Let's Go Bowling!

Before I head up north for my trip to the NorthEast where ugly, ugly weather awaits my return I wanted to give a post of my Bowl Game Predictions. Although I am anxiously waiting my plane flight to get back to the city of brotherly love (Chad and Mif), I am not at all looking forward to looking at the white stuff on the ground, or the cold air (it has been 76-80 degrees here all week). I will probably find no trouble to keep up the blogging while I am there since I will probably never want to leave the house so I can freeze my ass off. Here are all the bowls with my predictions and maybe a comment or two. Enjoy, and I will be seeing most of you soon! Winners in red losers in blue

EAGLEBANK BOWL

WAKE FOREST 32 NAVY 21

NEW MEXICO BOWL

COLORADO STATE 20 FRESNO STATE 21

MAGICJACK ST. PETE BOWL

MEMPHIS 16 SOUTH FLORIDA 41

PIONEER LAS VEGAS BOWL

BYU 31 ARIZONA 24

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL

SOUTHERN MISS 14 TROY 24

POINSETTIA BOWL

BOISE STATE 45 TCU 34

One of the better bowl games! Undefeated Boise State should be playing on New Years Day instead they are stuck playing on December 23rd! Expect lots of points early.

SHERATON HAWAII BOWL

HAWAII 17 NOTRE DAME 28

The Irish come through with a victory just so we don't have to discuss Charlie Weis' future for 7 months.

MOTOR CITY BOWL

FLORIDA ATLANTIC 27 CENTRAL MICH 34

MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL

WEST VIRGINIA 41 NORTH CAROLINA 34

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL

WISCONSIN 24 FLORIDA STATE 20

This game will prove early on that the Big Ten was much better than the ACC this season.

EMERALD BOWL

MIAMI 17 CAL 27

This game as well!

INDEPENDENCE BOWL

NORTHERN ILLINOIS 24 LOUISANA TECH 27

PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL

N.C. STATE 20 RUTGERS 17

ALAMO BOWL

MISSOURI 35 NORTHWESTERN 20

Chase Daniels final game with zero conference titles, this is a no brainer!

HUMANITARIAN BOWL

MARYLAND 24 NEVADA 20

HOLIDAY BOWL

OKLAHOMA ST 27 OREGON 31

This December 30th matchup is very intriguing, I see an the Ducks pulling it out though.

TEXAS BOWL

RICE 14 WESTERN MICHIGAN 31

ARMED FORCES BOWL

HOUSTON 31 AIR FORCE 34

BRUT SUN BOWL

OREGON STATE 17 PITTSBURGH 21

This game could go either way.

MUSIC CITY BOWL

BOSTON COLLEGE 20 VANDERBILT 24

Upset special, but not really.

INSIGHT BOWL

KANSAS 31 MINNESOTA 17

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL

LSU 41 GEORGIA TECH 20

LSU is very pissed off, watch out Yellowjackets!

OUTBACK BOWL

SOUTH CAROLINA 38 IOWA 21

First game of 2009, good thing we will get to sleep a little later. Because this one will be ugly!

CAPITAL ONE BOWL

GEORGIA 34 MICHIGAN ST 24

I had free tickets to this game but I decided to spend my time in snowy Meriden instead of being drunk in warm Orlando.

GATOR BOWL

CLEMSON 28 NEBRASKA 27

ROSE BOWL

PENN STATE 27 USC 24

If you go back in time, and look at my bowl predictions at the beginning of the college football season, you will see that I correctly picked this game. So I am going to go with my heart instead of my head since I will be putting my fanhood on the line in front of my boys during this game.

ORANGE BOWL

CINCINNATI 17 VIRGINIA TECH 31

The match ups are in line to be a close one, but I really feel that the Hokies have been playing way to well as of late to lose to the 'cats.

COTTON BOWL

MISSISSIPPI ST 20 TEXAS TECH 41

How screwed over has the Tech team been lately. Lost a chance at the title, no shot at the conference title, then invitation of Heisman candidate voided. Will be proving a lot in this game.

LIBERTY BOWL

KENTUCKY 21 EAST CAROLINA 24

I absolutely love this game, too bad nobody else does!

SUGAR BOWL

UTAH 14 ALABAMA 34

Do the Utes have any chance against the Crimson Tide. Well, they do but it is very slim.

INTERNATIONAL BOWL

BUFFALO 27 UCONN 21

Just because!

FIESTA BOWL

OHIO STATE 27 TEXAS 44

I thought that the Buckeyes had a chance to get to the title game this year and I was wrong. They don't even deserve to be in a BCS game!

GMAC BOWL

TULSA 17 BALL STATE 34

BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

FLORIDA 27 OKLAHOMA 34

I picked Oklahoma to win it all at the beginning of the season and I am sticking to it. This has taken for ever so I am cutting it short. See you this weekend!

Deal or No Deal Model Tournament

My apologies for the lack of posts as of late. Since school has been over I have tried to stay clear of the computer. In a shocker, Kelly defeated Hayley to advance to the second round, but 6 votes won't cut it for a bye so Claudia and Ursula are still safe. This week we have an original and a new comer facing off. Enjoy and keep voting!

Katie - Holder of case #11, Katie Cleary was born and raised on the North Shore of Chicago, she is an only child who was raised by her mother. Her strength, confidence, and drive came from her mom's hard work, love, and determination as a parent. Cleary says if it wasn't for her mother's love and strength, she would never have the ambition to do what she is doing today. Not only have you probably seen her on numerous commercials, but you may recognize Cleary from season one of the hit television show "America's Next Top Model." She worked on such movies as "The Break Up" and the "Lake House," which were filmed in Chicago. She has also hosted shows on the TV Guide Channel including "Ripe Live," and co-hosted the show "Get Out," appearing on HDTV.

Lisa - Holder of case #17, new comer Lisa Lakatos was born and raised in Southern California, and she had always dreamed of one day becoming a model. Once modeling began to pick up, she left her day job and moved to Orange county to pursue her career as an esthetician and part-time model. Then along came "Deal or No Deal." This Hungarian/Japanese/German-born beauty considers herself to be a big dork who admits she still listens to old New Kids on the Block CDs and would much rather go karaoke-ing than to a club any day!

Things Looking Up?

