Since the playoffs start later today, it is time for my coveted annual Derek's Baseball Awards:
American League:
MVP: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers. Not only did Verlander win the AL pitching triple crown (24-5, 2.40 ERA, 250 strikeouts), but he led in pretty much every relevant pitching category, not just in the American League, but in all of baseball.
Verlander led in innings pitched (251) as well as WHIP (0.92), which measures the number of hits and walks given up per every inning pitched. He also led all of baseball in batting average against (.192) and on-base percentage against (.242). The man was simply a beast. He ran away with the Cy Young Award along time ago, but I think he was clearly the best player in the American League this year.
Others players should be mentioned in the race for 2nd in the voting, such as Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista (my pick for 2nd), Red Sox OF Jacoby Ellsbury and 1B Adrian Gonzalez and Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera. Bautista had a huge year, leading the league in homers (43) and 2nd in on-base percentage (.447 behind Cabrera's .448) and knocked in 103 runs. However, Verlander to me was just head and shoulders above the rest. I know it's been almost 20 years since a pitcher has won an MVP award, but I think Verlander clearly deserves it.
Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers. See above, you can make all the same arguments except you don't have to factor in the hitters.
Rookie of the Year: Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals. He hit .293 with 19 home runs and 78 RBIs. There wasn't a whole lot of competition, but Hosmer still had a nice year. Also to be mentioned are Jeremy Hellickson of the Rays and Ivan Nova of the Yankees.
Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays. Maddon lost a ton of key players from last year's AL East Champion team, but still managed to get this year's team into the playoffs with a 91-71 record, despite being 9 games out of the Wild Card in early September. He kept the team believing, the man can manage.
National League: I'll hit those up later tonight or tomorrow morning since the National League Playoffs don't get underway until tomorrow.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Playoff picks
Sooo, the two teams I picked to make the World Series, the San Francisco Giants (86-76) and the Boston Red Sox (90-72) didn't even make the playoffs. I'm sad about the Giants, but think it's cool the Tampa Bay Rays (91-71) made it. Anyway, let's get cracking with my playoff picks:
American League:
Texas Rangers (96-66) over Rays in 4. The Rangers have some pitching and have a very potent offense, but the Rays have a ton of intangibles, but a ton of pitching. I think the Rangers have more talent, though, and will pull it out.
Detroit Tigers (95-67) over New York Yankees (97-65) in 5. Putting it simply: the Tigers have Justin Verlander and he gets to pitch twice in a full series. He's the best player in the American League this year in my book. Both teams have hitting and pitching, but I think Verlander makes the difference.
National League:
Philadelphia Phillies (102-60) over St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) in 4. The Phillies just have a better team. Their pitching staff, particularly the starting rotation is better. But the Cards have a good team and a good manager in Tony La Russa so they should make it a series.
Milwaukee Brewers (96-66) over Arizona Diamondbacks (94-68) in 5. The Brewers have a much better team on paper. But so did the Giants if you ask me. The D-Backs have the intangibles and mojo that could carry them past the first round. However, the Brewers have good chemistry and I think the deciding factor will be home field advantage.
Well, for the heck of it, I'll pick the LCS and World Series while I'm at it: Rangers over Tigers in 7 and Phillies over Brewers in 6. In the World Series, Phillies over Rangers in 5. More detailed picks on the succeeding rounds when they are upon us.
Tomorrow, it's Rays at Rangers at 3 p.m. MT and Tigers at Yankees at 6:30 p.m. MT. Both games are on TBS. The National League Playoffs get underway on Saturday.
American League:
Texas Rangers (96-66) over Rays in 4. The Rangers have some pitching and have a very potent offense, but the Rays have a ton of intangibles, but a ton of pitching. I think the Rangers have more talent, though, and will pull it out.
Detroit Tigers (95-67) over New York Yankees (97-65) in 5. Putting it simply: the Tigers have Justin Verlander and he gets to pitch twice in a full series. He's the best player in the American League this year in my book. Both teams have hitting and pitching, but I think Verlander makes the difference.
National League:
Philadelphia Phillies (102-60) over St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) in 4. The Phillies just have a better team. Their pitching staff, particularly the starting rotation is better. But the Cards have a good team and a good manager in Tony La Russa so they should make it a series.
Milwaukee Brewers (96-66) over Arizona Diamondbacks (94-68) in 5. The Brewers have a much better team on paper. But so did the Giants if you ask me. The D-Backs have the intangibles and mojo that could carry them past the first round. However, the Brewers have good chemistry and I think the deciding factor will be home field advantage.
