NFL Report Update: Chip Kelly
Breaking News: Earlier in the afternoon, it was announced that former Oregon head coach will in fact be coaching in the NFL next season for the Philadelphia Eagles. Originally, it appeared as though Kelly would be with Oregon for yet another season, a team who is coming off of a Fiesta Bowl victory over Kansas State. Philadelphia on the other hand went 4-12 in 2012, missing out on the playoffs for yet another season, and as a result, Andy Reid lost his job as head coach.
Chip Kelly
Breaking News: Earlier in the afternoon, it was announced that former Oregon head coach will in fact be coaching in the NFL next season for the Philadelphia Eagles. Originally, it appeared as though Kelly would be with Oregon for yet another season, a team who is coming off of a Fiesta Bowl victory over Kansas State. Philadelphia on the other hand went 4-12 in 2012, missing out on the playoffs for yet another season, and as a result, Andy Reid lost his job as head coach.
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| Chip Kelly |
BCS National Championship Preview: Notre Dame vs. Alabama
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The 2011 season is still fresh in the minds of Notre Dame fans across the nation, where the Fighting Irish finished the year at 8-5, lost to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl, and showed little promise for the upcoming season in August. After the fourth week of football, however, Notre Dame upset Michigan State on the road, and then trounced 18th ranked Michigan in South Bend. A dominant win over Miami led to the highlight of Notre Dame’s season; an overtime win over rival Stanford, thanks to an unbelievably defiant goal line stand. 8th ranked Oklahoma could not stop the rolling Irish, who fell, at home, 30-13. After a triple overtime scare against Pitt, and two easy wins back to back, the final game on the schedule was against USC, a struggling team missing their star quarterback, Matt Barkley. Notre Dame kept the perfect season alive, and much of their surprising turnaround can be credited to their senior phenomenon, Mant Te’o. Te’o, the middle linebacker for Notre Dame, is destined to be one of the Heisman finalists in New York. This exceptional defender has proven to be an effective motivator, especially after what he was forced to endure. The death of his grandmother and girlfriend before the season began fueled the fire within him, and his stat line makes an amazing case for the Heisman Trophy over freshman sensation Johnny Manziel. Though Notre Dame’s offense is nothing extraordinary, quarterback Everett Golson is capable of scoring when the game is on the line. The difference maker for Notre Dame will be their sensational defense (ranked first in the nation in terms of points allowed), and whether or not they can shut down Alabama’s respectable offense.
Alabama Crimson Tide: Alabama’s season started off as projected--dominant wins over each and every opponent. An easy win over Michigan in their first game of the season led to a hot streak that carried them through the first nine weeks of football. Mississippi State, ranked 11th at the time of their meeting, was unsuccessful in jumping out to an early lead, and Alabama went on to win the game with ease. The next game on the schedule was a modern day rivalry between Alabama and fellow SEC powerhouse LSU. Alabama’s 14-3 lead at halftime was not enough to hold off the Tigers of Louisiana, and before long, Alabama found themselves down, desperate to claw their way out. Quarterback AJ McCarron marched Alabama down the field, and eventually connected with running back TJ Yeldon for the game winning score. The following week, Alabama was caught in a similar situation, except this time, a 20 point deficit was too much to overcome, as Johnny Manziel toppled the number one team, after a Texas A&M interception sealed a victory for Manziel’s squad. Back-to-back shutouts against unranked teams were not enough for Alabama to regain their number one spot in the rankings, at one point held by Kansas State, and then eventually Notre Dame. Finally, in one of the best college football games played in the 2012 season, Alabama beat Georgia for their second consecutive SEC title. In a game that came down to the last second on the clock, Alabama’s rushing attack proved too much for the Georgia defense, and the Crimson Tide held off Georgia for a final tally of 32 points to Georgia’s 28 points. Similar to Notre Dame, Alabama’s defense has proven to be stellar once again, ranking second behind, who else, but the Fighting Irish. The passing game under AJ McCarron has been less than stellar, but Sunday’s SEC showdown proved to football fans that Alabama’s running back tandem is capable of making big plays at the right moment. Both running backs, Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon, rushed for at least 150 yards and a score, but don’t expect the same numbers against Notre Dame’s defense.
