The Moose is Loose

  Photo Credit: outsider.com We are  more than halfway through 2023, and there has been a sudden resurgence when it comes to the underdogs in the world of sports. It’s always fun to see Davids knock off the Goliaths, but nobody could’ve seen 2023 produce THIS MANY upsets.   In March, college Basketball fans got a chance to witness not one but TWO men’s hoops programs from South Florida make surprising runs to the Final Four- The Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Atlantic Owls. Both defied the odds and busted brackets everywhere. Elsewhere in that same NCAA tournament, 16 th seed Farleigh Dickinson, who barely made it into the Big Dance courtesy of an NCAA rule and by winning its first round game, shocked the sports world by knocking off the team many fans and analysts picked to make it to the Final Four and/or National Championship: The Purdue Boilmakers. The Knights, a small school from New Jersey and plays in the Northeastern Conference, became just the 2 nd ever 16 ...

  Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated Entering Week 9 of the 2021 NFL Season, near the halfway point of the season, there still many, many questions to be answered and many playoff seeding yet to be determined.  Week to week, anything can happen on any given Sunday. Sunday, November 8 had to have been the most wild, chaotic, jaw-dropping day of NFL football in recent memory. The 6-1 Dallas Cowboys overlooked their underdog opponent, the 4-4 Denver Broncos at home, unraveling on both sides of the ball in a 30-16 shocking upset. Dallas still will end up winning the NFC East(because of how pathetic the other three teams are), but they have to just put this one behind them and be ready to bounce back stronger against Atlanta, who once again blew another big 3 rd Quarter lead but rallied in the end to win on a walk-off field goal in New Orleans, 27-25. On Sunday Night Football, the Derrick Henry-less Tennessee Titans, led by Ryan Tannehill, AJ Brown, Julio Jones, and their improving ...

  Photo Credit: Detroit Free Press The College Football Playoff may not have released its first set of rankings, but right now, after 8 weeks, the most dominant college football program is undoubtedly the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia has not played down to their competition so far, and they are the most complete team in the country. But Alabama is always going to be a factor, thanks to the leadership of head coach Nick Saban(the program has won 6 national titles under Saban, after all). This past week, however, saw two CFP contenders struggle mightily to inferior conference opponents(Cincinnati vs Navy, Oklahoma vs Kansas) but still survived upset bids. The Michigan Wolverines continue to make their case to be in the Playoff, still posting an undefeated record. Buyer, beware: Michigan still has games against Ohio State, Michigan State, and Penn State left on their schedule. Brutal stretch!  Multiple Power Five conference programs have made the AP Top 25 Coaches' Poll,  In A ...

  Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated Seven weeks of regular-season NFL football are in the books. This is the point in the season where we find out what teams are made of, and which teams are for real or are fakers. So far, the Arizona Cardinals are proving to be the real deal- the lone undefeated NFL team have been dominating their opponents. Kyler Murray is in the MVP conversation and the defense is suffocating. The road to the Super Bowl in the NFC may very well run through Glendale. In the AFC,  the Cincinnati Bengals, led by Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, proved with a 41-17 beatdown of AFC North rival Baltimore that they have arrived and should be taken seriously as an AFC playoff contender.  Chase continues to set and break rookie wide receiver records, Burrow is fully healthy and playing at a high level, and Cincy's O-line and defense have vastly improved.  But don't overlook the usual suspects. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers have been on a tear since t...

  Photo Credit: ESPN The 2021-22 NHL season has officially dropped the puck and taken the ice. This will be a season that will be like no other, thanks in large part  to the new TV deal made by ESPN and Turner Sports. Hockey fans will get to see their favorite teams get more exposure and publicity. More coverage, more attention, more ratings, and hopefully more excitement.  Another major headline heading into this season was the debut of the NHL's new expansion franchise, the Seattle Kraken. Seattle, like the Vegas Golden Knights of 2018, look to start off with a bang and make a deep run at the Stanley Cup.  Who will be hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup this Summer? Will Tampa Bay three-peat? Or will a new team rise to the occasion?  Here's a look at my picks for the 2021 NHL season:  Division Winners: Lightning, Islanders, Avalanche, Golden Knights Wild Cards: Bruins, Hurricanes, Oilers, Blues Stanley Cup: Golden Knights over Islanders in 7 Trophy Winners: ...

  Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated The last two weeks in college football have been completely insane.  Iowa, then ranked 3rd in the country, coming off a very impressive come from behind win versus rival Penn State, followed it up with an absolute stinker of a performance at home versus unraked Purdue. The latest AP poll dropped the Hawkeyes all the way out of the top 10. Georgia, thanks to Alabama's shocking loss to Texas A&M,  have launched up to the top as being the most dominant football team in the country. With several Top 25 teams on a bye week, and based on  previous results, here are my Top 25 power rankings heading into Week 8- Georgia Cincinnati Alabama Oklahoma Ohio State Michigan Oklahoma State Michigan State Penn State Iowa Ole Miss Notre Dame Coastal Carolina Wake Forest Oregon Baylor NC State Kentucky SMU Texas A&M Auburn Pittsburgh Texas-San Antonio San Diego State Purdue