UFC 137: Expect Finishes

If long, drawn out fights that go to a decision are your thing, UFC 137 is not for you.  Looking at the matchups this is a card that will have finishes galore. Here’s a rundown of a few of the bigger fights on the card.

DENNIS SIVER VS DONALD “COWBOY” CERRONE

Siver and Cerrone appear to be on similar arcs right now and this match will be a good title eliminator. Siver, a stocky German with a formidable kickboxing background, will look to employ a similar strategy as the one that enabled him to upset grappling specialist George Sotiropolous. Siver was able to stuff Sotiropolous’s takedowns and pick him apart by controlling the distance with vicious kicks.

Cerrone, a WEC transplant riding a nice five fight win streak, finds himself a win or two away from a lightweight title shot. Cerrone looked mighty impressive defeating promising prospect Charles Oliveira by Technical Knockout in a mere three minutes for his first knockout win at UFC Live: Hardy vs Lytle. Cerrone has won 12 of his 16 fights by submission and will be looking for an impressive finish of Siver in this fight.

Prediction: Cerrone has simply been on a tear and Siver has been impressive but has had difficulty putting opponents away. I think Cerrone’s superior submission skills get him the win Cerrone by Submission.

ROY “BIG COUNTRY” NELSON VS MIRKO CRO COP

Skipping to the pay-per-view card is a heavyweight tilt between two guys fighting for their jobs. After winning the Ultimate Fighter 10 and defeating Danish prospect Stefan Struve, the rotund Nelson has been on the losing side of lopsided decisions against Junior Dos Santos and Frank Mir. What Nelson has shown in those two fights is that he has a heart the size of Texas and a chin that could get hit by a truck and keep going.

On the flip side of the affair is the aging Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop is an MMA legend branching back to his days in the now defunct Japanese organization, PRIDE. Cro Cop is known as the best kickboxer to ever become a Mixed Martial Artist and has earned the right to be called a legend with his impressive resume. However, he is now a 225 pound Chuck Liddell at this point in his career. For the latter part of Liddell’s career we kept telling ourselves he could still compete at the highest level he just kept getting caught. Then after watching him do his best Glass Joe impersonation everyone came to the sad conclusion that ole Chuck just couldn’t take a punch anymore.

Cro Cop has become the same thing. His last few fights he seems like he could possibly still land that signarure left high kick that used to be the most feared strike in MMA, but most of the time he ends up flat on the canvas with the medics checking his vitals.

Prediction: Unfortunately for Cro Cop, Nelson has a pretty nice overhand right that he is able to land with regularity. The weakness of Cro Cop has always been his inability to take a fight to the ground in the rare case he was in trouble on the feet. If Nelson doesn’t catch him standing he should be able to easily drag the fight to the ground and pick up the TKO victory. Nelson by TKO.

MATT MITRIONE VS CHEICK KONGO

Aside from the main event, this matchup is truly the most intriguing of the night. It is truly a classic gatekeeper vs prospect matchup. Playing the role of interesting prospect is Matt Mitrione. A former practice squad fullback for the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings Mitrione has athleticism in abundance and continue to evolve as a Mixed Martial Artist.

Playing the role of gatekeeper will be Cheick Kongo. A hulking Frenchman with a kickboxing background, Kongo is certainly not an opponent to be taken lightly and will certainly put Mitrione’s lauded chin to the test. Kongo is coming off of the craziest comeback in UFC history when he knocked out Pat Barry after the ref had almost came to his rescue from being pummeled seconds earlier. The win was certainly a huge won and showed the striking prowess that Kongo truly possesses. Mitrione may be wise to try to take Kongo down and not stand and trade like he is known to do.

Prediction: Kongo is by far the toughest test Mitrione has faced and how he fares will go a long way in determining his rank in the heavyweight division. One thing is for certain, this fight won’t be going to decision. I think Mitrione continues to show progress as he wins a close fight that nearly goes the distance. Mitrione by TKO.

B.J. PENN VS NICK DIAZ

For my full Penn-Diaz preview check out my first Bleacher Report piece here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/909878-ufc-137-6-things-to-expect-in-the-penn-vs-diaz-main-event

Prediction: As stated in my preview I am not a believer in Diaz’ boxing. Penn is the more polished fighter in every area and I look for him to beat Diaz with his own impressive boxing. Penn by TKO.

Browns could finally be on right path

My fantasy football team directly relates to the Denver Broncos. I haven’t won many game, I don’t have much hope so I’ve completely turned my team over to Tim Tebow and while I’ll still probably lose every week, at least it’ll be entertaining.

Why do I tell you this? Certainly I don’t want to talk any more than I have to about what has been by far my worst fantasy football team ever assembled in my ten years of playing. I only bring up my team because it has forced me to fully rely on the Browns to deliver an enjoyable football Sunday. Yikes. As any Browns fan can attest, if you’re depending on the Browns to make you happy, in the words of T.O. “get your prozac ready” er well something like that.

Let’s face it. Browns fans have watched their team lose early, often and in just about every way possible. Last second Hail Mary’s, field goals, blown leads and blow outs we’ve seen it all. Yet somehow this season has got me feeling optimistic.