Well, for the heck of it, I'll pick the LCS and World Series while I'm at it: Rangers over Tigers in 7 and Phillies over Brewers in 6. In the World Series, Phillies over Rangers in 5. More detailed picks on the succeeding rounds when they are upon us.
Tomorrow, it's Rays at Rangers at 3 p.m. MT and Tigers at Yankees at 6:30 p.m. MT. Both games are on TBS. The National League Playoffs get underway on Saturday.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
What a night of baseball
Nights like tonight are what make sports -- and baseball -- great. Going into the night there were four teams, fighting for two Wild Card spots. Out of the four games played, only one was a laugher. The St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) beat the Houston Astros (56-106) by a score of 8-0. Chris Carpenter went the distance for the Cards, who later would learn they had clinched the Wild Card.
The other three match-ups were really intense. The best game of the night was the Tampa Bay Rays (91-71) defeating the New York Yankees (97-65) in 12 innings by a score of 8-7. The Rays trailed 7-0 in the 8th inning before scoring 6 runs in that frame. Dan Johnson hit a game-tying home run with two strikes and two outs in the 9th inning. That was particularly clutch since the Red Sox were winning at the time and the Rays' season appeared to be on the line.
Evan Longoria capped it off with a walk-off homer in the 12th, his second of the game. I keep thinking of the old adage that big players make big plays in big games. That describes Longoria tonight. He was incredible and this included a nifty defensive play in the top of the 12th.
Longoria's home run catapulted the Rays to the Wild Card because literally three minutes earlier the Boston Red Sox (90-72) had lost to the Baltimore Orioles (69-93). The Orioles were down to their final out against Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon before back-to-back doubles tied it and a single won it. Papelbon is one of the best closers in the game and he couldn't nail it down tonight.
It was all literally unbelievable. The Rays were down 7 runs with 6 outs to go and came back to win. The odds of both happening on the same night with a playoff spot at stake are very long. It was just an incredible, exciting night of baseball.
The Atlanta Braves (89-73) lost 4-3 at home to the Philadelphia Phillies (102-60) in 13 innings. The Braves were just a couple outs away from winning in the top of the 9th before closer Craig Kimbrel coughed up the lead.
The Braves and Red Sox blew 8 1/2 and 9 game leads in September, the largest collapses in baseball history. And it sure made for an exciting night. It really is hard to put into words, but tonight is what baseball is all about. The playoffs start Friday. I'm ready.
The other three match-ups were really intense. The best game of the night was the Tampa Bay Rays (91-71) defeating the New York Yankees (97-65) in 12 innings by a score of 8-7. The Rays trailed 7-0 in the 8th inning before scoring 6 runs in that frame. Dan Johnson hit a game-tying home run with two strikes and two outs in the 9th inning. That was particularly clutch since the Red Sox were winning at the time and the Rays' season appeared to be on the line.
Evan Longoria capped it off with a walk-off homer in the 12th, his second of the game. I keep thinking of the old adage that big players make big plays in big games. That describes Longoria tonight. He was incredible and this included a nifty defensive play in the top of the 12th.
Longoria's home run catapulted the Rays to the Wild Card because literally three minutes earlier the Boston Red Sox (90-72) had lost to the Baltimore Orioles (69-93). The Orioles were down to their final out against Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon before back-to-back doubles tied it and a single won it. Papelbon is one of the best closers in the game and he couldn't nail it down tonight.
It was all literally unbelievable. The Rays were down 7 runs with 6 outs to go and came back to win. The odds of both happening on the same night with a playoff spot at stake are very long. It was just an incredible, exciting night of baseball.
The Atlanta Braves (89-73) lost 4-3 at home to the Philadelphia Phillies (102-60) in 13 innings. The Braves were just a couple outs away from winning in the top of the 9th before closer Craig Kimbrel coughed up the lead.
The Braves and Red Sox blew 8 1/2 and 9 game leads in September, the largest collapses in baseball history. And it sure made for an exciting night. It really is hard to put into words, but tonight is what baseball is all about. The playoffs start Friday. I'm ready.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
San Francisco Giants run as World Champions will end
The San Francisco Giants' (84-75) reign as World Champions will sadly come to an end. The Giants were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a 15-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks (93-66), who won the National League West.
It's been a rough season for the Orange and Black on a lot of fronts, most notably that of the offense. Giving up 15 runs, as they did last night, was the extreme exception, not the norm. If the pitching had gone like last night, as Giants beat writer Andy Baggarly pointed out, the team could easily have lost 100 games this year.
