January 2009 Archives

SILVER SPRING - - The Blair Blazers played their second straight game Friday night, and defeated the Magruder Colonels for the second time this season, 41-39.

Senior forward Mike McClain set the tone early, propelling the Blazers to a 10-2 run with 8 points and an assist in the opening minutes. Magruder finished the quarter strong, outscoring the Blazers 8-3, but Blair still led, 13-10.

"It was extremely important because it gave me that confidence to play consistent throughout the game," McClain said. "I'm just playing hard and the team's clicking, and when people are playing better, I know I'm playing better, because it's a team effort."

McClain finished the night with team highs in points (16), assists (3), and steals (4).

"I think Mike has steadily and slowly improved his level of play in the last couple of weeks," coach Mark DeStefano said. "He's got a skill set that's very hard for teams to deal with. He's 6'5", he can play in the post or he can play facing the basket, and shoot the ball. His court vision and the way he sees the floor is phenomenal for a high school kid, and when he's scoring, guys get open and Mike can find them and it creates opportunities for everybody."

Blair outrebounded the Colonels 3-0 in the first quarter. There were so few rebounds due to a combination of turnovers and accurate shooting. While only 23 points were scored in the quarter, there were 14 turnovers (9 by Blair, 5 by Magruder).

With fifteen seconds left in the second quarter, Magruder guard Spencer Datt hit an open three from the right corner to give the Colonels a 19-17 lead. It would be Magruder's last lead of the game, and Blair senior forward Leon Sampson hit an inside layup as the buzzer sounded to the tie the game going into the half. Sampson scored 14 points with seven rebounds and added two blocks in his productive day.

The buzzer beater trend continued at the end of the third quarter, as guard Wayne Henderson hit a three as time expired to give the Blazers a 33-29 lead. Blair now has four buzzer beaters in the last two games.

"Let's look at the big picture here - we won tonight by two," DeStefano said. "So you hit that shot at the end of the third, it's an important shot, and anytime you make a play like that it gives your team confidence. We're starting to believe now that we can make some plays to compete and beat teams."

If Henderson was Kobe Bryant against Blake two days ago, scoring at will and creating his own opportunities, he was Reggie Bush against Magruder, drawing two or three defenders and allowing his teammates to score while only scoring seven points himself.

"We played really well defensively," he said. "Mike started off hot, and I knew I wasn't going to produce that much this game because it was Mike and Leon's game from the start, they knew what they had to do. All of [Magruder's] guards were like 'Number 3's their shooter!', so I just tried to get my shots off, but I was a little off today. Everything felt good, it was just a little off, but defense is what won the game."

Blair's bench was also key in the victory. Junior forward Dennis Mesidor had seven rebounds to continue his recent tear off the bench, and senior forward Josh Gordon had two points, two rebounds, and one huge block.

With two minutes and forty seconds left in the game, Magruder had the ball in a 36-36 tie. Guard Cory Rivas passed it inside to forward Salim Woodhouse, who looked to have an easy put-in for the Colonels first lead in more than 13 minutes. Gordon came out of nowhere to block the shot, and drove down the court. The senior passed it to McClain, who was fouled, and made one of the two free throws, giving the Blazers a lead they would never give back.

"I thought he was wide open," Gordon said. "I saw him try to get a hand on the ball. He was probably going to score because he was right under the basket, so it helped finish the game out."

"[That block was] huge," DeStefano said. "He gets that block and then he goes the length of the floor on the transition and sets up what we needed in terms of winning the game, and he's done that many times for us this season, without a doubt. He doesn't play as many minutes as a senior would like, but he's playing like a senior should."

Rivas hit a half court buzzer beater at the end of the game to close it out, 41-39 Blair. Blair is now 2-10 in their last 12 games, both wins coming against Magruder.

"This win gives us a lot of momentum, because two good efforts in a row going into Monday should help us out," McClain said.

Blair's next game is Monday, February 2nd, at Sherwood. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 P.M.

The Blazers defeated division rival Magruder today, 41-39, to complete the series sweep of the Colonels. There were three buzzer beaters in the game, and it was tightly contested throughout.

I'll put my article up tomorrow.

SILVER SPRING - - Two guards shone last night at James Hubert Blake High School, as the Blake Bengals defeated the Blair Blazers 70-53.

Blair senior Wayne Henderson scored a season high 25, and Blake sophomore Ryan Frazier scored 26 as points flew from beyond the three point line. The teams connected with eight threes each, and the 127 points scored is the highest total for any Blazer game this season.

Henderson looked like a video game character on the court, creating unlimited opportunities for himself and seemingly making every shot. The senior was 7-10 from behind the arc.

"I was hot," Henderson said. "I was just shooting. Last game [against Blake], I remember it was just open to shoot, and I noticed after the first couple of times I back dribbled that there was no one there, and then the third time I just took that dribble. Leon was setting good screens, so he was helping me out a little bit."

Frazier was able to take advantage of Blake's successful screens and hit five threes, most of them wide open from the perimeter.

"I kept my focus and my teammates kept passing me the ball," Frazier said. "It was a whole team effort. Coach makes us shoot free throws every day in practice, and I just take it very seriously. I think we played real good, we kept our composure, and it was just a good all-around win."

Both offenses had trouble holding on to the ball in the first quarter, combining for 13 turnovers. With the score 10-8 Blair, Frazier hit an open three from the corner that sparked a 7-0 Blake run. The Blazers were able to end the quarter on a good note, however, as junior forward Dennis Mesidor banked in a buzzer-beating three to cut the Bengals' lead to 17-13.

"Cooper was open, so there was pressure going towards him and nobody was paying attention to me," Mesidor said. "I was calling for it, and then the ball went loose and I grabbed it, and then I just shot it. I was surprised when I went in, I was on the floor."

Mesidor turned in yet another quality game off the bench, scoring 13 points with four rebounds and three assists.

"I feel good," he said. "I wish I had just made my free throws, that's the only thing that's throwing me off."

The Blazers had an incredibly strong second quarter, outscoring the Bengals by six to take the lead at halftime, 33-31. Henderson hit a buzzer-beating three at the end of this quarter, this one halfway between the three point line and the halfcourt mark.

"I caught the ball, and I took a dribble backwards, and then I looked at the clock and it was only like 2 seconds," Henderson said. "So I took one dribble to the side and just let it go. When it came out of my hand, I knew it was good. I don't know how, I just felt it."

With three minutes left in the third quarter, sophomore forward Matt McGugan hit a jumper inside to take a 43-41 Blake lead, which they would never relinquish. McGugan scored 16 points, second on the Bengals.

The ability to make free throws really separated the two teams. Mesidor was 0-3 from the line, leading Blair's 3-7 effort, and Blake was 14-15 on free throws. Blair also had trouble on defense, allowing 70 points for the second straight game, and with depth on offense, as only four Blazers scored a point.

"[Getting more offensive depth] is huge, it's huge," coach Mark DeStefano said. "We've been dealing with that problem all season, getting more guys involved in the offense. Some of it is guys not recognizing opportunities that are there, but when we have to play out of necessity we're not a very good team. When we can do what we want to do, we can get guys involved. That's why it was nice to see Dennis have the game he had tonight, because he's come a very long way in one season. So if he continues to play that hard, and give us some depth and confidence, I think we'll be okay."

The Blazers play tonight at home against Magruder, the second time this season they have played two night in a row.

"I love it," DeStefano said. "The more you play, the better you get. Hopefully we can build on the positive things we did tonight and move forward and just play. Sometimes that's the best thing, to just play games. That's the most sustained good basketball we've played in a very long time. They made a great response in the second half, they upped the intensity, they started playing a lot harder, a lot more physical, and we were there for a while and then we just kind of wore down."

