Autism and Humanity

Recently a friend of mine has been blogging a series with the theme of Humanity. Some of the themes that come up are who is human, humanity, Christianity, and the oppressed. As I was reading it made me think about Autism and Humanity. I myself I am Autistic and sometimes I witness, read about and have seen our humanity taken away. We that are Autistic are humans and valuable too. We are also loved by God as well.

I am an Adult who has Autism, but yet sometimes the world can be a hostile place. Granted, there is a lot of support for Autistics, but there is a lot of oppression too. If statistics are right we have the highest unemployment rate of any group. Those of us that have a job are often underpaid or denied chances to move up in the work force. Another thing is there are laws that tend to dehumanize us. For example, in some European Countries we that are Autistic can be legally euthanized. In America they are 20 states that have laws that could prevent a person who has Autism from marrying. Autism is not mental it is neurological but some states consider Autism mental. These states’ laws have language that can be interpreted to include Autism under mental thus denying them marriage. Moreover, the media has sometimes labeled us as anti social monsters, who can not show empathy and compassion. All of this is dehumanizing us.

Autistic people are human. We have proven that we can show concern for others, be compassionate, genuine and have empathy. We may or may not be social but we are human. The question is what is humanity. My answer to that is humanity is showing genuine, empathy, compassion, being loyal and having a relationship with God. So yes we who have Autism are human and we are a part of the world. Sometimes when I try to be social I often have a concern how will I be seen? How will I be judged? Will I be seen as a person who is different and odd or will I bee seen as a fellow human being. The great civil rights leader Martin Luther King said he had a dream were people would not be judged based on their color. I myself have a dream. My dream is that we that are Autistic would not be judged for being different and for being Autistic. But we will be seen as fellow human beings who have a place in the world and can contribute to society. My dream is that we will be seen as and treated as human beings.

Not only I am  Autistic but I am also  a Christian. However, sometimes I have been told you cannot be a Christian cause you lack empathy you don’t understand. I even had friends who I thought were Christian abandoned  me cause I was different. But despite these messages I know that I’m a Child of God and that Jesus loved me just like he loves everyone. My other part of my dream is that I would not be seen as a person with Autism who attends Church.  But that I’m a fellow Christian and loved by Christ.  I think faith is an important part of humanity. God loved us so much that he sent his Son to die on the Cross (John 3:16) If you confess and accept Jesus as your Savior you shall have eternal life and be saved (taken from Romans 10:9). So we have a loving and forgiving God that wants to have a relationship with us. As I stated to me that is a big part of being human too is having a relationship with God. We that are Autistic can also have this relationship.

I hope we that are Autistic will stop being seen as different, non humans and people who cannot relate. Instead we will be seen as fellow human beings, who have Humanity.

Saving the Tiger

Two weeks ago there was some sad news concerning animal populations. The Western Black Rhino has been determined to be extinct in the wild. Basically they are no Black Rhino’s left in the wild. We as humans are to blame as we have destroyed habitats and poaching has been a huge problem.  We may soon see another animal on the extinction list and that is the Tiger (pictured below)

We are rapidly losing tigers in the wild. Currently it is estimated they are only 3,200 tigers left in the world. At one time there were 8 tiger species now they are only 5. The Bengal Tiger has the highest population of 1,500. In the early 20th Century the tiger population was healthy it was estimated over 150,000 tigers roamed the world.  The Tigers have lost 97-98% of their population in less than 100 years. So what caused the tiger species to rapidly decline to the brink of extinction. The answer is we as humans have created the Tiger crisis and it will be up to us to fix it.

There are several ways humans have been responsible for the rapid decline of the Tiger: fear, trade, habitat destruction and poaching. I will start off with fear. Early in the 20th century writers created stories were the tigers were seen as man eaters. One of the popular storybooks was the Jungle Book later made into a film by Disney. In the Jungle book the Tiger Sheer Khan was seen as man eater and an enemy to villages. Other books and even films came out were Tigers were seen as the bad guys. The result people panicked. Tigers were rounded up and shot in large amounts. If a Tiger was seen passing through a city or village than the tiger was hunted down and killed. The books created a fear of the Tiger.

Second reason we are to blame is trade. In the early 20th century and this still holds true today. European and American culture created that people who had fur coats were seen as wealthy and powerful. Soon everybody wanted to have a fur coat. People that had tiger coats were really seen as being important in society. That created a trade demand for Tiger coats. The result tigers were hunted and skinned for their coats. Companies would hire people to poach tigers for their fur. Another trade that has hurt the tiger is in Chinese culture   having parts of a tiger is seen as good health. The result was that tigers were skinned and body parts sold in markets especially in China. People who had tiger parts believed that illnesses would stay away from them. Sadly, this has driven the tiger species out of China. It has also caused the extinction of tiger species.

Third, and probably one of the biggest problems that have plagued tiger population and conservation efforts is habitat destruction and poaching. Right now it is estimated that there are 7.1 Billion people in the world today. Since 1950 the Earth’s population has rapidly increased. Two countries that have seen a really huge increase is India and China. India’s population is estimated to be over 1.1 Billion and China’s population is about 1.3 Billion. India is home and has always been home to Tigers. As India’s population rapidly grew in the late 20th century and it still is lots of forests had to be cleared. Clearing the forest drove tigers out by cutting off their food sources thus the tigers starved.  With poor economy’s lot of the Asian countries have to cut down trees to use as fuel to survive this also also drove tigers out. However, the biggest problem is Poaching. Poachers poach tigers to see their parts and fur on the black market. Lot of countries have banned tiger trade and hunting tigers. India and Thailand are examples. Still poachers will still poach in these countries because they can earn millions of dollars on the black markets.

The Tigers are in a crisis and we have created it, but the Tiger is not so far gone that they can’t be saved. We as humans can bring the tiger back and some groups are already doing that.  In India, the government has set up tiger parks and programs to educate people about Tigers. Tiger parks are protected area’s were all logging and hunting is off limits. India has also begun to teach younger generations about Tigers, and how important they are as an important predator. One thing the educational programs are also aimed at is eliminating the fear of tigers. The goal is that Tigers would not be seen as predators that go around eating people. Thailand has also been doing the same thing. Another country that is starting to set up refuges for tigers is Indonesia. Indonesia tigers are captured checked out and released back into the wild in Indonesian parks were patrols stalk poachers.

Even a world super power is starting programs to save their Tigers is Russia. Russia’s government the past 5 years has stepped up their efforts on bringing back the native Siberian Tiger’s population back. Russia has created programs to educate new Russians about the importance of the big cats. They have also created parks for tigers and have stepped up efforts to cut back on poaching. Russia has done what needs to be done to stop poaching and that is stiff penalties. Poaching a Tiger in Russia can cost a Poacher several decades in prison if not death it has sent a message. The Russian army patrols the parks regularly on foot and by aircraft for poachers.As I mentioned Indonesia has created parks to protect tigers but they have increased their poaching penalties. Getting caught poaching in Indonesia can result in one getting shot or put several years in prison.

