This blog is about epic topics and epic issues from around the world. Nothing is off limits.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Why Auburn is the best team in the nation
This week was one of the most epic weeks of college football that I can ever remember. We had upsets of 5 teams in the AP top 8. That has never happened in the history of college football. With all of the madness we witnessed, there was one team that showed why they are the best team in the nation. That team is the Auburn Tigers, who completely destroyed LSU 41-7 and held them to 0-13 on third down. Who does that? It was the most impressive win this year in college football. Led by senior quarterback Nick Marshall, the 2014 Auburn Tigers are the most balanced team in the nation. After watching Florida State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Baylor, and Notre Dame, it has become clear that Auburn is the best team in the nation. Oh yes folks, the Auburn Tigers of 2014 are for real. There are two main reasons I put Auburn above all others are improved defense and a more balanced offensive attack.
We knew Auburn would be good on offense. But the big surprise of 2014 is that this Auburn defense is one of the best Auburn has fielded in quite some time. They are loaded with talent at all 3 levels of the defense. The defensive line is led by soph defensive tackle Montravius Adams and senior defensive tackle Gabe Wright. Auburn rotates around 10 quality defensive linemen throughout the game. They are stout against the run, and although they lack an elite pass rusher (Carl Lawson is elite but out with a knee injury), they constantly put pressure on opposing quarterbacks as a group. The linebacking core is led by 2 amazing players in Cassanova McKinzy and Kris Frost. Both are hard hitting, athletic heat-seeking missiles. You can add the "star" position to that group and that includes senior Robenson Therezie. Therezie is always around the ball and he hits like a linebacker. Finally, the secondary has 3 cornerbacks that can cover man to man. Seniors Jonathon Mincy and Trovon Reed are clearly the best cover guys, while junior Jonathan Jones is probably the fastest. Safeties Josh Holsey and Jonathan Ford are both fast and excellent tacklers.
On offense, the Tigers have a dynamic quarterback in Nick Marshall. Marshall looks much more polished in the passing game and appears to be even more explosive running the football this year. The read option is just a thing of beauty. His main targets are a 6'2, 215 pound speedy freak of nature in Sammie Coates and 6'2 220 pound newly acquired juco transfer D'haquille Williams who has the best catch radius in college football. Running backs Cameron Artis-Payne and world class sprinter Corey Grant provide a unique rushing attack. Tight end C.J. Uzomah is under utilized but when they throw to him, there isn't a defender in college football that can cover him. He's just too big, too strong, and too good receiving the ball for anyone to handle him one on one. The offensive line pushes people around all game and they have 4 and 5 star players at every position.
Auburn will score 40 points on every team they face this year if they play the way they did last night against LSU. They are the most dominant offense in the nation. With Nick Marshall playing better from the pocket, there is just no way to defend everything they bring to the table. Even when you call the right defense, Auburn's players are bigger, stronger, and faster than the defenders they are facing. This creates a huge advantage for Auburn because they will win most one on one battles. They can thank strength and conditioning coach Ryan Russell for that. The defense and special teams are playing at a championship level. And what's even more troubling for upcoming opponents is that Auburn isn't playing their best football yet. Last night was a glimpse of just how good they can be.
So although Auburn has the toughest schedule in college football, after watching several weeks of big games, I don't see a team on their schedule that can beat them. Some will say Mississippi State is that team. Auburn's defense is better than anything they have seen. And Auburn can put points on the board in a hurry. Ole Miss had an impressive win against Alabama. But Auburn's offense is way better. And Auburn's secondary is better than Alabama's. Of course, anything can happen in a college football game. We saw that this week. But Gus Malzahn may be the best coach in college football. His team will be ready to play every week. As a college football fan, this is the team I will be following very closely as they try to make their way back to the national championship game. They have everything it takes to get there. It would be no surprise if this team goes all the way this year.
We knew Auburn would be good on offense. But the big surprise of 2014 is that this Auburn defense is one of the best Auburn has fielded in quite some time. They are loaded with talent at all 3 levels of the defense. The defensive line is led by soph defensive tackle Montravius Adams and senior defensive tackle Gabe Wright. Auburn rotates around 10 quality defensive linemen throughout the game. They are stout against the run, and although they lack an elite pass rusher (Carl Lawson is elite but out with a knee injury), they constantly put pressure on opposing quarterbacks as a group. The linebacking core is led by 2 amazing players in Cassanova McKinzy and Kris Frost. Both are hard hitting, athletic heat-seeking missiles. You can add the "star" position to that group and that includes senior Robenson Therezie. Therezie is always around the ball and he hits like a linebacker. Finally, the secondary has 3 cornerbacks that can cover man to man. Seniors Jonathon Mincy and Trovon Reed are clearly the best cover guys, while junior Jonathan Jones is probably the fastest. Safeties Josh Holsey and Jonathan Ford are both fast and excellent tacklers.
