Sportandfashion-news's Championship Week Guide

In beautiful Sportandfashion-news fashion, I get my predictions, player to watch, team to watch for the conference tournaments a little late, but let's be honest, most of the games today do not matter. Thursday and Friday are so sneaky great. 

Big East
TV: FOX Sports 1  

Player to watch: Doug McDermott - This is sort of a mailed in answer here, but I am curious how Dougie McBuckets handles New York City and the bright lights of the Big East Tournament even if it is not what it was in years past. McDermott also made the cover of Sports Illustrated emulating Larry Bird's SI cover and McDermott getting compared to Larry Bird is perfect. FOX would love for McDermott to go off until Saturday night.    

Team to watch: Winner of Providence and St. John's - This is probably the best game of the tournament in the early goings. Both teams are squarely on the bubble, and it is a 'Loser Go Home' matchup for these teams. Whomever will win this game gets Villanova meaning they get a legitimate shot at fully sealing their chances for the tournament.  

Winner: Villanova - I think I have taken Nova lightly for the entire year. This team has three losses, and for some reason, I do not think they will run into their kryptonite in Creighton whose beat them twice this season meaning they will probably get a walk into the conference championship which includes a one seed in the NCAA Tournament.*

*** Yes I would love to wax poetically about Marquette finding some mojo in New York City, but I really do not see much from the squad right now. They lost two straight, play an Xavier team they have beat, but then take on Creighton if Golden Eagles were to win. It would be classic Marquette if they got to the final only to lose then just to tease me.

B1G 
TV: CBS, ESPN Networks, Big Ten Network

Player to watch: Keith Appling - We have seen glimmers of Appling returning to form in the last couple games, but since his injury, he really has not been the same player. Michigan State is under a great deal of criticism, and if this team wants to make a March run like everyone expected in November, Appling needs to be a factor on both ends of the court.  

Team to watch: Indiana Hoosiers - This might be a ridiculous prediction, but here me out for Indiana. They play Illinois whose playing better of late but can easily beat them in the first round. Then Hoosiers get a 1-8 matchup with Michigan, a team they beat and only lost to four last Saturday plus they could get Nebraska in the semifinal.  With Michigan State and Wisconsin in the lower bracket, I think it is easier to make a run in the top half.

Winner: Wisconsin Badgers - They always seem to play well in Indianapolis for the tournament. I do not think they will see both Michigan and Michigan State plus their first game against Minnesota or Penn State will be less taxing than Sparty facing probably Iowa. Badgers seem like the most logical answer.

Big 12 
TV: ESPN Networks

Player to watch: Andrew Wiggins - I am curious to see whether Wiggins' 41 performance on Saturday will carry over to the Big 12 Tournament especially with Joel Embiid being out with a back injury. Wiggins could be blasting Aloe Blacc through his headphones and become the man of this team.      

Team to watch: Baylor Bears - Something I think people have not been paying attention to is Baylor found a way to rite the ship in the past month. The lower half of the bracket is far less daunting than the top with Baylor getting Oklahoma in the second round, a team that swept them yet it is still winnable. If Baylor gets past them, it is either Texas or West Virginia in the semifinals which once again the Bears could win.

Winner: Iowa State Cyclones - I like the makeup of this team probably more than I should. We are heading for a NCAA Tournament where I take Iowa State until the Elite Eight and get burned. Kansas State is a tough draw to start, but getting Kansas after Oklahoma State or if the Cowboys knock them off could definitely help the Cyclones. It should be a fun as hell tournament here.

ACC 
TV: ESPN Networks

Player to watch: T.J. Warren - If there is one player that could single-handily carry his team through the ACC Tournament, it is Warren. He won ACC Player of the Year and has been on a complete tear in the last month. Warren is lethal enough to beat a team like Syracuse in the quarterfinals, but climbing from the five and under will be difficult in this conference tournament.

