A Guest Blog By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Tyler Fenwick

Yesterday (Saturday), I had the opportunity to go to a Michigan hockey game at the Big House. And it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

The field was tremendous. An olympic sized rink was used to cover more ground on the football field, streching from one 15-yard line to the other.

Denard Robinson was honored with his Silver Football award. And the actual hockey game was great, as Michigan beat Michigan State 5-0.

There were three types of people of there:
1. True Michigan hockey fans.
2. True Michigan football fans.
3. Those who wanted to a part of history.

I was at the Michigan, Penn State when Michigan upset the unbeaten Nittany Lions on a last second touchdown. The atmosphere of the hockey game rivaled that of that epic football game.

In the third period, we heard what we had been waiting for. It was announced that that hockey game in Michigan Stadium broke the world record for the most attendance at a hockey game.

But, It also broke the record for the most attendance at a college sporting event, a record that was previously set at this year’s home opener against Connecticut.

The fireworks at the end were great, and it was an awesome experience to a part of history.

A Slicks Picks Guest Blog By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Matt Cerimele:

OK – now that i have built some ‘street cred’ on correctly predicting the UNDER with WVU/UCONN game, and even suggested OT could decide the game, i figured another post was warranted, especially if you arent sure which BIG games to pull the trigger on tomorrow.  Listen UP!

First, time to get off of the SPARTY bandwagon.  IOWA finally ends the madness and not even a triple sow cow will save Mich State this week.  IOWA is in charge from start to finish.  Defense way too strong and Mich State is ultimately exposed, like we all knew they evetually would be.  Take the hawkeyes, lay the 6.5 pts.  IOWA 30, MICH ST 13.

Ok, lets move on.  MIZZOU.  oh, MIZZOU.  nice win last week – home game, at night, #1 oklahoma coming in…and miserable loss this week.  the old black shirts do the same thing to MIZZOU that iowa does to michst.  NEBRASKA is simply better.  and believe me, vegas knows it.  lay the 7.5 points, and take the huskers at home in a battle of two very good big 12 teams (or big ten, whatever).  NEBRASKA 36, MIZZOU 27.

You want more PRIMETIME games – fine.  SLICK SAYS, bet USC.  colin cowherd said USC will win outright.  i love the herd.  i also love HOME teams, and i really LOVE home teams named USC, getting points.  USCs defense has had plenty of time to get ready for this one, and although they arent going to stop oregon, they will contain them, and USC can flat out score, just like oregon.  chip kelly said it, they have more 4 and 5 star players than anyone, and tomorrow, they will prove it.  Take USC in a high scoring affair, take the points (i htink youre getting at least 6.5 so take it before it comes down further).  USC 38, OREGON 35.

And, why not, ive gone against every other undefeated team, so lets get the tigers too.  AUBURN comes in with the highest expectations this week.  After a huge win last week in which Cam Newton simply took over the college football world, it just doesnt get any easier, and OLE MISS is waiting to put an end to his media frenzy.  wait, but auburn is lights out a better team and didnt ole miss lose to jacksonville state, at home, and vandy, at home!?  call me crazy, but im taking the HOME team again.  OLE MISS and 7 points is enough for me.  AUBURN wins, but not by enough.  AUBURN 31, OLE MISS 27.

Let me close with a few more interesting lines, that drew my attention.

AIR FORCE +7 V UTAH. did i mention i LOVE home teams, especially in big games.  i also LOVE flyovers.  air force is tested, and coming off of a defeating loss to TCU, air force will have an easier time finding the end zone.  take AIR FORCE, take the points.  AIR FORCE 30, UTAH 28.

MICHIGAN -3 @ PENNT ST. What?!  how is michigan favored against anyone?  Ok SIN CITY, ill take the maize and blue.  MICHIGAN 30, PENN STATE 24, take that.

TEMPLE -29.5 V AKRON. ok, i know akron is awful, but when were the owls favored by almost 30 points against anyone, in football?  is john chaney coaching this owl team?  i dont care who is coaching, ill lay em all, give me TEMPLE.  TEMPLE 44, AKRON 10.

and finally, i also enjoy totals.  i noticed two…

TAKE the OVER in NOTRE DAME V TULSA. 63 points!  wow , thats a lot.  not so fast my friend, both teams will score at will, and ND runs away late.  i see at least 80 points in this one.

TAKE the UNDER in BOSTON COLLEGE V CLEMSON. only 41!?  really, you mean 24-21 still isnt good enough.  yes, thats what i mean.  SLICK says, follow your gut, and although clemson will probably win this game by a score or two, my gut says 23-13 is about all youll see.