After Thursday night's game between the Saints and the Bears, I saw my hopes to advance to my fantasy football league title game fade because of the display by Drew Brees. For the second consecutive year, I have made the playoffs in fantasy football to have my quarterback in both seasons put up terrible numbers. Oh well, now I can watch the Redskins in peace...wait...can't do that either. It is one thing that I was right about Jason Campbell and his performances, but to see the running game falter and watch how this team went from 6-2 then go to 7-7 with their only victory against the Seahawks, really hurts. I thought that it really might be time to just pack it in for the football season. Feeling miserable and the confidence level at an all-time low, with a huge final for me on Friday morning, I couldn't possibly believe that things could get better, or could they...

Friday I took my final exam and passed it (barely), but aced an essay that was due last week but had not yet been graded yet. Later I checked to see what my final grade was it said that I finished with a B! So far so good one more class to go. I had an outline due for my final project, that had to do with setting up a presentation to a local gardening group about the threat of chemicals damaging their plants or themselves. Found out on Sunday that I was awarded a 97 for my efforts on the outline which gave me an 87 for the semester, YES ANOTHER B!!!

Feeling much better going into the weekend, picking the winner of the Heisman wasn't enough, but just to be in Florida and listening to local radio stations about Tim Tebow getting snubbed absolutely made my day. Look the man is a saint, I got it! But, he was not deserving of the Heisman this year, and the Gator nation needs to stop referring to him as one of their own, because all of you do not know him personally. He'll probably win it next season, but as for this year he wasn't worthy of the award as Sam Bradford.

Finally, feeling good late Sunday afternoon and being content with losing in fantasy football after the 1 o'clocks the rest of the day felt much better. Monday morning comes with a nice hang over, to my boss calling me. I see his name on my phone, and my first thought was not to answer because he is going to ask me to work tonight. Monday is my first day off in a while where I didn't have to do any school work, so going into work Monday was not going to happen especially with my trip back to Connecticut in the mist. But, I answered anyway. My boss told me that I have to attend a Town Council Meeting Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock. Not knowing what the meeting was for, he told me to make sure that I wore my cleanest work outfit. Now I am curious. I ask my boss what the meeting is for and he continued to tell me that I am being honored in front of the mayor, Town Council members, and on the public access station.
"WHAT!!!?"
Yesterday morning I was honored for my services to the local soccer club and was highly talked about from the president of the soccer club to the mayor and the council members. I received a plaque, and had my picture taken with the mayor. It was a nice moment to be recognized for my efforts in the community. Most people will say to you that you are doing a great job, but really say it to make themselves feel better. To have someone appreciate you like this was very overwhelming, and I would like to thank Rich Weber and the entire Flagler United Soccer Club for this recognition. I would also like to thank Jeremy Kitson and Rich Marcy for their emails and discussions about me to my director of the Parks and Recreation Dept. It looks like I am finally heading in the right direction and it feels great.

Unfortunately, being my father's son, I can't help but to think that I am bound to be hit by a car soon or getting a snake bite in the park!

One of the Best CBB Finishes EVER!

If you haven't seen it yet, just watch!

Coming January 16th

I can't remember the last time that I have eagerly anticipated a movie coming to theatres. I just hope that it will be worth it.

Deal or No Deal Model Tournament

Back at it again with the 4th second round match in my Deal or No Deal Model Tournament. Sexy Jenelle moves on by defeating Lauren last week, but Ursula and Claudia still hold the byes to the semi finals. This week we are heading with two sexy ladies that should have the votes going right down to the wire. Enjoy and keep voting!

Kelly - Holder of case #24, Kelly Brannigan was born September 18th, 1982 in Torrance, California, where she lived with her father, Mark, until she was eleven years old. Sadly, he passed away in 1993 and she and her sister Sarah moved to a small town, Auburn, in Upstate New York with her uncle Mike and his wife, Mary. Brannigan has several hidden talents. She can sing (and not only in the shower). She sang opera all through high school and was the leader of her class. Cooking is also one of her many passions. She went to college for two years at Monroe C.C. and studied food service and hospitality. Realizing that cooking was more than a hobby, she enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America for Pastry Arts, but modeling called.

Haley - Holder of case #25, Hayley Marie Norman is taking Hollywood by storm. Currently filming the Will Smith/Charlize Theron Feature film "John Hancock" (Sony Pictures), she is also the recurring character Kaylee on the number one daytime drama, "The Young and the Restless." Born and raised in Los Angeles, California she is an exotic mix of Russian, German, and African American-having been the face of the African American Barbie Doll as a child. Not interested in the LA lifestyle, Hayley is relentless in her pursuit and expects those around her to be the same. A true humanitarian, she loves doing the show because she loves watching people's dreams become reality!

Weekend Review

I am going to have to make this summary pretty quick and vague today, only because I am going to be concentrating on my finals this week. I am hoping that my brother will pick it up a notch, since I have been receiving requests for more math problems. A ton went on this weekend including another personal accomplishment for myself. Enjoy the week!

The BCS in my opinion won again! The two teams in that won the best conferences in the nation this season will be facing each other for the BCS Championship on January 8th. Instead of complaining about Ohio State getting a BCS bid over Boise State or Alabama going from a chance at the national title to playing Utah, I have to write about today something that I have never discussed until Sunday with the Pitbull. Why on Earth in the national championship game being played on January 8th? What ever happened to everyone playing before my birthday (January 2nd)? MONEY...is the only answer. The top officials that keep arguing that a playoff would extend the season longer and take away from the kids in school have no answer for this. We still have games on the 2nd and the 3rd (maybe another day not sure). What a crock! One week after the 1st of the year is the national championship. College football is getting worse and worse after the regular season comes to an end.

The Michigan Wolverines basketball team defeated the Duke Blue Devils for the first time since 1997 on Saturday. I gotta say that John Beilein is doing one hell of a job with his talent this season. His 1-3-1 extended zone is phenomenal. An his inside outside offensive sets that get the balls to the right guys (Manny Harris and DeShaun Sims) in the right spots baffles me. This is something I haven't seen from this program in a very long time. Beating two #4 ranked teams in the early season is pretty damn impressive so far (UCLA the other). It would be nice if they can keep it up during conference play, but we will have to wait and see.

