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The Division Playoff Round is out of the picture along with yet another exciting and crazy weekend of football leaving us with NFL’s version of the final four. Championship weekend is among us as we have a pair of games to determine both the NFC and AFC Titles and more importantly decide who will be playing in this year’s Super Bowl. Amazingly the NFC will be hosted by the #5 and #6 seeded teams in the Title game for the first time in history when the Arizona Cardinals host the Philadelphia Eagles. The AFC match-up will be a colossal rematch between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens dominated the majority of the game earlier this year, but Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a game winning drive late in the 4^th quarter to steal the victory. Take a look at what to watch for during Championship weekend.

NFC Championship

Philadelphia Eagles (11-6-1) at Arizona Cardinals (11-7)

The Arizona Cardinals have been the biggest surprise this postseason. The Cardinals started off the year strong, but were nearly written off for dead losing their last 4 of 6 games of the regular season. However, the Cardinals would find the spark that would need to ignite their electrifying air assault. The Cardinals blew out the Carolina Panthers last week 33-13 a team that many people thought were the best in the NFC heading into the playoffs Arizona will host their first playoff game this weekend since 1947 and will become the final NFC team to host at least one home playoff game. Kurt Warner has looked solid finding targets Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Boldin missed last week’s game and his status for the NFC Championship game is unknown. Larry Fitzgerald has been spectacular to say the least. Averaging 130 yards per game in the playoffs receiving with a pair of touchdowns, Fitzgerald has been uncontrollable for opposing secondary. The Cardinals will match up well again this week when they lead a high power offense against a brutal Philadelphia defense. The Eagles defense has been superb especially in the trenches. The best way to attack the Philadelphia defense if there is any is to try and pick apart the secondary. Warner and company will attempt to shock the world once again and earn a bid to the Super Bowl when they host the Eagles on Sunday.

Philadelphia has looked scary good during the playoffs and knocked off the defending Super Bowl Champions last week 23-11. The Eagles are flying high since their 5-5-1 start this season equaling 6 victories in their last 7 games. Philadelphia is getting it done on the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles have not allowed over 14 points in 6 straight games and only allowing 10.8 points per contest during that stretch. The Eagles may have surprised many with their victory over the Giants, but I knew if New York did not make some plays through the air that they would be in for a long day. The Eagles have opened up as 3 point favorites over the Cardinals and they will have to withstand a strong passing game that was 2^nd best in the NFL this season averaging 292 yards per game. The Eagles let some Giants receivers get open last week, but New York failed to make the big plays. The Eagles secondary will have to be solid this weekend to slow down the Arizona passing game. Philadelphia QB Donovan McNabb has been wonderful since being benched in week 12 for not performing up to par. Since that time, McNabb has averaged 240 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and only 4 picks. McNabb has the offense back to performing the way they should have been all year. Michael Westbrook is a big time playmaker that had a big 71 yard screen pass that lifted the Eagles over Minnesota in the first week of the playoffs. Westbrook was not very effective last week, but his presence alone is a big play threat for the Eagles offense. The Eagles made a Super Bowl appearance in 2005. McNabb and Westbrook will look to lead the Eagles back with a win over the Cardinals.

AFC Championship

Baltimore Ravens (13-5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (13-4)

The first meeting between these teams this season was a wonderful defensive football game and the re-match has all the makings to be very similar. In the first meeting, Santonio Holmes caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 43 seconds left to get the victory over the Ravens 13-9. The Steelers have been nearly untouchable in the latter part of the year winning 7 of their last 8 games against some of the best teams in the NFL. Pittsburgh had a convincing performance last week when they man-handled the San Diego Chargers 35-24. Pittsburgh has one of the best defenses to ever step on an NFL field. The Steelers rank 1^st, 1^st, 2^nd, and 1^st in all 4 major defensive categories. Pittsburgh’s success is based around the performance of the defense because before last week the offense had really not been that good. The Steelers offense only averages 21 points per game along with 312 yards of total offense that both rank in the bottom half of the NFL. However when you have defense as talented as this unit, like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens proved that alone can be enough to win a Super Bowl. The Steelers looked like more of an offensive team last week, but that could be due to a poor San Diego defense as well. Still Pittsburgh is playing very well. Willie Parker leads the way on the ground and had a big performance against the Chargers. When Parker is effective on the ground, the Steelers are nearly impossible to defeat. Parker racked up 146 yards and 2 touchdowns last week and will get a load of carries this weekend for certain. Pittsburgh has yet to lose a game this season when Parker rushes for at least 50 yards or more. The Steelers defense will certainly be stout, but will the Pittsburgh offense be strong enough to hold off the Ravens for a second time?

