7-5

7-5. 

The team you cheered on this year that had enough talent to beat four ranked opponents. 

The team that was 6-0 at home going into the final home game which was going to get them one step closer towards an anticipated ACC Championship Game berth.

The team that always shrugged off a disappointing loss with an awesome win. 

The team that will have one first round pick, and multiple other players that will be taken in the next few drafts.

The team that was 7-0 in games played in the daytime. 

7-5.

The team that lost to Middle Tennesee State.

The team that got shut out by rival Virginia.

The team that had negative rushing yards for an entire game against Virginia Tech.

The team that couldn't play in the national spotlight.

The team that was 0-5 in games played in the dark. 

The Maryland Terrapins ended their roller coaster season with a loss at Boston College, who has now won their last three, and who put themselves in position to make the ACC Championship Game by beating the three teams in the Atlantic Division that were above them.

I'm not going to give all of the Terps' units grades, because Around the Harbor blog does that, and does it very well. I will give one, though. The offensive line this year failed. Four seniors and one junior, and they were absolutely terrible. The only reason the Terps were able to run some games was more a product of having real depth there with Scott and Meggett. The FSU game was truly ridiculous for the line. Turner was terrible that game, but most quarterbacks will be terrible when they are being sacked as they drop back. 

The Terps may still end up with a decent bowl. They are one of the 6 teams in the ACC with a 4-4 conference record. They could end up in Idaho too, though. In any case, they're not going to get in the Orange, Chik-Fil-A, Gator or Champs Sports Bowls, the top four bowls for ACC teams. 

This season should make any Maryland sports fan sick to their stomach. The basketball team can be criticized for not having the talent necessary to succeed in the ACC - the second best conference in college basketball. The football team had the talent to succeed in the ACC - the second best conference in college football - and just flat out didn't. Say what you want about the basketball team, but they play hard every game. They have a fiery leader in Vasquez. Perhaps more important, they have a fiery leader in their coach. The football team has neither. They played undisciplined. 

Middle-of-the-pack should not be enough to satisfy a team with this talent, but it did. That's what they were. Mediocre.

7-5. 

(Photo Credits: AP)

Blog Posts Coming Soon!

You took Thanksgiving week off from school, and so did we. Have no fear, though, by Wednesday you will be able to read the latest power rankings, the return of "looking back," an analysis of the Terps' basketball season thus far, a wrap-up of the Maryland football season and our side of the BCS debate. Stay tuned. 

NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

The hardest rankings I've ever done. Let the debate begin.

1. New York Giants (2; +1): They finally claim the top spot. If Arizona couldn't knock them off, who can?

2. New York Jets (6; +4): Since the embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Raiders, they've won five in a row.

3. Tennessee Titans (1; -2): They still have the best record in football, so there's no way they drop out of my top three.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (4; 0): Just a hunch, but I bet the Steelers-Patriots game will be better than the Bengals-Steelers game.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7; +2): With the Carolina loss, Tampa Bay is staring a division title - and a first round bye - in the eye.

6. Indianapolis Colts (8; +2): Nobody wants to play them right now. The hapless winner of the AFC West is going to get them as a wild card in the first round and wish they never made the playoffs.

7. New England Patriots (9; +2): I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, person to say this, but: isn't it funny Matt Cassel is tearing up the NFL, while Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart aren't playing?

8. Dallas Cowboys (10; +2): I sense Romo to Owens is the only thing standing in the Giants way right now.

9. Carolina Panthers (3; -6): I see no reason to keep them up there, despite their excellent record. They've looked awful three weeks in a row.

10. Arizona Cardinals (5; -5): I feel bad for the five-point drop after hanging tough with the Giants. Their defense just wasn't up to the task, but then again, whose is?

11. Atlanta Falcons (13; +2): They smacked down the Panthers, causing you to scratch your head and wonder why I still have the Falcons down here. There was something about them losing to the Broncos that unsettled me. 

12. Baltimore Ravens (14; +2): Well, that was a nice rebound. 11-5 is possible. 

13. Minnesota Vikings (17; +4): Are they developing into the team everyone wanted them to be in preseason?

14. Miami Dolphins (15; +1): They were probably too low last week, so I made up for it by moving them up after a loss. Does it make sense? Does ranking NFL teams make sense in general? But you love it. 

15. Buffalo Bills (19; +4): AFC teams better hope that that offensive explosion was more about playing KC than that the Bills are getting back on track.

16. Washington Redskins (16; 0): Clinton Portis is like a pacemaker; he's the only thing that's keeping this team alive. 

17. New Orleans Saints (21; +4): They won, preserving playoff hopes - for now.

18. Green Bay Packers (18; 0): It's a good thing the other two teams in the NFC North with them are so mediocre. 

19. Chicago Bears (20; +1): Yea, they beat up on the Rams. Who doesn't?

20. Denver Broncos (12; -8): And back down they go seven spots. I shouldn't have bothered moving them in the first place.

21. Philadelphia Eagles (11; -10): They've played as poorly as possible for the past two weeks. We're witnessing the end of an era.

22. San Diego Chargers (22; 0): The thing about the Chargers is that I'm not sure anymore that this team doesn't have the character. They busted their butts on Sunday night for that game. Maybe they just don't have the talent.

23. Houston Texans (25; +2): This 23-25 range switches up every week. This week, the Texans beat the Browns, so they get the bump up.

24. Cleveland Browns (23; -1): As if they weren't out of it before, they're really out of it now. Another frustrating season for Cleveland fans.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (24; -1): Tell me 20-25 isn't the "popular pre-season teams that a lot of people thought would be really good, but now flirts with mediocrity" category. Well, ignore the Texans.

26. Oakland Raiders (30; +4): It's so thin down here at the bottom that one win will bump you up four points despite every bad thing you've done all year.

27. San Francisco 49ers (26; -1): They never gave up against the Cowboys. I feel bad for writing that article about Mike Singletary; I'm liking him more every week.

28. Seattle Seahawks (27; -1): Is the Matt Hasselbeck era coming to a close? Doubt it, but with a draft pick this high, it will be interesting to see what they do with it.

