2010 Big Ten Football Preview

College Football Season is finally less than a month away, and I could not be more excited. The Big Ten had an outstanding season last year highlighted by two BCS Bowl victories with Iowa taking the crown of Orange Bowl Champions by beating Georgia Tech, and Ohio State winning their first Rose Bowl Game since 1997 in defeating Oregon.

Other teams also look to build upon the success of a major bowl win. Wisconsin upset a resurgent Miami (FL) program, and Penn St defeated LSU in the Capital One bowl to give the Big Ten some much needed credibility against the SEC.

This is a very big year for Big Ten Football with numerous story lines to follow: the addition of storied football program Nebraska is just one short year away, teams like Ohio State and Iowa look to prove that they are still the class of the Big Ten, and with two rebuilding years under his belt, Rich Rodriguez looks to put Michigan back on the map.

It's going to be a great season, let me know how awful or amazing my predictions are,
GO BUCKEYES

1. Ohio State 12-1 (8-0)
2. Penn State 11-2 (7-1)
3.Iowa 11-2 (6-2)
4. Wisconsin 9-4 (5-3)
5.Michigan 8-5 (4-4)
6.Northwestern 7-6 (4-4)
7.Michigan State 7-6(4-4)
8.Purdue 5-7 (3-5)
9.Illinois 5-7(2-6)
10.Indiana 5-7 (2-6)
11.Minnesota 4-8 (1-7)

Bowl Projections

BCS National Title Game

(14-0) Alabama 34
(12-1) Ohio St 24

Rose Bowl

(11-2) Penn State 38
(9-4) Washington 21

Capital One Bowl

(11-2) Iowa 29
(10-3) Florida 26

Outback Bowl

(10-3) Arkansas 44
(9-4) Wisconsin 38

Champs Sports Bowl

(8-5) Michigan 30
(7-6) Florida State 18

Alamo Bowl

(7-6) Michigan State 44
(8-5) Oklahoma State 40

Insight Bowl

(9-4) Texas Tech 37
(7-6) Northwestern 20

Seven Bowl Games is definitely within reach for the Big Ten yet again this year, Ohio State, Iowa, and Penn State all should compete for spots in BCS bowls.

In just the second week of the season, the Big Ten will see two monster showdowns when Ohio State meets its opponent from the classic 2002 National Championship game in Miami (FL), and Penn State travels to Bryant-Denney Stadium to take on the reigning National Champions, Alabama.

In my opinion, Ohio State poses the most legitimate threat for a run at a National Title. If they can get past a huge early season threat as the Hurricanes travel to Columbus, and if Terrelle Pryor continues to improve of his off of his best performance in his young Buckeye career at the Rose Bowl, Ohio State should be able to run the table in the Big Ten.
After Miami (FL), the Buckeyes schedule is relatively easy up until mid November with a final three games of: Penn St, @ Iowa, and Ohio State will look to increase its winning streak against rival Michigan to seven games.

I believe Ohio State will return to the National Championship Game this season after an undefeated regular season and will likely face the undefeated team that emerges from the SEC. With Heisman Trophy Winner Mark Ingram returning and with Nick Saban at the helm of a vaunted defense loaded with talent, and with a lack of standout superior teams this year, Alabama has a very legitimate shot to repeat as National Champions.

Never More Ready For Some Football

As summer 2010 is drawing to a close, school is just around the corner and all the summer fun seems to be coming to an end. However, one good thing that the end of summer brings is the start of football season!

Normally I am ready for football season three weeks after the Super Bowl, but after the way this past season ended, I needed a few extra months to get ready, but I could not be more ready for some football.

I took a crack at predicting the baseball season earlier this year and thus far, I seem to be doing alright. So of course, I must make an attempt at predicting the NFL season.

Playoff Seeds in parenthesis

AFC

East
1. New York Jets 11-5 (#3)
2. New England Patriots 10-6 (#5)
3. Miami Dolphins 8-8
4. Buffalo Bills 6-10

North
1. Cincinnati Bengals 11-5 (#4)
2. Baltimore Ravens 10-6
3. Pittsburgh Steelers 9-7
4. Cleveland Browns 5-11

South
1. Indianapolis Colts 13-3 (#1)
2. Houston Texans 10-6 (#6)
3. Tennessee Titans 8-8
4. Jacksonville Jaguars 7-9

West
1. San Diego Chargers 12-4 (#2)
2. Oakland Raiders 8-8
3. Kansas City Chiefs 6-10
4. Denver Broncos 5-11

NFC

East
1. Dallas Cowboys 12-4 (#2)
2. New York Giants 10-6 (#6)
3. Washington Redskins 7-9
4. Philadelphia Eagles 7-9

North
1. Green Bay Packers 12-4 (#1)
2. Minnesota Vikings 9-7 * Without Favre, With Favre 11-5
3. Chicago Bears 8-8
4. Detroit Lions 5-11

South

1. Atlanta Falcons 11-5 (#3)
2. New Orleans Saints 10-6 (#5)
3. Carolina Panthers 6-10
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-11

West

1. San Fransisco 49ers 10-6 (#4)
2. Seattle Seahawks 8-8
3. Arizona Cardinals 6-10
4. St. Louis Rams 3-13

Offensive MVP: Aaron Rodgers ( 35 TD 11 INT 4,308 Passing Yards)

Defensive MVP: Darrelle Revis (63 Tackles 14 INT 2 TD )

Playoffs

AFC Wild Card Round

#6 Texans 17
#3 Jets 20

#4 Bengals 24
#5 Patriots 17

AFC Divisional Round

#3 Jets 19
#2 Chargers 17

#4 Bengals 21
#1 Colts 38

AFC Championship Game (yes, a repeat of last year)