Russia gives us a lesson on how to handle poachers and stop the encouragement of it and that is stiffer penalties. Sadly, several countries have anti poaching laws the USA included. But like the USA the poacher mostly just gets fined and a slap on the wrist. Russia poachers if they are not shot on site can expect not just a fine but long years in prison. Tough penalties send a message and makes people afraid not to do it.

Education will also play a role in bringing back the Tiger. Tigers do not need to be seen as man eaters but as an important predator in maintaining a healthy eco-system. Education will also show people how to live beside tiger populations in a healthy way and how to use resources wisely to cut down on habitat loss. America does not have native tigers but America can play a role. Certain sports teams are named after Tigers. LSU, Auburn and the NFL team the Bengals. These schools and sports teams especially LSU and Auburn spend resources in working with countries in preserving the tiger.

So we created the Tiger Crisis and it will be up to us to save the Tiger from going extinct.

A lost Generation

In Ancient Israel generations passed values from one generation to another. One of the values passed down was the relationship God had with his people. Generations in Ancient Israel would teach their children about God and how He wanted to have a relationship with them. However, sometimes a generation would not teach values and introduce God to the new generation. As a result the new generations would become lost. Generations in Ancient Israel that were lost and did not know God got into idol worship, and as the Bible tells us they did evil in the eyes of the Lord. What happened in Ancient Israel was generations failed to introduce God to new Generations and several generations grew up that did not know God. The new generations also did not know right from wrong, everyone did as they saw fit. God still loved his people so he became human through Jesus Christ (God in the flesh) and died on cross and rose. The free gift was that anybody that believed and accept Jesus as their savior would be saved and no longer lost.

Here in America we have a new generation coming up; this generation has been called Generation Y. What is scary about Generation Y is as my pastor said “We have a new Generation that is here. This new generation most of them do not know God. They have not heard about God nor have they heard the Word. This new generation is calling evil good and what is good evil. We have a generation that could be a Lost Generation”  He is right and what is sad is we have created this lost generation and we are failing to point them toward God.

The past 5 generations have been named  andeach generation saw an event and we can see were their values were.

1. Builders (1925-1944) The Builders’ main event was World War II. But the Builders were very conservative and to most of them  A belief in God was important to them.
2. Baby Boomers (1945-1964) The Baby boomers saw rapid developments in technology such as rockets and satellites. With the exception of the culture movement . The Baby Boomers still had conservative Values. However ideas from the Counter Culture movement would show up in the next generations.
3. Generation X (196601982) Generation X saw the first desktop computer, first video game systems, They still had morale values but they start to get some of the ideas of the counter culture movement
4. Millennials  (1983-1999) The Millennials, saw the internet boom, advances in video games. Here you started to see a split as  half of the millennials  as some of them are conservative, but a lot of them started to break away from morales and adopt the values of the counter culture movement if it is good for you its good for me and everybody.
5. Generation Y (1999-present) The Y’s saw social media boom. However this is the generation that is more agnostic and they tend not to have a good sense of morality

So what would cause a generation to be Lost? We can look to the Old Testament and find the answers. Nations removed God from everyday life, generations stopped sharing and teaching the younger generations about God. Fast forward to modern times. Our government has removed God from everyday life. We have Christian organizations told they can no longer have clubs at schools, we have students who are being told they can no longer put cross symbols on signs at sports games. We have a generation that is being influenced by the media that you make your own rules. We have parents that have stopped being parents.

Media is a huge influence on a child’s life and for the first time we have the  media that is calling evil good and what used to be seen as good is now evil. For example, The media glorifies Mily Cyrus and her vulgar lifestyle. But the media criticizes Tim Tebow because he shares his Christian faith. Songs that in the past would have been banned cause of their messages they send  as well as their vulgarness are now seen as good. Artists like Chris Brown, Kanye West, Snoop Dog, Mily Cyrus, Jennifer Lopez, Lada Gaga and others are praised by the media as good guys despite their lack of morality. What I find disturbing is that for the first time the media seems to be glorifying drugs and sexual immorality. I have had discussions with some of today’s youth. Some of them shared with me that they do not think drugs and sexual immorality such as pornography was wrong. Another reply I got was I’m not harming anybody so it is not bad.   Social media is also becoming a huge influence as well.  Social media allows for the media to post messages on facebook and twitter. Plus with social media continuing to become a way of communication we are seeing bad consequences such as cyber bullying, and sexual immorality.

Parents are not being Parents. I can remember my parents teaching me right from wrong. Most of today’s parents are not doing that. A lot of times parents do not know were their children are, who they are hanging out with, and  they are not in their child’s lives.  So many times it seems like some parents think it is the school systems or the government’s job to parent their children. If statistics are right a child’s parents have the most influence to about age 14.  So many times parents in today’s time have little interaction. My friends that are teachers have told me that some of today’s parents do not even have a clue on what their child is doing. I have even asked some of today’s youth what would their parents think of their action. The reply I got was, they do not care.    Generation Y’s parents which would be Millenials, send the message you can make your own rules, you are an individual, you determine your own rules.  That concerns me cause in that case today’s children are not getting morals, values, and integrity.

Okay here is were I will probably stomp on some toes if I haven’t already.

The Church is also to blame. Since we have gone into the 21st century Church worship has changed. Used to all generations after Sunday School would have fellowship with other generations. It was seen as a good time for younger generations to learn from older generations about worship and about God. Now some church’s have youth church that is all good. But what it has done is it has removed younger generations from having fellowship with older generations.  A new report came out that youth who had mixed fellowship of having a youth group and worship services with the older generations were more likely to stay dedicated to Christ. Compared to those who just to youth church who were more likely to break away. So It is clear that Church’s need to have a balance of having youth groups but making sure the younger generations get to have fellowship with older generations.

Millennial Christian Parents also need to step up. Some Millennial parents have the idea I’m a Christian but my Child does not have to be, they can be who they want to be. If they are happy than I am happy. That idea comes from the counter culture movement that Baby Boomers saw. Part of the idea in the counter culture movement in the 1960’s was if you are happy I am happy, if it works for you it works for me, you can make your own morals and rules. During the movement it was pretty much isolated. In time the Millennials took on the ideas of the counter culture movement. Thus, some Millennial Christian parents are not sharing God with their kids. The result is Generation Y is not hearing the Word which they need to hear.  A good example is, I was on a forum and the conversation about drugs and pornography came up. I made the argument how they are destroying today’s youth. I was shocked at what some of the members of the forum replied to my comments. One of the responses I got was they did not think their children doing drugs was wrong and that if their child was looking at porn it was okay. I then asked why are you okay with that? The people on the forum replied back, it helps make them feel better, I don’t need to tell them it is bad. I think that is a huge problem as this generation is growing up thinking them things are cool when they are not aware of their destruction.

