Murderers' Row Continues In The Big Ten This Week

The Big East has by far been the best conference from top to bottom in college basketball for years, especially since 2005 when Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, and South Florida all joined the conference from Conference-USA, which significantly improved the league as a whole. The Big East has dominated in terms of number of bids to the tournament as well, while other conferences, such as the Big Ten, have struggled in recent years to get a lot of teams into the big dance.

The last time the Big Ten received more bids to the tourney than any other conference was back in 2001. In the last four NCAA tournaments, the Big Ten has had 24 bids into the tourney, while the Big East has sent 34 teams to the big dance. Since 1990, just one NCAA champion has come from the Big Ten, which was Michigan St. in 2000. This is an extremely low number considering the ACC has had 8 champions, the SEC has had 5 champions, and the Big East has had 4 champions since 1990.

However, the tides have turned this season, as the Big Ten is far and away the best conference in all of college basketball. 5 Big Ten teams are ranked inside the top 25, which is more than any other conference and it looks like at least 8 Big Ten teams (Ohio St, Michigan St., Wisconsin, Michigan, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota) will make the tourney.

This week continues the excitement of the highly competitive league, as there are a great slate of games.

On Tuesday, #9 Michigan St. (17-4, 6-2) travels to play Illinois (15-6, 4-4) in Champagne at Assembly Hall. Sparty, who have won 17 of their last 19 games after starting out 0-2 with two early losses to North Carolina and Duke, will attempt to knock off the Illini in a hostile atmosphere. Illinois has already knocked off Big Ten favorite Ohio St. at home this year but they have lost three tight games in a row by a combined 11 points including an overtime lose to Minnesota in their last outing.

The following day, the Spartans arch rival, #22 Michigan (18-6, 6-3), is playing host to #17 Indiana (17-5, 5-5). Like Illinois, Michigan has been very difficult to beat at home, as they have wins over Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan St. at the Crisler Center. However, Michigan has struggled of late due largely to the fact that they are settling for so many three point shots. The Wolverines took 25 threes against Ohio St. in their 64-49 loss on Sunday and 28 threes in their 66-64 road loss to Arkansas last week. Although Indiana has extremely impressive home wins over Kentucky, Ohio St., and Michigan in Bloomington, they have severely struggled the road in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers are 1-4 away from Assembly Hall including 0-3 against ranked opponents. Indiana, led by freshman forward Cody Zeller, who had a career high 26 points in the Hoosiers 103-89 victory over Iowa on Sunday, will have a chance to get a big road win on Wednesday when they travel to take on the Wolverines.

Ohio St. (19-3, 7-2) may be the most complete team in college basketball. The Buckeyes have arguably the best defensive point guard in the country with Aaron Craft, the best big man in the country with Jared Sullinger, who is averaging 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, and one of the best seniors in the country with William Buford. All three of these stars will be looking for revenge on Saturday when the #3 Buckeyes travel to Madison to play #25 Wisconsin (17-5, 6-3), who knocked off Ohio St. last season at home when the Buckeyes were undefeated at 24-0. Preseason 1st team All-American point guard Jordan Taylor, who has struggled this year shooting the ball, will try to have a repeat performance of his game last year when he had 27 points, which led to the Badgers huge upset. Taylor has played much better since Big Ten play began, as he is averaging over 16 points in Wisconsin's 9 league games.

The great week of Big Ten basketball concludes with two great in-state rivalry games on Saturday and Sunday.

#17 Indiana continues their difficult week on the road, as they take on Purdue (15-7, 5-4). Purude has been on the short end of several close games this season. They fell to Xavier on the road by 3, to Butler on a neutral court by 2, as well as two Big Ten home losses by 5 points to Wisconsin and 2 points to Michigan. The Boilermakers are led by forward Robbie Hummel, who is one of the most versatile players in the country.

On Sunday, #22 Michigan and #11 Michigan St. rekindle their growingly intense rivalry when the Wolverines travel to East Lansing to take on Sparty. Fuel has been added to this in-state rivalry since Michigan has greatly improved as a program under the leadership of John Beilein and since Tom Izzo said, "Do i respect Michigan? Tremendously. Do I like 'em? Not one bit." Michigan beat Michigan St. in Ann Arbor in a great game earlier this year by 1 point after both Keith Appling and Draymond Green missed shots for the Spartans in the final 11 seconds of the game.

To illustrate how difficult the Big Ten has been this year, just look at the stretches of games some teams in the conference have had to play or are going to have to play. Penn St. is currently in a 6 game stretch where they have had to play Illinois at home, #17 Indiana and #3 Ohio St. on the road, #25 Wisconsin at home, before returning on the road to play Iowa and #9 Michigan St. Iowa had a four game stretch where they had to play #3 Ohio St. at home, #9 Michigan St. in East Lansing, #22 Michigan at home, before going on the road again to play Purdue in West Lafayette.

Kevin Love Is Trying To Build Something With The Minnesota Timberwolves

Nobody in their right mind would consider the Minnesota Timberwolves the model NBA franchise. In fact, the T-Wolves could be the farthest thing in the entire NBA from the perfect organization.

Since the Timberwolves entered the league as an expansion team in 1989, they have struggled to find a core group of players who can help them be a consistent playoff contender in the West. In the T-Wolves 21 year history, they have had a total of 11 coaches and aside from Flip Saunders, who coached the team for 10 years from 1996 to 2005, they haven't had the same coach for more than 3 seasons.

The Timberwolves have not made a playoff appearance in the last 7 postseasons and their record of 187-387, which is 200 games under .500, shows how dreadful they have been since they made the Western conference finals for the first time in franchise history back in 2004. In fact, Minnesota has lost at least 50 games for the past 5 seasons including a 67 loss season two years ago and a dreadful 65 loss campaign last year.

Since 2006, the Timberwolves have had one of the first seven picks in the NBA draft every year. It's safe to say that Minnesota has struggled pretty mightily, especially since Kevin Garnett was traded in 2007 and Al Jefferson, the huge talent that Minnesota received in return for the all-star, never panned out and is now a member of the Utah Jazz.

It would have been easy for rising NBA all-star and 2011 most improved player Kevin Love to bolt on the Timberwolves and his teammates and enter free agency after this season. Nobody would have blamed him outside of Minnesota for wanting to be surrounded by a superstar team and a club that is going to compete for an NBA championship right now.

LeBron left the Cleveland Cavaliers after he had enough of playing along side mediocre talent, as he came to the realization that the Cavs didn't have enough pieces around him to win multiple NBA championships.

It would have been nothing against Kevin Love's fantastic talent or ability as a player to leave the team that drafted him and had built around him to go to a perennial playoff team.

However, Kevin Love has chosen a different route than LeBron and so many other NBA superstars who have wanted to leave their small market clubs in order to go to a bigger market like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Dwight Howard (who has still not been traded despite the fact that he has requested Magic GM Otis Smith to leave Orlando). Love has signed a four year contract extension to stay in Minnesota worth 62 million dollars, as he is trying to build a playoff caliber team in the Twin Cities.

A big factor in Love's decision to stay with the T-Wolves is that although they were 17-65 last year, they have an immense amount of talent and youth on their squad and they are only going to improve with experience and playing with each other as time goes on.

Of the 12 guys who have played for the T-Wovles this season, only guards J.J. Barea and Luke Ridnour are older than 26. The combined age of Minnesota's starting lineup against the Dallas Mavericks of Ricky Rubio, 21, Wayne Ellington, 24, Derrick Williams, 20, Kevin Love, 23, and Darko Milicic, 26, was just 114. In comparison, the Mavericks starting five in that game of Jason Kidd, 38, Delonte West, 28, Shawn Marion, 33, Lamar Odom, 32, and Brendan Haywood 32, was 163.