Team to watch: Virginia Cavaliers - Unlike a lot of these paragraphs, I am interested to see how the Cavaliers handle themselves against the top ACC teams. Out of the top seven ACC teams, Virginia played all of them only once this season meaning there is a lot of uncertainty that this team could run the table against their ACC opponents.

Winner: North Carolina Tar Heels - I love how they played in the last month. Despite a loss to Duke, North Carolina should be able to make some noise here with getting either Pittsburgh or Florida State then move on to a revenge game against Virginia possibly.  I cannot see Duke and Syracuse winning as both teams will beat each other up in the semifinals.

American  
TV: ESPN Networks

Player to watch: Russ Smith - There are so many great individual players in this tournament especially with the likes of Smith, Shabazz Napier, Shaq Goodwin, Nic Moore and others. Smith though, is the type of player that could absolutely electrify this conference tournament.  He might be one of the more underrated players in college basketball which is unbelievable to think about truthfully.  

Team to watch: Memphis Tigers - They get a homecourt advantage. While that has not played to Memphis' strengths throughout the season, it has helped in the past during the Conference USA days. They have a tough road seeing UConn, Cincinnati and SMU/Louisville yet having a rabid fan base plus sleeping in your own bed only helps things.

Winner: SMU Mustangs - This is like everyone's sleeper that is going to become too popular, but they have a solid team that plays both strong offense and defense. SMU filled with scorers like Moore, and they have beaten all the top teams this season. Like the Ponies to make a run.    

Pac-12
TV: ESPN Networks, Pac-12 Network

Player to watch: Aaron Gordon - For most of the year, Gordon really never reached Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins level. We have seen players take their games to something we have not seen when mid-March rolls on. Derrick Williams was a nobody before he took the Cats on a run to the Elite Eight. Gordon could make his presence known which means we all in big trouble.    

Team to watch: UCLA Bruins - Yes they are the two seed, but did anyone notice Washington State beat the doors off them last Saturday night?  Maybe it is just a blip on the radar, but I do not know how good this UCLA team is meaning the seed could be a little high for them.

Winner: Oregon Ducks - QUACK IS BACK JACK.  They are red-hot right now and somehow the seventh seed in this tournament. Oregon beat Arizona, UCLA sans their two best players and Arizona State in the last month, they are the top three seeds of this tournament. I do not want to see Oregon right now, and I think the Ducks find a way to do it to Arizona again.  

A-10   
TV: CBS, NBC Sports Network

Player to watch: Jordair Jett - While this might be an obvious answer, I am a little concerned about the health of Jett moving forward this week. Saint Louis could play up to three games in three days wearing out the knee of Jett's so do I think we should keep an eye on him.

Team to watch: St. Joesph's or Dayton - Both of these teams are squarely on the bubble. Let's say Dayton runs through whomever wins the 12/13 matchup meaning these two teams play each other in a 'Loser Goes Home' in the quarterfinals then getting Saint Louis in the semifinals. Don't be surprised if one of these teams end up in the final.

Winner: VCU Rams - Here's the thing about the Havoc defense, it could be completely exhausting when you have already played a couple games versus seeing it after a week off.   While they have struggled with Saint Louis in the past outside of Richmond, I think they could have a good tournament.

Mountain West  
TV: CBS Networks

Player to watch:  Deonte Burton - Not the one from Marquette, but the big dunker from Nevada whom can put anyone on a poster. Wolfpack lurk in the third position, and Burton's high energy could make some noise for this tournament.

Team to watch: UNLV Runnin' Rebels - If there was one team besides San Diego State or New Mexico to do damage, it could be UNLV.  While they are coming in losing the last two of the season, they have the talent to beat anyone in the Mountain West.

Winner: San Diego State Aztecs - At the end of the day, let's not kid ourselves with a pretender making waves here. San Diego State or New Mexico is likely winning this thing. I will take the Aztecs only because Xavier Thames' ability to take over basketball games could be major in the third game of this rivalry.    

