From Preps to the Pros: Your 2018 Massachusetts Football Primer

With two of state's best linemen returning up front and a star dual-threat QB, Lincoln-Sudbury will host my most interesting Week 1 matchup against Western Mass power Springfield Central.

 By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Do you feel that? That chill in the air?

Ok, so maybe it was just mostly in the 80s instead of the 90s this week, but after the summer we've had here in Massachusetts, I'm taking what I can get.

But, believe it or not, fall is fast approaching, and that means it is football season, and, as editor Matt Feld said, there are plenty of storylines to watch across the Commonwealth. SuiteSports will again have you covered for all your MIAA high school football needs, but I will be taking a much more passive role.

The aforementioned Mr. Feld will be your point guy for coverage this fall, and he kicked things off Monday with our Preseason All-State team. As I head back to school to pursue my goal of becoming a teacher, and continue to work outside of journalism, I'm pretty much going to be an involved fan this year.

So, I figured since I'm basically just a fan, I'd write a fan's blog about what I'm excited to watch in Massachusetts football this year, starting at the high school level, and going all the way up to the college and pro dudes.

Here's what I got for ya.

RADIO: Boston College Football and Shrewsbury Legion Baseball

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Fall sports are nearly upon us, and this week's edition of "The Local Sports Lunchbox" on WPKZ recapped a wild summer for Shrewsbury's American Legion baseball team with star pitcher Matt Stansky. Hear about Post 397's magical run, and Stansky's experience winning the MIAA Super 8 on a loaded St. John's (Shrewsbury) squad.

Then, at about the 19-minute mark, we discussed Boston College's upcoming football season with BCInterruption Football Editor A.J. Black. What should we expect from the Eagles, and can they surprise some people, both in the ACC, and across the country? I'm slightly more optimistic than A.J....

Finally, legendary (and newly retired) Clinton High School basketball coach and AD Tony Gannon and I talk the start of fall sports around the MIAA. Listen in for all that, and more, in this week's show below.

No, You Shouldn't Feel Bad for Aaron Hernandez, But Don't Forget Who Enabled Him

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

I must admit, I didn't know how to react yesterday when I learned that Aaron Hernandez, the former New England Patriots and Florida Gators star turned convicted murderer, had hanged himself in his jail cell overnight.

While I don't think I've ever been happy to hear someone died, especially when they have taken their own life, I also couldn't summon any sympathy for Hernandez, a guy who, thanks to his immense athletic gifts, had the world at his fingertips.

Yet, for whatever reason, the 27-year old former All-American's temper and temperament led him to a life of aggressive crime, including a murder conviction in the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, and being tried with a 2012 double-homicide in Boston. Hernandez was, ultimately, found not guilty of those two murders earlier this week, but has also settled out of court with a former friend who accused Hernandez of shooting him in the face outside of a Miami strip club in 2013, and police are still looking into a 2007 Gainesville double-shooting that a young Hernandez may have been involved in.

In the coming days, we're going to hear all the theories as to why Hernandez threw it all away to become a violent criminal.

His father died when he was a teenager, causing him to resist authority at every turn. This is true. He fell in with the wrong crowd, both in his hometown of Bristol, Connecticut, and on the roster of a late 2000s Florida Gator team that is looking dirtier by the day. Also true.

But guess what? Tons of athletes come from troubled backgrounds where they lost parents, or had parents walk out on them, and not all of them became murderers. You can look into every "troubled" part of his background but, at the end of the day, Hernandez was a murderous psychopath who seemed to respond to every bit of adversity with violence, just as he did in 2007 when he punched a bar employee in the face after being asked to leave.

It's okay to not feel bad for him. In fact, I'd say it's a perfectly human response.

Your NCAA Football Week 5 Primer (With Picks!)

Jarbill Peppers and No. 4 Michigan will host No. 8 Wisconsin in The Big House Saturday.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Holy cow, do we have a great week on tap.

