Syracuse Wins New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Just two years ago, Syracuse ranked as one of the worst teams in division 1 football. They not only sucked in the Big East, they also had trouble taking down non-AQ schools.

Now, they are the New Era Pinstripe Bowl champions. While it is not a premier bowl game, it is a step in the right direction for the Orangemen.

When Syracuse hired Doug Marrone as head coach two years ago, I thought they were making a mistake. Although he was a Syracuse alumni with NFL experience, I didn't think he was the right guy.

I thought Turner Gill should've gotten the job considering he was already a successful college football coach and had New York State coaching ties while at the University of Buffalo.

But, Syracuse went against me and couldn't of been more right with their decision.

Doug Marrone has turned the program around in his two short years there.

After a mediocre 1st season going 4-8, Marrone had Syracuse in contention for the Big East Championship for most of this season and finished the regular season 7-5.

Syracuse went to their first bowl game since 2004 and got their first bowl win since 2001 with their win over Kansas State today.

In all, they finished 8-5 this year and had one of the most surprising seasons in division 1 football.

While, they still struggle at times, Syracuse looks like a team on the rise. They have potential and are starting to play like CUSE fans expect.

With the Big East being as weak as it is, it may only be a matter of time before Syracuse is a football power once again.

Thank You Doug Marrone

B-Zone College Basketball Update

On Thursday, Ohio, Buffalo, and Niagara were all in action

Norfolk State 56, Ohio 92- Tommy Freeman led the Bobcats with 19 points as 6 players scored in double-digits for Ohio. D.J. Cooper had a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists and T.J. Hall had his best game as a Bobcat with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Ohio led by as many as 45 and cruised to the easy victory.

With the win, Ohio moves to 7-6 and next plays January 2nd vs. Robert Morris

#16 BYU, Buffalo 82- UB gave their best effort but came up just short. UB trailed by only 2 at halftime but could never gain the lead in the 2nd half. Jimmer Fredette had a huge game for BYU with 34 points.

With the loss, UB falls to 7-4 and next plays January 3rd at Cornell.

Niagara 67, UMBC 68- Why do I even bother writing about Niagara. You know you're bad when you play a team with no wins and you end up losing. That's the story for the Purple Eagles as they show that they are one of the worst teams in college basketball.

With the loss, Niagara falls to 3-11 and next plays January 3rd at Fairfield

Ohio Kills Norfolk State

Ohio whooped Norfolk State's ass on Thursday. Yes, I just swore on my blog. But how would you explain Ohio's 92-56 win over Norfolk State?

Ohio led virtually the entire night besides being down 2-0 at the very start of the game. They dominated both offensively and defensively and played 12 deep.

Ohio entered halftime up 15 at 38-23. In the second half, they pulled the throttle and led by as many as 45 before eventually winning 92-56.

Six players scored in double digits for the Bobcats with Tommy Freeman leading the way with 19 points.

D.J. Cooper had a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists while T.J. Hall had arguably his best game as a Bobcat with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Rebounding was one of the keys to the game as Ohio out-rebounded Norfolk State 43-24.

With the win, Ohio moves to 7-6 and next plays January 2nd vs. Robert Morris.

Attendance: 3,901

Ohio's Record: 7-6

Next Game: January 2nd vs. Robert Morris

Key Fact: Ohio out-rebounded Norfolk State 43-24

Interesting Note: D.J. Cooper had his fourth game of double-digit assists this season

Canisius Destroys Northwestern State

Did Canisius put on a show Wednesday or what? The Golden Griffins had their best effort of the season as they destroyed Northwestern State 85-52.

Alshwan Hymes had a great game off the bench scoring 28 points including 9 three-pointers.

Julius Coles and Elton Frazier also had good games for Canisius scoring 16 and 15 points apiece.

Northwestern State struggled the entire night and could never get into a flow offensively. They shot 33.3% from the field and their starters combined for only 19 points.

With the win, Canisius moves to 6-6 and next plays January 3rd at St. Peter's.

Week 17 NFL Picks

Well, my streak of good luck ended and it couldn't of happened at a worse time............right before the playoffs. I had an awful week going below .500 for the first time since I started my B-Zone picks. I'm hoping that was just one off week and not a sign of things to come. Here are my week 17 NFL picks.

Last Week: 7-9

B-Zone Overall Record: 62-34

Sunday Games:

Buffalo @ New York Jets: New York Jets (unless they rest their starters)

Carolina @ Atlanta: Atlanta

Pittsburgh @ Cleveland: Pittsburgh

Minnesota @ Detroit: Minnesota

Oakland @ Kansas City: Oakland

Miami @ New England: New England

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans: New Orleans

Cincinnati @ Baltimore: Baltimore

San Diego @ Denver: San Diego

Chicago @ Green Bay: Green Bay

Tennessee @ Indianapolis: Indianapolis

Dallas @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia

Arizona @ San Francisco: San Francisco

New York Giants @ Washington: New York Giants

Jacksonville @ Houston: Jacksonville

Sunday Night Game:

-Most awesome Sunday Night Game of all time. Battle between 7-9 St. Louis and 6-9 Seattle to see who will win the NFC West. Whoever wins will arguably be the worst team ever to make the playoffs.

St. Louis @ Seattle: St. Louis

B-Zone College Basketball Update

On Tuesday, St. Bonaventure, Syracuse, and Niagara were all in action.

Siena 79, St. Bonaventure 82- Andrew Nicholson's 26 points led St. Bonavenute to another victory at home Tuesday as they defeated Siena. Michael Davenport and Ogo Adegboye also had good games scoring 20 and 18 points respectively. One of the keys to the game was rebounding as the Bonnies out rebounded Siena 35-25.

St. Bonaventure moves to 7-4 with the win and next plays January 2nd at home vs. Marshall.

Providence 74, #5 Syracuse 81- Kris Joseph had a huge game with 27 points to lead the Orange over the Friars. Scoop Jardine added 21 points and Rick Jackson added 17 rebounds in the win. Syracuse had a 16 point lead in the 2nd half but nearly blew the game. Marshon Brooks had 27 points for Providence in their gutsy effort.

Syracuse moves to 14-0 with the win and next plays New Years Day at home against #15 Notre Dame.

Niagara 39, Drexel 84- I don't know what to say about Niagara's effort on Tuesday.........Okay, this should do. "Niagara sucks, they really really suck. Niagara sucks, they really really suck." I think that works fine.

With the loss, Niagara moves to 3-10 and next plays December 30th vs. UMBC.

Mike Weber Scores 1st Career NHL Goal as Sabres Win 4-2

Tonight was a better night than yesterday night. You ask, what made tonight better than yesterday night? My reply: The Sabres won a game for once

Yes, what I just wrote is the truth. The Sabres actually won.

Mike Weber scored his first 2 career NHL goals as they Sabres defeated the Oilers 4-2.

Edmonton actually got on the board first as Dustin Penner scored for the Oilers to put them ahead 1-0.

Luke Adam responded with a goal late in the 1st period to tie the game at 1-1 before the 1st intermission.

Then, in the 2nd period, Mike Weber scored his 1st of his 2 goals on the night to give the Sabres the 1 goal lead.

In the 3rd period, Jochen Hect gave the Sabres an insurance goal to put them ahead 3-1.