29. Cincinnati Bengals (28; -1): The Steelers were just better than them. By a lot.

30. Kansas City Chiefs (29; -1): One of these days, I will wise up and start Tyler Thigpen on my fantasy team.

31. St. Louis Rams (31; 0): Their extraordinary lack of talent caught up with them in a hurry.

32. Detroit Lions (32; 0): They should probably take Michael Crabtree with the number one overall pick. They've done well with their wide receivers.

Division Rankings: And here are the big changes. The NFC BEast, fabled as the toughest division in NFL history, has dropped down to only the third best this year. Number one? That goes to the AFC East, which leapfrogged the South. The AFC East doesn't have a single team in the bottom half of the league, and now boast the number 2 and 7 teams. The Eagles free-fall cost the NFC East dearly.

1. AFC East (average rank: 9.50)

2. NFC South (10.50)

3. NFC East (11.50)

4. AFC South (14.25)

5. AFC North (17.25)

6. NFC North (20.50)

7. AFC West (23.25)

8. NFC West (24.25)

And the Titans fall

There will be no 16-0 team this year. Earlier today, the NFL's last undefeated team fell as the Titans lost to the New York Jets 34-13.

I did not expect them to lose this week, mainly because they were at home. But the Jets flat out dominated this game. Kerry Collins threw the ball 39 times and the Titans defense (best in the league, at least points-wise) gave up 34 points and let the Jets go 7-13 on 3rd downs. The Jets had 192 yards rushing and the Titans had a mere 45.

The last couple games, the Titans looked beatable. I figured it would only be a matter of time until they lost, because a team like the Titans couldn't go undefeated. In today's NFL, with scouting the way it is, only a dominant team can go through the gauntlet and finish 16-0. The Patriots were that dominant team...well, until the Super Bowl.

The big question is: where do the Titans go from here? Most experts - including TnT Sports' very own Tony Herman - had the Titans at #1 because they hadn't lost. The Giants looked much more dominant in all facets of the game for most of the season (the Browns game was obviously a fluke, for both teams) and should now be #1 in most power rankings, assuming the win today, which is no sure thing. As I type, the Cardinals are up 12-10. That is definitely the biggest game of today, if only because it will prove to the country that the Cardinals are for real (it honestly feels wierd to say that the Cardinals are one of the NFL's "elite" this season).

Update: The Cardinals lost, but their offense played great against a good defense. They are legit.

Props Go To ...

I realize I haven't updated this since Monday, which is inexcusably large amount of time. I had a really busy week. So, to summarize what I haven't talked about all week, instead of giving news, I'm giving props.

Props go to the Maryland women's field hockey team, who got to the NCAA Final Four on Friday. Sophomore Katie O'Donnell put in the game-winning goal in the second overtime period. Maryland will play on Sunday against Wake Forest, who beat Syracuse in OT to get to the finals themselves.

Props go to Obi Egekeze. He missed his first five field goals of the season and everyone was calling for his head. Since then, he has made 12 of 14, including two game-winners. 

Props go to the entire Maryland guy's soccer team, who won the ACC championship. The NCAA tournament will start next week, and the Terps will be one of the favorites to win.

Props go to Dave Neal. Yea, Dave Neal. Without Dave Neal, Maryland doesn't win the game against a feisty Vermont team. Neal hit two huge 3-pointers in the last couple minutes of regulation. He also played the entire overtime as Maryland's center and did a nice job on the boards.

Props to go Greivis Vasquez. As a friend of mine pointed out, the coaching staff must absolutely hate this guy. He does a number of astonishingly bone-headed and arrogant plays. He takes shots he shouldn't. However, if you don't know that Vasquez is twice as good as anyone else Maryland puts on the floor, you don't know basketball. He's not the best three point shooter on the team, but I guarantee you he is the only one who wanted to shoot that final shot. He is the leader of their team, and he already saved their season. 

Props go to Vermont. They're not a big-time program, but Vermont played incredible against Maryland. This is their second overtime loss; they're two plays from being 3-0 with quality wins against George Mason and Maryland, along with a 30-point defeat of Yale. They have some really quality players, including Marqus Blakely and Mike Tromboli, who had 23 and 17 points, respectively. Blakely blew by Landon Milbourne the entire game, and Tromboli was throwing in threes from all over the court. 

Props go to UMD fans. I've been disappointed all year by the fact there have been student section tickets remaining on game day for the home football games. No more. I wanted to get a guest ticket yesterday, and they were sold out. I'm disappointed it's only happened the one time this year, but Byrd should be rocking tonight. 

Ok, time to watch the Wake-BC game and then you-know-what tonight ... GO TERPS

(Photo Credits: AP)

Terps take on Youngstown State

Tommorow night, the Terps play their 2nd game of the season against Youngstown State. It should be a pretty easy game for the team, but it's never good to overlook anyone. The game is at Comcast Center and can be caught on WMUCsports.com at 8 PM. Kenny Gartner and I are studio hosting the game, and the pre-game starts around 7:40.

Hopefully Gary plays the starters a considerable amount, even if it's a blowout early. I doubt it will be, considering how the Terps usually start off. Regardless, I'm hoping to see the starters play together; if they can gel early in the season they will be firing on all cylinders come ACC tournament play.

I will be updating this as much as I can during the game, and will offer some post-game thoughts as well.


Postgame thoughts:

What a game for Greivis Vasquez. He tied his career-high with 28 points. He was all over the court tonight and the Terps offense ran through him.

And despite a poor offensive game from forward Braxton Dupree, his defense was superb. He held the Penguins' frontcount to a terrible offensive game. The perimeter defense was outstanding as well, holding the Penguins to an abysmal 0-13 from 3-point land.

Landon Milbourne fouled out and was pretty cold tonight. A mere 6 points and only 2-4 shooting. Hopefully it was just a bad night.

Overall a good game for the Terps. Their defense played great and Vasquez was in midseason form.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 11

Well, I told you I would change it if Cleveland beat the Bills, so I did. Buffalo goes down to number 20, but I don't feel comfortable moving the Browns up past San Diego yet. 

Consider, though: If the Ravens were as bad as everyone thought they would be, then perhaps the Browns win both games against the Ravens. Then the Browns are 6-4, and my prediction that the Browns would be terrible this year would be wrong. I love contradicting myself.

1. Tennessee Titans (1; 0): Not nearly as flashy as last year's Patriots, but the Titans have more of a team built for the playoffs.