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 P.M.

In a well-played game on both sides until the end, the Blair Blazers lost to the Blake Bengals tonight, 70-57. Blair guard Wayne Henderson scored 25 points, while Blake guard Ryan Frazier scored 26.

A full article will be posted tomorrow.

SILVER SPRING - - The Blair Blazers were handed the ugliest of defeats Friday night, as defending state champion Springbrook won at Blair 70-27.

The Blue Devils started out on a 16-0 run, and did not look back. The score was 17-6 at the end of the first, and that would end up being the smallest lead Springbrook would have for the rest of the night.

The Blazers committed 28 turnovers, their second highest total this season, and only collected 16 rebounds. Springbrook's defense was stifling, holding the Blazers to under 30 points and getting 23 steals.

"It doesn't make a difference what offense we run if we don't possess the basketball and play with some confidence," coach Mark DeStefano said. "Every time we've played poorly in the first half this season we've turned the ball over like that. Our guys, unfortunately, it's a hard lesson that they struggle to learn. They always say that experience is the toughest teacher, because you have the test first, and the lesson second, and experience is teaching us a doozy. The lesson's the same every night, we just have to have better learning habits, we have to be better students. 28 turnovers is inexcusable, but unfortunately, that's what we're dealing with this season, we haven't found a combination that will take care of the basketball."

Senior forward Mike McClain scored 14 points for the Blazers, the only player besides guard Wayne Henderson to score more than two points. Henderson had five on the game.

"Well, we came out flat," McClain said, "We came out with low intensity and that affected us for the rest of the game. We just need to come out stronger. They were hitting almost all their shots, so it was tough to play them, because they were playing so well, but [Springbrook forward] Jamal [Olasewere] did what he always does - get rebounds and play strong."

Olasewere, averaging 19.2 points per game this season, scored 16 points with four rebounds, four assists, four steals, and three blocks in limited playing time for Springbrook. Guards DeShaunt Walker, Chris Carter, and Jeremy Williams scored 10, 12, and 14 points, respectively, for the Blue Devils.

The Blazers seemed to have a problem giving their full effort throughout the game, especially after the 16-0 start.

"Our heart," senior forward Leon Sampson said, pounding his chest, "That's what we need to work on, our heart. We had nothing to lose. They're undefeated, they had everything to lose. We had nothing to lose, and we didn't play with that sense of urgency, we just came out flat from the beginning of the game. Being down 16 at the beginning, that just dug a real big hole for us, and then it just turned into an All-Star game for them because we just stopped playing."

"We just didn't show up for the first five minutes of the game, and then we didn't show up for the last six and a half minutes of the game," DeStefano said. "And I think if you take those two stretches out, which is almost a half, it was a pretty evenly played and competitive game. But when you spot a team like Springbrook 16-0, and at the end of the game you can't even make an entry pass on your offense, it's very hard to play good basketball."

The game was yet another example of Blair's struggles at home. The Blazers are now 1-5 at Nelson H. Kobren Memorial Gymnasium, and 4 of the Blazers' 6 games in which they scored under 35 points have been at home.

Blair's next game is on Tuesday, January 27th, at 12-1 Blake, who's only loss came to Springbrook.. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Blair Blazers lost to the Springbrook Blue Devils today, 70-27. The Blazers committed 28 turnovers, and senior forward Mike McClain led Blair with 14 points. Four Blue Devils scored in double figures. A full article will be posted tomorrow.

1 2 3 4 T
Blair 5 2 9 8 24
SHS 12 8 7 14 41

SILVER SPRING - - When it's not one thing, it's another for the Blair Blazers. In the games that Blair has lost this season, the problem has largely been turning the ball over to the other team. Last night against Sherwood, the Blazers were out rebounded 43-17 in a loss to the Warriors, 41-24.

The Blazers got out to a slow start in the first quarter, and never recovered. The Warriors outscored Blair 12-5 in the first, and out rebounded them 12-2. Four of Sherwood's rebounds were by point guard Devin Thomas, and seven of their rebounds were offensive.

"What hurt us the most with [Thomas] was his rebounding," coach Mark DeStefano said. "You know, he set the entire tone for the game, where on the first couple of possessions he comes flying out of nowhere to get the offensive rebound and gives their team another possession. When the smallest guy on the floor is doing that, it just takes the wind out of your sails. After the first quarter, he really didn't do much; he scored two points after the first. But he set a tone that we were unable to match and stay with."

Blair only committed one turnover in the first, but a large part of this was due to Sherwood's rebounding allowing the Warriors to hold on to the ball. The Blazers actually had less turnovers than the Warriors, 12 against Sherwood's 13.

"We won our last game, they've lost their last two, but you sure couldn't tell tonight by how these two teams played," DeStefano said. "We just held a team to 41 points in a high school game. They did not have a single guy score in double figures. When you play that kind of defense, and you force a team to shoot some shots that they don't want to shoot, you have to get the rebound, you have to reward yourself by getting the rebound, and unfortunately, our mentality, at least by the way we play sometimes, is we bust our tail on defense, and then we kind of just expect the ball to bounce to us. We just have to become a better fundamental team in terms of our aggression and how we go after things, a lot of that is footwork, and a lot of that is physical position on the court."

DeStefano became frustrated enough with the starters' effort that he subbed out all five of them with 6:07 left to go in the second quarter and the score 16-5 Sherwood. That unit held the Warriors to four points, but was only able to score two.

"I thought the second unit we put in played very very hard," DeStefano said. "They were really out manned in some cases, but they competed. I thought Josh Gordon came off [the bench] and played well. He didn't score but he played well, he battled hard. Eddie [Kolleh] came in and played well, I thought, you know, he took a charge, did the things he's capable of doing. We had guys who wanted to play well, but it just didn't happen tonight."

Thomas was the spark plug for the Warriors' offense. The senior point guard scored nine points, and had six rebounds, one assist, and two steals.

"It was a team effort," he said. "We boxed out, we stayed with our game plan, and we executed. We executed as a team, we did a good job of it."

Blair power forward Leon Sampson, averaging over eight rebounds per game, got his first rebound with little more than a minute left to play in the 3rd quarter. The third quarter was relatively successful for the Blazers, outscoring Sherwood 9-7.

"For the next week we've just gotta get hungry," Sampson said. "We just lack intensity, I don't know what it is,but we just started flat. So we've just got to pick it up and play with more intensity, so we don't press up into that big of a hole. We have to score the basketball, that's just what it comes down to."

Not a single player on either team scored in double digits on the day. The Blazers didn't score double digits in any quarter. Sampson scored seven points and senior guard Wayne Henderson scored 6 points, the only two Blazers to make more than one shot on the night.

"I can't say we're gonna struggle, but we just didn't hit shots," Henderson said. "We were doing dumb things, we were letting people go in front of us on the defensive side of the ball. Things that we never let happen happened today, and then we weren't rebounding, they just out rebounded us. Yeah, [we will recover]."

The Blazers' troubles all came back to struggles on the glass. The Warriors had 19 offensive rebounds - two more than Blair had total rebounds, and 43 total rebounds - two more than they had points. Blair had 6 offensive rebounds and 17 total - seven less than they had points.

"A lot of it is mentality," DeStefano said. "We have to just get the concept of boxing out, which we've kind of struggled with all year. You can't just run to the basket, because then you're gonna get shoved underneath and buried. We tell them in practice that they have to 'find a bad guy, get contact and go get the ball.' A couple times, we had great rebounding position, but we had guys with their hands below their waists, and you know you're not gonna get a rebound in a high school game with your hands down by your waist. We have to become a more aggressive team going after the ball and a more aggressive team seeking to get box outs."