Apart of that youth for the T-Wolves is point guard sensation from Spain, Ricky Rubio, and the number 2 overall pick in last year's NBA draft, Derrick Williams. Both rookies make the future outlook for the Timberwolves very positive and Love is ecstatic to have the opportunity to grow with that core.

Rubio is any players dream to play along side of, as the 21 year old is an incredible passer. The pass first point guard is always looking for his teammates and is very unselfish. Rubio is averaging 8.7 assists per game and he has posted 8 double-digit assist games thus far.

There is no doubt that Kevin Love has become a superstar in the NBA and that is why the Timberwolves are so excited that he is staying in Minnesota.

Love is putting up ridiculous numbers this season, as he is averaging 25.3 points per game, which is 4th in the league, and is second in the league in rebounding with 13.7 per game. Love became the first player this year to start a season with 13 straight double-doubles since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1992. Love has become a double-double machine, as he has 17 double doubles in 18 T-Wolves games.

The big man even has some range and can step outside the arc and knock down the three. Love is hitting over 2 threes per game and is shooting it at a 40.9 percent clip from deep.

The Timberwolves are one of the most exciting teams to watch, but Kevin Love is trying to be the center of a team that is going to be more than just exciting but a team that is going to compete for a playoff spot for many years to come.

Reaction From Joe Paterno's Death

Coaching legend at Penn St., Joe Paterno passed away at the age of 85 on Sunday morning. 

Paterno lead the Nittany Lions to five undefeated and untied seasons in 1968, 1969, 1973, 1986, and 1994, as well as two National Championships in 1982 and 1986. Joe Pa is the all-time winningest coach in FBS history with 409 victories and his 24 bowl wins are more than any other coach. Paterno had 21 seasons where his Nittany Lions won 10 game or more and he lead Penn St. to 22 top 10 finishes in the AP poll.

Paterno will be remembered just as much around Penn St. for what he did to help the university grow as an institution. His "Grand Experiment" in helping athletics and academics coexist as well as his honorable donations to the university greatly improved academic life at State College, Pennsylvania. Paterno and his wife raised over 13.75 million dollars for a new library at the university and the library now bares the Paterno name.

However, Joe Pa's legacy will forever be tarnished because of the sexual abuse scandal involving his long-time defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky that occurred while he was the head coach and ultimately forced him to be fired. Although after learning about the abuse, Paterno reported the incident to his supervisor, he came under criticism for not following up on the report and making sure that it got to the police. Pennsylvania state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said, "somebody has to question about what I would consider the moral requirements for a human being that knows of sexual things that are taking place with a child. I think you have the moral responsibility, anyone. Not whether you're a football coach or a university president or the guy sweeping the building. I think you have a moral responsibility to call us [the police]."

Reaction from Paterno's death has been widespread. It has come from a wide range of people including former and current Penn St. players, opposing players and coaches, and even a former President. Here is some reaction from Paterno's death.

Current and Former Penn St. players and coaches on Joe Paterno's death:

Current Penn St. Head Coach Bill O’Brien: "It is with great sadness that I am compelled to deliver this message of condolence and tribute to a great man, husband, father and someone who is more than just a coach, Joe Paterno. First, on behalf of Penn State Football, we offer our sincerest condolences to the Paterno family for their loss. We also offer our condolences to the Penn State community and, in particular, to those who wore the Penn State colors, our Nittany Lion football players and alumni. Today they lost a great man, coach, mentor and, in many cases, a father figure, and we extend our deepest sympathies. The Penn State Football program is one of college football's iconic programs because it was led by an icon in the coaching profession in Joe Paterno. There are no words to express my respect for him as a man and as a coach. To be following in his footsteps at Penn State is an honor. Our families, our football program, our university and all of college football have suffered a great loss, and we will be eternally grateful for Coach Paterno's immeasurable contributions."

Former Penn St. defensive coordinator Tom Bradley from 2000 to 2011: “Words seem to pale in a moment such as this. The terms "icon" and "legend" have often been used to describe Joe Paterno. Certainly, he was both within the world of college athletics. But to those of us who played for him, to those of us who coached with him and to those of us who had the privilege to call him a friend, Joe Paterno was much more. To me, he was my mentor for 37 years, and the lessons that I learned from him as a player, coach and friend will live on with me forever. It was Coach Paterno who saw what I could be and helped me to realize that potential. He was a tremendous teacher not because he knew all of the answers but because he challenged us to find the answers for ourselves. He made us better men than we believed we could be -- both on and off the field. And when we lost our way or became unsure of ourselves, it was Coach Paterno who was there to encourage us, guide us and remind us that we must always strive to succeed with honor. Coach Paterno never believed his role as "coach" ended after practice, or when the fourth quarter wound down or when a student-athlete graduated. He was a coach for life. I am deeply grateful to have had Coach Paterno in my life. He was the epitome of class and his spirit will live on in all of us who had the great honor of knowing him and running out of the tunnel with him on so many autumn Saturdays. My thoughts and prayers are with Coach Paterno's devoted wife, Sue, his son Jay, with whom I coached so many years, and with the entire Paterno family during this sad and difficult time.

Former Penn St. linebacker Paul Posluszny from 2003 to 2006: "It’s hard to put into words what Coach Paterno means to me… My four years in State College playing under him were more than I could ever imagine and helped shaped me not only as a player but as a person. I stand in awe of what he was able to accomplish at Penn State not only on the playing field but his graduation rates and how he put so much money back into the school. He truly loved the university. Coach Paterno was not only one of the greatest coaches in any sport but he was a great man who did things the right way… Coach Paterno should be remembered and revered for his 61 years of service to the Penn State community, the many games and championships he won, and the positive influence he was in so many lives. He was one of a kind and his legacy will be lasting."

Former Penn St. safety Bryan Scott from 2000 to 2002: "It's really difficult to find words that encompass what Coach Paterno will forever mean to me. He reinforced that a man's character, morals, values and fundamentals were the main ingredient for success. Succeeding in the classroom, succeeding at your job, succeeding at home, should all be placed before success on the football field. He brought great perspective to my life, and I will always and forever take those lessons, live by them, and pass them forward."

Former Penn St. linebacker LaVar Arrington from 1998 to 1999: "I love my school, I love my teammates, I love my coaches, I love everything about the institution I was a part of… What he's [Paterno] done for me, it's amazing how I live my life, and I know, in large part, it's basically due to how much that man challenged me. He was able to get the big picture on guys. Either you were going to rise up to the challenge, or you were gonna succumb to it… I'm not going to say Joe was perfect in the way he handled it [the sexual abuse scandal]. But he certainly wasn't inadequate in the way he handled that situation. And not in a way where everything that man handled in his life is null and void. Not at all."

Former Penn St. running back Mike Guman from 1976 to 1979: “You could have become a good football player at many places but you wouldn’t have become the man you are if you didn’t go to Penn State.”

Former Penn St. linebacker Matt Millen from 1976 to 1977: "I am numb. Forget the football aspect. We just lost a great contributor to our society. He was way more than a football coach. There are many living positive testimonies walking around because of Joe Paterno. He straightened out many lives. He was rare. This was a real guy — he was not a fake. Was he infallible? Absolutely not. He had his flaws; he made mistakes. But he was as close to being what you are supposed to be as anyone I ever have been around. He was a teacher who affected thousands [with] life lessons... My impression was that he was very heavy-hearted about the scandal. Certainly, the cancer will be listed as the cause of death. But I can't help but think that a broken heart pushed him over the edge.'' 