The playoff picture is getting more and more interesting in the NFL each week. The Eagles coming through with an impressive victory over the Giants really makes things interesting in the NFC with the G-men playing the Panthers in two weeks which may determine home field advantage. It looks to me that the wild card births in both conferences won't be determined until the final week of the season which makes for great drama down the stretch.

Manny Pacquiao's impressive victory over the Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya was an absolute clinic. Him moving up in weight really showed his power and that his quickness would not be lost. I don't know of anyone that would really want to fight this guy at this weight now. Rickey Hatton would be the only one that would take on the Philippineo, but that is all.

Finally, for the second consecutive season my fantasy football team clinched the Wild Card title in The SFL. Since leaving Connecticut, Florida has been a very successful location for Deez Boyz. A record of 16-10-2 in the Sunshine State the past two years is pretty impressive for a two year stretch in our competitive fantasy league. Riding the back of League MVP Drew Brees I have been also fortunate to have rookie Chris Johnson come up big in spots as well. But I am a realist, my team only goes as far as Brees takes them. So this Thursday night when the Saints travel to Chicago my hopes of advancing to the Championship game will lie in that game. I will be playing my bitter rival BadchoiceMilk who has defeated me twice during the regular season already. If you look at the teams that made the postseason in my league you really get the sense that it is quarterback friendly with Brees, Tony Romo, Peyton Manning, and Jay Cutler all bringing their teams to the postseason. Wish me luck and hopefully we will start the week off on the right foot Thursday night.

Movies to Come

Over the past couple days I've had the privilege of getting free tickets to early screening of movies to come. Now, if your one to hit up the movies after you indulge your self in presents and food on Christmas there are two movies which I saw this past week that come out Christmas day, Valkyrie and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button..

Valkyrie is a movie starring Tom Cruise and Tom Wilkinson. It is directed by Bryan Singer who is most popular film would probably be The Usual Suspects. He is also, known for his work on TV shows House and Dirty, Sexy, Money. The movie is about German officers collaborating together in an effort to assassinate Hitler during the war and take over Germany in efforts to restore Germany to the way it was. My views of the movie was that it could of been a lot better. It seems they half assed it by just fusing the German language into English and then forgetting about accents all together. The movie is suspenseful, even though we all know the ending (hint: Hilter commits suicide). The movie moves fast and there are no great, big, meaningful dialogues. It's kind of like Ocean's Eleven and the German version of Thirteen Days.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a movie starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. The movie is directed by David Fincher who has also directed such films as Se7en, Panic Room, and Fight Club. The movie is based on the short story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Benjamin who is born with a rare disease where he is born with the characteristics of an old man that physically gets younger as he gets older. Benjamin is orphaned and grows up in a nursing home. As he gets older he gets more youthful while he experiences death all around him. This story also features a girl which he falls for at a young age (but is old looking) named Daisy whose daughter is reading the story of Benjamin Button to her mom who is on her death bed, which is centralized in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. It is an interesting story that is comical as well as dramatic. One drawback is that it is two and a half hours long. The movie probably will be nominated for several awards. If I had to compare it to other movies it seems like a cross between Big Fish and Forrest Gump.

If I had to score both movies:

Valkyrie = C-

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button = B

Classic...This belongs on this Site!!!

This incident should be getting more attention. Good thing for Sean Avery that no one watches Hockey in the United States and Plaxico Burress is an idiot.



For those of you who don't know Sean is talking about how his ex-girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert (yummy), is now dating a player from Calgary.

Deal or No Deal Model Tournament

Back at it again with the Deal or No Deal Model Tournament. Number 5 case, Ursula, won handily and is currently the top vote getter thus far. This ultimately eliminates my county girl Aubrie from the competition. This week should be interesting with both of these ladies receiving the most votes in their first round matches. Enjoy, and keep voting.

Jenelle - Holder of case #17, beautiful Jenelle Moreno was discovered by a major Hollywood agent, and the very next day, booked an eight-page spread in Teen Magazine at the age of 15. Since returning to the modeling world, Moreno has graced the covers of five magazines, started up her website jenellemoreno.com, appeared in numerous national ads including Kawasaki motorcycles, was featured in an eight-page spread for FHM Spain and in music videos for Maroon 5 and Under the Influence of Giants.

Lauren - Holder of case #12, 25-year-old Lauren Shiohama gets her unique look from her Japanese and Chinese decent. In 2006, she made her feature film debut in "Little Miss Sunshine," which won a SAG Award for Best Ensemble Cast. She was recently featured in a Lincoln Mercury commercial and has done numerous print campaigns for companies such as Macy's, Stila, Nike, Target, 24 Hour Fitness, Shape Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour Magazine.

Random Thoughts Today

Today, I am back posting blogs because I have to! First off, I want to apologize to anyone offended by the picture I put up (Mom), it really made my day though. I have been in such a funk lately, I just wish football season, holiday season, school, and the winter season would just hurry up and go away. I have been delaying my blogs because I am less than 2 weeks from finishing my first semester at Penn State and it hasn't been getting any easier. My uncle was in the hospital for Thanksgiving which was awful, just glad that he is out and doing better. My 2nd television that I use in my bedroom, then bring it into the living room on Sundays for football fell and the screen got busted about 15 minutes before the 1 o'clock games. So needless to say it really hasn't been my week. Hopefully, it'll pick up after I complete this blog.

The Washington Redskins stink! And to all of you that thought that Jason Campbell was coming around while the Redskins were winning, let me tell you up front...I TOLD YOU SO! He is terrible, and will never live up to what some of us Redskin fans were hoping. To coach Jim Zorn, it is time to put Todd Collins in. I would even go as far as saying Colt Brennan!!!

Way to go Plaxico Burress! Honestly this couldn't happen to a better guy. From the moment he got his huge contract from the Giants he has been nothing but a disgrace for a human being. I just heard that he will be suspended for the rest of the regular season. Hey New York, do you yourself a favor and get rid of him, obviously you don't need him.

The ACC/BIG TEN Challenge is this week. This was by far the smartest invention that was made by these two conferences way back in the early 90s. It technically didn't become this Challenge until 9 years ago, but you had to have a sense of what they were trying to do back when I was in high school. Though, it has never been a real challenge for the ACC, you always knew that the college basketball season was in full swing when Duke and Michigan or Ohio State and North Carolina were playing each other in early December. This year is probably the most intriguing then the past years. They really took the time to get some great match ups between the elite teams in each conference. With Duke playing Purdue and Michigan State facing UNC. Even tonight I am very interested in the Ohio State/Miami game. I have some kind of feeling the the BIG TEN is going to turn some heads this week, but who knows, this is coming from a guy that thought the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to the Super Bowl this year.