So we have created a lost Generation

Now what can be done to help Generation Y

I think the first thing is Christian parents need to bring their children back to the 10 Commandments they need to be hearing the Word and have morals taught to them as well as the seed of Christ planted in them. Second, the influence of the media is not going to go away especially with the internet and social media. But parents can talk to their children about the media and about songs and stuff. Basically turn it into a healthy dialogue. Church’s need to have youth groups but also make sure the youth are getting interaction and fellowship with older believers. Some of the youth in today’s youth groups are hearing about God for the first time especially if they do have non believing parents. In that case they need to hear stories of older believers of trials and faith as well as have support offered to them. Finally, we need to quit glorifying evil and making it good.

If we do not help Generation Y, Generation Y will in time create another generation and we will generations continuing to be lost.

Has America become the Nanny State

A Nanny is someone who takes care of people. Usually the Nanny will make sure needs are met, children get taken to school, and everything is taken care of. Some people refer to governments that get really involved in people’s lives a Nanny State. If anyone has been listening to the media one has probably hard about Lets Move programs, soda bans, and soda taxes. So, the Question is has America become the Nanny State.

I remember a few weeks ago reading how school systems under the Lets Move program had banned lunch boxes. Some schools have gone far as banning hamburgers, parents. I also found it disturbing that some school’s are letting parents know that their child is overweight. In fact, some schools have been weighing kids and sending them home with letters letting the parents know that their child is overweight and they need to do something about it. When I was in the public schools we got progress reports which we had to show to our parents and have them sign it. The progress reports let the parents know how well their child was doing. The overweight letters have been given the name fat letters work the same way.  My take on it, is school should be about learning it should not be the school’s business how much a student weights. Weight loss should be between a child, their parents and their doctors.  I also think that schools banning homemade lunches is going to far.

Michael Bloomberg created a stir when he wanted to ban coke products over 16 ounces and put a heavy tax on them. Bloomberg said he was trying to fight obesity and that a ban on large sodas with a heavy tax would work. People complained and this year a Judge ruled the tax ban violated rights. In my opinion government should not be telling people what to drink. The stir was if government started banning large soda’s what would be next. Due to cut down smoking New York City passed a law raises the the legal age to smoke a cigarettes to 21. I will be honest I hate cigarettes, I think smoking is disgusting. On the other hand I feel like if an 18 year old is old enough to go fight wars by serving in the army as well as vote in elections then they should be able to smoke.

Another example is one State Maine proposed giving the school system’s the option to ban sports. The reason being is that not everybody will make the team and it might be offensive to the children who do not make the team. Sports can be bad yes, but they can also be good. When I was growing up if you did not make the team you worked hard and practiced more to make the team the next year. Thankfully, the school systems decided to keep their sports. But the though is this have we become such a nanny state that we can’t even enjoy sports anymore. Another example is some colleges as well as public schools are no longer going to publish the dean’s list or honor role. The reason being we do not want to hurt students who did not make the deans list feel unimportant. I made the Dean’s list and Honor role quite a few times and I will be honest it felt like an accomplishment. A few times I did not make it, I was not jealous  or angry at my peers who made it. I just did not make it. It saddens me that we have become a nation were we are afraid to honor accomplishments rather it be making a sports team, the honor roll or winning an award.

What I find disturbing is we have people wanting the government to be parents to their children. We have as I have wrote about the government telling us what to eat, what sports should be played, and who should be honored and not. School systems are forgetting about learning and instead trying to be parents. It is no wonder Countries like Norway, Canada, Russia, Israel, Germany and Japan have passed us in math and science. School systems it sometimes sees it is being more of a parent instead of helping children learn the skills they will need to thrive. Government is trying to be a parent telling us what is good for us is good for us such as soda bans, soda taxes, don’t do this, don’t do that. We can’t say Merry Christmas anymore cause oh that might offend somebody, we can’t honor certain people cause everybody will feel left out. The bad thing is we have allowed a big government to happen. We have i feel like lost a sense or responsibility even our leaders do not have responsibility or so it seems.

So, how can we get off the Nanny state kick for starters it starts at home. Parents need to go back to being parents, don’t let the school system or government teach your children right from wrong, what to eat and what not too that is you job. Parents should be working with their children on what is right and wrong. Second we need to have some responsibility ourselves. One thing my parents taught me was when I made a mistake I was to be responsible. Here lately I do not see that especially in this new generation coming up.

A tell of two November tornado outbreaks (November 17th 2013 vs Veterans Day tornado Outbreak 2002)

November is often seen as a month with cooler temps and cool nights. For some areas though November can be stormy with severe weather and tornadoes. A good example is what happened on November 17th 2013. On November the 17th parts of the Midwest and Southern regions were hit hard with a tornado outbreak.  Over 80 tornadoes were reported and over 360 wind reports. Most of the action occurred in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Other states that were impacted were Missouri, Kentucky and North Central Tennessee. The November 17th outbreak could rival another infamous November tornado outbreak the Veterans Day tornado outbreak in 2002. I will be comparing the two outbreaks on how they were similar and different.

Similarities

Both tornado outbreaks had the same weather pattern that fueled the outbreaks.  A powerful Low pressure system formed in the Great Plains region and pushed eastward. Ahead of the storm system was warm air temperatures were in the 60’s and 70’s,  and behind the storm system was cold Canadian air. The winds ahead of the front created wind shear which is needed to get thunderstorms to rotate. The storm system was able to tap the moisture rich air from the Gulf of Mexico . The Veterans Day tornado outbreak developed the same way. It did not take long for tornadoes to form. Tornadoes were already on the ground Sunday morning in Illinois. Afterward more tornadoes begin to form as the day went on. During the Veterans Day tornado outbreak, tornadoes begin to touch down early in the day as well. In both outbreaks the tornadoes were very intense. While it may be weeks before we know the true intensity of the tornadoes, early reports are a lot of them were strong. So far one tornado has been rated an EF4. Multiple media reports also indicated they were a lot of EF2’s and EF3’s on November the 17th.  The Veterans day tornado outbreak also produced intense tornadoes they were a few F4’s, but they were a lot of F2’s and F3’s. (Note the EF scale replaced the regular Fajita scale in 2007).

Differences

The biggest difference was the Veterans Day tornado outbreak occurred further south and east than November 17th.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the map of the Veterans Day tornado outbreak. The tornadoes were in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio. The November 17th tornado outbreak was more in Illinois,, Indiana, and Ohio. The reason why the Veterans Day tornado outbreak was further south was because of the jet stream. The Jet stream on The Veterans Day tornado outbreak was over Tennessee and Kentucky. That is why a lot of the action was further south. Compared to November 17th the jet stream was farther north in Illinois. Thus, Illinois got the brunt of tornadoes on November 17th. Another difference was climatology. Tornadoes that occur in November often occur in the Southern United States and sometimes getting into extreme southern Ohio. States with a greater than normal tornado threat  in November include: Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky as well as extreme southern Ohio.  So the Veterans day tornado outbreak occurred were a tornado outbreak in November would normally occur. The November 17th tornado outbreak occurred in areas that typically do not see tornado outbreaks in the  year. However outbreaks in the Ohio Valley are not unheard of in November. But, as I have stated historically the South Eastern United States is more prone to tornadoes in November.