2. New York Giants (2; 0): Brandon Jacobs physically abused the Ravens in a way I didn't think any player could.

3. Carolina Panthers (3; 0): They keep playing as bad as a team can play, but getting away with it because of their competition. Next week we truly find out about the team, as they play at Atlanta.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5; +1): It wasn't pretty, but it was a huge win for the Steelers. The slot for the second best team in the AFC is open; are they it?

5. Arizona Cardinals (6; +1): It wasn't pretty, just like it wasn't last week. Unlike the Panthers, though, I'm giving the Cardinals credit because these were divisional games, and it's just so refreshing to see the Cardinals beat the teams they're supposed to beat for once. 

6. New York Jets (10; +4): They continue to surprise me. Thomas Jones is making Brett Favre look better than he is.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12; +5): I'm still not sold on them, but at some point you just have to accept their record. Jeff Garcia is a winner.

8. Indianapolis Colts (13; +5): In a way, the high-scoring game against the Texans affirmed them. You don't want to see them give up that many points, but they have to be heartened by the fact their offense kept them afloat.

9. New England Patriots (8; -1): The Colts and Patriots, numbers 8 and 9 in the power rankings, as wild card teams in the AFC?

10. Dallas Cowboys (19; +9): I don't believe the Cowboys are Super Bowl contenders at all, and I know the Redskins didn't play well. The Cowboys kept things basic, though. I liked what they did with Marion Barber. Tony Romo should not be discounted, either.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (4; -7): Ties are gross. Why does the NFl allow them? Just keep playing.

12. Denver Broncos (18; +6): They made a positive statement by going into Atlanta and getting the win. That lets me give them their due - at least for one week. 

13. Atlanta Falcons (7; -6): Perhaps they don't deserve to be dropped 7 after a tough close loss. You have to protect home turf, though, and they didn't. 

14. Baltimore Ravens (9; -5): A brutal beat-down by the Giants. They do that a lot, though, and it will just make the defense angrier going into next week against Philadelphia.

15. Miami Dolphins (14; -1): Too close to be comfortable against the Raiders. They've quietly won four in a row now, though, without a real statement win amongst the bunch. That can change next week if they play the Patriots like they did in Week 3.

16. Washington Redskins (11; -5): The Redskins haven't played like an elite team five weeks in a row now.

17. Minnesota Vikings (15; -2): Enter the NFC North teams. They're all so even I just kept them together. Green Bay looked like the worst of the bunch this week, but Minnesota did beat them two weeks ago, so they get the nod.

18. Green Bay Packers (20; +2): They took out a few weeks of frustration by pounding the Bears into submission. The most important part of that game was Ryan Grant playing well.

19. Buffalo Bills (16; -3): Remember when everyone thought Buffalo was good?

20. Chicago Bears (17; -3): What needs more work, their offense or defense?

21. New Orleans Saints (21; 0): They beat the Chiefs in a pretty close game, but who doesn't?

22. San Diego Chargers (22; 0): The only thing keeping them alive in the playoff picture is the fact you don't know how Denver will play during any given week.

23. Cleveland Browns (23; 0): Brady Quinn plays well again, leading many to already predict the Browns will have a breakout season in 2009. Then, they will not have their breakout season, and people will wonder why they are forced to watch the Browns in 4 night games again.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars (24; 0): Peter King picked them in the upset against the Titans. I'm not sure I would pick them in any game this year. They're simply not clicking.

25. Houston Texans (25; 0): The Texans are good at this whole "give the game away with an untimely turnover" thing.

26. San Francisco 49ers (27; +1): They played the Cardinals tough, and just smacked around the Rams. After the Mike Singletary era got off to such a terrible start, you can see things looking a little brighter in San Francisco.

27. Seattle Seahawks (26; -1): Seattle played Miami tough, but you have to think they're already looking at next year.

28. Cincinnati Bengals 30; +2): Good work, Bengals. They're playing tough against their competition, something I didn't think their character was strong enough for. Unlike how gross the tie looks for the Eagles, the Bengals have to be pretty content.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (31; +2): Interesting article on si.com earlier this week about how Tyler Thigpen is the best young quarterback in the NFL. Not sure I agree, but to each his own. 

30. Oakland Raiders (28; -2): Hooray! The Raiders were competitive! Hooray!

31. St. Louis Rams (29; -2): So when's Haslett going to be fired?

32. Detroit Lions (32; 0): As upsetting as it is to me, Daunte Culpepper may get them a win in spite of themselves.

Division Rankings: No changes, but things get tight at the top and the bottom. The Cowboys' big rise was offset by the Eagles' and the Redskins' falls, leaving the NFC South and AFC East well within striking distance. At the other end, the Broncos' rise still leaves them in west, but at least they can see the NFC North and West now. 

1. NFC East (average rank: 9.75)

2. NFC South (11.00)

3. AFC East (12.25)

4. AFC South (14.50)

5. AFC North (17.25)

6. NFC North (21.75)

7. NFC West (22.25)

8. AFC West (23.25)

BC Creates a Mess

Well, I've been saying all along that if Maryland wins the UNC game and the FSU game, it doesn't matter what else they do. 

Call me crazy, but I didn't expect BC to go into Tallahassee and dominate the Seminoles like they did, winning 27-17, creating a new wrinkle.

Maryland still has to beat Florida State. That is imperative. If they don't, they won't have a shot for the ACC championship, and will play in something like the Music City Bowl. If they do, and if Wake beats BC, then start making travel arrangements to Tampa. However, if BC, the forgotten team in the Atlantic, pulls off another upset by going to Wake Forest and beating the desperate Demon Deacons, Maryland will have to go up to Boston and take down the Eagles. I know you didn't read all that, so if you take anything away from this post, take the following:

1. Maryland has to beat FSU. 

2. Root as hard as you can for Wake next week. 

(Photo Credit: AP)

Good Start to the Weekend

Maryland kicked off the weekend with a 1-0 men's soccer victory against Boston College in the ACC tournament. The Terps dominated the entire game, but the only goal scored was an own goal from the BC defense after a Chris Brown save. 

The basketball team followed up by cruising easily past an overmatched Bucknell. Maryland's stellar guard play forced the Bison into 20 turnovers, many of them occurring as Bucknell treid to get past Maryland's press. Greivis Vasquez (13 pts, 6 rebs, 6 assists with only 1 turnover), Landon Milbourne (a team-high 16 pts) and Cliff Tucker (14 pts and 5 rebs in only 19 mins) all led the way for the Terps. 