Edmonton tried to get back in the game on a Ryan Jones goal midway through the 3rd but couldn't score again and went on to lose 4-2.

Mike Weber added an empty-net goal to cap the game off for the Sabres.

Every win is important but this win was extra important for the Sabres. The Sabres have been reeling and have lost tons of ground in the playoff chase.

Tonight's win over Edmonton has Buffalo leapfrog Florida into 11th place in the Eastern Conference. They currently stand 8 points behind Montreal for the final playoff spot.

The Sabres now have a tiny break as they have off until New Years Day at home against Boston.

Attendance: 16,839

Buffalo's Record: 15-18-4 (34 points) 11th in the East

Last 10: 4-5-1

Interesting Note: Mike Weber scored his 1st two career NHL goals.

Key Fact: Mike Weber had 3 points on the night

Three Stars:

1st- Mike Weber (Buffalo)

2nd- Tom Gilbert (Edmonton)

3rd- Jochen Hecht (Buffalo)

Sabres Fall to Calgary 5-2

Well, it doesn't look good for the Sabres this year. They entered their 2 game west coast road trip hoping to change their luck but their play looked the same as they lost 5-2 to the Calgary Flames.

On top of that, the Sabres also learned over the weekend that their leading scorer Derek Roy will be out 4-6 months. With all this bad news recently, I wouldn't bet on the Sabres making the playoffs this season.

Now back to the action:

The game actually started out well for the Sabres as Drew Stafford got them on the board first to go up 1-0. But their lead was not a sign of things to come.

The Flames responded by scoring 4 unanswered goals in the 2nd and 3rd period and went ahead 4-1.

Scoring for the Flames were Oli Jokinen, Jarome Iginla, former Sabre Ales Kotalik, and David Moss.

Patrick Kaleta scored a late 3rd period goal to bring the Sabres within two but it was too little too late.

Tom Kostopoulos scored with 1 second left in the game and the Flames went on to win 5-2.

The Sabres have little time to dwell on the loss as they play tomorrow night in Edmonton.

Attendance: 19,289

Buffalo's Record: 14-18-4 (32 points) 12th in the East

Last 10: 4-5-1

Interesting Note: Drew Stafford had his 10th goal of the season

Key Fact: Calgary led Buffalo in every major statistical category

Three Stars:

1st- Jarome Iginla (Calgary)

2nd- Cory Sarich (Calgary)

3rd- Oli Jokinen (Calgary)

USA Defeats Finland

Well, USA's opening game wasn't as easy as everyone thought it would be.

The USA narrowly defeated Finland 3-2 in OT to gain 2 points in the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships.

The USA is the defending champs and are back home in the United States trying to defend their title. All of the games are being played on US soil in Buffalo and nearby Niagara Falls.

The United States was expected to cruise vs. Finland but barely squeaked out with the win. Because the game went to OT, they only get 2 points for the win instead of typical 3 you get for a regulation win.

Nick Bjugstad's wrist shot in overtime won the game for the Americans.

Also scoring for the US was Justin Faulk and Jason Zucker.

Despite the home ice, it appeared to be a neutral crowd for most of the game until overtime. In the OT period, the crowd finally woke up and started chants of "USA,USA,USA."

With the win, the USA get a crucial 2 points in group play. They next play December 28th vs. Slovakia.

All USA games are on NHL Network and Channelsurfing.net.

Patriots Win 15th In a Row vs. Bills

The New England Patriots own home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

They earned that right Sunday when they destroyed the Buffalo Bills 34-3.

I went to the game but there wasn't much of a game to watch. The game was ugly early and was never entertaining at any point.

The game sucked and it was very cold outside. It was bitter and hard to watch as a Bills fan. The best parts of the experience were tailgating before the game with the 6:30 club and entering my heated van after the game to drop my friends off.

This is where I normally recap the game. Unfortunately today, it is very short.

The Bills started out with a nice drive to go ahead 3-0. They ran the ball well and nearly had a touchdown pass to Stevie Johnson. Unfortunately, the pass went incomplete and they never got into the endzone and were forced settle for a field goal.

After an opening score, the Bills woke up to reality.

Danny Woodhead (free agent fantasy pickup!!!!) scored on a 29 yard touchdown run to put New England up 7-3 and the Patriots rolled on from there.

The Patriots scored 34 unanswered points to win 34-3.

Tom Brady had a good game throwing for 3 touchdowns while Rob Gronkowski had 2 touchdown receptions.

BenJarvis Green Ellis had 104 yards rushing while his partner in Woodhead had 93 yards and a touchdown.

Things didn't look so well on the Bills side of the ball. The Bills turned the ball over 7 times!

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 251 yards but had 3 interceptions and 2 fumbles. C.J. the "Bills Killer" Spiller added 2 fumbles as well and the Bills got absolutely crushed.

About the only bright spot for the Bills was that Naaman Roosevelt had 4 receptions for 74 yards.

With the loss, the Bills fall to 4-11 and play their season finale next week in East Rutherford against the New York Jets.

Attendance: 68,281

Buffalo's Record: 4-11 (4th in the AFC East)

Interesting Note:

-The Bills had their most turnovers in a game this season (7)

-The Patriots swept the season series

-The Patriots have won 15 straight against the Bills

-The Patriots have clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs

-The Bills are guaranteed a worse record than last season

-Steve Johnson passed 1,000 receiving yards for the season

Key Facts:

-Brady had his 11th multi-touchdown pass game

-Brady threw for 3 touchdowns

-Rob Gronkowski had 2 touchdown receptions

-The Patriots had 7 takeaways

-Fitzpatrick threw for over 250 yards

Bills Stats:

Ryan Fitzpatrick- 18-37, 251 yards, 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles

Freddy Jackson- 13 carries, 81 yards, 6.2 ypc

Naaman Roosevelt- 4 receptions, 74 yards

Stevie Johnson- 5 receptions, 58 yards

Donald Jones- 5 receptions, 54 yards

Patriots-Bills Preview

Sunday's matchup featuring the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills features two teams having completely opposite seasons.

On one hand, you have the New England Patriots who are having an amazing season at 12-2. They are fighting for the 1 seed in the AFC and can clinch with their 15th consecutive win over the Bills on Sunday.

Then, on the other hand, you have the Buffalo Bills who are 4-10. They've basically been out of the playoff race since the season began.

Why should I watch this game?

The game is a rematch from earlier in the season in which New England won 38-30. Buffalo was surprisingly competitive in the game and showed some offensive ability.

Also, you should watch because the game features two good quarterbacks.

For New England, you have 3 time Super Bowl winner and possible league MVP Tom Brady. Brady is having an incredible season passing for over 3,500 yards, 31 td's and 4 int's.

Without Brady, the Patriots wouldn't be what they are. They are a team that relies on their offense because they don't have much of a defense.

For Buffalo, they throw out a trio of players in Ryan Fitzpatrick, Freddy Jackson, and Stevie Johnson.

Fitzpatrick is having a surprising season with 23 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. While his numbers don't stack up anywhere near Brady, he is still having an above average season. He has even caught the eye of other NFL players such as Terrell Suggs who put Fitzpatrick on his pro bowl ballot.

Jackson and Johnson have also been on fire the last half of the season as well. Jackson is an underrated running back who has the ability to tear up the Patriots and Johnson is a threat no matter where the Bills are on the field.