I said before the playoffs started the Baltimore Ravens looked like the best prepared team to really make a strong run at a Super Bowl. The Ravens have really matured on the offensive side of the ball and the defense is a very tough unit. Baltimore has played better than anyone in the 2^nd half of the season winning 11 of their last 13 games. In the last 8 games, Baltimore is only allowing 10.2 points per game. If you throw out the Cowboys high scoring game, the Ravens are only allowing an amazing 8 points per contest. On top of that, the Baltimore offense has really come around late in the year. Rookie QB Joe Flacco is throwing more passes and controlling the ball well. The Ravens ground game has been solid this season as well behind the legs of Le’Ron McClain and Willis McGahee. Both running backs will share carries and they have both shown the can be effective backs. Baltimore was shut down by the Pittsburgh offense in their last meeting only putting up 202 total yards. The offense should have a bit more confidence this time around and it will be interesting to see if they can get the job done. The turnovers will be a key category in this game. Last meeting, both teams have two turnovers a piece and it will be very crucial for each team to hold onto the ball in a field position type ball game. Look for this ball game to possibly be another very low scored game controlled by defense.

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The NBA season is in full stride and the bettors are starting the transition from the football field to the basketball court. We will try to keep you updated with how the professional teams are performing by releasing an updated power ranking determining the best teams to place your money with on the court this year. This list will combine the way the teams are performing against the books as well as against other competition around the NBA.

1. Orlando Magic (27-8)

Dwight Howard is a fantasy players dream and a big reason the Magic are having a big year. Howard leads the NBA in points, rebounds, and blocked shots per game and has Orlando in the lead of the Southeast in the Eastern Conference with a 27-8 record. The Magic have produced a stellar record ATS this season with a mark of 23-12 which equals a 65% winning percentage. Amazingly Orlando has been tearing up the books going 12-3 in their last 15 games ATS and are on an 18-4 SU run. Despite their recent success, the Magic have a tough road in the next few weeks with games with Boston, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and a pair of match-ups with San Antonio and Atlanta. Still the Magic have been one of the best teams in the league at this point in the season and their achievements in recent weeks ATS have them a top the rankings.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-6)

Cleveland has come out of the gates strong this season behind superstar LeBron James who is averaging an NBA 2nd best 27.5 points per game. However James is not the surprise, but rather the success the Cavs have had this season may have turned some heads. Since the Celtics recent struggles, Cleveland is now tied with the Los Angeles Lakers with the best record in the NBA at a mark of 27-6. The Cavaliers own the best record ATS this season at 23-10 equaling a 69.7 winning percentage against the books which leads the NBA. However, Cleveland is losers of their last 4 of 5 games ATS. Cleveland went on an unbelievable 11 straight wins against the books this season and despite their recent slide they are still one of the best teams in the league to place your money on.

3. L.A Lakers (27-6)

The Lakers are tied with Cleveland with the best record in the NBA and lately have been on a impressive run for bettors. The Lakers would be ranked a bit down in this poll considering they are slightly under the 50% mark for the season ATS, but they have 5 straight wins ATS in their last 6 game against some quality opponents. Kobe Bryant has the ability to put up numbers as high as anyone on any given night averaging 27.1 points per game. The Lakers are among the most popular team across America and the recent surge against the books makes placing a wager on them even more fun.

4. Boston Celtics (29-7)

Boston had the best start in NBA history with a record of 27-2 and were also matching-up well against the spread. The Celtics are an easy team to jump on considering they are the defending NBA Champions and have clearly looked like the class of the league this year. However, recently the momentum has been let out of the Celtics bandwagon. Boston has dropped 5 of their last 7 games straight up and against the spread. For the season, the Celtics have been mediocre slightly above the 50% winning percentage mark. Boston still represents the most talent as an entire team in the league. Although they have been down in recent weeks, a team this good will not stay down for long and you may want to consider jumping back on before they start tearing up the betting lines again.

