Jack Jones, Author at PApublishing

Don’t Sleep on Utah State Football in 2012

The Aggies started out their 2011 year with a slow 2-5 mark but won their last 5 regular-season contests to reach a bowl game for the first time in 15 years. They finished the season with a 7-6 record following an one-point defeat to Ohio in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. They were actually better than their record indicated as 4 of their defeats came by 4 points or less.

Houston Football: Cougars Could Struggle This Season

Houston was one win away from playing in a BCS bowl for the first time in its history. They finished the year with a perfect 12-0 record and the Southern USA Conference Championship game against Southern Miss was the only game that stood between the Cougars and that BCS Bowl. But it was a train wreck right from the beginning, as the Golden Eagles cruised to a 49-28 win. Despite a victory over Penn State in the TicketCity Bowl to finish the season at 12-1, the loss to Southern Miss put a huge damper to what could have been a sensational campaign. You can get expert picks and follow the odds on the Cougars all season long with College Football Free Picks.

Nevada Football: Reasons the Wolfpack Could Win the Mountain West

Nevada head coach Chris Ault has done an excellent job with this program. He has coached the team for 27 years in total, in three separate stints. Over the past eight seasons, he’s led the Wolfpack to seven bowl appearances. You can follow the odds and find winning picks on the Wolfpack and much more this season with College Football Free Picks.

San Diego State Football: Aztecs Must Replace Key Players on Both Sides of the Ball

The San Diego Aztecs have put together back-to-back winning seasons under two different coaches.. After finishing up the 2010 season 9-4 under Brady Hoke (left for Michigan), the Aztecs went 8-5 in the first year under Rocky Long.. They ended up in fourth place in the MWC at 4-3. The Aztecs had a chance to match’s 2010’s win total, but loss to Louisiana-Lafayette 30-32 in the New Orleans Bowl.

Maryland Football: Terrapins Will be Greatly Improved in Second Season Under Edsall

The Maryland Terrapins had a forgettable season last year as they went just 2-10 in Randy Edsall’s first year on the job. Two losses that really stand out from last season are a 45-46 loss to Clemson and a 41-56 loss against NC State. Maryland blew a 35-17 lead against the Tigers and a 41-14 lead vs the Wolfpack..

Ole Miss Football: Why the Rebels Will Improve Over Last Season

Ole Miss hit rock-bottom last year, winning just two games overall and going 0-8 in SEC play. It was so bad, in fact, that head coach Houston Nutt was let go with three games left in the season. This year, Hugh Freeze will take over the head coach postion. Freeze did well in his first season with Arkansas State, but translating that magic to the SEC is going to be an infinitely more difficult job. You can follow the odds and get expert picks on the Rebels this seaosn over at Football Free Picks.

Penn State Football: Nittany Lions in for Long Season

Penn State was able to finish the 2011 season with a 9-4 overall record, despite all the drama going on with the Jerry Sandusky scandal and firing of head coach Joe Paterno.

Illinois Football: Fighting Ilini Could Surprise in Big Ten Leaders

Illinois found its way into the record books for an unwanted reason last season. It became the first FBS school to finish the regular season 6-6 after winning its first six games.

Preview of Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat

The Miami Heat were able to beat the Indiana Pacers 101-93 in Game 4. It was a crucial win for Miami, who avoided losing a third straight game to the Pacers. It didn’t look promising for the Heat early, as they trailed by 8-points at halftime. Miami took control of the game with a 30-16 third quarter. The series is all tied at 2-2 as the two teams return to Miami for Game 5 on Tuesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 EST and will be broadcasted nationally on TNT.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Predictions

It looked as though the Los Angeles Lakers were going to steal a game on the road, but the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied late for a 77-75 win at home. The Lakers had a 77-70 lead with only two minutes left in regulation, but the Thunder closed out the game on a 9-0 run to take a 2-0 series lead. If If the Thunder go on to win the series, Los Angeles going to look back on this game and wonder what might have been. The two teams will head to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Fri.. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 EST and will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN.

Celtics vs. Hawks Game 5 Preview

The Boston Celtics took a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks with a 101-79 win on Sunday. The Celtics have rebounded back from a 74-83 loss in Game 1 with 3 straight wins. The series returns to Atlanta on Tuesday for Game 5. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 EST and will be televised nationally on TNT.