On offense, the Tigers have a dynamic quarterback in Nick Marshall. Marshall looks much more polished in the passing game and appears to be even more explosive running the football this year. The read option is just a thing of beauty. His main targets are a 6'2, 215 pound speedy freak of nature in Sammie Coates and 6'2 220 pound newly acquired juco transfer D'haquille Williams who has the best catch radius in college football. Running backs Cameron Artis-Payne and world class sprinter Corey Grant provide a unique rushing attack. Tight end C.J. Uzomah is under utilized but when they throw to him, there isn't a defender in college football that can cover him. He's just too big, too strong, and too good receiving the ball for anyone to handle him one on one. The offensive line pushes people around all game and they have 4 and 5 star players at every position.
Auburn will score 40 points on every team they face this year if they play the way they did last night against LSU. They are the most dominant offense in the nation. With Nick Marshall playing better from the pocket, there is just no way to defend everything they bring to the table. Even when you call the right defense, Auburn's players are bigger, stronger, and faster than the defenders they are facing. This creates a huge advantage for Auburn because they will win most one on one battles. They can thank strength and conditioning coach Ryan Russell for that. The defense and special teams are playing at a championship level. And what's even more troubling for upcoming opponents is that Auburn isn't playing their best football yet. Last night was a glimpse of just how good they can be.
So although Auburn has the toughest schedule in college football, after watching several weeks of big games, I don't see a team on their schedule that can beat them. Some will say Mississippi State is that team. Auburn's defense is better than anything they have seen. And Auburn can put points on the board in a hurry. Ole Miss had an impressive win against Alabama. But Auburn's offense is way better. And Auburn's secondary is better than Alabama's. Of course, anything can happen in a college football game. We saw that this week. But Gus Malzahn may be the best coach in college football. His team will be ready to play every week. As a college football fan, this is the team I will be following very closely as they try to make their way back to the national championship game. They have everything it takes to get there. It would be no surprise if this team goes all the way this year.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Mushrooms: The cure for the common cold?
Periodically I will chime in on subjects that I have experience with. Today I want to discuss Reishi mushroom extract and whether or not it has helped me.
For a few years it seemed like I was catching a cold or some other similar illness every few months. Needless to say, I grew tired of it . So I decided to do some research on natural supplements that would boost my immune system. I eventually discovered Reishi mushroom extract. There was a lot of information out there suggesting it could help.
I went on Vitacost and ordered my first bottle. After several months I realized that I didn't get sick at all. This was several years ago and I can honestly say that it has helped significantly. I have gotten a few illnesses here and there but none of them have been severe and the duration has been a day or two at the most. I have since started taking a mushroom complex that includes Reishi and some other mushrooms. What do you think epic venters?
For a few years it seemed like I was catching a cold or some other similar illness every few months. Needless to say, I grew tired of it . So I decided to do some research on natural supplements that would boost my immune system. I eventually discovered Reishi mushroom extract. There was a lot of information out there suggesting it could help.
I went on Vitacost and ordered my first bottle. After several months I realized that I didn't get sick at all. This was several years ago and I can honestly say that it has helped significantly. I have gotten a few illnesses here and there but none of them have been severe and the duration has been a day or two at the most. I have since started taking a mushroom complex that includes Reishi and some other mushrooms. What do you think epic venters?
Sunday, September 28, 2014
To declaw or not to declaw?
In my lifetime I have had two cats. Both were adopted from friends. The female (no longer living) had her claws and the male does not have his claws in the front. The male was declawed before I adopted him. Oddly enough, he still attempts to "sharpen" his claws against rough surfaces although he doesn't actually have claws any longer. This behavior got me to thinking the other day. Obviously, declawing him was to the benefit of the previous owner. However, are we taking away part of our cats' identities when we have their claws taken away?
To put this in context, imagine if you have lived a portion of your life with your finger nails. You are used to pealing oranges, scratching your skin, opening packages, and a bunch of other things that you probably take for granted. Imagine if you suddenly had your nails permanently removed and had to re-adjust your life. It wouldn't be an easy adjustment. Perhaps you would never get used to it.
Thinking about this, I now feel sorry for my little guy. Sure, he still has fun and enjoys his life. But I can't help but think he has moments in his day where he feels like a part of him is missing. Since I kept my female cat's claws trimmed to a level where she could still do some minor scratching but cause no real damage, I know that this could have been the case for my male cat. But he will never again know what it's like to scratch something or to climb his cat tree by pulling himself up. What say you epic venters?