SLICK SAYS: Can we PLEASE put BOISE in the CHAMPIONSHIP GAME already!!??

1 Alabama (-7) against South Carolina: While any SEC game can be trouble for Alabama I see them having little trouble rolling over USC (East). South Carolina is a promising team, but I can’t see them being able to stop the running threat of Ingram and Richardson. Alabama’s defense has been relentless this year and should shut down South Carolina’s top back. South Carolina does have home field advantage, so anything could happen but I like Alabama in this matchup 31-24.

17 Michigan State (+4.5) against 18 Michigan: At the beginning of this year I don’t think anyone would have thought that both of these schools would be undefeated at this point in the year, but here we are entering our 6th week and neither team has a loss. The Spartans are coming off an impressive win against Wisconsin, but I think their luck is about to run out. Michigan’s offense is led by Heisman hopeful, quarterback Denard Robinson. Robinson, just a sophomore, has passed for over 1,000 yards and 7 TD’s, while contributing another 900 yards and 9 TD’s on the ground. And that is despite missing most of game due to injury and getting pulled early in a couple of blowouts. Robinson has quickly become one of college football’s most electric players, and I’m not sure if the Spartans will be able to slow him down enough to beat Michigan in Ann Arbor. The one thing working against Michigan is their defense, which has been fairly porous this year, though has made the big plays at the right time. I like Michigan to beat their cross state rivals 38-30.

23 Florida State (+6) against 13 Miami: This in state ACC rivalry has the potential to go either way, but I really like Miami in this matchup. The Hurricanes in general, and Jacory Harris in particular play their best football at home. They cut down on their mistakes and usually play a pretty flawless 60 minutes of football. While Florida State is a good team, and are led by a NFL caliber quarterback in Christian Ponder, they don’t have the running game or weapons necessary to win this game. Miami has just too good of a defense and I think they will shut the door on Florida State’s offense. While Miami’s offense can run with anybody, and Harris is capable of making teams pay when they blow a coverage. I would look for Miami to win this game fairly easily 31-23.

You got to feel for the Cleveland Cavaliers and how things have gone for them these past few months. For the last couple of years this team was at the pinnacle of the Eastern Conference, but now nothing seems to be going right, and unfortunately things could still be getting worse.

Things took a turn when the Cavs lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs this season to the Boston Celtics. It was the 2nd straight year that the Cavaliers had the league’s best record, but wasn’t able to advance to the finals. This lack of ability to get over the playoff hump, was seen as a sign that superstar LeBron James would likely be leaving this summer when he becomes a free agent. The answer for the Cavs seemed to be to replace head coach Mike Brown, (who should have been replaced regardless) and bring in a big name guy to entice James to stay.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo was supposed to be that big name guy. Izzo is thought of as one of the top college basketball coaches in the country and definitely has that big name recognition. While he had never coached in the NBA before (and the success rate of college coaches isn’t high), Izzo would have given Cleveland fans hope, that they will not only retain LeBron, but can finally win that championship.

It looked as though the Cavaliers were going to get their man in Izzo and were prepared to pay him $6 million a year over the next 5 years. That $6 million would have put him among the highest paid coaches in the league (and in all of professional sports), without ever having one NBA win to his credit. That was a major financial commitment, that seemed too good to walk away from. Except that is exactly what Izzo did. After two weeks of reports that he would likely be making the jump to the NBA, Izzo declared yesterday that he is staying at Michigan State.

What’s even more troubling for the Cavs isn’t that Izzo is staying and they missed out on their number one choice, but rather the reason why he isn’t coming to Cleveland. And that reason is the uncertainty of LeBron James returning to the team. Izzo made it very clear that his inability to talk with LeBron, and obstinately get an answer to James staying in Cleveland weighed heavily in his decision not to take the job. While I don’t blame James for not giving a clear cut answer and commend him on his decorum, by not being put in a position to lie or say no, it is troubling for the team.

It shows to me that James is either still unclear about his decision, or that he has decided to test the free agent waters, and see what offers come in. For James if he leaves Cleveland he will leave money on the table, but could dictate a situation where he has a better chance of winning a title (not to mention endorsement dollars in a big city could easily make up the difference). I think Cleveland really needs to start to prepare for life after James, but first they need to move on to their second choice of a head coach.

