09/29/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With three races now completed in this year's "Chase for the Sprint Cup," all three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers - Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart - are for all intents and purposes done in the championship.
After recording eight victories in the regular season, Busch started the "Chase" at New Hampshire with a 30-point lead. But engine and mechanical problems have plagued him in the last three races, resulting in finishes of 34th (New Hampshire), 43rd (Dover) and 28th (Kansas). He is now last in the 12-driver "Chase" standings, 311 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson, who won at Kansas.
The tumble in points has been a huge disappointment for Busch, who was a favorite to win the title when the "Chase" began earlier this month.
Stewart dropped four positions to 11th in the "Chase" after a 40th-place run at Kansas. On Lap 129, he made contact with Brian Vickers and slid through the infield grass. Stewart's crew removed grass and other debris from the front end of his car during his pit stop. He had to pit again later, and fell seven laps behind as his crew repaired a broken splitter caused by the incident. Stewart is 255 points behind Johnson.
Despite dealing with an ill-handling car, Hamlin had the best result among Gibbs' drivers at Kansas with an 11th-place finish. But he also finished 38th last week at Dover, after suffering rear-end issues during the mid-stages of the race. Hamlin is currently 10th in the rankings (-243).
The battle for this year's Sprint Cup Series championship has come down to Johnson, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle, who coincidentally finished one-two- three at Kansas. Just 30 points separate the top-three drivers, with Talladega the next stop on the series schedule.
While it comes as a major surprise to see Busch at the bottom of the standings, it's not as much of a shock to notice where Hamlin and Stewart now rank.
Hamlin struggled to make the "Chase" as he fell to 12th in the standings after a 39th-place finish last month at Michigan. He finished third in the final three races of the regular season to secure him the sixth seed in the playoffs. Hamlin has scored one victory for the season, coming in March at Martinsville, VA.
Stewart has yet to win a race this season, but finished a close second to Johnson earlier this month at Richmond. He would like to notch one more victory for team owner Gibbs before he departs at the end of the season to start his own team.
Gibbs has won three Cup championships this decade, two with Stewart (2002 and '05) and one with Bobby Labonte (2000).
During a season in which JGR has dominated the Nationwide series in record fashion, scoring 17 victories so far this year, the team has experienced a setback in Sprint Cup since the "Chase" began.
In the end, Gibbs will have to find a way to rally his troops in preparation for next season.
<< Liberty's Jennings, Scott of Colgate head FCS players of the week
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rashad Jennings of Liberty, Jordan Scott
of Colgate, Nate Thellen of Northeastern and Joe Marcoux of Villanova have
been named The Sportsbook Betting Lines's FCS national players of the week.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE
<< James Madison rolls into No. 1 spot in poll
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - James Madison survived a challenge from
Maine for a 24-10 victory on Saturday evening and moved into the top spot of
The Sportsbook Betting Lines poll on Monday.
The Dukes, who were second last week after thei
<< Acclimation to track to determine Curlin's Classic start
Arcadia, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Curlin, North America's all-time leading money
winner, is safely in his barn at Santa Anita Park with a possible chance to
race in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic looming. Fresh off his historic
second
<< Tribe's Shoppach has knee surgery
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Indians catcher Kelly Shoppach
underwent arthroscopic surgery on Monday to remove cartilage in his right
knee.
Team medical director Dr. Mark Schickendantz performed the routine surgery a
Bayern hopeful of turnaround against Lyon >>
Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the first time in 18 months, Champions
League soccer returns to the Allianz Arena on Tuesday as German champions
Bayern Munich host French heavyweights Lyon in Group F action.
Bayern got its Cha
Blackhawks waive Khabibulin >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks placed goaltender
Nikolai Khabibulin, according to a report in the Chicago Sun Times on Monday,
the first step for the club to eventually move the veteran.
The 35-year-old Russian
Bondarenko reaches second round in Stuttgart >>
Stuttgart, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko posted a
first-round victory Monday at the $650,000 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Bondarenko handled Greek wild card Eleni Daniilidou 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 on the
indoor hardc
Zobrist, Blalock share AL weekly honor >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tampa Bay Rays infielder Ben Zobrist and
Texas Rangers infielder Hank Blalock earned a share of the top player honor in
the American League for the final week of the season.
Zobrist hit .455 down the str
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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