Morning.
From the "Talks too much" studios, let's be a blessing today.
Heisman Trophy finalists, from left, Alabama's Derrick Henry, Stanford's Christian McCaffrey and Clemson's Deshaun Watson pose for a photo with the Heisman Trophy before the start of the award presentation show, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson) Weekend winners
Derrick Henry. Dude won the Heisman, and when you break SEC rushing records held by some dude named Herschel Walker, well, you've done something. (Well, Stanford's Christina McCaffrey broke records set by some dude named Barry Sanders, too, so it was a talented list of finalists.) We had a conversation this weekend after looking at Henry's numbers, and offer this question: Are we going to get to a place in football where we have carry limits for running backs? There was a time 15 years ago, the thought of not being able to lead with your head on a tackle would have been poo-pooed. There also was a time when pitch counts were just suggestions. Henry had 90 carries in his last two games. Ninety. We're not medically accomplished enough to even suggest we know how many carries would by a baseline or a ceiling, but 90 carries - more than half of Alabama's snaps - against two SEC defenses (yes, Auburn's qualified in name only) certainly seems like too many.
Navy. The Midshipman won 10 games and just beat Army for the 14th consecutive time. Yes, that counts as a good win. It also was a very good game. (Yes, it was not exactly entertaining for some of us, since Navy was laying three touchdowns and won by four points. Still with the FCS favorites rolling, the Fab 4 picks went 2-1 and are 57-39 - 59.4 percent - against the number this year. If you had risked, say 100 entertainment credits on each pick, you would have walked out with a little more than 1,400 entertainment credits - minus the entertainment brokerage fee of 10 percent on non-entertaining selections - this yea. Not too shabby.)
Pass rushers not-named Jadeveon Clowney picked in the 2014 first round. First Khalil Mack, has become an elite pass-rusher for the Oakland Raiders. He had five sacks Sunday as the Raiders toppled the Broncos. Five. And one of them was a forced fumble that caused a safety in the close 15-12 victory. Dee Ford took a step toward wiping away the 'bust' tag he had been saddled with by getting three sacks for the Chiefs on Sunday.
FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2015, file photo, Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel walks into the locker room after an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, in Cleveland. A person familiar with the decision says the Browns will start quarterback Johnny Manziel this week against San Francisco. Manziel lost his starting job because of off-field behavior, but will be back in the lineup against the 49ers, said the person who spoke Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the move. (AP Photo/David Richard, File) Contract-year quarterbacks. Johnny Manziel took another big step toward looking like the guy for the Browns in '16. (Are we ready for a full fall next year in which John Football, Esq., is an NFL starting quarterback, Rob Gronkowski should be a legit MVP candidate and Donald Trump is running for president? The 5-at-10 will basically write itself next fall.) Manziel went 21-of-31 for 270 yards and a TD as the Browns rolled up a season-best 481 yards of offense in a 24-10 win over San Francisco. Not to be outdone, Kirk Cousins is quietly making a lot of money this football season. Cousins was 24-of-31 for 300 yards and a TD as the first-place Redskins won at Chicago. Cousins has thrown for more than 3,300 yards and has 18 TDs and 11 picks for a first-place team. Yep, Kirk Cousins is going to get a franchise quarterback deal, whether he deserves one or not. Kirk Cousins.
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Weekend losers
The Atlanta Falcons. We are going to offer up a few other options, but the Falcons looked like they have quit on Sunday. Yes, Carolina looks like the best team in the league right now, but 38-bagel? In an NFL built for parity? Dan Quinn goes from coach of the year frontrunner after five weeks to potentially on a hot seat two and a half months later.
Cam Newton. Hey, we're as big a Cam fan as there is around. Dude deserves to be the lead show pony in the MVP race, and we have consistently defended his right to celebrate and dance and enjoy the game in large part because it's genuine and also because the league needs personality and character and characters with personality. That said, Cam and the Panthers offense taking celebratory snap shots on the sideline in the final moments of Carolina's thrashing of Atlanta crossed the sportsmanship line in our mind. Enjoy the game and celebrate the success, but you don't have to run your opponents' nose in it along the way. (Side note: Cam's fashion choices are also open for debate.)