 

SEC 
TV: ABC, ESPN Networks

Player to watch: Pick a Kentucky freshman - Wildcats are one of the most interesting teams to watch, and this might be a cop out with my answer yet all of the players fascinate me. They could probably see LSU in the quarterfinal, a team that gives them all sorts of trouble.  

Team to watch: Arkansas or Tennessee winner - Let's say Arkansas wins its first game meaning they take on Tennessee in a 'Loser Go Home' matchup with both teams lying on the bubble. They could then get Florida in the semifinals in a desperation game. To be honest, I am more interested in Arkansas than Tennessee but that's just me.

Winner: Florida Gators - They are the best team in basketball, and while they might not care about this tournament, they are head and shoulders above everyone else in the SEC.

Charlie.

Final Four Power Rankings Explained by Pop Culture

With the Final Four being about a month away, it is the time to wonder whom might be playing in the Final Four. There is no reason why we should not look the teams at this point. It could be anyone at this point, but I do think we have an idea of some of the teams that look closer to Final Four aspirations versus others that need a paddle as they are swimming up creek. We will look at the Top 30 teams with a couple others thrown in using ESPN's latest Bracketology. Not all will get words behind it, but they will be definitely be ranked.    

Piers Morgan Division - Turn off the lights, there is really no need to wonder about their March 

Michigan State - It is hard to bet against Tom Izzo, but at the same time, this team never really put all together. Think of it as a better functioning Marquette team. 

San Diego State - Bold prediction here. Aztecs did win at Allen Fieldhouse, but their inability to score at times makes me nervous. I feel like due to Wichita State's unbeaten streak and weak conference, no one is discussing the softness of the Mountain West. 

Jared Leto Division - Everyone else is really excited about their chances but you cannot understand the hype

Villanova - Death. Taxes. Jay Wright's team failing to show up when it matters in March. Only time that rule does not apply is when Scottie Reynolds is playing point guard.  

Creighton - It is really hard to envision the Bluejays making any sort of a deep run with how they play basketball. If they face good guards or a tough defensive team, it will be curtains.  

Virginia - I still go back to the fact besides Syracuse, they really do not have the quality wins this season. They have only played the top seven of the ACC, once. That's concerning, no?  I do not think this team can make a push to Dallas.   

Louisville - Am I going to bet against Rick Pitino?  Here's the thing... This team has won a bunch of games against weak opponents, but when the chips are down, they have not beaten many good teams.  

Rob Ford Division - Crazy, unpredictable, really anything can happen. 

Oklahoma State - If this team gets an eight to ten seed, they are the most dangerous low seed right? Even with Travis Ford's lackadaisical nature, it seems like that's a good bet. 

Wichita State - They could either make a run to the Final Four or the Elite Eight or lose in the second round. No real in-between with this team.   

Duke - Anyone noticing how no one is really talking about this team? Isn't that really weird given who they are and what they have in Jabari Parker. A good 3-point shooting team can sink this squad.  

Syracuse - Well they have this zone that has been known to work against the right draw but they can go completely cold against a good defense. Still have seniors and the coach to get them there.

Kansas - One of the best teams in college basketball, but at the same time, they are filled with freshman with no idea what March Mardness is like and we have seen how that goes for teams.   

Matthew McConaughey Division - So hot right now. Steaming hot streak heading into the perfect time.

Iowa State - They are not hot, but hear me out... They have beaten eight top 20 RPI teams. DeAndre Kane and Melvin Ejim are two of the biggest problems on an offense for opposing teams. Yes they do not play defense. Yes they shoot too many threes, but Iowa State has taken down good teams this year consistently.   

Wisconsin - While by the tournament, they could be more of a Leto, I think we need to look at how well the Badgers have played in the last month making this the obvious choice. They are one of the hotter teams in the country.  

North Carolina - No team is hotter right now than Carolina plus add to the equation, they beat Michigan State at full strength and Kentucky before its problems, it's impressive.  