I know I know, Browns fans have become the proverbial “boy who cried wolf” because there seems to be a permanent sign at Browns stadium that says "there’s always next year". However, watching this year’s edition, I feel like that just may be true.

For once we actually have a quarterback that isn’t over 35 (Jake Delhomme, Jeff Garcia), a model posing as a quarterback (Brady Quinn), the owner of a horrendous haircut (Kelly Holcomb), an ESPN analyst (Trent Dilfer), or likely to throw the ball directly to an opposing safety who isn’t even covering anyone (Derek Anderson). Even if Colt McCoy isn’t the next Drew Brees (I think he may be) we should at least love him for what he isn’t.

The key now is patience. I’ve heard grumblings on various message boards around the interwebs that Cleveland should consider giving up on McCoy after this year should the right quarterback become available in the draft. I would certainly hope the front office isn’t considering this.

Between the coaching change and the lockout, McCoy is basically a rookie again. Half the battle of winning in the NFL is continuity. You see it all the time. Who have been the most dominant teams in the last decade? The Patriots, Steelers, Colts, Chargers and Saints immediately come to mind. What do they all have in common? Continuity.

It’s not like the offense as a whole is a finished product for McCoy to work with anyway. Outside of Greg Little and Montario Hardesty I’m not sure the Browns really have any young skill players that will develop into anything to special in the next 3-5 years. Spending time and money on talent to put around McCoy should be the priority, not shipping him off before he can prove himself. Not to mention making sure he is protected by shoring up what could be an elite offensive line.

Even more than the fact we finally have a quarterback who knows how to win and is young enough to still develop into that winner, I love the new defense. Switching to the 4-3 could not have been more beneficial and it appears they may even have a pulse. Yes, there are still holes to fill but at least now there are specific holes that need filled. Previously the whole defense was an area of need.  Another edge rusher to complement the promising Jabaal Sheard, one more playmaker in the secondary and overall linebacking depth would certainly help but the pieces in place are definitely a solid foundation.

Yes, for once I can see the Browns actually heading in a good direction. They finally seem to have a vision for what they want to be and doing what they need to do to get there. So while I may not have too many good football Sundays this year I’m looking forward to many in the upcoming years.

Of course this is the Cleveland Browns. There’s always the chance they ink Peyton Hillis to a massive long-term contract, keep pretending Josh Cribbs will develop into a legitimate receiver, quit using the draft to acquire promising young talent on defense, throw outrageous amounts of money on 30+ year old linebackers and keep saying “there’s always next year”.

No shortage of contenders could mean end for SEC title reign

For every fan who wants to throw a tomahawk at the TV every time an analyst goes on a 20 minute diatribe on SEC dominance or at the mere mention of the phrase "SEC speed" this season is for you. The SEC's title reign will finally come to an end this year. Not for a lack of elite teams; I believe that the best team in the nation resides in Baton Rouge, but the list of title contenders is simply too long for the streak to continue. 

Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Alabama, LSU, Boise, Stanford and Clemson. One of those teams will win the National Championship. Not a mind-shattering prediction I know, but generally the national championship race is not a 7 team race this far along in the season. Of this list, Alabama and LSU and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State play each other leaving the very miniscule chance that we could end the season with six undefeated teams (7 if you count Kansas State but I couldn’t do it. It was hard enough writing Clemson could run the table with a straight face.) If, in fact, all six teams do go undefeated the winner of LSU/Alabama would undoubtedly get in and it would be hard to pick against them winning the SEC’s 6^th consecutive BCS National Championship, however that’s just not going to happen.

Aside from the rigors of playing week in and week out SEC football, Alabama and LSU have the challenge of completing an undefeated season with AJ McCarron and Jarrett Lee/Jordan Jefferson at quarterback respectively. At some point you’re going to fall behind at home or find yourself down by 5 with two minutes left and you are depending on one of these guys to win the game? Doesn’t bode too well.

On the flip side the other contenders I mentioned have Russell Wilson, Landry Jones, Brandon Weeden, Kellen Moore, Andrew Luck and Tajh Boyd. If you are picking a QB in crunch time out of this bunch don’t you take any of those guys over McCarron, Jefferson or Lee?

The biggest players in all of this are Wisconsin and Stanford. Neither team has truly been tested and has dominated everyone they have played thus far. They should be favored in every game they play the rest of the way and each has only one or two challenges in the way. Wisconsin has a tough road trip to Michigan State and the Big Ten championship game while Stanford takes on an Oregon team that may be the best one-loss team in the nation, plays a sneaky-good Washington team and the inaugural Pac-12 Championship game. With exception of Oregon-Stanford, I think these are games that Wisconsin and Stanford win handily.

Adding to the intrigue of this season are Boise and Clemson. Of all the undefeated teams, Boise and Clemson are the biggest wildcards. Boise is virtually a lock to go undefeated. They should beat all of their remaining opponents by double digits (as a TCU fan that was painful to write). However unless TCU or Georgia make impressive strides they will not have any opponents who finish in the top 25 at the end of the season. Will voters take into account their prior achievements? I don’t think they will but this is college football. What we expect to happen rarely does.

