Auburn Win Over Alabama Throws BCS Into Utter Chaos

This fan's face explains how everyone is feeling. Unreal. #IronBowl pic.twitter.com/SgXZyybwmp

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 1, 2013

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist

No. 4 Auburn's miraculous win over No. 1 Alabama after time expired on Saturday night will throw the BCS into utter chaos when the new rankings are officially released.

Head coach Nick Saban's squad had an opportunity to win the game with a 57-yard field goal that fell just short as time expired.

The Tigers took full advantage of the missed attempt by 'Bama kicker Adam Griffith and took the ball the length of the field and then some to score on the final play of regulation in a game that will no doubt go down in history as one of the best Iron Bowl matchups ever.

Second guessers will be all over Saban for the 57-yard attempt, which would be a daunting task for even the best NFL kickers, let alone a youngster like Griffith. Not to mention, the Crimson Tide had already missed a 33-yard attempt earlier in the game, so chances were they had no shot at success the next time around.

So, where does this leave the BCS National Championship picture?

No. 2 Florida State is already a lock to own at least the No. 2 spot in the rankings, but it is far more likely the Seminoles are the new No. 1 team in the nation after topping Florida in an effortless fashion, 37-7.

Choosing a new No. 2 isn't as clear at the moment.

No. 3 Ohio St. is the obvious choice and may almost certainly be the second-best team in the country, but a close contest that came down to the wire versus an unranked Michigan squad may change things and hurt the Buckeyes' chances.

And considering Auburn just knocked off the best team in the nation (or former best team) and the undisputed favorite to win a third-straight national title, you have to give the Tigers at least an outside chance of grabbing one of the top two spots.

After all, Auburn has now beaten four ranked teams with its only loss coming to former No. 6 LSU earlier in the season. As far as Ohio St. is concerned, they have beaten just two ranked teams all season and neither of those squads (Wisconsin and Northwestern) are of the quality as some teams that Auburn has already beaten this season.

Chances are the one loss on Auburn's record will doom them in this instance and keep them as the No.3 team. However, it must be said that Auburn has played a tougher schedule, thus that one loss shouldn't weigh as heavily on the Tigers.

Even if things don't go in Auburn's favor, there is still another shot to make their national title hopes come true and it will happen in the SEC Championship game.

Perhaps beating a team like No. 5 Missouri or No. 10 South Carolina for the SEC crown will be enough to take a top spot for the big Jan. 6 game despite what Ohio St. does, but it's more likely than not that the BCS will still favor the Buckeyes unless they lose to Michigan St. in the Big Ten title game next week.

Regardless of the outcome, this Auburn-Alabama result will spark an intense debate about who deserves it more, whether that's Ohio St. or Auburn. Both are certainly deserving, but only one can get the No. 2 spot.

Somewhere in a dark room, there is a computer in overload right now and this Auburn-Alabama game is the cause.

NFL Week 2 Picks: Must-See Matchups During Weekend Action

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

After a solid Week 1 performance in the picks department, Week 2 is here and it's time to make some more choices on all the week's action.

A solid mark of 12-4 to start the season was pretty good on my end, however things could've been better had some of the favorites in games actually took care of business. The Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and the Pittsburgh Steelers all let me down.

Let's take a look at where each of those teams stand heading into Week 2's games and if they will win, as well as the rest of the picks and some must-see matchups.


Complete Week 2 Picks

Game	Winner
New York Jets at New England	New England
St. Louis at Atlanta	St. Louis
Denver at New York Giants	Denver
Carolina at Buffalo	Carolina
Minnesota at Chicago	Chicago
Washington at Green Bay	Green Bay
Miami at Indianapolis	Miami
Dallas at Kansas City	Dallas
Cleveland at Baltimore	Baltimore
Tennessee at Houston	Houston
San Diego at Philadelphia	Philadelphia
Detroit at Arizona	Detroit
New Orleans at Tampa Bay	New Orleans
Jacksonville at Oakland	Oakland
San Francisco at Seattle	San Francisco
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati	Cincinnati

Must-See Matchups

Denver Broncos at New York Giants

This one is pretty obvious as the Manning brothers will face off in Manning Bowl 3 with the older brother, Peyton, owning a 2-0 advantage over his little brother, Eli.