Bottom Line: Notre Dame has been underestimated throughout the duration of the season, and they finally have the chance to prove themselves when they take on the heavily favored Crimson Tide. In yet another low scoring National Championship, Notre Dame challenges Nick Saban’s defense early on in the game, but the defending champs prove to be too much by the fourth quarter.
Alabama over Notre Dame 16-10
Fiesta Bowl Preview: Kansas State vs Oregon
Once again, the two teams battling for the Fiesta Bowl are two highly ranked football programs; the Oregon Ducks and the Kansas State Wildcats. Similar to last season, where Andrew Luck and fourth ranked Stanford took on third ranked Oklahoma State, the Fiesta Bowl is likely to be yet another offensive showdown. Back in Week 12, before Notre Dame regained their number one spot in the BCS Standings, both Oregon and Kansas State held the top two spots in the rankings. Then, for the first time in a long time, both Oregon and Kansas State were upset in the same week, and suddenly their championship hopes were dashed in a single moment. Be sure to tune in next Thursday, January 3rd, as the Ducks take on the Wildcats in one of the more high scoring games of the season. Also, be sure to comment subscribe, or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thenflreport! Lastly, subscribe to us onYouTube, where we create monthly highlight videos for some of the most exciting NFL players!
Oregon Ducks: When one thinks of the Oregon Ducks, defense is not the first thing that comes to mind. Though the defense has shown flashes of brilliance, such as a shutout of Arizona and just 17 points allowed against Stanford, games such as a Week 10 matchup against USC (51 point allowed in an Oregon win), reminds us how vulnerable this defense proves to be in certain moments. It has been the offense, however, who has managed to run its way into the 2013 Fiesta Bowl. Though Oregon's schedule shows little competition from opposing teams, there have been several dominant performances against ranked opponents. After destroying Arkansas State, Fresno State, and Tennessee Tech to start off the season, Oregon shut down Arizona 49-0, ranked 22 at the time. A win the following week led to a 52-21 win over Washington, yet another ranked team. Oregon ran all over USC, and after destroying California, Oregon was set to play 13th ranked Stanford. At the time of kickoff, Oregon was second in the nation behind Kansas State, with a BCS Championship not too far out of reach. A win over Stanford would solidify their campaign for the championship. Unfortunately, the Ducks failed to beat their bitter rivals at home, after a missed Oregon kick in overtime led to a game winning kick by Stanford. Oregon's win over Oregon State was practically meaningless, as they missed out on the Pac-12 Championship, which was eventually won by Stanford. Stanford proved that the most important thing in order to beat the Ducks is to stop the run. This season, Oregon rushed for an average of 323.3 yards per game, ranking third in the nation. Their success on the ground led to an average of 50.8 points per game, but as we saw against Stanford, stopping the run means fewer points for the Oregon offense. Running backs De'Anthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner have been nearly unstoppable this season, where the two rushers have combined for a grand total of 2,310 rushing yards with 37 total touchdowns. Even quarterback Marcus Mariota has found success on the ground. If Oregon were to continuously gain big yards on the ground against Kansas State, the Fiesta Bowl will be practically theirs for the taking.
Kansas State: Kansas State's quarterback Collin Klein slowly but surely led his team towards a shot at the National Championship. A program not known for their football, Kansas State ranked 22 entering the 2012 football season, and were not considered legitimate threats until a game against 6th ranked Oklahoma put Kansas State on the map. Their 24-19 victory over Oklahoma, followed by two easy games against Kansas and Iowa State, led to a stretch of games against difficult teams. West Virginia, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State all lost by a large margin to Kansas State, and their miraculous hot streak was rewarded as number two in the nation. TCU was unable to upset the Kansas State Wildcats, and with two relatively easy games left on the schedule, it seemed as though a National Championship for Kansas State was a safe prediction. Then, Baylor did the unthinkable at home; they beat the Kansas State Wildcats. Baylor's win over Kansas State was not by a small margin either, as they upset the number one ranked Wildcats 52-24. The Wildcats managed to beat 18th ranked Texas, but their final game of the season did not earn them the number one spot back from Notre Dame. At one point in time, Kansas State's quarterback Collin Klein was the favorite to win the Heisman after Geno Smith's collapse. His seven total touchdowns in a Kansas State win over West Virginia was followed by several sub-par games, and eventually players like Johnny Manziel and Manti Te'o became the late season favorites. Klein is the center of Kansas State's offense, especially his ability to run the ball thanks to an athletic 6-5, 225-pound frame. Kansas State ranks tenth in the nation in terms of points allowed, where as the offense does very well in big games. Similar to Oregon, the offense must be consistent in terms of putting points on the board, but defense will be key if they wish to win on January 2nd.
