AND THEN THERE WERE TWO; WILL MANNING PREVAIL OR WILL WILSON SHOW WHY HE'S A GREAT PICK

    Well Well Well, a mid-west to west coast super bowl. Myself picked the Patriots vs. Seahawks and I guess Manning proved me false on my selections for the super bowl by dismantling the Patriots on both sides of the ball. The 49ers couldn't hold on to their grip to ride the train to the super bowl two years in a row by a big mistake by Kaepernick on the 49ers 4th quarter drive. I have been a Wilson fan since he came into the league and how well he dominated the preseason and through the regular season. What I see from the perspective of a former football player analyzing this game is it looks like a classic David vs. Goliath match up. ON one side you have the great Peyton Manning as Goliath vs. Russel Wilson as David across field from him. The question that will be answered on February 2nd will be does this real life David vs. Goliath battle hold true to the story. 
   February 2nd will host the greatest one day event on a out door stage in New Jersey. I know the elements will play a major factor in this game but the greater question to me is will this take away from the game because it's not in a hotter climate where people can enjoy the atmosphere how they really want. Also will the elements make this a slow pace run game and if so which team will benefit more. I know with the magnitude of this event all fans want to see a high passing and scoring game and if that doesn't happen will that leave a sour taste in the mouths of football fans for future outdoor cold weather games. One last thing to ponder about is if Manning and the Broncos win the super bowl will this be his ride into the sunset?

AND NOW THERE'S 4 TEAMS

   Yesssss sir! the AFC & NFC championship games will be the greatest games I will get the chance to watch. First you have the Seattle Seahawks vs. the San Francisco 49ers, two teams that obviously don't like one another but are similar in play. Both teams have a tremendous run game with their backs and both are similar in how they run the ball. Frank Gore runs with conviction and with aggression each play. He was able to bounce back from a slow start against Carolina and help seal the win in the 3rd and 4th quarter of sundays game. As always Lynch dominated another game. He ran through the Saints defense for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns and the Seashawks won with no touchdown passes from Wilson. The question I ask is will Lynch, the defense and the kicking game be enough to beat the 49ers?

     Hear Ye! Hear Ye! in the orange corner hailing from Denver, Co. you have the top QB in the game and this past regular season Peyton Manningggggggggg. Fighting out of the blue corner you have another elite QB and master of the position Tom Bradddddddddyyyyyy. You couldn't write a better script/movie than this game. These two QBs have been slugging it out every chance they get in the quest to show who's at the top of the position. In fourteen previous meetings Tom is 10-4 against manning including a 2-1 record in the playoffs. The game that was the turning point for Manning was the AFC championship game against Tom when he played with the Colts in 2007 which Manning was able to pull out the victory on the road to win his 1st superbowl. The new look Patriots have added a much needed run game with Blount that takes pressure off of Brady and the passing game especially with the lost of Gronk. The positive with adding a effective run game for Brady, the Broncos now have a three headed snake to defend. The Broncos will have to try to figure out what Brady is thinking and doing, Blount and the run game and a very effective passing game. Mr. Manning, will be avenging a lost in the playoffs to the Ravens especially how he was defeated on a pair of last second plays. He also will be battling the stigma that he can't play in cold weather and he can't put the last piece together to two brilliant seasons against a dominate team in the Patriots. The Denver Broncos are a well oiled machine, excellent QB, very efficient running game in Ball and Moreno, and a very talented receiver core that's difficult to defend because Manning spreads the ball around.

  This weekend if you're a football fan will definitely wet your pallet and peek your football interest. One question that I pose is if Manning doesn't make it to the super bowl will his season be a flop?  

NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: FSU BACK TO THE OLD? OR A ONE HIT WONDER?

   The ACC is back yeaaaaaaaah baby! Excuse me as a graduate and player of the ACC University of Virginia Cavaliers it felt great to see another conference especially the ACC on top instead of the SEC a powerhouse conference. Auburn had a excellent season mark with huge highlights to catapult them to the #2 team in the country. I believe the return by Chris Davis on the missed field goal by Alabama capped the tigers season and their road to the national championship. Auburns team displayed fight, heart and resilience the entire 2013 season and made it a point to be heard in the country. Auburns running back Tre Mason a excellent runner, pounder and game changer made it difficult to tackle and deny Auburn notice on offense. 

   The Florida State Seminoles, has been a nations favorite especially in the Bobby Bowden era. They blew on the scene in the last few years by carving a road back to the top. As a fan you can't help to love the game of Jameis Winston, and to be a red shirt freshman and to have the poise at a young age to lead his team was phenomenal. The Florida State defense showed no mercy against opponents and attacked each play like it was their last play. Florida States special teams were an effective part of their game plan especially with having sub-par field goal kickers throughout the years to transform that to a legit kicker that could put points on the board when the offense couldn't pull through on drives. Their return game had an explosive returner in Kermit Whitfield which anyone that knows football know that special teams can make or break your game at times.
   The National Championship game, what a game to watch. The first half belonged to Auburn, the Tigers showed why they deserved to be there with their aggressive defense and aggressive offense. The Tiger defense line were confusing the Florida State offensive line and causing havoc on Winston making it hard for him and the offense to get started. When FSU receivers caught the ball Auburns defense were all over them leaving minimal to no space to run. However, FSU was able to put points on the board before the half and had confidence coming out the half. The second half of the game was great FSU momentum swung heavy. Their defense was able to mount stops against the Auburn offense and turnovers which the FSU offense did capitalize on. The game came down to a electric 4th quarter where we saw a 100 yard return by Kermit Whitfield only to be quieted by an Auburn score by Tre Mason. The national championship was left in the hands of Jameis Winston and the FSU offense and they proved why they deserve to be in the national championship game and the champs. The FSU offense got down inside the 5 yard line and on the last play Winston threw a lob pass to 6 ft 5 wide receiver Benjamin to seal the championship for the Noles. What a way to end the 2013 college football season.    

NFL REG. SEASON WRAP-UP

The NFL has wrapped up another exciting yet different season in 2013. There were some teams that excelled that wasn't on the radar the previous season to make some noise this season. I was impressed by the Chiefs this season but I always thought they could get over the hump and they have shown they are a force in the next seasons to come. I also admired the resilience of the Carolina Panthers and Cam Newton to push through and win their division. I believe the last AFC playoff spot was the most nail biting, heart wrenching experience this season. There were four teams fighting for that 6th spot and it all came down to who wanted it most and in the end San Diego determined they wanted that spot the most or did they get a little help from the officials? The Steelers can make an argument that the Chargers did receive a little help on the field goal missed by the Chiefs kicker. I believe everyone didn't see the Ravens not making it to the playoffs after a cinderella season last season. The Ravens fate relied on their own play and offensively they could not get it done even with help from their defense in a very pivotal last game against the Bengals. In the end we have some of the same teams that have made it through out the years and some new faces that want to make a statement. The one thing that I love about the NFL and sports in general is any given sunday or any given day anything can happen.