#1 Colts 28
#3 Jets 19

NFC Wild Card Round

#6 Giants 6
#3 Falcons 28

#4 49ers 20
#5 Saints 41

NFC Divisional Round

#3 Falcons 23
# 2 Cowboys 21

#1 Packers 34
#5 Saints 28

NFC Championship Game

#3 Falcons 24
#1 Packers 28

Super Bowl XLV

Green Bay Packers 27
Indianapolis Colts 31 Super Bowl MVP: Peyton Manning

Bring on the bias smack talk, Peyton is too good to have only one ring, to borrow a phrase from cubs fans, "It's gonna happen." The Defense will be suspect at times, as usual, but with the addition of Jerry Hughes the Colts will have the deepest group of players at what is becoming arguably the most important non Quarterback position in the game. With Gonzo returning from injury, the Colts will once again have the deadliest arsenal of offensive weapons in the league: Wayne, Gonzo, Garcon, Collie, Clark,

The Packers have all the pieces in place, Rodgers had an amazing season last year and doesn't get the credit he deserves, the Pack have a solid D and an offense that will be more mature than last year and in my opinion, should be the class of the NFC.

It's gonna be another fantastic season !

Concert Season !!

My favorite season of the year is nearly upon us, Concert season. Growing up in Noblesville I was lucky enough to live a stones throw away from one of the midwest's best music venues in Deer Creek. After a few years of uncertainty, it seems that our beloved venue will be around for years to come and this years band lineup is quite impressive. There are dozens of shows this summer I'm hoping to attend, here is a quick list of some must see shows this summer, for me anyway

-Pearl Jam @ Deer Creek, Friday 5/7/10
-Phish @ Toyota Park, Chicago IL Friday 6/11/10
-Phish @ Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls OH 6/12/10
-Dave Matthews Band @ Deer Creek, Fri-Sat 6/18-19/10
-Phish @ Deer Creek, Thu-Fri 8/12-13/10
-Phish @ Alpine Valley, East Troy WI Sat-Sun 8/14-15/10

Festivals
Summercamp Festival May 28-30 Chillicothe, Illinois
Main Acts: Moe (3 shows), Umphrey's Mcgee (3 shows),STS9, Government Mule, Public Enemy, Keller Williams, Victor Wooten
(Summercampfestival.com)

Wakarusa June 3-6 Ozark, Arkansas
Main Acts: Widespread Panic, Umphrey's Mcgee, STS9, John Butler Trio, Blues Traveler
(Wakarusa.com)

Bonnaroo June 10-13 Manchester, Tennesee
Main Acts:Dave Matthews Band, Jay-Z, Stevie Wonder, Tenacious D, Conan O'Brien, The Flaming Lips, John Fogerty, Norah Jones, Kings Of Leon
(Bonnaroo.com)

All Good Music Festival July 8-11 Masontown, West Virginia
Main Acts: Further, Widespread Panic, Umphrey's Mcgee, Yonder Mountain String Band, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
(Allgoodfestival.com)

The Gathering of the Vibes: July 29- August 1st Bridgeport, Connecticut
Main Acts: Primus, Rythem Devils feat. Keller Williams, Umphrey's Mcgee, Damian Marley & NAS, Robert Randolph & the Family Band
(http://www.gatheringofthevibes.com/Home)

All this talk is getting me real excited about this summer. I hope to hit up atleast one of these festivals, hopefully two. Let me know if you are interested in tagging along.

MH's 2010 Baseball Predictions/Thoughts

With Opening day quickly approaching I thought I would start my blogging career off with my predictions for the 2010 MLB season. As a Cardinals fan I am very optimistic about this season and can not wait to see if Holliday is worth the money. We saw many very interesting trades this off-season and I think we could be in store for a very parody filled season in the American League West, as well as a very competitive race in possibly the best division top to bottom in the National League East. Read, complain, discuss!

American League *- Denotes Playoff Team

East
1. New York Yankees (105-57)*
2. Boston Red Sox (93-69)*
3. Tampa Bay (90-72)
4. Baltimore (78-84)
5.Toronto (69-93)

Central
1.Chicago White Sox (90-72)*
2.Minnesota (88-74)
3.Cleveland (80-82)
4.Detroit (74-88)
5.Kansas City (70-92)

West
1.Seattle Mariners (92-70)*
2.Texas Rangers (88-74)
3.LA Angels (82-80)
4. Oakland Athletics (75-87)

National League

East
1. Philadelphia Phillies (97-65)*
2.Atlanta Braves (91-71)*
3.Florida Marlins (84-78)
4. New York Mets (78-84)
5. Washington Nationals (60-102)

Central
1. St. Louis Cardinals (95-67)*
2. Milwaukee Brewers (89- 73)
3. Chicago Cubs (85-77)
4. Cincinnati Reds (82-80)
5. Houston Astros (75-87)
6. Pittsburgh Pirates (64-98)

West
1. LA Dodgers (90-72)*
2. San Fransisco Giants (88-74)
3. Colorado Rockies (86-76)
4. Arizona Diamondbacks (76-86)
5. San Diego Padres (60-102)

AL MVP: Evan Longoria (TB)
NL MVP: Albert Pujols (STL)
AL Cy Young: Jon Lester (BOS)
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay (PH)

American League Division Series

Red Sox over Mariners 3-2
Yankees over White Sox 3-1

National League Division Series

Cardinals over Braves 3-2
Phillies over Dodgers 3-0

American League Championship Series

Yankees over Red Sox 4-2

National League Championship Series

Cardinals over Phillies 4-3

2010 Worle Series

St. Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees 4-2

Call me a homer all you want, they won't choke this year. Let me know how realistic you think my predictions are, or how bogus you think they are.