What I learned in 40 Days of Silence

Hello all. So for those of you who didn't know, I decided 40 days ago that I would fast from all things NBA and football that focused on the drama of the sport. That is confusing for some so let me briefly explain: the drama of the sport would be anything said by athletes that creates a backfire by ESPN, scandals (in this case it would be the Manti Teo scandal), and anything that didn't revolve around the sport itself. Because of the confusion it would cause, I found it easier to just tell people I couldn't discuss sports at all. I learned a lot about where I am in my faith as well as how much sports really meant to me before the fast. It was almost unhealthy. I do not plan to ever fully give up sports because I need a hobby and sports is an enjoyable hobby for me. I just needed time to gain perspective on what really matters.

Today is the first day since the fast and I'm just going to give short summaries on my thoughts on everything that has happened since I've been away and what I've had shoved in my face because of Facebook, Twitter, and other news outlets.

The Manti Teo Drama:
I don't care. I really do not care. I understand that at first it was shocking and just insane information but to me it just seemed like a lot of Hollywood drama similar to Tiger Woods scandal. Did it enhance the way he played the sport? No. Do I condone what he did? Absolutely not. There's not much more I can add to express how little I care about the scandal

Ravens Super Bowl Victory:
I had told people prior to the season starting that although I wouldn't ever call Joe Flacco elite, he's incredibly underrated and more likely to win a Super Bowl than Matt Ryan. To say his team carried HIM to the Super Bowl is plainly ignorant. Give the dude some credit, he's earned it. Overall, I'm still shocked the Ravens won the Super Bowl at all. I, nor anyone I had talked to, gave them a chance preseason so congrats to the Ravens.

Thunder Update:
From what I understand and what I've learned via Twitter, the Oklahoma City Thunder stand little to no chance to win the NBA Finals trophy if we are to rematch with the Miami Heat. There's no need for me to really dive into what-ifs and solutions to the Thunder's problems against the Heat because all I need is this one fact: the Thunder have lost six in a row to the Heat dating back to last year's NBA Finals. I'm merely hoping Derrick Rose comes back and just takes down the Heat. Even if this happens, the chances of sending Miami home aren't large.

I obviously did not have much to really cover but I am not completely up to speed on everything that has happened since my fast began. I will surely have more entries to come but in the mean time, this is all I have for now!

Landry Jones and OU: My Final Assessment of their 2012 Season

After an ugly loss to Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies a lot of Sooner fans are left scratching their head for the future. That being said, there will be future blogs to come regarding that but I want to focus on the QB that is a hot topic amongst Sooner fans, Landry Jones. Landry Jones played his last game where it strangely began in JerryWorld and both had the same result, a loss. For those who know me, you know I've been quite harsh on Landry Jones after his Sophomore season--which was actually his best season statistically--but my final assessment may surprise you.

Watching the Cotton Bowl was not the easiest thing I've ever done as a Sooner fan. Actually, let me rephrase that. That 3rd quarter was the hardest thing I've had to watch as a Sooner fan and I attended the 2011 bedlam game where we lost 44-10. Where I was left speechless is not where most people would expect me to be (Landry Jones decision making), it was how Mike Stoops defense took it upon themselves to play the worst quarter of defense I have seen in a long time. The Cotton Bowl did nothing but reaffirm that the SEC is top dog and that Johnny Manziel is just a stud. Although I think Manziel CAN be stopped, that's not the point here.

Landry's senior season was the craziest thing I have ever seen from a QB. Landry would start the first 3 games averaging 258 yds/gm with 5 TDs and 3 turnovers (2 ints and 1 lost fumble). Decent numbers but his first two games were against UTEP and Florida A&M. He would have one of his worst games against Kansas State where you can argue he lost the game. In fact, I believe he did lose the game on his fumble returned for a TD and OU lost by 5. After I called for Landry to get benched, these are his numbers for the rest of the season: 349.4 yds/gm, 25 TDs, and 9 ints all while completing 66.7% of his passes. For those keeping count, he threw the ball an average 44.8 times a game during that span. Insane. The interceptions are a little much but the kid's a gunslinger. Those numbers are nothing short of impressive and if you watched the showdown against West Virginia, you would know Landry's audible on 4th and goal with the game on the line allowed OU to win the game. The next week he'd throw for 500 yds and 3 TDs that was HUGE in an OT win over the OSU Cowboys. Here is a fact: without Landry Jones under center OU loses to West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and maybe a red hot Baylor team ending the regular season at 8-4 or even 7-5. 