Former Penn St. tight end Mickey Shuler from 1975 to 1977: “It’s just sad because I think he died from other things than lung cancer. I don’t think that the Penn State that he helped us to become and all the principles and values and things that he taught were carried out in the handling of his situation.”

Former Penn St. running back Lydell Mitchell from 1970 to 1971: “We came to Penn State as young kids and when we left there we were men and the reason for that was Joe Paterno.”

Former Penn St. practice player Joe Yermal in 1963: "It's heartbreaking. They will miss him, I will miss him. Joe was never, what would the expression be, a warm and fuzzy guy. That wasn't him. He'd bark and growl and what have you, and at the same time, after he'd done that, he'd check and make sure things were okay with your family. This problem that he encountered regarding the Sandusky allegations and what have you are obviously going to be a part of it, but it's not going to be the main chapter. I think it will be a footnote. I think over the years people will look back and recognize how much the guy gave to the university, how important the success of the school was to him. I will look back, as I do with my Dad, at him and I won't cry when I think about him, but I will smile.”

Current and Former Opposing Players and Coaches on Joe Paterno's death:

Current South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier: "I have the utmost respect and admiration for Joe Paterno. I've coached around 300 college games and only once when I've met the other coach at midfield prior to the game have I asked a photographer to take a picture of me with the other coach. That happened in the Citrus Bowl after the '97 season when we were playing Penn State. I had one of our university photographers take the picture with me and Coach Paterno, and I still have that photo in the den at my house. That's the admiration I have for Joe Paterno. It was sad how it ended, but he was a great person and coach.”

Current Alabama head coach Nick Saban: "Joe Paterno gave his life to college football. He gave his life to the players and college football. Not just at Penn State, but when I was the head coach at Michigan State, we had a player who could get a sixth year because of an injury, and Joe was the head of the committee. He got it done for the player, and that player actually ran a touchdown against them that could have cost them the game later that season. But never I never doubted with him that he was going to do what was best for college football, and the players that played it, and I think that should be his legacy… Probably as much as anything what we all try to get as coaches, a well-disciplined team that gives tremendous effort, plays physical, has the ability to execute down-in and down-out and play winning football. And when you played Joe's teams, that's exactly what you were playing against. They always had real good athletes, but to me it was the level they performed at that was indicative of the kind of program that he ran, the kind of influence that he had on the players... It's just too bad for everyone that someone who had done so much for college football, his legacy would really end. Maybe the message that everyone out there could learn from this is that assistant coaches, players, everybody involved in programs have a responsibility and obligation to do the right things for the institutions, because people remember Joe Paterno as part of this more than they do anyone else. That may be the shame of it all. Maybe he made a mistake in how he managed it, but really wasn't the guy who did the wrongdoing. But all of us need to understand that whatever profession we're in, sometimes the people in charge can really suffer just as much as the people who made the wrong choices and decisions.”

Current Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer: “We have lost someone with great and special talents. He had great and special talent as far as being a leader, which is very obvious by his winning record. And, he had a great and special talent in how he treated people. In my experience with him, he was always charming, gracious and thoughtful. I think he was a great fighter, and I know he fought this illness to the very end. College football will miss Joe Paterno.”

Current Ohio St. head coach Urban Meyer: "He was a man who I have deep respect for as a human being, as a husband and father, as a leader and as a football coach. I was very fortunate to have been able to develop a personal relationship with him, especially over the course of the last several years, and it is something that I will always cherish. We have lost a remarkable person and someone who affected the lives of so many people in so many positive ways. His presence will be dearly missed. His legacy as a coach, as a winner and as a champion will carry on forever."

Current Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald: "The legacy of Joe Paterno will be long lasting -- not only as a football coach and mentor, but as a family man. For 62 years, Coach Paterno poured his heart and soul into a football program and university, helping countless young men reach their dreams and goals on the football field before moving on to successful careers and lives as adults. It's hard to fathom the impact that Coach Paterno has had on college football and at Penn State. His insight and wisdom will be missed. We at Northwestern send our condolences to Sue and the Paterno family."

Current Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill: “I got home last night from recruiting and my oldest daughter said she had just heard. Fifteen minutes later, my youngest daughter at Murray State called. That's two girls from a coach's family reacting to it. That really sums up his impact. It hits home. He coached for 60 years with more than 100 players per year. Think about how many lives he touched, how many good things he has done. From my family to the Paterno family, our prayers go out to them. It's a sad day for football, but a good day for the man upstairs. I would tell people not to forget what that guy has done. To coach for 60 years in one place, that just won't ever happen again. I didn't get to coach against him. But I got to coach in the Big Ten, sit next to him at a meeting and have my picture taken with him. That's something I will never forget.”

Current Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini: "My condolences go out to Coach Paterno’s family and the Penn State community. I have so much respect for what Coach Paterno accomplished at Penn State both on and off the field. He wasn’t just a legendary coach, but a class individual and his record speaks for itself. I had the honor of getting a few chances to spend time with him since we joined the Big Ten, and those were special opportunities for me as a relatively young head coach in this profession."

Former Florida St. head coach Bobby Bowden from 1976 to 2009: "It’s going to be very hard to imagine college football without Joe in this world… I've known Joe forever. I've known him personally since 1966. The first time I met him was 1962. We've always been very close. We're close to the same age. He's just one of the best coaches ever. I felt like he would go down as probably the best ever, but after this little thing it kind of tainted it. But I'm sorry it happened. I hate it happened. I hate to see something happen to Joe… It is really sad. The guy had the most illustrious career in the history of college football, probably all of football. To put the years together and have the success he had and then have it all end like this, it’s just tragic. I’m just going to remember the good things because he did so many good things at Penn State. … It’s amazing. You can do so many good things in your life and then have one mistake. You can’t ignore the great years he had at Penn State and the great things he did for Penn State. That university is known for Joe Paterno and [his wife] Sue. It’s just a great tragedy… Just remember the good things. I don't remember the bad things. He didn't have many bad things. I would only remember the good things. He and I spent a lot of time together. We played him 10 times at West Virginia and played him twice when I was at Florida State in bowls. I never beat him in Pennsylvania. He had too many good players.”

Former Georgia coach Vince Dooley from 1964 to 1968: "Barbara and I are saddened by the sudden and untimely loss of our long time dear friend Joe Paterno. His wife Sue was a special friend and our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family. Joe was a great role model and represented all that was good about college football. It was tragic that such a person had to endure the heartbreaks of his last months on earth. God Bless Joe and Sue."

A Former President on Joe Paterno's death:

Former President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1993: "I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Joe Paterno. He was an outstanding American who was respected not only on the field of play but in life generally - and he was, without a doubt, a true icon in the world of sports. I was proud that he was a friend of mine. Barbara and I send our condolences to his devoted wife Suzanne and to his wonderful family."

However, the reaction was not all positive towards Paterno much like how his legacy is not going to be remembered as only positive. 

Writer and producer Justin Stangel tweeted, "Will there be a moment of silence for Joe Paterno, to honor his silence when he discovered children were being attacked." 

Gregg "Opie" Hughes of The Opie and Anthony Show twetted, "What an insult! Penn State having a MOMENT OF SILENCE for Joe Paterno. That's what got him in trouble in the first place!... So strange how many people are sticking up for Joe Paterno seeing how Joe didn't stick up for innocent children. #Get Help... Maybe the heater are right saying it's too soon for Joe Paternojokes. I gusess I'll be like Joe Pa and wai 10 year. #ZingZangZoom

"Twitter queen" and comedian Kelly Oxford tweeted, "Joe Paterno's doctors also said they wish they could have done more."