The Giants were a mess in Week 1 after turning the ball over six times and discovering they have a huge issue at the running back position. That prompted the G-Men to bring back Brandon Jacobs to help fill the void, although it isn't known just how much he can actually help out.

Denver had a much different season-opener with its dominant win over the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Baltimore Ravens. Peyton threw for seven touchdowns to tie the all-time record in a single contest and it's clear the Broncos' signal-caller is still at the top of his game.

While both Peyton and Eli had impressive debuts to the 2013-14 campaign in their own right, it was Peyton that proved to be the better of the two and that will continue when the Broncos take care of business against the Giants.

Broncos 37, Giants 28


San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

Let the battle for NFC West supremacy begin as the 49ers go into Seattle to take on the Seahawks in what will be a tough road game for the Niners to win.

Seattle started off the season a bit slow with a 12-7 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, but it must be said that quarterback Russell Wilson still looked good in the unimpressive win. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the Seahawks offense responds and if it can rebound in Week 2 against a much tougher San Fran defense.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick torched the Green Bay Packers for over 400 yards through the air and didn't need to run in order to own them. Things will be a bit tougher this week as the Niners have to face one of the premier defenses in the NFL as they look to get their rushing attack going after a lousy Week 1 showing.

It remains to be seen if Seattle has enough weapons on offense to put points on the board against the stingy San Fran defense. Kaepernick has already proven he can put up big numbers and while he probably won't be throwing for as many yards this week, it will be his legs that not only keep him out of trouble but lead his team to victory over the Seahawks.

Niners 24, Seahawks 16


St. Louis Rams at Atlanta Falcons

This is a big game for the Falcons who were picked by many (yours truly) to win the NFC and get to the Super Bowl in 2014. While there's still a long way to go, Atlanta does not want to start the season 0-2 and throw itself into utter panic mode this early in the season after no-showing against a bad New Orleans Saints defense in Week 1.

St. Louis looked good on both sides of the ball in Week 1 after narrowly defeating the Arizona Cardinals in a comeback fashion. Granted, the Rams allowed 24 points to Arizona, but they were successful in blanking the Cardinals in the first and fourth quarters.

The Rams were down 24-13 going into the fourth quarter only to shut down the Cardinals offense and forge a comeback that ended up in victory. Clearly the Rams are much-improved on offense and with a solid defense to go along with it, this team is dangerous to say the least.

Things will be tough for the Falcons in Week 2 against the Rams. Not only are Julio Jones and Roddy White both banged up, but the Falcons won't have it any easier against a much tougher Rams defense. Expect Cortland Finnegan and Janorice Jenkins to shut down those top two receivers while the Rams do just enough offensively to win this game and spoil Steven Jackson's first game against his former mates.

Rams 21, Falcons 20

Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Chip Kelly's Offense is Dangerous for Philly

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

The Philadelphia Eagles will hit the road to take on the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football in what will be a highly-anticipated game that features new Eagles head coach Chip Kelly's offense.

Kelly will be bringing his college system to the NFL as Philly's new lead man. The system is a spread offense that is frantically paced and was wildly successful during Kelly's days with the Oregon Ducks.

How will it translate to the pros? Nobody can be certain, but there are as many dangers to this system as there are positives.

For starters, no defense in the NFL has seen what Kelly and the Eagles are bringing. The idea is to have the offense run plays as quickly as possible with spread out formations in order to keep opposing defenses tired and on their heels.

Don't be surprised to see some Redskins hitting the field with "injuries" should things get out of control for their defense. This approach has become commonplace in the NFL nowadays and Kelly's offense may bring out the worst in what is a growing problem for the league.

