Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Championship Edition)

Peyton Manning, once again, found a way to win and keep the Golden University Cinderella season alive. Will he have enough left in the tank to take down the heavily favored, regular season champions, Twin City Tech?


Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Championship Edition)
By Joe Heisman, EhSPN


Here we are, finally, and once again without Cam, how could he be so foolish to miss the two most important weeks of the football season. Anyways, Joe Heisman here to give you all of your necessary information for the most anticipated game of the year, the Conference Championship game presented by Pabst Blue Ribbon.

This year we have a true David vs. Goliath match-up after top seeded Twin City Tech dismantled (4) Bud Heavy University, and (6) Golden University embarrassed (2) Busch University on their home turf to advance.

Will we finally see a regular season champion show why the earned the best record in the league, or will we have another upset from Golden University, who can’t seem to lose behind leader Peyton Manning. Let’s break down the position-by-position match-ups and see if we can come to a conclusion.

Quarterback
2 Veteran leaders. 2 Quarterbacks whom each have a Conference Championship with different schools. Both teams have a great foundation here with their leaders under center. Peyton Manning (GU) is averaging 18ppg in the playoffs, while Kurt Warner (TCT) is averaging just under 10ppg. If Warner wants to lead his team to the trophy, he is going to need to bring a little more output to the table. For now, I’ll stay with the hot hand.
Advantage: Golden, by a slight margin

Running Back
In his first year as a starter, Michael Turner (GU) has torn up the opposing defense to the tune of 1,421 yards and a league leading 15 TDs on the ground. You don’t get better than that in the FAC-10 this year. With Stephen Jackson (GU) running by Turner’s side the Golden backfield will look to shred through the Twin City Tech defense this weekend.

However, the Raiders have no slouches in their backfield. Clinton Portis (TCT) has run for 1,337 yards (3rd best in the conference) and 7 TDs, while Dominic Rhodes (TCT) has done a nice job coming into replace injured Joseph Addai, finding pay dirt 8 times (6 rushing, 2 receving) for himself.

With Turner and Jackson averaging just under 100ypg and a TD a piece, its tough to pick against them.
Advantage: Golden

Wide Receiver
If the Golden is going to be able to win this game, this is whom they need to stop. Twin City Tech boasts 3 of the conferences best WRs, with their three headed monster of Randy Moss (TCT), Roddy White (TCT), and Andre Johnson (TCT). Together they have accumulated 3,626 yards to go with 22 TDs on the year, including 12ppg in the playoffs. It is impossible to find that production in any other receiving core within the FAC-10.

Golden counters with Reggie Wayne (GU), Antonio Bryant (GU) and Santonio Holmes (GU). The core of receivers has been able to amass totals of 2,733 yards through the air with 15 TDs on the season. However, Bryant has been the best receiver of the playoffs by far turning in 308 yards and 3 TDs in two games, while making the best catch of the season to propel Golden past DUBA in the 1st round. If Golden has any chance, they will need another Superman type effort from Antonio.
Advantage: Twin City Tech, its not even close

Tight End
Again, showing that Twin City Tech is superior in their Air Attack to Golden, Tony Gonzalez (TCT) has been head and shoulders above everyone else in the TE category this year. The 32 year old has kept true to his Hall-of-Fame form, leading the conference with 941 yards receiving and 8 TD grabs. Tony Scheffler (GU) has come nowhere close to that gathering just 514 yards through the air with 2 TDs.
Advantage: Twin City Tech, again, its not even close

Kicker
In what could be a deciding factor for the Championship game, each team features one of the top 2 kickers in the league. Rob Bironis (GU) is averaging 9.82ppg, while Stephen Gotskowski (TCT) is averaging 9.67ppg. That is as close as it gets in the position match-ups for these squads, it’ll come down to who gets the most chances this weekend.
Advantage: Push

Defense
Patrick Willis (TCT) has been a model of consistency for the Raiders all season, coming into the league 2nd in solo tackles and 3rd in total defensive points. But on the other side, the Gryphons have the best big play defender in the league with Ed Reed (GU). If Reed can come up with the big plays he has all season Golden has a chance.
Advantage: Twin City Tech, slightly


We have two teams with differencing philosophies, and it will be interesting to see what happens with the two bang heads. Golden keeps the ball on the ground and Twin City Tech airs it out. On paper, Twin City Tech appears to be the favorite and the bookies in Vegas seem to agree making them a 7pt early favorite. If Golden can keep the ball out of the hands of Warner and the TCT receivers though, anything can happen.

That is just something that is too tough to do with all those weapons.

Let the league know who you think is going to win by voting in this poll and commenting below.