So what went wrong this season? The DREADFUL Mike Stoops defense during the second half of the season as well as poor offensive play calling by Josh Heupel. To be fair, Heupel called good plays most of the time but in key situations his offensive play calling could only be compared to watching a novice play Madden for the first time. The plays made no sense. Whether it was during bedlam in the first drive of the game where he put Blake Bell in at 1st and 10 in Cowboy territory to run an option play; that SAME GAME where on 3rd and short he put in Blake Bell to run a play action pass play; or last night where on 3rd and short he calls a pass play for Landry Jones. I'll also never understand how when OU played the (now) #1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, a game where Landry Jones threw for 356 yds completing 68% of his passes why Heupel refused to allow Landry to just air it out against a defense that had our number on every run play allowing 15 yards rushing all game. Combine this with the insane amount of screens we like to run (especially on 3rd and long) I can't make sense of the play calling. If it worked that'd be one thing, but it simply was not working.

Between Mike Stoops and Josh Heupel there's absolutely no question that Mike Stoops defensive planning has been nothing short of terrible. In 4 of the last 5 games Mike Stoops defense allowed an average of 43 points a game. That's not winning defense. That's not the Mike Stoops defense we are used to seeing. Did anybody else watch how bad the tackling was? For those who decided not to watch the Cotton Bowl, here's a perfect reenactment.

At the end of the day, OU got a share of the Big XII title as well as another 10 win season. I'm proud to attend a university where a 10-3 record is disappointing even if it was to all 3 Heisman finalists. I was also too hard on Landry Jones and I do think we will miss him next season. He's no Sam Bradford or Jason White but he was a good QB. In the draft I wouldn't be too shocked if the Jets or Cardinals pick him up in the middle of the draft as well as the Dallas Cowboys. He can't be any worse than the QB's the Jets, Cardinals, or Cowboys at the NFL level.

Top 5 Most Beautiful Female Sports Reporter or Athlete

So we are now officially in a new year and everywhere on the internet and on TV there is a countdown of the "Top Something of 2012". Feeling bored and observant I noticed that nobody has done a countdown of what's TRULY important here: the most beautiful female sportscaster or athlete of 2012. I have taken it upon myself to give MY OPINION (I highlighted it for you in case you forget) of the most stunning women on sports television.

Honorable Mentions:

Erin Andrews:

When you think famous female sportscaster, you most commonly think Erin Andrews or--God forbid--Dorris Burke. This was the first college football season ESPN viewers had to adjust to no longer seeing the beautiful tall Erin Andrews give us the news. However, when you get past the looks and just look at her personality she's pretty dry. She is just your typical girl and although there is nothing wrong with that, I personally am into a girl that's more than just into shopping, shoes, and dancing. It's also quite a shame she didn't take her hotel accident (which was not her fault in anyway) and use her stage as a means to reach out to sexually assaulted victims. With the stage she has there's no reason to think she WOULDN'T make an impact in that market. Lets face it guys, she's not getting any prettier. That being said, she is still a solid 9.

Kate Upton:

This may be blasphemous for many but hear me out. Yes, Kate Upton has got to be one of the most beautiful beings God has ever created. HOWEVER, by my standards I'm not entirely digging the fact that there's very few pictures of her online in CLOTHES. She's the girl guys want to date but not marry and that in itself falls down on my list. Plus it's hard to put her on this list since she doesn't really cover sports...she was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and has dated several athletes as well do a segment with the Oklahoma City Thunder players Kevin Durant and James Harden. That's my justification of allowing me to talk about Kate Upton. If she decides tomorrow she wants to do work for God and make his name known and stops what she's doing, she's number one on this list with absolutely no questions asked.