For all you Neflix customers out there, am I the only one that has been waiting for the movies I want longer and longer.

Sometimes my hate for fantasy football in one week is more than my love for it on draft day. I won't go into details about it because I will really will drive myself to the looney bin, but if you really want to know just hit up BadchoiceMilk then you will know, that dickhead over there wrote about it.

I went to search for idea this week for Christmas gifts this past weekend. And I thought that with the way the economy is that things like televisions would be cheaper. Ummm I thought wrong. And for all you people that I almost got into an accident with in my city truck on black Friday early in the morning, you know what you can do!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bothered By the BCS

Another November is about to pass, so it is about that time where we get pissed about the way that college football ends there season. This past weekend on the college football gridiron really screwed things up. Let me today, in my free time, give you some scenarios that could happen to end the season. Which would ultimately put another chapter to why the BCS sucks. Here are some things that could indeed happen:

1) Alabama and Florida both lose to Auburn and Florida State this weekend then play each other in the following week for the SEC Championship. Does the winner of that game still deserve a shot at the BCS title?

2) Florida loses to Florida State, Alabama beats Auburn then loses to Florida in the SEC title game. Who goes to the title now?

3) Texas/Oklahoma/Texas Tech all win this weekend. Oklahoma ends up winning the south division because of a higher BCS score and plays Missouri in the Big 12 title game...and loses. What happens now? Texas or Texas Tech or Missouri goes?

4) Missouri wins the Big 12 title over Texas. Alabama wins the SEC title over Florida. If Oklahoma is ranked 4th in the BCS before championship week are they guaranteed a shot at the title now?

5) USC defeats Notre Dame and UCLA each by more than 24 points. Do they get a shot if Alabama wins the conference, and Missouri wins theirs?

6) How about if Florida defeats Alabama in the conference title match, and Missouri wins the Big 12 over Oklahoma and USC loses? Alabama, Texas, or Texas Tech?

7) Let's say by some miracle that Texas, Oklahoma, and USC all lose before championship week. Texas Tech loses to Missouri in the Big 12 final. Alabama beats Florida in the SEC final. Now all those teams I mentioned have two loses except Alabama. Now who goes?

8) Would Penn State still get a shot? Probably not, how about Utah? They are currently ranked 6th in the BCS.

9) Alabama has been ranked #1 for most of the season, if they end up losing to Florida in the SEC title game and the Big 12 winner has two losses. Are you going to put a different team in the Big 12 that has 1 loss in the BCS title game even though they didn't even make it to their own Conference Championship?

10) Finally, I ran out of thoughts that would screw the BCS. But, honestly this is absolutely stupid that college football still does something like this. Let's find out our champion on the field, not by some stupid computers. Eliminate two games on your regular season schedule, that is all you have to do. This system really sucks and it is bothering me so much that I have to stop.

Deal or No Deal Model Tournament

After a record number of votes last week, case #1 Claudia is victorious with an 8-6 win over case #23 Aubrie. Aubrie still has a chance so long that her six votes gets her a bye, but it is not likely. We continue the second round with a match up between the shortest and cutiest models. Enjoy, and keep on voting!

URSULA - Holder of case #5, Ursula Mayes was born on August 9th on a military base in Seoul, South Korea. Her exotic looks come from a Korean mother and a German/Native American father. Mayes has landed many magazine covers within a short period of time, making her one of L.A.'s and the nation's top fresh faces on the rise. She has been featured in magazines such as Maxim, Stuff, Muscle & Fitness, OC Health, Karma, People magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People issue and many more.

SARA - Holder of case #7, Sara Bronson was born in Chicago, Illinois, and quickly relocated to Calabasas, California at the young age of two. She knew early in life that she wanted to be an entertainer. Whether she was dancing, singing, or acting, she really just loved to perform. She is currently co-hosting “Life after Film School,” where she interviews some of the industry's top producers and directors. She recently helped Howie Mandel present at the 2006 Emmys and was also a presenter at the Asian Excellence Awards. You might also see Sara in one of her many national commercials or print ads.

American Music Awards

Here at The Nutz we don't take too much time with the music industry. I don't want to pretend that I know a ton, even though I have a enjoyment of all different types of music. The 2008 American Music Awards was Sunday night, and I have to say they had the best performances of all the artists that I was really took in by. From Ne-Yo's remixes of "Independent Woman" to "Closer" that brought the audience to their feet, to Beyonce's amazing dancing ability (God I love her) that showed off her unbelievable body, to the talented Alicia Keys, to Mariah Carey's extreme voice live (she is still amazing to look at), and Coldplay and Kanye's powerful songs on stage. It truly was an incredible night of performances all over the board. In case you missed it, here's a look at some of them:

Weekend Review

What a weekend!? It was cold everywhere...yes even here in Florida! But for me, for once everything worked out. I was sick all week and catching up on school work was not fun at all. Luckily for me I have an off week, so I can catch up on some needed blogging. And Thanksgiving Week couldn't start any better this past weekend. Here's a look at how I fared with my teams this past weekend.

PENN STATE - The Nittany Lions are in their first Rose Bowl since 1995. Is it because of the luck of their newly enrolled student? I think so! With 81-year-old coach Joe Paterno having successful hip surgery on Sunday, after the game Saturday he announced that he will return for another season. I got to tell you, I was thoroughly shocked of the score in the game! After leaving in the before the half to go see my uncle in the hospital, I was pretty sure that the score would be close when I get back. But it surely wasn't! Quarterback Daryll Clark threw for career highs with 4 scores and 341 yards passing. Their defense held star Spartan running back Javon Ringer to a season-low 42 yards. JoePa will return to his coaching duties on December 1st when students come back from Thanksgiving break. It looks like they will be facing Oregon State in the Rose Bowl, but this is college football anything can happen this time of year, of course if your not in the Big Ten.
WASHINGTON - It wasn't pretty in the least, but the Redskins pulled off a victory in Seattle by the narrow score of 20-17. Honestly if the Redskins keep winning and get to the playoffs, how can you not vote Clinton Portis NFL MVP? If it wasn't for this guy, the 'skins would surely find themselves in the bottom of the NFC East, and looking to rebuild for next season. Time after time this season he has played hurt and absolutely carried them to victories with his power running and desire to get that extra yard. Their was a time when I hated that the Redskins traded defensive back Champ Bailey to the Broncos for Portis, but that has truly changed now. He is the biggest piece to the Redskins offensive attack, he has been breaking rushing records along the way and putting himself as one of the best backs of our time. The Redskins will be honoring his friend, the late Sean Taylor on Sunday before the New York Giants game, marking a year since his tragic death. Taylor being inducted to the Redskins "Ring of Honor", is the ultimate honor a Redskin can have. I am sure that it will be very emotional when the Taylor family get announced before the game, hopefully his will spark a victory, but against the Giants they will definitely need all the help they can get.