Six of the Top-10 teams in the country are playing each other, with a Top-10 match up taking place in the Pac 12, Big Ten and ACC.

Catch up, SEC, you're slacking! Don't worry Big 12, we know it just isn't your year. Maybe if you had invited Houston last year...

But it isn't just about those three massive games, as almost every other ranked team is in action against a league opponent or major conference foe (Arkansas, of the SEC, and San Diego State being the only exceptions).

So, let's not waste any more time, let's get into this week's picks.

Your NCAA Football Week 4 Primer (With Picks!)

Louisville sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson introduced himself to the country with a massive game against Florida State last week.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

After three weeks, it seems like we have three teams that have separated themselves from the pack a bit.

All due respect to Clemson for getting back on track last night against a pretty good Georgia Tech team, but Louisville showed it was the team to be feared in the ACC. The Cardinals put 63 points on then-No. 2 Florida State, and quarterback Lamar Jackson asserted himself as the early Heisman Trophy favorite.


With a cannon arm and ridiculous athleticism, the sophomore from Boynton Beach, Florida looks like the second-coming of Mike Vick (or was he still Michael Vick back then?).

The Cardinals' defense was equally impressive, holding FSU's Deondre Francois to 7/18 passing for just 101 yards, and negative 34 yards on the ground. Yeah, it was utter domination on both sides of the ball by Louisville.

Alabama had to come back to beat an Ole Miss team they always seem to struggle with, but the Tide are still undefeated, and as long as they are, it's hard not to call them a national title favorite. In the Big Ten, Ohio State looks great again, and the Buckeyes' domination of Oklahoma gives them a slight edge (in my mind) over hated rival Michigan… At this point in the year.

Your NCAA Football Week 3 Primer (With Picks!)

Florida State running back Dalvin Cook is a tough man to get a hold of.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Man, last week was weird.

We didn't even have one match up of ranked teams, but there were still plenty of wild games, including Central Michigan knocking off Oklahoma State, proving that you should stop betting on teams from Oklahoma this year. Meanwhile, both Clemson and Georgia nearly lost to schools you couldn't find on a map, causing many to re-think their preseason expectations in the ACC Atlantic and SEC East.

Bascially, last week kicked my butt. After starting 10-5 against the spread in Week 1, I went an abysmal 5-13 last week, as I pressed pretty much all the wrong buttons (Texas is due for a down game… Clemson is about to explode… Alabama always covers against weak teams… Iowa State always plays Iowa tough…).

Yeah, I feel a little silly about all those, but onward we go with our Week 3 preview and picks.

This week's slate is a little better, as we get four different meetings of ranked teams, and a few other games featuring ranked teams battling major conference competition.

Here are my (potentially awful) picks for every game featuring a ranked team.

Your NCAA Football Week 2 Primer (With Picks!)

Pitt running back James Conner's return from Hodgkin Lymphoma has been one of the feel-good stories of the early season. His Panthers will host Penn State Saturday, renewing the in-state rivalry for the first time since 2000.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Have you caught your breath from last week yet?

I'm just getting there, what with the Houston domination, Florida State comeback and Texas looking (sorta) like Texas again. Or maybe Notre Dame is bad again, who knows?

Oh yeah, and Alabama is still Alabama. That's why I told you last week to hedge all your national title bets with a decent sized wager on the Crimson Tide. It's boring, but my Oklahoma bet ain't looking so great right now, and my Florida State pick was on life support at halftime, so sometimes boring is good.

Anyways, you're gonna have a little more time to catch your breath, because we don't have even one battle of ranked teams this week. Yeah, it's a pretty bare slate, but at least we get a pair of in-state rivalries renewed.

Let's get to the picks against the spread for all games featuring ranked teams, and a few select other games.

College Football is (really) Back… Let's Gamble!