The offense was that bad. First baseman Aubrey Huff was named the Least Valuable Player in the National League by a New York Times article after having a great season a year ago. Also performing worse than last year were, well, a number of players on offense.
Another big part of things was the injury bug, most notably affecting reigning Rookie of the Year Buster Posey, who was injured after being bowled over by Scott Cousins of the Florida Marlins (71-88) in May. But Posey was only one of several injuries, Huff was the only regular not to miss significant time due to injuries.
Despite everything, it's been a fun run as World Champions. I have thoroughly enjoyed referring to my team as the World Champion San Francisco Giants throughout this season. Winning the World Series is an incredible thing, and I'm glad my team was able to win it all. I'm also glad that I was able to thoroughly soak it up. Hopefully they will have another good run next year (with an improved offense).
It's been a rough season for the Orange and Black on a lot of fronts, most notably that of the offense. Giving up 15 runs, as they did last night, was the extreme exception, not the norm. If the pitching had gone like last night, as Giants beat writer Andy Baggarly pointed out, the team could easily have lost 100 games this year.
The offense was that bad. First baseman Aubrey Huff was named the Least Valuable Player in the National League by a New York Times article after having a great season a year ago. Also performing worse than last year were, well, a number of players on offense.
Another big part of things was the injury bug, most notably affecting reigning Rookie of the Year Buster Posey, who was injured after being bowled over by Scott Cousins of the Florida Marlins (71-88) in May. But Posey was only one of several injuries, Huff was the only regular not to miss significant time due to injuries.
Despite everything, it's been a fun run as World Champions. I have thoroughly enjoyed referring to my team as the World Champion San Francisco Giants throughout this season. Winning the World Series is an incredible thing, and I'm glad my team was able to win it all. I'm also glad that I was able to thoroughly soak it up. Hopefully they will have another good run next year (with an improved offense).
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
More on the Utes' big win
I thought BYU (1-2) played very sloppy the other night and that was a big part of the reason Utah was able to win by so much. I had picked BYU to win this game close at home and I was surprised by their lack of intensity and discipline, particularly in the second half. Utah (2-1, 0-1 Pac-12), though, should be given credit for applying the pressure as well as forcing and recovering them. Their skills and athleticism factoring into the win should also not be understated. Utah won the game big for a reason and forced a lot of those mistakes that BYU made.
It looked like once BYU got down by a few scores that their defense just threw in the towel, so to speak. The Utes appeared to just be trying to run the ball and take some time off the clock in the fourth quarter, but were unable to use a lot of time because they scored on a couple of long runs. It really looked to me like the defense laid down a bit. That's not acceptable from BYU's standpoint, but it is very gratifying to me as a Utah fan to see my team help bring its biggest rival to that point.
I thought Jordan Wynn was still a bit shaky at quarterback, especially for the better part of the first half. Wynn had one pass picked off and by all rights should have had another one intercepted had it not been for a BYU defender dropping a ball thrown right to him. However, I have to give Wynn credit for leading a couple of big touchdown drives late in the first half and early in the second half while the game was still in question. That shows a lot of heart.
On the other hand, I thought BYU quarterback Jake Heaps had a terrible game. I lost track of how many turnovers he had, but I know that there were at least a couple of egregious ones. Of particular note was his fumble on the Cougars' opening drive of the game when the snap went over his head. Instead of just falling on the ball, Heaps attempted to pick it up and when he failed to do so, the Utes pounced on it in the endzone for a quick touchdown. Had Heaps just fallen on the ball, BYU would have just had to punt, instead they were down 7-0.
It wasn't his only instance of poor judgement on the night. On top of that, he missed several open receivers that could have kept a number of BYU drives alive. I don't know if it would have made a difference in the long haul, but it certainly didn't help BYU's cause. I thought Heaps was going to have a great year, especially based on how strongly he finished out last season. His poor play is a bit of a shocker to me.
There is no doubt that Utah is a much better team. The Utes played harder and much more consistently than the Cougars and were able to substantially win the turnover battle. Additionally, it looked like Utah was simply more athletic and more talented than BYU; this especially became apparent in the second half.
It looked like once BYU got down by a few scores that their defense just threw in the towel, so to speak. The Utes appeared to just be trying to run the ball and take some time off the clock in the fourth quarter, but were unable to use a lot of time because they scored on a couple of long runs. It really looked to me like the defense laid down a bit. That's not acceptable from BYU's standpoint, but it is very gratifying to me as a Utah fan to see my team help bring its biggest rival to that point.