5. Denver Nuggets (24-12)

The Denver Nuggets are rolling and sport one of the highest scoring offenses in the NBA. Denver averages 105 per contest as a team this season. The Nuggets have knocked off 4 straight wins and own a strong 20-15-1 record against the spread this season. The Nuggets stand a top the Northwest with a 3 game lead over the Portland Trailblazers. Denver is also sporting a solid 60% percentage on the over total for the year which is the 2nd highest percentage in the NBA in terms of over/under. The Nuggets offense led by Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson have proven to be a superior group and are big reason Denver has faired well against the spread and on the over total for the year.

6. Atlanta Hawks (22-11)

The Hawks look to return to the playoffs this season to back up their solid performance a year ago. Many seem to forget that Atlanta took the Boston Celtics to 7 games in the first round of the NBA playoffs last year and they are off to another solid start this season. The Hawks have firm 19-13-1 record ATS this season which equals a 59.3% winning percentage. Atlanta trails Orlando by 4 games in the Southeast, but has been strong in recent weeks going 8-2 SU in their last 10 games. Atlanta success against the spread this year makes them an optimistic bet for anyone.

7. Milwaukee Bucks (17-19)

I know what your thinking. Milwaukee? The fact is that the Bucks have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season against the spread despite their 17-19 record. The Bucks own the 2nd best ATS mark in the NBA behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. Milwaukee is a stout 24-11-1 ATS this season meaning they have beaten the betting lines in 68% of their games for the year. The reason Milwaukee is faired well this season is because despite the number of losses they have, the Bucks find away to keep the games close. Milwaukee may be an underdog the majority of the season, but that has not slowed them down from performing well. The Bucks own a 16-8-1 record as the underdog this season and you might want to think twice if you have been betting against the Bucks and their 17-19 record.

8. Utah Jazz (20-15)

There are a few teams that didn’t make this list with better records, but the fact still remains Utah has played well ATS this season and that keeps the among the best teams for bettors to consider. The Jazz are 19-16 ATS this season with a 54% winning percentage against the lines. Utah is 3 ½ games behind Denver and ½ game behind Portland in the Northwest. The Jazz have not been on any impressive winning or losing steaks against the books, but remain among the top teams in the NBA to place your money on a consistent basis.

Earlier in the college basketball season I broke down how the ACC and the Big East stacked up against each other to be America’s best basketball conference. Notably pointing out how deep the Big East has become, and that soon they would be considered the best conference in the nation if they were not already. As the first quarter of the college basketball season has begun, the Big East has really proved the dominance among the college basketball ranks around the land. The Big East broke an NCAA record in early December when they put an amazing 8 teams in the Associated Press Top 25 Polls. Those schools proved that those rankings were not a one week wonder as well considering they have continued to have seven teams in the Top 25 through the start of 2009. Again this week when the Associated Press releases the Top 25 and the Big East has a chance to improve their own record.

The Big East entered last week with 7 teams ranked among the Top 25. Those teams were from the likes of #2 Connecticut, #3 Pittsburgh, #7 Notre Dame, #11 Georgetown, #13 Syracuse, #15 Villanova, and #18 Louisville. However, Marquette and West Virginia are the two next teams receiving the most votes to enter the top 25. Considering the past week it is very likely that 9 Big East schools will be ranked when the polls are released. #24 Ohio State dropped a loss to Minnesota this week that should knock them out the top 25. West Virginia trampled the Buckeyes a week ago by 28 points. The Mountaineers definitely deserve a top 25 ranking and they will get it. Marquette had a big win over Villanova to ring in the New Year and also a solid win over Cincinnati earlier today. #23 Michigan was defeated by unranked Wisconsin and could slide out of the top 25 as well placing Marquette into the mix. #21 Minnesota also dropped a game this week, but bounced back beating Ohio State. The Golden Gophers have only one loss on the season and I would expect them to stay among the best 25 in the nation.