DEEZ BOYZ - Fantasy football makes you turn into someone you don't like, just act The Toe. He can't stand me on Sundays! It's like I have a bipolar disorder, where I would be swearing at the television one minute, then cheering like an idiot one play later. This week my fantasy football team is in the final weeks of the regular season and these last weeks are against my division opponents, which means rivalry games and my division is like the NFC East with 4 teams combining for 26 wins. This week I played my arch rival The Rick, who I defeated week 1 because of a Tom Brady injury, so I was worried from the start when the games started at 1:00. My team sucked on Sunday! They were terrible, and I was not happy in the least. Even with 3 players going in the Monday Night game, I gave my team no shot at winning this week being down 78 points and was trying to figure out what to do for next year. Then in steps Drew Brees! Brees continued my magical fantasy season pouring out 96 points against a great defensive secondary in the Packers. The victory this week got me closer to the playoffs for the second consecutive season, somewhere I have never seen when I was living in Connecticut. I face my bitter rival and writer of Badchoicemilk who's Shorty's Squad will have a couple of studs going right off the back on Thanksgiving Day in Tony Romo and Anquan Boldin. A victory this week will be huge, but again it might drive me into the insane asylum.

Deal or No Deal Model Tournament

The 2nd round is upon us now. Being terribly sick the last 3 days, I have found myself backed up with my homework now. Luckily for me, The Toe is back publishing blogs! Katie and Crystal move on in blow out fashion. So if you think that the 1st round was easy, wait til this round. With only 12 models left, in tournament format form, it is important that you vote wisely now, because during the 2nd round the two models that receives the highest vote total in any round will automatically advance to the semifinals. Safe voting and enjoy!

CLAUDIA #1 - Claudia Jordan defeated #26 case Lindsay in the first round by 4 votes. She was Miss Rhode Island for the Miss USA Pagaent. Besides competing in pageants, Jordan was an impressive sprinter and earned All-State honors in track and field. She competed in several Junior Olympics and in college became an All-American sprinter in the 400-meter relay. She holds a long jump record that still stands.

AUBRIE #23 - Aubrie Lemon defeated #3 case Lisa in the first round by 3 votes. She is a native of my county of Flagler in the Sunshine State. Aubrey would compete on the Junior Tennis Circuit and 5K races. She filled her spare time working as a Daytona Beach lifeguard, teaching piano lessons, and playing her harp at weddings and art festivals. She went to college on an academic, cross country, and music scholarship (for playing the harp). Hollywood continued to call her name and she soon made the transition to the West Coast where, overnight, modeling went from a fun hobby to a promising career.

Score One for the Small Guys

Congrats to you undersized players out there. Today, Dustin Pedroia standing at a listed 5"9 (probably with his cleats on) won the AL MVP. And deservedly so, he along with Kevin Youkilis helped carry the banged up Red Sox with a batting average of .326, 213 hits, 20 stolen bases, 54 doubles, 17 homeruns, and 83 RBIs. But most importantly, now all you youth and high school coaches out there can honestly look at your athletes and say, "Yes, with hard work you CAN be a professional athlete and you CAN be a MVP!" Drink up, Buddy!
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College Basketball Week

I hope that you all enjoyed my analysis of College Basketball for the 2008-09 season. Quickly I am going to give you my Final Four with a champion, as well as the All-American 1st and 2nd teamers with an All-Freshman team. I have to get ready to go and watch some boxing and UFC action tonight so this is going to be really quick. Enjoy the CBB season!


FINAL FOUR

NORTH CAROLINA
UCONN
NOTRE DAME
PURDUE

CHAMPIONSHIP
NORTH CAROLINA
NOTRE DAME

CHAMPS
NORTH CAROLINA

ALL AMERICAN 1ST TEAM
G - STEPHEN CURRY DAVIDSON
G - JAMES HARDEN ARIZONA STATE
F - BLAKE GRIFFIN OKLAHOMA
F - LUKE HARANGODY NOTRE DAME
F - TYLER HANSBROUGH NORTH CAROLINA

ALL AMERICAN 2ND TEAM
G - DARREN COLLISON UCLA
G - TYRESE RICE BOSTON COLLEGE
F - CHASE BUDINGER ARIZONA
F - TYLER SMITH TENNESSEE
C - HASHEEM THABEET GEORGETOWN

ALL FRESHMEN TEAM
G - JRUE HOLLIDAY UCLA
G - DEMAR DEROZAN USC
F - SAMARDO SAMUELS LOUISVILLE
C - BJ MULLENS OHIO STATE
C - GREG MONROE GEORGETOWN

Are you Smarter than .........?

I apoligize if the last question was a little difficult. Since my class is working on Systems of Equations, here goes a nice word problem for you to try.

STANDINGS

G. Uhlman (1)
Jolla (1)
MIF (1)

College Basketball Week

Continuing with college basketball this week, I am going with a little fantasy style today. I have heard enough hate on my College Basketball Team that I put together at BadChoiceMilk and I had enough. So today I am going to give you my reasons for the starting five and a few other players that you may not have ever heard from because they are from small schools. For tomorrow, I will be posting my Final Four teams with the NCAA Champ, as well as, my 1st and 2nd team All-Americans with an All-Freshman team. Enjoy!

