Deke's Sports Ramblings

We're finally getting to one of my favorite times of the year.  March Madness.  Before you can start penciling in your brackets, conference tournaments will provide some excitement before the Big Dance.  I am going to break down every single conference tournament from Patriot League to the ACC. Note: I will be updating the article as Regular Season Action ends and seeds are finalized. Atlantic Sun Campus Sites (February 26-March 4) Standings: 149 Florida Gulf Coast 21-10 (12-2) .. Won 2 112 Lipscomb 20-9 (10-4) .. Won 5 288 Jacksonville 14-17 (8-6) .. Won 2 258 NJIT 14-15 (7-7) .. Won 1 225 North Florida 13-18 (7-7) .. Lost 1 291 Kennesaw State 10-19 (6-8) .. Lost 2 329 Stetson 12-19 (4-10) .. Lost 1 346 USC Upstate 7-24 (2-12) .. Lost 4 Quarterfinals 8 USC Upstate 64 @ 1 Florida Gulf Coast   83 -FGCU swept season series 5 North Florida 81 @ 4 NJIT 87 -Home split 6 Kennesaw State 74 @ 3 Jacksonville 72 -Home split 7 Stetson ...

With the first 30 picks in the 2018 NFL Draft set as we approach the Super Bowl, I felt it would be a good time to jump into my first version of a mock draft.  This will be a very rough mock, as there hasn't been a champion crowned in Minnesota.  Also, the combine will drive players stock up and down, so be on the look for my newer versions as the months roll along. 1. Cleveland Browns (0-16), QB Sam Darnold (USC) The Browns will most-likely take yet another first-round stab at a Quarterback.  I think it has to be narrowed down to Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Josh Allen.  Rosen has publicly said that he does not want to be a part of the Browns organization.  I think Allen has some question-marks, but I like the fact that he said in an interview that he would love to be a Brown and lead them out of the basement of the league.  At this point; however, I believe the Browns will take a chance of Sam Darnold's upside. 2. New York Giants (3-13), QB Jos...

With the bowl season kicking off this weekend, I decided to predict each matchup including the National Championship.  As the last hoorah of the 2017 College Football Season, stay tuned for team breakdowns and outlooks for the 2018 season. Saturday, December 16 Celebration Bowl:  North Carolina A&T vs. Grambling State (NL) 12:00 (ABC) Prediction: North Carolina A&T 41-31   R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: North Texas vs. Troy (-6) 1:00 (ESPN) Prediction: Troy 23-16 AutoNation Cure Bowl: Georgia State vs. Western Kentucky (-4.5) 2:30 (CBSSN) Prediction: Western Kentucky 38-24 Las Vegas Bowl: Oregon (-6.5) vs. 25 Boise State 3:30 (ABC) Prediction: Oregon 33-27 GILDAN New Mexico Bowl: Marshall vs. Colorado State (-5.5) 4:30 (ESPN) Prediction:  Colorado State 38-24 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs. Arkansas State (-4) 8:00 (ESPN) Prediction:  Arkansas State 33-30 Tuesday, December 19 Cheribundi Tart Cherry...

Michigan's MLive homepage welcomes Patterson to U of M. Ole Miss transfer quarterback Shea Patterson has made his official decision that he will join the Michigan Wolverines for the 2018 football season.  The question is, will Patterson be eligible to play? Ole Miss was hit hard for "lack of institutional control" which penalized the team with a second bowl ban.  The NCAA allowed players who would be seniors in the upcoming season to transfer without having to sit out the following year.  Shea Patterson will be a junior during the 2018 season, so the NCAA's ruling doesn't apply to him.  Patterson will have to apply for an individual waiver from the NCAA in order to play without sitting out a year. I believe that the NCAA will allow Patterson to play in the 2018 campaign.  The extraordinary circumstances with the Ole Miss Rebels football program should not punish the player.  If Michigan wanted to hire Hugh Freeze as an assistant coach, they could and ...