I thought Jordan Wynn was still a bit shaky at quarterback, especially for the better part of the first half. Wynn had one pass picked off and by all rights should have had another one intercepted had it not been for a BYU defender dropping a ball thrown right to him. However, I have to give Wynn credit for leading a couple of big touchdown drives late in the first half and early in the second half while the game was still in question. That shows a lot of heart.
On the other hand, I thought BYU quarterback Jake Heaps had a terrible game. I lost track of how many turnovers he had, but I know that there were at least a couple of egregious ones. Of particular note was his fumble on the Cougars' opening drive of the game when the snap went over his head. Instead of just falling on the ball, Heaps attempted to pick it up and when he failed to do so, the Utes pounced on it in the endzone for a quick touchdown. Had Heaps just fallen on the ball, BYU would have just had to punt, instead they were down 7-0.
It wasn't his only instance of poor judgement on the night. On top of that, he missed several open receivers that could have kept a number of BYU drives alive. I don't know if it would have made a difference in the long haul, but it certainly didn't help BYU's cause. I thought Heaps was going to have a great year, especially based on how strongly he finished out last season. His poor play is a bit of a shocker to me.
There is no doubt that Utah is a much better team. The Utes played harder and much more consistently than the Cougars and were able to substantially win the turnover battle. Additionally, it looked like Utah was simply more athletic and more talented than BYU; this especially became apparent in the second half.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Utes throttle BYU
At left: The Utes celebrate their huge win in Provo.Utah (2-1, 0-1 Pac-12) defeated BYU (1-2) tonight in LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo by a score of 54-10. It was the largest margin of victory the Utes have ever had in Provo. I had the pleasure of being at the game and without providing an exact order, I'd have to say it is easily one of my favorite sporting events I have ever attended.
The whole thing really was a stunner. I actually thought BYU would win this game, being at home as well as looking to avenge last year's 17-16 loss in Salt Lake City. I also didn't think there would be a ton of points from either team. When BYU turned the ball over three times in the first quarter and Utah only managed seven points out of it (on a defensive touchdown), I thought the Utes would have trouble scoring.
In fact, BYU led 10-7 with less than a minute to go in the first half. That is really hard to believe given the final score. The Utes scored before halftime and then turned into a buzzsaw for the second half. It literally was hard to keep track of all the touchdowns, as they kept rolling in at a very high rate.
It suffices me to say that Utah just played very well in all phases of the game (well, except the kicking game -- a missed field goal and extra point, but I'll look past that for now), especially in the second half. I honestly didn't know the Utes had that in them.
It was the first time I have been at a Utah victory in Provo and I was soaking it up. There is just something about beating your biggest rival on their homefield that is just a great thing. It's a great time to be a Ute. As a Utah fan, it was also fun seeing the stadium rapidly empty out starting late in the third quarter. It was just a really good night at the game.
On another note, I liked both teams wearing their home uniforms. The colors contrast enough to make it work. I'm told that is the theme for the 2011-2012 year as part of the Deseret Duel between the two schools. I hope the Utes and Cougars continue to both wear their home uniforms against each other in the future.
It's late, so I'm not going to get into all the details, but tonight was one of those nights where it was really rewarding to be a loyal fan to a team. I love my Utes! Way to go!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Giants were World Champs for a reason
The San Francisco Giants (80-70) beat the Colorado Rockies (70-79) 8-5 tonight to capture their fifth win in a row. Pablo Sandoval had the big night, hitting for the cycle. Sandoval has had a great, comeback season after having a subpar year last season. I realize the Giants are a longshot for this season, but I want to talk about last year.
Now, people have been ragging about the Giants lately. But what particularly has stood out is when people have said the Giants weren't the best team last year or "just got hot at the right time." But, it's really not worth a lot of words since the Giants won the World Series. As I have blogged about before, in baseball you have to have a darn good season to make the playoffs, if you make it you have been consistent all year and deserve to be there.
If the Giants weren't the best team, how come nobody beat them in the playoffs? If they just got hot at the right time, how come teams didn't keep them from the playoffs? For example, they split the season series with the Phillies, who were widely regarded as the "best" National League team. There is a quote from long-time Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes that I often like to use in these situations: "The best team always wins: everything else is excuses." The Giants have the rings and the trophy and that means they were the best team last year. Case closed.
