Feel Da Paign Sports Blog

      Like the video says, it’s been awhile. Thanks to my busy school schedule, I haven’t been doing much writing this semester, on this site anyway, but that’s about to change. My plan is to get Feel Da Paign going again, especially with the college basketball season heating up, much like the seat Ron Zook is sitting on right now. So yeah, I’ve got more to come… just letting you know I’m not dead in the gutter somewhere.

-Derek Piper

Follow me on Twitter @FeelDaPaign

                 NFL players are back to work and with that comes the challenge of baring the heat wave that has swept the country recently.  Warm temperatures should be nothing new for Bears QB Jay Cutler, however, after having the thermostat turned up on him by the entire football community last January for an early exit in the NFC Championship game.

                It was a chance for everyone to get their shots in at Cutler, who has been criticized for just about everything during his young career. Throwing too many interceptions, not playing nice with the media, blaming his receivers and “wimping out” after injuring his MCL against Green Bay have all been gripes with Cutler. Want to know more, I’m sure Trent Dilfer would be glad to add to the list.

                The game against the Packers has long been decided though, Bears fans have almost forgotten about the nausea caused by watching Todd Collins play quarterback and the Lombardi trophy is safely locked at Lambeau Field. The Bears are trying to leave those moments in the past but the pressure facing Cutler to step up this season is at an all-time high.

                Bears faithful have seen their quarterback play on both sides of the spectrum while in Chicago. When Cutler is on his game, he can look like an All-Pro quarterback. Other times he has been not so good. Take his last eight games for example. Five of those eight games, Cutler finished with a QB rating over 100, all leading to Bears victories.

                Two of those games included crucial home matchups with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets, both playoff teams, where Cutler totaled 8 TD’s (1 rushing) and 1 INT. Take those performances away and the Bears don’t win the division. On the other hand, the additional three games to finish the season included two losses to the Packers and a thrashing from Tom Brady and the Patriots. Cutler was a non-factor in each of those contests, throwing 6 INT’s and no TD’s in 10 quarters of play.

                Now it’s time for Cutler to take the next step if the Bears hope to win in an increasingly tough division. Cutler has done his part this offseason, becoming more of a vocal leader and organizing all of the Bears workouts during the lockout. He also has a healthy knee, which is good news for everyone in Bears camp.

                Cutler is going to need a little help from his friends on offense though, which is exactly what he did not have from his offensive line on numerous occasions in 2010. It is unknown whether the departure of C Olin Krutez will make Cutler’s life any easier, but from the reaction out of Bears camp it seems like the players did not like the move.

                The same can be said about the loss of Cutler’s favorite target Greg Olsen, who appeared to have too much talent to play tight end for Mike Martz. The addition of WR Roy Williams has been under speculation as well, having many Bears fans wondering how much of an upgrade Williams is to the position. Sure, Cutler was in need of a big target to go along with the speed of Knox and Hester, but Roy Williams isn’t Brandon Marshall.

                Williams had a monster season under Mike Martz in 2006 while with the Lions, totaling 1,310 receiving yards and 6 TD’s, making for a Pro Bowl selection. That was five years ago, however, and Williams had only 1,324 yards in his 35 games as a Cowboy.

                 This is a big season for Cutler and the Bears as a whole. There is no less talent in training camp right now than there was in 2006 when the Bears went all the way to the Super Bowl. It is not going to be easy to get past Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, but each of the three games between the rivals in 2010-2011 could have gone either way. The Bears will go as far as Cutler can take them, Cutler’s performance along with the pieces around him will determine just how far that will be.

-Derek Piper

     Same can be said about Octavio Dotel (2-1, 3.68 ERA), who adds a late inning option out of a very shaky bullpen. The Cardinals still need to work on finding a closer, however. Dotel once saved 34 games in a season, but that was 7 years ago.

     Rounding out the deal is OF Corey Patterson and LHP Marc Rzepczynski. Rzepczynski, 25, pitched very well out of the bullpen in Toronto this year (2.97 ERA w/ 10 holds) and adds a much need lefty arm in St. Louis. Also leaving the Cardinals is RHP P.J. Walters, LHP Trevor Miller and LHP Brian Tallet.