Blair center Josh Kickenson scored the Blazers' first basket of the night and played great defense on Sherwood's big men, but did not get a single rebound.

"We just have to work on pretty much everything," he said. "Like our energy going out and we've got to work on our fundamentals. I'm gonna work on boxing out more and using feet."

The Blazers' next game is Friday, January 16th, at Richard Montgomery. The Rockets are 7-3, and beat Sherwood last week. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 P.M.

Blair lost to the Sherwood Warriors tonight, 41-24. The Blazers were outrebounded 43 to 17 on the night. No player on either team scored in double digits.

A full article will be posted in the next two days.

1 2 3 4 T
Blair (4-6) 14 9 11 16 50
Magr. (2-8) 10 7 12 18 47

ROCKVILLE - - After losing six straight games to fall to 3-6, the Blair Blazers finally got back on the winning track last night, defeating Magruder 50-47.

The Blazers started out with one of their strongest first quarters of the year, outscoring the Colonels 14-10 while committing no turnovers.

"That's how you win games," coach Mark DeStefano said. "You know, you get better, and you just keep working on stuff. It helped that Magruder didn't play a lot of man-to-man, they were in the zone, which let us dictate how we wanted to attack. When you take care of the basketball and make foul shots, you've got a chance to win, and that's what we did tonight."

With five minutes left in the second quarter, senior forward Leon Sampson slammed down an emphatic dunk from a Mike McClain pass, making the score 19-14 Blazers. Sampson would add in another dunk in the 3rd quarter to make it 32-21, but missed one later in the game. The senior had 15 points, 9 rebounds, an assist, and a block with no turnovers.

"I feel real good," Sampson said. "I feel real good. I'm just glad that we finally got a win. [Magruder] has ended our season for the last two years, so it's feels good to get this monkey off our backs. It just feels good to get out there and get the win. I'm always confident in my dunk, I've just got to wait for the time to present itself. [Missing a dunk] happens to the best of us, and I've just got to try to get more legs in me next time."

McClain added 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. The senior forward was able to get back to his old style of play, driving into the lane and drawing fouls. McClain was 8-8 from the free throw line, leading Blair's 15-17 effort.

"We're starting to gel more," he said. "We're starting to get that chemistry that we need, and we're just overall playing better. Turnovers are key because the previous four games we had over 100 turnovers [combined], and that's what's really been hurting us. So, if we cut down on turnovers, we're able to score more on offense."

Senior guard Wayne Henderson rounded out the Blazers "Big Three" with 12 points and three assists, his third straight game with double figures in points. Henderson drew tons of pressure throughout the game from the defense, but still managed to produce offensively.

"It was hard to score tonight," he said. "Like Coach said last game, it's hard to have three straight double digit games, I mean I did it, but it's tough. [Magruder assistant coach Richard] Porac teaches at Blair, he knows about me and he told them I was a shooter, so they got on me every time, and I just penetrated and looked for people. I mean I would have had more assists if we didn't dribble, but we dribbled off of some of them."

The "Big Three" combined for 41 of Blair's 50 points on the night. Coach DeStefano said that good play from them makes way for the rest of Blair's players to play well.

"Well, I don't think they need to come up with big production as much as they have to be effective," DeStefano said. "They were effective tonight, they did what we asked them to do, it looked like all three were trying to do it at the same time, they worked together, Mike found Leon, Leon found Wayne, Wayne found Mike. When those three are effective, it gives everybody else a chance to get some looks, and that's the way we have to play."

The Blazers' defense and bench play shone in the game. Blair has now held 7 of its 10 opponents to under 50 points this year. While the bench only scored six points (four by Cameron Reed, two by Dennis Mesidor), they did not "detract from the team or make any stupid mistakes", assistant coach Cedric Boatman said.

"That's all we as the bench really need to do, come off and play hard defense," backup center Ethan Brown said. "Defense is the number one factor in our success. Without defense, we can't win. We've always had good defense, but our offense has been struggling. So now we picked our offense up and we'll keep playing good defense, and we'll keep winning more games."

Mesidor, who saw increased minutes after playing very well in the blowout against Springbrook, once again had a strong game tonight.

"[The increased playing time] means a lot to me," he said. "It means that [coach DeStefano] sees improvement. He's working with me also, so when you add that, what he teaches me, I can put it into the game and do well."

Magruder point guard Tim Harwood scored 14 points for the Colonels. He hit two threes in the first quarter, but after Blair switched from a zone to a man-to-man, he was silent until the third, when he scored 8 of Magruder's 12. Harwood would not score another point, however, and missed a potential game-tying buzzer beater at the end of the fourth quarter.

Blair's next game is at home on Tuesday, January 13th, against 3-6 Sherwood. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:15 P.M.

The Blair Blazers broke their six game losing streak tonight, beating the Magruder Colonels 50-47 at Magruder. The Blazers did not commit a single turnover in the first quarter, and only had nine on the game. The "Big Three" of Leon Sampson, Wayne Henderson, and Mike McClain scored 41 points for Blair.

A full article will be posted tomorrow.

1 2 3 4 T
Blair (3-6) 10 13 1 16 40
Blake (11-0) 3 18 10 16 49

SILVER SPRING - - The Blair Blazers continued their losing streak last night, losing their 6th straight game, 49-40, to Blake. It was the Blazers third game out of their last four against an undefeated squad.

Blair started out extremely well on both ends of the court, outscoring the Bengals 10-3 in the first quarter. Blake did not make a single basket in the first quarter, getting all three points on free throws.

Blair's success waned in the second quarter, and it was a 23-21 Blazer lead at the half. At one point, with little more than two minutes left in the half, Blake had an 18-12 lead, and it finally looked like the Bengals were pulling away. However, Blair senior guard Wayne Henderson hit three straight three-pointers to make it 21-18 Blair.

"We called a timeout before that, and coach just said 'Shoot the ball', because I wasn't shooting," Henderson said. "I was just trying to pull up and force shots, so I just started shooting."

"[That sequence was] huge, especially since we're struggling so much to get points," coach Mark DeStefano said. "We have to have a guy who's not afraid to shoot the ball, who's not afraid to be offensively aggressive. [Wayne]'s made the realization that 'Hey, if I do what the coaches tell me to do, it's not going to restrict my game, it's going to expand my game.'"

Henderson led all players with 18 points, a season high for the guard.

"I'm just doing what coach says. He said 'Get shots up'," Henderson said. "Me, Mike [McClain], and Leon [Sampson] have to average at least 15 points [each] for us to win, because our team is not scoring. I mean, we scored 40 tonight, but usually that doesn't happen. We have to work on catching the ball, actually looking to score, and finishing layups."

"He's still learning to do a lot," DeStefano said. "He's doing so much with the ball in his hands now that he's never had to do before. As soon as he gets comfortable with his decision-making when he beats guys and can't get all the way to the rim, in that mid-range game, and he doesn't shoot the floater or get off balance but is nice and square and takes a good mid-range jumper, then he'll be even better."

DeStefano said he is very happy with Henderson's recent production, but warned not to expect the same when he faces teams a second time around.

"[Wayne]'s got the potential, in our county, to put up points on given nights," he said. "When we start seeing these teams the second time around, they're not going to let him do that. Blake's gonna know that if gets the ball in his hands that you've got to respect his speed and respect his shot. But that should establish and help the other guys. This is a team sport, other guys will have opportunities to score."