Now, people have been ragging about the Giants lately. But what particularly has stood out is when people have said the Giants weren't the best team last year or "just got hot at the right time." But, it's really not worth a lot of words since the Giants won the World Series. As I have blogged about before, in baseball you have to have a darn good season to make the playoffs, if you make it you have been consistent all year and deserve to be there.
If the Giants weren't the best team, how come nobody beat them in the playoffs? If they just got hot at the right time, how come teams didn't keep them from the playoffs? For example, they split the season series with the Phillies, who were widely regarded as the "best" National League team. There is a quote from long-time Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes that I often like to use in these situations: "The best team always wins: everything else is excuses." The Giants have the rings and the trophy and that means they were the best team last year. Case closed.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Giants in dire straights; more blackout garbage
The San Francisco Giants (73-67) lost 4-1 today to the Arizona Diamondbacks (80-60) to fall seven games out of first place with only 22 games to go in the season. It's looking like an impossibly tall order for the defending champs to get back into the postseason again. The Diamondbacks just took 2 of 3 in San Francisco, including roughing up ace Tim Lincecum last night.
The Giants still aren't mathematically eliminated, but it's looking pretty dire. The Diamondbacks have now won 11 of 12 and just don't seem like they ever lose. The Giants are lucky if they're playing .500 ball over any consistent stretch lately. Things have to turn around in a hurry and there will probably have to be some luck involved for the Orange and Black to return to October.
I was unable to watch the game due to MLB's ridiculous local blackout policy -- apparently living in Salt Lake City qualifies me as being in Arizona's "local" territory. With my cable system, however, there is no channel (even on premium packages) that carries D-Backs games.
The only way someone in Utah can watch the D-Backs play is to have the high-end Sports Pack on DirecTV. Sounds a bit like a monopoly to me and like some shady dealing between MLB and DirecTV. I was formerly a DirecTV customer, but they were unable to install it at my current apartment due to a line-of-sight problem with their satellite dish. This leaves me with no options to watch most Arizona games live, even though I am an mlb.tv subscriber. Hardly seems fair. But hey, maybe I should be thankful I didn't have the opportunity to watch today's game.
The Giants still aren't mathematically eliminated, but it's looking pretty dire. The Diamondbacks have now won 11 of 12 and just don't seem like they ever lose. The Giants are lucky if they're playing .500 ball over any consistent stretch lately. Things have to turn around in a hurry and there will probably have to be some luck involved for the Orange and Black to return to October.
I was unable to watch the game due to MLB's ridiculous local blackout policy -- apparently living in Salt Lake City qualifies me as being in Arizona's "local" territory. With my cable system, however, there is no channel (even on premium packages) that carries D-Backs games.
The only way someone in Utah can watch the D-Backs play is to have the high-end Sports Pack on DirecTV. Sounds a bit like a monopoly to me and like some shady dealing between MLB and DirecTV. I was formerly a DirecTV customer, but they were unable to install it at my current apartment due to a line-of-sight problem with their satellite dish. This leaves me with no options to watch most Arizona games live, even though I am an mlb.tv subscriber. Hardly seems fair. But hey, maybe I should be thankful I didn't have the opportunity to watch today's game.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
More college football predictions
Don't worry, I'll have an update on the World Champion San Francisco Giants (73-65) and their big series this weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks (78-60) either tomorrow or Monday. But now, I'm going to break down the other Utah I-A schools. Let's start with that school down south, BYU:
-- Sat. 9/3: at Ole Miss -- Loss. I think BYU probably has more talent, but I think traveling all the way across the country to play in heat and humidity in front of a hostile SEC crowd will take its toll. I think Ole Miss pulls it out at home by 4.
-- Sat. 9/10: at Texas: -- Loss. Not an easy place to play at all and the Longhorns are typically pretty tough. Texas by 10 or 14.
-- Sat. 9/17: vs. Utah: -- Win. Not easy for me to type, but being objective, that's my pick. BYU appears to have a distinct edge at quarterback, plus will be at home and attempting to avenge last year's last-second defeat. I think the Cougars win it, but it will be close, as it usually seems to be.
-- Fri. 9/23: vs. UCF: -- Win. BYU should win this one by I'll say 14. UCF might be a little tougher than people think, but BYU should be able to handle them in Provo.
-- Fri. 9/30: vs. Utah State -- Win. The Cougars should be motivated to avenge the embarrassing loss last year in Logan and I think will win by a couple of scores.
-- Sat. 10/8: vs. San Jose State -- Win. BYU should win this one by at least 28 points, San Jose State's program has been awful for some time now.