5. Maria Sharapova

When it comes to Russia, the beautiful USA typically does better in every contest they challenge us at. There is one area they are more elite in and it's women's tennis. You know what? With someone like Maria Sharapova, I'm more than okay with them winning that category. She's only 25 years old and claims she's ready to settle down soon and have kids. If you have any connections with her please leave comments below on how I can make her dreams come true. Along with being stunning, she also is less about self and has been involved in quite a few philanthropy events. One of which involves her working with Jeb Bush in Florida to raise money for hurricane relief. She's very quiet politically but working with Jeb Bush did nothing but shoot her pretty far up in my books. God bless you Maria.

4. Charissa Thompson

I think this picture sums it up perfectly. Charissa has done quite a bit of work, but as of lately co-hosts Sportsnation with the arrogant and obnoxious Colin Cowherd. Sportsnation allows us to examine (what I hope to believe) is Charissa's personality 24/7. The girl can debate sports from just about every angle and she has a sense of humor that is just...so great. Oh, and she looks amazing.

3. Alex Morgan

STAY WITH ME HERE. I know some of you will say she should be #1 and trust me, this was very hard to do. Based on what I like however, I just had to put her at #3. At 23 years old and representing the greatest country in the world what's not to love about this 5'7 heart throb? The only thing that really hurts her is that I'm unable to find much about her personally and I need a little more than just smoking hot soccer champion. All I can find is she's into Yoga. If you can provide me with more info, I may reconsider this.

2. Samantha Ponder

This one is hard to comment on. Formally known as Samantha Steele (before marrying a below average starting NFL QB) barely missed the #1 spot and here's why she missed it: She got married. Samantha is so perfect outside of that flaw. I'll be honest, when I heard she would be Erin Andrews replacement, I was skeptical. How can you replace THE Erin Andrew's? It can't be done. I won't like it. You can't do it ESPN. Guess what? They not only replaced Erin Andrews, they had a massive upgrade. I got to see Samantha in person and she's (somehow) more beautiful in person than she is on TV. What gets her above Alex Morgan is the fact she has spoken up about her belief in God and if you know me, that gets you really far. Not only is she a God fearing beautiful blonde, she KNOWS WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO SPORTS. This is no Dorris Burkes folks, she's actually pretty sharp. What did it for me was when she used Twitter to reach out to the ignorant political commentator Bill Maher commenting on his unintelligent opinion on the shooting in Connecticut. In response to how he said,"Prayers and hugs won't fix the situation at hand." the near perfect Samantha Ponder pointed out that hugs and prayers are not only needed for the circumstance but that the monster that did the shooting most likely didn't believe in those methods either. I love a girl with some sass and boy does she have some. Outside of having a wedding ring not from me, I can't find anything about this girl I don't love.

1. Mary Morlan Isom (Mo)

I'm not even entirely sure where to begin. Mo played goalie at LSU for 4 years breaking many SEC records as well as almost becoming the first female player for LSU's football team as a kicker. This story drew me in to learn more and when I did, I was speechless. I encourage you guys to check out her life story as it'll tear your heart out. That's not why she's #1 though. I mean, just look at her. I've always been a bigger fan of brunettes over blondes as well as brown eyes over blue eyes so that fact Mo has both is just amazing. Mo recently graduated in spring 2012 and has been spending her time traveling across America speaking to young women about how God's changed her life which is allowing her to change others. I mean, the fact she's also remained pure and is a virgin is just astounding to me since she surely hasn't been snubbed by many guys (in my mind at least). She also scored a 90 yard goal which is just...unreal.

I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did. This is by far the most fun I've had composing a blog.

Mid-Season College Football Thoughts and Predictions on the Big XII

It's hard to believe that we are already half-way through the college football season. Now that I think about it, it's more depressing than anything. So much has taken place that my thoughts right now are almost the complete opposite of what they were 2-3 weeks ago. I’ll try my best to express my thoughts on this season without it seeming like I am just living in the moment, but it won't be easy.