1ST PICK (4TH OVERALL)

GUARD - LESTER HUDSON - This was really a no brainer after Stephen Curry, Luke Harangody, and Tyler Hansbrough were off the board. Hudson, out of the University of Tennessee-Martin decided last season not to hire an agent for the NBA Draft just in case, so to improve his draft stock he decided to come back and play an extra year for the Skyhawks. He became the first Division I player to record a quadruple-double back in mid-November. And what sold me to taking him first was him finishing in the top 10 nationally in scoring (25.7), steals (2.8), and threes (3.8) per game. Done deal, starting my team with a can't miss.

2ND PICK

FORWARD MARQUS BLAKELY - The America East Conference has never seen a player like this. Some of you snow birds in the Northeast must have heard of this guy. This was a tough call because Blakely, from Vermont, was injured for the most of December and through March. He is only a junior, and plays a lot bigger than his 6'5'' frame. You probably won't get a grasp of how good this kid is until the America East Championship game, but playing hurt last season and still leading the league in ppg (19.0), rbs (11.0), and blocks (2.72) leads me to believe that he is the complete package for a college bball fantasy team. If he stays healthy the trophy is mine.

3RD PICK

GUARD DEVAN DOWNEY - The junior guard from South Carolina is quite possibly the best point guard in the nation, unfortunately he plays for a not so good team. Maybe that's why his numbers are ridiculous. What bothered me about this pick was that I didn't want to have to take a guard at this pick because I had one in mind in the last round. But, I couldn't pass up on this guy who was the best player on my board. Downey, a transfer from Cincinnati has been nothing short of tremendous since coming to the Gamecocks. His quickness and scoring ability is very similar to a guy that plays for a bigger team in a different Carolina (Ty Lawson). Hopefully his assists per game go a little higher from a year ago (5.4), but I am happy with this selection.

4TH PICK

CENTER BJ MULLENS - My apologies to BJ for the awful picture. Looking at my centerless team, since the top tier ones were gone, I notice that Shorty (BADCHOICEMILK) was without a center as well. So instead of waiting for my final pick to grab one, I stole Mullens before the Ohio State fan had a chance to get him. Mullens, a freshman Buckeye will be a beast, the only question will be for how long. He is a local product and was atop the nationally recruiting list by Rivals.com. He's not your everyday big man either, the kid can score! So, if I am going to have a problem in my assist category, might as well take a 7-footer that can block and score. Thanks again Shorty!

5TH PICK

FORWARD JON RODRIGUEZ - I gotta admit, I found him on Draft Day, knew nothing about him, and honestly didn't want to take another kid from a Mid-Major program. The guy I really wanted is still out there so my options are still open. But, I will give this kid from Campbell University a shot. All I know about the kid is that he is the best player in the Atlantic Sun Conference and he plays the forward position very, very well. 21 pts and 10 boards a game last year convinced me. If it doesn't work than a change will be made.

Other stud players that put up serious numbers that you might not have heard of:

Lee Cummard -BYU

David Holston - Chicago State

Josh Akognon - Cal State Fullerton

Robert Vadon - UAB

Dior Lowhorn - San Francisco

Jermaine Taylor - Central Florida

Geoff Payne - Southern Utah

College Basketball Week

Many of my readers probably have a lot of questions about which teams I left in or left off the NCAA Tournament list and why. Well, with this being College Basketball Week here at The Nutz, I am game for any questions you want answered especially when it comes to the Mid-Major Conferences. Today I am going to give you my snub teams that won't get into the tournament. For tomorrow, I have heard enough hate on my College Basketball Team that was posted by BadChoiceMilk and I have had enough. So tomorrow if you haven't seen my team on my buddy's site, I will give you my reasoning behind every pick that I made. When I win the league at least you will know why. I will also give you other studs to keep an eye on this season, that should be picked up at some point during the season. Here's my teams that get snubbed on Selection Sunday, enjoy!

MICHIGAN

After a tough first season under head coach John Beilein, the Wolverines are amped for this new season. This season, the Wolverines will have extra guard help with the play of transferred Arizona Wildcat Laval Lucas-Perry. Super Soph Manny Harris is one of the premiere players in the Big Ten, and he has worked extra hard this off season with his outside game, something that was lacking. Unfortunately, Michigan plays in the Big Ten, which experts believe is 4th in conference power rankings. To me, that is a crock! What doesn't help Michigan's case will be their non-conference schedule. So, Michigan will have the biggest gripe on Selection Sunday but I had no choice to keep them off my list because to me they are one or two recruits away.

VANDERBILT

Coach Kevin Stallings has always done well at Vanderbilt with senior-laden teams, and this year he only has ummm....none! This team is still talented enough to contend in the overrated SEC, but committee members will see how overrated this conference is early in the season, so Vandy will get snubbed. A.J. Ogilvy, a sophomore, is a 1st team all-conference member, with great skills in the post and the ability to get to the line and knock down free throws. Unfortunately, that is the only assurance the Commodores have. This team is far too young to be in consideration on Selection Sunday, but they will be knocking on the door, I can promise you that.

WEST VIRGINIA

Coach Bob Huggins has a great recruiting class starting with Greg Monroe added to a solid nucleus for the Mountaineers this season. Villanova and the WV will be one of the final teams to get added to the field on Selection Sunday, I am going to give the upper hand to the Wildcats though. Villanova always plays better down the stretch, while West Virginia is missing that go to guy after the departure of Joe Alexander to the NBA. Many think that Devin Ebanks from St. Thomas More in Connecticut, is the answer. WV won't sneak up on anyone this season, and they will be the victims of a Mid Major school on selection day.

GEORGIA TECH

Their are many great pieces to the puzzle that coach Paul Hewitt is looking to put together. Some would think of this a bad situation, but for a coach there is nothing better than piecing together a squad that has tons of question marks. I love Paul Hewitt as a coach, so no matter who he plays this season, he is going to have to put an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball. They are not very athletic in the backcourt so they are going to need everyone to contribute. I think that by mid-season the Yellowjackets will start playing well together and make a few upsets but it won't be enough in the end, because the committee will give the edge to Va. Tech in the end.

WASHINGTON

Guard Scott Suggs heads a recruiting class that got 3 of the nations top 100 in the off season, which should help 3rd team All-American Jon Brockman. Lorenzo Romar has done his job by trying to piece together the right nucleus of players but it has backfired with the departure of 7-footer Spencer Hawes two years ago. Romar also got recruit, Isaiah Thomas (no relation) a Washington native that played at South Kent Prep in Connecticut last year. If Arizona falls this season, it will be because of Romar's Huskies. They will be under the radar until conference play and if they can get Brockman the ball, and find others that will score watch out. If Arizona does play well this year, the Huskies will be on the outside looking in.