Will the football team complete the weekend, winning against No. 17 UNC? We'll find out in a few hours. UNC is better than them, but Maryland is 5-0 at home this season, and 5-0 against ranked teams in their past five games. I like our chances. 

(Photo Credit: AP)

Today's Lesson: Why Power Rankings Can't Be Done By Numbers

The beautiful thing, as we all know, about power rankings is that they are completely in the eye of the beholder. There is no statistical formula one can use to generate a way to rank NFL teams, 1-32. 

So naturally, I tried. 

I took the approach that stats are completely meaningless; it's all about what you do in the games themselves. So, I put every game that every team has played on a scale. It goes as follows:

You get 1 point if your opponent has won 3 games or less, 2 if they have won 4 or 5, and 3 if they have won 6 or more.

You get 1 point if you lose by 10 or more, 2 points if you lose by 9 or less, 3 points if you win by 9 or less, and 4 points if you win by 10 or more. 

You get 1 point if you play on the road.

So, you can get a maximum of 8 points if you kill a great team on the road (see Dolphins vs Patriots, week 3). You can get a minimum of 2 points if you get killed by a terrible team at home (see Seahawks vs. 49ers, week 9). The results were as follows:

1. Tennessee: 51

2. Carolina: 50

3. Pittsburgh: 50

4. Tampa Bay: 50

5. Philadelphia: 50

6. Arizona: 49

7. Chicago: 49

8. San Diego: 49

9. New York Giants: 48

10. Baltimore: 48

11. Green Bay: 48

12. Atlanta: 47

13. Indianapolis: 47

14. Dallas: 47

15. Miami: 46

16. Buffalo: 46

17. New Orleans: 46

18. New York Jets: 45

19. Washington: 45

20. Minnesota: 45

21. Cleveland: 45

22. New England: 44

23. Jacksonville: 44

24. Kansas City: 44

25. Denver: 43

26. Houston: 42

27. St. Louis: 42

28. Cincinnati: 41

29. Oakland: 40

30. Seattle: 39

31. San Francisco: 39

32. Detroit: 34

I bolded the 10 teams that were the biggest surprises: the 10 whose difference between their standing in these power rankings and in mine is more than 7 points.

The one that catches the eye, of course, is the New York Giants. Many feel that they are the best team in the league, and for anyone to have them outside of the top two is insane. I feel the same way, but the numbers don't. The Giants are so low primarily because of their schedule. There are nine "1-point" teams in the league (teams with 3 or fewer wins). The Giants have played 5 of them. Second, the Giants are lower than you expect because they have only played 2 "3-point" teams. Watching the games as a spectator, you know the Giants cleaned up in both of those games. The final scores don't reflect that, though: they only beat the Redskins by 9 and the Steelers by 7. Of course, dragging their whole score down is the Cleveland game, which only got them 3 points. If they had blown out Cleveland in that game like they should have, we wouldn't be talking about this because the Giants would be tied with Tennessee for first. 

The two biggest differentials are the San Diego Chargers and the New England Patriots. Ironically, this ranking has the Chargers 8 and New England 22; mine has them flip-flopped. Both have a differential of 14. How could this be? New England is 6-3, and San Diego has seemingly struggled to get to 4-5. San Diego is boosted by no low scores. They've only played two "1-point" teams, and have beaten both. Meanwhile, they have two 7-point wins: home blowouts against the Jets and the Patriots. New England, meanwhile, gets punished for their lack of resounding defeats. They only beat the Chiefs by 7, the 49ers by 7, and the Rams by 9. If they could have boosted those margins up to 10 apiece, then New England would be sitting at number 13, and, once again, this discussion would not be taking place. The blow-out to Miami didn't help, either. 

Of course, a couple of these may have corrected me. Kansas City doesn't deserve to be 24th, but they may deserve 26th. Of all the really bad teams in the league, at least they've been playing really good teams close.  I had the Jets in the low teens all year, and this week I finally moved them up. These rankings suggest that that was premature. Perhaps also I am not giving Tampa enough credit for the schedule they played. 

Take what you want from this. By no means am I saying that these rankings are good, much less correct. I'm just telling you what the numbers tell me. If anything, I'm telling you to trust your eyes in the NFL. The Giants may have played a weak schedule, but they've looked great doing it. Most of all, I'm saying that the fate of football teams at any level should be determined by a computer system. You got the allusion there? Good. 

(Photo Credits: AP)

Looking Back

With so many sports going on at once, how can you keep track of them all? You don't have to, but I will. Every Tuesday I will look back and hit briefly upon the five story lines that stuck out from the previous weekend.

1. Iowa deserves a huge thank you. They cleared up the brewing BCS disaster to make it about as easy as it ever has been to determine the national championship. It's pretty simple: Big 12 champion vs. SEC champion. If Texas Tech goes undefeated through the Big 12, obviously they make it. If they lose to Oklahoma, you can bet it's going to be Oklahoma in the big game. If Alabama runs through the SEC, obviously they get in; if Florida beats them in the SEC championship, Florida will get in. 

That's of course barring any huge upsets. 

2. The ACC is going to be the most fun conference to watch in college football for the rest of the season. The SEC is now a two team race. You know exactly who's a contender in the Big 12. The Pac-10 has the worst two teams in college football, and nobody cares about the conference past USC. The Big-10 is the Big 1. Nobody cares about the Big East. Meanwhile, in the ACC, UMD, FSU, WF, UNC, GT, VT, and UM all have a legitimate shot for the title. Every week is a huge week.

3. That being said, football is already starting to be overshadowed in the conference by basketball. 

The papers down in North Carolina have all but given up talking about UNC and Duke football; it's basketball season. Duke led off the season with a typically easy win versus Presbyterian. You can even see it in Maryland. The NCST game, a must-win game for the Terps in the ACC, had the same percentage filled in the student section as a basketball exhibition against Northwood, and Maryland basketball isn't even supposed to be good.