Let's begin with who I believe is the biggest surprise in the Big XII this season, the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Before hosting the Sooners, they ranked at the top in most defensive categories which would have to be a first for a program that is primarily known for having a high scoring offense. It wasn't their performance against OU that convinced me, it was how they took Geno Smith, who at that point looked like he was on a mission to win the Heisman with no questions asked, and just made him look like your average Joe holding the Mountaineers to just 14 points! Granted, the defense didn't look as sharp against TCU but it is undeniable that this Texas Tech team is light years ahead of where they were last year. My heart has me pulling for Tech to win out and force a 3-way tie if necessary. My head says they will lose 1 or 2 more games though. 

Now, let's move onto the two top ranked Big XII teams in the BCS with the Oklahoma Sooners and Kansas State Wildcats. I'll start by addressing the Sooners and how they have looked since my last entry when they lost to Kansas State. Oklahoma right now looks nothing like the team that struggled at UTEP and lost to Kansas State. This team looks confident, poised, and on a mission to fight their way not just to a Big XII title, but back into the National Title picture. This starts with Landry Jones who over the past 3 weeks has looked nothing like he has since Broyles left. Landry Jones is finally stepping up and stepping up early in games making the right throws and hitting his receivers in stride. Since his embarrassing performance against Kansas State, Landry Jones has 7 TDs to only 1 INT. This improvement is undeniable and does give me hope for the rest of this season, but I am still not ready to buy in 100% just yet. He's had too many "Why would you do that?!" games for me to simply forget them all after 3 solid performances. Oklahoma's offensive line play has also stepped up and in a huge way. In the last three games they have only allowed 2 sacks after allowing 6 in the first 3 games!  Talk about improvement! I see the Sooners finishing 11-1 or 10-2 this season.

Now all of this improvement will be for nothing for National Title implications if Kansas State doesn't lose two games. With one loss, Kansas State owns the tiebreaker between them and Oklahoma and in this scenario I just don't see anyway Oklahoma can play for a national title without winning their conference despite what happened last year with Alabama. Kansas State is beatable as I saw it with my own eyes when Oklahoma lost to them at home several weeks ago. Oklahoma played their worst football of the season against them but Kansas State managed to only pull out a 5 point victory. I have a hard time believing they will go undefeated despite all of the hype around them after dismantling a West Virginia team that was exposed a week ago in Lubbock. I'm not entirely sure which teams will step up and beat them but in a year where the Big XII looks as competitive as ever with the exception of a worthless Kansas squad, I wouldn't be surprised if they were upset a couple of times. I see K-State finishing 10-2.

Now for a quick summary of each of the other Big XII teams:

Baylor: High powered offense with no defense. They have almost taken on the role of Texas Tech of old. I expect them to go 6-6.

West Virginia: After Texas Tech was able to slow down their offense in Lubbock, Kansas State had no problem mimicking that same style and holding West Virginia to 14 points again. I'll admit to hopping on the West Virginia and Geno Smith bandwagon early, but I see this West Virginia squad losing 4 games. 

Iowa State: This is the most competitive I have seen Iowa State since I have been a college football fan. Surprisingly, the player I thought would allow them to take off, Jared Barnett, is holding them back. With all of the pieces there, they are one quarterback away from being a legitimate team. I do expect them to battle for bowl eligibility but end up 5-7. 6-6 if they're lucky.

Kansas: Lol.

Texas: David Ash showed so much promise to start the season, but after a disaster in Dallas, I believe he only looked so good because he was playing against defenses that seem no better than scout team defenses. I can see them dropping 2-3 more games against Tech, Kansas State, and possibly TCU.

TCU: I still am not sure how to evaluate TCU. They got embarrassed at home to Iowa State but just last week were able to hang with a very improved Texas Tech squad. Their remaining schedule has Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Kansas State, Texas, and Oklahoma respectively. I really have no idea how they'll finish but I'm going to predict they end the season 7-5. 