On the flip side, there are some negatives to all of this.

Kelly will be expecting a ton from his players, namely winning a battle with fatigue. Granted, opposing defenses won't have an easy time catching a breather, but Kelly's players may also have to pay the price as a result of the pace.

With a veteran quarterback in Michael Vick who is oft-injured, there is a great threat that Kelly could run his signal-caller into trouble in multiple ways. On top of that, keeping up this pace for a 16-game season could produce more wear and tear on the team as a whole than what is normal.

But that is the risk Kelly has decided to take in implementing this scheme from college. He must be careful because if things go bad and players start dropping like flies from injuries or fatigue, it could create a scenario where a mutiny takes place and Kelly may lose his team if that happens.

The unpredictability of the Eagles offense may catch some teams off guard during the season, but it must be done responsibly or else Kelly may do more harm than good.

NFL Week 1 Picks: Must-See Matchups During Weekend Action

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

Week 1 of the NFL season is upon us and after an exciting Thursday night showdown that saw the Denver Broncos topple the Baltimore Ravens, the rest of the games in the opening week are set to take place.

Like the Broncos, I too started off 1-0 after picking their game with the Ravens correctly. However, that was child's play and now it's time to get down to serious business. Let's take a look at each game the rest of the week and who will emerge victorious, as well as some of the must-see matchups.

Week 1 Picks

Game	Winner
Baltimore at Denver	Denver
Tampa Bay at New York Jets	Tampa Bay
Arizona at St. Louis	St. Louis
New York Giants at Dallas	Dallas
New England at Buffalo	New England
Cincinnati at Chicago	Chicago
Miami at Cleveland	Miami
Atlanta at New Orleans	Atlanta
Tennessee at Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
Minnesota at Detroit	Detroit
Oakland at Indianapolis	Indianapolis
Seattle at Carolina	Seattle
Kansas City at Jacksonville	Kansas City
Green Bay at San Francisco	San Francisco
Philadelphia at Washington	Washington
Houston at San Diego	Houston

Must-See Matchups

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

This one definitely has the potential for an upset, so it's certainly worth taking a look at the Saints and Falcons this week.

New Orleans will welcome back head coach Sean Payton who will be back to running what should be a tremendous offense this season led by quarterback Drew Brees. Despite that, the Saints won't have much of a defense to work with and that will bring all sorts of issues.

The Falcons are on a different path this season with expectations that they can reach the Super Bowl after just barely missing out on the big game last season. Led by Matt Ryan and an elite receiving corps, the Falcons offense will welcome Steven Jackson into the mix in order to add some credibility to the rushing attack.

Conclusion: When comparing these two squads, it's abundantly clear the Falcons have the better defense, which should make the difference in this one considering both offenses are pretty evenly matched with Atlanta having an edge on the ground.

The Falcons should be able to do just about anything they want on the offensive side of the ball while the Saints won't be as fortunate. Still, I expect the Saints to put some points on the board but they won't come close to matching what the Falcons will bring.

Final Score: Atlanta 38, Saints 31

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

I'm not as high on the Giants as some people are and in fact, I think they are underdogs in the hunt for the NFC East. Sure, all the usual suspects will return with Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz as the focal points on offense, but a new running back in David Wilson and a weak secondary has the Giants asking more questions than they would like.

The Cowboys are in no better shape. They did little to improve this offseason aside from some key coaching changes (Monte Kiffin), and their offensive line isn't anymore sure than it was last season. Offensively, the Cowboys should still be able to move the ball and the health running back of DeMarco Murray will be vital to keeping some semblance of balance.

Conclusion: The Cowboys defense looked solid during the preseason, so it looks as though the switch to a 4-3 defense might be paying off thus far. The bad thing for the Giants is that their secondary was already weak, but now adding into that is the fact that safety Stevie Brown will be out for the season, further weakening what was already a suspect secondary.