The third quarter was a complete role reversal, as the Bengals outscored Blair 10-1, making the score 33-24. Both teams scored 16 points in the final quarter, ending the game at 49-40.

According to DeStefano, much of the team's decline has been due to a lack of discipline from some of the players.

"There just comes a point where there's no magic answer," he said. "In tough times, in basketball and life, if you don't have good habits you rely on what you've always done, and if what you've always done isn't good enough, then things are never gonna change. And what's going on with us right now is we have a lot of guys, a few in particular, who simply want to do their own thing. Instead of doing what the coaching staff asks them, they think they're better than the game, they think they're better than the team, they think they're above the team, and we might have to make some changes, lineup-wise or personnel-wise, to find a combination of five guys who are willing to be coached. We did a lot of things tonight that we didn't do Monday night [against Springbrook] and that cost us the game, in terms of our decision making.

I know why it happens, but if kids aren't gonna listen to me, then what's the point? What's the point if I'm just gonna get ignored by somebody who thinks they're better than me?"

The Blazers once again had trouble holding on to the ball, committing 27 turnovers. It is their third game this season with at least 25 turnovers and fourth with at least 20. Also, Blair's bench was only able to score 2 points.

"Some of those turnovers were us just not catching the ball, and that's just concentration," DeStefano said. "You know, you hate to say it, but sometimes you've got to teach high school basketball players how to catch the ball. We tried to get guys some reps in the third quarter, we made some substitutes, and guys didn't produce. They didn't run the stuff we're asking them to run, they didn't do the stuff we wanted them to do. It's hard, because we can't find a rotation of guys to consistently do what we want done. Until that occurs, we're gonna have nights like tonight. We should have won this game tonight, I'll say it flat out. We should have won this game tonight."

Blazer starting point guard Cooper Neimand once again showed off his ball handling skills, using a great behind-the-back dribble and a quick change of direction to fake out defenders.

"My coach wants me to zig-zag, keep the defense moving," he said. "And I like to change speed to catch them off guard."

Leon Sampson continued his recovery from his tooth injury. The senior forward score 10 points with 18 rebounds, and held the Bengals' big men to only 6 points.

"Right now, I'm just trying to go out there and not think about [the injury] at all and just play," Sampson said. "It's hard, because teams know what they have to do against me - keep me off the boards and just try to play me hard. We're just not executing on offense. It's not our defense, it's our offense."

Sampson said that when guarding big men, he has an efficient plant to keep them in check.

"Most big men aren't very agile, they're powerful," Sampson said. "I know they try to get to the paint and get garbage buckets, so when I'm guarding a big man, my strategy is simple: Keep him off the glass, and when he gets the ball, keep in front of him."

Sophomore guard Ryan Frazier led the Bengals in scoring with 17 points. Frazier also had four rebounds, five steals, and was 12-16 from the free throw line.

"I felt like we could have played a lot better, but towards the end we pulled it together out on defense," Frazier said. "I think I hit [free throws] when they counted, I still got to work some, I missed four, but overall it was pretty good."

Senior forward Mike McClain scored 8 points and had 8 rebounds for the Blazers, but also accounted for 6 turnovers. Every Blair starter had at least three turnovers. Blake junior guard Carlton Agwu scored 12 points, and sophomore Brandon Headley had 9 points for the Bengals.

Blair's next game is tomorrow, January 9th, at 2-7 Magruder. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:15.

The Blair Blazers lost to undefeated Blake tonight in a low-scoring affair, 49-40. The Blazers were leading at halftime, but committed 27 turnovers and allowed the Bengals to control the rest of the game. Senior guard Wayne Henderson led the Blazers in scoring for the second straight game, with 18 points. Senior forward Leon Sampson had 10 points and 18 rebounds.

A full article will be posted tomorrow.

1/7 National Championship Game - Florida (12-1) vs. Oklahoma (12-1)

This is the last college football we'll see until spring practice, except for reruns on ESPN Classic. The game features two Heisman winners at quarterback (Florida's Tim Tebow and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford), two of the top three scoring offenses in the nation, and two of the most talented teams on both side of the ball in college football.

Passing Offense - Oklahoma. The Sooners rank 3rd in the country, averaging 356.54 yards per game through the air. Bradford, this year's Heisman winner, led the country in passing efficiency. The redshirt sophomore has 4,464 yards and 48 touchdowns against 6 interceptions this year, and has thrown for multiple touchdowns in every game this season, including five on four different occasions. Senior wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias has 69 catches for 1,092 yards and 10 touchdowns, junior tight end Jermaine Gresham has 58 receptions for 888 yards and 12 touchdowns, and senior wide receiver Manuel Johnson has 38 receptions for 685 yards and 9 touchdowns. Tebow, last year's Heisman winner, has thrown for 2,515 yards and 28 touchdowns against only two interceptions this season. Junior wide receiver Percy Harvin, who said he will be at 90% for the game because of his injured ankle, has 35 catches for 595 yards and seven touchdowns on the year.

Rushing Offense - Florida. Florida coach Urban Meyer said he wanted to create the fastest team in college football. With the Gators, he might have succeeded. Florida reportedly has 12 players who have run sub 4.4 forty-yard dashes, and their speed is shown in their running game. Running backs Chris Rainey and Jeffrey Demps blur the line between football player and track star. Rainey has 655 yards and four touchdowns this year, while Demps has 582 yards and seven touchdowns. Harvin gets a lot of carries on end arounds, and has 538 yards and nine touchdowns on 61 carries this season. While most of Florida's running game relies on their speed, their uniqueness comes from the power running game of Tebow. The junior has 564 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground this season, bringing his career rushing touchdown total to 43.

Passing Defense - Florida. The Gators rank 2nd in pass efficiency defense and 19th in pass defense this season, compared to Oklahoma's 41st and 99th. Sophomore defensive back Ahmad Black has 54 tackles and six interceptions, junior linebacker Brandon Spikes has 87 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, and 4 interceptions, sophomore defensive end Carlos Dunlap has 10 sacks, and junior defensive lineman Jermaine Cunningham has 51 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, and 8 sacks. Kansas' Todd Reesing had 342 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma, Texas Tech's Graham Harrell had 361 yards and three touchdowns, and Missouri's Chase Daniel had 255 yards and three touchdowns.

Rushing Defense - Florida. Against stronger rushing offenses in the SEC, the Gators have better stats. Florida ranks 16th in the country in rushing defense while Oklahoma ranks 18th. Florida's athletic ability in the front seven with Spikes, Dunlap and the rest of the crew really gives them the advantage over the Sooners in this area.

Look for Oklahoma offensive linemen Phil Loadholt and Duke Robinson. Both will be playing on Sundays next year. This will be a physical game between two of the most talented offenses in the country and one of the most talented defenses. That will be the difference in this one, as Florida brings home their second championship in three years.

1 2 3 4 T
Blair 15 10 9 12 46
SBHS17 18 20 14 69

SILVER SPRING - - The Blair Blazers traveled yesterday to Springbrook, the reigning 4A Maryland State champion, and lost their fifth straight game, 69-46. Blair coach Mark DeStefano is an alumnus of Springbrook, who was ranked #7 in the metro area by the Washington Post coming into the game.

Blair kept it close throughout most of the first half, and it was a ten point Springbrook lead at half time. A long Springbrook run at the end of the third quarter put the game out of reach, at 55-34.

"In the first half and the first part of the third quarter, I thought we played well," DeStefano said. "We played really hard. We definitely had a different purpose and a different intensity level tonight. We let things get away from us at the end of the first half a little bit. It was a five point game, we made a couple of turnovers and they converted. It was a ten point game until about three and a half minutes left in the third quarter, but then we made some more turnovers."