Oklahoma State: It was announced Sunday evening that J.W. Walsh, a freshman QB who has been nothing but impressive since taking over for starting QB Wes Lunt, will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury. With Gundy not announcing a starter for the next game between Wes Lunt and Clint Chelf, I just don't feel confident that the Cowboys season is going to end well. Especially, since there are question marks all over the place for their defense. OSU's schedule doesn't get easier until Baylor. This could be a season Gundy wants to forget. I predict a 6-6 season. Best case scenario, 8-4.

Until Landry Jones puts up, I will not shut up.

For those that know me, you know very well where I stand with Oklahoma Sooner quarterback Landry Jones and how long I have been standing by this opinion. Like most opinions, some agree with me, while others disagree, and that's what is great about life and especially football, the debates. This post is a more in-depth look as to why I think Landry Jones is highly overrated and why the word "Landry Jones" and "heisman" in the same sentence is hysterical.

For those who are new to college football, or excel at not talking to anybody in the outside world (especially if you live in Oklahoma), Landry Jones is entering his fourth year at starting QB for the Oklahoma Sooners. Before I go further, let me quickly summarize his three, going on four, seasons at QB.

Freshman year: He was thrown into a very hot fire as trophy winner Sam Bradford went down due to a shoulder injury. Overall, he had a promisin heisman g debut his first year at quarterback and a very impressive game against Standford at the Sun Bowl. Some freshman mistakes, but lets be honest, nobody was expecting him to carry the team as well as Sam Bradford did. Promising nonetheless.

Sophomore year: A year where Landry Jones was looking to take the title as "Best QB in the Big XII". It was a good year statistically, but I couldn't help but wonder if he was a mentally weak quarterback when it came to games on the road. Getting upset my Mizzou and Texas A&M on the road and barely escaping the wrath of Cincinatti. His game of the year that season was bedlam where OSU's secondary just laid down and let Landry do whatever he wanted. It was in this season I began to have concerns despite winning a BCS bowl (against an unranked UConn team).

Junior year: This is where my concerns and worries started to come true. Landry clearly went onto the decline in his junior campaign especially after losing safety blanket Ryan Broyles. Landry wouldn't throw a TD pass for 3 games until the Insight Bowl against the lowly Iowa Hawkeyes. It was how he ended the season that I became convinced Ryan Broyles made his career.

Senior year (after a 2-1 start): Landry Jones has been less than stellar and has began a debate amongst Sooner fans based on his worth and value after being average against UTEP, good against a Florida A&M team, and flat out awful against Kansas State.

Now that the history lesson is over, lets get to my overall opinion of Landry Jones. Landry Jones has done absolutely nothing to be worthy of Heisman discussion the day he became a starting QB for the Sooners. He has proven to be inconsistent and the fact that there's even a debate on Landry Jones entering his FOURTH year as a starter, is very alarming to me. If he is as great as some people claim, there should be no debate as to if he's good. Yes, he does own Oklahoma records in passing but he's been a full-time starter for going on four years. Can you imagine if Sam Bradford played four full seasons at QB? Landry would not be close to touching any of his records. Adrian Peterson is fourth in school history in rushing but he is clearly the best running back to play in the NFL from OU. Tony Romo has impressive numbers but what does he have to show for it? Landry Jones has the skill set to be good, but not the intelligence. More often than not, he forces passes into coverage and pays the price as we saw against Kansas State. I could go on about Landry but that is my general summary of him.

Now lets look at the numbers. Since losing Ryan Broyles, Landry Jones has thrown for 7 TD passes to 11 turnovers. Granted, you should expect a decline after losing such a reliable receiver, but Landry is still playing like he is a freshman. Good QB's don't have this problem as they generally make their receivers good. We can even look at Brandon Weeden. Although Weeden only had one game without two time Biletnikoff winner Justin Blackmon, Weeden made Bo Bowling his leading receiver that game with 9 receptions when playing at Kansas State. Brandon Weeden looked anything but helpless. That one game without Blackmon, Weeden looked better than any game Landry has had without Ryan Broyles and I dare you to find a game since Texas A&M of 2011 where Landry Jones looked better.