Key to the game:

The key to the game is for the Bills to pray for a Christmas Miracle. They need to find a way to stop Brady.

In the last matchup, Brady passed for 252 yards and 3 touchdowns as he carved up the Bills secondary.

The Bills should be able to score some points against the Patriots defense, but if they can't stop Brady, it will be to no use.

Outlook:

I see the Bills offense showing up for the challenge but I see their defense getting carved up. In the end, I think Tom Brady and the New England offense will score too much for the Bills to handle and win going away.

Prediction: Patriots 38-24

Bonnies Take Virginia Tech to OT Before Losing

What is it with St. Bonaventure and overtime lately? St. Bonaventure went to overtime for the 2nd straight game Thursday night vs. Virginia Tech. But this time, they couldn't pull off the win as they lost 76-68 to the Hokies in Rochester, New York.

The Bonnies trailed by as many as 18 points in the 1st half but never gave up. They entered halftime down 41-28.

In the 2nd half, St. Bonaventure was a team on a vengeance as they came all the way back to tie the game.

The game entered overtime tied 65-65. But Virginia Tech was too powerful in the overtime period. They outscored St. Bonaventure 11-3 in OT and went on to win 76-68.

Andrew Nicholson had another good game for the Bonnies with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Conger, Adegboye, and Davenport all added double-digit points for the Bonnies.

For the Hokies, Thursday night was the Jeff Allen & Malcolm Delaney show. They combined for 37 points and really hurt the Bonnies.

With the loss, St. Bonaventure loses a good opportunity at getting a quality non conference win. They fall to 6-4 and next play on December 28th vs. Siena.

Sabres Lose on Late Goal by Panthers

The Sabres nearly pulled off a great comeback. After being down 3-0, the Sabres came all the way back to tie the game only to allow a late 3rd period goal and lose 4-3.

The Sabres got off to an awful start as they trailed 3-0 after the 1st period.

Christopher Higgins scored 2 goals and Stephen Weiss added one as well to give Florida the 3-0 lead.

Then in the 2nd period, the Sabres roared all the way back. Jordon Leopold added his 8th and 9th tallies of the season paired with a Jason Pominville goal to tie the game at 3-3.

With the game tied at 3-3 in the 3rd period, both teams fought for the game leading goal.

Unfortunately for the Sabres, It was Jason Garrison of the Panthers who got the game winning goal. Garrison scored with a little over 5 minutes remaining in the 3rd period and the Panthers went on to win 4-3.

The loss is just one of many disappointing results for the Sabres this season. They nearly pulled off a great win only to come up short.

The Sabres get a couple days of rest now as they don't play till December 27th in Calgary when they start their west coast road trip.

Attendance: 18,690

Buffalo's Record: 14-17-4 (32 points) Tied 11th in the East

Last 10: 5-4-1

Interesting Note: This was the Sabres 2nd loss to the Panthers in 6 days

Key Fact: Leopold had his 2nd multi-goal game of the season for the Sabres

Terrell Suggs Voted Ryan Fitzpatrick For the Pro Bowl

Terrell Suggs was recently asked by Yahoo Sports Mike Silver who he voted for the Pro Bowl in the AFC as far as quarterbacks.

Suggs replied, Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning, and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The real diss is that he left Tom Brady off his ballot. Brady is in the running for MVP right now and definitely deserves to make the Pro Bowl.

But besides the diss of Brady, the thing that is getting people talking is that he voted for Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Many people are instantly dismissing his pick of Ryan Fitpatrick saying that it is a dumb pick because he plays for such a bad team.

But if you look beyond the team he is playing for, Fitzpatrick is having a great season.

Fitzpatrick has over 2,700 yards passing and 23 touchdowns while only throwing 12 interceptions. And he's done all of that while missing two games.

Also, Fitzpatrick and the Buffalo Bills offense had the best offensive game against Baltimore all season when he threw for 382 yards and Buffalo scored 34 points.

That game might still be fresh in Suggs mind as he voted for Fitzpatrick. Lets hope that others voted for Fitzpatrick as well as he tries to get an improbable spot on the AFC Pro Bowl team.

Ohio Falls to Temple 76-65

Well, we knew that Ohio probably wasn't going to beat Temple. And they didn't. But, Ohio earned some respect on Wednesday as they played a hard fought game before losing 76-65 to the Temple Owls.

Temple's trio of Moore, Wyatt, and Jefferson really killed Ohio on the night. The trio combined for 49 points and got their way against Ohio all night.

Temple got off to a nice start as they entered halftime up 40-33.

In the second half, Ohio tried to close the gap but could never get closer than five. Temple led by around 10 points for most of the second half before winning 76-65

Despite the loss, DeVaughn Washington and D.J. Cooper had decent games for Ohio. Washington scored 20 points while Cooper nearly had a triple-double with 13 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds.

With the loss, Ohio falls to 6-6 and next plays December 29th vs. Norfolk State.

Attendance: 6,942

Ohio's Record: 6-6

Next Game: December 29th vs. Norfolk State

Key Fact: Temple's bench outscored Ohio's bench 32-11

Interesting Note: Ivo Baltic scored double-digit points for the 3rd consecutive game

B-Zone College Basketball Update

On Wednesday, Ohio, Canisius, Niagara, and Syracuse were all in action.

Temple 76, Ohio 65- The trio of Moore, Wyatt, and Jefferson lead Temple on this night. All three scored in double digits to lead the Owls past Ohio. Lavoy Allen was a force on the boards grabbing 13 rebounds. For Ohio, DeVaughn Washington had a huge game with 20 points and D.J. Cooper nearly had a triple-double with 13 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds.

Ohio moves to 6-6 with the loss and next plays December 30th vs. Norfolk State.

Canisius 78, Lamar 72- Elton Frazier had a huge day with 22 points to lead Canisius to victory. Julius Coles added a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Canisius moves to 5-6 with the win and next plays December 29th vs. Northwestern State.

Drexel 65, #5 Syracuse 93- Syracuse blew away Drexel as both Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine scored over 20 points. Rick Jackson added a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Syracuse was never really challenged and cruised to the win.

Syracuse moves to 13-0 with the win and next plays December 28th in their conference opener against Providence.

Quinnipiac 88, Niagara 63- James Johnson had a big game for Quinnipiac going off for 23 points. Combine that with Anthony Nelson struggling for the Purple Eagles and Niagara never stood a chance tonight.

Niagara falls to 3-9 with the loss and next plays December 28th at Drexel.

Week 16 NFL Picks

I had another week of double-digit wins extending my streak to five. I was a few upsets away from having a really good week. Lets just hope my hope luck continues and I extend my double-digit wins streak to six.

Last Week: 10-6

B-Zone Overall Record: 55-25

Thursday Night Game:

Carolina @ Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh

Saturday Night Game:

Dallas @ Arizona: Dallas

Sunday Games:

New England @ Buffalo: New England

New York Jets @ Chicago Bears: New York Jets

Baltimore @ Cleveland: Baltimore

Tennessee @ Kansas City: Kansas City

San Francisco @ St. Louis: St. Louis

Detroit @ Miami: Miami

Washington @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville

San Diego @ Cincinnati: San Diego

Houston @ Denver: Houston

Indianapolis @ Oakland: Indianapolis

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers: New York Giants

Seattle @ Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay

Minnesota @ Philadelphia: Philadelphia

Monday Night Game:

New Orleans @ Atlanta: Atlanta

Sabres Dominate Ducks

That's what I'm talking about! The Sabres put forth a great effort on Tuesday night as they destroyed the Anaheim Ducks 5-2.