Considering the rest of the 7 teams from the Big East that are ranked can stay, the Big East will most likely put 9 teams in the AP Top 25. Both #15 Villanova and #18 Louisville suffered losses this week. Louisville fell to UNLV and they will have to beat Kentucky today to try and stay in the mix. The Cardinals could be in jeopardy of dropping out of the top 25, but it may not be probable that they drop out from the #18 spot from a week ago. If everything works out the Big East will again show why they are the best conference from top to bottom with the opportunity to place 9 schools into the rankings.

Even if the Big East does not reach 9 teams, they still have another chance at making history by seasons end. The Big East has the chance to place 10 teams into the NCAA Tournament in March becoming the first ever conference to do so. The Big East already holds the record for sending the most teams to the NCAA Tournament sending eight teams. The Big East sent eight teams to the big dance in 2006 and again last season. This year the Big East will attempt to be the first conference to ever put a double digit amount of teams into the Tourney. Providence (10-4), St. Johns (10-4), and Cincinnati (10-3) all have a chance to join the other 9 teams that are among the nations top 25. If anyone of those 3 schools can survive conference play with a fairly good record, then they will the Big East a great opportunity to place 10 teams into the March Madness.

Despite the number of quality teams in the Big East, the conference would love claim a National Champion this year adding to their dominate performance. North Carolina has remained the top team in the nation this season in college basketball. However, the Big East has had two teams behind the Tarheels just waiting for to take the nations top rank. Connecticut suffered a tough defeat from Georgetown earlier and the week and Pittsburgh will jump to the #2 position in this weeks rankings. Pittsburgh has the early looks to be the only team in the nation that could challenge North Carolina. The Panthers are a prefect 14-0 and coming off a blowout over #8 Georgetown. Pittsburgh appears to be the class of the elite Big East and perhaps their tough schedule will prepare them for something special come Tournament time.

The Big East top teams will all have a chance to make deep season runs at the end of the year during the NCAA Tournament. The Big East has had 5 teams this season at one point or another receive a top 10 ranking. Those schools will go to war with each other all season. The premier competition will likely have them the best prepared conference in March if they are not worn out from the brutal conference play. Despite if they can pull off a National Championship, you must marvel and the depth and the quality of teams the conference produces. The Big East is incomparable among the best conferences in college basketball in terms of depth. There success this season is unparallel to start the year and we will have to see if it pays off at the end of the season.

Utah pulled of one of the biggest upsets so far in the college football season last night when the beat the no. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide 31-17. The Utes impressive victory came on the side of the ball that received the least attention this season by the way of the defense. The defense had an amazing 8 sacks and forced 3 turnovers in an unexpected dominating performance. Many may not understand the significance of this win, but it will affect the rest of college football around America. The Utes capped off the only undefeated season in the NCAA Division I this season with a perfect record of 13-0 and their huge win over Alabama will be felt for many months to come. The win for the Utes was the victory the small schools around the nation needed to change the way polls rank teams from here on out.

Utah comes from a non-BCS conference and received the invite to the Allstate Sugar Bowl by an at-large bid. The Utes were squared off with what was the best team in college football for much of the latter part of the season. Alabama closed out the second half of the regular season holding onto the #1 ranking. It wasn’t until the week after the regular season in the SEC Championship when the Crimson Tide received their first loss of the season against the Florida Gators. The loss in the SEC Championship game knocked the Crimson Tide out of their chance for a National Title and into the Sugar Bowl against Utah. Utah entered the game as a 10 point underdog with 89% of the nation picking Alabama to win. The Utes would pull of the impossible and dominate the team that went through the potent SEC undefeated this season. The win for Utah marks huge implications around college football for the “little-guys.”

Utah can now make the claim legitimately that they deserved to play for a National Championship. Utah only received the #9 ranking in the nation despite their undefeated record against a fairly weak schedule. However, now this will make voters think twice before keeping an undefeated team out of a National Championship game when both teams in the Title game have at least one loss. Utah has made a loud noise for the smaller schools around college football. The next time a Boise State, a BYU, or another less popular football team ends a season undefeated they will have a firm argument to play for a National Championship. After all, Boise State and Utah both have won the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in the last 3 years. Everyone remembers the statue of liberty handoff that led Boise State running back into the end zone in over time to give the Broncos the victory over the Oklahoma Sooners. The small schools are starting to make a name for themselves as consistent threats in the Bowl Games and it will not be long before voters start to acknowledge their late season success.