With all of this said, I decided to look further back at OU quarterbacks besides Landry Jones and Sam Bradford and decided to do a comparison of Landry Jones and 2006 QB/WR Paul Thompson. I am in no way implying Paul Thompson is a better QB, however, I am implying that Paul Thompson was more efficient. The difference between the two was Thompson knew his limitations and did not try to do anything too crazy with the skill set he had. He tried to be efficient and do what was needed and within his ability. Josh Heupel deserves a lot of praise as he was able to replace a future star (Rhett Bomar) destined for a Big XII title and replace him with a WR who was still able to earn OU a Big XII Title. He utilized Paul Thomson correctly and his play at QB was nothing short of a miracle after many felt hope was lost when Rhett Bomar was expelled. Paul Thomson's passer rating that one season? 142.5 and only lost two games to Texas and Boise State (ugh). Now the record books will show three losses but I REFUSE to call OU's win at Oregon a loss. In Landry Jones career, he's only had one season where his passer rating was better than Paul Thompson's and that was his sophomore year at 146.3. That is astonishing to me and speaks volumes to what Paul Thompson was able to do as well as what Landry has NOT been able to do.

With all of this being said, I could go on about how I believe it is now time for Blake Bell to start but I have already written enough for today. What I will say is that Blake Bell has 12 TD's to Landry's 7 TDs and 2 turnovers to Landry's 11 turnovers since losing Ryan Broyles. If Stoops copies everything from Urban Meyer's playbook during the Tim Tebow era, I have a hard time believing that anyone in the Big XII will be able to stop the Oklahoma offense. The kid may not be as accurate as Landry Jones but I fully believe he has a higher football IQ than Landry Jones and isn't going to force passes! Now I know right now people may roll their eyes at this but I predicted Tim Tebow's NFL success, Terrelle Pryor's non existant NFL career (although it's only been two seasons), the New York Giants winning the Super Bowl last year, and even Tim Tebow's victory over the Steelers and then predicting them to lose to the Patriots. I say this to show I'm not biased towards Tebow. I also predicted Landry Jones to be incredibly overrated. Humble right? I have to establish some credibility though. Bottom line, I hope Landry Jones proves me wrong since it would only benefit my college team; but I firmly believe it's not going to happen.

I leave you guys with a Blake Bell highlight reel from his senior year in High School. Besides his spring game this year (in which he was 14-19, 171 yds, 1 TD and no INTs, best of any QB that spring game) there are not really any other highlights of him throwing the ball. There are many other things I would address, but I feel this should suffice for the blind support he has.

The Controversy of College Football Playoffs is Finally Over! Or is it?

It's something that has been talked about for many years whether it was 2004 with the debate surrounding Auburn and their place in the national title; 2008 with the Texas Longhorns feeling screwed by the BCS for seeing a team they beat (The Oklahoma Sooners) play against Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators; or even just last year with some feeling Oklahoma State getting the shaft to watch a rematch it seemed many did not want to see. Ladies and gentlemen, the fix is in. Or is it?

The way this new system works is a selection committee of 15 people will discuss and pick out the 4 semi-finalists that will compete for the national championship. This instantly tells me there will be controversy. Man was made to create as well as to screw up. Something tells me that we will become prisoners of the moment and send a 2 loss team, most likely in the Big 10 or Notre Dame (with more respect to Notre Dame's schedule), to the playoffs because they finished off their schedule in dominating fashion against the terrible teams the Big 10 has to offer e.g. Northwestern, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois, and the other step children. The end result of this is a complete blowout of the first round and whoever is believed to be the 5 seed to put another asterisk for yet another college football season.

If we see a 4 team playoff with 2 SEC teams, I'll bet all the money that I have that everyone outside of the SEC will be kicking and screaming about an SEC bias. Lets all be honest for a second, the only reason there is an SEC bias is because they've won the last 6 and have won 8 of the 14 BCS National Championships. SEC's overall record is 8-1 in the national championship (the loss is LSU to Alabama last year), Big XII is 2-5, and the ACC, Big 10, Pac-12 and the Big East all have 1 national championship a piece and the same record of 1-2. We cannot deny how powerful the SEC has been as a conference, keep in mind that I hate the SEC and that also, a team that lost to Iowa State has no business of being in the National Championship game.