Unfortunately for Buffalo fans, the game wasn't on television due to Versus owning the exclusive rights to all NHL games on Tuesday.

For the fans in HSBC Arena, they got to see a butt whooping.

The Sabres dominated in the first period outscoring the Ducks 3-0. Buffalo also outshot Anaheim 17-4 in the period as well.

Drew Stafford started the scoring for Buffalo on a nice power play goal. Then, Nathan Gerbe cashed in on his first goal of the year to give the Sabres a 2 goal lead. And if two goals wasn't enough for one period, Tyler Ennis decided to join the box score as well to put Buffalo up 3-0

The 2nd period was a very interesting period despite only having one goal. There were two fights within the first 6 seconds of the period and three fights total in the period.

Ryan Getzlaf and Cody McCormick squared off right off the opening faceoff 1 second into the 2nd period. Then, 5 seconds later, Paul Gaustad and Kyle Chipchura got into a fight.

When the game resumed, the Sabres continued to put the "hurt" on Anaheim as Ennis scored on a high snipe shot to put the Sabres up 4-0.

The 3rd period was mostly boring hockey as both teams knew that the result of the game was already in the bag.

Anaheim scored 2 garbage time power play goals to ruin Ryan Miller's shutout attempt and Rivet added his first goal of the year for the Sabres to give Buffalo the 5-2 win.

This was a much needed win for the Sabres coming off two straight losses to Florida teams. They were struggling but hopefully this win gets them on track.

Buffalo doesn't get much time to rest as they hit the ice again Thursday at home against the Florida Panthers.

Attendance: 18,690

Buffalo's Record: 14-16-4 (32 points) Tied 9th in the East

Last 10: 5-4-1

Interesting Note: Nathan Gerbe scored his 1st goal of the season

Key Fact: Buffalo outshot Anaheim 42-23

Three Stars:

1st- Tyler Ennis (Buffalo)

2nd- Jordon Leopold (Buffalo)

3rd- Craig Rivet (Buffalo)

Syracuse Crushes Morgan State

Well that was easy. Syracuse crushed Morgan State 97-55 Monday night for their 12th straight win to start the season.

Syracuse started fast as they entered halftime up 44-29. The second half was much of the same as Morgan State could never get into the game.

The Syracuse bench was able to get lots of playing time due to their large lead. 16 players got to see action for the Orangemen. Most prominent among their bench players was James Southerland who played 21 minutes and scored 18 points.

Rick Jackson led the Syracuse starters with 18 points and 9 rebounds.

The 5th ranked Orangemen move to 12-0 with the win and next play December 22nd vs. Drexel.

Bills-Dolphins Video Recap

B-Zone College Basketball Update

Niagara and Canisius were in action on Sunday.

Canisius 74, Northwestern St. 86- Elton Frazier scored 22 points as Canisius lost its second straight game on Sunday to Northwestern State. Bench scoring was key in the game as Northwestern State's bench outscored Canisius's bench 56-7. The game was tight in the first half as the Golden Griffins entered halftime only down 3. But they never could take the lead in the second half and went on to lose.

With the loss, Canisius falls to 4-6 and next plays December 22nd at Lamar.

Niagara 71, Central Connecticut State 74- Niagara played tough but it wasn't enough to overcome the Blue Devils on this Sunday. Ken Horton and Robby Ptacek scored 25 and 23 points respectively for Central Connecticut State as they went on to win. Anthony Nelson had a solid game for the Purple Eagles with 24 points but it wasn't enough as Niagara lost for the 8th time this season.

With the loss, Niagara falls to 3-8 and next plays December 22nd vs. Quinnipiac.

Ryan Fitzpatrick's 2 Touchdown Passes Lead Bills Past Dolphins

On Sunday, The Bills squished the Fish. Buffalo defeated Miami 17-14 to officially knock the Dolphins out of the playoff chase.

The game got off to a slow start as it remained scoreless after 1 quarter of play.

In the 2nd quarter, Buffalo started to take care of business. They took a 10-0 lead behind an 18 yard David Nelson touchdown catch and a 29 yard Ryan Lindell field goal.

But Miami wasn't going to go into halftime without scoring. The Dolphins drove down the field right before the half and scored on a 6 yard Ronnie Brown touchdown run.

The Bills got the ball with little over 2 minutes left in the 2nd quarter and drove all the way into Miami Dolphins territory but couldn't score. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw an interception to kill the drive and the game entered halftime 10-7.

In the 3rd quarter, Fitzpatrick redeemed himself as he threw a 15 yard touchdown to Stevie Johnson. Fitzpatrick threw the ball in tight coverage and Johnson made a great catch.

With a 10 point lead, you'd figure that the Bills had a safe lead. But it was anything but.

Brandon Marshall caught a 9 yard touchdown pass with 7 minutes remaining in the 4th to bring the Dolphins within three at 17-14. The touchdown capped a 77 yard drive for the Dolphins in which Chad Henne was on fire.

After the Bills next drive failed, the Dolphins got the ball back and drove into Bills territory again. They got all the way to the Bills 31 yard line before being forced to attempt a field goal to tie the game.

Carpenter attempt from 48 yards to tie the game sailed wide right and Buffalo went on to win 17-14.

Miami's kicker Dan Carpenter had a tough game going 0-4 on field goal attempts including a missed opportunity to tie the game with a few minutes left in the 4th quarter. Carpenter missed from 48, 53, 61, and 48 yards. His misses weren't gimme's but Miami definitely could've used a few successful kicks.

The Bills defense was key for the Bills in the win. They only allowed 14 points and put pressure on Henne throughout the game. The Bills had 3 sacks and were very successful on 3rd down forcing Miami to go 4-12.

Ryan Fitzpatrick had a good game going 16 for 26 for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns. He extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 15.

On the other side, Chad Henne played decent as well. Despite a slow start to the game, Henne finished strong and gave Miami a chance to win the game. Henne was 33 for 45 for 276 yards and a touchdown.

With the win, the Bills get their first victory over a divisional opponent this year and move to 4-10. They play next week at home vs. the New England Patriots.

Attendance: 65,511

Buffalo's Record: 4-10 (4th in the AFC East)

Interesting Note:

-Naaman Roosevelt had his first career catch

-Steve Johnson had his 10th touchdown reception of the season

- The Bills won back to back games for the second time this season

-The Bills have only allowed 20 points combined the last two weeks

- The Bills and Dolphins split there season series 1-1

-The Dolphins move to 1-6 at home

Key Facts:

-Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for over 200 yards

-Ryan Fitzpatrick had his 6th multi-touchdown passing game

-Chad Henne threw for over 275 yards

-Marshall had over 100 receiving yards

-The Bills held Cameron Wake without a sack

Bills Stats:

Ryan Fitzpatrick- 16-26, 223 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 99 rating

Stevie Johnson- 6 receptions, 69 yards, 1 touchdown

David Nelson- 3 receptions, 61 yards, 1 touchdown

Naaman Roosevelt- 2 receptions, 35 yards

George Wilson- Interception

Arthur Moats- 1.5 sacks

Jairus Byrd- sack

Sabres Pull Back to Back Stinkers in Florida as They Fall to Tampa Bay 3-1

The Sabres are playing like a team that has nothing to play for. Their play looks uninspired and they don't know how to score.