Bottom Line: A shootout is destined to take place in Arizona when Oregon and Kansas State take the field. Though Collin Klein tends to overwhelm opposing defenses, Oregon has more experience with BCS Bowl games, as they run all over the Kansas State defense for the Fiesta Bowl trophy.
Oregon over Kansas State: 40-36
Kansas State: Kansas State's quarterback Collin Klein slowly but surely led his team towards a shot at the National Championship. A program not known for their football, Kansas State ranked 22 entering the 2012 football season, and were not considered legitimate threats until a game against 6th ranked Oklahoma put Kansas State on the map. Their 24-19 victory over Oklahoma, followed by two easy games against Kansas and Iowa State, led to a stretch of games against difficult teams. West Virginia, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State all lost by a large margin to Kansas State, and their miraculous hot streak was rewarded as number two in the nation. TCU was unable to upset the Kansas State Wildcats, and with two relatively easy games left on the schedule, it seemed as though a National Championship for Kansas State was a safe prediction. Then, Baylor did the unthinkable at home; they beat the Kansas State Wildcats. Baylor's win over Kansas State was not by a small margin either, as they upset the number one ranked Wildcats 52-24. The Wildcats managed to beat 18th ranked Texas, but their final game of the season did not earn them the number one spot back from Notre Dame. At one point in time, Kansas State's quarterback Collin Klein was the favorite to win the Heisman after Geno Smith's collapse. His seven total touchdowns in a Kansas State win over West Virginia was followed by several sub-par games, and eventually players like Johnny Manziel and Manti Te'o became the late season favorites. Klein is the center of Kansas State's offense, especially his ability to run the ball thanks to an athletic 6-5, 225-pound frame. Kansas State ranks tenth in the nation in terms of points allowed, where as the offense does very well in big games. Similar to Oregon, the offense must be consistent in terms of putting points on the board, but defense will be key if they wish to win on January 2nd.Bottom Line: A shootout is destined to take place in Arizona when Oregon and Kansas State take the field. Though Collin Klein tends to overwhelm opposing defenses, Oregon has more experience with BCS Bowl games, as they run all over the Kansas State defense for the Fiesta Bowl trophy.
Oregon over Kansas State: 40-36
College Football: Tyrann Mathieu
Earlier in the day, Tyrann Mathieu announced to the public that he is entering the 2013 NFL Draft in April. Mathieu, known by many as the "Honey Badger", played for LSU football last season, and his performance earned him a spot on the Heisman ballot. Mathieu's statistics were absolutely extraordinary, with 6 forced fumbles, two defensive touchdowns, and two punts returned for scores. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worst, when Mathieu's was suspended for entirety of the 2012 season due to substance abuse. Then, last month, Mathieu found himself in another touchy situation, where he was arrested on marijuana charges along with three other LSU players. His troubles within the past year is why his decision to enter the draft came as a shock to most fans, instead of taking a year off and playing one last season before the draft. However, the former football star was gracious to the fans of Louisiana State University, thanking them for their support. We wish him luck in the upcoming draft.
College Football: Week 13 NFLR Rankings
The rankings below are not based off of the BCS Rankings released Sunday Night, but our opinion on the most skilled team, wins and losses aside:
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| Landry Jones (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) |
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. LSU
5. Georgia
6. Notre Dame
7. Kansas State
8. Stanford
9. Texas A&M
10. Florida State
11. South Carolina
12. Clemson
13. Nebraska
14. Oregon State
15. Oklahoma
16. UCLA
17. Michigan
18. Texas
19. Oklahoma State
20. Rutgers
21. Kent State
22. Arizona
23. Louisville
24. Washington
25. Utah State
College Football Ranking Reactions (Week 13)
Just two weeks ago, many people were speculating that, by the end of the season, four of the nations top teams would remain undefeated, and serious controversy would come about. As we know, however, that is not the case, and only one team remains perfect; Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have one game left in the regular season against the USC, and an upset lurks around the corner. Three SEC teams are eagerly hunting for the number one spot, and if Notre Dame were to lose in the final week of play, the BCS Championship Game might be between two SEC teams for the second year in a row.
