2013 College Football Preview: The Full Count's Preseason Top 15 Teams

1. Alabama: Can you place anyone else number one? The back-to-back champs may have lost players, but they can be replaced. They still have the best coach in the nation, Nick Saban and his two-time National Championship winning quarterback, AJ McCarron. Their defense is still one of the best in the nation, with eight starters returning and Saban as the mastermind. The Tide's offense is also one of the best in the nation. McCarron has two of his best weapons returning in RB TJ Yeldon and WR Amari Cooper. Yeldon is an explosive back and Cooper is a very good wideout. Alabama is looking to become the first ever three-time BCS champion and to win their fourth title in five years. 
2. Ohio State: The Buckeyes were the only team in FBS football to go undefeated. Yet they were not selected to go to BCS National Championship, or the Rose Bowl, or any bowl for that matter. That was because of bowl ban due to the tattoo scandal. This year, they might be even better. Braxton Miller is going to be great. He is one of the best duel-threat quarterbacks there is. Their defense is good, but not great. It would not surprise me if they are in a few shootouts. Ohio State has a good chance to make the title game, but their defense will need to work hard to get there.
3. Oregon: Chip Kelly is gone. But, he left the Ducks in excellent shape. New head coach Mark Helfrich was the offensive coordinator so he knows the offense and the team well. He also knows his quarterback, Marcus Mariota, very well. Mariota is an outstanding quarterback and a prefect fit for this offense. He is a favorite for this year's Heisman Trophy. The key to the Ducks success will not be Mariota, but De'Anthony Thomas. I have been waiting for Thomas to break-out. He has had some excellent games, but not an excellent season. He needs to be one of the top three running backs in the nation for Oregon to be in the national title game.
4. Clemson: I am a believer in Clemson. I believe this could be their year. Arguably, Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins make up the best QB-WR duo in the nation. They have three high profile games which will make or break their title and BCS hopes. The first is on Saturday against Georgia, the second is on October 19th vs Florida State, and the final game is against South Carolina on November 30th. The hardest of the three games will be "The Palmetto Bowl" against South Carolina in Colombia. If they lose any of these games, it most likely will be a loss to South Carolina. They will finish the season with one loss or better and will be in a BCS Bowl.
5. South Carolina: When you start to talk about Gamecock football, you need to begin with Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney is the best player in college football, no question. He is no fluke. It wouldn't surprise me his reaches 15+ sacks. With Clowney as the anchor, South Carolina's defense is sound. It's the offense the makes me wonder. I know that Steve Spurrier is a great offensive coach, but I don't trust his quarterbacks. Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson are good quarterbacks, but are lack consistency. Spurrier should just keep one QB as the starter for the whole year and stick with it. 
6. Stanford: Stanford is a high-quality team. David Shaw is one of the best coaches in the college game. His defense this year is going to be as stout as always. Their defense is one of the top three defenses in the game. Kevin Hogan is a good quarterback, but he is not going to put the team over the hump. In key games and situations, that could be detrimental. I don't believe they are as good as Oregon in the PAC-12, but they are still one of the best teams in the nation.
7. Louisville: They may be in one of the worst conferences in the country, but Louisville is a very good team. Teddy Bridgewater is one of the top prospects for the 2014 NFL Draft. He is a dynamic player. His arm is very strong and he is also very accurate. Their schedule is very easy. They do not have any tough games. They can easily go 12-0. The question will be then, do they deserve to be in the BCS National Championship.