Arizona - Talked about them yesterday, but as of today, they are a team warming up. It is hard to call him a part of the cream of the crop... yet. Still need a couple more games.

True Detective Division - Best of the best right now. 

Florida - They have everything you want from a Final Four. Billy Donovan has won two titles, been to four Final Fours (Three with Florida) and the last three years they have been in the final eight teams in the country. They have loads of seniors, a tough as nails defense and an inside game to compete with anyone.

Right now, it is Florida alone with everyone else trailing behind them. Sure the SEC is not a place where they are challenged every night, but at the same time, that might work to their advantage.  

Charlie.     

CBB Stock Market: February 14-16

Looking for something else on Sports News on Tap, I found a gem called 'CBB Stock Market' which highlighted what happened on the weekend of college hoops. Sometimes I will use this space for a longer form recap, but mostly, it will be a subheading. 

BUY BUY BUY 

UConn Huskies - People really should take a look at the Huskies' resume right now. They have only lost four games in conference with UConn winning the last seven of eight. Shabazz Napier had 34 points in an overtime win against Memphis on Saturday putting them in position to have a chance at taking the AAC crown. Huskies still have home games against SMU and Cincinnati with a road trip to Louisville in the final weekend of the season. This is a team that can make a run into the tournament with their guard play and solid interior play as well. Keep an eye on these Huskies.

Florida Gators - Even though they are number two in the nation, it is pretty clear this is the number one team in the nation. Florida won both at Tennessee and Kentucky this week including holding their guard against the Wildcats in the second half. In another year of parity, this is the best team in the nation without question. They have the leadership, size and guard play to get Billy Donovan his third National Championship. Just because they play in the weak SEC means virtually nothing to me. They can play with everyone in the league. I would be interested to see what their record would look like if they were at full strength for the year.

Nebraska Cornhuskers - How about Tim Miles? He has made people believers in Nebraska basketball for maybe the first time ever. They earned a road win against Michigan State on Sunday making the Huskers 6-6 in Big Ten conference with some people thinking they might have NCAA Tournament aspirations. It is not unrealistic at this point with them playing five of their last seven at home with their only difficult game being against Wisconsin in the final game of the season. They have road games against Illinois and Indiana. I mean Nebraska does have a chance here. It is probably unrealistic but as JP said from Angels in the Outfield, 'It could happen.'

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Close calls at home - Three teams in the top 15 nearly lost at home this week. One of them did with Michigan State. Duke beat Maryland by two points with a bad call at the end of the game. St. Louis escaped VCU at home but granted, that would not have been a bad home loss. Syracuse needed a game-winning steal at the end of the game to beat NC State. It is that time of the year when teams are desperate needing a win meaning home upsets are going to happen every now and again.

Michigan State Spartans - Everyone is pointing out the fact they are 3-4 in their last seven games, but this team is not healthy at all. This feels like the classic team that gets hot at the right time and makes its way to the Final Four. Tom Izzo did this before with teams, and let's not forgot, this is a real good team unit when they are all at full strength. Keith Appling and Branden Dawson will be back for the month of March and if the injury bug is done with Michigan State, they are dangerous as anyone. Not that you care my power rankings for March right now would be... Florida, Michigan State (IF healthy), Syracuse, Kansas and Arizona.

SELL SELL SELL 

Pac-12 officials - Just a horrible display of officiating in the Arizona-Arizona State game. Jim Burr would be proud. Jahii Carson put an exclamation point on Arizona State's double-overtime win, but he hung at the rim for at least five or six seconds. Fans also rushed the court early, but technically that was not a technical which I have no idea why. Carson should have gotten the technical meaning Arizona getting two shots and the ball back with under one second left. Wildcats might not have won the game, but they still got screwed overall. Kind of hoping we get a rematch of these two teams in the Pac-12 Tournament so Arizona can give them a 'Ball Don't Lie.'  

