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02/26/2009 - Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 24th-ranked Butler Bulldogs can clinch at least a share of the Horizon League regular-season title with a win over the Youngstown State Penguins this evening.
Youngstown State has won five of its last six games to move to 11-16 overall and 7-9 in conference. The Penguins are fresh off a 68-64 victory over Saint Peter's in a non-league affair, and they hope to improve their 4-8 record in true road games.
Don't expect a victory to come easily, however, as Butler is 12-1 at home. The Bulldogs are 13-3 in Horizon League action, a game better than second-place Wisconsin-Green Bay. Butler had lost back-to-back games for the first time in over three years, but the club got back to its winning way with a 75-63 triumph over Davidson in a BracketBuster tilt on Saturday.
It should be mentioned that Butler recorded a 79-71 victory over Youngstown State back in early December, and the Bulldogs have won 15 of the 17 all-time meetings with the Penguins.
Vytas Sulskis scored 18 points for Youngstown State in the victory over Saint Peter's on Saturday. The Penguins also got 13 points apiece from DeAndre Mays and Tom Parks, while Sirlester Martin pulled down 12 rebounds. YSU only connected on 37.9 percent of its field goal attempts in the tilt, but the club earned a 41-29 rebounding advantage, including a 16-7 edge on the offensive glass. Also, the Penguins only turned the ball over nine times. Kelvin Bright leads YSU in scoring this season with 11.8 ppg, although his 38.2 percent shooting from the field is far from impressive. Mays adds 11.1 ppg, and Sulksis provides 10.0 ppg for the Penguins, who are netting 66.6 ppg while allowing 68.5 ppg.
Butler figured to have its hands full with Davidson's star guard Stephen Curry on Saturday. Curry did score 20 points in that clash, but he was limited to 6- of-23 shooting from the floor. The Bulldogs also forced 19 turnovers in the tilt and earned a 20-13 edge in points from the foul line. Gordon Hayward was sensational for Butler, as he tallied 27 points and nine rebounds. Matt Howard pitched 12 points, and Willie Veasley added 10 points. Overall this season, Howard is scoring a team-high 14.0 ppg to go along with 7.0 rpg and 44 blocked shots. Hayward provides 13.9 ppg, and Shelvin Mack checks in with 12.0 ppg and 94 assists. The Bulldogs are scoring 68.3 ppg this season while limiting opponents to 57.5 ppg on 37.8 percent field goal efficiency.
<< Bruins try to right ship in clash with Cardinal
Stanford, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 22nd-ranked UCLA Bruins will attempt to
bounce back from a shocking loss as they take on the Stanford Cardinal tonight
in a Pac-10 Conference showdown.
UCLA has hit a rough patch, as the team has lost thre
<< Boilermakers hope to keep pace in Big Ten title race
Ann Arbor, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 16th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers continue
their push toward the Big Ten Conference regular-season title, and they need
to beat the Michigan Wolverines on the road this evening.
Purdue is hot on the heels o
<< Zags to try and pad stats in clash with Broncos
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Having already claimed the West Coast
Conference regular season title for the ninth consecutive season, the 17th-
ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs will attempt to add yet another win to their already
impressive record
<< Pac-10 showdown pits Sun Devils against Huskies
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 14th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils are
riding a five-game win streak, and they are set for a Pac-10 showdown with the
21st-ranked Washington Huskies in Seattle.
Washington owns the top spot in the Pac-10
Demon Deacons and Wolfpack meet in ACC clash >>
Winston-Salem, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - One of the oldest rivalries in the ACC
adds another chapter this evening, as the NC State Wolfpack invade Winston-
Salem to battle the 13th-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons in conference action
from the Law
Fifth-ranked Tigers put win streak on the line in Birmingham >>
Birmingham, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fifth-ranked Memphis Tigers continue
their run through their Conference USA schedule, as they invade the Bartow
Arena to take on the UAB Blazers in conference action in Birmingham tonight.
The Tigers hav
Golf Tidbits: Youth is served >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - I was going to be like hundreds of my
fellow golf writers and compose a column about Tiger Woods, but I'd rather not
write about his comeback mid-tournament.
Instead, I'm going to introduce you to three pl
Brodeur to return for Devils' clash with Avs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Jersey Devils will have future Hall of Fame
goaltender Martin Brodeur back in net for the first time since early November
when they host the Colorado Avalanche in tonight's interconference matchup at
Prudential Center
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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NEW YORK (AP) -By staying away from the cupcakes, Southern California earned itself a slim new ranking.