New England Patriots - Baltimore Ravens First Half Reaction

Half-time Score: New England Patriots 13 - Baltimore Ravens 10

The Ravens Early Offensive Struggles: In their first three drives, the Ravens went three and out all three times and were struggling to get anything going offensively. They had -6 yards of total offense and the pocket was collapsing time after time on Flacco, as he had been sacked twice and forced to run once on 6 dropbacks.

Lardarius Webb's Interception: The play that changed the first half was Lardarius Webb's interception on a poorly thrown ball from Tom Brady that was intended for Julian Edelman. It changed the momentum of the game and gave the Ravens the kick start that they definitely needed to get going. With the Patriots in Baltimore territory after just marching down the field 50 yards for a 29 yard field goal, Webb interception gave Baltimore confidence and allowed Flacco and the offense to settle down.

The Ravens and the Patriots Moving The Ball: After the interception, the Raven's offense looked like a completely different unit. Flacco hooked up with Torrey Smith on a 42 yard pass, which set up a 20 yard Billy Cundiff field goal. On their following possession, the Ravens went 80 yards down the field for a touchdown. However, Tom Brady was Tom Brady and he used his variety of receivers and tight ends to lead the Patriots up and down the field.

Missed Opportunities From Both Quarterbacks: Both Brady and Flacco missed opportunities for big plays in the first half. Brady missed a wide open Rob Gronkowski down the seam, which would have been an easy 22 yard touchdown because Ed Reed fell for the run fake. However, Brady overthrew Gronk and the Pats had to settle for a field goal. Flacco also missed a chance after he failed to connect with Torrey Smith, who had created separation down the field and would have had a 69 yard touchdown if he as able to track down the pass from Flacco. Flacco threw the ball as high as he could but Smith was unable to locate the ball earlier enough to make the catch.

Australian Open Week 1 Storylines

Australian Fire Power: There has been a tremendous amount of pressure on the top Australian players, Bernard Tomic and Lleyton Hewitt, as they are playing in their home country for this year's first major tournament. The fans expect a strong showing from their hometown players and expect them to perform well on the biggest stage and in front of the home crowd. Mark Edmondson remains the last Australian to win the Australian Open when he beat fellow Aussie John Newcombe in the 1976 final 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1. An Australian hasn't won the Aussie Open in the last 36 years and Australians Bernard Tomic and Lleyton Hewitt are looking to end that drought this year. Both Tomic and Hewitt have advanced to the round of 16 and of their 6 wins, 4 of them have been against seeded opponents. The 19-year-old Tomic has captured the Australian crowd through his tough and competitive victories. Tomic beat Fernando Verdasco and Alexandr Dolgopolov in two long and grueling five set matches. He has been feeding off of the crowd's enthusiasm and all their energy and support. The big 6 foot, 5 inch Aussie said after his victory over Dolgopolov, "Tonight was a really good match and a match that I need to win... I think the crowd made me win so thank you for coming out and supporting me." Lleyton Hewitt has been a home town hero in Australia since his first appearance in the grand slam all the way back in 1997, as he continues to wow the crowd to this day. As always, Hewitt has played very consistently and has limited his unforced errors. In his four set victory over #23 Milos Raonic in the third round, Hewitt had just 32 unforced errors compared to Raonic's 54.

The Dominance Of The Top Four: The women's tennis game has been pretty wide open since 2009. Since the 2009 French Open, 7 different women have won a grand slam. However, the men's game has been dominated by the top four players (Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal Roger Federer, and Andy Murray). Since the 2005 French Open, Juan Martin Del Potro's U.S. Open championship in 2009 is the only time a player aside from Djokovic, Nadal, or Federer has won a grand slam and this year looks no different from any other. The top four players have been dominate thus far and look on a collision course to all meet in the semifinals just like they did at the French Open and the U.S. Open last year. Djokovic has lost a total of 10 games in 3 matches and he has faced just 8 break points in three matches. The four time grand slam winner has hit 80 winners and just 42 unforced errors. Like Djokovic, Nadal and Federer haven't dropped a set thus far and Murray has lost just one set. Nadal and Federer have both won over 80 percent of their first serve points. However, Djokvoic and Federer won't have a lot of fan suport in their next match as the Joker plays Lleyton Hewitt and Fed plays Bernard Tomic. Looking down the road, the biggest threats to stop the top four meeting in the semi-finals are likely Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin Del Potro, who have Andy Murray and Roger Federer in their quarters respectively.

Marcos Baghdatis's Meltdown: With the top players all having little trouble through the first week and a lack of upsets, as only four of the 16 remaining players are unseeded, one of the highlights of the tournament was Marcos Bagdatis's meltdown. Marcos Baghdatis has been loved in Australia since he made his incredible run to the finals of the major back in 2006. Also, Baghdatis has received huge fanfare and support in Melbourne because of the large Greek-Australian population there. The Cyprus born star has a great following at the tournament. However, in this year's Australian Open in a night match on Margaret Court Arena in the second round, Baghdatis didn't fare as well. While he was down 2 sets to love and a break to #21 Stanislas Wawrinka, Baghdatis had an eruption and an emotional breakdown. To take out his frustration and anger, Baghdatis smashed four of his rackets during a change-over. It was quite a meltdown to witness. Serena Williams said, "I've done that. That's impressive. Wow." 1992 and 1993 Australian Open Champion Jim Courier said, "I hope he gets a share of the YouTube clips. It was such a raw moment."

Bernard Tomic Has The Weight Of A Nation On His Shoulders

During every grand slam there is a tremendous amount of pressure on the players who are playing in their home country. The fans expect a strong showing from their hometown players and expect them to perform well on the biggest stage and in front of the home crowd. However, players have not fared well in their home country in recent major history.

The last time a French player won the French Open was in 1983 when Yannick Noah beat Matts Wilander in the final 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3). A French player has not even reached the finals at the French Open since Noah won the title that year and no French player has won the French Open beside Noah since Frenchman Marcel Bernard won all the way back in 1946, which was 66 years ago.

Anybody who has watched Wimbledon the past few years knows the almost unreal amount of pressure on Andy Murray to win the tournament, as the British fans are dying to see a champion from the United Kingdom. A British player has not played in a Wimbledon final since Bunny Austin when he lost to Don Budgein the 1938 final 6-1, 6-0, 6-3. Fred Perry is still the last British player to win Wimbledon, as he beat Gottfried von Cramm of Germany in the 1936 final 6-1 6-1, 6-0.

Of all the majors, the U.S. Open has had the most success with players from their home country. However, an American has not won the U.S. Open in 8 years since back in 2003 when Andy Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final to win his first and only major 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3. This is America's longest drought without a U.S. Open champion from the United States since an American didn't win the title from 1956 to 1967, which is over 45 years ago. In fact, an American hasn't appeared in a U.S. Open final for the past 5 years since Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer in the 2006 final 2-6, 6-4, 5-7, 1-6. This is America's longest drought ever without having a player appear in a U.S. Open final.

The Australian players have also struggled at their own national tournament in their home country. Mark Edmondson is the last Australian to win the Australian Open when he beat fellow Aussie John Newcombe in the 1976 final 36 years ago 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1. The Australian fans have been teased since 1976 with tons of high quality players who have come so close to winning their national title but have fallen just short. Since 1976, five times an Australian player has won a major. However, none of those grand slam victories have come at the Australian Open.

When Pat Cash was playing Davis Cup matches at the age of 18 for Australia, he was destined to be the next great Aussie. Although Cash won Wimbledon in 1987, he failed to ever win the Australian Open. In the 1987 final, Cash lost to Stefan Edberg after crawling back from 2 sets to love down in a tough five set battle 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6. The following year he appeared in the final once again but he lost a heartbreaking four hours and a half match to Mats Wilander 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 1-6, 6-8.

