Peyton Manning Breaks TD Record

This week, Peyton Manning surpassed Brett Favre career touchdown mark with his 509th. The legendary touchdown went to Demaryius Thomas in the first half of the game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Broncos were dominate each game and never looked back once they scored in the first quarter on a 3 yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders. 
      With the record breaking touchdown pass, Manning is now 135 touchdown passes ahead of the next active quarterback in Drew Brees. It has now been 3 years since Manning came off a devasting neck surgery, and many people thought his career was over. He was cut by the Colts, but was signed by the Broncos as a second chance. He had plenty of options that wanted his service, but felt he had to revive Denver's organization and possibly bring home a trophy. 
      Manning's touchdown mark is simply historic because he is now #1 on the all time list in most touchdowns in a career. He is on a list of hall of famers, and soon to be hall of famers, and this was one record that Manning wanted to get under his belt. 
     "I certainly think about how grateful I am for all the teammates and coaches that I've played with and played for throughout my career, not only here in Denver -- in Indianapolis and all the people who have helped me along the way.'' In his career, Peyton Manning has been known for his numerous audibles before the play, and his famous "Omaha" that draws defenders over the line. He has always been around an arsenal of wide receivers and tight ends, who have benefited behind a leader. When he was with the Colts, Manning created a bond with wide receiver Marvin Harrison, connecting with 112 career touchdowns. He also helped Reggie Wayne catch 67 career touchdown passes, and Dallas Clark with 44. When he joined the Broncos, in just 3 short years, he established a large target with Demaryious Thomas and connected with 29 touchdown passes. 

Winston Under Fire

This week, the NCAA announced that they will look into the accusation made against quarter back Jameis Winston relating to illegal profit off of autographs. Winston is accused of the same crime as Todd Gurley. Gurley profited after selling autographed memorabilia earlier this week and was suspended indefinitely. The similar fate arises for Winston, although this penalty could be significantly worse. In just 7 weeks into the 2014 college football season, Winston had a target on his back since he wont the Heisman trophy last season. The first case Winston was investigated for was his misconduct in a grocery store. He stole several crab legs without paying and this led to numerous questions regarding his maturity. It seems to be a growing theme the past two years. Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston both found themselves in trouble with the law. 2 straight Heisman trophy winners.

Jameis Winston ran into police a couple more times after the crab leg incident. A few weeks after, Winston was being interrogated for a possible sexual abuse case that dated back last season. It turned out that insufficient evidence protected Winston from a severe suspension. However, it bent his reputation. Another case occurred in the classroom where Winston screamed sexual explicit expletives that led to a full game suspension against Clemson in early September. The list goes on and on for Winston, who’s rap sheet increased after winning the most coveted Heisman trophy.

As Florida St. prepares for a matchup against #5 Notre Dame this week, many seminoles fans are expecting another suspension to be handed down from the NCAA. Through just a handful of games played this season, Winston has a passer rating of 159.5 and has thrown for 1605 yards, 11 passing touchdowns and 5 picks. Not to mention a 70% completion rate. Although Winston’s numbers are down, his play has him on the outside looking in on the Heisman watch thus far. For Florida  St., losing Winston would be a huge blow to the Seminoles offense that mostly relies on Winston at the helm. A lack of leadership hasn’t deterred Florida St.’s record as of yet, as they are riding a six game winning streak and remain 6-0.

Sayreville Hazing Scandal http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/10/sayreville_hazing_scandal_time_passes_but_wounds_for_bullying_victims_remain_politi.html

Domestic abuse has been an issue for the America in recent weeks, and is now a time to reflect on the past for many people in Sayreville. The school is under fire for covering up their football program from accusations and claims that older students harmed younger students in the locker room after practice. What bothers me is the fact that the coach wasn't doing his job. He was so dis-coherent to the rumors that was going on throughout the school about the bullying that was taking place, and was the last person who seemingly found out what was going on.  It is believed by many experts that the bullying has went on for 10 days in September, without getting caught by a coach or higher official.
     Now athletes involved in the hazing are now punished for their mistakes. They deny wrong doing and feel like based on personal experience, that it was "ok to bully other students because they went through it when they were a freshman." In a way, Sayreville reached out to many readers who read the NJ.com article. It isn't right to bully younger players just because they are defenseless and alone. Seniors and Juniors feel as though bully is acceptable in society and on the field, even though the main idea taught in schools is not to bully and to accept others. Apparently, Sayreville didn't get the message.
     According to NJ.com, about 1.5 million high school students are still being hazed each year. There is a point to be made about that the consequences are higher for many kids that bully because of the widespread awareness that bullying brought around the country. The chilling thing to know is in the 50's and 60's punishments associated with hazing was much worse than it is today. Many factors played in to bullying with the main thing back then was racial divide which led to unreasonable punishments.

