11/09/2008 - Avondale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmie Johnson won Sunday's Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 with a dominating performance at the Phoenix International Raceway. Johnson, the two-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion, led 217 of 313 laps and held off a hard-charging Kurt Busch in a green-white-checkered finish.
Johnson now holds a 141-point lead over Carl Edwards, who finished fourth. If Johnson finishes 36th or better in next weekend's season-finale at Homestead, regardless of Edwards' performance, he will clinch his record-tying third consecutive Cup title.
The victory was Johnson's seventh of the season and the 40th of his career.
Busch finished second, and Jamie McMurray came in third. Denny Hamlin completed the top-five.
More details to follow.
<< Manning, Colts get first win in Pittsburgh in 40 years
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Peyton Manning threw for 240 yards and three
touchdowns, including the go-ahead score to Dominic Rhodes with 3:04 to play,
and the Indianapolis Colts hung on for a 24-20 win over the Steelers, their
first w
<< Williams and Panthers down Oakland
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - DeAngelo Williams rushed for 140 yards and a
touchdown, leading the Carolina Panthers to a 17-6 victory over the Oakland
Raiders.
Williams accounted for most of the team's offense, as the team managed
<< Spurs' Parker out four weeks
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker is
expected to be out approximately four weeks with a sprained left ankle.
An MRI revealed a grade two ankle sprain, according to the San Antonio Express
News.
Pa
<< Rivers and Chargers hold off Chiefs
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philip Rivers threw for 316 yards and two
touchdowns, including the go-ahead score late in the fourth, to lead the San
Diego Chargers in a 20-19 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rivers was 27-of-3
Johnson on the brink of third-straight title with Phoenix win >>
Avondale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmie Johnson took a huge step closer towards
capturing his record-tying third-consecutive Sprint Cup Series championship
with a dominating victory in Sunday's Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at
Phoenix
Longoria, Soto favored to nab Rookie of Year awards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baseball Writers' Association of America will hand out
their first two postseason honors on Monday, as the American and National
League Rookies of the Year will be announced.
Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longori
Celtics squash Pistons; Iverson flat in home debut >>
Auburn Hills, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Allen had 23 points off the bench,
and Ray Allen added 17 points and eight rebounds, as the Boston Celtics
defeated the Detroit Pistons, 88-76, in the teams' first meeting since last
season'
Kane, Havlat lead Chicago over Calgary >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Patrick Kane and Martin Havlat both collected a
goal and two assists, as the surging Chicago Blackhawks trumped the Calgary
Flames, 6-1, at the United Center.
Jonathan Toews and Kris Versteeg each had a
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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