PROVIDENCE

The Friars have a veteran squad, with a first year head coach in the deep Big East this season. Keno Davis, led Drake last season to a 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a 28-5 record. Providence has always provided us with very notable coaches, so will Davis be the next one? This talented squad that he has been dealt must learn his season and buy into it early, being in the Big East. They have brought back 4 players that averaged double figures last season so the talent is there. Davis is having the right approach by telling his team we will win now and that we are not about a 2 or 3, 4 year plan at Providence. If the Friars don't get to the top 8 teams in the loaded Big East, I really don't like their chances. Buying into the coach and the system early on is the key for their success...period!

DRAKE

Speaking of Keno Davis, what about his old team in the Missouri Valley? Mark Phillips, a former assistant under Herb Sendek at Arizona State and N.C. State takes over a team that many thought over achieved a year ago. Though, Drake is a small school, their academic standards are very high for the Missouri Valley so they had a tough season from recruiting. Jonathan Cox and Josh Young are back for the Bulldogs, but will they be enough to get them back to the tournament? I don't think so. Creighton, So. Illinois, and Illinois State are definitely getting in. I just don't know if Drake will show the committee that they have enough credentials. Pressing teams and chucking threes were part of their success a year ago, I really don't think that that will work again this year, and other schools will pass them by.

College Basketball Week

After posting the 31 Conference winners yesterday, I will be giving you my description on the 34 at-large teams that I think will get into the NCAA Tournament this season. This is College Basketball Week here at The Nutz so everyday I will be posting something about CBB that you might be interested in. I really believe that the Mid-Majors will play another important role in kicking out the Major Conference teams. Especially with how many come out of the Big East and SEC. Davidson really hurt the major conferences this season, because the selection committee will definitely keep that in mind this season. Even though, we want the big named teams, don't be surprised at all if the mid-majors make out well. Tomorrow I will be giving you my snubs that don't end up getting in. Here's the At Large Teams, enjoy!

ACC

Duke

The lack of having an inside game will haunt the Blue Devils all year. The their backcourt will still be good, but having a reminder that North Carolina is the class of the ACC all season will fuel the Blue Devils fire and should keep them wanting more out of this season than expecting. 5-4 since the 2004 Final Four still lingers this team.

Miami

Jack McClinton might be one of the best scorers in the league this season. Even with the three point line moving back, his three point accuracy should not be damaged. After getting their first tournament bid last season since 2002, I really believe the Hurricanes could be a team that could do some damage in March.

Wake Forest

Super Sophs, James Johnson and Jeff Teague look to bring the Demon Deacons to the upper third of the ACC again. Coach Dino Gaudio, hopes to return energy to a team that had great expectations since 2005.

Clemson

Before getting a tough match up in the first round of the tournament last season in Villanova, Clemson was getting mentioned by many (including myself) as a team that could possibly get to the Final Four. Even with losing 3 seniors they will still make the tourney, but maybe as a 7 or 10 seed.

Virginia Tech

I feel like the ACC will get 6 teams this season, so the only other team I could think of was the Hokies. After getting snubbed last year, expect this team with most of them back angry and ready to show the committee this season that they are worthy.

ATLANTIC 10

Temple

Dionte Christmas will bring presents to the NCAA field. The senior guard/forward had an average of 20 pts and 6 boards a game. The Owls have 3 other starters returning to a team that went 21-13 a year ago. They will get into the field but don't expect them to play a second game.

BIG 12

Oklahoma

Blake Griffin could quite possibly be the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft next season. His size, quickness, ability to find the hoop and get to the line are qualities that you can't teach. Coach Jeff Capel looks to improve a backcourt that really kept them from succeeding a year ago. So he went out and got guard Willie Warren, the top recruit in Texas (the kid is the truth).

Baylor

Has the nations deepest backcourt in Dugat, Dunn, Jerrells, and Carter. Coach Scott Drew put a Baylor program back on the map in a positive way which was much needed. The Bears led the Big 12 with and 81.3 scoring average in 32 games last season.

Kansas

With Bill Self at the helm, it would be hardly a surprise to see the 2008 National Champs back and winning another title sometime soon. But, it definitely won't be this season! No one is back that averaged double figures in points a year ago. You can expect a handful of sophomores to lead the defending champs back to the tourney though.

Texas A&M

The Big 12 is going to be very competitive this season so I believe that 5 will get into the field. This is going to be a "Bubble Bursting" team but I like the Aggies to get to their 5th straight 20 win season this year. Led by Josh Carter (12.2, 4) and coach Mark Turgeon, Texas A&M will have to persuade the committee come conference tourney time.

BIG EAST

UCONN

With the likes of returning starters A.J. Price, Hasheem Thabeet, and Jeff Adrian you have to think that the Huskies are nothing less than Final Four bound this year. Back to back consecutive seasons that ended badly for UCONN fans have them in an uproar. Much to my regret, the Huskies will be very good this season UCONN fans...very good!

Notre Dame

Pre-Season Conference Player of the Year Luke Harangody is a 20-10 beast in the post that will have teams flustered all year. After being held to just 41 points in the second round to Washington a year ago, head coach Mike Brey did nothing about recruits during the off season. This will be the last year for a while for the Irish having a good team.

Pittsburgh

The Panthers still have 3 of the most intriguing players on their roster in Sam Young, Levance Fields, and DeJuan Blair. Pitt is probably not a college basketball program like others but, their record over the last 7 years ranks as the fifth best nationally which is saying something for the job coach Jamie Dixon does.

Marquette

Tom Crean's departure from the Golden Eagles really stunned a lot of people at the university. In comes Buzz Williams, who was the assistant last year of this team that came within a shot short of the Sweet Sixteen. Four players that averaged double figures a year ago are back, so I like their chances to be a top tier team this season.

Georgetown

Even though they lost Roy Hibbert, Jon Wallace, and Patrick Ewing Jr. the Hoyas brought in a great recruiting class this season headed by Greg Monroe who very well could be the Freshman of the Year in the Big East. They still have DaJuan Summers who's 11 ppg are certainly to go up. Controling the boards will be key to their success this season.