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Pabst Blue Ribbon Llama Bowl (Finals)
(1) Twin City Tech 100, (6) Golden University 76

Keystone Light Ghetto Bowl (Consolation)
(2) Busch University 90, (4) Bud Heavy University 74

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League Notes
-Andre Johnson was recently referred to as Superman by Twin City's hometown publication. When Andre was questions by reporters about it, he said, "Isn't Superman white? I see myself as more as the Nighthawk."
-Wilmington, MA natives and Athletic Directors for Bud Heavy University and Busch University, Kevin Neville and Dave Celli were seen together, consoling each other after their loses on Monday night. They each had no comment on the event, however, they were sure to announce it was strictly heterosexual consoling.
-DUBA Oktoberfests top official, Brad Bodell, has reportedly not stopped drinking since last weeks last second loss to Golden. In an effort to keep the record going and to pay him for his teams effort, the President of Golden University has sent Mr. Bodell enough of a supply of Coors Light to last until next seasons training camp.

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Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Conference Semi-Finals Edition)

Antonio Bryant hauls his second TD of the night, with what many FAC-10 journalists might say is the play of the year, to sink the DUBA Oktoberfests in the largest playoff comeback in conference history. Can Bryant and the Gryphons take this momentum and turn it into their first conference championship in team history?




Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Conference Semi-Finals Edition)
By Joe Heisman, EHSPN

What a week for my buddy Cam to take an early vacation! Some speculate he needed it after his beloved Wildcats couldn’t sneak into the playoffs on the final day of conference play, but with a start like 3-7, who would even think they had a chance?

Anyway, while Cam is away at play, what a helluva week we had in the FAC-10. Two nail biters that went down to the final minutes. Golden University went into the 4th quarter down 20 points without a prayer, the team thinking about their 4th consecutive first round lost, then transfer WR Antonio Bryant thought he’d make a Bobby Boucher like appearance and lead his team to the promise land of the semi-finals. Who knew with 2 minutes and 47 seconds left in the game he would be hauling in his 2nd TD pass to go along with 200 receiving yards in the quarter to propel the Gryphons to the absurd upset win.

Meanwhile, Bud Heavy was quite nervous going into the 4th quarter of their game with Az.-Kickery, holding onto a slim 10-point lead and the Kickery defense coming out on fire. 300 rushing yards and 4 TDs later though, AD Kevin Neville texted his good friend from Golden and AD of school, “We are going to run our way to the finals, see you there!” Az.-Kickery head coach later revealed in the press conference after the loss that he made a mistake using the Tampa 2 scheme and should’ve used the 3-4 against Bud Heavy. He finished with, “That is just how this season has gone.”

On to the Final Four:

(1) Twin City Tech vs. (4) Bud Heavy University

After clinching the regular season title and a first round bye for the 2nd year in a row, #1 seed Twin City Tech will be looking to fire on all cylinders after the week break against #5 Bud Heavy University. However, last season hailed starters QB Tom Brady and WR Randy Moss carried Tech all season long, yet delivered the stinker of a lifetime in their playoff match-up, allowing the University of Mexico to make its way to its 2nd conference title in three years.

Earlier this year, Tech and Bud Heavy gave the FAC-10 its closest finish ever with Twin City winning 87.02-87.01. This time around I believe Head Coach Kevin Neville will be smart enough to place a defensive scheme in to practice this week and upset the heavily favored Raiders, once again keeping the #1 seed from reaching the championship in the FAC-10.

(2) Busch University vs. (6) Golden University

Golden University has moved on in the last two weeks by the skin of their teeth each time, just sneaking into the playoffs while every 6-6 team lost, by the slimmest of margins (2.63 pts). Then pulling off a miraculous 20-point comeback on the tough to stop, run-heavy team of DUBA. QB Peyton Manning is doing just enough with the offense to squeak out wins, and who is to say that he will not keep the steak going, riding the momentum of last week into the lackadaisical eyes of Busch University, coming off the bye week. I’m not going to be the one to pick against them. They’ve already beat Busch in Week 8 this year. I’m looking for a repeat of that game, very close with Peyton Manning pulling it out in the end.

However, D’angelo Williams tore up the Golden D for 108 yards and a TD and Adrian Peterson was on the bench. So anything can happen in a game of this magnitude, we’ll see who can shed the semi-final nerves the quickest.

Arizona-Kickery will travel to DUBA to participate in this year’s Samuel Adams Falcon Bowl. I expect these teams to put up the biggest point totals of the week, while the coaches sit back and hand the reigns off to the QBs in what we in this business call the “Who gives a shit, let’s pad our stats” game.

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Semi-Finals
(4) Bud Heavy University 81, (1) Twin City Tech 79
(6) Golden University 84, (2) Busch University 72

Samuel Adams Falcon Bowl
(3) DUBA Oktoberfests 90, (5) University of Arizona-Kickery 80

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League Notes
-The recently suspended WR Matt Jones signed with the S.U.C.H. this week. Apparently the purest form of cocaine is found in Vegas.

-Busch University dropped TE Vernon Davis after the BYE week. AD Dave Celli said, “Being the best blocking tight end does not score us any damn points.” Jeremy Shockey will be in for most of the snaps this week.

-After catching wind of the Busch University roster move, Golden AD Mike Comtois plans on suiting up DB Ed Reed this week for the semi-final matchup. Ed was begging for the roster move, saying, “[Jeremy] Shockey is a bitch, he can’t block me, he can’t burn me, can he even catch anymore?”

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