Overall, Both November outbreaks were very similar but they did have a few differences as well. Both outbreaks impacted a lot of people and were disasters. While the November 17th outbreak did not occur in a historically tornado hot spot area for Late fall it goes to to show that when ingredients come together tornadoes can occur in any region no matter the season.

2013 NFL season Review week 10

The NFL season has about 6 weeks to go after week 10. After week 10 begins crunch time for teams wanting to  make it to the post season. In week 10 we learned different things about each team.

Here is what we learned.

• Cincinnati Bengals (6-4 record) The Bengals two weeks ago looked like they were the class of the AFC North. Since then the Bengals have lost two games in overtime. The Bengals are still a good team and will probably fight for a playoff spot. but all momentum the Bengals had in week 8 has been deflated a little.
• Baltimore Ravens (4-5 record). Baltimore looked like they were on rebuilding mode and they still are. However, the Ravens got a big win against division Rival Cincinnati. The Ravens are still mathematically in the division race. However the same problem continues to plague the Ravens the receivers are only averaging 2 years per carry. Flacco cannot do everything.
• Cleveland Browns (4-5 record). The Browns were off which is good cause they have a huge game coming up with Cincinnati. The Browns since signing Jason Campbell have been playing much better and the defense has been doing good. Can the Browns make a run at a winning record that remains to be seen. But what we have learned is the Browns are no longer an easy win for teams coming in to play them.
• Pittsburgh Stellers (3-6 record). For the first time in a long time Pittsburgh is probably not going to make the playoffs. Pittsburgh has been playing better football the past two weeks but this is a team that is rebuilding. Ben is trying  to make plays with what he has but you can see the frustration on his face that he no longer has the defense and receivers he had when Pittsburgh was a playoff team
• New England Patriots (7-2 record) The Patriots were off this week. The Patriots are well on their way to another playoff appearance. But New England has not been blowing opponents out like years past. The Patriots are a team full of veterans and are getting up their in years. However this is still a good team overall.
• New York Jets (5-4 record). Okay I admit the Jets have played better than I thought. It seems like since bad boy Sanchez is not able to play the team’s chemistry has improved. Now the Jets still have issues on their passing game and their defense is erratic. But the Jets look like they are on their way back up after having bad seasons the past 3 years. Ryan may have saved his job
• Buffalo Bills (3-7 record). Buffalo should have a better record. The Bills defense is pretty decent as two weeks ago they came so close to upsetting the Chiefs. However Buffalo has issues scoring points. The defense cannot do everything.
• Miami Dolphins (4-5 record). Miami season is slipping a way. To make matters worse the team is in a scandal over bullying of other players. This week Miami did not look focused and lost a game they should have won. In fact the past two weeks Miami has not looked focused. The question is can they put their scandals behind them.
• Indianapolis Colts (6-3 record). The Colts got humiliated in a blowout loss to the Rams. Still this is a good team and is still in the drivers seat to win the AFC South.
• Tennessee Titans (4-5 record). The season is slipping in Tennessee the team has not looked good the past two weeks after having a good showing in the first 5 weeks. It is pretty bad when Jacksonville beats you. Can the Titans recover
• Houston Texans (2-7 record). Things have gotten ugly in Houston this is a team that was supposed to make a run for a super bowl after making the playoff’s the past 3 years. Now this team is not scoring and the defense has fallen apart. Houston is trying to stay out of the cellar.
• Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8 record). Okay Jacksonville won a game, but yes they are still terrible. The finally scored more than 15 points in a game, but while they will not go 0-16 this year. This is not a good team and could very well have a record of 1-15 maybe 2-14 at t he best.
• Kansas City Chiefs (8-0 record). The Chiefs  almost got beat by Buffalo two weeks ago. The Chiefs are a good team but their test is coming when they face the Broncos in the second half as well as the Chargers.
• Denver Broncos (8-1 record). Denver is a very solid team playing good football on offense and defense. They have a chance to claim first place in the AFC west as they face the Chiefs. Still this is a team that could go far in the playoff’s
• San Diego Chargers (4-5 record) San Diego has a good offense led by Rivers. The problem for the Chargers is their defense is not good so they have to slug it out to win. The Chargers though are going to have to play better if they are going to make the playoffs so the defense needs to step it up
• Oakland Raiders (3-6 record). The Raiders are playing how many expected them to play. Though they are bad they are not the worst team and they sometimes can make the game interesting
• Seattle Sea Hawks (9-1 record) Seattle after playing sloppy but still winning came back playing strong this week. Seattle defense is very good and the offense may be inconsistent but this team just finds ways to win games. Seattle is hungry for one thing a Super Bowl
• San Francisco 49ers (6-3 record). The 49ers may not win the NFC west but they are probably going to get in as a wildcard team. This is a good team as they play good defense. The only thing that holds them back is an inconsistent offense. If the offense can get going with the defense watch out.
• Arizona Cardinals (5-4 record). The Cardinals have been playing much better football and are having a better season. Can they keep it up and finish over 500
• St. Louis Rams (4-6 record). The Rams have been hit hard with injuries to key players, but what we have learned is this is a team that does not give up
• Green Bay Packers (5-4 record) Green Bay was getting on a roll and then their main player Rogers got hurt and is out. Since then the team has been playing bad. The back up quarterbacks have not made the plays. Green Bay better hope Rogers comes back soon.
• Chicago Bears (5-3 record) The Bears have gotten Cutler back and have begun to play better can they take advantage of a battered Green Bay team
• Detroit Lions (6-3  record). The lions have played better this year but they seem to have problems scoring. like Chicago can they take advantage of a banged up Packer team
• Minnesota Vikigns (2-7 record).  The Vikings have been playing better but they have dug themselves in a situation that they probably can’t come back. But they have been playing better
• New Orleans Saints (7-2 record). The Saints had a blow victory this weekend to show that they are still in the drivers seat for the NFC South. The Saints are a dangerous team.
•  North Carolina Panthers (6-3 record) The Panthers are becoming a solid team on defense. Cam Newton makes big plays when he needs too. Could North Carolina earn a wildcard spot or take the division from the Saints
• Atlanta Falcons (2-7 record). Things have gotten ugly in Atlanta the team is not scoring the team is giving up too much. The Falcons after being in the playoff’s this year have collapsed and well do not expect a rebound)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8 record). Tampa Bay won its first game but are still dealing with distractions such as the NFL investigating the team for leaking medical records and forcing players who have been injured to play. Yet they won their first game so they will not go 0-16
• Dallas Cowboys (5-5 record) How bad is the NFC East well at 500 the Cowboys are in first place. Dallas though has lost two games in a row and we have learned this team has internal problems can they rebound
• Philadelphia Eagles (5-5 record). The Eagles are very much in the race. Foles is making Philly forget about bad boy Vick. The team does have issues on defense but hey anytime can win this division
• Washington Redskins (3-6 record). Yes at 3-6 they are still in a place to win the East. However RGIII can’t do everything and if this team is going to win the East they have got to play better defense
• New York Giants (3-6 record) Like everybody in the NFC East they are still in it. and they have won 3 games in a row can they continue.