     Rasmus, who struggled in his 3rd season with the Cardinals, was hitting only .182 in the month of July but had shown signs of life lately, hitting two homeruns in his last three games. In addition to his underachieving play, Rasmus was also making waves with the Cardinals and manager Tony LaRussa for “not listening” to Cardinals coaches.

     It is obvious that Rasmus was not living up to the hype, right away at least, but he is still extremely young and talented. Who knows where he could be 5 years down the road, which is exactly why it is so puzzling why the Cardinals would agree to this trade.

      Winning now looks to be more important to Mozeliak than winning in the future because the Cardinals will regret this trade down the road. The same could be said about the Chris Perez-Mark Derosa trade of two years ago. This is a bad trade for the Cardinals, and if they miss the playoffs it will be a seismic failure.

-Derek Piper

Where is everybody???

       What’s goin’ on? I hope everybody is surviving the heat. Not much is happening in Champaign these days. School is still out, making the University of Illinois campus as dead as Jim Tressel’s chances of winning Big Ten coach of the year. Nonetheless, there is always action going on in the sports world, so let’s get to it.

        Technically, it’s baseball season so I’ll start there. So much for baseball not being an exciting sport, there is not one division where there is a clear cut winner. The Los Angeles Angels, who are four games behind the Rangers, are the furthest back of any second place team.

        When division races are neck and neck, the trading deadline becomes that much more important, making this year’s version extremely crucial. Which team will snag Heath Bell? Do the Rockies trade Ubaldo Jimenez, who is just one year removed from a 16-2 record to finish the month of July?

       There are plenty of other players with the potential of being on the move. In St. Louis, it’s centerfielder Colby Rasmus. Once regarded as the Cardinals’ top prospect, Rasmus has seemingly fell from grace in the eyes of management. The 24 year old has struggled this season, hitting only .241 with 9 homeruns and 36 RBI’s, and has not shown any signs of getting better (.122 AVG, 1 HR, 4 RBI’s in the month of July). Rasmus is still very young and could get it turned around at some point, but with the need of another pitcher and/or reliable bat down the stretch, the Cardinals just may pull the trigger for the right price.

       Remember the days when the Pittsburgh Pirates were the brunt of every baseball joke? So much that even Cubs fans could make fun of them? Well, those days are over. It was hard to see then, but trading Jason Bay, Aramis Ramirez, Freddy Sanchez, etc. has now paid off. The Buccos have a plethora of young talent and they don’t look to be going anywhere. Lead by All-Star CF Andrew McCutchen, the Pirates find themselves smack dab in the hunt to, not only finish above .500 (something they haven’t done since 1992), but win the division. Congrats Pirates fans, you deserve it.

       As much as I love baseball, I am itching for football season to start. I cannot wait until Saturdays bring orange shirts, tailgating and winning football back to Champaign. Some seem to doubt whether the last thing mentioned will make its way to Champaign in 2011, but a surprise is coming your way. Want proof? When is the last time a freshman QB played as well as Nathan Scheelhaase for a full season in the Big Ten? Terrelle Pryor had some pretty good numbers, but he sold those too.

       Speaking of Ohio State, it has been reported that Jim Tressel had compliance issues dating back to the 2005-2006 season. I guess there was more hidden under that sweater-vest than we thought.

       Reports are that the NFL lockout is finally coming to an end. That’s cool and all but what am I supposed to do with the $100 million safe house I built to guard against all the crime Ray Lewis was talking about?

         The Illinois basketball alumni game is less than 3 weeks away. Many of the great stars of recent memory will be in attendance, including Deron Williams, Dee Brown, Brian Cook, etc. However, former Illini great Kiwane Garris is still undecided whether he will play or not, after recently voicing his displeasure with the Illini for not hanging his jersey at the Assembly Hall among many of the other participants. Garris called it a “smack in the face” for not receiving that honor despite ranking 2nd in Illini history in scoring (1948 points) and 5th in assists (502). Illinois should do the right thing and put #22 up there as soon as possible.