Cincinnati Bengals. Man, a week ago they looked like the class of the AFC and controlled their destiny in the race for home-field advantage. Now, after a freak interception on a shuttle pass led to Andy Dalton making a tackle and breaking his thumb on his throwing hand. Man, those of us who were eager to see how Dalton performed in the playoffs now may not get to. It also raises an interesting question about whether quarterbacks should even try to tackle players on possession changes. And before Mike Golic starts bemoaning the manhood of a decision like that, ask every Bengals fan everywhere what they'd rather have: Dalton stopping Stephon Tuitt from scoring or Dalton healthy and in the lineup the next three weeks?
Los Angeles Dodgers' Yasiel Puig fields a ball during a spring training baseball workout Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/John Locher) Yasiel Puig. Dude has all the skills but had a miserable 2015. His short-comings - and feuding with old-school manager Don Mattingly - certainly helped fuel the managerial turnover last year despite the Dodgers winning their third consecutive division title. Now this, where a former teammate calls Puig the "worst person I've ever seen in this game." Wowser.
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College football bowl contest
Here's another run at the Bowling for Bowls of Bowl Game Success (Bowler optional), and remember, it's don't cost nothing' to enter. We will have our picks in Friday's mailbag, and the deadline for entries will be the close of BID-ness Friday. There will be prizes; you can win stuff.
Before we get to the game, allow us some bowl game observations (again, Bowler is optional, but it's fine piece of head wear):
We think the Cure should be the halftime entertainment for the Cure Bowl. What are those guys doing these days, anyway.
There are 12 bowl games named after a city or state (and that counts the Music City Bowl but not the Cure Bowl, since we're pretty sure it's not in Cure, the ancient Sabine town outside of Rome), and almost all of them are forgettable. Think we could pool together enough coins to get the Hixson Bowl? (Although there likely could be some copyright issues with the actual Hixson Bowling Alley. Alas.)
There are a multitude of bowl games with head coaches on the move. Some of the more interesting story lines among them include what happens with Miami in the Sun Bowl and Georgia in the Taxslayer Bowl after the Mark Richt two-step. We are intrigued by the Frank Beamer swan song at the Independence Bowl, the same locale he started the Hokies' current 23-year bowl string. Also of note is the bowl matchup between Bowling Green and Georgia Southern, since each of these teams are in the process of replacing a departed head coach. And it's somewhat fitting they meet in the Go Daddy Bowl.
(Also, the point spread listed is what we'll go with. There will be some changes along the way, but for our purposes, the line listed below is locked and loaded.)
One-point games
New Mexico Bowl - Arizona (-10) vs. New Mexico
Las Vegas Bowl - BYU vs. Utah (-2)
Camellia Bowl - Ohio vs. App State (-8)
Cure Bowl - San Jose State (-3) vs. Georgia State
New Orleans Bowl - Arkansas State vs. La. Tech (-2)
Miami Bowl - South Florida vs. Western Kentucky (-3)
Two-point games
Potato Bowl - Akron vs. Utah State (-6.5)
Boca Raton - Toledo vs. Temple (-1.5)
Poinsettia Bowl - Boise State (-7.5) vs. Northern Illinois
Go Daddy Bowl - Bowling Green (-7) vs. Georgia Southern
Bahamas Bowl - MTSU (-3) vs. Western Michigan
Hawaii Bowl - Cincinnati (-1.5) vs. San Diego State
St. Petersburg Bowl - UConn vs. Marshall (-4.5)
Heart of Dallas Bowl - Washington (-8.5) vs. Southern Miss
Three-point games
Sun Bowl - Miami vs. Washington State (-2.5)
Pinstripe Bowl - Indiana (-2) vs. Duke
Independence Bowl - Virginia Tech (-13.5) vs. Tulsa
Foster Farms Bowl -UCLA (-6.5) vs. Nebraska