some of the Worst Baseball Teams

Baseball is considered Americas pastime and game and rightfully so. In fact, baseball is the second most popular American sport only behind American Football. Every spring and supper teams wow us with home runs, defensive plays and tight playoff races. However, there have been a lot of teams that fall into a category on their own. The category is some of the worst teams. In this blog I will be highlighting and ranking the worst teams in Baseball.

1. New York Mets (1962, 40-120 record). The New York Mets came to existence in 1962 as an expansion team. Usually expansion teams have a bad year in their first season. However the Mets of 1962 took it one step further. The Mets hold the record as most loses in a season. The offense was anemic as the team’s batting average was only 240. The starting pitching was horrible. Two starters lost 20 games. Roger Craig had a record of 10-24, and Al Jackson had a record of 8-20. The result was a disaster as the Mets lost game after game.
2. Detroit Tigers (2003-43-119 record). The Tigers in 2003 almost broke the Mets record, but avoided it by winning a few games in the final week. The offense was anemic and the the team’s batting average was 238 ouch. The pitching was very bad as Maroth had the best record on the team with a 9-21 record. The other 4 starters lost at least 16 games. No doubt the Tigers of 2003 were one of the worst teams in baseball.
3. Houston Astros (2013 51-111 record). The Houston Astros were terrible in 2013, which was their first year in the American League. Houston at one time was only 10 games under 500 but that is when things went downhill. Houston lost game after game mostly due to an anemic offense which had a team batting average of only 240. The team’s pitching was not very good either. As not one starter had a winning record. A lot of the starters had records of 4-12, 6-10, and 6-17. The best pitcher was youngster Lyles who went 7-9. Houston’s first year in the AL would be one they would like to forget.
4. Arizona Diamondbacks (2004, 51-111 record). Arizona in 2001 won a World Series  and appeared in the playoff’s again in 2002. But in 2004 those were just distance memories. The team traded hero Curt Schilling to Boston. Injuries to all starts Luis Gonzalez and Steve Finlay forced Arizona to bring up minor league players that were not ready. Only one starter had a winning record. Randy Johnson had 31% of the teams wins going 16-14. The other starters lost more than 14 games. Arizona had one of the worst seasons in its young history but it also made them one of the worst teams in baseball.
5. Texas Rangers (1971, 54-100 record). The rangers were well awful in their first season in Texas.  Poor hitting was mostly to blame as the team only hit 56 home runs and had a team batting average of 217.  The team’s pitching was not too bad having a team ERA of 3.54. A lot of times though Texas could not put more than 2 runs in a game sealing their fate as one of the worst teams ever.
6. Atlanta Braves (1988 54-106 record).  The Braves were known for winning a lot in the 1990’s but prior to 1990 the braves were just bad. The team’s offense was not the worst but not very good as the team’s batting average was only 242. What sealed Atlanta’s fate was the starting pitching. 3 starting pitchers lost more than 15 games and not one starter had a winning record. Two young starters that were in the 1988 rotation named Glavine and Smoltz would later have very good careers. But in 1988 things were terrible in Atlanta.
7. Florida Marlins (1998 54-108 record). The Marlins after winning the World Series in 1997 had a fire sale trading every all star player. The result was young players who on good teams would still be in the minors. The Marlin’s offense had a hard time scoring. The pitching was even more terrible. Livan Hernandez had the best record with a respectable 10-12 record before he was traded.  Cliff Floyd led the offense smacking in 22 home runs. However the team could not win and went from first to worst in a year
8. Houston Astros (2012-55-107 record). In 2012 was Houston’s last year in the National League and it would be a season they would like to forget. Houston’s offense was so pathetic only averaging 2-3 runs per game. The team’s batting average was only 235. Houston’s starting pitching was terrible as well.  Only one starter had a decent record at 11-11 and that is what keeps them from ranking higher on the lists. The other starters had records of 7-13 , 5-12 and 3-8. The bullpen was not much better leading the league in blown games. Houston last year in 2012 was a bad memory.
9. Tampa Bay (2002 55-106 record). They Rays offense was not too bad as they did show life hitting 253 as a team. But what drove Tampa Bay down was the pitching. The starting pitching was mostly to blame as all starters lost more than 10 games. The pitchers had record of 4-18, 8-11, 6-12 and 5-10. Tampa Bay pitchers often gave up a lot of runs and the offense could not bail them out.
10. Milwaukee Brewers (2002 56-105 record). The Brewers in 2002 had an okay offense as they did bat over 250 as a team. But the starting pitching is what caused the team to plummet in the standings. Nobody in the starting rotation had a winning record. The starters posted records 10-16, 11-16, 6-11,, 5-13 and 1-7. Milwaukee’s decent offense had a hard time bailing the team out. The starting pitchers on average gave up 5 runs.
11. Kansas City Royals (2004 58-104 record). The Royals in 2004 had a good offense batting 259 as a team but the losing and expensive player Carlos Beltran was traded away. The team’s downfall was its starting pitching. The team’s ace went a woeful 9-19 and the rest of the rotation did not do better. Other starters posted record 6-12, 8-11, and 3-8. The bullpen also was horrible blowing several key games. So yes Kansas City pitching caused them to be in the cellar.

 

Worst SEC Teams

The SEC Conference is known for very competitive football and producing solid football teams. Usually some SEC teams make it to the BCS Bowl series and others usually play in major bowls. The SEC has also produced a lot of National Champions. Alabama (1992), Florida (1996), Tennessee (1998), LSU (2003), Florida (2006), LSU (2007), Florida (2008), Alabama (2009), Auburn (2010), Alabama in 2011 and again in 2012. However, like every conference they are some bad teams and teams that are really really bad. Since 1990 the SEC has had some awful teams which is the highlight of this blog.