Deshaun Watson opens as one of the year as a favorite to win the Heisman, and his Clemson Tigers are expected to again contend for a national title.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)


Ed. Note- Obviously, we do not condone illegal gambling. Only place bets at legitimate sports books (I had my sister throw down a little money for me when she was in Vegas for a conference), and only if you're of legal age. And yeah, don't, like, bet your life savings or rob people to make bets. This is for fun people. Oh, and I don't condone betting on high school sports, because placing money on unpaid athletes would be morally reprehensi... Ok, let's just get to the article.

All due respect to Cal and Hawaii's trip to Australia, and yesterday's thrilling games featuring Appalachian State, Florida International and Vanderbilt (who all lost, somehow), but college football really returns Saturday.

Yes, I know a trio of ranked teams will play tonight, and hey, Stanford had the decency to schedule a Power 5 opponent, but Saturday is when you'll really wish you were in Vegas, throwing your money away on a group of unpaid 18-22 year old young men you've never met. After all, betting on people who make millions of dollars is so passé.

Just kidding, we're obviously betting on the NFL too this year, but college starts first, so let's dive right into our first college gambling piece of the year.

Who Wins It All?

Look, if you haven't made your futures bets yet, you're about to lose out on some great odds after Week 1. Inevitably, somebody like Florida State or Notre Dame will beat a (seemingly) good team, and suddenly money will pour in on them to win the national title. Heck, Florida State has already gone from 12/1 to 8/1 in most Vegas sports books.

Bob Lobel: New England Fans Waiting For The Playoffs

By Bob Lobel (@BobLobel)

Okay, it’s the Thanksgiving-Christmas hole. So have we all figured out how the NFL playoffs are going to shake out? Of course not. Me neither. The networks spend hours showing us the current playoff standings and spend more hours explaining it like “NFL Playoffs For Dummies.”

It happens every year. Try to keep track, just to see if your team is in, and who they’ll be playing.  Keep checking the standings and all their permutations. Last weekend, Bob Costas attempted to explain the possibilities of the playoffs. It took seven minutes for him to go through it and I still don’t understand anything well enough to recite.

We go through this every year, but New England are the lucky ones. It seems like it’s the same every year. 12 wins, a first-round bye, getting to stay at home, another week to get healthy.

The Faculty is Failing the Missouri Protestors and Student Journalists

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The current saga at the University of Missouri has taught us several things, not the least of which being that a mediocre football team threatening to strike has more power at a large state school than its president does.

That, I took as the good news. These athletes, who bring in millions of dollars to their schools every year, are of course unpaid, and restricted from working jobs by NCAA rules (and by the fact that their sport is essentially a full-time job, and there are only 24 hours in a day).

Missouri by itself brought in over $83 million in revenue last year, thanks to its inclusion in the SEC's television deals, and pooled revenue from the conference's bowl game and NCAA men's basketball tournament appearances.

Basically, if these kids can't get any slice of that pie, then at least they could flex their collective muscle and enact social change on their campus.

Your College Football Weekend Primer: Week 7

Jim Harbaugh may be the king of the sideline tirade, but the man knows how to build a defense.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Here at SuiteSports, we've really been lacking on the college football coverage, instead choosing to focus on the NFL and, of course, Massachusetts high school football.

But that (sorta) ends today with our first NCAA football weekend primer of the year, and what a week to start.

A pair of huge matchups loom in the SEC, playoff contenders are emerging across the country, and several teams will play what amounts to CFP elimination games this weekend. Let's not waste any more time and get to all of the action.

College Football Playoff Elimination Games

18. UCLA at 15. Stanford- Thursday at 10:30 pm

We don't have to wait long, as tonight's late game between these California rivals presents not only a massive midseason game in the Pac 12, but also a knockout game for the College Football Playoff.

Why Your Team Should Just Fire that Awful Coach Already

Ties aren't bringing Swag back to The U, Al Golden.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Here's your early Sunday reminder that coaching is pretty darn important in college football.