No. 1 always seems to fit USC.
Southern California jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.
Georgia and Ohio State, the preseason Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, started their seasons with glorified scrimmages at home against FCS (formerly I-AA) teams. USC, however, traveled across country to face Virginia and could not have been more impressive in a 52-7 victory.
Georgia fell to No. 2 and Ohio State to No 3.
"We realize that rankings so early in a season are certainly fluid. But rankings do help establish a pecking order for things later in the season," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "As for moving into the No. 1 spot, it's nice to know that people think highly of our team."
Since reaching No. 1 on Dec. 7, 2003, the final-regular season AP poll of that season, USC has been No. 1 in 39 polls, by far the most of any team during that time.
"Some have said the voters are taking our schedule into consideration," Carroll said. "Our philosophy has always been to schedule outstanding opponents. We need to play challenging games like we just did, traveling across the country to open the season at Virginia. Games like that bring out our best and make us stronger as a team."
The latest voting was close. USC received 21 first-place votes and 1,539 points from the 65-member media panel. Georgia had 20 first-place votes and 1,506 points. Ohio State got 15 first-place votes and 1,497 points.
"I'd say we've evolved as pollsters," said Stewart Mandel of SI.com, who moved USC up to No. 1. "In the past, voters just kind of automatically moved teams up and kept teams where they were if they won."
Georgia beat Georgia Southern 45-21 on Saturday and Ohio State opened with a 43-0 win over Youngstown State.
"There's a bit of a growing backlash for the amount of teams that open with I-AA cupcakes," said Mandel, whose book "Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls" chronicles college football's controversies. "To see a team [USC] go on the road and play a New Year's Day bowl team from last season, and not only play them but destroy them, how could you not reward that team?"
USC also jumped past Georgia to No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll, which has the same top five as the AP poll.
"It's definitely a privilege to be No. 1. But it's not heartbreaking to me if we drop," Georgia offensive lineman Josh Davis said. "It doesn't matter right now what we're ranked. What matters is our next game and right now, that's Central Michigan. The only time the polls matter is in December. That's when the polls matter."
While the Bulldogs opened easy, their schedule ultimately should be as difficult as any team's. Georgia's big nonconference test is at No. 15 Arizona State on Sept. 20. The Bulldogs also face six Southeastern Conference rivals that've been ranked in the first two polls.
As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes play at USC on Sept. 13 before getting into the Big Ten schedule.
But of the teams in this week's top 10, USC and Texas are the only ones that don't play an FCS opponent, and the Trojans are the only team that doesn't play a team from a non-BCS conference.
Get the latest 2009 BCS Championship odds at MySportsbook.com.
The last team to drop from No. 1 after a victory was USC last season. LSU jumped from No. 2 to No. 1 when it beat Tulane 34-9, the same week the Trojans edged Washington 27-24 on the road.
The last preseason No. 1 team to lose the top spot after winning its opening game was Florida in 2001. The Gators beat Marshall 49-14, but preseason No. 2 Miami opened with a 33-7 victory over Penn State and the Hurricanes jumped to No. 1 with Florida slipping to second.
The next four teams in the new Top 25 stayed the same: No. 4 Oklahoma (two first-place votes), No. 5 Florida (five first-place votes), No. 6 Missouri (one first-place vote), No. 7 LSU (one first-place vote) and No. 8 West Virginia.
No. 9 Auburn and No. 10 Texas each moved up a spot, taking advantage of Clemson's big drop. Clemson, ninth in the preseason, fell out after losing 34-10 to Alabama on Saturday.
Also falling out after losses were Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.
Moving into the rankings were No. 21 Fresno State, No. 22 Utah, No. 23 UCLA and No. 24 South Carolina.
Alabama moved up 11 spots after its big victory over Clemson.
The second 10 started with No. 11 Wisconsin, followed by Texas Tech, Alabama and Kansas. BYU and Arizona State were tied for 15th. Rivals BYU and Utah are both ranked for the first time since 1996.
South Florida was No. 17, ahead of Oregon, Penn State and Wake Forest at No. 20.
The final five were all the teams to move into the ranking, except for Illinois, which dropped four spots and tied South Carolina for No. 24.
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