1. South Carolina (1999 0-11 record 0-8 conference record ). South Carolina had one of the worst seasons a team can have failing to win 1 game. The offense was very bad scoring only 8 points per game. The quarterbacks pass completion percentage was a woeful 29%. The defense was not much better giving up 30 points on average. The team lost a lot of games with scores 8-40, 10-48, 3-34 etc.
2. Vanderbilt (1990 1-10 record). Vanderbilt in 1990 was horrible. The team’s quarterbacks only had a completion percentage of 40%. To make matters worse the defense was not very good as Vanderbilt gave up the most points in the conference ouch.
3. Kentucky (1994 1-10 record) Kentucky was just horrible in 1994. The offense only averaged 14 points per game and the defense gave up on average 39 points per game.  To make matters worse the quarterbacks completion percentage was a woeful 39%.
4. LSU (1992 2-9 record). LSU is known for being an elite football team, but in 1992 they were anything but that. The offense is what really doomed LSU’s season averaging only 10 points per game. The defense was not much better either giving up 28 points per game.
5. Kentucky (2000 2-9 record 0-8 conference record ). Kentucky offense was not too bad scoring on average 26 points per game. However what made Kentucky horrible was their defense. The Kentucky defense gave up an average of 40 points per game.  Lot of the games were close but Kentucky lost games by scores of 40-34, 34-22 44-31 etc.
6. Vanderbilt (1996, 2-9 record). Vanderbilt had a miserable season in 1995 however the 1996 squad was actually worse. Vanderbilt’s quarterbacks had pass completion percentages of only 32%. To make matters worse the Offense only averaged 10 points per game. The defense was not very good either surrendering 31 points on average.
7. Vanderbilt (1995 2-9 record). Vanderbilt in 1995 was awful. The offense struggled only averaging 12 points per game. Also the quarterbacks could not generate offense either astheir completion percentage was 42%. The defense was even more woeful giving up over 30 points per game. No wonder Vanderbilt was seen as an easy win for other SEC teams.
8. South Carolina (1998 1-10 record). South Carolina should have been better than their record indicated but they were still terrible. The offense averaged 20 points per game and that keeps them from ranking higher on this list. However the defense was a wreck giving up over 33 points per game. The Quarterback completion percentage was not the worst but still not good at 47%.
9. Mississippi State (2003 2-10 record, 1-7 conference record). Mississippi state in 2003 was just awful. The offense averaged 20 points per game. But the Mississippi State defense was one of the worst in the Nation giving up on average 40 points. They may have not been the worst team on the list but they were still terrible.
10. Mississippi State (2002 3-9 record, 0-8  conference record) Mississippi state failed to win a conference game.  The offense was anemic but not the worst scoring 19 points per game. However what did Mississippi State in was a very bad defense. The defense gave up on average close to 30 points per game.
11. Tennessee (2011 5-7 record, 1-7 conference record). A team that went 5-7 one could argue may should not be on the lists.  However the Tennessee squad was horrible. Quarterback Simms had the highest interception rate in the nation and was replaced by Bray. Tennessee suffered blowout loses to rivals Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, and Alabama. Tennessee gave up over 35 points in most of its games.
12. Tennessee (2012 5-7 record, 1-7 conference record). Tennessee’s quarterback Bray wowed people with his arm strength but his accuracy percentage was low. However Tennessee suffered blowout loses to Florida, Georgia and Alabama. The highlight of the year was when Tennessee blew a 35-7 lead in a loss to conference rival Missouri. Tennessee defense was also very bad giving up more than 40 points to conference rivals. Coach Dooley was fired after the season.
13. Auburn (2012 0-8 conference record). Auburn two years ago in 2010 won it all. However by 2012 the team was a wreck. The offense scored on average 18 points. The Defense gave up on average 29 points. The highlight of the season was a 49-0 blowout loss to rival Alabama. Coach Gene was fired shortly after.
14. Arkansas (2012 4-8 record, 2-6 conference record). A year ago in 2011 Arkansas was ranked 3rd in polls behind LSU and Alabama. It was one of the rare times 3 schools from the same conference were ranked 1-3 in AP and BCS polls. Coach Bobby had to resign after a scandal. Coach Smith was brought in just as a fill in. Arkansas had a high scoring offense but what made Arkansas have a bad season was the woeful defense which gave up over 36 points per game. Arkansas despite their bad record made the games interesting so that is what keeps them from being higher on the lists

 

 

Typhoon Haiyan compared to other storms

A few days ago a very powerful Typhoon named Haiyan struck the Philippines. Haiyan made landfall as a category 5 typhoon with winds up to 195 mph and a pressure reading of 895 millibars. Hurricanes are called typhoons in the Asian or Western Pacific tropical region. A hurricane’s strength is measured by its pressure and winds. So, the lower the pressure the stronger the hurricane.  If the information remains unchanged , as sometimes in post analysis data is changed,  Haiyan would rank among the strongest typhoon or hurricanes to impact land. Haiyan may have claimed over 10,000 lives but it may be months before the correct death toll is found out. Haiyan has also done over $ 5 Billion dollars in damages. So were does Haiyan rank among other powerful typhoons or hurricanes? It is also to note any hurricane or Typhoon that has maximum winds over 156 mph is considered a category 5 storm. Category 4 strength is 130-156 mph, Category 3 111-129 mph, category 2 96-110 mph and category 1 74-95 mph.

Storms are ranked based on their lowest pressure readings.