Then there’s Clemson. Every year Clemson has great talent and appear to be a favorite to win the ACC and play in the BCS. Every year they epically fail. This year though they appear to be different. When they went on a tear and beat three top 25 teams in a row (Auburn, Virginia Tech, Florida State) it could have possibly broke whatever cosmic spell or curse that ailed them. A road trip to Georgia Tech and the ACC championship game lurk, but what do voters do with an undefeated Clemson team?

With so many teams having legitimate shots at going into their bowl games undefeated the chances of a one-loss team, even from the SEC, appearing in the National Championship game should be none. For LSU and Alabama that's bad news. The SEC has finally caught up with itself, they are in danger of not even having a representative to defend their title.

The beauty of a college football season comes from the constant debates and storylines that emerge. This season has no shortage. I believe we are in for one thrilling conclusion and as cliché as it is every week matters. One thing I can say is that the SEC won’t be continuing their impressive streak of National Championships. Then again, this is college football. What we expect to happen rarely does.

TCU move to Big 12 exciting but fans will always wonder "What if"

As a TCU fan I am ecstatic about the recent news that the Horned Frogs have accepted an invitation to join the Big 12.  Yes, it certainly means less of the 10-12 win seasons that I have become accustomed to but the reward for those seasons will be much more bountiful.  Knowing that an undefeated season will likely lead to a National Championship is a luxury that no fan of a non-AQ team has (Am I right Boise fans?). 

The move to the Big 12 makes sense in so many ways it’s shocking that the NCAA actually allowed it to happen. The program has clearly shown that it is consistent enough to compete in a BCS conference and when the new renovations at Amon G. Carter are complete they will have the stadium and facilities to go along with it. However, from a competitive standpoint I will always wonder “what if”?

When TCU announced that it would be joining the Big East I was absolutely pumped. Visions of back-to-back-to-back-to-back BCS bowl appearances danced in my head. The lack of elite programs teamed up with no conference competition for the fertile recruiting grounds of Texas seemingly had a longtime ticket to the BCS with TCU’s name on it.

This leads me to an interesting thought as a fan. Would you rather your team play in the toughest conference your team could possibly compete in, not achieve as much overall success but be guaranteed to compete on the biggest stage when they are good enough? Or would you rather your team play in a conference they are mostly able to breeze through without being challenged, risk being blown out in the big games or not even given the opportunity?

While I’m not sure I know the answer as a TCU fan I do know one thing: I’m just glad I’m not an A&M fan.

Ohio State in a Strangely Familiar Position

Let's play a game.

I'll give a description of the current state of one of college football's elite programs and you tell me the program I'm talking about.

It is the end of an era. The old guard is in need of a change.

The fan base is tired of the same offense being trotted out week after week and year after year. It is time for change fans, alumni and boosters can believe in. It is time to bring in a big name coach with a knack for a spread offense and major BCS experience.

At this point Ohio State fans are probably either nodding silently, frantically shoving needles into their very own Joe Bauserman or Luke Fickell voodoo dolls, or openly weeping as they stare blankly into the computer screen but here's the catch, I'm talking about Michigan circa 2007.

The old guard was Lloyd Carr and his pro-style offense.  The big name spread offense guru for hire was Rich Rodriguez. How'd that work out for them?

Ohio State fans should take note of their bitter rival's recent debacle before so quickly clamoring for the hiring of Urban Meyer.

Don't get me wrong, Urban Meyer is a great coach.  His record speaks for itself. However when it comes to the art of hiring a coach, finding a fit rules supreme.

Yes Urban Meyer is from Ohio and served for two years as an Ohio State assistant in the late 80's and was even the head coach for Bowling Green for another two years but that doesn't necessarily make him an "Ohio" guy. He made his name far from Ohio, kickstarting Utah's ascent from BCS buster to bonafide BCS program and taking Florida to the highest peak Florida has ever been to.

Should Ohio State hire Urban Meyer they would likely face a similar acclimation period that Michigan had to withstand after the hiring of Rodriguez.  Their current stable of athletes, particularly on offense, are built for the pro style offense largely put into place by Jim Tressel.  Finding the right kind of athletes to fit Meyer's spread-option system may take just as much time as it took Rodriguez and in today's instant-gratification climate, that's simply too long. Look how frustrated and annoyed Buckeye fans are with Luke Fickell and the man hasn't even completed one season!

Then there's the issue of compliance. The NCAA continues to drag their feet on delivering their final punishment for the infractions that took place in the final years of the Tressel era. Could it be that they are waiting to see who the Buckeye's decide to hire? If that's the case, there is yet another reason the Buckeyes should be weary of hiring Meyer.

As the NCAA has shown with the recent extensions of suspensions for seemingly minor infractions committed by Buckeye players they clearly have become targets to be made into examples. With such a large target on their backs it may be unwise to hire a coach who had over 30 players arrested in five years at his last stop.

So as the short and not-so-sweet Luke Fickell era draws to a close and Ohio State begins searching for a new leader, the question is will they realize they are in a strangely familiar situation? Or will they potentially make the same mistake as their rivals up north?