Look for Dallas to take full advantage of New York's major weakness. Romo will have his pickings of anywhere on the field to throw the ball and should pick apart the Giants defense as long as he has enough time to throw the ball.

Bottom line: No penetration for the G-Men will spell a long and nightmarish start to the 2013 campaign.

Final Score: Cowboys 24, Giants 17

Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears

The Bears will be sporting a new-look offense this season with new head coach Marc Trestman at the helm. Chicago's offense has been looking to tailor itself more to the strengths of Jay Cutler, so expect the Bears quarterback to be rolling out more often, which is something he had success doing during his days in Denver. On defense, barring something unforeseen, the Bears should still have a top 10 defense in the NFL.

The Bengals have high expectations this season. With the weakening of the Baltimore Ravens and a Pittsburgh Steelers team that isn't expected to do much, the Bengals are being picks by many to win that division. Andy Dalton is another year older and wiser with one of the best receivers in the league, and the Bengals will have an excellent defense to go along with it.

Conclusion: I think this is a game that many people aren't taking too seriously in regards to its upset possibility. Many will pick the Bengals because of the expectations, but that's discounting what the Bears will do on offense.

Gone will be the days when the Bears don't score points and have to depend solely on defense. Granted, they still can, but the Bears will enjoy great success with all their weapons to utilize and rebuilt offensive line.

Expect to see a bit more defense in this one because of the circumstances of this particular matchup, but this game will be a jumping off point for the Bears resurrection on offense. Home-field advantage won't hurt, either.

Final Score: Bears 20, Bengals 16

NFL Prediction: Denver Broncos Will Beat Baltimore Ravens to Start Season

 

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist

The 2013 NFL season will finally kick off on Thursday night and the Denver Broncos will emerge victorious over the Baltimore Ravens in the inaugural matchup of the new year.

It's been a long and frustrating offseason for the Ravens. You would think coming off a Super Bowl victory would have left this squad flying high, but that hasn't exactly been the case.

The price to pay for winning the big game has cost Baltimore dearly. A slew of players have jumped ship after teams around the league picked the Ravens' roster apart and now the champs are a shell of their former selves.

Defensively, they will be without former leaders Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, as well as more impactful players like Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe, to name a few. Offensively, Baltimore will be missing wide receiver Anquan Boldin (traded) and tight end Dennis Pitta (season-ending injury).


In fact, the only great job the Ravens did in replacing lost talent was the signing of Elvis Dumervil, who will be facing his old squad in Denver after the Broncos botched the handling of him during the offseason.

For the Broncos, the low expectations for the Ravens this season is a dangerous thing to combat on opening night. It will be easy for such a talented team like Denver to overlook it's depleted counterparts, and that stands as the sole factor that could work against the Broncos.

If they can avoid that, the Broncos should have no problem taking down the reigning champs in Week 1.

Look for Denver to lean on its passing attack early and often in the hopes of opening things up for the run, which will be done by committee with guys like Ronnie Hillman, Montee Ball and Knowshon Moreno.

While it isn't known which back will dominate the carries on Thursday night, it is clear they will have plenty of room to operate once Peyton Manning starts throwing the ball to his incredibly deep receiving corps. That should make things a lot easier for Denver's inexperienced and unsure backfield.

Missing some of their biggest offensive threats, the Ravens will have a tough time finding their best players open. Denver will be able to key in on Ray Rice and Torrey Smith because there simply isn't a lot of weapons aside from them.

Once Denver can stop Joe Flacco and the Ravens passing attack, it should be a tough go of it for Rice. The Broncos would be wise to stack the box after accomplishing that feat in order to cut Rice off from having a big game.

Most importantly, Denver cannot allow Rice to get going early. If that happens, things will be wide open for Flacco and company through the air, and with Champ Bailey out for this game, that could present a dangerous scenario.

