The Moose is Loose

  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

  Photo Credit: Yahoo! Finally! After a year in which the Milwaukee Bucks defied expectations and a year in which we did not see  superstars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, or Kawhi Leonard reach the NBA Finals,  the 2021-22 NBA season tips-off tonight, with a very appealing, must-see doubleheader on TNT. After tough losses early on in the playoffs last season, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets look to bounce back stronger than ever and make runs to an NBA title. KD, along with James Harden, will have to step up more and more and stay even more focused with everything going on with teammate Kyrie Irving. Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, King James, along with a Lakers roster featuring new star Russell Westbrook, look to shake off a very disappointing first-round playoff exit to the Phoenix Suns.  While Brooklyn and L.A. are the prohibited favorites to meet in June, don't sleep on the Philadelphia 76ers or the Los Angeles Clippers. Yes, both ...

  Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated The 2021 NFL regular season is going by fast. There have been several early season surprises, including the Arizona Cardinals, who lead the very tough NFC West division thanks to a shocking blowout over the L.A. Rams at SoFi Stadium. Kyler Murray is playing himself  into the MVP conversation, and the defense is completely shutting down opposing offenses. Meanwhile, in the AFC, the L.A. Chargers are posing a serious threat, not only to their division rival Kansas City in the AFC West, but to the AFC as a whole. Led by first year head coach Brandon Staley and second-year sensation Justin Herbert, the Chargers knocked off Patrick Mahomes and company at Arrowhead Stadium in week 3 and took down the resurgent Las Vegas Raiders at home, and are looking to keep racking up  quality wins and pushing towards a deep playoff run. Week 4 is in the books, so  how did Sunday's(and Monday night's) outcomes impact the power rankings? Take a look!...

  Photo Credit: Bleacher Report Each and every week during this 2021 college football season has been nothing short of unpredictable chaos. Last Saturday was no exception. Several Top 25 teams in the country were victims of surprising upsets: Oregon fell to unranked conference rival Stanford in primetime, Notre Dame losing for the first time at home in a long time under Brian Kelly(26-straight home winning streak for the Fighting Irish), Fresno State, coming off a massive upset over in-state opponent UCLA, took Hawaii for granted, and Texas A&M dropped its second-straight game against an SEC foe, the latest to Mississippi State at home. This was a historic week in college football. This week's Top 25 rankings will continue to drastically change until the first College Football Playoff standings are revealed. For now, though, here are my week 6 power rankings- Alabama Georgia Penn State Iowa Cincinnati  Oklahoma Florida Oregon Michigan Ohio State Arkansas Texas A&M C...

  Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated Week 3 of the NFL season proved to be even more unpredictable than the first two weeks. The Ravens, thanks to an uncalled delay of game penalty and a historically insane 66-yard field goal from Justin Tucker, survived an upset scare from the Lions. Justin Herbert outplayed Patrick Mahomes in a battle between two AFC West rivals, with the L.A. Chargers stunning the heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, 30-24. Kansas City finds themselves in unfamiliar territory: last place in the division. The Steelers, another playoff team from last season, found themselves on the wrong end of an AFC North dominating effort, shockingly falling at home to Joe Burrow and the surprising Cincinnati Bengals. The LA Rams, led by star QB Matt Stafford and superstar defensive lineman Aaron Donald, knocked of Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Bucs  at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, 34-24. Expect  both teams to see each o...

  Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated Week 3 of the 2021 college football season is in the books, and once again, did not disappoint. Two of college football's perennial powers, Alabama and Clemson, struggled against conference rivals but found ways to hold on and win. Virginia Tech,  gaining momentum from their upset win over North Carolina in Chapel Hill, proceeded to go on the road and lose to unranked West Virginia. UCLA, feeling strong about their chances to make it into the CFP,  badly disappointed themselves and their fans at home, losing to Mountain West opponent Fresno State 40-37.The Top 25 rankings got a major wake up call this week. Michigan State played their way into the poll rankings with their win over 24th-ranked Miami. And let's not forget about non-Group of 5 conference football program Liberty. They have proven a very tough, confident FBS team. Here are my Top 25 power rankings following last Saturday's outcomes. Who am I leaving off that you feel deserve...

Photo Credit: YAHOO Week 2 off the 2021 NFL season wrapped up on Monday Night Football, with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers handling business at Lambeau Field, dominating their longtime NFC North rival Detroit 31-17 and improving to 1-1. Sunday's matchups  featured more surprising results, with Derrick Henry's Titans winning an exciting, hard-fought battle with Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. The loss was the first home loss under Pete Carroll. Elsewhere, Jon Gruden, Derrick Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders upset their historic AFC rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers(now led by Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger) on the road, 26-17. Vegas adds another quality win to its early season resume, putting themselves in a position to challenge the Chiefs for the AFC West division title. Without further ado, here are my NFL power rankings for Week 3, based on Week 2 performances:  Tampa Bay Buccaneers Los Angeles Rams Kansas City Chiefs San Francisco 49ers Arizona Cardinals Las Ve...

  Photo Credit: N ew York Post Week 2 of the 2021 NFL regular season kicked things off last night, with two NFC East foes- the Washington Football Team and the New York Giants- facing off at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Both teams were coming off embarrassing defeats at the hands of a couple AFC West opponents, and both teams sought to gain momentum and challenge Dallas for the division crown. Last night, Washington appeared to be that team, as kicker Dustin Hopkins nailed a game-winning field goal, thanks to a Dexter Lawrence blunder on special teams and some wasted opportunities by the Giants offense. New York is now officially in last place, while Washington improves to 1-1. Week 2 continues on Sunday and features some notable matchups, including the Sunday Night showdown between Lamar Jackson’s Ravens and Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs at 8:20. Week 1 is in the books, and that means it’s time for NFL Power Rankings! Which teams made the most surprising leaps forward, and which t...

  Photo Credit: Sporting News The first two weeks of the 2021-22 College Football season have been nothing short of exciting. Several ranked Power 5 Conference teams, including Texas A&M and Notre Dame, survived upset bids from unranked opponents(Colorado and Toledo, respectively), while Big 10 powerhouse Ohio State could not survive, falling to 12th-ranked Oregon of the Pac-12. The early season outcomes have shaken up the College Football Playoff landscape, with  many experts launching the Ducks into a playoff spot at 3 and giving both the school its second ever CFP appearance(2014), and the conference its second-ever representative in the CFP(Washington in 20160). A lot will happen between now and when the final College Football Playoff standings are released at the end of the year, but for now, here are my College Football Power Rankings heading into week 3-    1.      Alabama 2.      Georgia 3.   ...