College Football enthusiasts and fans have longed desired for a playoff system in the NCAA. Many people believe that type of system would really benefit teams from the SEC and perhaps the Big 12 with their records in postseason play over the years. The SEC especially feels they would benefit the most from a playoff scenario considering every year that has at least two teams in BCS Bowl games. However, Utah exposed what we could call a myth of the SEC status amongst the College Football totem poll. A playoff system might benefit the smaller conferences and non-BCS schools as much as it would the national powerhouses across the land. Utah’s win opens the eyes for many people in college football especially in the days leading to the National Championship game with Florida and Oklahoma. Florida has been perceived as the favorite to win and with Utah’s dominate performance over Alabama one must wonder if that will affect the way the betting public acts on the game. Alabama nearly beat Florida and the Gators reputation as the best in the nation may have diminished with the Utes victory last night.

Utah victory will perhaps have people thinking twice about the strength of schedule a team has during the regular season. Is it Utah’s fault or any other team for that matter that they have an undefeated season and the rest of the conference plays poorly that season? A team should be rewarded for an undefeated season, but nobody could have expected Utah to beat Alabama. This gives all the more reason to institute a playoff system considering the BCS has been exposes to yet another weakness. With the system we have today, there can actually be co-national champions for those that are not familiar with the college football postseason. In recent years, teams have won the national championship game while another team may end the year ranked #1 giving both teams a share of the National Title. While Utah will likely not jump all the way to #1 this season, the Texas Longhorns do have that chance. The Longhorns beat the Oklahoma Sooners this season in their lone loss. However, Oklahoma is in the National Title proving once again while the BCS System has failed miserably. If the Sooners beat Florida in the National Championship, Texas will have the possibility by voters to receive the # 1 ranking in the polls. While the scenario is unlikely to happen, another college football season will end without truly knowing who is the very best across the nation. Utah can definitely make their argument along with a cast of other one loss teams.

As soon as week 17 concludes every year you can almost bet the following Monday morning will headline with NFL Coaches being fired after disappointing season. As the postseason is set to start this weekend, the rest of the NFL teams have already started planning ways to change. A number of coaches have been fired in the opening week following the season after failing to meet expectations. We take a look at the teams who are looking for a change for the 2009 season. Which coaches will be packing up their things and where will they be moving them to ring in the New Year?

The most obvious change that was bound to happen comes from the Detroit Lions main office. Lions coach Rod Marinelli was fired after the first 0-16 season in NFL history. The Detroit Lions had also lost the last 7 out of 8 games dating back to the 2007 season meaning they were a dismal 1-23 in their last 24 games. Marinelli was quoted to saying “You can’t go 0-16 and expect to keep your job.” The Lions made the change official Monday morning releasing Marinelli after 3 seasons in Detroit where he had an overall record of 10-38. The outlook for Detroit certainly must be better than before; I mean they can not get any worse literally. The Lions will get the first pick in the NFL draft and a few more selections from the Dallas trade with Roy Williams. Brian Billick looks to be a target for the Lions staff. Billick was the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens from 1999-2007 and winner of the 2000 Super Bowl over the New York Giants. While nothing is official, Billick is rumored to be the main focus for Detroit. Another popular name that has emerged is Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Garrett received a lot of criticism from Dallas offensive stars Tony Romo and Terrell Owens and a ticket out of town may be the best bet.

Another NFL coach to receive a pink slip Monday morning was Romeo Crennel of the Cleveland Browns. The Browns had a disappointing 4-12 season and losers of their last 6 games. Cleveland was an embarrassing 24-40 under Crennel in four seasons of play. The Browns also had lost at least 10 games in 3 of their 4 seasons under Crennel. Crennel had received a contract extension and the Browns seemed to be heading in the right direction after a 10-6 season. However, things got a lot worse this year and the Browns are now in search of a new man in charge. Cleveland has reported showing interest in a few promising names including New York Jets former coach Eric Mangini. Mangini was among the 3 coaches fired on what many are calling “Black Monday” for NFL head coaches. Mangini is reported to show interest in the position and the Browns will be scheduling an interview this week. Another prospect for the Cleveland owner Randy Lerner is the notable name of New England Patriots Vice-President Scott Pioli. Pioli might be the more sought after man considering owner Randy Lerner will be trying to go after what he calls “a huge change” in Cleveland. The Browns are moving fast with their coaching process and I expect something to be official in the next week.

