<TABLE style="TABLE-LAYOUT: fixed" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="85%" height="100%">Chris Jordan From the Lang Forum
200♦ YANKEES
C.C. Sabathia has yet to face the Yankees this season, and while the advantage generally falls with the pitcher in such a situation, this is a game in which New York will have the edge with that explosive lineup. Sabathia has that go-get 'em attitude and generally goes right after lineups with his power, but that would be a style that could be a detriment against the likes of Damon, Jeter, Abreu, Rodriguez, Posada and the late-entry DH Matsui.
And while we have the power-packed, pinstriped lineup in our favor, we side with Chien-Ming Wang, who won Game 1 last year in the A.L. Divisional Series against Detroit. A vast difference from Sabathia, I love Wang's approach, which isn't too flashy and certainly is poised in delivering that sharp sinker that baffles batters into grounders. He tied for the MLB lead by getting hitters to ground into 32 double plays, while he generated 381 ground outs – the third-highest total in the junior circuit.
New York was 6-0 against Cleveland this season, and is on a 6-0 run against southpaws. The Bombers are also a whopping 19-3 in Wang's last 22 starts against teams out of the A.L. Central. They don't too shabby when he's on the highway either, as New York is 17-5 in his last 22 road starts, which tells me that poise we spoke of spills over when this team's ordering room service.
100♦ KENTUCKY
This was a tough game to handicap, but I'll side with the Wildcats in this one, despite them having to face the stiffest competition they've seen all season. Generally an offensive guru, Ol' Ball Coach has one of the best overall defenses in the nation, and the best pass defense in the country. But there's a mystique of this Wildcats team – a mystique that tells me it won't go away lightly.
This really is unlike any Kentucky team that Steve Spurrier or any other coach in the modern SEC has seen. Look at the offensive numbers of this squad, which is fast, physical and deep, ranking 12th in the nation gaining nearly 500 yards per game. So while it's easy to say the 'Cats play the toughest defense it will see, it's just as easy to comment on how tough it'll be for the Gamecocks against arguably the best offense they've seen.
Kentucky comes strutting in after fourth-quarter-comeback victories against Arkansas and then-No. 9-ranked Louisville. Kentucky is going to use the nation's 15th ranked rushing offense to keep the clock moving, while penetrating the nation's 100th ranked rushing defense.
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200♦ YANKEES
C.C. Sabathia has yet to face the Yankees this season, and while the advantage generally falls with the pitcher in such a situation, this is a game in which New York will have the edge with that explosive lineup. Sabathia has that go-get 'em attitude and generally goes right after lineups with his power, but that would be a style that could be a detriment against the likes of Damon, Jeter, Abreu, Rodriguez, Posada and the late-entry DH Matsui.
And while we have the power-packed, pinstriped lineup in our favor, we side with Chien-Ming Wang, who won Game 1 last year in the A.L. Divisional Series against Detroit. A vast difference from Sabathia, I love Wang's approach, which isn't too flashy and certainly is poised in delivering that sharp sinker that baffles batters into grounders. He tied for the MLB lead by getting hitters to ground into 32 double plays, while he generated 381 ground outs – the third-highest total in the junior circuit.
New York was 6-0 against Cleveland this season, and is on a 6-0 run against southpaws. The Bombers are also a whopping 19-3 in Wang's last 22 starts against teams out of the A.L. Central. They don't too shabby when he's on the highway either, as New York is 17-5 in his last 22 road starts, which tells me that poise we spoke of spills over when this team's ordering room service.
100♦ KENTUCKY
This was a tough game to handicap, but I'll side with the Wildcats in this one, despite them having to face the stiffest competition they've seen all season. Generally an offensive guru, Ol' Ball Coach has one of the best overall defenses in the nation, and the best pass defense in the country. But there's a mystique of this Wildcats team – a mystique that tells me it won't go away lightly.
This really is unlike any Kentucky team that Steve Spurrier or any other coach in the modern SEC has seen. Look at the offensive numbers of this squad, which is fast, physical and deep, ranking 12th in the nation gaining nearly 500 yards per game. So while it's easy to say the 'Cats play the toughest defense it will see, it's just as easy to comment on how tough it'll be for the Gamecocks against arguably the best offense they've seen.
Kentucky comes strutting in after fourth-quarter-comeback victories against Arkansas and then-No. 9-ranked Louisville. Kentucky is going to use the nation's 15th ranked rushing offense to keep the clock moving, while penetrating the nation's 100th ranked rushing defense.
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