Actually, that's giving the Sabres too much credit. The Sabres just plain suck.

Buffalo lost to its second Florida opponent in as many nights as Tampa Bay defeated them 3-1.

Simon Gagne and Steven Stamkos scored for the Lightning in the second period to give them a 2-0 lead.

But the 2-goal lead wasn't meant to last for long.

Jason Pominville scored with less than a minute left in the 2nd period to bring the Sabres within a goal at 2-1.

Unfortunately for the Sabres, they could never score the tying goal and went on to lose 3-1.

Martin St. Louis scored an empty net goal with 2 seconds left in the 3rd to cap the game for the Lightning.

St. Louis had 3 points for the Lightning as he had a goal and two assists while Stamkos had 2 points in the game.

Buffalo remains 11th in the East but loses an opportunity to gain ground on Boston.

Attendance: 17,141

Buffalo's Record: 13-16-4 (30 points) 11th in the East

Last 10: 5-4-1

Interesting Note: St. Louis had his 11th multi-point game of the season

Key Fact: Buffalo lost both games on their 2 game Florida road trip

Three Stars:

1st- Nate Thompson (Tampa Bay)

2nd- Ryan Malone (Tampa Bay)

3rd- Dana Tyrell (Tampa Bay)

B-Zone College Basketball Update

On Saturday, Ohio, St. Bonaventure, UB, and Syracuse were all in action.

Three games total took place as Ohio took on St. Bonaventure.

Ohio 107, St. Bonaventure 112- Great game but a disappointing loss for Ohio. Refs were very one-sided as the Bonnies got the majority of the calls. Andrew Nicholson had a double-double for St. Bonaventure with 44 points and 12 rebounds. D.J. Cooper had a double-double for Ohio with 43 points and 13 assists.

With the loss, Ohio falls to 6-5 and next plays December 22nd vs. Temple.

St. Bonaventure moves to 6-3 with the win and next plays December 23rd in Rochester, NY against Virginia Tech

Houghton 47, Buffalo 79- Buffalo schedule is pathetic. On this day, they took on an NAIA opponent and won in a rout. But does anyone really care. UB's strength of schedule is 309th in the country and they deserve no credit until they take on teams with an ounce of talent.

With the win, UB moves to 7-3 and next plays December 30th when they play a "real" opponent in #18 BYU.

Iona 77, Syracuse 83- Kris Joseph went off for 21 points as the Orange squeaked out a victory over Iona. Michael Glover played great for the Gaels as he recorded a double-double with 25 points and 16 rebounds.

Syracuse moves to 11-0 with the win and next plays December 20th vs. Morgan State.

Nicholson's 44 Lead St. Bonaventure Over Ohio in 4 OT's

What a game! Saturday's contest between Ohio and St. Bonaventure will go down as one of the top games of the season as St. Bonaventure defeated Ohio 112-107 in four overtimes.

Both teams battled back from deficits at crucial times of the game to force overtime upon overtime. Andrew Nicholson and D.J. Cooper had monster games for their respective teams as Nicholson went off for 44 and Cooper went for 43.

In reality, the game was lucky to even go into overtime. Ohio came back from a 10 point second half deficit to force overtime.

Both teams fought their brains out and both had shots to win the game.

At the end of regulation and 1st overtime, St. Bonaventure blew opportunities to win the game with the last possession. In fact, they missed two free throws that would've given them the lead with 3 seconds left at the end of the 1st overtime.

Then, Ohio had a chance to close out the game with the final possessions in the 2nd and 3rd overtime. They had a nice play call and pass to a driving Keely to win the game in the 2nd overtime but Keely dropped the pass and the game was extended to a 4th overtime.

In the fourth overtime, foul troubles finally got the best of Ohio as they were forced to play three bench players for the entire 4th overtime. They couldn't keep up with Nicholson and the Bonnies starters and they went on to lose 112-107.

Refereeing was a real problem in the game. I hate to make excuses in such a great game but the referees were questionable at best. They made many poor calls and were one-sided the entire game.

Four players (all forwards) fouled out for Ohio while only Da'Quan Cook fouled out for St. Bonaventure. Many calls too close to decide went to the Bonnies. It appeared as though Ohio was not only taking on St. Bonaventure but the refs as well.

Coach John Groce was livid with the refs and let them hear it during the game. He received a technical in the 2nd half but that didn't stop him as he continued to get on them throughout the overtimes.

D.J. Cooper had a monster game for the Bobcats recording a double-double with 43 points and 13 assists while also recording 8 rebounds. Tommy Freeman also had a decent game with 17 points and Ivo Baltic nearly had a double-double with 13 points and 9 rebounds.

For St. Bonaventure, Andrew Nicholson was their main man. Nicholson played all 60 minutes and recorded a double-double with 44 points and 12 rebounds while also passing for 5 assists. Demitrius Conger and Michael Davenport also had big games for the Bonnies. Conger had a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds and Davenport nearly had a double-double with 19 points and 8 rebounds.

With the loss, Ohio falls to 6-5 and next plays December 22nd vs. Temple.

Attendance: 3,053

Ohio's Record: 6-5

Next Game: December 22nd vs. Temple

Key Fact: Andrew Nicholson and D.J. Cooper both scored over 40 points

Interesting Note: It was the first 4 OT game in St. Bonaventure history

Sabres Get "Clawed" by Panthers

Quick question, which would win in a battle: A Sabertooth Tiger or a Panther? Well, we found out the answer Friday night when the Florida Panthers destroyed the Buffalo Sabres 6-2. Not only were the Panthers better, they were also more fierce and aggressive.

Now onto the game:

The Sabres put forth one of their poorest efforts of the season and got blown out on the road against the lowly Panthers. They showed little enthusiasm and were routinely beaten in battles for the puck. It all set up for a long and ugly night for the Sabres and their fans.

The Panthers got off to a fast start as they went up 4-0 in the 1st period.

Marty Reasoner scored 2 goals in the 1st period while Bryan McCabe and David Booth also added a goal apiece to give the Florida Panthers the four goal lead.

In the second, the Panthers added to their lead on a Michael Frolik goal to go up 5-0.

But the Sabres were not to get shutout on this night. As awful as the Sabres played, they still managed to score a few goals.

Derek Roy scored his 10th of the year and Tim Connolly added a garbage goal as the Sabres went on to lose 6-2.

Shawn Matthias and Christopher Higgins both had 2 assists apiece for Florida in the win.

The loss hurts Buffalo as they fall to 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. They currently stand 6 points behind Boston for the final playoff spot in the eastern conference.

Buffalo has no time off as they play tomorrow at Tampa Bay.

Attendance: 16,894 (attendance figure is BS) (looked like 11,000 max)

Buffalo's Record: 13-15-4 (30 points) 11th in the East

Last 10: 5-4-1

Interesting Note: The 6-2 loss vs. Florida was the Sabres largest margin of defeat all season

Key Fact: 12 Sabres had negative +/-

Three Stars:

1st- Marty Reasoner (Florida)

2nd- Michael Frolik (Florida)

3rd- Thomas Vokoun (Florida)

Bills-Dolphins Preview

Sunday's game featuring the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins isn't in the top slate of week 15 NFL games. Why should it be?