1. Typhoon Tip (1979) Lowest pressure 870 millibars millibars maximum winds 190 mph. Tip at its peak had the lowest pressure ever observed in a tropical system when the central pressure dropped to 870 millibars. Tip impacted the islands of Guam and Japan thankfully though the typhoon had lost some steam when it made landfall. Still over 90 deaths are attributed to Tip
2. Typhoon Nora (1973) Lowest pressure 875 millibars, maximum winds 185 mph. Nora at its peak had a very low pressure at 875 millibars. Thankfully, Nora made landfall in the Philippines at a lower intensity still the storm caused over 60 deaths and $2 million in damages.
3. Typhoon Ida (1958) Lowest Pressure 877 millibars, maximum winds 185 mph. Ida reached its peak between the the Philippines and Japan. Though Ida was not at its peak when it made landfall in Japan it was still a very strong storm with winds estimated to have been between 120-140 mph. Ida claimed over 1,260 lives and cost over $50 million in damages.
4. Hurricane Wilma  (2005) Lowest pressure 882 millibars, maximum winds 185 mph. Wilma formed in the Caribbean in October. While over warm waters Wilma quickly intensified to reach its peak. Wilma broke Gilbert’s record of lowest pressure observed in a hurricane for the Atlantic Basin. Moreover, Wilma was a destructive storm making landfall in Mexico with winds up to 150 mph and then Florida as category 3 hurricane with winds up to 120 mph. In addition Wilma claimed 62 lives, and cost over $29 Billion in damages, with $20.6 Billion to the US.
5. Typhoon Megi (2010) Lowest pressure 885 millibars, maximum winds 185 mph. Megi formed off the coast of the Philippines and rapidly intensified. In fact, Megi like Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines at peak intensity or close to it. Megi claimed over 70 lies and cost over $700 million in damages. Unlike Haiyan Megi came ashore in a semi rural area.
6. Hurricane Gilbert (1988)  Lowest pressure 888 millibars, maximum winds 185 mph. Gilbert held the record for most intense Hurricane in the Atlantic Basin for 17 years until 2005’s Hurricane Wilma passed Gilbert. Gilbert formed over the warm waters of the Caribbean and never stopped intensifying. As Gilbert neared the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula it reached its peak. Moreover, Gilbert made landfall in Mexico close to peak strength as a category 5 hurricane. Gilbert was a costly hurricane claiming 433 lives and costing over $7 Billion in damage. It should be noted Gilbert made landfalls in Jamaica as a category 3 hurricane and a final Landfall in Mexico as a category 3 hurricane.
7.  Labor Day Hurricane (1935) Lowest Pressure 892 millibars, maximum winds 185 mph. The Labor day hurricane formed near The Bahamas over the Gulf Stream the storm quickly intensified. The hurricane quickly gained what is now category 5 hurricane strength. In fact, the hurricane made landfall in Florida at peak strength. This hurricane remains 1 out of 3 category 5 hurricanes to make landfall in the USA the others were Camille and Andrew. The 1935 Labor Day hurricane  is believed to have claimed up to 600 lives and cost over $6 million in damages.
8. Hurricane Rita (2005) Lowest pressure 895 millibars, maximum winds 180 mph. Rita reach its peak over the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita was not at peak when it made landfall in Texas/Louisiana but it was still strong making landfall as a 115 mph hurricane. Rita claimed over 100 lives and cost at least $12 Billion in damages.
9. Hurricane Allen (1980) Lowest Pressure 899 millibars, maximum winds 190 mph. Allen formed off the coast of Africa, but it really got its act together when it entered the Caribbean. Allen quickly intensified reaching category 5 strength 3 times. Allen reached its peak in the Caribbean Sea. Allen made landfall in Texas as a category 3 hurricane. Allen claimed over 260 lives, most in Haiti due to flooding from the storms rain bands, and cost over $1 Billion in damages
10. Typhoon Zeb (1998) Lowest pressure 900 millibars, maximum winds 180 mph. Zeb formed off the coast of the Philippines and quickly reached its peak. The Typhoon came ashore with winds close to 160 mph. Zeb is believed to have claimed over 90 lives and over $750 million in damages.
11. Typhoon Nina (1975) Lowest Pressure 900 millibars, maximum winds 155-165 mph. Nina formed near Taiwan and rapidly developed. Nina came on shore as a 150 mph Typhoon. Nina is believed to have claimed over 229,000 people and cost over $1.2 Billion in damages.
12. Hurricane Katrina (2005) Lowest Pressure 902 millibars, maximum winds 175 mph. Katrina made its first landfall in Florida as a category 1 hurricane, but it reach its peak over the Gulf of Mexico. Katrina quickly intensified to reach winds over 175 mph. Katrina made landfall in Louisiana as a 125 mph hurricane. Katrina is the US costliest hurricane claiming over 1,880 lives and costing over $100 Billion in damages
13. Hurricane Camille (1969) Lowest pressure 905 millibars, maximum winds 190 mph. Camille formed in the Gulf of Mexico and due to the warm waters quickly intensified. Camille reached a peak of 190 mph winds and made landfall at that intensity in Mississippi. Moreover Camille claimed over 250 lives and cost over $1.4 Billion in damages.
14. Hurricane Mitch (1998) Lowest Pressure 905 millibars, maximum winds 180 mph. Mitch formed in the Caribbean sea and due to warm waters and its slow movement Mitch quickly reached its peak just off the  Honduras coast. The hurricane winds and rain hammered Honduras. Though Mitch may not have made landfall at its peak due to land interaction made landfall with winds up to 90 mph it was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin  history. Mitch is believed to have claimed up to 19,000 people and cost over $6 billion in damages.
15. Hurricane Dean (2007) Lowest Pressure 907 millibars, maximum winds 175 mph. Dean formed off the coast of Africa and moved Westward. The storm really got going in the Caribbean  reaching its peak of 175 mph just before landfall. Moreover, dean Made landfall in Mexico at peak strength or close to it. In addition, dean made a second landfall in Mexico as a 100 mph hurricane. Dean overall claimed over 40 lives but it cost $1.6 Billion in damages.
16. Hurricane Ivan (2004) Lowest pressure 910 millibars, maximum winds 165 mph. Ivan formed off the coast of Africa and intensified. The hurricane made landfall in Grenada as a category 3 hurricane. But Ivan reached category 5 strength 3 times in the Caribbean. It was in the Caribbean that Ivan reached its peak. Ivan later made landfall in Alabama and Florida as a 120 mph category 3 hurricane. Ivan was very destructive claiming over 120 lives and costing $18 Billion in damages most of it done to the US
17. Hurricane Kenna (2002) Lowest Pressure 913 millibars, maximum winds 165 mph. Kenna was not the strongest Hurricane in the Eastern Pacific basin as Linda as well as Rick had lower pressures but they did not impact land. Kenna reached its peak over the warm waters of the Eastern Pacific. By the time Kenna made landfall in Mexico Kenna’s winds had come down to 140 mph. Still Kenna was destructive the number of people that perished is unknown but over $100 million dollars in damage is contributed to it.
18. Hurricane Janet (1955) Lowest Pressure 914 millibars, maximum winds 175 mph. Janet formed off of Africa and made landfall in Barbados however it was in the Caribbean that Janet reached its peak. Janet winds quickly reached 175 mph. Janet made landfall in Mexico at peak strength claiming over 1,000 lives and costing over 65 million in damages. It should be noted that Janet caused the deaths of a Hurricane Hunter aircraft crew when their plane was lost in the storm.
19. Hurricane Isabel (2003) Lowest pressure 915 millibars, maximum winds 165 mph. Isabel formed off of Africa and over the warm waters of the Atlantic reached category 5 strength 3 times. Isabel after reaching its peak lost some of its strength but it was still a powerful storm. Isabel made landfall in North Carolina and Virginia as a 105 mph hurricane. The hurricane caused at least 50 deaths and over $5.3 Billion in damages.
20.  Typhoon Ioke (2006) Lowest pressure 915 millibars, Maximum winds 160-170 mph. Ioke formed in the Central Pacific and crossed over into the Western Pacific region. It was in the Western Pacific region that Ioke reached its peak. Ioke impacted Islands owned by the USA costing over $88 million in damages.
21. Hurricane Opal (1995) Lowest Pressure 916 millibars, Maximum winds 150 mph. Opal begin in the Gulf of Mexico quickly reaching its peak. Opal by the time it made landfall in Florida was still a powerful storm with 120 mph winds. Opal claimed over 60 lives and $3.6 Billion in damages.
22. Hurricane Hugo (1989) Lowest pressure 918 millibars, Maximum winds 160 mph. Hugo developed off the coast of Africa and moved west. Over the warm waters of the Atlantic Hugo reached its peak. By the time Hugo made landfall in Puerto Rico its winds were down to 130 mph.  Hugo then would strengthen to 140 mph hurricane. Hugo came ashore in South Carolina as a 140 mph hurricane. Hugo was a destructive hurricane claiming 107 lives and costing over $10 billion dollars in damage
23. Hurricane Gloria (1985) Lowest Pressure 919 millibars Maximum winds 145 mph. Gloria over the warm waters reached its peak as a very strong category 4 hurricane. By the time Gloria made landfalls in North Carolina and later New England winds had come down to 110 mph. Still Gloria was destructive costing $1 Billion in damages.
24. Hurricane Hattie (1961) Lowest Pressure 920 millibars Maximum winds 160 mph. Hattie formed in the Caribbean sea and quickly reached category 5 status. Hattie was still a powerful storm when it made its landfall in Belize as a 140 mph hurricane. The hurricane claimed over 300 lives and cost over $60 million in damages.
25. Hurricane David (1979) Lowest pressure 924 millibars, Maximum winds 175 mph. David formed off the Coast of Africa and approached the Windward Islands. It was near the Dominican Republic that David reached its peak. David made landfall in the Dominican Republic as a 175 mph category 5 hurricane. It should be noted that David made over landfalls in Cuba as a Category 1 hurricane , Florida as a category 2 hurricane, and Georgia as a category 1 hurricane. However, David did most of its damage in the Dominican republic claiming over 2,000 lives and costing over $1.5 Billion in damages.
26. Hurricane Felix (2007) Lowest Pressure 929 millibars, Maximum winds 165 mph. Felix formed in the Caribbean and over the warm waters quickly reached its peak. Felix made landfall in Nicaragua at peak strength. Felix based on pressure may not have been the most intense hurricane to make landfall, but it was destructive. Felix claimed over 130 lives and cost over $700 million in damages.