Military Bowl - Pittsburgh vs. Navy (-3.5)
Quick Lane Bowl - Central Michigan vs. Minnesota (-5)
Armed Forces Bowl - Air Force vs. California (-7)
Arizona Bowl - Nevada vs. Colorado State (-3)
Four-point games
Russell Athletic Bowl - UNC vs. Baylor (-3)
Texas Bowl - Texas Tech vs. LSU (-7)
Belk Bowl - Mississippi State vs. NC State (-5.5)
Music City Bowl - Louisville vs. Texas A&M (-2.5)
Liberty Bowl - Kansas State vs. Arkansas (-11)
Alamo Bowl - Oregon vs. TCU (-1)
Cactus Bowl - West Virginia vs. Arizona State (pick 'em)
Birmingham Bowl - Memphis vs. Auburn (-2)
Five-point games
Holiday Bowl -Wisconsin vs. USC (-3)
Peach Bowl - Houston vs. FSU (-7)
Outback Bowl - Northwestern vs. Tennessee (-8)
Citrus Bowl - Michigan (-4) vs. Florida
Fiesta Bowl - Notre Dame vs. Ohio State (-7)
Rose Bowl - Stanford (-6.5) vs. Iowa
Sugar Bowl - Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss (-6.5)
TaxSlayer Bowl - Penn State vs. Georgia (-6.5)
Seven-point games
Orange Bowl - Clemson vs. Oklahoma (-4)
Cotton Bowl - Alabama (-9.5) vs. Michigan State
Tie-breaker (Winner of the national championship):
This photo provided by Sports Illustrated shows the cover of the 2015 "Sports Person of the Year" magazine issue, featuring tennis player Serena Williams. (Yu Tsai for Sports Illustrated via AP) USAGE IN NORTH AMERICA ONLY FOR TWO WEEKS, ENDING DEC. 31, 2015, TO PROMOTE THE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SPORTSPERSON ISSUE ONLY. CREDIT: YU TSAI FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED; ANY USE AFTER DEC. 31, 2015 REQUIRES PERMISSION FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. NO ARCHIVING; NO LICENSING; MANDATORY CREDIT ---
This and that
- How's this for a clear point of the Panthers' dominance. After putting 38 on the Falcons, Carolina now leads the NFL in points per game with 31.6. They are fifth in points allowed (18.7) and are third in total defense behind Denver and Seattle.
- Serena Williams is the Sports Illustrated sportsperson of the year. We're OK with that pick.
- Ole Miss defensive lineman and sure-fire NFL first-rounder Robert Nkemdiche feel from a hotel window in the A-T-L this weekend. Here's the story.
- Thought this was touching and cool for Lee Corso, who was moved to tears by highlights of his time coaching Navy before Saturday's Army-Navy game. (Side note: We spoke to two retired Navy officers over the weekend and each confirmed that it's the Army-Navy game in that order. Now we know.)
Conor McGregor reacts after defeating Jose Aldo during a featherweight championship mixed martial arts bout at UFC 194, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) - Conor McGregor made really quick work of Jose Aldo. Real quick. And this punch was the show-stopper.
- This will be an interesting hire for East Carolina, which named Duke offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery its head coach. montgomery replaces Ruffin McNeil, who had a fair amount of success with the Pirates.
- Golden State lost to Milwaukee on Saturday night. Just passing it along.
Chattanooga head basketball coach Matt McCall directs players during the Mocs' home basketball game against Tennessee Wesleyan at McKenzie Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn.- Nice win for UTC and Matt McCall over the weekend at Dayton, and doing it without Casey Jones also bodes well for the Mocs.
- If you are free around lunch time, we feel certain that former UK star and current college hoops commentator Larry Conley will be quite entertaining at the Quarterback Club today. It's at Finley, and lunch comes with the modest entry fee.
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Today's question(s)
Go nuts on any of the above.
Winners or losers?
Carry limits for future running backs? Should QBs try to make tackles? Is Kirk Cousins a franchise guy?
Is Serena a good pick for SI? Who's better?
Whatcha got, and remember to enter the bowl pick contest?