Save Me San Francisco

Last night the San Francisco Giants won their second World Series in the last three years. They finished the sweep over the Detroit Tigers with a win in extra innings. The Giants were the comeback kids the first two rounds of the Playoffs, but they didn't have to stage a thrilling comeback this time. Pablo Sandoval won the Series MVP with a remarkable hitting performance throughout the Series, especially in Game 1 where he went 4-4 with 3 homers to boost the Giants to a Game 1 win. The Giants pitching was phenomenal the whole series  and only let up 6 runs through 4 games and pitched two shutouts. The city and people of San Francisco will remember this season for the rest of their lives. After a long and hard season, the Giants finally get to rest a little until Monday April 1, 2013 when they will kick the season off against their rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a great season and great Postseason, so here is my way of congratulating all the players who made outstanding plays in this October.

3. Ichiro's play at the plate

I thought this play was incredible and it made Ichiro look like an acrobat the way he danced to avoid Matt Wieter's tag at home.

2. Jon Jay's catch at the wall
This was a great catch at the wall and took great concentration by Jay. This saved an extra-base hit by Danny Espinosa.

1. Coco Crisp robs Prince Fielder

This was an outstanding catch and was a game changer. It gave the A's life and they rallied back to tie the series at 2-2. Unfortunately for Oakland, Verlander pitched an outstanding game for the Tigers in Game 5 to knock Oakland out of the Playoffs.

Play Like A Champion Today

In just a mater of minutes, Oklahoma and Notre Dame will take the field against each other under the lights in Norman. These are two of the most prestigious college football programs in the country. Everyone knows ND's "Play Like A Champion" sign that all the players hit when walking out of the locker room. What you may not know is that Notre Dame stole that from Oklahoma. Oklahoma has a "Play Like A Champion" in their locker room. Notre Dame comes in undefeated and ranked #5 in the country. The Irish defense has been stellar all season. They have not faced an offense like Oklahoma's, though. Landry Jones and the Sooners have been rolling ever since their lone loss to Kansas State. Oklahoma maybe the best one-loss team in the country along with LSU and now Florida. This will come down to the wire, but I think that the Sooners just have too strong of an offense. The fans will be going crazy tonight when these two teams take the field. To see updates and my opinions on tonight's game, follow me on Twitter @MM8sports.                                                                                            

Down By the Bay

In just 30 minutes, Barry Zito will be taking the mound for San Francisco as they take on the Tigers in Game 1 of the World Series. The Tigers ace in Justin Verlander is pitching tonight for Detroit. Verlander has pitched in one World Series game in his rookie year as a Tiger. He looks to get his first World Series win tonight. This could be one of the best pitching matchups of the year. Both pitchers have won the Cy Young award. The Tigers easily have one of the best lineups in baseball lead by Prince Fielder and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera. The Giants have a very explosive order. They showed that in the NLDS and NLCS. The Giants have been labeled the comeback team this year. This would be great for the Giants if they win tonight against Verlander. If they can pull out the victory, they are set up for the whole series. However, I don't think that they will get the win tonight. I think Delmon Young will continue his good play and be a huge factor in the Detroit win. Baseball fans from around the world will turn to FOX in just a matter of minutes to see these two teams take the field.

                                                 

Game of the Week

The rivalry between the New England Patriots and New York Jets will heat up even more this

afternoon when the Jets game the field in Foxborough. Both teams come in with a 3-3 record. They are tied for 1st in the AFC East. Well, every team in the AFC East is tied for 1st. The Dolphins, Jets, Patriots, and Bills all have 3-3 records. This game will mean a lot down the road. The Jets 

looked great last weekend with a blowout win over the Colts. However, I think that Brady and the Pats will get it done today. To see updates on today's games follow me on Twitter @MM8sports.