Pittsburgh Panthers - A dirty little secret about this team is they have not beat anyone this year worth a dam. They had close losses to Syracuse and North Carolina, but close losses only count in horseshoes. Looking at Pitt, their best win might be their road win against NC State... YIKES. That's not good at all. They honestly do not play a tough team for the rest of the season unless you call Florida State at home a tough game. Pitt will need to do some work in the ACC Tournament to get a better seed because when it all comes down to it, Pitt could be looking at an eight to ten seed.  

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 
Tuesday: 9. Villanova at Providence 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1, 19. Texas at 17. Iowa State 6:00 pm ESPN2
              18. Kentucky at Ole Miss 6:00 pm ESPN

Wednesday: 11. Creighton at Marquette 7:00 pm FOX Sports 1,
                      4. Arizona at Utah 9:00 pm FOX Sports 1,
                    23. UCLA at California 9:30 pm Pac-12 Network 

Thursday: 5. Duke at North Carolina 8:00 pm ESPN, 25. Gonzaga at BYU 10:00 pm ESPN2

Charlie. 

CBB Picks: Bubble, Bubble, Bubble Watch

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER
3. Florida at 14. Kentucky 8:00 pm ESPN - Only one of two SEC games that mean a damn. People are hyping up the Gators right now, but this will be the game where we could say 'They are legit' versus them racking up wins against inferior opponents. The matchup of day will be the Harrison Twins versus Scottie Wilbekin and Michael Frazier II. Both teams have strong forward play, but the guards playing well can make these teams that much better. Julius Randle versus Patric Young should be bar fight. I have a feeling the Wildcats get up for the game, and win this game with a big performance from Andrew Harrison plus a couple great Randle moments. UK 73-67

6. Villanova at 18. Creighton (Played Sunday) 4:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Revenge game for the road team as Creighton shot lights out from three when they last played. Odds are it will not happen again, but Nova needs to do a better job guarding the perimeter. Doug McDermott has been out of mind of late, and he tends to step up in the big moments. Nova's balanced attack could give the Jays a ton of problems especially since they do not really play much defense I will take Dougie McBuckets at home. CREIG 75-72

21. Wisconsin at 15. Michigan (Played Sunday) 12:00 pm CBS  - Another revenge game for the road team. Wisconsin seems to have figured it out a bit in the last couple of games. They continue to get great effort out of Nigel Hayes and Ben Brust had a big scoring day against Minnesota. Michigan picked up a key road win Tuesday with a big Derrick Walton Jr. performance. Nik Stauskas got going again as well which is important to Michigan's success. While Badgers have looked better as of late, Michigan is a tough team to beat at home plus their balance should give Wisconsin problems. MICH 73-64

SECOND TIER 
20. Memphis at 24. UConn 11:00 am ESPN - Great guard matchup here with Joe Jackson and Michael Dixon versus Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.  I feel like all four of these players could equal everyone out meaning it will come down to big men. This could mean a big game from Shaq Goodwin whose been known for a big game here or there. Or for UConn, DeAndre Daniels could come big for the Huskies. I will take UConn at home. I do not trust Memphis to go into a hostile environment to win a big game.
UCONN 69-63

VCU at 12. St. Louis 1:00 pm ESPN2 - This game will be all about pace. If St. Louis is able to slow down 'Havoc', they should win this game. But if VCU makes the Bilikens run a bit, it favors the Rams in a major way. Both teams are red hot as St. Louis has won 16 straight games and VCU won seven of their last eight games. I am going out on a limb and taking the Rams. They seem to be rounding into form, and I feel like they could catch St. Louis on the road with their frenetic offense.  VCU 82-73