Todd Gurley
1. Notre Dame: The close game between Notre Dame and Pitt caused doubt among fans on whether or not the Fighting Irish deserved to be number one. With a perfect record, though, they were voted number one, thanks to big wins over Stanford, Michigan, and Oklahoma. USC is the final game of the regular season for Notre Dame, and rivalries always add a whole other dimension to games, even if on paper, the game appears to be lopsided. Notre Dame ought to be fuming after losing the past nine out of ten games to USC in the battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh. On the other hand, USC has nothing to lose, and will be more than happy to dethrone the number one seed. Matt Barkley will challenge Notre Dame's elite defense, led by Heisman contender Manti Te'o.
2. Alabama: Out of all the teams to suffer an upset this past season, Alabama's loss to Texas A&M late in the game was the most shocking. Alabama was coming off of back to back wins over ranked football teams, and a win over (at the time) 15th ranked Texas A&M was almost a given. Unfortunately, the combination of Johnny Football's leadership and Alabama's turnover amount late in the game was what led to their downfall. Just like Notre Dame, Alabama will be facing one of their bitter rivals in the final week of play, the Auburn Tigers. Alabama's top ranked defense will likely smoother the unranked Auburn offense.
3. Georgia: Though Georgia has only played two ranked teams so far this season, one was a victory over the SEC-rival Florida. Gator nation ranked second overall when the game took place, and Georgia previously lost to 6th ranked South Carolina. In a low scoring game, Georgia managed to put up 17 points and upset the Gators. Freshman running back Todd Gurley has been absolutely extraordinary so far, and the best part is, he is only a freshman. Their one loss to South Carolina was by an extremely large margin (35-7), and apart from Florida, this team has done little to prove they are worthy of the third spot in the nation.
4. Florida: Observing the list of team's overpowered by Florida, you will notice just how many bowl contenders are named. Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU, and South Carolina all lost to the Gators, where Georgia was the only team who succeeded in taking them down on the road. Up next: the Florida Gators will voyage to Florida State's campus, and compete in this bitter rivalry. The Seminoles have lost just one game this year, but the loss came against an unranked NC State. That said, Florida State will be looking to get back in the hunt for the BCS Championship Game, and defeating Florida would help them do so.
5. Oregon: For the first time since 2007, the number one and two ranked teams lost in the same week. Oregon, the second ranked team in the nation, fell to Stanford in one of the best Pac-12 games seen in a very long time. The loss only bumped them down three spots, so Oregon, if all goes well, is still in the hunt for the National Championship. Oregon's high flying offense ranks second in the nation (51.1 points per game) all thanks to their top notch running game. It is unclear how this offense would play against the elite offense seen from Alabama, but it is likely they will run all over the 15th ranked Oregon State Saturday.
Important Announcement
As we enter the heart of football season, The NFL Report has now decided to write weekly posts on not just the NFL, but now college football as well. Bowl season is just one week away, and Saturday's upsets inspired us to diversify our posts. Our blog's name will stay the same, but don't be surprised if you see several posts on the college football season each and ever month.
Just two weeks ago, many people were speculating that, by the end of the season, four of the nations top teams would remain undefeated, and serious controversy would come about. As we know, however, that is not the case, and only one team remains perfect; Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have one game left in the regular season against the USC, and an upset lurks around the corner. Three SEC teams are eagerly hunting for the number one spot, and if Notre Dame were to lose in the final week of play, the BCS Championship Game might be between two SEC teams for the second year in a row.
1. Notre Dame: The close game between Notre Dame and Pitt caused doubt among fans on whether or not the Fighting Irish deserved to be number one. With a perfect record, though, they were voted number one, thanks to big wins over Stanford, Michigan, and Oklahoma. USC is the final game of the regular season for Notre Dame, and rivalries always add a whole other dimension to games, even if on paper, the game appears to be lopsided. Notre Dame ought to be fuming after losing the past nine out of ten games to USC in the battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh. On the other hand, USC has nothing to lose, and will be more than happy to dethrone the number one seed. Matt Barkley will challenge Notre Dame's elite defense, led by Heisman contender Manti Te'o.