Blair forward Leon Sampson made his return from a tooth injury he suffered three weeks ago against Churchill. The senior scored six points with nine rebounds and three blocks, but committed six turnovers.

"Right now, my tooth is about 85-90%," Sampson said. "Give it another week or two and it should be back to full strength, but if I just go out there and don't think about it I'll be fine. First day back, I was a little rusty, but I'll be practicing tomorrow. Offensively, I think I could have played better but defensively, I think I did pretty well."

"I think he played as well as could be expected considering the circumstances," DeStefano said. "It was very physical out there, Springbrook's a very physical team, and he knows that."

Blair was outrebounded 32-21, and committed 21 turnovers to Springbrook's 8.

"We couldn't rebound the ball very well tonight," DeStefano said. "That was a real big factor, I thought we did a good enough job in our initial defensive push, but then we didn't get the ball and we gave them second chance and third chances. They're athletic and aggressive and they're playing at home, so they're gonna get points if we give them that, and they did. If we can minimize mistakes at crucial times like turnovers and really be consistent rebounding the ball and getting back on defense, we're gonna be pretty good in the long run. But it's a process, we're trying to get there little by little."

DeStefano said after the game that the team played a very tough and motivated game.

"They played hard, we told them that," he said. "I said I've got no qualms with how hard they played, they looked like they went out there with a purpose, like they wanted to go out there and compete, and it was top to bottom. I think that's something we have to have and we have to build on. Having said that, we missed a lot of easy shots, a lot of layups and stuff in close we should have made. That hurt. You know, when you get 2-on-1s and 3-on-2s and you don't convert, conversely it's 4-on-3 and 3-on-2 the other way."

Senior point guard and captain Eddie Kolleh came off the bench, and Cooper Neimand started for the Blazers. Kolleh played great defense and scored four points with one assist and one steal for the team.

"I felt I came out more aggressive," he said. "That's the reason I was on the bench, to be honest, I was too passive on offense, so I had to sit on the bench. I learned a lesson, I can't just be defensive-minded. Yeah, that's my strength, but I've gotta come out on both sides. If I'm only on defense, and I'm not helping on offense, then it's gonna be like 5-on-4 every time. So I understand why I'm on the bench. It's a lesson, you've got to take it and learn. All I care about is winning, I don't care who's starting or who's finishing, just winning."

Kolleh said that coming off the bench gives him less room to make mental errors on the court.

"When you're on the bench, this is what Coach Boatman told me, you're watching, so the mistakes that the starters make, at your position or in general, you can't come off the bench and make the same mistakes," he said. "You've been watching and you can see what's going on, so you know the tempo of the game. You've got to get in the flow of the game quickly, and after that, it's just playing basketball, having fun."

Late in the fourth quarter, Blair's subs came in and outscored Springbrook 12-4. Leading the pack was sophomore Dennis Mesidor, who scored five points with two rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block, and no turnovers.

"I feel like I played pretty good," Mesidor said. "I mean, I'm just trying to work hard and do what I gotta do to support the team."

"I think Dennis has really stepped it up," DeStefano said. "He's learning a little bit every day, and it's really fun coaching a kid like that, who comes to practice and learns something new and competes and plays every day in practice. He's very raw, he's never played organized high school ball before. I thought Eddie [Kolleh] did a great job tonight coming off the bench, especially in the first half. Cameron [Reed], even at the end, came in and did good things at the end, he was in a little slump so maybe that's gonna get him out of it. Neil [Corran] came in and gave us some hustle plays in the first half. We need guys to come off the bench and do stuff like that on a nightly basis."

Senior guard Wayne Henderson was the leading scorer for the Blazers, with 12 points.

"Wayne took advantage of some of the opportunities that were there tonight, but he still missed some shots he should have made," DeStefano said. "He scored 12, he probably could have had close to 18. Part of making all those shots is realizing that that shot is there, and guys are starting to figure out 'Hey, I can get a shot here, I can get a shot there, and I can do some things offensively', and he's starting to figure that out and all the guys are starting to figure that out."

Senior forward Mike McClain had ten points, three assists, and five steals for the Blazers. Jamal Olasewere, Springbrook's best player, scored 17 points. The forward is averaging 20 points a game this season, including two 30 plus efforts against Paint Branch and Walter Johnson. Forward Zaid Hearst scored a season high 21 with 10 rebounds for the Blue Devils, and star guard Jeremy Williams scored 8 points. Guard Chris Carter led all players with 7 assists.

Blair's next game is tomorrow, January 7th, at home against undefeated Blake. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:15 P.M.

1/6 GMAC Bowl - Ball State (12-1) vs. Tulsa (10-3)

After finishing the regular season undefeated, Ball State lost the MAC Championship game to upstart Buffalo to finish 12-1, ending any (unrealistic) hopes of playing in a BCS game. Through the first seven games, Tulsa was undefeated and was scoring an incredible 63.57 points per game. The Golden Hurricane struggled down the stretch, losing three of five, including the Conference-USA title game, to finish 10-3.

Passing Offense - Tulsa. Ball State's Nate Davis will be a much better pro quarterback than Tulsa's David Johnson, but Johnson is an incredible college QB. The senior has 3,866 yards and 43 touchdowns this year against 18 interceptions (five coming against East Carolina in the conference title game). Senior wide receiver Brennan Marion has 43 receptions for 1,112 yards and 8 touchdowns this season. Davis, a junior, has 3,446 yards and 26 touchdowns against 7 interceptions through the air this season. His top target is true freshman Briggs Orbon. Orbon has 65 catches for 767 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Rushing Offense - Ball State. Tulsa is averaging more yards per game on the ground than the Cardinals (254.85 to 192.69), but Ball State's MiQuale Lewis is one of the best in the country. The 5'6" junior has 1,701 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground this season. Tulsa's main running back is senior Tarrion Adams. Adams has 1,316 yards and 11 touchdowns this year.

Passing Defense - Ball State., The Cardinals rank 29th in pass efficiency defense and 56th in pass defense. The Golden Hurricane rank 110th in pass efficiency defense and 103rd in pass defense. Tulsa allowed 321 yards and two touchdowns to Rice's Chase Clement, 402 yards and six touchdowns to Houston's Case Keenum, and 385 yards and one touchdown to Arkansas' Casey Dick. Ball State held Indiana's Kellen Lewis to 159 yards and two interceptions, Northern Illinois' Chandler Harnish to 115 yards and one interception, and Western Michigan's Tim Hiller to 145 yards and two interceptions.

Rushing Defense - Ball State. Although the Cardinals rank 65th in rushing defense compared to Tulsa's 44th, the Golden Hurricane are seldom run on due to their dreadful pass defense. Senior linebacker Kenny Meeks has 43 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, and 7 sacks for Ball State. Defensive back Sean Baker leads the team with 91 tackles. Tulsa junior linebacker Mike Bryan has 112 tackles for the Golden Hurricane.

This is a matchup between two top teams from mediocre conferences who lost in the conference championship game. Both have great offenses, and they will be battling to show which is the better conference. Tulsa has a powerful offense, but so does Ball State. The Cardinals have a strong defense, but Tulsa does not. Ball State in an exciting one.

The Blair basketball team lost to Springbrook (ranked 7th in the metro area by the Washington Post) today, 69-46. Senior guard Wayne Henderson scored 12, senior forward Mike McClain scored 10 with 5 steals, and senior forward Leon Sampson had 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

A full article will be posted tomorrow.