4. Out with the new, and in with the old in the AFC. The feel-good stories of the year in the AFC were the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. All four are still very much in the thick of things. They can't help but look over their shoulder and see that the Patriots, Colts and Chargers all won on Sunday, though. (Ignore the fact the Chargers beat KC. Hang with me here.) It looks like the playoffs could be a situation where you have maybe the Patriots and the Colts in, along with some of the upstart teams from this year. It will be interesting to see what plays out.

5. Meanwhile, the NFC playoff picture is looking pretty clean-cut. The East, South, and West races are pretty close to being decided. The North is still a three-team race. The Wild Card will come down to the Falcons, Bucs, Redskins, Eagles, and Cowboys battling it out for two spots. 

(Photo Credits: AP)

Tonight's Winner: The University of Maryland

In the game between the 49ers and Cardinals tonight, if the 49ers hang on to pull this game out, the real winner will be Maryland.

I just saw Shaun Hill throw an 18-yard touchdown pass beautifully to Vernon Davis. Maryland quarterback (graduated 2002) to Maryland tight end (graduated 2006), which made me wonder: When's the last time a Maryland grad caught a touchdown pass from a fellow Maryland grad? More on that when I figure it out. 

Power Rankings: Week 10

Not too many huge changes this week. There's really a few internal divisions where changes can be made. Basically, you have 1-3 as your top teams; 4-14 as those other teams you won't want to play in the playoffs; 15-22 as your underachieving teams that are still in it; 23-25 as your "you still probably don't want to play us, even though you'll probably win" teams, 26-31 as your teams battling for the number two draft pick, and the Detroit Lions as the worst team that I can remember watching. 

1. Tennessee Titans (1; 0): Look at their schedule right now and tell me they don't have a terrific chance at being 15-0 heading into their final game against the Colts.

2. New York Giants (2; 0): That offense sure is hard to stop. A terrific win at Philadelphia really gives them a stranglehold in the NFC East.

3. Carolina Panthers (3; 0): It's a good thing that Jake Delhomme saved his worst game of all time for the Raiders.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (4; 0): I know they lost at home, and they have too many issues to be the fourth best team in the league. I can't figure out whom I would put above them, though. It got a lot harder to rank teams starting with this spot.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (5; 0): Just saying, but Big Ben is 25th in the league in passer rating. That won't get it done if they want to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl threat.

6. Arizona Cardinals (6; 0): This is assuming, of course, that they beat San Francisco on Monday night. If they don't, I'm changing it Tuesday.

7. Atlanta Falcons (7; 0): They proved me wrong by defeating the Saints, whom I thought would overtake them in the second half of the season. Have I mentioned how good Matt Ryan is? 

8. New England Patriots (9; +1): A strong show against the Bills. They've quietly put together four strong performances in a row. They control their own destiny in the AFC East.

9. Baltimore Ravens (12; +3): Teams know they can't run against the Ravens so they've given up trying. If the Ravens can get enough pass rush, teams can't pass against them either. If, by the way, the Ravens beat the Giants this week, they will be number two next week. 

10. New York Jets (13; +3): This is, when you really look at it, a team that should rely on the run and their defense. Forget who plays quarterback.

11. Washington Redskins (8; -3): They drop a few in their bye week because of the strong performances of the three teams above them. They certainly don't look like a 6-3 team right now. 

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10; -2): See the comment on the Redskins.

13. Indianapolis Colts (16; +3): The Manning to Harrison connection isn't there. The team as a whole is starting to heat up, though, and that's not good for other AFC contenders.

14. Miami Dolphins (19; +5): Not a convincing win against the Seahawks, but they have an easy game against the Raiders before a home against the Patriots that could determine the fate of the division.

15. Minnesota Vikings (20; +5): Another game that went against my predictions. They're not pretty offensively or defensively, but when you have Adrian Peterson, you don't need to be.

16. Buffalo Bills (14; -2): You don't hear about Dick Jauron being a Coach of the Year candidate anymore, do you?

17. Chicago Bears (15; -2): It's a shame that Rex Grossman had to play that game, because they had a real chance to win otherwise.

18. Denver Broncos (21; +3): At least the offense got back on track. The defense certainly did not, though.

19. Dallas Cowboys (18; -1): Will Tony Romo lead the team to a 180 turnaround? Stay tuned.

20. Green Bay Packers (11; -9): A brutal 9-point drop is by far my largest of the week. There's a point when looking good isn't enough. You have to get wins.

21. New Orleans Saints (17; -4): It was good to see Drew Brees getting in Jeremy Shockey's face. It's hard to say too much when you throw three interceptions, though.

22. San Diego Chargers (22; 0): Curious thing with Herm Edwards going for the two-point conversion. You have to wonder whether this San Diego team actually has the character to pull out an overtime game.

23. Cleveland Browns (23; 0): A new era in Cleveland has officially begun. With a dud.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars (24; 0): I can't move them up, even after a 24-point win. It may have been what they needed, though, to get themselves jump-started for a late season push.

25. Houston Texans (25; 0): The end of that game was brutal. I felt like I was watching something vile and obscene. It made me uncomfortable.

26. Seattle Seahawks (27; +1): It's still a surprise for me very time I see their record.

27. San Francico 49ers (28; +1): I like Mike Singletary, but he has to get his act together for his players to respect him. 

28. Oakland Raiders (29; +1): Seriously? The Raiders are only the 5th worst team in the league? Wow.

29. St. Louis Rams (26; -3): I can't comprehend the humility that goes along with being down 40-0 at halftime.

30. Cincinnati Bengals (30; 0): The worst possible week for the Bengals to have a bye. All they have to do was lose by less than 20 and they would have been moved up. Shame, really.

31. Kansas City Chiefs (31; 0): I feel so bad for this team. They're in it every week, but they just don't know how to win.

32. Detroit Lions (32; 0): Not to reiterate a point I've made every week about them, but they won't haven't won yet.

Division Rankings: No change this week. You may really see some shake-ups next week, though.

1. NFC East (average rank: 9.00)

2. NFC South (10.75)

3. AFC East (12.00)

4. AFC South (15.75)

5. AFC North (16.75)

6. NFC North (21.00)

7. NFC West (22.00)

8. AFC West (24.75)

Exhibition Win for Terps

It may have only been an exhibition game, but the Maryland Terrapins looked pretty good on Saturday, beating the Northwood Seahawks 104-60.