Now lets reach the bigger issue, although there is a large chance to consistently see 2 SEC teams in this 4 team playoff (until a conference finally decides to dethrone the conference King), I'm more upset about the fact smaller schools will still be cheated out of a chance to play for a National Championship. More recently people mention TCU and their triumph over Wisconsin in 2009. What people fail to recognize is that TCU was a 3 seed and would have made the playoffs anyway but I have better examples. One example was in 2006 when an undefeated Boise State had a perfect season and broke my heart in a thrilling upset over my Oklahoma Sooners 43-42 in overtime. What was Boise State ranked before this game? Number 9. A perfect 12-0 season and they were barely considered a top 10 team. Another example was two years later when the Utah Utes completed a perfect season and were set to face Alabama. They didn't just beat Alabama, they embarrassed them. A 31-17 victory over a team that barely missed the bid for the national championship game against the Oklahoma Sooners. Before the Sugar Bowl victory, the Utah Utes were ranked number 6. Number 6! A team that would surely miss the cut under the new playoff regulations as well, which leaves room for controversy.

With all of that said, lets talk about the upsides of the new playoff system. For starters, the bowl systems are still alive and that means we still have many years to participate in ESPN Bowl Mania and pretend we have an idea of who will win the Idaho Potato Bowl. No, I didn't just make that up. Trust me, I enjoy getting lucky with those predictions and telling people I knew all along that OU (as in the University of Ohio) would win the Idaho Potato Bowl. The bowl systems are a great way to keep football programs like Duke, Iowa State, Baylor, Mississippi State, Illinois, and other terrible football programs competitive so that they can set realistic expectations for themselves to make a bowl game so that we have better opportunities to see those upsets that we all go nuts over.

Another great thing about this new playoff system is that there won't be as much debate over if the national champion is truly the national champion. I think sometimes people fail to realize that college football is not like the NFL where any team has a chance to beat anybody e.g. The Kansas City Chiefs (5-7) beating the undefeated Green Bay Packers (13-0). So excluding any smaller schools getting cheated out of the playoffs, there should no longer be any debate regarding of who the best team really is. I say this assuming that people are going to be unbiased and accept the facts of what happen on the field. But when will I learn?

2012 Denver Broncos Mock Draft

The Broncos seem to have become one of the most talked about NFL teams the past couple of years: from Josh McDaniels improbable 6-0 start, to drafting Tebow, to hiring John Elway, to firing McDaniels and hiring John Fox, to starting Tebow, to going on a magical run, to trading the QB that made them relavent after acquiring the best regular season QB of all time. So here we are. Less then two weeks away from the draft and the Broncos have 7 picks in this years draft and they are going to need them if they hope to make a super bowl in the next couple of seasons.

Lets be honest, the Broncos were not pursuing Manning just to escape Tebowmania (although I fully believe that was a reason), they want to win a super bowl with a guy who has done it before. With 10 QBs starting in Denver since John Elway's departure, Manning is by far the best QB to put on a Broncos uniform since Elway left and possibly all time. Is Manning alone enough to take them on a Super Bowl run? Absolutely not. There are many holes that need to be filled and this prediction is a little biased for who I would love to see in Denver, as well as pieces I believe would work there. So lets begin.

Round 1 (pick 25): Derel Worthy (DT, Michigan State) 6'2 308 lbs

The Broncos were ranked 22nd against the run allowing an average of 126 yards per game. They need drastic improvement at the defensive tackle position since losing Bunkley in free agency to the Saints. Between Derel and Javon Still it was a hard pick but Still has had two major surgeries and if I'm the Denver Broncos I want a player who is healthy and is ready to win now. With time running out with a questionable Peyton Manning, you can't take chances on fragile players. With Derel making many top player appearances after this past season and the consistency he shows on the field, you can't go wrong with Derel at 25.

