January 20

Most days I wish I could sit down and write, but life, particularly studying for my Master's degree in Occupational Therapy and working at FBC Gainesville, gets in the way. When I finally do get more than a few minutes away from my responsibilities, of course there is not one subject which interests me in sports to write on at length tonight.

My favorite television show is PTI, Pardon the Interruption for those of you not as well versed in ESPN jargon. On the show, hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon debate the day's biggest sports stories. Since I have not yet reached their status in sports media, nor do I possess the television or radio medium in which to express my opinions, you reliable readers reap the rewards of my free time and are subject to a blog post.

Ed Reed's "C'mon man!" face

- “I think Joe was kind of rattled a little bit. I think a couple times he needed to get rid of the ball. It just didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense.”

These are the comments Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed said of Joe Flacco, the Ravens four-year starter at quarterback on Monday during a SiriusXM NFL Radio interview. Big deal. Flacco was facing one of the NFL's best defenses, and he did depend on his traditionally strong Baltimore defense for the win. But they did just that, won and advanced to the AFC Championship. Reed, a future hall-of-famer, knows this may be his last shot at one more ring and was trying to motivate his teammate. In Reed's defense, Flacco has been shaky in his eight postseason starts (6TDs to 7 Int). On top of it all... they are playing a Bill Belichick-coached team this weekend. Keep reading to see how that turns out.

- Canyon High in Draper, Utah will open its doors in the fall of 2013 and one thing is for certain. They will not be known as the Canyon Cougars. The reasoning? The school board decided the big cat mascot might be offensive to some middle-aged women. The board also claimed its colors and mascot were too close to that of in-state school Brigham Young. Never have I associated BYU's, Houston's or Washington State's team name with a slang term towards women. Now I'm afraid it will be my first connection. The board settled on Chargers, which if offensive to weather and confusing with San Diego's NFL Team.

The NFL is not usually a part of my "The Weekend That Will Be" during football season but in the absence of the college game here are some bonus predictions: New York Giants over San Fransisco 49ers and New England Patriots over Baltimore Ravens, setting up a rematch of the Super Bowl XLII.

Also, if you would not mind saying a couple of prayers this weekend for me and all of those helping with FBC Gainesville's Discipleship Now, I would greatly appreciate them.

What's Next for the Falcons Foursome?

The Falcons have a come a long way in four years. Atlanta was struggling as one of the worst teams in the NFL, Michael Vick was suspended for his actions in a dog-fighting ring and coach Bobby Petrino skipped town in the middle of the night to coach the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Where do the Falcons go now?

Thomas Dmitrioff came to Hotlanta from the New England Patriots with a winning attitude for owner Arthur Blank. Dmitrioff brought in a new head coach in Mike Smith--a defensive guru from the Jacksonville Jaguars, the hottest free agent--running back Michael Turner from San Diego, and a drafted a quarterback from Boston College named Matt Ryan.

The franchise's new foursome enjoyed immediate success, leading the Falcons to an 11-5 regular season in 2008. Ryan was awarded the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Atlanta would finish the season in a loss in the Wild Card round to the eventual NFC Champion Arizona Cardinal.

The following season the Dirty Birds missed the playoffs at 9-7, but did manage to snap the club's embarrassing mark of 44 seasons of never having consecutive winning seasons in 2009.

With a regular season record of 13-3, Atlanta had their best regular season since the 1998 Super Bowl squad. The Falcons secured a division title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the playoffs before being absolutely destroyed 48-21 by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers in the Georgia Dome.

The past four years have led to yesterday's offensive debacle, a 24-2 beating from the New York Giants. "Offensive" is meant in both ways, the offensive side of the ball and the coaching staff's repulsive play calling. Atlanta was 1 for 5 on third and fourth downs less than 2 yards. When the Falcons score one-third the number of points that Zaza Pachulia, an awkward Georgian forward for the Hawks, is averaging this season it was a horrendous day on the gridiron.

