Football weeks 11-14: Ugh!

It has been a busy few weeks in both college and pro football. Let's jump into it.

We are... Big Ten Champions! Penn State was able rally in the second half and beat Wisconsin to win the Big Ten title and the overall No. 5 ranking. Much to the chagrin of Nittany Lions fans, they did not make the college football playoff, with the no. 3 seed awarded to Ohio State and the 4th spot going to Washington. Penn State still goes to the Rose Bowl on New Years' Day. I can't say I disagree with the playoff selections. Penn State may have won the conference, and beat Ohio State in a head-to head matchup. I think they were doomed by their 2-2 start to the season and the loss to Pitt, which, in the end, was a strong football team. Still, the Lions are going to a high-profile New Years' Day bowl, and most importantly, the team is back on the national stage. Since the awful events of 2011, Penn State has been viewed as a joke and an afterthought. When Michigan coach and all-around douche Jim Harbaugh was asked what he thought of Penn State, his response was "I don't." Suffice it to say Penn State football is back in a big way, and they are only going to get better from here on out (not a guarantee).

Now to the pro game:

The Philly Phumblers: Tough times for the Eagles. They have dropped 4 in a row and are now 5-8. Although it is mathematically possible, it would take an act of God for the Eagles to get to the playoffs. Their first three games were incredible, and rookie QB Carson Wentz looked great. Although Wentz has a future with this team, he needs more experience before he can lead this team to the playoffs. He is a little shaky, and he turns the ball over too much, evident after the game-ending sack/fumble against the Potomac Basin Indegenous People on Sunday. I was pretty upset when Fox sportscaster Howie "Action Goes Long*" laid into the Eagles, saying the QB was green, there are no great receivers, they don't know how to finish games, and will be lucky to go 8-8 for the season. The worst part is everything he said is 100 percent accurate. The Eagles need receivers who will catch the ball, a consistent running game, a better pass rush, and a willingness to play for 60 minutes. Few things are more frustrating than dropped passes in the end zone, and a long kick return TD to be negated by an illegal block in the back penalty.

Snapper wanted: The Eagles couldn't kick a field goal because both of their long snappers were injured. They had a few players on the sidelines practicing long snaps. Trey Burton eventually got the job. His snap was high, but punter Donnie Jones got it down so Caleb Sturgis could make the FG in the fourth quarter.

Bell ringer: The Steelers took a must-win game against the Bills, thanks mostly to Le'Veon Bell, who broke a bunch of franchise records with 298 all-purpose yards, more than the entire Bills offense (he also scored 70 fantasy points for my opponent). I suggest the Ryan brothers enjoy their time in Buffalo while they still can. If the Bills lose to the Browns this weekend, they should start packing.

The axe has fallen: People who have been waiting years for pro football to return to the City of Angels are, well, still waiting. After a 4-9 season and a 42-14 loss to Atlanta, coach Jeff Fisher is sacked, and special teams coach John Fassel takes over as interim coach. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is a realistic possibility to take over permanantly.  Fisher will be the first of several coaching casualties this season.  On the other hand, 49ers management has insisted that coach Chip Kelly will be back next season.

The Pack is Back: After many people wrote off the Packers as having a legitimate shot this year, they make a big statement by routing the Seahawks 38-10, with a strong offense and defense. Russell Wilson gives another pitiful performance, throwing a career-high 5 picks, and laying another egg for my fantasy team, who has lost 4 of their last 5.

Wardrobe Malfunction: Last week, Panthers coach Ron Rivera benched QB Cam Newton for violating the team's dress code policy. Coach Rivera made his point, but at what cost? On Sunday, Newton and Rivera hugged after the national anthem. Aww.

Let it Snow: Unsurprisingly, it snowed in Buffalo during the Steelers-Bills tilt. They threw rubber pellets on the turf to soften the field. The start of the second half was delayed to remove the pellets from the field. Some smart aleck on the Steelers sideline wrote "No Shit" with their foot on the sideline, and the CBS camera caught it. Whoopsie.

Hot Feet: Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker (no relation) was 3-for-3 on 50-plus yard field goals in week 12 vs. the Bengals. He hit another long shot last week vs. the Dolphins. He finally revealed himself to be human on Monday when a 34-yard attempt was blocked by the Patriots. Texans kicker Nick Novak was 5-for-5 during the Moo Cows' road win Sunday.

The Cowgirls are human after all: The Giants were able to snap Dallas' 11-game win streak, and prevented them from clinching the division. I realize the Cowboys are playoff-bound no matter what happens in December, but this still brings a big smile to my face. This also opens the door for Detroit, yes, the Lions, to become the No. 1 seed in the NFC and earn a first-round bye in the playoffs. Also, Jerry Jones has said that, even though Romo is now healthy, he will serve as the backup to rookie Dak Prescott, who obviously has the hot hand. Romo is not surprised and he is being a gentleman, unlike Sam Bradford, who had a hissy fit after Carson Wentz was drafted. This tantrum got him traded, and he is just OK for the Vikings. Either Prescott or Zeke Elliott is a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year.

Three more games: That's all Cleveland needs to lose to go 0-16 and get a "celebratory" parade in the Mistake by the Lake. They are probably going to lose to the Chargers and the Steelers, but have a legitimate shot at beating the Bills this Sunday. On the other hand, RG3 is the starter for the remainder of the season.

Adventures in officiating: 

Excessive celebration? A player was flagged in Chicago for making a snow angel in the end zone. Raiders punter Marquette King is penalized for picking up the penalty flag and doing a funny dance with it.

Ouch! Redskins safety Deshazor Everett landed a helmet-to-helmet cheap shot on Eagles RB Ryan Mathews, knocking him out of consciousness and the game. Eagles players then went after Everett. He was given a 15-yard personal foul, when he should have been ejected from the game.

Which team? Jeff Triplette, the king of blown calls, borked another one Sunday when He called a hands-to-the-face penalty against the Lions when it clearly was a Bears defensive lineman committing the violation.

*"Action Goes Long" was the tagline for "Firestorm," a box office bomb starring Long. It was supposed to be a Stallone vehicle, but the studio went bust and couldn't afford Sly. I find the tagline amusing because Howie Long was a defensive end, not a wide receiver. Defensive ends don't catch passes, let alone long ones.