       That’s about it for now. Follow me on Twitter @FeelDaPaign. Peace.

-Derek Piper

5. Michigan at Michigan State, Oct 15 TBD

These two teams don’t particularly like each other. After taking a two year break from the rivalry, Michigan State beat the Wolverines 34-17 at the Big House, extending their winning streak to three against their rivals.

This game will feature some great offense, including two of the best quarterbacks the Big Ten has to offer in Denard Robinson and Kirk Cousins. The winner might be the first team to score 60.

4. Michigan at Ohio State, Nov 26 TBD

The scumbags are gone, ala Jim Tressel, Rich Rodriguez, Terrelle Pryor, but the rivalry is not going anywhere. The past seven years have been all Buckeyes, but Brady Hoke and Heisman Trophy candidate Denard Robinson would like to change that.

This game won’t have the magnitude of the 2006 version, in which the teams ranked one and two in the entire country, but it’s still Ohio State and Michigan. Buckeye fans hope they have the next version of Troy Smith at quarterback, while the faithful in Ann Arbor just want their defense to stop somebody this season.

3. Wisconsin at Illinois, Nov 19 TBD

It’s never easy predicting how the bipolar Illini football team will perform in any given season. When they are primed to breakout, they disappoint, and when you forget they are even there, they shock the college football world. So what will it be this season? No Mikel Leshoure. No Martez Wilson. No Corey Liguet. The Illini won’t do anything this season right? Well, that’s what they want you to think.

Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase returns after a great freshman season and looks to be even better in 2011. The young QB finished last year on a high note, throwing 13 TD’s and 1 INT in his final seven games. Few freshman quarterbacks get the opportunity to start every game in the Big Ten, but Scheelhaase did and that experience will make him that much better this year.

The Illini won’t be many people’s pick to challenge in the Big Ten in 2011, but a favorable schedule could set up a big game in Champaign against the Badgers. With the Buckeyes in a state of chaos, Illinois may be the only challenger to the Badgers in the Leaders Division. It may seem crazy, but this game could decide who plays in Indianapolis in December.

2. Wisconsin at Ohio State, Oct 29 8 pm EST

The Buckeyes may be down this season, but don’t think for a second they have forgotten about last season’s game against the Badgers. Ohio State entered the matchup as the #1 team in the nation but everything changed after Badgers wide receiver David Gilreath returned the opening kick for a touchdown.

Wisconsin won the game, handing the Buckeyes their only loss of the season, as Madison partied hard to Jump Around all night long. This year will be different for the Buckeyes, acknowledging the absence of Terrelle Pryor, Jim Tressel, and possibly the opportunity for a bowl game, but the hunger will still be there.

Could this be the game where the Buckeyes get revenge and end the Badgers undefeated season? Or will Wisconsin have their way with the wounded? The answer will depend on how the Buckeyes react to the situation and how quickly Braxton Miller will progress at quarterback.

1. Nebraska at Wisconsin, Oct 1 8pm EST

Forget saving the best for last. That must have been the thinking of the Big Ten when they clashed the two best teams in the conference on the opening weekend of Big Ten play. Aside from featuring two potential top-10 teams, this game will be the battle of the newcomers.

Nebraska enters the Big Ten after a solid 10-4 season in 2010. Freshman sensation Taylor Martinez dazzled early on, having many people talking Heisman. Those talks tailed off however, much like the Huskers, as Martinez played like a Freshman quarterback down the stretch, scoring only one touchdown in his final 4 games.

Now Martinez returns, along with senior defensive tackle Jared Crick who may be the best defensive lineman in the nation in 2011. Both will be key for Nebraska’s chances in the Big Ten and this game.

On the Wisconsin side, quarterback Russell Wilson should make his Big Ten debut in front of a rocking crowd at Camp Randall. Expectations vary for Wilson in Madison, but many feel that he could play a huge role for a team that was in pretty good shape without him.

The atmosphere for this game will be insane. Few teams march into Camp Randall and leave with a win, especially in primetime games. There is no question this is the best game the Big Ten has to offer, and the winner will be the favorite to win the Big Ten Championship in December.

-Derek Piper