With the playmakers at the Falcons disposal, this should never happen.

Now defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder has left the NFL for Auburn, and it looks as if current offensive coordinator will be hired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins or the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Falcon fans have many questions as they head into the offseason about the four-man anchor that brought Atlanta unprecedented success.

Thomas Dmitrioff- Though he has brought a bevy of free-agent talent to Atlanta on the field a la Dunta Robinson, John Abraham and Ray Edwards, Dmitrioff has plenty of work ahead this season with no first or fourth round picks in April's draft. Of course, aging veterans and the offensive line will have to be addressed along with the hiring of new coordinators.

Matt Ryan- In the latter stages of yesterday's game, while watching Atlanta's porous offensive output, I began to ask myself, with his poor performances in postseason play, when does Matt "Smirnoff Ice" Ryan begin to receive comparisons to the often criticized Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo? The biggest difference is that Romo waits until the fourth quarter to ruin his team's chances of advancing, whereas Ryan (3 TD, 4 INTs in three playoff games) only scores in mop-up duty after the Falcons' losing fate is long decided. Ryan has shown the clutch gene in the regular season but has immensely underperformed when it counts.

Ryan's first feeble attempt on 4th and 1

Mike Smith- Play calling, play calling, play calling. One would think after losing to New Orleans on a failed quarterback sneak on a 4th and 1 conversion that Smith would have learned his lesson. Nope. Twice the Falcons were stuffed running the "Matt Ryan-curls-up-into-a-fetal-postion-and-hopes-to-fall-to-a-first-down" play on fourth down yesterday. When you are on the road in playoffs and especially when your offense is struggling, you take the points.

Michael Turner- The Burner Turner had 41 yards on 15 carries yesterday. He turns 30 in February. Which because of the wear and tear taken at the running back position usually a red-flag age for this position. No doubt he had his great moments during the regular season, but without a consistent running game Ryan was forced to throw too soon, and there was no threat of play-action.

Is this it? I hate to think so, but look at the rest of the NFC. Green Bay and New Orleans are going no where from the top. The Chicago Bears had their starting quarterback go down, keeping them out of the playoffs. The Detroit Lions are rising, and with the new pride Jim Harbaugh has instilled in San Fransisco they appear headed in the right direction. Even within the division it looks like Carolina's Cam Newton will be a threat for years to come.

Making the playoffs was a tremendous accomplishment for a rookie coach and quarterback, but now just getting to the postseason is not enough. Success in the postseason, not the regular season, matters now in Atlanta.

2012 (Day After) New Year's Day Bowls

It is college football's most famous day of the year. Luckily, 2012's first day offers more than its 2011 counterpart. Some games though not as interesting on the field will offer more story lines away from the gridiron. No matter the quality play, you can find me soaking up the final 24 hours of multiple games in the 2011-2012 college football season in Rome, on a leather coach, in front of a high-definition television, with my old man and plenty of food. So if you need a place to watch or want to watch with two professionals, holla at ya boy.

TicketCity Bowl, Noon on ESPNU

     Houston vs. Penn State- Both programs have lost their head coaches and enter Monday in the midst of a transition period. Kevin Sumlin, the Cougars former head man, is on  his way to the SEC and Texas A&M, whereas Penn State's Joe Paterno was let go after his involvement, or lack thereof in the Jerry Sandusky case. On to those who will decide who wins... Houston quarterback Case Keenum is charged with leading a disappointed Cougar team that is coming off of a Conference USA Championship drubbing at the hands of Southern Miss. Though fighting off-the-field issues, Penn State finished the regular season as the Big Ten's Leader's division co-champion. The Nittany Lions will be without senior quarterback Matt McGloin, who suffered a concussion after fighting with teammates in the team's locker room. With Penn State's quarterback out and unable to help an already porous offense, the Cougars win the first college football game of the year.