Mississippi St. and Auburn

Not only are Mississippi St. and Auburn rivals, but  they both had a large amount of success this season. Going in week 7 of the 2014 NCAA football season, both teams are 5-0. This is the best start ever for Mississippi St. and are currently 3rd in the AP standings. Auburn is currently ranked 2nd, after a loss for Alabama and 4 other teams in the top 7 AP ranks, allowed the Tigers to move up.

Mississippi St.’s success can be attributed to their new offensive scheme established by head coach Dan Mullen. Their QB has emerged as a star this season, in an offense geared towards the spread. Their offensive scheme consists of a double RB set, and at times a three wide that extends to the side lines. The theory is to create openings so Zak Prescott can make his own decisions, as well as utilized strengths within the offense. He is comparable to Peyton Manning because he has the ability to make the right throws in the pocket and has made very few mistakes this season.

As for Auburn, they are coming off an Iron Bowl win after defeating Alabama in comeback fashion. The Tigers defied the inevitable by returning a field kick attempt the length of the field. One play determined the fate for both teams, but for Auburn it was a victory, and for Alabama it was a trip to the showers.

Auburn high flying offense is tough against Mississppi St.’s defense because they utilize the height advantage of their wide receivers against the corners. Their agility allows them to burst through the seams and their height allows them to catch the higher thrown balls in the air. But what really makes a name for the Auburn Tigers is their defense. They have only allowed an average of 14.4 points per game compared to a Mississippi defense that have allowed much more.

Some keys to the game are the Auburn Defense against the run, Mississippi St. holding onto leads, and for both teams, the amount of total turnovers. Turnovers are the deciding factors in games, and is very well the topic of concern for both teams going into this game. In this early season, Auburn has been impressive against the run, but a double duo of runners could be a problem to the Tigers.

To start the game, Dak Prescott completed a 34 yard bomb to De’Runnya Wilson for a TD, which gave Miss. St. an early 7-0 lead. The next scoring drive was led by the Bulldogs defense who recovered a fumble for  a touchdown making the score 14-0. The next drive led to yet another Bulldogs score with Prescott being a recipient this time. He over powered the defensive line of the Tigers, and powered in for the score. 21-0 Bulldogs over the Tigers. Tigers get on the board after a 21 yd field goal for 3 points. Another field goal and touchdown by Auburn made the score 21-13. With the Tigers with momentum with 5:00 left until halftime, Prescott was able to capitalize on his second rushing touchdown today, was able to extend the lead to 28-13, going into the half. Out of the half, the Tigers were able to score a TD on a pass by Nick Marshall, and pull Auburn within 8 points of Mississippi St. Miss. St. countered with another score, with a FG. 31-20 Mississippi St. with a large amount of time left in the game. One final touchdown sealed the deal in Davis Wade Stadium and is another statement victory for Mississippi St. who now improves their record to 6-0. This win was very pivotal to their season, and now has the chance of becoming undefeated, and remains in contention of a playoff birth in the new playoff system created this season.

Major Trouble For Heisman Hopeful Todd Gurley

Georgia this week has suspended Todd Gurley for an indefinite amount of time after he was caught for illegally selling merchandise. He had a dealer that distributed apparel and autograph memorabilia for personal profit. The investigation dates back to last spring, after he signed 80 pieces of memorbilia for a total of $400.  He now faces criminal charges and loses his early Heisman vote as well. Losing Gurley is a huge blow to the Georgia offense, who is averaging just 170.2 yards per game through the air. Gurley was a huge force in the running game, which is 13th in the FBS.

Gurley was a large contributer in the offense with 772 yards and 8 TDs through 6 games. He was the type of physical back needed to get extra yardage, with a mix of speed and agility to get down the field.Georgia now has to rely on Nick Chubb and Sony Michael to pick up the bulk of the work with the absence of Gurley. In order for Georgia to be a contender, they must focus on the defense to step up. Each game, the points against Georgia builds up and eventually become too much to overcome.

