last four games of the season needed to go to have the Steelers make the playoffs.


So far? Even better than I predicted because of an unexpected loss by the Broncos. With two weeks to go, based on how I predict the final two weeks, here are your NFL playoff matchups.

Steelers, 6th seed vs. Patriots in first round.

Oh, and unfortunately for Wade and Cowboys fans, a loss to the Eagles at home ends the playoff push.

Playoff matchups

As my good friend Lee Corso would say...Not so fast, my friend

Steelers playoff hopes are not as dim as most would make them out to be.

Obviously, they have to win out got get to 9-7. Remaining schedule (vs. Packers, vs. Ravens, at Dolphins)
Predicted finish: 9-7, 6th seed wild-card

Wild-card teams ahead of them and remaining schedules:

Broncos 8-4 (Colts, vs. Raiders, at Eagles, vs. Chiefs)
Predicted finish: 10-6 - 5th seed wild-card

Jags 7-5 (vs. Dolphins, vs. Colts, at Patriots, at Browns)
Predicted finish: 8-8

Dolphins 6-6 (at Jags, at Titans, vs. Texans, vs. Steelers)
Predicted finish: 9-7. Loses out on head-to-head with Steelers

Jets 6-6 (at Bucs, vs. Falcons, at Colts, vs. Bengals)
Predicted finish: 8-8

Ravens 6-6 (vs Lions, vs. Bears, at Steelers, at Oakland)
Predicted finish: 8-8

First round of playoffs: Steelers at Chargers.

So, as another good friend of mine who happened to be an ex-leper once said, "...not dead yet."

Settling in to watch Steelers

Last time Steelers and Ravens met, Matt and I were there. AFC championship game in Pittsburgh. Here's to a repeat performance.

Matt is getting braces today

Sheri is taking Matt to the orthodontist right now where he is getting braces.

He will have to wear them for 14 months.

Having been through that, I feel bad for the kid. But he'll be out of them before he knows it.

Good luck today, pal.