Despite winning the U.S. Open in 1997 and 1998 and reaching the finals of Wimledon in 2000 and 2001, Patrick Rafter was never able to make an Australian Open final. In 2001, he lost a thrilling match to eventual champion Andre Agassi in five tight sets 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 3-6 in the Australian Open semifinals.

Mark Philippoussis of Australia reached the U.S. Open final in 1998 and the Wimbledon final in 2003 but he was never able to make it past the 4th round of the Australian Open, as he lost in that round of the tournament in 1996, 1999, 2000, and 2004. In his 1999 round of 16 match, Philippoussis had the Aussie fans going crazy and wild, as he won the third and fourth sets after dropping the first two but he fell in the fifth set to Thomas Enqvist after bringing the match the distance.

Former world number 1 Lleyton Hewitt won the U.S. Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002 but he lost in the Australian Open final in 2005 to Marat Safin. Once again the Aussie fans were so close to having a champion from their home country, as Hewitt took the first set pretty convincingly over Safin 6-1. However, Safin fought back to win the next three sets much to the disappointment of the fans 3-6, 4-6, 4-6.

Australian tennis fans are dying for an Australian player to make a run in this year's tournament and with Lleyton Hewitt well past his prime and struggling with all of his injury woes, the fate of Australian tennis has fallen on the shoulders of Bernard Tomic.

Tomic, who is just 19 years old, has been touted as the next great Australian tennis player since he cracked the pro scene back in 2009 at the age of 17. However, he is rather inexperienced and at such a young age it is very difficult to deal with all the the pressure and hype. Tomic has even admitted that he is feeling the pressure of playing in front of his home fans. He said, "It's a bit different now. Last year I was a bit younger. I could play a little bit freer. Now people expect a lot from me."

The other players on the tour can also feel all the attention surrounding Tomic. Sam Querrey said that there is definitely a buzz surrounding the big 6 foot 5 inch Aussie. If that buzz was felt before the tournament, it it is being heard now like a 10.0 earthquake on the richter scale now, as the Aussie fans are exuberant with Tomic's early success in the tournament with his three victories over #22 Fernando Verdasco, Sam Querrey, and #13 Alexandr Dolgopolov.

It appeared as if Tomic was going to make an early exit from this year's first major, as he lost the first two sets to the Spanish lefty Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-7 (3-7). However, as Tomic began to climb his way back into the match and cut down on his unforced errors, he was able to use the crowd enthusiasm to get back into the match. Tomic was able to win the next two sets decisively before pulling out a tight fifth set 7-5 with an electric atmosphere on Rod Laver arena. The four hour and 11 minute struggle was an incredible victory for the young Aussie and just the second five set victory of his career.

Tomic got off to a rocky start in his first ever night match at the Australian Open against Sam Querrey. He dropped the first set to the big hitting American 3-6. However, Tomic rallied to win the new three sets 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. Tomic was able to limit his unforced errors, as Querrey struggled to find his consistency. Querrey had 50 unforced errors in the four set match, while Tomic had just 29.

Just when you thought that Tomic mania couldn't get any bigger down under, it has after his incredible 3 hour and 49 minute marathon match with Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine. In a match that had a combined 35 aces and 121 winners, Tomic was able to eek out the tight victory in five sets 4-6, 7-6 (7-0), 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 6-3. The excitement from the crowd was a sight to see, as Tomic was able to once again win a night match on Rod Laver Arena.

But all good stories have to come to an end sometime, right? Tomic's next opponent is none other than 17 time Grand Slam winner and 4-time Australian Open winner Roger Federer. There will certainty not be a lack of star power or fan enthusiasm for that one.

Darron Thomas's Decision To Go To The NFL Makes No Sense

In a statement released by the Oregon athletic department, Ducks junior quarterback Darron Thomas said, "I came to this decision on behalf of myself and my family. I have a dream of playing in the NFL and I'm going to pursue those dreams. I would like to thank everyone in Oregon for all their support and I would thank the coaches for all their help, especially Coach [Chip] Kelly. I love my teammates and wish them the best of luck, and am confident they will continue the winning tradition that has been established. Last but not least, I thank all the Oregon fans for their help and support."

Thomas later said, "I am ready to go... I feel like I'm leaving my brothers but I leave them in good hands. I loved all my times there... [I can] offer leadership, winning attitude, hard work, and I can make big plays. I saw what Cam Newton did this year. He took his raw talent and made a spark. I can do those things, too."

The decision by Thomas to forgo his senior season and turn pro is a shocker and a very questionable decision by the Houston native. The head scratching decision has left Duck nation pretty stunned, as there is widespread opinion that Thomas made the wrong decision by not returning to Eugene for one more year.

The only possible explanation for Thomas not to return would be the thinking that his draft stock is higher this year than it will be next year because quarterbacks such as Matt Barkley of USC, Landry Jones of Oklahoma, and Tyler Wilson of Arkansas are all bypassing the 2012 NFL draft, and coming back for their senior seasons.

However, every year there are always a group of quarterbacks that decide not to enter the NFL draft and return to school. Of the 12 quarterbacks taken in last year's NFL draft, 10 of them decided to return to school in 2010 and not enter the NFL draft including Jake Locker of Washington, Christian Ponder of Florida St., Andy Dalton of TCU, Colin Kaepernick of Nevada, Ryan Mallett of Arkansas, Ricky Stanzi of Iowa, T.J. Yates of North Carolina, Nathan Enderle of Idaho, Tyrod Taylor of Virginia Tech, and Greg McElroy of Alabama.

Despite the fact that some of the high-profile quarterbacks are not coming out this season, Thomas's draft position is not going to rise that significantly because he is not an NFL ready quarterback.

Thomas played in a spread system at Oregon and he predominately took snaps from the shotgun and not from under center. Also, he greatly benefited from a dynamic running game lead by LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner, and De'Anthony Thomas, which ran for 4,189 yards, a school record, and lead the country in rushing yards, was 4th in rushing yard per attempt, and was 3rd in rushing touchdowns.

Thomas doesn't have a very strong arm and he isn't accurate enough to make up for his lack of arm strength. His completion percentage was just 62.2, which was 48th in the FBS. Thomas also doesn't have enough athletic ability to make up for the other faults in his game. Despite being apart of a system where the quarterback is expected to be a runner, Thomas struggled to run the ball, especially after his left leg injury. He had just 2 games all season, where he ran for more than 35 yards.

Thomas is walking away from a Duck team that is going to have very high expectations in 2012 and that is going to be in the National Championship picture. Not only does Oregon have a favorable schedule, as they don't play a highly ranked non-conference opponent for just the second time since 2008, but they also have a lot of starters coming back for another season on both sides of the ball.

Although the Ducks are losing running back LaMichael James, who decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft, Kenjon Barner is coming back for his senior season. Only three running backs in the FBS, who had 155 carries or less like Barner, had more yards than the Oregon back. Also, Oregon's dynamic and extremely quick playmaker De'Anthony Thomas is retuning for his sophomore year. Thomas had 155 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns in the Ducks 45-38 Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin. Oregon also has 3 offensive linemen who are underclassmen and 6 defensive players who are underclassmen including first-team All-Pac 12 defensive end Dion Jordan and second-team All Pac-12 defensive backs John Boyett and Jordan Poyer.

Finally, Thomas had a chance to cement his place in Eugene if he returned for one more season and become an Oregon Duck legend. Thomas is already the school's record holder in career touchdown passes with 66 and he had a chance to break the program's career passing yards record and total offense record, which are both held by Bill Musgrave.