Last season Michigan State lost to UNC in the National Championship game, now they are one game away from facing another of the Tobacco Road teams, the Duke Blue Devils. Yesterday both the Spartans and Blue Devils won close games to go back to a place they are pretty familiar with, The Final Four. Michigan State and Duke  have been two of the most successful programs of the last two decades, so the Final Four is nothing new to either one of them (unlike their two opponents).

Both Duke and Michigan State also have very veteran laden rosters, which have carried them so far in the tournament. Neither team entered this tournament as a favorite to win it all (though Duke had a few backers considering they were a 1 seed), but now both are just one game away from playing for a National Championship. They have taken vastly different roads to get to the precipice, but are now finally here.

Michigan State in the quirkiest Tournament I’ve ever seen, will not have faced anything higher than a 4 seed until the National Championship game, if they advance. In addition to Maryland, the 4 seed, they have faced a 12th seed, 9th seed, 6th seed and now a 5th seed in the Final Four. Now that’s not to say that teams like Northern Iowa or Tennessee didn’t have talent, but just to say that they weren’t considered among the elite teams in their region. The Spartans have earned the right to be in the Final Four, but to avoid any 1, 2, or 3 seeds, does mean that Michigan State has had a little luck on their side.

As for Duke, their luck came on Selection Sunday, when the committee first of all gave them a 1 seed, and then put them in the easiest bracket. The best team in Duke’s bracket, Purdue was without their best player, and had fallen down to a four seed. Even without their star they still came close to knocking off Duke, as the game was tight until the last few minutes. And while Duke faced a more traditional path to the Final Four, including a tough game against 3 seed Baylor, they really haven’t faced a true challenge. While Baylor is a good team, they couldn’t catch any breaks (or get any calls) to go their way yesterday. And couldn’t match-up with Duke’s experience.

Now these long time powerhouses are a just one game away from facing each other, but they shouldn’t forget about who stands in their way. Both Butler and West Virginia are talented teams, that are looking for an upset. Michigan State and Duke will once again need their experience to shine through to advance.

NFL:

Coaching Change in Buffalo:

Buffalo Bills head coach former head coach Dick Jauron is the first coach to get the ax, getting fired on Tuesday. This move had been rumored for weeks, so it doesn’t come as a huge surprise. But it is interesting when you see that six teams have records worse than Bills 3-6, and three other teams are tied for the same record. Buffalo doesn’t usually have the persona of a team who makes bold moves during the season, but maybe this is a sign of things to come in Buffalo. What I do find interesting is, if the Bills had upset the Patriots in Week 1, would Jauron have been fired? And the only answer I think is fair is, that beating New England would have saved his job now. But this Bills team is so bad that Jauron would have to be gone at the end of the season.

Larry Johnson Finds a Home:

The Cincinnati Bengals signed troubled running back Larry Johnson. Now I know the first reaction of many is “big surprise”, considering the issues surrounding many current and former Bengals. Cincinnati is a team that doesn’t alway put character first, and over the years has had its share of locker room issues. And one could arise with Johnson if he isn’t content on being the back-up running back. As long at the Bengals keep winning, I feel as though the situation won’t cause a problem. But if they lose and Benson wasn’t producing, how long will it be before Johnson puts his foot in his mouth again? While I think there is a serious reservation with signing Johnson, the Bengals had to add another running back with experience. Benson is leading the league in carries, and his top back-up is a rookie 6th round pick (Bernard Scott). Cincinnati will need to start limiting Benson’s load late in games to keep his legs fresh for a deep playoff run. Only time will tell if the good will outweigh the bad, with the signing of Johnson.

NCAAB:

Top 25 Surviving Early Upset Bids:

Just one day after freshman point guard John Wall saved No. 5 Kentucky with a last second shot, three other top 25 teams were taken down to the wire. No. 1 Kansas held their breath as Memphis’ Elliot Williams 3-pointer at the buzzer hit off the rim, giving Kansas the 57-55 win, and keeping them atop the polls. Their closest competition also faced a scare and No. 2 Michigan State was taken down to the wire by the unranked Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Bulldogs actually had a five point lead at half, and were still up by four with 4:48 on the clock, but could not close out Michigan State on the road. The Spartans controlled the last 5 minutes of the game, and Gonzaga’s youth and inexperience came to light with some bad shots and decisions down the stretch. Top 5 teams weren’t the only ones facing upset bids, as No. 20 Georgetown were able to outlast the Temple Owls during their home opener (despite their best efforts to give them the game). The Hoyas were struggling to find their rhythm all game, and led the Owls just 19-13 at halftime. Temple stormed back in the second half, but Georgetown took the lead for good with Greg Monroe’s basket with six seconds remaining.