In fact, if there's one thing the early goings of the 2015 season have taught us, it's that a good coach can make all the difference. Thought of as a lost program without Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow the last few years, Florida is now contending in the SEC, and on the verge of a Top-10 national ranking under its first-year head coach, while Michigan has folks in Big Ten country legitimately terrified under Jim Harbaugh. This coming just a year after the Wolverines served as the Midwest's punching bag.

So, if your favorite college football team has an awful coach, why are they sticking with him? Some coaches have large buyout clauses at smaller schools, while some are inextricably linked to an athletic director or administration that doesn't want to admit a mistake.

While there are examples of coaches turning around terrible starts (Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin, Kirk Ferentz at Iowa), you have a pretty good idea of whether or not your coach is a good fit by Year 3 running the program. If he isn't producing by then, it's time for your athletic department to swallow its pride (and maybe eat a ton of money), and cut bait.

Here are just a few examples of programs thriving with a new head man, and a few others that maybe held onto their coach one year too long.

A Casual Fan's Guide to the 2015 College Football Season

Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot is really good.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

College football gets going with the largest FBS kickoff showcase ever tonight. With 19 games on the schedule for this evening, eight more to come on Friday, and then the "true" kickoff on Saturday, the sheer number of teams, conferences, coaching personalities and players can be overwhelming.

Some people dive into every bit of that, and some people prefer a more casual approach. This article is for the latter. So, with that in mind, let's take a look around the country at what you should know about the upcoming college football season.

Tweaking ESPN's Top College Football Coaching Jobs

Texas coach Charlie Strong has the most desirable job in college football, according to the folks over at ESPN.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

ESPN finished unveiling its rankings of the top "Power-5" college football coaching jobs last week, and I've always found the subject fun and ripe for debate.

Obviously, there are always going to be subjective parts of any "job" ranking. The Ohio State and Notre Dame gigs are dream jobs to any coach that grew up in America's heartland, but a SoCal guy would probably take USC over either of them.

A deep south country coach would likely take any of the Top-5 jobs in the SEC over any other school in the country, and a coach from the Lone Star State would likely view the Longhorns coaching job as the best in the land.

The point is, there are a bunch of great job, and the best one is in the eye of the beholder. Still, let's grant ESPN this crazy and awesomely fun hypothetical: Which jobs would be the most appealing if every "Power-5" job in the country suddenly opened up tomorrow?

SuiteSports Bowl Pick'em Update

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

For those of you keeping track at home, here are our Bowl Pick'em scores and standings as of December 26th. The numbers may shock and horrify you.

Oh my God, Caity is killing it!

The 2015 SuiteSports Bowl Pick'em Challenge

Thanks to the College Football Playoff and a few new bowls, we've got 39 games to pick this year.

By SuiteSports Staff

It's the second year of our (hopefully) annual Bowl Pick'em challenge and, like a Charmander growing into a promising Charmeleon, then eventually a Charizard, we're evolving from last year.

Gone is Yahoo, because, seriously, Yahoo fantasy sports are the worst now. We have begrudgingly switched to ESPN, but the rules are the same: Make a pick for every bowl game and rank that pick based on how confident you are in it being true.

This year we've also added correspondent and college football guru Andy Dougherty to the party, and each of us has a slightly different methodology. Well, except for Joe's wife Caity, she's still picking with her gut.

Enjoy!

(Note: You can view our picks through screen-captures of the ESPN league that we set up. You won't be able to see anything from the thumbnails but you can click to enlarge.)

(Other Note: There was some confusion as to which way the confidence points went. Is 1 at the top of the page your most confident pick, or is 39 your most confident pick and worth 39 points? After reading the rules, we're pretty sure it is the latter, but all of us except Jeremy did the former... Oh well.)

Pre-Bowl Season Winners and Losers

If you earn bowl eligibility in the MAC, you can either head to Detroit... Or here.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We are about to achieve maximum football this weekend, as college bowl season kicks off to complement the final two weeks of the NFL season, as well as playoffs at both the pro and college levels.