Optimus Klein

Tonight, the West Virginia Mountaineers will look to bounce back against Collin Klein and Kansas State. West Virginia was embarrassed last week by Texas Tech 49-14. The Mountaineers offense could  not get going against the Red Raiders' defense. Kansas State comes in undefeated and is playing great lead by Collin Klein, or Optimus Klein as he has been nicknamed lately. This game has very big implications on not just the Big 12 race, but the Heisman race. Geno Smith and Klein are two of the best Quarterbacks in the country and are right in the mix for the Heisman. This will be a very close and exciting game, but I think it will come down to defense. I think that K-State has the stronger defense of the two. Kansas State will get the big win. If you like a good QB battle, you will be turning on your TV to FOX at 7:00 tonight to see Geno Smith and WVU go at it against Optimus Klein and K-State. If you want to see my thoughts on all of today's games just follow me on Twitter @MM8sports.

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Peter G. Alken-US PRESSWIRE

October Update

Detroit might be labeled as a hockey town, but with the NHL lockout still going on, the people of Motown are baseball lovers. The Tigers swept the Yankees to clinch a spot in the World Series. The Tigers have had superb pitching and sparks of great offense. Delmon Young has had a phenomenal Postseason winning the ALCS MVP honors. The Tigers will have to wait to see who they will take on in the World Series. The Cardinals are up 3-1 on the Giants and have tons of momentum. Barry Zito will be on the mound for San Francisco against Lance Lynn. Carlos Beltran will be in the lineup for the Cards. Beltran wasn't playing last night, but St. Louis still got the win. This will be a close game, but I think the Giants will find a way to keep their World Series hopes alive. The fans of St. Louis will be waving their towels tonight when these two teams take the field. If you want to see my opinions on the game, follow me on Twitter @MM8sports.

What We Learned: CFB Week 7

We learned many things this college football weekend, but this is my top five things that the whole nation knows now.

5. There Will Be No BCS Buster this Year

The last real unbeaten team that isn't in a big major conference [besides Notre Dame] in Louisiana Tech lost this weekend in a crazy shootout to Texas A&M. A&M was up by more than 20 points in the 2nd quarter. LA Tech stormed back to make it a close game, but a missed 2-point conversion ended it for the Bulldogs. 

4. Texas Has A Terrible Defense

Texas came into the season thinking that they had a stellar defense. Well, to say the least, that is not true. After given up 111 points combined in two games to West Virginia and Oklahoma, Texas needs some serious changes on the defensive side.

3. West Virginia Can't Put Up Huge Numbers Every Week 

The Mountaineers struggled badly this Saturday against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders smothered WVU 49-14. Geno Smith did not put up his usual video game numbers. With the West Virginia loss, Kansas State has sole possession of the Big 12 and I know it sounds crazy, but controls its own destiny.

  2. SEC Quarterbacks: Connor Shaw isn't Superman, but Jeff Driskel just might be

Yes, it is a stretch. After a tough LSU game, Driskel came out on fire against Vanderbilt.  He ran for 177 yards and 3 TDs. If he plays like this the rest of the season, Florida will be playing for an SEC Championship and maybe a National Championship. Connor Shaw, on the other hand, threw for two interceptions against LSU last night in a 23-21 loss.

1. Klein for Heisman?

If you haven't watched Collin Klein play this year, you are probably thinking no way. Watching Collin Klein play football is so much fun. He is arguably the best running QB in the country. Klein is a true winner. He has thrown for 7 TDs and 2 INT this year. That isn't what makes him special though. He has ran for 10 TDs and 510 yards. I can name a lot of RB that would envy those numbers. Not to mention that he is leading the K-State team to a Big 12 crown this year.
You can follow me on Twitter to see all of my opinions throughout the week on the Heisman and BCS standings @MM8sports. 

Houston, we are ready for take off!