New York Jets coach Eric Mangini was probably the least expect firing Monday. The Jets were on a very promising mid-season run where they looked like one of the best teams in the AFC. However, the wheels fell off for the Jets momentum and they would lose 4 of their last 5 games. QB Brett Farve publicly announced his dislike for some of Mangini’s actions this season and the disappointing downfall of events was enough to remove Mangini from office. The New York Jets along with the other 3 teams in search of coaches were said to have contacted former Steelers Super Bowl Champions Coach Bill Cowher. Cowher had denied both the Browns and Lions offers to talk, but will has accepted the invitation to at least talk it over with the Jets. Cowher would offer a huge improvement in the management department if the Jets were to manage to land him. New York is continuing its search with some names like Steve Spagnuolo and Marty Schottenheimer that are being thrown into the discussion.

Tuesday Morning Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan was fired becoming the 4th coach to be let go this week. Shanahan had an impressive 14 year tenure with the Denver Broncos including Back-to-Back Super Bowl Champions in 1997 and 1998. The decision came after the Broncos became the first ever team to lose a 3 game lead in a division in the final 3 weeks of the season highlighting a very disappointing season. However, Shanahan will very likely be a well sought after coach for teams around the NFL. There has already been rumors that Shanahan could end up in Dallas, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has stood firm behind his statement claiming Wade Phillips will be the coach next season. The Broncos have not claimed any favorable targets to fill Shanahan’s shoes at this time, but I’m sure we will understand a lot more in the coming days as the NFL coaching saga continues.

Many people expected Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips to be thrown into the fire as well, but the Cowboys have stood by Phillips claiming he will be their coach next season. Phillips and the Cowboys completely fell apart down the stretch, a trend that has plagued the Cowboys for the last decade. Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron was another coach on the hot seat, but the Bills report that Jauron will return as the coach next season. Jauron has led the Bills to 3 straight 9-7 seasons and many of the fans have been unhappy. Other names that left their respective offices this season included the San Francisco 49ers that fired offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Martz was the former offensive coach that led the explosive Rams offense to the 2002 Super Bowl. The Houston Texans fired nearly the entire defensive coaching management including defensive coordinator Richard Smith. The teams that make the playoffs you would expect to be in safe terms considering job security, but NFL owners have let coaches go before he have not performed well in the postseason. While I do not expect any of this year’s playoff class to be in jeopardy, the playoffs could provide some other unexpected changes in office.

The NFL Playoff scenario is set in stone after a season of teams battling to earn their right to play in the postseason. Many teams had already clinched going into week 17 this Sunday, but many others had fight their way in during the last week of the season. The San Diego Chargers blasted the Denver Broncos 52-21 to win the pitiful AFC West. The Chargers have the worse record amongst any playoff opponents at (8-8) and benefit from a weak division. Other teams that had to earn their way in this past weekend include the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles blew out the struggling Cowboys 44-6 to pick up the final wildcard spot in the NFC. The Eagles really come on strong winning 4 of their last 5 games to edge into the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens both clinched playoff berths in the AFC with wins this week improving to 11-5. The Dolphins won the division with a 24-17 win over the Jets while the Ravens earned a wildcard spot knocking off the Jaguars 27-7. The Atlanta Falcons also were another team that earned their way in the postseason with a close win over the Rams 31-27.

There were a number of promising teams that were left out of the playoffs this season and highlighting that group are the New England Patriots. The Patriots were perfect in the regular season a year ago, but were plagued with key injuries this season. The Patriots needed a Miami loss along with their win over the Bills this Sunday, but things were not meant to be. Brett Farve possible final season in the NFL ended on a sour note as the Jets failed to beat the Dolphins. The Jets started the year really strong and at one point this season seemed like the class of the AFC. However, the Jets lost 4 of their last 5 games on a terrible month of football. The Dallas Cowboys have had the most consistent troubles closing out seasons in the last decade. The Cowboys have been known for under achieving late in the season and they were blown out in a game that would have put them in the playoffs in week 17 against the Eagles. Dallas still has not won a playoff games since the 1996 season. Tampa Bay lost every game in December dropping 4 in a row to miss the playoffs. The Buccaneers were a promising NFC team going into that stretch, but simply could not close out the season. Despite the teams that are in and out, the playoff picture is set. The next few weeks of football promise to be exciting and fun to watch. Here is a breakdown of how the playoff bracket looks and a preview of next week’s games.