Thomas also could have become just the third quarterback since Oregon and Oregon St. joined the conference in 1964 to lead his team to three straight Pac-12 (or Pac-10) championships since Pat Hayden led USC to three straight from 1972 to 1975 and Matt Leinart led the Trojans to three Pac-10 titles in a row from 2003 to 2005.

The Giants Pass Rush Will Have To Get To Matt Ryan

In 2007 when the Giants made their improbable Super Bowl run, aside from Eli Manning playing the football of his life, the one other constant for the Giants was their incredible pass rush. In the Super Bowl against the Patriots the Giants sacked Tom Brady 5 times including 2 sacks from defensive end Justin Tuck. Only the 1984 Los Angeles Raiders with 6 sacks against the Washington Redskins, the 1989 San Francisco 49ers with 6 sacks against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the 1985 Chicago Bears with 7 sacks against the New England Patriots had more sacks in a Super Bowl than the Giants in 2007. The Giants may even have a better pass rush this season and it will be essential if they want to advance to the NFC divisional round for them to get to Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan early and often.

During the regular season the Giants were tied for 3rd in the NFL in sacks with 48. All-pro defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was 4th in the NFL with 16.5 sacks, Osi Umenyiora had 9 sacks in just 9 games, and Justin Tuck had 5 sacks despite missing 4 games as well. The Giants do a terrific job of moving around their defensive ends, especially Umenyiora and Tuck, who can also slide over to the defensive tackle position.

The Giants pass rush is so important because of how much the Giants secondary has struggled this season. The Giants were hit hard by injuries with their cornerbacks this season and it was very costly. Their best cornerback Terrell Thomas tore his ACL in the preseason and had to miss the entire season and their first round draft pick Prince Amukamara missed the Giants first 9 games with a foot injury. Therefore, Big Blue really struggled against the pass, especially when their defensive line couldn't get to the quarterback and the opposing QB was able to scan the field and pick apart the Giants defense. The Giants were 29th in the NFL in pass defense, as they allowed 255 passing yards per game and they will be picked apart by the Falcons big receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones and the Falcons 8th ranked passing offense, if there is no pressure on Matt Ryan.

The Giants pass rush dictates if they walk away with a win or a loss. In the Giants 9 wins, they averaged 3.3 sacks per game including a 6 sack performance against the Cowboys in a winner-take-all NFC East game at the end of the season. In their 7 losses Big Blue averaged just over 2 sacks per game and during their 1-5 stretch in the middle of the season the G-Men averaged just over a sack per game.

However, it will not be an easy task for the Giants to get to Matt Ryan. The Falcons allowed just 26 sacks all season, which was the 2nd least in the entire NFC only behind their division rival the New Orleans Saints. Atlanta allowed just 1 sack in their final 3 regular season games against the Jaguars, Saints, and Buccaneers.

Justin Tuck added some fire to the battle in the trenches between the Falcons offensive line and the Giants defensive line with his comments about the Falcons offensive line this week.

Justin Tuck said, "We know they have that quote unquote reputation. But in a way it kind of is exciting. Most people, you know would call them dirtbags. But it is what it is. We go to make sure we do our job and if we are doing our job well, then they will be upset and they will be trying to do things to get us off our game and we got to take that as a compliment. But in the same sense you got to protect yourself and hopefully the referees have 20/20 vision this week."

The Falcons fired back later in the week though. Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said, "We thrive on doing things right. We thrive on playing physical. We've been doing that for four years. Nothing is ever preached beyond the whistle. Ever."

Falcons right tackle Tyson Clabo said that the Falcons play "to the whistle and we're going to continue doing that. That's just kind of the way we play, that's why we've had the success we've had hers, and we're not going to stop. We're not going to hit anybody late or do anything like that, we're going to play to the whistle, you know, and if you want to call it dirty, call it dirty."

Houston Texans - Cincinnati Bengals Reaction

Final Score: Houston Texans 31 - Cincinnati Bengals 10 (The Texans first playoff win in their first playoff appearance in franchise history)

• The Bengals defense saw a heavy dose of the run. Despite having the 10th ranked rushing defense in the NFL during the regular season, the Bengals had a lot of difficulty stopping the Texans rushing attack, especially in the second half when the Texans began to pound the ball down the Bengals throat. After showing some nerves early in the game by nearly losing two fumbles, Arian Foster settled down to rush for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns including an incredible 42 yard rushing touchdown to seal the victory in the fourth quarter for the Texans. The Texans 188 rushing yards were the second most that the Bengals defense allowed all season.
• As expected, the Texans didn't relay on T.J. Yates to throw the ball 30 times and carry them past the Bengals. The Texans used their running attack to set up the play action pass and vertical passing game. Yates's biggest play of the game was his 40-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson that extended the Texans lead to two touchdowns. Most importantly, Yates didn't throw an interception, as the Texans didn't turn the ball over all game.
• All-pro cornerback Johnathan Joseph got the best of his matchup with A.J. Green. Joseph, who spent five years in Cincinnati from 2006 to 2010, was getting picked apart by Green early on in the game. Green had 4 catches for 42 yards through the first quarter and change but for the rest of the game, Green had just one catch for 5 yards.
• Most people expected Andy Dalton to get the best of the rookie quarterback matchup with T.J. Yates but Dalton really struggled. Without getting any help from his running game, as Cedric Benson had his worst game of the season with just 14 rushing yards, Dalton was forced to throw the ball 42 times. This resulted in trouble for the Bengals, as in the Bengals 9 wins this season, Dalton threw the ball an average of just over 30 times, while in the Bengals 8 losses, Dalton threw the ball an average of just under 36 times. Dalton tied his career high with 3 interceptions. 
• Dalton's interception with 52 seconds remaining in the first half was a game changer. With the ball on their own 19 yard line and less than a minute left in the 2nd quarter, J.J. Watt intercepted Dalton and returned the pick 29 yards for a touchdown. It was an incredible pick as few defensive ends in the league would have been able to catch the pass at the line of scrimmage instead of just knocking it down. The touchdown was a huge momentum shifter, as it gave the Texans and their fans incredible energy and confidence going into the second half. Despite being outgained 201 to 150 in the first half, the Texans led 17-10 going into the third quarter.
• The Texans took advantage of their opportunities and forced three Andy Dalton interceptions. When the Bengals had a chance to make a big play, they failed to do so. With the Texans up 24-17, Bengals safety Chris Crocker had a great chance to intercept a T.J. Yates pass that was intended for Owen Daniels over the middle. However, Crocker dropped the pick that could have likely been returned for a touchdown. Three plays later, Yates and Andre Johnson hooked up for a 40-yard touchdown that put the Texans up by two touchdowns.

The Texans will go on to play the Ravens in the AFC divisional round and the winner of the Steelers-Broncos game in Denver will play the Patriots.

Eli Manning Proved This Season That He Is An Elite Quarterback

This offseason Eli Manning received widespread criticism for saying that he is an elite NFL quarterback. Much of the disapproval towards his comments were unjustified considering that Eli's response was the answer that any NFL quarterback would have had. 

When Eli was asked if he was an elite quarterback, he responded by saying yes. When he was asked if he was in the same class as Tom Brady, Eli said, "I consider myself in that class... I think now he's [Brady] grown up and gotten better every year and that's what I'm trying to do. I kind of hope these next seven years of my quarterback days are my best." 

Many fans were outraged that Eli considered himself in that class. However, what do you expect Eli to say when he is asked that question? He obviously is not going to say that he isn't in Tom Brady's class, showing that he has no confidence in himself. You can't expect Eli to say he isn't an elite quarterback and show that he has no belief in his ability. 