The team was missing star guard Greivis Vasquez due to suspension (I'm told it was due to an off-the-court violation, i.e. he skipped a class or similar), but didn't miss a beat on offense. Junior Landon Milbourne and sophomores Adrian Bowie and Cliff Tucker picked up the slack.

Those three players contributing comes as no surprise. If the Terps want to compete with some of the best teams in the ACC, Milbourne will have to be the leader he says he's becoming and Bowie and Tucker have to score points on a regular basis.

What was surprising was freshman Jin Soo Kim. Kim, who was ruled eligible by NCAA Clearinghouse just last Monday, struggled in the first half, going 0-5 and 0-3 from three-point range. But in the 2nd half, Kim was lights-out, going 6-9 with 18 points (he finished with 20 total). He made several drives to the basket and was playing with confidence. He even used a nice head-fake to drive the lane, score, and get fouled for an extra shot. Comcast Center was as loud as it could possibly be for an exhibition game when Kim scored the shot I just mentioned.

Kim may very well be the x-factor for the Terps this season. If he can come off the bench and score 8-12 points a game, then they should be able to run with a lot of teams in the ACC. And for his height (6'8") and weight (a skinny 195), he plays pretty physical. He isn't afraid to get his nose dirty around the basket. With a small front court (the Terps' starting center, Braxton Dupree, is 6'8"), Kim could be a key player down the road.

But enough about the Korean sensation. It's just one exhibition game and no one has seen him play in a game that counts against a good team. He's still raw and unproven. But, Terps fans should be excited about his potential. It showed on Saturday.

My other thoughts about Saturday's exhibition win:

• Eric Hayes looks much more comfortable as the starting point guard. He ran the offense extremely well and made good passes. He even drained a couple of threes and was confident in himself. After the game, he said the win was important for not only the team, but the fans. Good to see him acknowledge the fans and his desire to make them happy, considering how much scrutiny he faces.
• Landon Milbourne is going to be one of the best Terps this season. On Saturday he was all over the court and made plays on both the offensive and defensive ends. He told me after the game that he's been working on being a leader and that he made some speeches before the game. Milbourne is one of the team's tri-captains (along with Dave Neal and Greivis Vasquez) and it definitely showed Saturday. He set the tone early on and the team never let up, even when he was on the bench.
• Braxton Dupree needs to make his presence felt. He was generally invisible on Saturday and didn't get involved with the offense until late in the game. We'll see if that was result of Northwood's height (3 players 7 feet tall or above - one was 7'5") or Dupree not being aggressive. On the defensive end, he held his own, which might be all they need from him.

Pick A Side

After the Maryland Terrapins lost 23-13 to the Virginia Tech Hokies on Thursday night, there was the usual varying reactions in Terpland. Some people shrugged it off, some started the same panic that followed the losses to Middle Tennessee St. and UVA. Now, of course, with me being fair and objective, I won't tell you how to think, so instead I'll lay out five points from the game and tell you why you could be optimistic or pessimistic about each one. Which one are you?

1. The Terps lost. 

The optimistic person can say: Out of the four remaining games, this was the one you thought you were most likely to lose. Winning in Blacksburg on a Thursday night is not something you do unless you play perfectly, and the Terps didn't play perfectly. They usually don't on the road. Anyway, nothing changes. All you need to do is win the Florida State game and one of the two other games you play this year.

The pessimistic person can say: Let's be real here. The Terps have played eight halves of football on the road this year. They've only looked good for one of those eight (the second half against Clemson). They've shown a complete inability to win on the road, so it's unlikely they will do so against Boston College. You may need that game, though, considering UNC is ranked and will be very difficult. 

2. Chris Turner lost his cool in the second half.

The pessimistic person can say: This is just further evidence that Turner is not the leader of this football team. He plays on pure adrenaline against the ranked teams, but when his team really needs him the most, he's just too frazzled to lead an adequate comeback. Did you see him the second half? He couldn't come within 5 yards of a receiver. The only reason it got interesting at all was because Heyward-Bey made a great play and we got lucky on special teams.

The optimistic person can say: We knew Turner wasn't a great leader coming into the season, or else he would have been granted the starting job. This is a very veteran team - just look the offensive line. The leadership role generally falls on the quarterback, but we don't need that. Turner hasn't been vocal all year - why would you expect him to be now? Plus, any quarterback who has never played that kind of game before would get riled. He's a junior, and this is his first major night game on the road in one of the hardest places to play in the nation. It's awesome he was as good as he was in the first half. 

3. Darren Evans ran for 253 yards against the Maryland defense.

The optimistic person can say: Evans had a great game. These things happen. It's bad that he ran for that much, but you really have to give the guy credit. He did have some huge holes, but he also had some miniscule ones that he just powered through. Either way, let's be real here and just say that our linebackers didn't tackle well. What this really was, though, was that Maryland wasn't sticking to what they do best - filling the gaps with their plethora of linebackers. If they had done that, Evans would have been competely contained. Cosh will realize that, and Maryland won't let the same mistake happen twice.

The pessimistic person can say: If we let VT run all over us like this, imagine what's going to happen when we play FSU. Stop saying "that's the game that matters" because if we put up the same rush defense against FSU, we'll lose by 30. Our tackling was terrible, and what's even worse is that we couldn't stop him in the second half, when our offense desperateley needed the ball. 

4. The Terps' character is in question. 

The pessimistic person can say: This team is a bunch of prima donnas and quitters. Whenever the going gets tough, they don't get going; they start thinking about going home. Did you see the offense at the end of the first half? Just chilling on the bench like there wasn't a thing wrong in the world. Friedgen no longer motivates this team. They play when they want to, and don't when they don't. It's pathetic.

The optimistic person can say: You're right, it should be questioned from before, because the Terps showed more character Thursday night than they have all year. They got blown out in the first half. Injuries were piling up. They could have quit, and this would have been another 58-7 type game. But did they? No. They outscored VT 10-6 in the second half. Look, they just didn't have enough to win the game, but they tried their hardest. Look at Heyward-Bey. He gets lit up on a failed 3rd down conversion and was down for a little while. When he was able to get up, did he look down on his trek to the sideline? No. He got up, and you could see the passion in his eyes as he was firing up his teammates. This team didn't quit against VT, the breaks just didn't go their way.

5. The Terps had -12 yards rushing.

The optimistic person can say: Well, I mean, you know ... Never mind, I got nothing here. That was terrible.