8. Texas A&M: Johnny Manziel is the key to the Aggies season. We know he will be suspended for the first half of the opening game against Rice, but who knows if any other suspensions or scandals will occur again. If Johnny Football is not behind center for the A&M, their chance of winning goes down drastically. He may be a burden of the field, when he is on the field he is an enigma. Their will be a lot of distractions around the Aggies. Their success will be based on how Manziel handles himself and how the team handles the distractions and hype around them.
9. Florida: The Gators were a surprise team last year. The won eleven games, seven conference games, and made a BCS Bowl. This year, they look to return to a BCS Bowl. Jeff Driskel is a good quarterback, but I am not sure if he can reach the next level. Their running backs are inexperienced, but have a good potential. The defense, like last year, should be the strongest part of the team.
10. Georgia: Georgia is an interesting team. They are very good, but they have the hardest start to the season in the nation. They first face Clemson on Saturday and then South Carolina the next week. I think they will lose both games and start the season 0-2. That is the worst way to begin the season. They could always come back and finish the season strong (Prime example: 2010 Virginia Tech Hokies), but their schedule will still be difficult afterward. They have games against LSU and Florida. Aaron Murray may be one of the better pocket passer's in the game, but he can't win games by himself. This season could be great, but will more likely be a flop. 
11. Florida State: I like Jamies Winston as the starting quarterback. He has a great arm (He had eight assists in the outfield for the Seminoles baseball team in the spring). Jimbo Fisher made the right choice by making him the starting quarterback. Winston will get a lot of help from his two running backs, Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. Both of them averaged a little less then six yards per carry last season. Their defense is good with their defensive line being the headline. If Winston is good, the Seminoles may be a title game contender. 
12. LSU: The Tigers are bound for a good season. I think they can be slightly better this year then in 2012. Zach Mettenberger has one more year experience and has gotten much better. It wouldn't surprise me if he has a unnoticed breakout year. He will lead that offense to wins. Their defense will be good again and one of the best in the SEC. As always, the challenge for an SEC team will be the schedule. Their schedule is one of the toughest in the nation. If they can get through the season with just a few losses, they will be in good shape for a possible BCS Bowl.
13. Oklahoma: The Sooners have a new quarterback under center and it is not "the Belldozier". Redshirt freshman Trevor Knight won the job and I believe it was the right decision. Although I am a fan of Blake Bell, I was uncertain on his ability to throw the football consistently and his ability to stay in the pocket. Knight not only is a very good passer, he can also run very well. He has the potential to have a Johnny Manziel like season, without the off-the-field issues. Bell will still be utilized, but Knight will be the main guy. If Knight is as good as I think he can and will be, Oklahoma is in excellent shape. 
14. Texas: Texas is an interesting team. After an awful 5-7 season in 2010, the Longhorns record has improved to 9-4 last year. This year, their record could get even better. Quarterback David Ash is a solid player. He is a good team leader and knows how to run the offense. The player I am looking at to shine is Jonathan Gray. Gray has the potential to be a breakout star at running back. The defense is a question mark. It could be good or it could be bad. Only time will tell. 
15. Notre Dame: After making the BCS National Championship last season, the Fighting Irish's chances to returned were slashed drastically before the season even started when Everett Golson was suspended for the year. Now, without Golson, I don't think they will be close to making a bowl game. I don't trust Tommy Rees at quarterback. He has multiple chances to be the starter, but has never succeeded. Their defense is strong and will make up for the offense in certain situations, but not all the time. The Fighting Irish will lose a few games and make a decent bowl game.