25. Pittsburgh at North Carolina 12:00 pm CBS - People might not know this but North Carolina has won their last five games slowly gaining momentum. Tar Heels are not playing the greatest ACC teams, but it could make a splash here with win against Pitt. Panthers are reeling after a buzzer-beater defeat to Syracuse, and they need to respond quickly. Talib Zanna and James Michael McAdoo should be a fun matchup in the middle. I do not think Pittsburgh has a good enough answers for Marcus Paige, and he goes off for a big game to keep Carolina rolling. UNC 65-61

2. Arizona at Arizona State 8:00 pm (Played Friday) ESPN - Sun Devils are warming up with winning five of their last six games. This one will be huge for their NCAA resume. If they could get a win against rival Arizona, it will do wonders for them. I am curious to see whom the Wildcats put on Jahii Carson because I do not know if they have an answer. The battle in the middle between Kaleb Tarczewski and Jordan Bachynski. I am tempted to ride with the Sun Devils, but Wildcats with a Nick Johnson game-winner are the difference. ARIZ 68-67

THIRD TIER 
West Virginia at 19. Texas 7:00 pm Longhorn Network - Don't sleep on the Mountaineers as they have won their last four of five with their only loss being at Allen Fieldhouse. They blew the doors down against Iowa State hitting 13 threes and going 53 percent from the field. I expect a close game. I think these two teams match up well, but it seems like Texas always has one guy go off for 20+ points whether it be Javan Felix, Johnathan Holmes or anyone else. Too many weapons for the Horns take down West Virginia.
TEXAS 76-68

Maryland at 8. Duke 5:00 pm ESPN - Remember when this game mattered in the large scope of things? This will I believe be the last meeting for the Terrapins heading to Cameron Indoor. Duke will likely send them off the right way. I do not not really believe this will be a close game in any facet. Jabari Parker will have a big time game for the Dukies. DUKE 82-65

NC State at 1. Syracuse 3:00 pm ESPN3 - With how soft the bubble is this year, NC State still has a legitimate chance to get into the NCAA Tournament. They could bolster their resume with a win at the Carrier Dome. T.J. Warren has been great in the last couple games, but I think the zone suffocates him leading to yet another Orange victory. CUSE 62-57

16. Iowa at Penn State 12:00 pm ESPNU - I need to make an upset pick as I have been on fire the last couple weeks. I nearly went with Arizona State, but here it is from Happy Valley. Penn State had an amazing comeback win on Wednesday night at Indiana, and I think they will ride the momentum to take down Iowa. Just feels like a trap game for the Hawkeyes as they have a big week upcoming with a road trip to Indiana and home against Wisconsin. PSU 68-62

CBB Stock Market: January 25-26th

Looking for something else on Sports News on Tap, I found a gem called 'CBB Stock Market' which highlighted what happened on the weekend of college hoops. Sometimes I will use this space for a longer form recap, but mostly, it will be a subheading. 

BUY BUY BUY 

Michigan Wolverines - All hail to the victors. What can you say about Michigan right now? They are easily the hottest team in the country with winning ten of their last eleven games with their only lost coming to Arizona by a single point in mid-December. I think I have said it at least 20 times but John Beilein is by far my Coach of the Year thus far. He's done yeoman's work with this team. It also has a great deal to do with Nik Stauskas developing into more than just a guy with a silky 3-point jumper. While I enjoy him, I have a feeling he might become very unlikable by March. Another underrated part of this run is Derrick Walton Jr. coming into his own as a point guard.

Florida Gators - Like many forgot about Dre, people have completely forgot Florida. The Gators are on fire as of late including a 26 point win against Tennessee at home on Saturday. They are currently undefeated in the SEC including giving up 50 points or less in the last four SEC games. Additionally, Florida has not lost since December 2nd against UConn where Shabazz Napier hit a game-winner. They have five double-digit scorers meaning any night Florida could have a big performance from the likes of Michael Frazier II or Casey Prather. This also means not every player needs to be on every game night. Florida might be undefeated before heading to Tennessee and Kentucky in the week of February 9th.