The pessimistic person can say: The blog won't allow me enough characters to talk about that. 

Al Davis Strikes Again

When most teams sign a former first rounder as a free agent in the offseason to a seven-year, $72 million contract, they get excited. This guy becomes their franchise player. They usually keep him around, you know, the seven years. 

Al Davis decided that it was going to be eight for DeAngelo Hall. Games.

In a move that's completely typical of the embarrassment that is the Raiders franchise, Al Davis decided to release Hall Wednesday.

By letting go of Hall, the Raiders are not only letting go of a very solid cornerback, they basically forfeited $8 million (the amount Hall got paid for 8 games), plus the second- and fifth-round picks they gave up for him. 

I mean, I can understand Davis wanted to do something dramatic, especially after his offense put together only 77 yards in a horrific loss to the Falcons. 

What's that? Hall doesn't play on offense?

Way to go, Al.  

Kim Ruled Eligible

Jin Soo Kim (pictured), the 6-foot-8 freshman forward for the Terps, was ruled eligible yesterday by the NCAA Clearinghouse. 

Gary Williams has described Kim as the best shooter on the team, so his addition will mean the team has another legitimate 3 point threat besides Eric Hayes.

Though Kim is very thin (he is listed at only 195 pounds), he is another body the Terps can put in the inside, especially if Braxton Dupree and Jerome Burney get in early foul trouble (which is likely to happen more than once.)

Photo Credit: umterps.com

Looking Back

With so many sports going on at once, how can you keep track of them all? You don't have to, but I will. Every Monday* I will look back and hit briefly upon the five story lines that stuck out from the previous weekend. *Editor's note: I know it's Tuesday, and this happened twice in a row. Forgive me. 

1. It's a shame that Texas Tech-Texas was on Saturday night, because I was not able to watch it. College students go out on Saturday nights. I was at a Halloween party. If this game was on a Saturday afternoon, I would have watched and most certainly enjoyed. But I digress.

What a terrific game with such enormous implications. In one amazing catch and run by Michael Crabtree (pictured), so many things happened at once that it is hard to believe. Instantly, all my gushing about Colt McCoy goes for naught; Graham Harrell one-upped him. Texas is now no longer a lock for the national championship; Texas Tech is now slated for the game with Alabama. If Texas Tech loses any more games, the Big 12 - by far the best conference in America - will probably be devoid of a team. 

2. The NBA season tipped off, and then people realized that they don't care about the NBA until March at least. Although one blockbuster deal already happened - Allen Iverson to the Pistons and Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to the Nuggets - you can tell by looking around arenas everywhere that even die-hard NBA fans don't care about their teams yet. Nonetheless, listen for a preview tomorrow.

3. Did baseball happen? I don't remember a season that was so quickly forgotten about before this one. The Phillies had their glory for two days, highlighted by Chase Utley's "World ____ing Champions" (warning: explicit content), and since then we haven't seen any "season in review" or anything like that. I suppose it was such an odd season that people didn't know how to revisit it, so they just didn't. Can't say I'm really upset.

4. These NFL happenings get me excited for the rest of the season:

- The AFC East race: Is Miami the best team that just happens to have the worst record?

- The NFC South race: Will either the Bucs or Falcons have enough to hang with the Panthers?

- The AFC North race: Can Baltimore continue to make Pittsburgh nervous?

- The NFC East race: Will the Giants lose enough to give the Eagles and Redskins a chance?

5. These NFL 

happenings I have already heard too much about it and will continue to:

- Rex Grossman has to play a few games because Kyle Orton is hurt.

- Derek Anderson (pictured) is terrible and Cleveland made a decision they should have made in Week 4.

- The Colts and the Jags are playing below expectations. They've been playing that way for 8 weeks and probably will continue to.

- Anything about the Cowboys

(Photo Credits: AP)

Power Rankings: Week 9

I broke my cardinal rule. I revised my rankings for what happened on Monday. That game was so pitiful for Washington that I had to do it. 

1. Tennessee Titans (1; 0): They're the best. Any questions?

2. New York Giants (2; 0): You just have to smile after how hard they smacked down the Cowboys. What a prolific running game.

3. Carolina Panthers (3; 0): They have a great chance to be 8-2 with their next games against Oakland and Detroit. 

4. Philadelphia Eagles (10; +6): With the Bucs not playing well and the Cowboys dropping off, you have to like their playoff chances.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (5; 0): Can they hear the Ravens knocking?

6. Arizona Cardinals (12; +6): Not only are the Cardinals going to go to the playoffs, they may actually do some damage.

7. Atlanta Falcons (13; +6): If it's not already, the Ryan-Turner-White trio will be on of the league's best in years to come.

8. Washington Redskins (4; -4): I said I wouldn't drop them too much even if they lost last night. I lied. They looked positively pathetic, and proved that you can beat them if you take away the run. 

9. New England Patriots (9; 0): They missed a good opportunity to get a leg up in their division. 

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7; -3): I'm getting fed up with how the Bucs are playing. They lost to a Cowboys team that clearly has not gotten its act together, and then it took them overtime to beat the lowly Chiefs.

11. Green Bay Packers (8; -3): I feel bad dropping them three after playing the Titans so tough, but what can you do?

12. Baltimore Ravens (16; +4): A season-defining victory against the Browns. It's amazing that a team projected by many to be around 3-13 is a few breaks away from being 7-1 at this point.

13. New York Jets (21; +8): My big move up for the week. They're not pretty by any means, but they keep winning, and I suppose it's time that I reward them.

14. Buffalo Bills (6; -8): My big move down of the week. I gave them a sort of mulligan after the Dolphins game, but no more. They need to beat their divisional opponents.

15. Chicago Bears (11; -4): I dropped them four after a win. It's a combination of them struggling with the Lions and me not having faith in Rex Grossman as a human being.

16. Indianapolis Colts (15; -1): At 4-4, they can breathe again. In the long run, though, I don't see them any better than their position here: right in the middle of things.

17. New Orleans Saints (18; +1): I'm not sure they will make it, but I wouldn't want to face them in the playoffs.

18. Dallas Cowboys (14; -4): I look around at all my favorite sports sites last Tuesday, and I'm seeing the Cowboys as high as number 6. "Am I way off or are they way off?" I say to myself. Now I sit here and grin.