The Bills enter at 3-10 while the Dolphins enter at 7-6. While the Dolphins have a chance at the playoffs, they probably won't make it.

With all the negative things you can say about this game, I actually feel quite the opposite and am looking forward to Sunday's game. The game will be a rematch of the season opener in which the Dolphins won in a tight game. The Dolphins are the Bills biggest rival and the game means something to the fans of Buffalo.

The Bills enter having won 3 of their last 5 games and have been playing solid football for the last half of the season despite their record. A victory on the road over Miami in December would show that the Bills are heading in the right direction.

Miami enters the game coming off a crucial victory over the New York Jets to keep their playoff chances alive. They are in 9th place in the AFC and are 2 games back of the final wild card spot.

Miami is a difficult team to project from week to week. They have a great defense but their offense is below average. And surprisingly, they are awful at home. Miami is only 1-5 at home so far this season. It's very odd to see an above .500 teams have such a poor home record.

Key to the game:

The key to the game will be who wins the matchup between the Miami Dolphins ground game and the Buffalo Bills defense.

Miami has a powerful running duo in Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. They are two very talented running backs who normally run all over the Bills. As stated in the past, the Bills have an awful run defense and let average running backs look like pro bowlers against them.

If Miami runs all over the Bills, it should open up their playbook enough to score some points. With the defense they have, that should be enough to beat the Bills.

However, if the Bills can contain Miami's duo like they contained Peyton Hillis last week, the Bills defense can get more aggressive and has the potential to shut down the Dolphins offense. In that scenario, the Bills will easily be able to score enough points to win.

Outlook:

I think that the Bills will put together their second straight defensive effort and shut down Miami's offense. In the end, I think the Bills will find a way to score "just" enough points to win on Sunday.

Prediction: Bills 17-14

Stafford Hat Trick Leads Sabres Over Bruins

What a night for Drew Stafford! Stafford recorded his 3rd career hat trick as the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Boston Bruins at home 3-2 on Wednesday night.

The Bruins opened up the scoring on a David Krejci goal to go ahead 1-0. But little over a minute later, Drew Stafford answered for the Sabres with his first goal of the night to tie the game at 1-1.

Not much happened in the second period as neither team scored. The game entered the 3rd period tied at 1-1.

Six minutes into the 3rd period, Michael Ryder scored a power play goal to give Boston the 1 goal lead again. But, the lead was short lived as Drew Stafford responded 32 seconds later to tie the game at 2-2.

Stafford wasn't done though. He was determined to get the hat trick and completed it with his third goal of the game with 9:05 left in the 3rd period to put Buffalo ahead 3-2.

Buffalo held on to the lead and went on to defeat the Boston Bruins 3-2. It was a big win for Buffalo as it brings them within 6 points of Boston and Tampa Bay for the final playoff spot in the eastern conference.

Obviously, Drew Stafford was the star of the game but he wouldn't of had the game he did with out Derek Roy. Roy assisted Stafford on all three of his goals and finished the night with 3 points.

At the end of the game, their was a skirmish between both teams as Ryan Miller pushed Zedeno Chara. Chara retaliated and nudged Miller after the whistle.

Players on the ice from both teams pushed and shoved each other until referees broke it up. Boston took a few extra shots at Buffalo players but nothing serious became of the event.

Attendance: 18,197

Buffalo's Record: 13-14-4 (30 points) Tied 9th in the East

Last 10: 5-4-1

Interesting Note: Derek assisted on all 3 Drew Stafford goals

Key Fact: Drew Stafford recorded his 3rd hat trick on Wednesday

Three Stars:

1st- Drew Stafford (Buffalo)

2nd- Derek Roy (Buffalo)

3rd- Tyler Ennis (Buffalo)

Ohio Blows Out St. Francis (PA) 87-58

If Ohio ever needed a gimme game to get back their confidence, now was the time. They entered Wednesday night's game vs. St. Francis (PA) coming off a loss vs. IUPUI and had lost three of their last five games. Fortunately for Ohio, they got their gimme game as they defeated St. Francis 87-58.

The game was never really close. It was tied early in the first half for a short period of time at 15-15 but Ohio quickly responded by going on a 12-0 run to take a 27-15 lead.

Late in the first half Ohio went on another massive run scoring 22 of the next 23 points to take a 51-21 lead. St. Francis added a few buckets before the 1st half ended and the game entered halftime with Ohio up 51-25.

In the second half, Ohio played to protect the lead and gave their bench players playing time. They spread their lead as high as 41 when they went ahead 80-39 and went on to win 87-58.

Six players scored in double digits for Ohio as they scored with relative ease against the Red Flash defense.

D.J. Cooper led the way for Ohio with 19 points and 5 assists.

Tommy Freeman followed up Cooper and had a good game recording 15 points and 4 assists while shooting 5-6 behind the arc.

Ivo Baltic, T.J. Hall, and Nick Kellogg all scored in double-digits off the bench.

With the win, Ohio moves to 6-4 and next plays December 18th at St. Bonaventure.

Attendance: 3,426

Ohio's Record: 6-4

Next Game: December 18th at St. Bonaventure

Key Fact: Ohio had 25 assists on the night

Interesting Note: Tommy Freeman shot 5-6 behind the arc

Week 15 NFL Picks

Last week I had a decent week with 10 wins. It wasn't a great week but I did extend my streak of weeks with double-digit wins to four. There's only three weeks left in the season and I hope to finish strong.

Last week: 10-6

B-Zone Overall Record: 45-19

Thursday Night Game:

San Francisco @ San Diego: San Diego

Sunday Games:

Buffalo @ Miami: Buffalo

Cleveland @ Cincinnati: Cleveland

Washington @ Dallas: Dallas

Houston @ Tennessee: Houston

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis: Indianapolis

Kansas City @ St. Louis: Kansas City

Philadelphia @ New York Giants: Philadelphia

Detroit @ Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay

Arizona @ Carolina: Arizona

New Orleans @ Baltimore: New Orleans

Atlanta @ Seattle: Atlanta

Denver @ Oakland: Oakland

New York Jets @ Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh

Green Bay @ New England: New England

Monday Night Game:

Chicago @ Minnesota: Chicago

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Preview: Ohio vs. Troy

When: Saturday December 18th, 2010

Time: 9pm

Television: espn, espn3.com

Where: Superdome (New Orleans, Louisiana)

The college football bowl season is finally here! On Saturday, the Ohio Bobcats take on the Troy Trojans in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

For Ohio, its the first time they have gone to back to back bowl games and its their 3rd bowl game in the last 5 years.

For Troy, its their 5th bowl appearance in the last 7 years and their 3rd New Orleans Bowl appearance in the last 5 years.

Ohio hails from the Mid American Conference (MAC) and finished 2nd in the MAC East after losing their season finale vs. Kent State.

Ohio relies on their defense to win games but has a credible offense as well. They run the pistol offense with Boo Jackson at quarterback. They run the ball to set up the pass.

They don't get many yards (94th in total yards) but they score a decent amount of points (28 ppg). Both of their QB's are mobile and like to run the option. Boo Jackson can pass as well as run. He finished the year with 1,688 yards passing and 325 yards rushing for 22 total touchdowns.

Phil Bates is the backup quarterback for the Bobcats who runs the wildcat. He runs almost every time he snaps the ball but does have the ability to pass the ball.