Cincinnati Bearcats - Another team that has not lost since mid-December is Cincinnati. People did not really expect from the Cats this season as they lost some tools from a tournament team although Sean Kilpatrick did return for his senior year. Kilpatrick is having a great season shooting 42 percent from the field which is an improvement from last year's clip of 39 percent. Additionally, he is shooting 34 percent from three as well as getting to the free-throw line more often than he did in his first three years.  Justin Jackson also came into his own as a senior with scoring eleven points a game, seven rebounds and three blocks a game. All up from his first three years with the Bearcats. Mick Cronin has done a great job with this program.

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Marcus Smart -  I do not think we should make much of Smart's recent struggles. He did not play really well against Kansas including getting dunked on by Joel Embiid then struggled against West Virginia leading him to do this on the bench. Smart apologized after the game and if we have learned anything from the young players in the nation right now, everyone struggles for a bit during the season. Smart is just taking some hard knocks, he will be fine in the coming weeks.

Providence Friars - Many people are looking towards Providence's hot streak recently because the Friars have not been relevant in the last couple of years. People believed this was the same old Providence squad as they lost three straight in late December and early January yet since then they have reeled off five straight wins with some major victories against Creighton and Xavier, two of the Big East bests. My one knock on Providence which could come back to bite me in the ass is the fact they have yet to win one on the road. In this streak, their only road win is against St. John's and it took double-overtime to do it. They have four of the next five games on the road so we will see if the Friars can keep this up.

Nebraska Cornhuskers - I realize they are 2-5 in the Big Ten, but they had big wins against Ohio State and Minnesota this week. This is an encouraging sign for not only Nebraska's future with Tim Miles but also with the Big Ten as they added Nebraska a couple years ago for 'football' purposes only (Honestly). If Nebraska becomes a threat to beat some teams at home in the next couple of years, that's a really good thing for the conference.

SELL SELL SELL 

Baylor Bears - What in the hell happened to Baylor? I ask this question a lot with teams, but Baylor fell completely from the wagon in the last couple of weeks. Bears have now lost four of the last five games although the only bad loss in those games were to Texas Tech. The only problem is Baylor needs a big win quickly with games against Oklahoma State and Kansas on the horizon with West Virginia before them. They need to find a way to win two of the next three or Baylor is on the bubble without question.  

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 
Monday: 17. Duke at 18. Pittsburgh 6:00 pm ESPN, 9. Villanova at Georgetown 8:00 pm FOX Sports 1
                8. Oklahoma State at 23. Oklahoma 8:00 pm ESPN

Tuesday: 7. Michigan State at 15. Iowa 6:00 pm ESPN

Wednesday: 16. Iowa State at 6. Kansas 8:00 pm ESPNU, 1. Arizona at Stanford 8:00 pm ESPN2,
                      2. Syracuse at Wake Forest 8:00 pm ESPN3

Thursday: 13. Cincinnati at 12. Louisville 6:00 pm ESPN

Ol' Ball Coach is the Troll GAWD

Spurrier: "Somebody told me the Gators are staying home for the holidays, maybe we can get a bunch of Gators to come to our game." #HBC
— Capital One Bowl (@CapitalOneBowl) December 12, 2013

For whatever reason, this seems like a great year for Steve Spurrier quotes. Maybe I am just seeing more of them these days, but it has been fantastic. All year he has been coming with shots and does not really care who knows it.  I really cannot believe there are likely people in this world who dislike Spurrier. He is the man.  His team South Carolina takes on Wisconsin in the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando and took some shots at two of the Florida schools today at the first first press conference for the bowl game.  

Spurrier to Bianchi: "I didn't know Jadeveon's car that could go that fast. He doesn't have a pretty car like those FSU guys used to drive."
— Heath Cline (@heathradio) December 12, 2013

The old school Bobby Bowden diss on the top rope might be one of my favorites honestly. I really enjoyed that one. While it cannot be heard in a tweet, I love how the Ol' Ball Coach says Jadeveon, it's great. 

Charlie.