My Monday blog

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
I respect the ultimate outcome of LSU's 9-6 overtime victory over Alabama on the first Saturday in November.

However, I predict the Crimson Tide will correct their costly mistakes of the first meeting and erase the losing memories from Tuscaloosa with a solid victory over LSU Monday night in New Orleans in the BCS Championship Game.

Alabama exits one of its best games of the season, a 42-14 thrashing of rival Auburn in which star running back Trent Richardson, slotted as a top ten overall NFL draft choice, rushed for a career-high 203 yards on 27 carries.

Sophomore quarterback A.J. McCarron, improving with every start, threw three first-half touchdown passes to overwhelm Auburn and prepare for a rematch against top-ranked LSU. Auburn's 14 points came when the Alabama defense was sitting on the sidelines (a fumble return for a touchdown and a kickoff return for a touchdown).

Richardson was responsible for 57% of Alabama's offense (89 rushing yards and 80 receiving yards) in the first go-round against LSU. Unfortunately, Alabama's vertical passing game never supported Richardson's outstanding effort and the well-documented woes of placekickers Cade Foster and Jeremy Shelley (four missed field goals, including three misses on the first three Tide possessions of the game) killed the early-game momentum and sabotaged Nick Saban's squad in overtime.

The play of the game came early in the fourth quarter with the score tied at six. Alabama all-purpose wide receiver Marquis Maze, a quarterback in high school, threw an interception at the goal line while passing out of the Wildcat formation. LSU safety Eric Reid wrestled the ball away from 'Bama tight end Michael Williams to save the game for the Tigers.

Alabama outgained LSU in total yards, 305-222, in regulation time.

Let's correct the scoreboard from November 5 and right the wrong here on January 9.


TEXANS 31 BENGALS 10.....Kudos to Houston's defense which held Cincy scoreless in the game's final 37 minutes. The turning point of the game occured when rookie defensive end J.J. Watt snatched an Andy Dalton pass from mid-air at close range and raced 29 yards for the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of the first half. Houston's first playoff appearance in its 10-year history was witnessed by an enthusiastic crowd of 71,725, largest ever to see a game at Reliant Stadium.


SAINTS 45 LIONS 28.....New Orleans rolled up 626 total yards in covering yet another game at the Superdome (9-0 straight-up this season and more amazingly, 9-0 against the spread). Drew Brees and Company scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives to start the second half with the sixth and final drive ending in Detroit territory with three plays from Victory formation. Detroit's inability to sustain drives was the team's undoing as its five drives in the second half lasted less than three minutes apiece (2:28, 2:55, :10, 2:49 and :33).


GIANTS 24 FALCONS 2.....Each team ran 64 plays with New York holding the ball for 34:34, outgaining Atlanta by nearly 200 yards (442-247). Atlanta's coach-quarterback entry of Mike Smith and Matt Ryan fell to 0-3 in the postseason after a feeble offensive showing. Ryan, who normally takes care of the ball in the regular season, has more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3) in the playoffs. The Falcons twice failed on fourth-and-one situations (not officially a turnover but having the same result) when Ryan could not gain the necessary yardage on quarterback sneaks.


BRONCOS 29 STEELERS 23 (OT).....Tim Tebow is my nemesis. He loses convincingly when I support him and wins in spectacular fashion when I fade him. Pittsburgh's overly aggressive blitzing defense, a curious strategy considering the NFL's new overtime rules for the postseason, failed on the first play in the extra session. CBS executives were delighted by Sunday's result as the first meeting between the Broncos and Patriots registered huge television ratings during the regular season and the rematch figures to draw more eyeballs to the television set. The Patriots beat the Broncos in mid-December, 41-23. With the Week 15 win, New England clinched the AFC East and ended Denver's six-game winning streak.


EOG'S GRAND CHALLENGE.....Check out Timely Hero's performance in our monthly event worth $1,000. "Timely" is 6-1-1 after eight selections in the "Challenge." If Timely finishes the month of January after making 30 plays in 30 days with a record of 18-12 or better (60%), the young handicapper based in the Midwest will be awarded $1,000 in cold, hard cash.


COMING FRIDAY.....My favorite college basketball revenge angle in theory and in practice.
 

Discreet Cat

EOG Dedicated
Re: My Monday blog

Pittsburgh's overly aggressive blitzing defense, a curious strategy considering the NFL's new overtime rules for the postseason, failed on the first play in the extra session.

Even more curious when they had already been burned multiple times earlier in the game. You'd think they would've learned.
 

FISHHEAD

EOG Master
Re: My Monday blog

COMING FRIDAY.....My favorite college basketball revenge angle in theory and in practice.