Round 2 (pick 57): Jamell Flemming (CB, Oklahoma) 5'11 206 lbs

This is where my bias and hopes come into play. However, Jamell has a lot of upside despite my bias. He should excel as a zone defender because of his closing speed to wrap receivers after the catch. He is able to deliver the big hit and isn't afraid to jump inside to slow the ball. He is also able to transition well from coverage to close on the ball and has very strong hands and quick reactions which lead to interceptions. In high school he played as a wide receiver if that speaks for his ball handling skills. His willingness and successful blitzing off the edge is huge as the Broncos need some speed off the edge after losing Andre Goodman. If it doesn't work out at CB, the Broncos could consider to move him to safety with combination of range and sure tackling. With an aging Champ Bailey and a secondary that was exploited badly against the Lions, Patriots, Packers, and THE VIKINGS, there is a need of a cornerback that needs to be filled.

Round 3 (pick 87): Brock Osweiler (QB, Arizona State) 6'7 242 lbs

If available, Brock is a steal in the 3rd round. Brock's height of 6'7 just....screams to be drafted and learn behind a 6'5 Peyton Manning. Brock, overshadowed by many playing for an average Arizona State team, set school records this past season becoming the first QB to throw for over 4,000 yds and had 63.7% completion percentage in spite of the lack of talent around him. With Manning's neck being a liability, it doesn't hurt to draft a guy who has a similar physical set such as Brock.

Round 4 (pick 108): Ryan Broyles (WR, Oklahoma) 5'10 192 lbs.

Is there any team with as many question marks at the receiving corp than the Denver Broncos? I do not believe there is. An argument can be, and has been, made regarding the lack of passing ability they had at the QB position but Calvin Johnson was able to be a top 5 receiver the past few seasons despite Matthew Stafford being injured most of the time. If you have a safety blanket WR, any QB can give him great numbers. We already saw how huge Ryan Broyles was for Oklahoma's offense after he tore his ACL. It's hard for me to think of, off the top of my head, many QBs that self destructed like Oklahoma's after losing any wide receiver. Ryan Broyles, statistically one of the best wide receivers of all time, can provide Manning with a security blanket in the same way Wes Welker offers Tom Brady. Ryan Broyles has some of the best hands you can ask for and if you look past his height and ACL injury, a steal in the 4th round and a major asset to a team with questionable receivers. 

Round 4 (pick 120): Chris Rainey (RB, Florida) 5'8 180lbs

Let's be real for a minute, Knowshown Moreno (AKA NoShow Moreno) hasn't lived up to the hype we all set for him before the draft and if he isn't cut before the 2012 season, he will be cut after the 2012 season. Chris Rainey just clocked in at a 4.3 40 dash time and was the show in Florida after Tebow's departure. This kid can run, catch, and play kick off return. So much talent and speed and a sleeper in this year's draft. If he's still available by this point, he's a steal for any team to draft.

Round 5 (pick 137): Leonard Johnson (CB, Iowa State) 5'10 196 lbs

As a measure to add depth, I think the Broncos need to draft another CB in Leonard Johnson. Although he does have a hard time tackling downfield I will never forget the impact he had against Oklahoma State in their upset. Although Iowa State's young QB got a lot of the praise for the upset, nobody mentions Leonard Johnson's effort to hold two-time Biletnikoff winner, Justin Blackmon, to only 99 yards (speaks a lot for Justin Blackmon), as well as had a big interception in the 3rd quarter to keep his team in the game. Along with being second team All Big XII, he has promise that could develop into a solid CB.

Round 6 (pick 188): James Hanna (TE, Oklahoma) 6'4 252 lbs

Yes, another Sooner. However, James Hanna is a very underrated TE as he left the NFL combine with a 4.49 40 yard dash time and despite having a QB who loved staring down one receiver (I'm talking  about Landry Jones of course) still finished his career at OU with 50 receptions for 765 yards and 11 TDs when spending most of his time at OU backing up star TE Jermaine Greshman. Many teams will sleep on James Hanna but he is a diamond in the rough in this years draft.

That is my 2012 mock draft for my Denver Broncos. They have Peyton Manning in place, with these pieces and enough hard work from a rookie class like this, I don't believe many teams will stand a chance. This is of course an unrealistic draft but one can dream right?