Blair basketball continues it's season today at Springbrook at 5:15. The Blue Devils are ranked 7th in the metro area by the Washington Post and are 8-0. Blair is coming off of two disappointing losses in the Cougar Holiday Classic, and is 3-4.

The format for timing of games has changed for the rest of the season. Boys' varsity games will start at 5:15, and Girls' varsity games will follow at the same location. The same goes for JV, at the opposite location.

1/5 Fiesta Bowl - Texas (11-1) vs. Ohio State(10-2)

Texas thinks it should be in the national title game after beating Oklahoma, and still has a chance of winning the AP Championship if it beats Ohio State and Oklahoma sneaks by Florida. Ohio State's national title hopes were snapped when USC defeated the Buckeyes 35-3 in September.

Passing Offense - Texas. The Longhorns are led on offense by Heisman runner-up Colt McCoy at quarterback. The junior has 3,445 yards and 32 touchdowns this season against 7 interceptions, and also leads the team in rushing. Senior wide receivers Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby give McCoy two great targets. Shipley, McCoy's roommate, has 79 catches for 982 yards and 11 touchdowns, and Cosby has 78 catches for 952 yards and 5 touchdowns. After starting the first three games of the season for the Buckeyes, senior Todd Boeckman was benched in favor of true freshman Terrelle Pryor. Ohio State has announced that both will get playing time in the Fiesta Bowl. Pryor has 1,245 yards and 12 touchdowns against 4 interceptions. Texas has a great offensive guard in senior Cedric Dockery, and Ohio State has offensive tackle Alex Boone.

Rushing Offense - Ohio State. Both teams have mobile quarterbacks, but Ohio State has Chris Wells, one of the best running backs in the country. The junior, who missed three games due to injury, has 1,091 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground this year, and has rushed for over 95 yards in all but one of his games. Pryor has 553 yards and six touchdowns on the ground this year, and freshman Daniel Herron has 409 yards and five touchdowns. McCoy leads the Longhorns with 576 yards this year and has 10 touchdowns, sophomore Vondrell McGee has 376 yards and four touchdowns, and freshman Cody Johnson has 339 yards and 12 touchdowns this year.

Passing Defense - Ohio State. Led by projected top ten pick Malcolm Jenkins at cornerback, the Buckeyes rank in the top ten in both pass efficiency defense and pass defense. Jenkins has 54 tackles, 9 passes defended, and 3 interceptions this season. Junior safety Kurt Coleman has 67 tackles, 5 passes defended, and 4 interceptions this season. Texas' secondary has experience issues (with two freshman safeties and only one senior corner), but their line is rock solid. Senior defensive end Brian Orakpo swept every defensive award and was a consensus first team All-American. Orakpo has 38 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles this season. Joining him on the line are fellow seniors Henry Melton, an end, and Roy Miller, an All Big-12 defensive tackle. Melton has 23 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, and 4 sacks this season. Miller has 39 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, and 5 sacks this season.

Rushing Defense - Texas. That line and the linebacking corps of Roddrick Muckelroy, Sergio Kindle, Jared Norton is the reason that the Longhorns rank 2nd in the nation in rushing defense. Muckelroy has 96 tackles, Kindle has 42 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, and 10 sacks, and Norton has 46 tackles. Ohio State's linebackers might be even better, and James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman are two of the best in the country. Laurinaitis has 121 tackles (giving him 366 on his career), 7 tackles for a loss, and 5 sacks this season. Freeman has 76 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, and 4 sacks this season.

Both teams have something to prove. Texas wants to show that it should be in the national championship game, and that it deserves consideration for the national title. Ohio State wants to show that the last two years of BCS disappointment were flukes. I think the edge here goes to the Longhorns' dynamic offense. Texas with the win.

1/3 International Bowl - Connecticut (7-5) vs. Buffalo (8-5)

I'm sorry this one is a little late, my internet was not working this morning, so I couldn't put this one up.

From 1999 to 2005, the Buffalo Bulls won ten football games. This season, they have won eight and their first ever MAC championship. Connecticut has had a disappointing season of sorts. They have seriously contended for the Big East title for the past few years, but struggled with a 7-5 record this season.

Passing Offense - Buffalo. Senior quarterback Drew Willy has 3,091 yards and 25 touchdowns against 5 interceptions this season for the Bulls. Junior wide out Naaman Roosevelt has 96 catches for 1,312 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. Connecticut has struggled to find consistent play at the quarterback position, due to both injury and a lack of production.

Rushing Offense - Connecticut. The Huskies have the #1 running back in the country in terms of yards per game in Donald Brown. Brown has 1,822 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground this season, including 206 yards and three touchdowns against Virginia. Buffalo running back James Starks, who missed two games this season, has 1,308 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Passing Defense - Connecticut. The Huskies rank 12th in pass efficiency defense and 7th in pass defense. The Bulls rank 82nd in pass efficiency defense and 97th in pass defense. Connecticut held North Carolina's Cameron Sexton to 117 yards and one interception, Cincinnati's Tony Pike to 136 yards and one interception, and South Florida's Matt Grothe to 124 yards and one interception. Buffalo allowed 439 yards and two touchdowns to Missouri's Chase Daniel, 345 yards and four touchdowns to Western Michigan's Trey Hiller, and 351 yards and one touchdown to Ball State's Nate Davis.

Rushing Defense - Connecticut. The Huskies rank 21st in rushing defense while the Bulls rank 83rd. Connecticut held Virginia to 31 yards on the ground, Pittsburgh to 87 yards, and Baylor's Robert Griffin to 46 yards. Buffalo allowed 208 yards and three touchdowns to Central Michigan, 312 yards and two touchdowns to Kent State, and 320 yards and three touchdowns to Army.

I think I've finally learned my lesson after the East Carolina-Kentucky game. I am no longer picking the little school to upset the big school. It also helps that Connecticut is simply the better team. Connecticut with the win.

1/2 Sugar Bowl - Utah (12-0) vs. Alabama (12-1)

Alabama, after being ranked #1 for five straight weeks, came one win away from the national championship game. Both teams finished the regular season undefeated, and will be looking for their 13th win.

Passing Offense - Utah. The Utes rank 41st in the nation in passing offense, while Alabama ranks 96th. Senior quarterback Brian Johnson has passed for 2,636 yards and 24 touchdowns against 9 interceptions for Utah, and senior wide out Freddie Brown has caught 65 passes for 775 yards and 7 touchdowns. For Alabama, senior quarterback John Parker Wilson has passed for 2,069 yards and 9 touchdowns against 6 interceptions. Alabama also has maybe the best freshman wide receiver in the country in Julio Jones. Jones has 51 catches for 847 yards and 4 touchdowns this season. The loss of All-World left tackle Andre Smith (suspension) hurts the Tide, but whoever steps in for Alabama will be able to get the job done.

Rushing Offense - Alabama. Alabama ranks 22nd in rushing offense, averaging over 196 yards per game on the ground, while Utah is ranked 41st with over 168 yards per game. Both teams employ three running backs who run the ball very well. Junior Glen Coffee has 1,347 yards and ten touchdowns, freshman Mark Ingram has 702 yards and twelve touchdowns, and junior Roy Upchurch has 350 yards and four touchdowns for the Crimson Tide. Junior Matt Asiata has 678 yards and eleven touchdowns, senior Darrell Mack has 533 yards and three touchdowns, and sophomore Corbin Louks (a quarterback) has 218 yards and three touchdowns in limited playing time for the Utes. NFL prospect Antoine Caldwell is one of the best centers in the country for the Tide.