Fiesta Bowl Museum: A Nice Place to Visit

While in the Phoenix area on vacation, I was looking for some sporting things to do. The Diamondbacks were out of town and I wasn't interested in seeing any preseason football things. On one of the maps of the area, I noticed the Fiesta Bowl Museum in Scottsdale. I had never heard of the museum before. I decided that I would find time to visit the museum. 

The Fiesta Bowl Museum is a small museum. It is not something you should plan a entire afternoon to see. It takes about fifteen to thirty minutes to walk around. There are two main rooms, one in the front of the facility and one in the back.

The room in the front is a welcoming room. There is a receptionist desk on the right in the front of the room. A few couches are placed in the room, while TVs show sports shows and the most recent Fiesta Bowl match-up. The main highlights of the room are the replica trophies.  In one cabinet, they had the trophies of the Walter Camp Award, Outland Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award, Dick Butkus Award. Davey O'Brien Award, Doak Walter Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Fred Biletnikoff Award, and the Rotary Lombardi Award. The two biggest trophies in the room are the Fiesta Bowl Trophy and the Coaches Trophy. Those two trophies are the highlights of the museum.

The room in the back is set up like a conference room with tables and chairs. On the walls are helmets for all the FBS teams. Two helmets are placed facing each other due to their weekly match-up in college football. Around the room are little rooms that have small exhibits. One of the rooms is on Fiesta Bowl game and it's results, another on the Fiesta Bowl parade, and so on. They also have a Heisman Trophy and an Eddie Johnson Coach of the Year Award for visitors to look at and take pictures.

My favorite part about the museum is it's simplicity. You are not going to be overwhelmed with flare and unnecessary information. Everything in the museum is interesting and is relevant to the Fiesta Bowl. There are a lot of cool artifacts, including the helmets showing the week's match-ups and the jersey's of previous Fiesta Bowl contestants.

The Fiesta Bowl Museum is a cool place to visit. Every football fan, especially  a college football fan, should find a way to visit. I think the best part of the museum is that it is not going to take for ever to get through. It is must if you have time to fill in the Phoenix area.

The 2013 New York Yankees Season: The Best and Worst of Baseball

The Yankees are a very interesting team. They have multiple future Hall of Famers and very good players. Most of them, however, are in the twilight I of their storied careers. The team has done decent this season, but has fallen off the last two weeks. Yet, they have seen the best of baseball and its worst this season. Here, going from best to worst, are the Yankees' players seasons highlights (or lowlights).

Mariano Rivera is having a great season. He has 35 saves, a 2.44 ERA, a 167 ERA+, 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings, and a WHIP of 1.195. Not only is he pitching extraordinary, his "Retirement Tour" features some of the most touching moments of the season. The best moment of the season was in the All-Star when Rivera walked onto the field alone. It was a great moment, showing the respect his fellow players have for him. 

Hiroki Kuroda has been outstanding for the Yankees this season. He is 11-7 with a 2.33 ERA, a 1.022 WHIP, and a 173 ERA+. His 173 ERA+ is second in the league, behind only Clayton Kershaw. In only six of his 25 starts has Kuroda failed to go at least six innings (one of the six he left due to injury). In July, he was unhittable. He had an ERA of 0.55, was 3-0, and only gave up about five hits per game. Kuroda has been the Yankees only consistent starter. While other starters like CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte have faltered, Kuroda has stayed strong.

Ichiro is not having a great season, but he is about to reach an amazing milestone. He is only _ hits away from reaching 4000 career hits. He would join Ty Cobb and Pete Rose as the only players with 4000 hits. 1278 of his career hits came from his nine seasons with the Orix Blue Wave of the NPB's Pacific League. He won seven straight batting titles in Japan and two in the MLB. His second MLB batting title in 2004, was also the season he broke the single-season hits record. Ichiro's career had been amazing and him reaching this plateau is just another great accomplishment in his illustrious career.

Robinson Cano is having another productive season at second base. He has been the Yankees' only real consistent threat at the plate. Since he is doing this on a Yankee team that is having difficulty scoring his value to the Yankees got even larger then it was. The Bronx Bombers can not let their only power hitter and their best hitter walk away in free agency. They are going to have to pay up if they want to be in the mix next year. This is leverage Cano loves having. The Yanks are going to have to pay him big money.

Derek Jeter may be the face of the Yankees of the last 15 years, but this year he had been injured. He has only appeared in 5 games. He first injured himself in the playoffs last season, when he fractured his ankle. He then reagrivated the injury in spring training. In his first game this season on July 11, he injured his quad running and was put on the DL again. He then returned on July 28, but returned to the DL eight days later with a calf strain. This has been his worst season in his career.