The only days we won't have a bowl game between Saturday and January 4th will be December 21st, December 25th and December 28th, simply because college football can't mess with the NFL of Jesus.

But before bowl season even starts, we can pick out some clear winners and losers based on where teams are headed (ie, TCU and Baylor; losers. Ohio State; winner), so here are your Pre-Bowl Season Winners and Losers.

College Football's Final Four: Did the Committee Get it Right?

Ohio State grabbed the fourth and final spot in the College Football Playoff over Big 12 co-champions Baylor and TCU. Were the Buckeyes the right choice?

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The newly formed College Football Playoff committee announced the first four semifinalists in Division I FBS college football history Sunday, and the predictable outrage followed.

Nobody was praising the new system for allowing us to avoid an Alabama beat down of Florida State. Oh, don't kid yourselves, if this were a two-team gig, FSU would be No. 1 or 2. It's always an undefeated major conference champ against a 1-loss SEC champ. SEC teams get to lose a game when nobody else does because… SEC! SEC! SEC!

Anyways, instead of celebrating the fact that we're getting No.1 Alabama vs No. 4 Ohio State, featuring a match up of arguably the two best coaches of this generation in Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, people were arguing whether the Buckeyes belonged in the playoff at all.

Instead of getting giddy about a quarterback duel between last year's Heisman winner, FSU's Jameis Winston, and this year's eventual winner, Oregon's Marcus Mariota, the masses were mourning bloody Sunday for the Big 12.

Seriously, does nobody understand that under a system in place as recently as last year, Oregon would be playing Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, Baylor would be in Arizona while TCU would likely be headed to either Miami or New Orleans for some pointless exhibition?


Does nobody understand that there was NO wrong answer for picking the fourth playoff team, because all three teams were deserving, and at least the new system gives one of them a shot to win it all, unlike previous years?

Championship Weekend Wrap: The Big 12 Gets Snubbed

Coach Art Briles' Baylor Bears shared the Big 12 title with TCU, and beat the Horned Frogs head-to-head. Still, like TCU, Baylor was left out in the cold by the College Football Playoff Committee.

 By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10)

The nation’s top six teams all had a lot to prove on championship weekend. Unfortunately for the CFP committee, they all proved themselves admirably.

When the dust settled, a pool of six deserving teams remained, from which the committee needed to choose four. Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State qualified, while Baylor and TCU, the Big 12 co-champions, did not.

TCU’s Surprising Fall

The most baffling aspect of the committee’s decision was how it handled TCU. The Horned Frogs, ranked 3rd heading into the weekend, demolished Iowa State 55-3. They couldn’t have played a more complete game, yet they fell from 3rd to 6th in the final CFP rankings.

Week 15 College Football Primer (With Picks): Conference Championships

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota has the chance to avenge an earlier loss to Arizona, send the Ducks to the College Football Playoff and take another step toward winning the Heisman Trophy this weekend in the Pac 12 Championship Game.

By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10) with a cameo by Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Championship weekend has arrived, and seven teams still have a realistic chance to qualify for the College Football Playoff. They will all be in action this weekend, and six of them will face off against top-16 teams. Certainly, they will all need to work hard to stay in playoff position.

The Curious Case of the Big 12

The Big 12 is the only power conference in college football not to hold a conference championship game. Unlike the other power conferences, all 10 of the Big 12's teams play each other every year. The conference has “One True Champion” as its slogan, but Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby has backed off from promoting that slogan in recent weeks.

Generally, the Big 12 uses head-to-head as a tiebreaker between conference co-champions to determine who will represent the conference in a bowl game.

But this year, the CFP committee has consistently favored TCU in its rankings, despite a head-to-head loss against Baylor. Conveniently, Bowlsby has stated that, in the event of a tie this year, the conference will simply name co-champions and leave the rest up to the committee.

Now on to picks!