Archives for August 2013

Alabama Crimson Tide begin quest for three straight titles

August 31, 2013 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

The Alabama Crimson Tide are trying to do something no one has ever done in college football- win three straight national titles. They looked the part in opening week, crushing Virginia tech 35-10.

Bama wide receiver and return man Christion Jones scored three touchdowns and accounted for 256 all-purpose yards (100 via punt returns, 109 via kickoff returns and 47 receiving) as #1 Alabama Crimson Tide owned the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Alabama scored in every facet of the game, notching three non-offensive touchdowns in a game for the first time since September 30, 1995.

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Filed Under: College Football

Still counts! Illini football ends losing skid (barely)

August 31, 2013 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

For Illini football and Tim Beckman, I reference Lonely Island: “STILL COUNTS!”

Yes, it was a FCS opponent; and one that was very mediocre in the FCS last year at that. And it went down to the last 40 seconds. And the Illini football team only out-gained the SIU Salukis by just 57 yards and….well, you get the idea. A 42-34 win over a FCS team projected to finish in the middle to middle bottom of the conference does not elevate Tim Beckman and the Illini football program very much.

If you thought Beckman was on the hot seat before today, it’s radioactive now.

I’m not saying he’s in immediate danger of losing his gig; I’m just saying all those Illini football critics got more ammunition today.

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Filed Under: Illinois Fighting Illini

Badgers release new three-headed monster in 45-0 win over UMass

August 31, 2013 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

While the students, coaching staffs and players all change with time, the bread-and-butter running game stays the one constant in the Wisconsin Badgers football program.

A new three-headed rushing attack was revealed in the Badgers 45-0 shutout win over the Minutemen of UMass.

James White, Melvin Gordon and true freshman Corey Clement combined to rush for 388 rushing yards and all eclipsed the century mark, a feet done only twice before in school history.

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Filed Under: The Bank

Michigan Wolverines suspend safety Thomas Gordon

August 31, 2013 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

Two short seasons after starting his Michigan Wolverines career on one of the nation’s worst defenses, Thomas Gordon, with the help of Brady Hoke, enters his senior season as an anchor on one of the nation’s best defensive units.

Then again, they’ll start two safeties today with zero combined starts. The Michigan Wolverines suspended Thomas Gordon today for the game versus Western Michigan.

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Filed Under: Michigan Wolverines Tagged With: Big Ten Football, brady hoke, college football, michigan football, Thomas Gordon

Manchester United at the final hours of transfer window

August 31, 2013 By paulmbanks 1 Comment

After crashing out of Europe’s most prestigious club futbol tournament, Manchester United will be eager to put the devastation of going out to Real Madrid behind them. That all started in Monaco, where the UEFA Champions League draw was held Thursday. Manchester United are in a group with Bayern Leverkusen, Shaktar Donetsk, and Real Sociedad.

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Filed Under: Manchester United

Top 5 college fight songs list

August 31, 2013 By paulmbanks 1 Comment

In compiling this college fight songs list, I tried to keep emotion and association out of it. I tried the best I could. Hey, my alma mater, Illinois is only honorable mention for best five. Schools I hate made the list too. And schools I like made the worst list as well. However in the end, both the best and worst were programs with mascots from ancient warriors of the Aegean Sea.

The Michigan State Spartans claim the best fight song. The USC Trojans have the worst. Yes, these lists have zero scientific value. They are based on no metrics. This argument is 100% arbitrary and capricious. You more than welcome to disagree. You should. You really should. And when you run a website that’s had more than 8 million page views, feel free to post your own list of the five best and five worst.

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Filed Under: Michigan State Spartans

Worst 5 college fight songs list

August 31, 2013 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

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Filed Under: College Basketball, College Football, Ohio State Buckeyes

Cleveland Browns QB Brandon Weeden: make or break season

August 31, 2013 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

For quarterback Brandon Weeden, it’s put up or shut up time. The Cleveland Browns will either invest in him long term after this season, or move on.

Unfortunately for Brandon Weeden, he has Norv Turner as his offensive coordinator; but at least Weeden doesn’t have Turner as his head coach. So he has that going for him, which is nice. The 2014 NFL Draft class is LOADED at quarterback- Teddy Bridgewater, AJ McCarron, Aaron Murray, David Fales, Johnny Manziel (if you’re the riverboat gambler of all insane riverboat gaming NFL GMs), so if the Brownies tank and Weeden is terrible, the options for starting over again are right there.

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Filed Under: The Bank

The Penn State quarterback is…Christian Hackenberg

August 31, 2013 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

The Penn State quarterback will be Christian Hackenberg, ESPN’s top-rated passer of the 2013 class, who beat out junior college quarterback Tyler Ferguson. So your Penn State quarterback is the highly rated true freshman.

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Filed Under: The Bank

Illini football vs SIU: brutally honest preview

August 31, 2013 By paulmbanks 2 Comments

Yes, we have real football again! FINALLY.

College football begins this week. Illini football is back! Never mind, how bad Illini football were last year. Don’t think about that abomination; 2013 is a new year. takes on FCS school Southern Illinois as part of Social Media Day. All Illini fans Liking the official Fighting Illini football Facebook page and following the @Illini Football Twitter account will be entered to win a personalized Illinois jersey. Just enter by halftime Saturday. Here’s more on Social Media Day

A big storyline this year is new offensive coordinator Bill Cubit, who has 32 years of coaching experience, comes over from Western Michigan. The Illini have a veteran quarterback in Nathan Scheelhaase but are very young across the board at most positions. Cubit promised to use true freshman quarterback Aaron Bailey in certain packages. The blue chip recruit from Bolingbrook choose the Illini over other potential suitors because they were the most interested in letting him play quarterback. At least more than other schools.

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Filed Under: Illinois Fighting Illini

Wisconsin football vs. UMASS: brutally honest preview

August 31, 2013 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

The aroma of football lingers in the air and the Wisconsin Badgers haven’t lost a season opener since the Clinton administration.

Bucky and company have reeled off 15 straight season-opening wins and hold the nation’s third-longest active streak in FBS (trailing only Nebraska-27 and Florida-23.)

There isn’t much doubt regarding the streak reaching 16 because the Minutemen of UMASS come in to Camp Randall in the midst of only their second season as an official FBS football program. The better question would be determining whether UMASS can figure out how to put up any points at all.

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Filed Under: The Bank

Carrie Underwood Sunday Night Football photo released

August 30, 2013 By paulmbanks 1 Comment

As you know, Carrie Underwood will perform “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night,”the Sunday Night Football on NBC theme song this year. Underwood, the season-four winner of American Idol, makes her debut September 8 on NBC’s first SNF broadcast of the 2013 NFL season. Today, NBC released the first and only picture from the Carrie Underwood music video.

Obviously, we’ll have to wait till game night to see the Carrie Underwood vid.

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Filed Under: Entertainment/Media, NFL