National title game thoughts, Mike Scott situation, Jason Garrett as new Dallas coach, today's NFL picks

First blog in a little while so I'm going to touch on a few things, some of which are a little overdue. But first, the here and now. Couple of great NFL games on tap for tomorrow.

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

4:30

Ravens at Steelers

The line for this game on betus.com is three points. Anyone think this is too high? It's too tough to pick with this line, that's for sure. The other two games between these teams this season were won by three--17-14 by the Ravens at Pittsburgh and 13-10 by Pittsburgh in Baltimore. This should be another hard-hitting classic in what has quickly become one of, if not the best, or at least most significant, rivalries in the NFL. These teams are always playing for something important. Two years ago, the two faced off in an intense AFC championship. They've played often in the playoffs recently. Ben Roethlisberger has won six straight contests over the Ravens and is 8-2 in his career against them. He was injured and out in the teams' first game against each other this season. I feel like both teams winning on the road this season means that this one would have to go to the home team. It just seems to weird if the road team wins a third straight game in the series. But such is this rivalry. These two teams play to a virtual stalemate these days and the location of the game doesn't matter. The Ravens' Terrell Suggs said this week the third meeting will be Armageddon and World War III and that the players are modern-day gladiators. Alright then. Let's suit 'em up in armor with shield and let them battle out in the coliseum! I'd pay to watch. And you better bet I'm recording this game today because, sadly, I'll be at work.

Anyway, the pick. I am going to go with Pittsburgh, and settle on a score right in between the other two final scores this season. 16-13.

8:00

Packers at Falcons

The line for this game is actually just a single point. So could it be more exciting than the earlier game? Well, it could be more high scoring, and just as close, so sure. These teams met earlier in the season as well, with Atlanta winning at home, 20-17. The Falcons lost just once all year at home, in Week 16, to the Saints. The winner of this game has the inside track to the Super Bowl berth for the NFC, I think. Although if Green Bay were to win, and Chicago beats Seattle on Sunday, I'm sure the Bears would have something to say about the Packers coming into Soldier Field and beating them in the NFC championship. Green Bay found a running game last week, and it helped them beat the Eagles in Philly. James Starks ran for 123 yards. If they can get that kind of production from the run game, watch out--Aaron Rodgers is one of the best with a balanced offense.

Atlanta kind of coasted into the playoffs. The Falcons had to win in Week 17 to secure the No. 1 seed, but they played the Panthers. The week before was their home loss to the Saints. In Week 15, they played the Seahawks, and in Week 14, the Panthers again. Not great teams (with apologies to Seattle, who is still playing). But the point is, it's been awhile since the Falcons have turned up the intensity a notch and won a meaningful game against a tough team. The Packers have been fighting for their playoff lives since back-to-back losses to the Lions and Patriots in Weeks 14 and 15. I like the package deal of the Packers right now. Tough defense led by Clay Matthews, a growing running game, and the always potent Rodgers. The Falcons are a terrific team--they didn't the No. 1 seed by being bad. They've been underrated this year, if anything. Matt Ryan is sensational at home. Michael Turner always churns out yardage on the ground. The defense is stout, but the pass defense is ranked 22nd, which concerns me. Their 10th-ranked rush defense will have to keep Green Bay's rushing attack at bay. If the Packers get both parts of the offense going, it'll be trouble for the Falcons.

This should be a spectacular game. The crowd should be loud and hungry and hopefully both quarterback have great outings. I like Green Bay, 27-24.

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AUBURN WINS NATIONAL TITLE

Although I wish it had been more high-scoring, the BCS championship game between Oregon and Auburn lived up to the hype. I was really just wanting to see a good game, but as it went on, I found myself pulling for the PAC-10 upstart to overthrow the SEC Beast. Anyone else getting sick of the SEC? The conference has now claimed the last five national titles (Florida, LSU, Florida, Alabama, Auburn). I also began pulling harder for the Ducks once the Tigers drew a couple of unsportsmanlike penalties, once of which was when Nick Fairley grabbed LaMichael James' facemask and shoved his head into the ground at the end of a play.

Oregon had its shot to win this one. It failed to convert on fourth-and-1 in the third--or was it fourth?--quarter. That could've made the score 19-17, 19-18, or 19-19, depending on the outcome of Oregon's point-after or two-point conversion try. Instead, the Ducks didn't tie up the game until late. Had they scored that touchdown earlier, this later score could've been the go-ahead TD.