Tonight, could be the best matchup of the early season. The Packers have traveled south to take on the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. The Texans come in at a perfect 5-0. The Packers are sitting at an ugly 2-3 start. Green Bay is coming off a demoralizing loss where the defense blew a big lead to the Colts. Tonight's matchup premieres two of the best Quarterbacks in the league. I love this Texans offense lead by Matt Schaub at QB. They have a great RB in Arian Foster and a big playmaker with Andre Johnson. This will be a very tough game for the defending MVP. I think the Texans defense will get pressure on Rodgers. It will be tight, but I think Houston will run away with it in the end. Houston will be going crazy tonight when the Texans improve their record to 6-0. You can now see my updates and opinions on all the games around the league by following me on Twitter @MM8sports. 

Saturday Pick 3

It is good old Saturday morning and there is some great college football to be played. It all starts off at noon when Texas and Oklahoma renew the Red River Rivalry. Texas is coming off a devastating loss last week. Geno Smith and West Virginia destroyed the overhyped Texas defense. Texas's offense played very well, keeping the Longhorns in it for the whole game. Oklahoma is ranked #13 in the country. This game will come down to the QB position. I actually think David Ash will win that battle, as I have Texas coming out on top.

At 3:30, Notre Dame will take on Stanford in South Bend. Manti Te'o has played lights out defense this year for Notre Dame. Stanford is lead by WR Ty Montgomery and Chase Thomas. Notre Dame is hosting College Gameday for the first time in 7 years when they played USC in a thriller. We all remember Matt Leinart's touchdown and the Bush Push to seal the game for USC. This time it will end differently. I have the Fighting Irish to win this game 23-20.
There is a big game in the SEC between South Carolina and LSU. South Carolina is coming off a huge win over Georgia. LSU is coming off a crushing loss against Florida. This will be a back and forth game, but I like Marcus Lattimore and Connor Shaw running the ball. That is why I have the Gamecocks beating the Tigers. That is all for now. You can get my updates and opinions during all these games by following me on Twitter @MM8ports. 

Walk-Off Fashion

The MLB Postseason has been thrilling and is proving to be one of the most fun things to watch. From catches against the wall, to walk-off homers, this Postseason has had it all. There was a thriller last night between the Orioles and Yankees that came down to a Raúl Ibanez homer to seal the deal. Ibanez came into pinch hit for Alex Rodriguez in the 9th with the Yanks down 1 and nobody on base. Joe Girardi made one of the gutsiest sports moves you will see this whole year. A-Rod has been playing terribly in the last few games and is not performing like the A-Rod of old. Ibanez came in and lit up the crowd at Yankee Stadium. First, he jacked a homer to tie the game up in the bottom of the 9th. Then, Ibanez comes up again in the 12th where he finished Baltimore off with a home run to deep right. 

Ibanez isn't the only player with a walk-off this Postseason. Earlier today Jayson Werth nailed a walk-off to keep the city of Washington's hopes alive. The Nats beat the Cardinals 2-1 in a pitcher's duel. The deciding game will be tomorrow with NL Cy Young candidate Gio Gonzalez pitching for the Nationals against Adam Wainwright who is on the mound for St. Louis. 

The Giants are the first team to clinch a spot in the NLCS or ALCS with their 6-4 win over the Reds today. The Giants came back from losing their first two games at AT&T Park. San Francisco came back with three straight wins in Cincy. Buster Posey lead the Giants today with a grand slam. The Reds crawled back into, but failed to take the lead with two men on in the bottom of the 9th. There has just been so much chaos this Postseason. I am loving October!