Troy hails from the Sun Belt Conference and won at least a share of the conference title for the 5th straight year.

While Ohio has an adequate offense, Troy has an elite offense. Led by quarterback Corey Robinson, Troy averaged 33 points and 441 yards per game this year.

Despite being a freshmen, Robinson threw for 3,339 yards and 24 touchdowns on the year. Robinson will look for Jerrel Jernigan all night against the Bobcats. Jernigan has had a great career at Troy averaging over 70 receptions a year the last three seasons.

Key Matchups:

-This is going to sound obvious but the key matchup is going to be Ohio's offense vs. Troy's defense and vice versa.

-Ohio has an average offense averaging 28 points per game but Troy has an awful defense. Troy allows 31 points per game and is one of the worst defense's in divison 1 football.

-On the other side, Troy has an amazing offense averaging 33 points per game but Ohio has a good defense finishing 34th in the country in points per game allowed at 21.8 points per game.

Normally, Troy just try's to win by outscoring their opponents. But that could be tough thing to accomplish going up against a good defense in Ohio. For Ohio, they normally play close games and it looks like this game will be more of the same.

The team that exploits the other team's strength will win the game.

Outlook:

-I see a close high scoring game that will go down to the end. Ohio's defense looks to be the difference as they are vastly better than Troy's defense. In the end, I expect Ohio to make a few more big plays than Troy and win.

Prediction: Ohio 35-31

Bills-Dolphins Video Preview

AP: Cliff Lee Signs With Phillies for 5-Years $120 Million

Well, that didn't take long. Just minutes after posting that Cliff Lee has informed the Yankees that he will not sign with them, the Associated Press has announced that Cliff Lee has come to a preliminary agreement with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Cliff Lee had informed the Yankees and the Rangers that he will not sign with them.

The terms of the contract are for 5 years and $120 million dollars. Lee will return to the Phillies where he last pitched in 2009 when they reached the World Series vs. the New York Yankees.

New York was rumored to have offered Lee 6 years at $138 million dollars with a 7th year option worth $16 million but Lee turned the offer down to join the Phillies.

He pitched wonderfully for the Phillies in 2009 and didn't lose a postseason game. However, he was traded to Seattle in the offseason to make room for Roy Halladay.

Phillies fans didn't understand why the Phillies would trade Lee to Seattle when they had an opportunity to have two of the top pitchers in baseball. Fans just wished that the team had kept both Halladay and Lee.

Well, now the Phillies fans wish has come true and they have two of the top two pitchers in baseball in one rotation.

Sources: Lee Informs Yankees That They're Out of the Running

Late on Tuesday night, sources have told ESPN's Sportscenter that Cliff Lee has informed the New York Yankees that they are no longer in the running for him.

The Yankees reportedly offered Lee a 6 year contract worth $138 million dollars with a 7th year option worth $16 million dollars.

The news comes on the same day that reports came out that the Phillies had entered the running in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes.

Cliff Lee is widely regarded as the best free agent in baseball this offseason. He is coming off a year where he split time between the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.

He won the 2008 AL Cy Young award with the Cleveland Indians and has pitched in the World Series the last two years with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Texas Rangers.

There were reports earlier in the offseason that Yankees fans treated Lee's wife horribly when Lee pitched against the Yankees in the ALCS. Reports stated that fans at Yankee stadium threw cups and drinks at her as well as cursing at her.

We'll just have to wait and see where Cliff Lee ends up. One thing is for sure, he will not be signing with the New York Yankees.

College Football Bowl Picks

Well, its finally here. College Football Bowl Season begins on Saturday as three bowl games take place. I had a good championship week picking-wise going 11-3. I hope to carry over my good luck into the bowl season.

Championship Week: 11-3

Overall: 39-12

Here are my picks in order of date:

Rankings reflect BCS standings

12/18- New Mexico Bowl, 2:00pm espn

BYU vs. UTEP- BYU

12/18- uDrove Humanitarian Bowl, 5:30pm espn

Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State- Fresno State

12/18- R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, 9:00pm espn

Ohio vs. Troy- Ohio

12/21- Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl, 8:00pm espn

Southern Mississippi vs. Louisville- Louisville

12/22- MAACO Las Vegas Bowl, 8:00pm espn

#19 Utah vs. #10 Boise State- Boise State

12/23- San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, 8:00pm espn

Navy vs. San Diego State- Navy

12/24- Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, 8:00pm espn

#24 Hawaii vs. Tulsa- Hawaii

12/26- Little Caesars Bowl, 8:30pm, espn

Florida International vs. Toledo- Toledo

12/27- AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl, 5:00pm espn2

Air Force vs. Georgia Tech- Georgia Tech

12/28- Champ Sports Bowl, 6:30pm espn

#22 West Virginia vs. North Carolina State- West Virginia

12/28- Insight Bowl, 10:00pm espn

#12 Missouri vs. Iowa- Missouri

12/29- Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman, 2:30pm espn

East Carolina vs. Maryland- Maryland

12/29- Texas Bowl, 6:00pm espn

Illinois vs. Baylor- Baylor

12/29- Valero Alamo Bowl, 9:15pm espn

#14 Oklahoma State vs. Arizona- Oklahoma State

12/30- Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, noon espn

Army vs. SMU- SMU

12/30- New Era Pinstripe Bowl, 3:20pm, espn

Kansas State vs. Syracuse- Kansas State

12/30- Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, 6:40pm espn

North Carolina vs. Tennessee- Tennessee

12/30- Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl, 10:oopm espn

#18 Nebraska vs. Washington- Nebraska

12/31- Meineke Car Care Bowl, noon espn

South Florida vs. Clemson- Clemson

12/31- Hyundai Sun Bowl, 2:oopm CBS

Notre Dame vs. Miami- Notre Dame

12/31- AutoZone Liberty Bowl, 3:30pm espn

Georgia vs. #25 Central Florida- Georgia

12/31- Chick-fil-A Bowl, 7:30pm espn

#20 South Carolina vs. #23 Florida State- South Carolina

1/1/10- Ticket City Bowl, noon, espnU

Northwestern vs. Texas Tech- Northwestern

1/1- Outback Bowl, 1pm ABC

Florida vs. Penn State- Florida

1/1- Capital One Bowl, 1pm espn

#16 Alabama vs. #9 Michigan State- Alabama

1/1- Gator Bowl, 1:30pm espn2

#21 Mississippi State vs. Michigan- Mississippi State

1/1- Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio, 5:oopm espn

#5 Wisconsin vs. #3 TCU- Wisconsin

1/1- Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, 8:30pm espn

Connecticut vs. #7 Oklahoma- Oklahoma

1/3- Discover Orange Bowl, 8:30pm espn

#4 Stanford vs. #13 Virginia Tech- Stanford

1/4- Allstate Sugar Bowl, 8:30pm espn

#6 Ohio State vs. #8 Arkansas- Ohio State

1/6- GoDaddy.com Bowl, 8:00pm espn

Middle Tennessee vs. Miami(ohio)- Miami(ohio)

1/7- AT&T Cotton Bowl, 8:00pm FOX

#11 LSU vs. #17 Texas A&M- LSU

1/8- BBVA Compass Bowl, noon espn

Pittsburgh vs. Kentucky- Kentucky

1/9- Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, 9:00pm espn

#15 Nevada vs. Boston College- Nevada

1/10- Tostitos BCS National Championship Game, 8:30pm espn

#2 Oregon vs. #1 Auburn- Auburn

Brown-Bills Video Recap

Big Second Half Leads IUPUI Over Ohio

I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but it looks like Ohio University is not as good as we thought they would be. Ohio blew a 10 point lead Sunday and went on to lose to IUPUI 66-56.