Bad luck also bit Oregon. On Auburn's game-winning drive, running back Mike Dyer appeared to be down, but actually spun off an Oregon defender before pausing and then continuing to run down the field. Everyone thought the play had ended, but he was legally not down and the Auburn sideline yelled at him to run and he did just that. Even though it was the right call, it was disappointing to see the game-winning drive helped along by kind of a fluke play. The run certainly helped set up Auburn in field-goal range and prevented what could've been the second overtime in BCS title game history.

In the end, we saw just how dominant the SEC is once again. Given a month to prepare, the SEC has been almost unbeatable in national title games the past five seasons. Oregon gave Auburn all it could handle, but the Tigers held the potent and crazy fast Ducks rushing attack to just 75 yards. The speed on Auburn's defense was apparent. Fairley was a menace busting through the middle, and Auburn wasn't fooled by the misdirection and unique running plays of the Ducks. And time and time again, Oregon could not get the edge. The lateral running was not working against the speedy Tiger defenders. Oregon had outran its opponents all year, and all over the field, but the Ducks met their match finally in Auburn.

Noticed I haven't said anything about Cameron Newton yet? The guy is an unbelievable talent, but what I'll remember from this championship is Auburn's defense, and how it, for the most part, shut down Oregon. Newton may have had a scandal following him this season, but he's hard not to like. Watching him play is one thing, but he also brings a charisma and leadership that makes him a magent for attention and likability. He also seems like a well-spoken, thoughtful guy. The way he blocked out the distractions of the season in leading his team to a championship was impressive as well.

And now, if only Auburn could play TCU. Sure, we can all say there's no way a Mountain West defense could stop Newton and Auburn if no one else could, but the shame is we'll never know.

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MIKE SCOTT OUT FOR SEASON; UVA GETS DUKE TODAY

It's been almost a week since it was announced that Mike Scott would miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Certainly this is a big blow for the team. In a weak ACC, I thought this Virginia squad, though young and unproven, could possibly get to .500 in the conference. I don't know if that will be possible now without our leading rebounder and scorer. The good part is the younger post players like Akil Mitchell and Will Regan will get more experience now, which could pay dividends down the road. Hopefully, Mike Scott will return next year. He is applying for a medical redshirt from the NCAA. From what I've gathered, it seems like the NCAA would be likely to grant him a fifth year with the amount of games he's played. With a raw but talented team returning next season, and a healthy Mike Scott, next year could possibly be Virginia's best year since Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds took the Cavs to the Big Dance in 2006-07. That's a little down the road, but the possiblity is there. For now, it'll be painful--but fun at times--to watch these young players develop under Tony Bennett's tutelage.

Today is likely to be one of those painful days. Virginia gets the privilege of facing a Duke squad coming off its first loss of the season and the game is being played at Cameron Indoor Coliseum. I like to be optimistic, but I think this is one of those games to chalk up as a learning experience and move on. It would be cool to see us put up a fight in the first half, though.

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JASON GARRETT ASSUMES HEAD COACH POSITION FOR DALLAS

A little over a week ago, Jerry Jones announced the hiring of Cowboys interim head coach Jason Garrett as full-time head coach. Garrett led the Cowboys to a 5-3 second-half record after Dallas went 1-7 under Wade Phillips in the first half of the year. Though the Cowboys still struggled, especially at times on defense, the improvement was apparent. Dallas wasn't even competing at the end of Phillips' tenure. In his last game, Dallas got blasted 48-7 by Green Bay. In the first few games, Dallas really kept its nose clean with fewer penalties and bone-headed mistakes, mistakes that highlighted the Phillips era. The last few games of the year, though, that lackadaisical attitude seemed to slip back into the team. The second half of the year was more enjoyable than the first, however. I like what Garrett brought to the team overall. Given a year of preparation, hopefully Garrett can get the Cowboys to return to the playoffs next season (if there's a season, that is, given the labor talks, or lack thereof). There should be some soul-searching by some of the Cowboys in the offseason. I can't imagine the defense will remain intact. Hopefully there are some changes on that side of the ball. And hopefully Jones give Garrett plenty of leeway in deciding who he wants on his staff, who he wants on his roster, and who het gets to draft. Given Jones' track record, Garrett won't have a lot of control, but Jones seemed to say otherwise in Garrett's introductory news conference.