Although Eli received unfair treatment from the media because he answered the question as he should have answered it, it is understandable why people would have disagreed with Eli being an upper echelon quarterback before this season. 

Prior to 2011, Eli had never been in the top 8 in the NFL in completion percentage and he had never been in the top 10 in the NFL in passer rating. 

The biggest compliant against Eli was his turnover problems. In 2010, Eli led the NFL with 25 interceptions and only Jay Cutler in 2009 with 26 picks and Brett Favre in 2005 with 29 interceptions threw more picks in a single season than Eli since 1999. From 2009 to 2010, only Jay Cutler with 42 interceptions threw more picks than Eli, who threw 39 in that two year span. Not including his rookie season where he started just 7 games, from 2005 to 2010, Eli averaged just over 17 picks. Since 2000, only Jake Plummer in 2000 and 2002, Vinny Testaverde in 2000 and 2004, Jon Kitna in 2001, 2006, and 2007, Brett Favre in 2003, 2005, and 2008, Carson Palmer in 2007 and 2010, and Eli Manning in 2007 and 2010 have thrown 20 interceptions in more than one season.

However, Eli's career year this season has proved that he is in fact one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

First and foremost, before we look at Eli's incredible numbers this season, he led a team with a subpar defense to an NFC East championship and their first division title and playoff appearance since 2008. With injuries all over the place including defensive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, linebacker Michael Boley, and cornerbacks Terrell Thomas and Prince Amukamara, the Giants defense really struggled this season. The Giants were 27th in the NFL in yards per game allowed, 29th in passing yards per game allowed, and 25th in points per game allowed. Despite having a defense that allowed 25 points per game, the worst for a team that made the postseason, Eli overcame all of the Giants deficiencies to lead them to the playoffs. If the Giants had failed to make the playoffs, it would have been their third straight season without going to the postseason and you can't be an elite quarterback if your team misses the playoffs three straight years.

The elite NFL quarterbacks play well in crutch time and in the fourth quarter when the game matters the most. 

There was no quarterback in the NFL who was better in the fourth quarter than Eli Manning. In the fourth quarter alone, Eli threw 15 touchdowns, while in the other three quarters combined he threw 19 touchdowns. His 15 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter set an NFL record passing his brother Peyton's 14 fourth quarter touchdowns in 2002 and the great Johnny Unitas's 14 fourth quarter touchdown passes as well. 

Eli's 6 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter were an NFL high and his fourth quarter heroics were highlighted in the Giants huge comeback win on the road in week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys. With Big Blue down 34-22 with 5:41 remaining, Eli threw for 122 yards to lead two touchdown drives and knock off the Cowboys 37-34. Manning said after the victory, "We've been in these situations before. It's a fun way to win."

Eli said about his fourth quarter success, "I don't ever feel pressure when I'm playing football. I know my assignments, I'm reading defense, I know my plays and I try to get the ball into my receivers' hands. It's exciting, it's fun. I'm competitive and I'm out there doing what I can to get a win."

Eli Manning had by far his best statistical season in the NFL as well.

Eli set several Giants single-season records this year. His 4,933 passing yards smashed the old Giants record for most passing yards in a season, which had previously been held by Kerry Collins when he threw for 4,073 yards in 2002 with the G-Men. Eli's 359 completions also broke his own record of 339 completions that he set the year before in 2010.

Eli was 5th in the NFL in completions, which was just the second time in his career that he was in the top ten in completions. He was also 4th in the NFL in passing yards, which is extremely impressive considering that his 4,933 yards were the 6th most in NFL history. His 92.9 passer rating was a career high as well and the first time he finished in the top ten in the category. Most importantly, Eli cut down on the turnovers as he threw 16 interceptions, which was less than Philip Rivers and Cam Newton and the same amount as Carson Palmer and Matthew Stafford.

It would be hard to argue that Eli is on the same level as Aaron Rodgers, Drew Bress, and Tom Brady (and Peyton Manning when he is healthy) but he is at the top of the next level of elite quarterbacks and being a top 5 quarterback in the NFL is nothing to be ashamed of.

It's Safe To Say That Indiana Is Back

Indiana is one of the most storied programs in college basketball and Indiana fans pride themself in their basketball team.

The Hoosiers are the 11th winningest program in NCAA division I history with 1,677 victories and they have the most all-time wins in the Big Ten. Indiana's 5 championships are tied with North Carolina for the third most NCAA titles only behind UCLA's 11 championships and Kentucky's 7 titles.

Indiana's 20 Big Ten regular season titles are the second most in Big Ten history only trailing their in-state rival Purdue's 22 regular season conference titles. In a 21 year span from 1973 to 1993, Indiana won 11 regular season conference titles including 4 in a row from 1973 to 1976, which has only been done three other times in the Big Ten's 105 year history when Chicago won four straight Big Ten regular season titles from 1907 to 1910, when Ohio St. won five straight Big Ten regular season championships from 1960 to 1964, and when Michigan St. won four Big Ten regular season titles in a row from 1998 to 2001.

Finally, Bob Knight's 1975-1976 Hoosiers team led by Scott May and Kent Benson that went 32-0 and won the national championship remains the last undefeated team to win the NCAA title.

Therefore, any Hoosiers coach is under a lot of pressure to perform and have Indiana in the national championship picture.

Following the Kelvin Sampson scandal in 2008 when the Indiana coach was forced to resign due to an NCAA investigation involving impermissible phone calls made by Sampson and an assistant coach to recruits, the Indiana program was under a black cloud.

When Tom Cream was hired as the next Indiana head coach in 2008, not only did he have the pressure of trying to live up to his 10 year contract, which made him one of the highest paid college basketball coaches, but he also had the responsibility of restoring the Hoosiers program, a program that had never previously been involved in any NCAA scandal.

Hoosiers fans expected Crean to turn Indiana around right away but that was way too ambitious of a wish. Crean's first three seasons with the Hoosiers were horrible to say the least. He was 28-66 and 8-46 in the Big Ten in his first three dismal years with Indiana.

Crean's 6-25 season and 1-17 record in the Big Ten in 2008-2009 was the Hoosiers worst ever performance in the Big Ten. Their last place finish in the Big Ten that season was their first last place finish since the 1969-1970 season.

The Hoosiers last place finish in the Big Ten in the 2010-2011 season was their second Big Ten last place finish in three years, while Indiana had just three Big Ten last place finishes in their previous 84 years in the league.

Despite the fact that Crean stressed patience with the Indiana faithful, many Hoosiers fans began to call for his job. They were unhappy with Indiana's lack of success in Crean's first three seasons and they wanted to win now. Those Indiana fans that put Crean on the hot seat have backed way off now as Crean has returned Indiana to national prominence.

Indiana's success in 2011 began even before they took the floor for their first game against Stony Brook at Assembly Hall on November 11th. It began when highly touted recruit Cody Zeller (number 14 on the ESPNU 100) committed to Indiana. The 6'11 power forward from Washington High School in Indiana, who was the 2011 Indiana Mr. Basketball, decided to attend Indiana instead of go and play for two-time reigning national runner-up Butler or join his brother Tyler Zeller at North Carolina. It was a huge victory for Crean and Zeller has been better than expected. Zeller leads Indiana in scoring at 14.5 per game, rebounding at 6.5 per game, blocks at 1.5 per game, and field goal percentage (amongst players who have taken at least 5 field goal attempts) at 65.6 percent. Zeller is the front runner to win the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award and he is in the discussion for the Freshman of the Year Award along with Duke's Austin Rivers and Kentucky's Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Despite their 8-0 start with victories over Butler and NCST on the road, Indiana's true return into the national stage began after their monster victory over #1 Kentucky 73-72 in Bloomington that shocked the world. After critical free throw misses by Anthony Davis and Doron Lamb down the stretch for the Wildcats, Christian Watford hit a buzzer beating three point jump shot for the Hoosiers to knock off Kentucky and send shock waves through college basketball that Indiana is back. Longtime Indiana fan Roger Tobias said, "I've been coming to game since 1954 and I've never seen anything like this. Never. I can't tell you what it means. It's just. It's just... wow. Finally. We've been waiting for this for a long time." It was Indiana's first victory over a number 1 team since they beat Duke 74-73 in the 2002 Sweet 16.