2. Alabama: Out of all the teams to suffer an upset this past season, Alabama's loss to Texas A&M late in the game was the most shocking. Alabama was coming off of back to back wins over ranked football teams, and a win over (at the time) 15th ranked Texas A&M was almost a given. Unfortunately, the combination of Johnny Football's leadership and Alabama's turnover amount late in the game was what led to their downfall. Just like Notre Dame, Alabama will be facing one of their bitter rivals in the final week of play, the Auburn Tigers. Alabama's top ranked defense will likely smoother the unranked Auburn offense.
3. Georgia: Though Georgia has only played two ranked teams so far this season, one was a victory over the SEC-rival Florida. Gator nation ranked second overall when the game took place, and Georgia previously lost to 6th ranked South Carolina. In a low scoring game, Georgia managed to put up 17 points and upset the Gators. Freshman running back Todd Gurley has been absolutely extraordinary so far, and the best part is, he is only a freshman. Their one loss to South Carolina was by an extremely large margin (35-7), and apart from Florida, this team has done little to prove they are worthy of the third spot in the nation.
4. Florida: Observing the list of team's overpowered by Florida, you will notice just how many bowl contenders are named. Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU, and South Carolina all lost to the Gators, where Georgia was the only team who succeeded in taking them down on the road. Up next: the Florida Gators will voyage to Florida State's campus, and compete in this bitter rivalry. The Seminoles have lost just one game this year, but the loss came against an unranked NC State. That said, Florida State will be looking to get back in the hunt for the BCS Championship Game, and defeating Florida would help them do so.
5. Oregon: For the first time since 2007, the number one and two ranked teams lost in the same week. Oregon, the second ranked team in the nation, fell to Stanford in one of the best Pac-12 games seen in a very long time. The loss only bumped them down three spots, so Oregon, if all goes well, is still in the hunt for the National Championship. Oregon's high flying offense ranks second in the nation (51.1 points per game) all thanks to their top notch running game. It is unclear how this offense would play against the elite offense seen from Alabama, but it is likely they will run all over the 15th ranked Oregon State Saturday.
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| Todd Gurley |
2. Alabama: Out of all the teams to suffer an upset this past season, Alabama's loss to Texas A&M late in the game was the most shocking. Alabama was coming off of back to back wins over ranked football teams, and a win over (at the time) 15th ranked Texas A&M was almost a given. Unfortunately, the combination of Johnny Football's leadership and Alabama's turnover amount late in the game was what led to their downfall. Just like Notre Dame, Alabama will be facing one of their bitter rivals in the final week of play, the Auburn Tigers. Alabama's top ranked defense will likely smoother the unranked Auburn offense.
3. Georgia: Though Georgia has only played two ranked teams so far this season, one was a victory over the SEC-rival Florida. Gator nation ranked second overall when the game took place, and Georgia previously lost to 6th ranked South Carolina. In a low scoring game, Georgia managed to put up 17 points and upset the Gators. Freshman running back Todd Gurley has been absolutely extraordinary so far, and the best part is, he is only a freshman. Their one loss to South Carolina was by an extremely large margin (35-7), and apart from Florida, this team has done little to prove they are worthy of the third spot in the nation.
4. Florida: Observing the list of team's overpowered by Florida, you will notice just how many bowl contenders are named. Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU, and South Carolina all lost to the Gators, where Georgia was the only team who succeeded in taking them down on the road. Up next: the Florida Gators will voyage to Florida State's campus, and compete in this bitter rivalry. The Seminoles have lost just one game this year, but the loss came against an unranked NC State. That said, Florida State will be looking to get back in the hunt for the BCS Championship Game, and defeating Florida would help them do so.
5. Oregon: For the first time since 2007, the number one and two ranked teams lost in the same week. Oregon, the second ranked team in the nation, fell to Stanford in one of the best Pac-12 games seen in a very long time. The loss only bumped them down three spots, so Oregon, if all goes well, is still in the hunt for the National Championship. Oregon's high flying offense ranks second in the nation (51.1 points per game) all thanks to their top notch running game. It is unclear how this offense would play against the elite offense seen from Alabama, but it is likely they will run all over the 15th ranked Oregon State Saturday.
As we enter the heart of football season, The NFL Report has now decided to write weekly posts on not just the NFL, but now college football as well. Bowl season is just one week away, and Saturday's upsets inspired us to diversify our posts. Our blog's name will stay the same, but don't be surprised if you see several posts on the college football season each and ever month.
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