-- Sat. 10/15: at Oregon State -- Win. I think Jake Heaps will be the difference in this one as the Cougars pull out a squeaker on the road.
-- Sat. 10/22: vs. Idaho State -- Win. Just a mere walk-over. Shouldn't be remotely close.
-- Fri. 10/28: at TCU -- Loss. Game played at Cowboys Stadium. The Horned Frogs will be playing in front of largely a home crowd and always seem to get up for BYU. Plus, TCU is pretty good. I think the Frogs win by 7.
-- Sat. 11/12: vs. Idaho -- Win. This should be a win by at least three scores, particularly at home.
-- Sat. 11/19: vs. New Mexico State -- Win. Should be a very lopsided victory as NMSU has been really bad for quite a while.
-- Sat. 12/3: at Hawaii -- Win. I think Hawaii will be up for this game and the Warriors always seem to play BYU tough on the islands, but I don't think Hawaii has enough talent to pull the upset, although it will be a close game. BYU by a field goal.
There you have it, 9-3 and a bowl game in their first season as an Independent. I'll be interested to see how it plays out.
Now I know Utah State is already underway, but to be fair I had already chalked up today as a loss for them. Here's the breakdown for the Aggies:
-- Sat. 9/3: at Auburn -- Loss. I'm surprised USU is up at halftime as I had them pegged to lose this game big, but I still don't think they pull off the upset.
-- Sat. 9/10: vs. Weber State -- Win. Should be relatively easy against an in-state I-AA school.
-- Sat. 9/24: vs. Colorado State -- Win. I'm a little iffy on this one, but I think the Aggies can pull out a close one at home.
-- Fri. 9/30: at BYU -- Loss. BYU has to be really upset about last year's stunning loss in Logan and I think the Cougars win this one by a couple of touchdowns.
-- Sat. 10/8: vs. Wyoming -- Win. The Pokes just aren't that good and I think Utah State wins by 10 or 14 at home.
-- Sat. 10/15: at Fresno State -- Loss. Fresno State is a solid program and although I think Utah State will be better this year, I don't think they will be good enough to win this one on the road.
-- Sat. 10/22: vs. Louisiana Tech -- Win. Utah State should handle a mediocre Louisana Tech squad at home.
-- Sat. 11/5: at Hawaii -- Loss. Hawaii is traditionally quite tough at home and I just don't see the Aggies flying all the way out to the islands and coming back with a win.
-- Sat. 11/12: vs. San Jose State -- Win. The Spartans have been one of the worst teams in I-A in recent years, Utah State should win this one easily.
-- Sat. 11/19: at Idaho -- Loss. I think the Vandals win this one close at home; Idaho has shown signs of improvement in recent years.
-- Sat. 11/26: vs. Nevada -- Loss. The Wolfpack just have more talent than the Aggies and will win in Logan by about 10.
-- Sat. 12/3: at New Mexico State -- Win. Same story as SJSU, New Mexico State has been terrible in recent years. Utah State wins by a couple of touchdowns.
That comes out as 6-6, 3-4 in the WAC and possibly a bowl bid in the first time in what feels like forever for USU. I think they would take that at this point.
-- Sat. 9/3: at Ole Miss -- Loss. I think BYU probably has more talent, but I think traveling all the way across the country to play in heat and humidity in front of a hostile SEC crowd will take its toll. I think Ole Miss pulls it out at home by 4.
-- Sat. 9/10: at Texas: -- Loss. Not an easy place to play at all and the Longhorns are typically pretty tough. Texas by 10 or 14.
-- Sat. 9/17: vs. Utah: -- Win. Not easy for me to type, but being objective, that's my pick. BYU appears to have a distinct edge at quarterback, plus will be at home and attempting to avenge last year's last-second defeat. I think the Cougars win it, but it will be close, as it usually seems to be.
-- Fri. 9/23: vs. UCF: -- Win. BYU should win this one by I'll say 14. UCF might be a little tougher than people think, but BYU should be able to handle them in Provo.
-- Fri. 9/30: vs. Utah State -- Win. The Cougars should be motivated to avenge the embarrassing loss last year in Logan and I think will win by a couple of scores.
-- Sat. 10/8: vs. San Jose State -- Win. BYU should win this one by at least 28 points, San Jose State's program has been awful for some time now.
-- Sat. 10/15: at Oregon State -- Win. I think Jake Heaps will be the difference in this one as the Cougars pull out a squeaker on the road.