Fall Ball

The MLB Postseason is in full gear. All of the series are very close and up for grabs. The defending World Series champions are up on the Nationals 2-1 after their crushing 8-0 win over Washington. The Nationals fans showed up early to Nationals Park. The Cards got to Edwin Jackson early. Jackson was charged with the loss while Chris Carpenter got the win for St. Louis. Carpenter was very efficient today in a friendly, but loud, environment. Perhaps the most exciting series has been between the Reds and Giants. The Reds took both games in San Francisco, but the Giants came back strong to tie the series up. They won 8-3 earlier today, and outlasted the Reds last night in 10 innings 2-1. In the AL, the Yankees and Orioles are tied up at one apiece with the series in NY. The Orioles have just taken the 1-0 lead on the Yanks with a Ryan Flaherty homer off Hiroki Kuroda. The Tigers are leading the A's 2-1 in the series. Coco Crisp made probably the best play of the Postseason by robbing Prince Fielder. It was a huge momentum shift in Tuesday night's game. If you missed the play, you can see it here.

0:22

Coco Crisp Amazing Catch Robs Home Run

Check out SportsCipher.com Oakland A's centerfielder Covelli Loyce 'Coco Crisp' makes an amazing catch in the top of the 2nd inning. Coco Crisp ...

This isn't the only amazing catch or play of October. That is why I am doing a Top 5 Postseason Plays at the end of the month. This play looks like it will make it along with Ichiro's play at the plate or Jon Jay's catch at the wall. You can now follow me on Twitter @MM8sports.

Same Quarterback, Different Team

Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos will take on Tom Brady and the Patriots tonight in Foxboro. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have some history against each other. This game should be very exciting like the other games in years past. Except Manning will be in a Denver uniform. Manning is starting to find chemistry with his teammates. Both teams come in at 2-2. New England is a 6.5 point favorite. If the Broncos' running game opens up, I think that Denver will get the win. New England has suffered lots of injuries. Hernandez is unlikely to play and Gronkowski is still in significant pain. Those are two of the big reasons why Denver will pull this game out. This game is just another chapter in the Brady versus Manning rivalry book.

Saturday Slate

This week is easily the most intriguing week of the season in college football. There are two matchups between two top 10 teams in the SEC. The Catholics v.s. Convicts rivalry is renewed when Miami and Notre Dame go at it at Soldier Field. There will also be a showdown in the Big 12 with two high flying offenses in West Virginia and Texas gun it out it Austin. Washington looks to play spoiler again this week to Oregon. This weekend's games have anything you could ask for in strong defenses, high octane offenses, and deadly special teams. Let's start out in Chicago where Miami and Notre Dame will play in the regular season for the first time since 1990. The Fighting Irish come in unbeaten and ranked at #9. Miami has a very good QB in Stephen Morris. ND has a very strong defense lead by Manti Te'o. However, this Miami offense matches up well against ND. The Hurricanes will give ND a scare, but I think the Irish will find a way to win this game. The game in the Big 12 that everyone is excited to see is between Texas and West Virginia. West Virginia's offense is coming off a huge win in what they put up video game numbers. However, their defense let up 63 points in their 70-63 win. Texas has a very good offense lead by David Ash. Texas has a nice running attack and a strong defense. I think that the Longhorns will come out on top. LSU and Florida will go at it in the Swamp. This Florida team has looked very impressive in their first few games. I think that the defense will force pressure on Zach Mettenberger. I think that the Gator fans will go home happy as Florida upsets LSU. The SEC game that the whole country is looking forward to is between Georgia and South Carolina. Both teams have very good offenses. Marcus Lattimore and Connor Shaw carry the Gamecocks' offense with their running attack. The Bulldogs' offense relies on Aaron Murray's arm. "Aaron Murray is under the radar entering the season. By the end of the season, he will be contending for the Heisman Trophy and and SEC Championship. When it comes down to it, I think it will be Georgia and Alabama in the SEC Championship game."

SEC Champions: Georgia     
- M Dog's World os Sports College Football Preview 8/23/12

I picked Georgia to win the SEC this year, it might be tough, but I am staying with it. 

To wrap up the night, Oregon and Washington will go at it in Autzen. Washington is coming off a huge win last Thursday and has had  8 days to prepare for the Ducks' offense. However, I think that oregon will remain undefeated at the end of the night. You will not see another week of college football like this is a while so enjoy it tonight.