To put this in context, imagine if you have lived a portion of your life with your finger nails. You are used to pealing oranges, scratching your skin, opening packages, and a bunch of other things that you probably take for granted. Imagine if you suddenly had your nails permanently removed and had to re-adjust your life. It wouldn't be an easy adjustment. Perhaps you would never get used to it.
Thinking about this, I now feel sorry for my little guy. Sure, he still has fun and enjoys his life. But I can't help but think he has moments in his day where he feels like a part of him is missing. Since I kept my female cat's claws trimmed to a level where she could still do some minor scratching but cause no real damage, I know that this could have been the case for my male cat. But he will never again know what it's like to scratch something or to climb his cat tree by pulling himself up. What say you epic venters?
Why can your car do twice the maximum speed limit? Are they trying to kill us?
The maximum speed limit I have ever driven in is 70 mph. Some speed limits are 65, some 55, some 45 mph. But for some reason, most automobiles are capable of traveling in excess of 100 mph. Why? Are automobile manufacturers trying to kill us? If it's not legal to drive over 70 mph in most states, why do vehicles need to travel 50 or 60 or 70 mph faster than that? Do"they" want us to die? Now I'm not sure who "they" are. But there is no logical reason for a vehicle that is designed for driving on public roads to travel at these high rates of speed.
When I was in college and being irresponsible, I once drove my Honda Civic 115 mph on a state highway. This was a 4 cylinder car with only 106 horsepower. It could certainly go faster, but that's as fast as I was willing to push it that day. Some time after that I owned an Acura TL. I got it to 130 mph on a back country road once. This was a v6 with 270 horsepower. It could certainly go faster, but that's as fast as I was willing to push it that day. Both incidents could have easily killed me. When I look back on it now, I can't believe how foolish I was. But the cars provided the means for me to take my foolishness far beyond anything I should have been able to accomplish.
If the highest speed limits are around 70 mph, why make the vehicles capable of 140? Why not limit all non track driven automobiles to 75 mph. This would still allow some room for state troopers to meet their quotas writing speeding tickets. But it would save a lot of lives and serious injuries. This would be particularly helpful to save all those motorcyclists that do 150 mph on the highway from endangering themselves and others. But for some reason this doesn't seem logical to vehicle manufacturers. Sometimes I wonder if we are being set up for some big experiment. As if "they" know that human nature will make people do what I did as a youngster (push the limits). Is it population control? Is it some kind of a sick joke being played on us?
Just because vehicles are designed this way and this is what we are accustomed to, it doesn't make it right. If our government really cared about keeping us safe, why would they allow us to be on the roads with people that can simply push the pedal harder and kill us and our children? Especially when they know that people drive under the influence all the time. But then again, this is the same government that encourages and lets you buy guns designed to kill people. We are all conditioned by our environment. But I am not one that accepts that things have to be the way they are. So the next time you see someone fly by you at 100+ mph, ask yourself this simple question and give it some serious thought. Why is that even possible? What say you epic venters?
When I was in college and being irresponsible, I once drove my Honda Civic 115 mph on a state highway. This was a 4 cylinder car with only 106 horsepower. It could certainly go faster, but that's as fast as I was willing to push it that day. Some time after that I owned an Acura TL. I got it to 130 mph on a back country road once. This was a v6 with 270 horsepower. It could certainly go faster, but that's as fast as I was willing to push it that day. Both incidents could have easily killed me. When I look back on it now, I can't believe how foolish I was. But the cars provided the means for me to take my foolishness far beyond anything I should have been able to accomplish.
If the highest speed limits are around 70 mph, why make the vehicles capable of 140? Why not limit all non track driven automobiles to 75 mph. This would still allow some room for state troopers to meet their quotas writing speeding tickets. But it would save a lot of lives and serious injuries. This would be particularly helpful to save all those motorcyclists that do 150 mph on the highway from endangering themselves and others. But for some reason this doesn't seem logical to vehicle manufacturers. Sometimes I wonder if we are being set up for some big experiment. As if "they" know that human nature will make people do what I did as a youngster (push the limits). Is it population control? Is it some kind of a sick joke being played on us?
Just because vehicles are designed this way and this is what we are accustomed to, it doesn't make it right. If our government really cared about keeping us safe, why would they allow us to be on the roads with people that can simply push the pedal harder and kill us and our children? Especially when they know that people drive under the influence all the time. But then again, this is the same government that encourages and lets you buy guns designed to kill people. We are all conditioned by our environment. But I am not one that accepts that things have to be the way they are. So the next time you see someone fly by you at 100+ mph, ask yourself this simple question and give it some serious thought. Why is that even possible? What say you epic venters?
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