This was supposed to be Gurley’s final year before entering the NFL Draft. He is 3rd in school history in rushing yards and Rushing TD’s and seventh in total carries. He was projected to go Mid First round in the 2015 NFL draft, and could’ve been a suitable fit for many teams in need of a strong running back. Now, one mistake cost him his chance of going pro.

“He’s been my Heisman choice since the season started,” Georgia cornerback Damian Swann said after the Tennessee game. “I’m pretty sure he’s about to put one heck of a campaign together.”

This is not the first time this type of allegations was focused on Georgia. WR AJ Green, now a star WR for the Cincinnati Bengals, was suspended for 4 games after admitting to selling his Independence Bowl Jersey in 2010. The question now focuses on the NCAA. The possibility arises of a change in policy from the NCAA regarded the sale of memorabilia for profit. Many people argue that college athletes deserve to get paid like the pros, even though receiving a scholarship is very similar to an average paycheck. The only difference is scholarships can’t be turned into personal profit, just the ability to get an education for free or very little. If athletes got paid, all NCAA policies on illegal selling of equipment for profit can be erased, because players wouldn’t have to go to desperate measures to make ends meet. For many players, college is their final chance of finding work, and many struggle to find jobs after college.

The Not So Super Dodgers Fall Behind Kershaw's Strong Pitching Performance http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/gametracker/boxscore/MLB_20141007_LAD@STL

The Los Angeles Dodgers season came to an end Tuesday night after losing Game 4 of the NLDS to the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2. Los Angeles tried to ride on momentum, and bank off a strong performance but Clayton Kershaw, but St. Louis proved to be too much for the Dodgers. The game starting even for both teams, as no offense occurred the first 6 innings. It was a pitching battle, and Kershaw was able to strike out 8 batters in that stretch. Carl Crawford led off the scoring with a 2 run shot to deep left field, which held off pressure from Kershaw’s shoulders. He was virtually un-hittable, that is until the 7th inning. The heart of the Cardinals lineup was Kershaw’s Achilles heel last time he pitched, (Game 1), and this game seemed to repeat Kershaw’s previous start. Matt Holliday and Jhonny Peralta reached on singles, before Matt Adams connected with a home run of his own. His home run was a punch in the gut for the Dodgers, which has seen many disappointing losses over the last few years. They had a CY Young pitcher in Clayton Kershaw but consequently let the game go through their fingertips. The loss now opens the door for the San Francisco Giants, their biggest rival, the chance to win 3 World Series Championships in the past 5 years. Dodgers had a chance to make a remarkable run, but too many distractions left them short of contention. With the season coming to an end, Yasiel Puig has one last thing to say,”I want to thank the fans for coming out and supporting the Dodgers.”

The Possibility of Colleges Migrating to A "Division IV" http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11008001/sec-ponders-potential-move-division-iv-ncaa-provide-autonomy

For many years, the NCAA and leagues within the NCAA debated whether or not to allow power conferences to break away from Division 1 to form a Division 4 conference. The importance of a Division 4 is to allow teams to better care for a player, by being allowed to use attendance revenue to treat athletes health and well being.  The only way the SEC would consider to move, is if the NCAA won’t allow the power conferences to follow their own “bylaws.” This division change would apply to all sports, not just football. The protection of the student athletes should be the first priority by universities, but they can’t be protected if money is not available to smaller schools.

The SEC is the first division to consider the possibility of switching divisions because TV and attendance sales would be used to compensate athletes if they were to get injured in a game or practice.

“It’s not something we want to do,” Slive said on the final day of the SEC meetings. “We want to the ability to have autonomy in areas that has a nexus to the well-being of student athletes. I am somewhat optimistic it will pass, but if it doesn’t, our league would certainly want to move to a Division IV. My colleagues, I can’t speak for anybody else, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t feel the same way.” (Slive 1)

Many officials have stated, that a possible move wouldn’t change championship formats, although, some adjustments must take place to make sure playoff systems aren’t lob sided. Take a minute and look at the BCS system that was recently changed in NCAA football. Teams switched divisions, teams got better, and many teams that didn’t deserve opportunities to get into a BCS Bowl game got in.  Teams with over .500 records got left out of the conversation and under .500 teams made it in. Although this scenario doesn’t quite compare to Division IV, but if a change would occur, there should be an equal balance of teams that switch so each team has an equal chance of getting into the playoffs.