19. Miami Dolphins (22; +3): The Dolphins are in the thick of it in the AFC. They've beaten some good teams. They need to learn to play consistently now.

20. Minnesota Vikings (25; +5): That was an impressive victory over a hot Houston team. 

21. Denver Broncos (19; -2): It's scary that this team actually leads a division.

22. San Diego Chargers (20; -2): The more I think about it, the less I'm convinced they will make their annual late-season charge.

23. Cleveland Browns (23; 0): I hope they brought their A-game on Sunday. That would make the Ravens' victory that much more impressive.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars (17; -7): This is a team I've given up on. There is no excuse for losing to Cincinnati.

25. Houston Texans (24; -1): Their offense is impressive. They need more defense to be taken seriously in the AFC, though.

26. St. Louis Rams (26; 0): The Cinderella story is dead.

27. Seattle Seahawks (28; +1): I moved them up one despite the fact they got murdered at home by the Eagles. The Raiders were that terrible.

28. San Francisco 49ers (29; +1): Is it me or are there more terrible teams than ever in the NFL this year? I mean the 49ers aren't even in my bottom 4. That's scary.

29. Oakland Raiders (27; -2): JaMarcus Russell - because I complimented him last week - had 31 yards passing. Atlanta out-gained them 453-77.

30. Cincinnati Bengals (31; +1): I felt obligated to move them up one for their victory.

31. Kansas City Chiefs (30; -1): I'm stunned that they managed to lose that game. Floored, in fact.

32. Detroit Lions (32; 0): I'm stunned they managed to lose that ga - wait, no I'm not. 

Division Rankings: The AFC East charged into the top 3 this week, but other than that, no changes. The margins all widened a bit.

1. NFC East (average rank: 8.00)

2. NFC South (9.25)

3. AFC East (13.75)

4. AFC South (16.50)

5. AFC North (17.50)

6. NFC North (19.50)

7. NFC West (21.75)

8. AFC West (25.75)

Monday Night Football Preview

While there are some good games in the NFL today (most notably Dallas-Giants and Colts-Patriots), the biggest game of the week is tommorow's Monday Night Football matchup. And not just because the Swami himself (Chris Berman) is interviewing Barack Obama and John McCain during halftime, but rather because both teams are fighting to be called elite.

At 6-2, the Washington Redskins have been dominant for most of the year. After an opening weekend loss to the N.Y. Giants, the Redskins rebounded and beat both the Eagles and the Cowboys on the road. A mid-season loss to the St. Louis Rams caused the Skins to stumble, but back-to-back wins against the Browns and Lions set them back on track.

At 5-2, the Pittsburgh Steelers have looked great at times, awful at others. The defense has been outstanding all year - it is currently ranked #1 in the NFL (#1 against the pass and #3 against the rush) - and has carried the team in games where the offense struggled. Thier two losses - to the Eagles and to the Giants (both NFC East teams) - were prime examples to the why the Steelers have struggled this year. In both games, the defense played outstanding and the offense failed to muster any sort of attack.

So now, in Week 9, the Steelers and Redskins matchup in what should be another fantastic game in an already exciting season. Here are the matchups to watch out for:

Steelers' secondary vs. Redskins QB Jason Campbell: Campbell has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league this year and has yet to finally throw an interception. He has made plays when the team needs him to and is playing as well as he has at any point in his career. If the Steelers want to win today, they will need to find a way to contain Redskins WR Santana Moss and tight end Chris Cooley. Moss has been Campbell's favorite target all year long and it will take another solid effort from Steelers CB Ike Taylor (who held Plaxico Burress to 3 catches for 16 yards last Sunday) to stop them from picking up yards. Cooley will most likely be covered by Steelers SS Troy Polamalu, who looks to be back in form after 2 injury-plagued seasons. The Steelers will be without key players Bryant McFadden (forearm) and Ryan Clark (shoulder), both of which play huge roles in the #1 pass defense. Look for Campbell to try to find a mismatch against Steelers CB Deshea Townsend, who will most likely be covering Redskins WR Antwann Randle El. Townsend has struggled this season. If Campbell plays like he has in previous weeks, the Redskins should be able to move the ball. The key, however, is that the offensive line can give Campbell enough time to pass against the physical Steelers secondary. Which leads us into our next matchup.

Redskins OT Chris Samuels vs. Steelers OLB James Harrison: Samuels has been the rock of the Redskins' offensive line since his rookie season, and will need to have a strong performance on Monday to contain Steelers LB James Harrison. Harrison is 3rd in the NFL with 8.5 sacks to go along with his 18 quarterback hurries. If Samuels cannot contain Harrison, that will only force the rest of the Redskins offensive line to try to contain Harrison's partner in crime Lamarr Woodley, who has 7.5 sacks on the season. Woodley and Harrison drive the Steelers' defense because of thier ability to pressure the quarterback, and if Samuels can contain Harrison, it would go a long way towards the Redskins offensive line containing Woodley as well. If Harrison and Woodley are ineffective like they were last week against the Giants, Campbell should be able to pick apart the Steelers' secondary.

Redskins RB Clinton Portis vs. Steelers' defensive line: Clinton Portis comes in as the NFL's leading rusher with 944 yards (with 5 yards a carry; he's on pace for 1888 yards) and the Steelers boast the NFL's #3 rush defense. Last week, the Steelers held Giants star RB Brandon Jacobs to 47 yards on 18 carries (2.6 YPC) and will look to duplicate their success this week. Portis has been one of the MVP's of the league so far, and has rushed for over 120 yards in his last 5 games. The Steelers' defense rarely gives up a 100-yard rusher, and nose tackle Casey Hampton and defensive end Aaron Smith are the primary reason for that. If Hampton and Smith can do their jobs - that is, eat up blockers so the linebackers can get free - then the Steelers should be able to contain Portis. If they cannot, and Portis has a big day, then the Redskins should be able to walk away with a victory.

Prediction: Redskins 20, Steelers 17. The Redskins are at home, which I think will play a large role in the Redskins' winning. I think the Steelers will contain Portis to an extent - less than his 118 YPG average - but Campbell will find a way to lead the Redskins to victory, just like he has done most of the season. I also believe that the return of Willie Parker will help the Steelers offense, but will not be enough to push them to a win.