Capital One Bowl, 1 p.m. on ESPN

     Nebraska vs. South Carolina- Since Stephen Garcia's dismissal from the team, quarterback Connor Shaw has led the Gamecocks to a 6-1 record with their only loss coming to No. 6-ranked Arkansas. Contrary from the norm, Shaw will not be the most athletic signal-caller under center today, as the Cornhusker's Taylor Martinez passed for nearly 2,000 yards and is second on the team in rushing (837 yards). For Nebraska to head back to Lincoln with a win, Martinez must avoid the USC defensive line rush and complete enough passes to keep them honest. South Carolina's defense is 13th in the nation, allowing only 18.8 points per game. This deep group is athletic enough to keep Martinez and running back Rex Burkhead at bay. Gamecock head coach Steve Spurrier revenges a 62-24 loss in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl loss, where his Florida Gators were handled by the Tommie Frazier-led Huskers, and beats Nebraska.

Gator Bowl, 1 p.m. on ESPN2

Roles may be reversed on Monday

      Ohio State vs. Florida- You know earlier when I mentioned those games that no one really cares about except for the "off-the-field storylines?" Here is a perfect example. No matter who scores the most points, the Buckeyes will be the winners. They have hired former Gator head coach Urban Meyer. Meyer, who was brought to Columbus in hopes of taking OSU back to the national championship, has been hot on the recruiting trail and stolen prospects from conference rivals Michigan and Penn State thus far. Current Florida coach Will Muschamp has struggled through his first year and needs a win to keep Meyer from picking off players from the Gator's 2011 commitment list. Not that it matters but a more experienced freshman quarterback Braxton Miller leads the Buckeyes to victory.


Outback Bowl, 1 p.m. on ABC
     Michigan State vs. Georgia- A rematch of the 2009 Capital One Bowl foes pits two teams coming off of conference championship losses. Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins will be challenged to find weak spots in a Bulldog defense that ranked third nationally in total defense. Michgan State's nationally fifth-ranked total defense is nothing to forget about and UGA's Aaron Murray will have to effectively pass to open up the ground game for the Bulldog's stable of backs. Murray has the better receivers to pass to (Malcolm Mitchell, Orson Charles and Tavarres King), which eventually will make the difference as the Bulldogs are able to complete longer passes for bigger offensive plays. The game will end closer for the Spartans than last years 49-7 blowout loss to Alabama but the final score will be in favor of Georgia nonetheless. A strong game from the Bulldogs could propel them to start next season in the top five.

Rose Bowl, 5 p.m. on ESPN

Those "snazzy space-age suits"

     Wisconsin vs. Oregon- Sure the teams on the field are quality squads, but have you seen Oregon's jerseys for the game, in particular their stunning helmets? No doubt six recruits will sign scholarships for the Ducks because of the "liquid metal" look. On the field, the Badgers are two "Hail Mary" passes (Michigan St. and Ohio St.) away from playing a week from Monday in the BCS National Championship. Regardless, 'Sconny is playing and will try to slow down an electric Oregon offense that averages 46 points per contest. Oftentimes a team from the Big 10 is easy to pick against because their size cannot keep up with the speed of the SEC. Not today. Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson makes the difference with his athleticism and the Bagders win on the west coast despite Oregon's snazzy space-age suits.

Fiesta Bowl, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

     Stanford vs. Oklahoma State- Both the Cowboys and Cardinal were snubbed as one-loss teams with a shot at the BCS National Championship, but on the bright side the winner could end the season at number two in the polls. I am just trying to see the sunshine through the BCS cloud. In what we assume is Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck's final college game he must lead his run-first offense to score more points than Oklahoma State's nearly 50 points per game. The Cowboys use a spread offense attack, the same variety that gave Stanford fits in a 53-30 home loss to Oregon this season. However, with Stanford's offensive style the Cardinal can control the ball and keep the explosive Cowboy attack on the sidelines. Watch for the Pokes to start out slow after being disappointed to be in Glendale, Ariz. and not in New Orleans, but Oklahoma State still comes out on top.