As long as Denver doesn't underestimate its opponent, look for the Broncos to take care of business en route to a Week 1 victory over the Ravens.

Final score: Broncos 27, Ravens 14

Pittsburgh Pirates Trade With New York Mets is Huge for Playoff Push

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

The MLB trade deadline may have come and gone, but waiver wire trades are still an option and the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets have struck a deal.

According to ESPN.com and CBSSports.com, the Mets sent John Buck and Marlon Byrd to the Pirates in exchange for infielder Dilson Herrera and a player to be named later.

The move comes one day after the Mets discovered star pitcher Matt Harvey would be out for the season and potentially for next season with the possibility of needing Tommy John surgery.

The move makes sense for both sides.

For the Mets, both Buck and Byrd will be free agents next season and with the Mets moving forward at the catcher position with Travis d'Arnaud, Buck has become expendable. In 2013, Buck has had one of his best offensive seasons with 15 homers and 60 RBI, but he does sport a dreadful .215 average.

Not to mention, New York will be looking to add some serious beef to their outfield after this season and while Byrd has been excellent for the Mets this season with 21 homers, 71 RBI and a .285 average,  he is 35 and this career season he's having may be a flash in the pan.

For the Pirates, this is a great move with limited options on the table at this point in the season. Pittsburgh desperately needs some help on the offensive side as it's ranked No. 25 in the MLB in runs scored.

There's no doubt that the Pirates need more offense as they continue to make a run at October just .5 games behind NL Central leader, the St. Louis Cardinals. Going into Tuesday, the Pirates also own a comfortable lead in the Wild Card.

Recently, the Pirates took a big hit to their lineup after Starlin Marte was forced to the DL with a hand injury. The addition of Byrd and Buck should help pad that issue until he returns, although neither will be anywhere near the threat that Marte has been on the basepaths with 35 swipes this season.

Byrd will start in the outfield while Buck will add some depth behind starting catcher, Russell Martin.

After a quiet trade deadline for the Pirates, this squad looks to be serious players for the rest of the season and in October as well. No more are the days when the Pirates will sit still and let things go down the drain.

Now all that's left is for the Pirates to take care of business on the field.


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Michael Moraitis' work can also be viewed on Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/users/624685-mike-moraitis

New NFL Study on Knee Hits Takes League One Step Closer to Touch Football

By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)

After a devastating knee injury that knocked Miami Dolphins tight end Dustin Keller out for the season, the NFL is now looking at knee hits on defenseless players while contemplating more rule changes.

According to the Associated Press per ESPN.com, the NFL will take a closer look at low hits during the 2013 season after Keller's gruesome injury at the hands of Houston Texans rookie, D.J. Swearinger.

If this continues to be a problem or the league even perceives it to be a problem, players may have one less spot to aim for when tackling.

In reality, the NFL has made it so difficult for players to tackle up high that really there are few options left besides tackling low. So, in theory, the NFL can blame itself for a potential rash of knee injuries moving forward.

It's a nice thought that the NFL wants to protect its players, but the league must realize that this is one of the most violent sports on the planet. Continuously taking that out of the equation will not only hurt the game, it will destroy it.

Commissioner Roger Goodell and company simply can't take every precaution to protect players. Injuries are apart of the game and will happen no matter how many rules are put in place.

What's next? Are all NFL players going to wrap themselves in styrofoam for better protection? Or perhaps two-hand touch or flag football is the way to go in order to avoid injuries?

There is simply no concrete way to get this done and it is inevitable that the league will have to back off this one.

If the NFL really wants to protect its players' knees, the smart idea would be to open up the acceptable area to hit for defensive players in order to deter players from focusing on just low hits for fear they may be suspended otherwise.

The phrase less is more certainly holds true here.

Goodell must back away from this one regardless of the outcry from some players. The risk of injury is inherent to each and every player in the NFL the moment they start playing the sport, so if it's such a big problem, don't play the game anymore.

It's really that simple.