Ohio's starters struggled badly shooting 9-32 for the game. Devaughn Washington was the only starter for Ohio to have a respectable game. Washington recorded a double-double recording 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Ohio had a 10 point lead in the 2nd half but couldn't hold on to the lead. IUPUI went on a 18-0 run late in the 2nd half and the Jaguars put away the Bobcats.

Leroy Nobles and Alex Young had big games for IUPUI. Nobles scored 23 points and recorded 4 rebounds while Young scored 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists.

Christian Siakam also had a decent game for the Jaguars scoring 7 points and recording 10 rebounds.

Despite the loss, Tommy Freeman and Reggie Keely had good games off the bench for Ohio. Freeman went off for 17 points while Keely recorded 13 points and 7 rebounds.

Ohio has been playing disappointing basketball up to this point of the season. Just went you think that they are going to get out of their slump, they end up blowing a game like today.

With the loss, Ohio falls to 5-4 on the year and next plays December 15th at home against St. Francis (Pennsylvania).

Attendance: 3,504

Ohio's Record: 5-4

Next Game: December 15th vs. St. Francis (PA)

Key Fact: D.J. Cooper scored only 4 points in the game

Interesting Note: Bench players Tommy Freeman and Reggie Keely combined to score more points than all of Ohio's starters combined

Great Defensive Effort Propels Bills to Victory Over Browns

If you had to guess how the Bills would beat the Browns on Sunday, would you ever guess a defensive battle? Probably not. The Bills entered Sunday with the league's 26th ranked defense but put up a Baltimore Ravens type defensive effort as they defeated the Cleveland Browns 13-6.

The game started out well for the Browns as they drove down the field on their first drive. However, they were stopped on 3rd and goal on the Bills 1-yard line and were forced to kick a field goal to go ahead 3-0.

The Bills responded in great fashion with a Fitzpatrick 11-yard touchdown to David Nelson in the 2nd quarter. The touchdown capped off a 14 play, 89-yard drive that lasted 8 minutes and 14 seconds.

After those scores, the game became a defensive battle. No touchdowns were scored the remainder of the game as both teams exchanged field goals the rest of the way.

The Bills entered halftime up 10-6 after Lindell hit a 30 yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining in the 2nd quarter.

The 3rd quarter was mostly boring football as no points were scored. Neither offense could preserve a drive as both teams switched possessions repeatedly.

In the 4th quarter, the Browns made a costly blunder with 7 minutes and 14 seconds remaining. Delhomme got sacked from behind and fumbled the ball on the Browns side of the field. Buffalo recovered (play was initially an incompletion but changed to a fumble) the ball and drove to the Cleveland 1 yard line. Instead of going for the kill on 4th and goal, they went for the field goal and took a 13-6 lead.

The Bills held the lead as Leodis Mckelvin intercepted Jake Delhomme with under 4 minutes remaining.

After the interception, the Browns never got the ball back as the Bills ran out the clock. The Browns had multiple opportunities to stop the Bills and the get the ball back but never could and went on to lose 13-6.

The Bills defense had a great game only allowing 187 total yards. They easily had their best game of the season and Delhomme struggled to move the ball against them the entire day.

For the Browns, Peyton Hillis had 108 yards but struggled at times. He had a key fumble on the Bills side of the field that was recovered by Kyle Williams. He also fumbled 2 other times although Cleveland recovered the ball.

The key for the Bills was keeping Hillis in check. They gave him his yards but didn't allow him to kill them.

On the Bills side of the ball, Freddy Jackson had a good game going for 112 yards on 29 carries. He was vital down the stretch as the Bills ran the ball down the Browns throats.

With the win, the Bills move to 3-10. Next week, they play on the road against the Miami Dolphins.

Attendance: 50,861

Buffalo's Record: 3-10 (4th in the AFC East)

Interesting Note:

-Bills had their top defensive effort of the season holding the Browns down to 187 yards and 6 points

-Ryan Fitzpatrick extended his streak of games with a touchdown pass to 14

Key Facts:

-Jake Delhomme passed for under 100 yards (86 yards) on the day

-Peyton Hillis rushed for over 100 yards for the 5th time this season

-Cleveland had 5 fumbles but only lost 2 of them (Hillis had 3 fumbles)

-Fred Jackson rushed for over 100 yards for the third time this season

-Steve Johnson had 5 receptions

Bills Stats:

Ryan Fitzpatrick- 14-23, 142 yards, 1 touchdown, 93 rating

Ryan Fitzpatrick- 49 yards rushing

Freddy Jackson- 29 carries, 112 yards, 3.9 yards per carry

C.J. Spiller- 8 carries, 33 yards

Steve Johnson- 5 receptions, 42 yards

David Nelson- 1 reception, 11 yards, 1 touchdown

Jonathan Stupar- 3 receptions, 45 yards

Arthur Moats- Sack

Leodis Mckelvin- Interception

Kyle Williams & Bart Scott- fumble recoveries

Penguins Make it 12 in a Row With Win Over Sabres

The Pittsburgh Penguins are playing incredible hockey as of late. There is no other way to state how well they've played. The Penguins put together another great effort Saturday as they took down the Buffalo Sabres 5-2.

For Pittsburgh, its there 12th win in a row. They possess the best overall record in hockey at 21-8-2 and nobody is even close to playing as good as they are right now.

The Penguins started out fast against the Sabres scoring the first 2 goals of the game to go up 2-0 in the first period.

Buffalo responded with a power-play goal by Tyler Ennis late in the first period to draw within a goal.

The game remained tied at 2-1 until midway through the 3rd period when Alex Goligoski scored his 6th of the season to put the Pens up 3-1.

But the Sabres weren't going to quit, at least not right away. Jason Pominville responded 51 seconds later for the Sabres to bring them within one goal again.

But it wasn't meant to be for the Buffalo Sabres on this night.

Mike Rupp scored in front of the net with little time remaining to put the Pens up 4-2. Then, with less than a minute remaining, Matt Cooke put the game out of reach with an empty net goal and Pittsburgh went on to win 5-2.

Sidney Crosby was relatively quiet on the night. Crosby had an assist and was +2 on the game. He had a breakaway in the 2nd period but couldn't score.

With the win, the Penguins have won their 12th game in a row and have increased their lead as the top overall team in the NHL. They next play December 14th in Philadelphia against the Flyers.

On the other side of the ice, the Buffalo Sabres fall into a tie for 9th place in the eastern conference with the loss. They next play December 15th at home against the Boston Bruins.

Attendance: 18,690

Buffalo's Record: 12-14-4 (28 points) Tied 9th in the East

Last 10: 5-4-1

Interesting Note: Sidney Crosby's 4-game goal streak ended Saturday night vs. the Sabres

Key Fact: Alex Goligoski was +4 on the night

Three Stars:

1st- Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh)

2nd- Jason Pominville (Buffalo)

3rd- Dustin Jeffrey (Pittsburgh)