-- Sat. 10/22: vs. Idaho State -- Win. Just a mere walk-over. Shouldn't be remotely close.
-- Fri. 10/28: at TCU -- Loss. Game played at Cowboys Stadium. The Horned Frogs will be playing in front of largely a home crowd and always seem to get up for BYU. Plus, TCU is pretty good. I think the Frogs win by 7.
-- Sat. 11/12: vs. Idaho -- Win. This should be a win by at least three scores, particularly at home.
-- Sat. 11/19: vs. New Mexico State -- Win. Should be a very lopsided victory as NMSU has been really bad for quite a while.
-- Sat. 12/3: at Hawaii -- Win. I think Hawaii will be up for this game and the Warriors always seem to play BYU tough on the islands, but I don't think Hawaii has enough talent to pull the upset, although it will be a close game. BYU by a field goal.
There you have it, 9-3 and a bowl game in their first season as an Independent. I'll be interested to see how it plays out.
Now I know Utah State is already underway, but to be fair I had already chalked up today as a loss for them. Here's the breakdown for the Aggies:
-- Sat. 9/3: at Auburn -- Loss. I'm surprised USU is up at halftime as I had them pegged to lose this game big, but I still don't think they pull off the upset.
-- Sat. 9/10: vs. Weber State -- Win. Should be relatively easy against an in-state I-AA school.
-- Sat. 9/24: vs. Colorado State -- Win. I'm a little iffy on this one, but I think the Aggies can pull out a close one at home.
-- Fri. 9/30: at BYU -- Loss. BYU has to be really upset about last year's stunning loss in Logan and I think the Cougars win this one by a couple of touchdowns.
-- Sat. 10/8: vs. Wyoming -- Win. The Pokes just aren't that good and I think Utah State wins by 10 or 14 at home.
-- Sat. 10/15: at Fresno State -- Loss. Fresno State is a solid program and although I think Utah State will be better this year, I don't think they will be good enough to win this one on the road.
-- Sat. 10/22: vs. Louisiana Tech -- Win. Utah State should handle a mediocre Louisana Tech squad at home.
-- Sat. 11/5: at Hawaii -- Loss. Hawaii is traditionally quite tough at home and I just don't see the Aggies flying all the way out to the islands and coming back with a win.
-- Sat. 11/12: vs. San Jose State -- Win. The Spartans have been one of the worst teams in I-A in recent years, Utah State should win this one easily.
-- Sat. 11/19: at Idaho -- Loss. I think the Vandals win this one close at home; Idaho has shown signs of improvement in recent years.
-- Sat. 11/26: vs. Nevada -- Loss. The Wolfpack just have more talent than the Aggies and will win in Logan by about 10.
-- Sat. 12/3: at New Mexico State -- Win. Same story as SJSU, New Mexico State has been terrible in recent years. Utah State wins by a couple of touchdowns.
That comes out as 6-6, 3-4 in the WAC and possibly a bowl bid in the first time in what feels like forever for USU. I think they would take that at this point.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Utes top Montana State
Utah (1-0) topped Montana State (0-1) tonight at Rice-Eccles Stadium by a score of 27-10. The Utes raced out to a 24-0 lead in the 2nd quarter before slowing up.
The running game for the Utes was pretty solid, but Jordan Wynn didn't look very impressive. Wynn needs to step it up in a hurry if the Utes are going to be anywhere near the 9-3 I picked them to finish.
I thought the defense played pretty well, despite giving up a couple of big plays. Montana State could move the ball a little here and there, but Utah was able to stop them from having too many sustained drives.
The game seemed a bit underwhelming to be honest. Give Montana State credit for playing hard and sticking around to the extent they did, but Utah needs to figure out how to keep its foot down. Hopefully the Utes will be able to look more sharp when they face tougher opponents later in the season. Sorry again for the lack of tweets during the game, the cell phone reception in the stadium wasn't working too well.
The running game for the Utes was pretty solid, but Jordan Wynn didn't look very impressive. Wynn needs to step it up in a hurry if the Utes are going to be anywhere near the 9-3 I picked them to finish.
I thought the defense played pretty well, despite giving up a couple of big plays. Montana State could move the ball a little here and there, but Utah was able to stop them from having too many sustained drives.
The game seemed a bit underwhelming to be honest. Give Montana State credit for playing hard and sticking around to the extent they did, but Utah needs to figure out how to keep its foot down. Hopefully the Utes will be able to look more sharp when they face tougher opponents later in the season. Sorry again for the lack of tweets during the game, the cell phone reception in the stadium wasn't working too well.