Passing Defense - Alabama. Led by one of the top defenders in the country in Rashad Johnson at safety, Alabama is ranked 13th in pass efficiency defense and 21st in pass defense. Utah is ranked 22nd and 40th in those two categories. The Crimson Tide held Clemson's Cullen Harper to 188 yards and one interception, Mississippi's Jevan Snead to 192 yards and one interception, and LSU's Jarrett Lee to 181 yards and 4 interceptions. Utah allowed 313 yards and two touchdowns to Oregon State's Lyle Moevao, but picked off BYU's Max Hall five times.

Rushing Defense - Alabama. Perhaps the best player on Alabama's defense is linebacker Rolando McClain. The sophomore has 91 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, and 3 sacks this season. Alabama ranks 4th in the nation in rushing defense, allowing just over 78 yards per game on the ground, while Utah ranks 12th in the nation, allowing just over 104 yards per game. Utah held Air Force, who averaged 268.92 yards per game on the ground this year, to 53 yards rushing, Oregon State to 92 yards, and Colorado State to 110 yards. Alabama held C.J. Spiller, James Davis and Clemson to 0 (!) yards rushing, Knowshon Moreno and Georgia to 50 yards rushing, and Kentucky to 35 yards on the ground.

Of all the teams Utah could have faced in a BCS bowl game, I think Alabama was the least favorable for the Utes. The Crimson Tide might be the most physically imposing team in college football, and their size advantage will punish Utah. Alabama easily.

1/2 Autozone Liberty Bowl - East Carolina (9-4) vs. Kentucky (6-6)

After starting the year with resounding wins over ranked Virginia Tech and West Virginia, East Carolina struggled. The Pirates snuck by hapless Tulane and lost three straight to North Carolina State, Houston, and Virginia. East Carolina then won 6 of their last 7 to win Conference-USA. Kentucky went 2-6 in SEC play (beating Arkansas and Mississippi State by a combined two points), but won all four non-conference games to become bowl eligible.

Passing Offense - East Carolina. After losing his starting job midway through the season to junior Rob Kass, senior Patrick Pinkney forced his way back into the lineup for the Pirates. Pinkney has 2,379 yards and 12 touchdowns against 7 interceptions this season. Sophomore wide receiver Dwayne Harris has 58 catches for 654 yards and one touchdown this season for East Carolina. Sophomore quarterback Mike Hartline started the year as the starter for the Wildcats, but true freshman Randall Cobb took over midseason. In the last game of the season against Tennesseee, Kentucky used both Hartline, a passer, and Cobb, a runner. Hartline was 5-7 for 74 yards and Cobb was 4-7 for 22 yards and 23 yards on the ground. It will be interesting to see what kind of combination, if any at all, they will deploy.

Rushing Offense - Kentucky. Cobb's running ability gives the Wildcats the advantage on the ground. In really only six or seven games this season, Cobb has 316 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Senior running back Tony Dixon only has 341 yards on the ground this year, but has scored seven touchdowns. For East Carolina, sophomore Norman Whitley has 667 yards and four touchdowns and senior Brandon Simmons has 430 yards and six touchdowns.

Passing Defense - East Carolina. The Pirates rank 37th in pass efficiency defense and 48th in pass defense. They intercepted Tulsa's David Johnson 5 times in the conference championship game, Virginia's Marc Verica twice, and Virginia Tech's Sean Glennon twice. Florida's Tim Tebow scored four total touchdowns against Kentucky and Georgia's Matthew Stafford passed for 376 yards and three touchdowns against the Wildcats.

Rushing Defense - East Carolina. The Pirates are ranked 52nd in the country in rushing defense; the Wildcats are ranked 63rd. East Carolina held Tulane's Andre Anderson to 82 yards, Memphis' Curtis Steele to 43 yards, and Virginia Tech's Darren Evans to 37 yards. Kentucky allowed 218 yards to Alabama's Glen Coffee, 214 yards and five touchdowns to Florida, and 123 yards and 3 touchdowns to Georgia's Knowshon Moreno.

East Carolina wishes it was in the SEC. Beating one of the conference's weakest would be a good start. Kentucky is in back-to-back bowl games for only the second time in program history. If there's anything I've learned this bowl season, it's to not pick against a big conference team playing a small conference team. However, East Carolina has something to prove, and they will win in Memphis.

1/2 Cotton Bowl - Texas Tech (11-1) vs. Ole Miss (8-4)

These two teams have had very different seasons. Texas Tech started out the year 9-0 and had national title hopes until a disappointing 65-21 loss to Oklahoma. Ole Miss upset national champion contender Florida but lost to teams like Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, and South Carolina.

Passing Offense - Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have the #1 ranked passing offense in the nation, averaging over 417 yards per game through the air. Texas Tech is led by senior quarterback Graham Harrell, who threw for at least 400 yards and 7 of his 12 games this season. Harrell has 4,747 yards and 41 touchdowns against 7 interceptions this season. His number one target might be the best receiver in the nation, sophomore Michael Crabtree. Crabtree, after setting all sorts of records as a freshman last season, continued to wreak havoc on defenses this season. Crabtree has 93 catches for 1,135 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Detron Lewis, a sophomore for Texas Tech, has 71 catches for 869 yards and 3 touchdowns and Eric Morris, a senior, has 64 catches for 682 yards and 8 touchdowns. Texas transfer Jevan Snead has had a great year for Ole Miss. The sophomore has 2,470 yards and 23 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.

Rushing Offense - Ole Miss. The Rebels rank 31st in the country in rushing offense; the Red Raiders rank 96th. The Rebels don't have a real number one rusher, but the amount of guys that can run is astounding. Junior running back Cordera Eason has 644 yards and three touchdowns this year, junior wide receiver Dexter McCluster has 558 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, freshman running back Brandon Bolden has 441 yards and four touchdowns, and Snead has chipped in with three rushing touchdowns this year.

Passing Defense - Ole Miss. Ole Miss ranks 44th in pass efficiency defense and 61st in pass defense. Texas Tech ranks 67th in pass efficiency defense and 91st in pass defense. The Rebels rank 5th in the country with over three sacks a game. Senior defensive lineman Peria Jerry has 47 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, and 7 sacks this season. Junior defensive back Kendrick Lewis has 78 tackles, 6 passes defended, and 4 interceptions for the Rebels.

Rushing Defense - Ole Miss. The Rebels rank 6th in the country in rushing defense and 1st in the country in tackles for a loss. Texas Tech ranks 44th in rushing defense. Senior defensive back Jamarca Sanford has 80 tackles this year for the Rebels and sophomore defensive lineman Kentrell Lockett has 35 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, and 4 sacks this season.

This matchup does not favor the Rebels. Their defense relies on penetration through the line - Texas Tech's line is one of the best in the country. The Rebels' passing defense gives up more than 209 yards per game through the air - Texas Tech averages over 417 per game through the air. Look for Texas Tech to finish out strong and Graham Harrell (and possibly Michael Crabtree) to have a solid last game of his career.

1/1 Orange Bowl - Cincinnati (11-2) vs. Virginia Tech (9-4)

The Orange Bowl has been seen as the "weaker" one of the BCS bowl games in recent years, and this year is no exception. The Big East is widely known as the weakest BCS conference, and their champion, Cincinnati, is not well known on the national stage. The ACC is known for their parity, but without a true standout this year, this game has been downplayed.