Jeter is not the only Yankee All-Star battling injuries. Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira. Granderson, who was an All-Star starter in 2012, was injured in his first spring training game. He returned on May 14, but ten days later, was placed on the DL again, this time for a broken finger. Granderson has returned from his DL stints and is playing fine. Teixeira injured his wrist while preparing for the World Baseball Classic. He returned at the end of May but reaggregated the injury on June 15. He was placed on the DL three days later. He is out for the season. Both players were keys for New York winning in the last few years and their injuries have been detrimental.

Alex Rodriguez and the Biogenesis scandal is easily the worst story of the season. Yes, it is great that MLB caught the cheaters and suspended them, but the A-Rod situation is just awful. With new information coming out every few days, this stories keeps getting worse and worse. Rodriguez is a disgrace to the game of baseball and should not be allowed to play. It is embarrassing for the Yankee organization to see A-Rod in Yankee pinstripes.

2013 Arena Football League Semi-Final Matchups

There are only four teams left in the Arena Football League playoffs, the Arizona Rattlers, Jacksonville Sharks, Philadelphia Soul, and the Spokane Shock. On Saturday, the Soul are going to face the Sharks in Jacksonville, while the Shock will head to Phoenix to face the Rattlers. These four teams have a recent history in the playoffs. The last four ArenaBowl champs have come from these four teams (Soul, 2008-Shock, 2010-Sharks, 2011-Rattlers, 2012) as well as the last two runner-ups (Rattlers, 2011-Soul, 2012). I have high hopes for some high scoring and very exciting action. Here's a preview of the match-ups.

Philadelphia Soul @ Jacksonville Sharks

Anthony Jones
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The Soul and the Rattlers were destined to face themselves on Saturday. They were the only two teams in the American Conference to have winning records. Both teams were 12-6. The Soul's offensive is the most all-around in the league. Their quarterback, Dan Raudabaugh, was third in the league in passing yards with 4699 and fourth with 96 touchdowns. Derrick Ross, their starting fullback, is number one in the league with 506 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns. Raudabaugh also has one of the best receivers at his use. Anthony Jones leads the league in yards with 2121 and also has 37 touchdowns. The Sharks road to the title game was almost derailed in their first round game last week against the Tampa Bay Storm. They were down 48-33 at the start of the fourth quarter. But, they score 36 points in the final quarter, including a touchdown with eight seconds left to take a 63-62 lead and then a fumble recovery and score with four seconds left to seal the deal. The Sharks were led to the victory by their duel-threat quarterback Bernard Morris. Morris,  who is third in the league in rushing yards and fourth in competition percentage, is a scary player for defensives to face. This should be a good game with the Soul returning to their second straight ArenaBowl.

Spokane Shock @ Arizona Rattlers

Nick Davila
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This is going to be a great game. Not only did these two teams have the two best regular season records, the Rattlers were 15-3 and the Shock were 14-4, and are the two best scoring offensives in the game, they are division rivals. They split the season series, with each team winning at home. The Rattlers had no ArenaBowl hangover. They had the best record in all of Arena Football and the most points per game. They are led by Nick Davila, arguably the best quarterback in the league. This season he has thrown for 4847 yards, 110 touchdowns, a QBR of 121.8, while only throwing 15 picks. The ArenaBowl XXV MVP is the first QB in history of football to throw for 100 touchdowns four years in a row. The Shock have a strong team, offensive and defensively. Terrance Sanders is having a great year, both on defense and in the return game. He has 101 tackles, which is third in the league, and seven interceptions. On kick returns, he had a record breaking season. His 2265 kick return yards is a new league records and his six touchdowns is tied for third all-time. Shock QB Eric Meyer also had a great season. He had 4667 passing yards, a QBR of 123.6, a completion percentage of 68.2, 112 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions. This game is going to be exciting and thrilling. I would be surprised if the game did not go down to wire. In the end, I see the Shock winning the game and clinching a spot in ArenaBowl XXVI.