So were does Haiyan rank? Haiyan assuming the pressure readings will not be changed ranks in the top 10 as most intense Hurricanes or Typhoons. It is rare to see Hurricanes or Typhoons to have pressure lower than 920 millibars. It is rare but sometimes Hurricanes and Typhoons can have pressures lower than 900 millibars. Haiyan was a rare intense storm that was very destructive.

week 11 review in College Football

Week 11 in NCAA football had some upsets and some good games. Most teams have 3 or 4 games left. A lot can happen in the next 3 weeks. I will be covering certain teams in this review.

Alabama (SEC Conference 9-0 record)– Alabama looked like they had finally met a team that was going to give them a run for it in LSU. However Alabama showed why it was an elite team scoring 21 points in the second half and holding LSU to just 3 points. Alabama will have its test and work cut out for it when it plays Auburn. Alabama still looks to be focused on winning another title

Auburn (SEC Conference 8-1). Auburn has emerged as a contender for the title but they are showing that they are a threat to their instate rival the Tide. Auburn beat Tennessee 55-23. Auburn is a good team and a team that can score a lot of runs quickly.

Stanford (PAC 12 Conference  8-1 record). Stanford’s defense has been lights out. How good is Stanford’s defense they shut out Oregon for 3 quarters in a 26-20 Stanford Victory. Stanford has put themselves in title contention. Stanford may not score a lot of runs but they keep the other team from scoring

Florida State (ACC Conference 9-0 record). Florida state is scary they have just crushed their opponents. Florida State not only scores but their defense has been lights out. Florida State should win the ACC Championship and are in the title hunt. This Seminoles team is looking like the Seminoles of old.

Ohio State (Big 10 Conference 9-0 record). Ohio is title contenders and they have been scoring. However no offense to Ohio fans, Ohio has really not played anybody challenging so far this year. Ohio’s test could be in the big 10 championship game.

Baylor (Big 12 Conference 8-0 record). Baylor was supposed to have their hands full with Oklahoma. Instead Baylor ran right through Oklahoma in another blowout. Baylor is in the drivers seat to win the Big 12 conference and earn a BCS bowl birth. Baylor’s text is division rival Texas. Baylor just scores and scores some more

Oregon (PAC 12 conference 8-1 record). Oregon played sloppy in their game with Stanford and got burned. Oregon could still win the PAC 12 and they are still title contenders. However it is now obvious if teams have a dominating defense they can shutout Oregon. Oregon defense which is not horrible could not stop Stanford from getting 1st downs. Oregon is still a dangerous team but maybe not as dangerous as once though.

Missouri (SEC Conference 9-1 record)-Missouri with its high powered offense dominated Kentucky in another blow out win. Missouri keeps lighting up the scoreboard every time they take the field. However like Oregon teams that have a good defense can limit them. Missouri will probably win the SEC East which means they will probably be playing Alabama or Auburn in the SEC Game

Texas (Big 12 Conference, 7-2 record). Texas is still leading the Big 12 and they could still win it. However Texas as in their West Virginia game showed they are still sloppy on defense. Texas will have its test when it plays Baylor. Can Texas pull off an upset like they did against Oklahoma

Clemson (ACC Conference 8-1 record). Clemson had a crushing loss to their rival Florida state. However since then Clemson has been winning. Clemson is a good team and as of this writing they have climbed back up into the top 10 in rankings. Clemson’s offense is a good as they score.

Oklahoma (big 12 Conference, 7-2 record). Oklahoma suffered a huge loss against Baylor. That loss was significant cause it took Oklahoma out of the Title picture as well as winning the big 12. Oklahoma is still a good team and will go to a major bowl game but they will not be playing in a BCS Bowl

LSU (SEC Conference, 7-3 record). LSU has looked like they would give Alabama a run for their money but the Alabama pulled away in the second half. LSU defense which is normally good could not stop Alabama. LSU has had 3 key loses to Georgia, Ole Miss, and Alabama. LSU is still a good team but we have learned that LSU is not dominating like it has been in the past.

Texas A&M (SEC Conference 7-2 record). Texas A&M scores and that is how they are having to win games. This team’s defense is not very good as they once again gave up 40 points to Mississippi State. Texas A&M has to score at least 50 points to win a game. Texas A&M plays a better defensive team in LSU soon so it is possible they could lose again.

Georgia (SEC Conference 6-3 record). Georgia should be ranked much higher had it not been for injuries. Georgia will most likely get to a decent bowl game. However it is not a BCS Bowl or the SEC championship game. Georgia plays Auburn next week. Georgia has nothing to lose. Georgia at least has been getting a look at next years squad.

Florida (SEC Conference 4-5 Record). Florida has not looked this bad in well a long time. The offense is not getting many drives and the defense has been hit with injuries. How bad is it in Florida some are calling for a new Coach. Florida is having to rebuild. Florida needs to win 2 more games to qualify for a bowl game. Can they do it if Florida fails to get to a bowl game it will be the first time in a long time