Utah Utes predictions
The Utah Utes open up their season tonight at 6 p.m. MDT against Montana State, an FCS or I-AA opponent. The game will be televised over-the-air in the Salt Lake area on KJZZ. The game really should serve as a walk-over of sorts for the Utes, who are heavily favored. The main thing I will be anxious to see tonight is how quarterback Jordan Wynn looks after having a shoulder injury last season. However, it will be tough to get a good read on this team based solely on tonight's game.
Here's a look at my predictions for the Utes this year:
-- Thurs. Sept. 1st: vs. Montana State -- Win. Just a tune-up.
-- Sat., Sept. 10th: at USC -- Loss. Tough place to play, against a good team. Not a good fit for the first road game.
-- Sat., Sept. 17th: at BYU -- Loss. Another tough road environment, against a team with a good quarterback in Jake Heaps. Plus the Cougars will be motivated to avenge last year's loss. Believe me, this pick is not what I'm rooting for.
--Sat., Oct. 1st: vs. Washington -- Win. UW is a proud program, but they haven't been that strong lately, the Utes should win at home.
--Sat., Oct. 8th: vs. Arizona State -- Win. ASU is down, Utes should handle them.
--Sat., Oct. 15th: at Pittsburgh -- Loss. It's tough to travel across the country for a college team, I think the Utes lose in a close one.
--Sat., Oct. 22nd: at California -- Win. Played at AT&T Park, home of the World Champion San Francisco Giants. Toss-up, really, but I think the Utes will be motivated and pull it out in a close one.
--Sat., Oct. 29th: vs. Oregon State -- Win. Decent opponent, but the home field will help the Utes win close.
--Sat., Nov. 5th: at Arizona -- Win. Could be dicey on the road, but I believe Utah has the better team.
--Sat., Nov. 12th: vs. UCLA -- Win. Utes should handle the Bruins pretty easily at home.
--Sat., Nov. 19th: at Washington State -- Win. This shouldn't be close, Washington State isn't very good.
--Fri., Nov. 25th: vs. Colorado -- Win. Utes by a couple of touchdowns I think.
There you have it, 9-3 overall and 8-1 in the Pac-12. Perhaps a bit optimistic, but if Wynn is healthy I believe this team can do good things, maybe even a berth in the Pac-12 title game if USC stumbles a couple of times.
I'll be on the scene, tweeting updates tonight and I'll be back on here after the game. Go Utes!
Here's a look at my predictions for the Utes this year:
-- Thurs. Sept. 1st: vs. Montana State -- Win. Just a tune-up.
-- Sat., Sept. 10th: at USC -- Loss. Tough place to play, against a good team. Not a good fit for the first road game.
-- Sat., Sept. 17th: at BYU -- Loss. Another tough road environment, against a team with a good quarterback in Jake Heaps. Plus the Cougars will be motivated to avenge last year's loss. Believe me, this pick is not what I'm rooting for.
--Sat., Oct. 1st: vs. Washington -- Win. UW is a proud program, but they haven't been that strong lately, the Utes should win at home.
--Sat., Oct. 8th: vs. Arizona State -- Win. ASU is down, Utes should handle them.
--Sat., Oct. 15th: at Pittsburgh -- Loss. It's tough to travel across the country for a college team, I think the Utes lose in a close one.
--Sat., Oct. 22nd: at California -- Win. Played at AT&T Park, home of the World Champion San Francisco Giants. Toss-up, really, but I think the Utes will be motivated and pull it out in a close one.
--Sat., Oct. 29th: vs. Oregon State -- Win. Decent opponent, but the home field will help the Utes win close.
--Sat., Nov. 5th: at Arizona -- Win. Could be dicey on the road, but I believe Utah has the better team.
--Sat., Nov. 12th: vs. UCLA -- Win. Utes should handle the Bruins pretty easily at home.
--Sat., Nov. 19th: at Washington State -- Win. This shouldn't be close, Washington State isn't very good.
--Fri., Nov. 25th: vs. Colorado -- Win. Utes by a couple of touchdowns I think.
There you have it, 9-3 overall and 8-1 in the Pac-12. Perhaps a bit optimistic, but if Wynn is healthy I believe this team can do good things, maybe even a berth in the Pac-12 title game if USC stumbles a couple of times.
I'll be on the scene, tweeting updates tonight and I'll be back on here after the game. Go Utes!
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