Passing Offense - Cincinnati. The Bearcats have the 24th ranked passing offense, compared to Virginia Tech's 111th. Cincinnati has used five different quarterbacks this year, but have found a consistent passer in junior Tony Pike. Pike has 2,168 yards and 18 touchdowns against 7 interceptions this year. Senior wide receivers Dominick Goodman and Mardy Gilyard have had good years for the Bearcats. Goodman has 78 receptions, 977 yards and 7 touchdowns, and Gilyard has 74 receptions, 1,118 yards and 10 touchdowns. Virginia Tech has switched between quarterbacks Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor all year, and the combination has not worked. Taylor started out the year as a redshirt, but the sophomore has 896 yards and 2 touchdowns against 6 interceptions through the air and 691 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground. Glennon has 743 yards and 3 touchdowns against 5 interceptions.

Rushing Offense - Virginia Tech. The Hokies average 40 more yards per game on the ground than the Bearcats. Taylor gives them an extra weapon under center, but their best runner is true freshman tailback Darren Evans. Evans has 1,112 yards and 10 touchdowns this year, including a breakout 253 yard, one touchdown performance against Maryland on national television. Juniors Jacob Ramsey and John Goebel share carries for Cincinnati. Ramsey has 674 yards and two touchdowns this year and Goebel has 581 yards and seven touchdowns

Passing Defense - Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech ranks 33rd in pass efficiency defense and 13th in pass defense, compared to 28th and 68th for Cincinnati. Senior cornerback Victor "Macho" Harris is one of the best in the nation. Harris has 44 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 2 blocked kicks this season. The Hokies have three great pass rushers in defensive linemen Jason Worilds and Orion Martin and linebacker Cody Grimm. Worilds has 9 sacks and 23 tackles for a loss, Martin has 8 sacks and 15 tackles for a loss, and Grimm has 7 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss. Cincinnati defensive end Connor Barwin has 12 sacks and 16 tackles for a loss.

Rushing Defense - Cincinnati. Both teams have great rushing defenses - Cincinnati's is ranked 13th, Virginia Tech's is ranked 18th. Senior defensive back Mike Mickens has 66 tackles and 4 interceptions for the Bearcats this season and senior linebacker Ryan Manalac has 75 tackles.

Both of these teams have something to prove. They are trying to show that they can compete on the national stage, and trying to show that their conference is a viable BCS conference. This will be a close one, but look for Frank Beamer's Virginia Tech to make a big play on special teams and win the game.

1/1 Rose Bowl - USC (11-1) vs. Penn State (11-1)

This might be the best matchup of any two teams this season. Penn State ranks in the top 45 nationally in all 17 major statistical categories. USC ranks in the top 40 nationally in 15 of the 17 categories (all except net punting and punt returns).

Passing Offense - Penn State. Penn State's passing offense ranks slightly lower than USC's, but the difference is the Nittany Lions' Derrick Williams. The senior wide receiver has 40 receptions for 451 yards and three touchdowns, 39 carries for 226 yards and three touchdowns, and has three return touchdowns on the year. Senior quarterback Darryl Clark has passed for 2,319 yards and 17 touchdowns against 4 interceptions. Senior wide receivers Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler have combined for 81 catches, 1,318 yards and 12 touchdowns. USC quarterback Mark Sanchez has been inconsistent this season, throwing 30 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, including three in one game against Arizona State.

Rushing Offense - USC. USC's trio of 600-yard running backs gives the Trojans the advantage on the ground. Sophomore running back Joe McKnight has rushed for 646 yards and two touchdowns, junior running back Stafon Johnson has rushed for 642 yards and nine touchdowns, and sophomore running back C.J. Gable has run for 604 yards and eight touchdowns. Sophomore running back Evan Royster has had a great year for the Nittany Lions. Royster has 1,202 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.

Passing Defense - USC. The Trojans rank 1st in pass efficiency defense and 1st in pass defense. The Nittany Lions are no slouches either, ranking 4th and 12th in those two categories. The Trojans are led against the pass by defensive end Kyle Moore, cornerback Cary Harris, and safeties Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays, all NFL prospects. The Nittany Lions have one of the best defensive ends in the country in sophomore sackmaster Aaron Maybin. Maybin has 12 sacks and 20 tackles for a loss this season.

Rushing Defense - USC. The Trojans rank 5th in rushing defense; the Nittany Lions 9th. The strong point of USC's defense lies in their linebackers. Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, and Kaluka Maiava are three of the best linebackers in the country, and defensive tackle Fili Moala is projected to be one of the top DTs taken in this year's draft. Maualuga, probably the best of the bunch, has 73 tackles this season and is one of the fiercest hitters in college football.

Both of these teams came as close as you can get to getting to the national title game. The Trojans are giving up just more than seven points a game this season. Seven. Joe Paterno has completely revitalized the Penn State offense with the new Spread HD system. This game will be an incredible athletic display on every play with future pros abound, and USC will come out with the victory.

1/1 Gator Bowl - Nebraska (8-4) vs. Clemson (7-5)

By both school's usual standards, this was not a good year. However, the two programs are going in opposite directions. Nebraska went 5-7 and missed a bowl game last year, but rebounded to tie for first in the Big 12 North (Missouri won because of the tiebreaker). Clemson was the preseason #9 team after finishing 9-3 last year, but never really recovered after an opening week thrashing by Alabama.

Passing Offense - Nebraska. The passing attack of Joe Ganz and the Cornhuskers ranks 14th in the nation. Ganz, a senior quarterback, has 3,332 yards and 23 touchdowns against 10 interceptions through the air this season. Ganz has also rushed for 257 yards and five touchdowns this season. Nate Swift, a senior wide receiver for Nebraska, has 60 catches for 909 yards and 9 touchdowns this season and Todd Peterson, another senior wideout, has 58 catches for 690 yards and 3 touchdowns. Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper came in to this year with high expectations after being one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country last season. This year, the senior has passed for 2,395 yards with 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Much of it has been his lack of protection - Harper has been sacked more than 2 times per game this year.

Rushing Offense - Clemson. Yes, I know the Tigers rank a dreadful 95th in the country with 120.5 yards per game on the ground. Yes, I know the Cornhuskers rank 36th in the country with 173.5 yards per game on the ground. But you can't tell me that the combination of Thunder and Lightning combo James Davis and C.J. Spiller is not as good as Roy Helu Jr. and Marlon Lucky. Davis, a senior who has 47 rushing touchdowns and over 3,800 yards in his career, has 725 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Spiller, a junior who has 20 rushing touchdowns and over 2,300 yards in his career, has 612 yards and 7 touchdowns this season. Helu Jr. has 804 yards and 7 touchdowns this year and Lucky has 517 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Passing Defense - Clemson. Clemson ranks 9th in pass efficiency defense and 10th in pass defense this year, while Nebraska ranks 89th and 90th in those two categories. Senior cornerback Michael Hamlin has six interceptions, tied for 6th in the country, and 91 tackles for the Tigers. Clemson held Virginia's Marc Verica to 160 yards and three interceptions, Boston College's Chris Crane to 116 yards, and North Carolina State's Russell Wilson and Harrison Beck to a combined 152 yards and two interceptions.

Rushing Defense - Nebraska. Against better rushing offenses (the Big 12 averages around a 57th ranked rushing offense while the ACC averages around 67th), Nebraska ranks 29th in the nation in rushing defense compared to Clemson's 33rd. The Cornhuskers held Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray to 57 yards, Kansas' Jake Sharp to 90 yards, and Colorado to 42 yards on the ground.

Both programs are in upheaval under new coaches. This is Nebraska coach Bo Pelini's first year at the school, and Clemson coach Dabo Sweeney took over mid year. This game will be a great stepping stool for either team going into next season. I'll go with Nebraska and Joe Ganz to finish strong.