Syracuse

Just like myself, many experts love the Orangemen's chances this season to finally make a push to the committee to get into the tournament. I honestly think that the departure of Donte Green to the NBA will benefit the Big O this season. He constantly stayed outside chucking threes instead of using his size in the paint. Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins are both healthy, and Jonny Flynn looks to improve on an amazing freshman year. Big things this season for the 'cuse.

Villanova

Many experts think that the Big East is going to get 9 even 10 teams this season. I think not! They are going to beat the crap out of each other all year and give the Mid Majors a more watchful eye. Nova will be the last team to get in from the Big East with the help of their perimeter play that got them into the Sweet Sixteen a year ago. Scottie Reynolds plays a lot bigger than what his 6'2'' frame shows.

BIG TEN

Michigan State

The Spartans will contend for a Big Ten title with Purdue this season with the excellent inside-outside game they have between Raymar Morgan and Kalin Lucas. They have a kid coming in this season from Ohio that stands at 6'9'' named Delvon Roe who should see much playing time and compete for the Freshman of the Year honors.

Wisconsin

Senior Marcus Landry is a stud that will keep coach Bo Ryan happy all season. Critics of the Badgers, have said that Ryan's have been the lack of production when entering the NCAA Tournament is something that should really get looked at. Well for those critics, how bout the Badgers never finishing below 4th place in the conference and a 84-30 record in conference over 7 seasons during Ryan tenure.

Ohio State

The Buckeyes own the one of the nation's best recruiting classes under coach Thad Matta. This team which consists of no senior scholarship players will look to improve on a season a year ago that ended in the NIT. 7 foot B.J. Mullens heads the freshmen class, he will be a beast! Might be a better threat scoring then that of Greg Oden.

CONFERENCE USA

Tulsa

The Golden Hurricane were 12-4 in a conference that was very top heavy, meaning that there was a couple good teams. Junior 7-footer Jerome Jordan should help them get into the Tournament. Also, Tulsa helped their own cause by scheduling what looks to me as the toughest non-conference schedule ever for a C-USA team : Oklahoma, Okla. State, BYU, Oral Roberts, and Texas A&M all of whom were in the tournament a year ago.

UTEP

Why you might ask do I think 3 teams are getting in this season? I have no idea. But, I really like Stefon Jackson bringing the Minors to the Dance this season. He ranked 7th nationally in scoring and the committee might think twice about keeping a guy like him out of the national stage.

MISSOURI VALLEY

Southern Illinois

The Salukis have reached the NCAA Tournament 6 of the last 7 years, but the one that they didn't get in still stings. That happened last year, and the committee knows that they screwed up. Coach Chris Lowery is very confident, even with playing 6 first-year players, that he team is ready to rally around senior guard Bryan Mullins (10.7 ppg, 154 as).

Illinois State

Junior Osiris Eldridge whos 15.8 ppg landed him an All-Conference selection leads the Red Birds that are going to be desparate with scoring after the departure of guards Boo Richardson and Dom Johnson. It would not surprise me the least if coach Tim Jankovich brings his team to a Missouri Valley title this season.

MOUNTAIN WEST

BYU

The MW Conference will get two teams this year. Will it be New Mexico, Utah, or BYU to get the second? My guess is that the Cougars will get in just for the fact that they Player of the Year candidate Lee Cummard and Jon Tavernari who's 29 ppg average for two returning players is tops in the conference.

PAC 10

Arizona State

One of my favorite coaches in college basketball's rebuilding process is official done. Herb Sendek's squad should be a top tier team all season and even getting a chance at a 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament is very possible. I love what he has done with this team. James Harden leads the team coming off a great 17.8 ppg average and will improve his NBA Draft stock by getting his team victories this year.

Arizona

Even though Lute Olson's departure will hurt the program the next couple of seasons, I fully expect the Wildcats still get into the field of 65 this season. Chase Budinger is one of the best all around players in the conference and his leadership will be a key sign if the Wildcats want to do well this year.

USC

The loss of O.J. Mayo will hurt Tim Floyd's coaching staff, but look for the rest of the team to step it up. He still has Taj Gibson who is a Conference Player of the Year candidate and bringing in a guy like Demar DeRozan is an incredible athletic freshman who will make the Trojan faithful forget about Mayo real quick.

SEC

Florida

The emergence of star Nick Calathes will lead the Gator back to the NCAA field and have Gator nation going crazy again. Billy Donovan also brought in the 4 of the top 65 recruits this season led by Kenny Kadji from Cameroon. After back to back titles then a trip to the NIT, the Gators are tasting another trip to the Final Four in the near future.

Alabama

They should have enough fire power to win the West this year with a healthy Ronald Steele. Also returning is senior guard Alonzo Gee who brings in a 14.5 ppg and 6.8 rb from last season. Steele was a 1st team all SEC back in the 2005-06 season so really how ftar the Tide roll this season is all on the play of Steele.

Kentucky

Patrick Patterson is an absolute beast, but the Wildcats young backcourt will really need to step it up. Billy Gillispie should be happy with the way his team played last year, especially after their tough start. This year's start hopefully will be smoother for them even though their non-conference schedule looks like this: Miami, UNC, and Louisville.

LSU

This was a tough call , because I only think that the SEC will get 5 this season. So instead of taking Vanderbilt I am going to go with the team that might have the best 1-2 punch in the conference in Tasmin Mitchell and Marcus Thornton. The two should compliment each other well and I absolutely love Chris Johnson in the middle.

WAC

Utah State

Another small school I have getting in. Many of you might think that I am crazy but if this team can stay with Nevada this season who am I not to give them the credit that they deserve. Gary Wilkinson is their go to guy who is a 6'9'' beast on the boards that averaged 13 ppg last season. This team will be the reason for a SEC, or a Big East team won't get in. Now if they had some help with their non conference schedule this really would be a no brainer.

WEST COAST

Saint Marys

There is no way in hell that they get snubbed this season, could they? I say no! If any team will beat the Zags this year why can't it be the Gaels. They return two 1st teamers in Soph Patrick Mills and senior Diamon Simpson. In addition to them, the Gaels get tranferred center from Indiana Ben Allen. I just really find it hard to believe that the committee will look the other way at this Mid Major school again.