As you can see the New York Giants are the #1 seed in the NFC meaning they will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs while Tennessee Titans have the #1 seed in the AFC. Both # 1 and # 2 seeds will have first round byes and the #1 seeds will play the lowest seeded team to advance from the wildcard round. The Carolina Panthers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will both get first round byes as #2 seeds as well this week.

Miami vs. Baltimore

The Dolphins really come on strong towards the end of the season winners of their last 5 games this year. The Dolphins pulled off possibly the best turnaround in NFL history. A year after only winning one game they ended the season 11-5 and winners of the AFC East. Miami will have a tough task to keep the streak going against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens as usual are led by strong and talented defense. Defensively, the Ravens can play with anyone in the NFL. However, it will be interesting to see how rookie QB Joe Flacco performs in the postseason with no prior experience. I don’t know how the betting public will favor on this game, but the Ravens look primed to end the Dolphins winning streak in this match-up.

Indianapolis vs. San Diego

Before week 17 the majority of people around the nation would have thought the Colts would be a lock in this game. On the other hand, the Chargers demolished the Denver racking up 52 points in the process. All of a sudden San Diego has won 4 straight and are possibly one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs. Indianapolis has been even hotter winning 9 straight games behind QB Peyton Manning. The Colts have some key players who have been in this position before and that experience always helps. This game looks to be an exciting battle between two streaky teams. Expect some points to be scored in this game as well.

Arizona vs. Atlanta

Arizona really looked good until the last month of the regular season. The Cardinals dropped 4 of their last 6 games with their only two victories in that stretch coming over rather weak opponents. Atlanta on the other hand has been improving all season behind rookie sensation QB Matt Ryan. Ryan looks like a superstar in the making, but heading into this game he lacks any playoff experience. Keep your eye on the passing game for the Cardinals. QB Kurt Warner and the offense were putting up big numbers most of the season before mellowing out down the stretch. Arizona will need a big offense performance against a talented Falcons team.

Philadelphia vs. Minnesota

The Eagles surprised the nation in how easily they handled Dallas in week 17. Philadelphia closed out the season very strong winning 4 of their last 5 games against quality opponents. QB Donovan Mcnabb has overcome mid-season controversy surrounding his performance and is playing well in recent weeks. The Vikings sport the best ground game in the NFL behind the amazing ability of running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson’s play will be the difference in this game. If Philadelphia can keep Peterson from making a number of big plays, they will have a good chance in this game if they continue their stellar play.

The first week of the NFL Playoffs looks to be very exciting. While I am sure they will probably be a surprise or two, it is almost impossible to predict who is playing the best football right now. Unlike previous years where you had clear favorites, anyone this season has a legitimate shot to make the Super Bowl. These set of teams making up the 2009 playoffs are perhaps the most evenly match from top to bottom to ever make the playoffs in quite some time. Keep an eye on how these teams play this coming weekend and how the playoffs will unwind down the stretch.

The College Football version of the postseason is underway and teams they would normally never play each other are squared off to battle in front of the nation. The College Football Bowl season is always exciting for a number of reasons. One reason is that fans get to see their favorite teams play one last game. Often times these teams get to play schools from another conference which promises for exciting football. Ever year the Bowl Season has some great games and its share of one-sided affairs. However, this season the majority of the Bowl Games have been really intriguing. Nearly every game has been very close and this Bowl Season has been perhaps a lot more entertaining than in previous years.