Good luck with EVANSVILLE this coming Saturday......:militaire-2942:
 

munson15

I want winners...
Re: My Monday blog

Mixed into the blog was a veiled reference to playing Alabama in the title game tonight. GL John.:cheers
 

FISHHEAD

EOG Master
Re: My Monday blog

Mixed into the blog was a veiled reference to playing Alabama in the title game tonight. GL John.:cheers



Yes


He listed every SQUARE ANGLE imaginable as to why to take ALABAMA.........:btj:



Hoping for a good game, and as stated before, if ALA does pull out the victory, many good friends of mine, JK included, will have made a nice score and will be happy for them.


Enjoy the game tonight Mr. Kellly
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Re: My Monday blog

Yes


He listed every SQUARE ANGLE imaginable as to why to take ALABAMA.........:btj:



Hoping for a good game, and as stated before, if ALA does pull out the victory, many good friends of mine, JK included, will have made a nice score and will be happy for them.


Enjoy the game tonight Mr. Kellly

McCarran's rapid improvement and 'Bama's yardage advantage in regulation are hardly square angles.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Re: My Monday blog

Packers 15-1 on the season, what is their "YARDAGE ADVANTAGE" on the season?

SODA:cheersBEER

Yardage numbers can be deceiving at times.

Packers were +24 in turnover differential this season, ranking second in the NFL to San Francisco's +28.

Also, the Pack committed only 76 penalties on the season, tied for the fewest in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts.
 

FISHHEAD

EOG Master
Re: My Monday blog

Yardage numbers can be deceiving at times.

Packers were +24 in turnover differential this season, ranking second in the NFL to San Francisco's +28.

Also, the Pack committed only 76 penalties on the season, tied for the fewest in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts.


Plus it was for the YEAR, not ONE game.................


ADVANTAGE KELLY
 

munson15

I want winners...
Re: My Monday blog

'Bama, it is.

I got Pk.

Win the game, win the bet.
Was wondering why you didn't quote a line you played. :+cluelessFair enough, JK, GL to you as I may just sit this one out despite having a hunch LSU is the side.:cheers
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Re: My Monday blog

Was wondering why you didn't quote a line you played. :+cluelessFair enough, JK, GL to you as I may just sit this one out despite having a hunch LSU is the side.:cheers

I took Pk -15 last week.

I posted in my Friday blog that Alabama was the play.

I also mentioned on the Friday night edition of The EOG Sports Hour that I liked 'Bama.

By the way, we're less than two hours from kickoff and there's no money for the top-ranked team in college football?
 

munson15

I want winners...
Re: My Monday blog

My post wasn't meant to question the price you listed, JK. I know you liked them last week when the number was less prohibitive.:cheers
 

Integrity

EOG Master
Re: My Monday blog

Good read as always. I knew you'd go with Bama since that's where the wise guys are on and you sir, are wise.

Smart idea to Sticky your blogs. Should get the proper attention that way
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Re: My Monday blog

Good read as always. I knew you'd go with Bama since that's where the wise guys are on and you sir, are wise.

Smart idea to Sticky your blogs. Should get the proper attention that way

Thanks, Integrity.

And thanks for your many ideas on improving EOG.:cheers
 

JCROM777

EOG Addicted
Re: My Monday blog

Great blog as usual. Sorry I couldn't sway you over to the winning side, LSU .
 

fifty cint

EOG Dedicated
Re: My Monday blog

Nice win with Bama JK....good thing LSU had the better coach and kicker or it really could have got ugly:cheers
 

JCROM777

EOG Addicted
Re: My Monday blog

And the winner of the no show award for the weekend is the LSU Tigers.
Close runnerup goes to the Atlanta Falcons.

Sports betting is not about team records or spreads, its all about what team shows up for the game.

Great game plan for the LSU Tigers in the 4th quarter, down 2 scores and running the ball :+clueless
Great game plan for the Atlanta Falcons, 4th and 1 yard with Turner on the bench. :+clueless
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Re: My Monday blog

And the winner of the no show award for the weekend is the LSU Tigers.
Close runnerup goes to the Atlanta Falcons.

Sports betting is not about team records or spreads, its all about what team shows up for the game.

Great game plan for the LSU Tigers in the 4th quarter, down 2 scores and running the ball :+clueless
Great game plan for the Atlanta Falcons, 4th and 1 yard with Turner on the bench. :+clueless

At least your wife is happy, Joe.
 

brians

EOG Dedicated
Re: My Monday blog

By the way, we're less than two hours from kickoff and there's no money for the top-ranked team in college football?

Never came off the 2.5. Pk -115 must have been the best number out there ... anybody get anything better?

Nice call JK ... you went against the grain early.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Re: My Monday blog

Never came off the 2.5. Pk -115 must have been the best number out there ... anybody get anything better?

Nice call JK ... you went against the grain early.

I was due.

But I was pleased to be right for the right reasons.
 

munson15

I want winners...
Re: My Monday blog

Only movement I saw was a downtick to -2 at a couple of joints around 8ET. Great call, JK, congrats.:cheers
 
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