The Hoosiers started out 12-0 for just the fourth time in school history and the first time since Bob Knight's undefeated season in 1975-1976. Despite a loss to Michigan St. in a crazy up and down game, the Hoosiers would quickly recover.

Indiana pulled off another huge victory by beating #2 Ohio St. at home in Bloomington 74-70. All of the Hoosiers starters were in double figures and they shot nearly 46 percent from the floor. Indiana became the 5th team in the past 10 season to knock off both the number 1 and number 2 ranked teams in the same season.

Indiana beat #13 Michigan in Bloomington 73-71 making the Wolverines the third top 15 ranked team to fall to the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. The matchup was so highly anticipated because it was the first meeting between the squads with both ranked in the top 15 since 1994. Fortunately for the Hoosiers, Christian Watford was 8 for 11 from the field and had 25 points, while Cody Zeller was 8 for 10 from the field and had 18 points to help Indiana knock off Michigan.

Currently, Indiana is ranked #12, their highest ranking since they were the preseason #8 in 2007 and things are only going to get better for the Hoosiers, if that is even possible. Not only are the Hoosiers going to continue to have a great season this year, but they are going to have many more to come. Tom Crean is bringing in a top 10 recruiting class next season highlighted by three top 58 ESPNU 100 recruits. Hoosiers fans can't wait for point guard Yogi Ferrell along with forwards Hanner Mosquera-Perea and Jeremy Hollowell, who are all from Indiana, to arrive on campus. It's safe to say that Indiana is back and that they are going to be back for a while.

North Carolina and Duke Are Atop the ACC Once Again

It should be no surprise to any college basketball fan that North Carolina and Duke are the class of the ACC this season. North Carolina (28 ACC regular season titles) and Duke (19 ACC regular season titles) have combined for 47 ACC championships, while the rest of the current conference has just 24 ACC regular season championships. Since 1997, Duke has won 10 ACC tournaments and North Carolina has won 4 ACC tournaments. Maryland's 2004 ACC tournament victory is the only team not named North Carolina or Duke to win the ACC conference tournament since 1997. Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski once again have final four caliber teams this season.

North Carolina was the preseason number 1 because John Henson, Harrison Barnes, and Tyler Zeller all returned to school, despite the fact that they were all going to be first round picks and Henson and Barnes were projected lottery picks. The Tar Heels also added highly touted freshman to their already talented squad such as James McAdoo from Norfolk Christian in Virginia and P.J. Hairston from Hargrave Military Academy in North Carolina. McAdoo and Hariston have provided much needed depth to the Tar Heels, who aside from Reggie Bullock, don't have any other solid bench players.

Their have been very high expectations on this Carolina team because of the amount of NBA talent that they have on their squad and the amount of quality players that returned to school this season. They were number 1 in both preseason polls for the first time since the 2008-2009 season when they ended up winning the National Championship over Michigan St. 89-72. Although Carolina have lost two non-conference games to Kentucky on the road in Lexington and to UNLV in the Las Vegas Classic in practically a road game, there is no doubt that they have the capability to make a final four run.

The Tar Heels have some of the best big men in college basketball with the super athletic John Henson and the always reliable Tyler Zeller. John Henson, who is averaging a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds per game, is the x-factor for the Tar Heels. Henson has added the lefty hook shot and the 12-foot jumper to his much improved offensive repetoire. The big men for UNC are very lengthy and very athletic. John Henson alone is averaging 3.2 blocks per game and Carolina is number 1 in the NCAA in rebounding as they average about 46.6 per game. 

Carolina is also shooting very well from behind the arc. As a team, they are shooting 39.1 percent from three, which is much better than their 33.3 percent from three last season. Leading the Carolina three point attack is Harrison Barnes, who is shooting an astounding 48.7 percent from three, which is incredible considering that he shot 34.4 percent from three last season. Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston have also taken pressure off of the preseason All-American, as they are both shooting with a lot of confidence from three.

The Tar Heels have a lot of important pieces that make-up a final four team but every team needs a go-to-guy. While Kendall Marshall is the team's floor general, as he is averaging 10 assists per game, which is the second most in the nation, star player Harrison Barnes is the go-to-guy for the Tar Heels. He made a smart move staying in college as he has really improved his game, and most importantly, his basketball IQ continues to grow. Barnes is quick and a strong driver and has a great elbow jump shot. Barnes has also really improved his three-point shooting. To put in perspective how well Barnes is shooting from three, Jimmer Fredette's best shooting percentage from three was 44 percent in his junior season with BYU, while Barnes is currently shooting just under 49 percent from behind the arc.

Although Duke has one loss and is Duke, they have been flying a little bit under the radar since they won the Maui Invitational in November. They won three huge games in Maui in route to that tournament title, as they knocked off Tennessee 77-67, Michigan 82-75, and then Kansas in a highly contested and very intense final 68-61. However, after they were blown out by Ohio St. in Columbus by 22 points, they have not been getting a lot of love, despite the fact that they are 12-1 and also have wins over Michigan St., who are on a 13 game win streak since they lost to North Carolina and Duke to begin the season, and a talented Washington team.

Austin Rivers is quickly becoming a household favorite for the Cameron Crazies, as he is leading the team in scoring at over 15 points per game. The extremely talented freshman sensation is incredibly quick and is great off of the pick and roll. If Rivers can cut down on his turnovers, he will be in discussion for the ACC Player of the Year.

The Blue Devils also have a host of guys who can knock down jumpers. The Dukies are 7th in the nation in three point shooting percentage, as they are shooting 42.7 percent from behind the arc. Andre Dawkins, Ryan Kelly, Austin Rivers, Seth Curry, and Tyler Thornton are all shooting better than 41 percent from three. 63 percent of Andre Dawkins's field goals are from three and 46 percent of Seth Curry's field goals are from three. Duke live and die by the three point ball. In Duke's big victory over Michigan in the semifinals of Maui, they were 11 of 21 from three, which was 52 percent. In their only loss to Ohio St., the Dukies were horrible from three, as they shot just 20 percent from deep and were 3 of 15 from behind the arc.

Duke's biggest issue is their ability to rebound with the biggest teams in the country. The Dukies are 103rd in the nation in rebounds, as they average about 37 per game and they average about 11 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks 229th in the country. The Blue Devils have to get their guards to pitch in and help their big men by getting scrappy down in the blocks because only Mason Plumlee is averaging more than 6.7 rebounds per game for the Dukies. In Duke's only loss to Ohio St., the Duke starters were out-rebounded by the physical Buckeye starters 28 to 15. Even in Duke's win over Kansas in the Maui final, the Jayhawk starters out-rebounded the Duke starters 32 to 23, which was a big reason that Kansas had 7 more field goal attempts than Duke, despite having 5 more turnovers.

Don't be surprised if both the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils end up in New Orleans, Louisiana for the Final Four and if one of them will be crowded National Champion at the seasons end. If Carolina reaches the Final Four, it will be their 19th Final Four in school history and their 10th in the last 20 years. If Duke reaches the Final Four, it will be their 16th Final Four in program history and their 12th in the last 26 years since 1986.