So far there has been 8 Bowl Games played this season. While usually the Bowl Games that take place early in the postseason are not as entertaining, this season all the games have been impressive. The majority of College Football fans do not tune into the Bowl Games until New Year’s Day or afterwards when the top games are featured. The early games are often mismatches and bad football games. This season has not disappointed as almost every game has been close and fun to watch. In the 8 Bowls played, 6 of those games have been settled by 10 points or less. Christmas Eve’s Sheraton Hawaii Bowl was a one-sided affair, but many watched to see if the Notre Dame Fighting Irish could end the nation’s longest Bowl losing streak. The Fighting Irish snapped the 9 straight Bowl losses streak pounded on Hawaii 49-21. While the game was not as close as others, it was still highly rated for viewings and was fun to watch. The only other game that was one-sided was that of the Magicjack Bowl with the South Florida Bulls crushing the Memphis Tigers 41-14. For the rest of the Bowl Season, it has been nothing but great football.

Wake Forest and Navy started off the season with a great game in the EagleBank Bowl. Navy jumped out in front 13-0, but could not hold off the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest would rally in an exciting comeback to pull off the victory 29-19. The New Mexico Bowl was the next to take the stage and it would showcase two very talented offenses in a scoring shootout. Talk about exciting, Colorado State and Fresno State combined to score 75 points. Colorado State would hold on late for a 40-35 win over Fresno State in what was a fun game to watch for two schools you normally may not see on T.V. The Bowl Season is always full of upsets and surprises, but nobody really expected Arizona to be able to pull off a victory against #16 BYU. However, the Wildcats did just that when they took down Brigham Young 31-21. The game was a great battle for the nation to watch between the PAC-10 and the Mountain West Conferences.

Two of the best games so far this postseason came from the Poinsettia and New Orleans Bowl Games. The New Orleans Bowl showcased an instant classic between Southern Mississippi and Troy. The Trojans came into the game as the favorites and the two teams went back and forth trading the lead the entire game. Regulation time could not decide this exciting battle as the teams had to go to overtime. In College Football, both teams get the ball in overtime. Southern Miss scored on a field goal in their offensive possession. Troy was held on offensive and attempted a field goal of their own, however the Golden Eagle blocked the field goal to end the game highlighting one of the more exciting games in recent history. Another absolute wonderful football games came in the way of the Poinsettia Bowl. #11 TCU faced off with one of only two undefeated teams in College Football this season in #9 Boise State. The battle between nearly two top 10 teams would be anything but disappointing. The Broncos felt a little disappointment as they felt they should have received an at-large BCS Bowl berth due to their undefeated campaign. A win over TCU who sports the nation 2nd best overall defense would have made their statement even stronger. The Broncos jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the game and seemed to be rolling. However, the defense for TCU would rise to the challenge shutting down Boise State for the rest of the game. TCU captured a late game winning in exciting fashion 17-16 ending Boise State’s undefeated season. The win marked the 4th straight Bowl victory for TCU which equaled a school-record.

Last night’s Bowl match-up was another that did not disappoint football fans. Florida Atlantic and Central Michigan held up a strong battle featuring two inferior programs. The Owls of Florida Atlantic held on by a field goal 24-21 to capture the win in the Motor City Bowl. The game capped off a series of great games in the last week over the Christmas Holidays. From here on out, the Bowl Games will pick up in numbers. Today there will be 3 exciting Bowl Games to take place and many will follow featuring highly notable teams. If the start of this Bowl Season is any indication of how the next two weeks will play out, then we are in for some very exciting football.

3 Other games that will be worth to keep an eye on besides the game everybody will be watching in the BCS Championship is:

Capitol One Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan State

Two teams with identical records (9-3) square off in a classic battle between the SEC and the Big 10. Georgia brings the speed of the SEC and the Spartans bring a powerful running game to the table. This should be a great game highlighting the play of two conferences that take great pride in beating each other

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State

This particular match-up features two of football’s elite powerhouses. The Trojans are hosting in their 4th straight Rose Bowl. The game should be rather low-scoring compared to the way many would expect. USC has one of the best defenses in recent memory and Penn State has a great defensive themselves along with a good running game. These two teams were both predicted at times to contend for a National Title this season and it will be interesting to see who can conquer who in a clash of titans.

Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech

The Red Raiders were ranked as high as #2 this season before getting blasted by Oklahoma. Ole Miss is among one of the most improved teams in the nation. Texas Tech has one of the very best offenses in College Football, but it will be interesting to see how they stack up against an SEC defense. The SEC has made their name known for defense in recent years and they will get the chance again in a game that many think Ole Miss has no chance to win.