The Alabama Crimson Tide finally lost a game, as they were beaten by the South Carolina Gamecocks 35 – 21 on Saturday. Alabama dropped to #8 in the polls, while South Carolina raised nine spots to a #10 ranking. Alabama’s 18 game SEC win streak was snapped as well as their undefeated streak dating back to the 2008 season. South Carolina physically dominated Alabama for most of the game, and the Crimson Tide were never able to get Mark Ingram or Trent Richardson on track running the football. Boise State benefitted by moving back into the #3 spot after they were jumped by Oregon last week. This is the problem with college football Alabama still looks like the most complete team in the country, and they were ambushed by South Carolina. One bad week and they are out of the national title hunt unless a lot of things happen in front of them.
The Florida State Seminoles crushed the Miami Hurricanes 45 – 17 on the road. It was really a clinic put on by the Seminoles who dominated the Hurricanes in every facet of the game, and racked up 298 rushing yards on Miami in the process. It was a great recovery for the Seminoles who appeared to have shaken off the blowout loss to Oklahoma earlier in the season, and now look like the front runners to win the ACC. The Hurricanes on the other hand have been exposed, and with the fans calling for the heads of Randy Shannon and Jacory Harris things might start getting messy in Coral Gables.
The Tampa Bay Rays put things together and took two games in Texas to force a decisive Game 5 on Tuesday in their ALDS series with the Rangers. After dropping the first two games of the series at home in St. Petersburg by a combined score of 11 – 1, the Rays bats have woken up the last two games. That is the good news, but on Tuesday they have to face one of the most dominant pitchers in the game today as Cliff Lee will take the hill for the Rangers in Game 5. The Rays will of course counter with David Price, and hope that he is better in Game 5 than he was in Game 1. It would be easy to say the Rays are going to win, but when Cliff Lee is on the hill it is hard to bet against him.
The NHL season started this past week, but it seems most people did not care. There was hardly any media coverage to proclaim that the professional hockey season had started, which is a bad sign for any pro sports league. Since the NFL went on strike a few years ago, excuse me I mean they had a lock out. The league has not recovered in popularity, and do not even have a viable television deal with a major network. Being that the NFL is faced with the same situation after this season unless a new CBA can be reached before next April, it is interesting to see what could happen to the NFL if they don’t get their act together.
It appears that the Patriots did approach Randy Moss about a new contract during training camp. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick approached Randy Moss about opening negotiations for a contract extension during this summer’s training camp but was brushed off by the receiver, who said the parties could talk after the season, according to a report in The Boston Globe. Moss, whose contract is up at the end of this season, was dealt to the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday for a third-round draft pick. This is odd if it is true, Moss told anyone that would listen how much he wanted to be in New England and that the Patriots did not offer him a contract. What type of game is Moss playing here?
