Heisman Watch Week 0

COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK BABY. And with the tailgates, all-day Saturday watch parties, and bemoaning the SEC bias of the CFP committee comes the Heisman watch. The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in American sports and it's always one of the biggest storylines of the season.

So, we here at TSE are bringing back our most popular series to closely monitor this year's Heisman campaign. Not to toot our own horn too much, but TSE's record at picking the correct Heisman winner at the end of the season is 4 out of 4. Will our perfect record continue this year? There's only one way to find out.

This post is not a real watch but more of an assessment of the top ten contenders. Of course, this is not a complete list as that would take hours to compile. Honorable mentions include David Sills V of West Virginia, Brandon Wimbush of Notre Dame, Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State, Dexter Williams of Notre Dame, Shea Patterson of Michigan, Justin Herbert of Oregon, Nick Fitzgerald of Mississippi State, and Drew Lock of Missouri.

10. J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State- There's a chance that at some point down the line Dobbins will be outshone by QB Dwayne Haskins and defensive star Nick Bosa, but right now all of the focus is on Dobbins. Last year he ran for 1,403 yards while picking up an average of more than 7 yards per carry and catching 22 passes for 135 yards. Now that Haskins has taken over for J.T. Barrett, Dobbins role should increase more, as Barrett also ran quite a bit.

9. Kelly Bryant, Clemson- A lot of people thought that freshman phenom Trevor Lawrence would get the starting job over Bryant, but the man who started every game for the Tigers last year and led them to the semi-finals of the College Football Playoffs held him off. Still, Bryant is on a short leash. Lawrence will no doubt get some playing time in blowout wins. In fact, we'll probably see him in Week 1 against Furman. If Bryant struggles at all during the season, it probably won't take much for head coach Dabo Swinney to put Lawrence. But, if Bryant is successful, he'll probably be a Heisman contender. Last year he was a fringe contender in the middle of the season and finished with 2,802 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns.

8. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama- It feels weird to list someone as a top Heisman candidate without them being an out-right starter, yet here we are. As a true freshman last year, Tagovailoa backed up Jalen Hurts and led Alabama to a comeback in the national title game. Of course, Tagovailoa's candidacy rides on him being named the starter or at least getting plenty of playing time. Out of the two QBs, Tua is definitely the better passer and that should mean he'll be playing in close games.

7. Ed Oliver, Houston- There's a reason Oliver is the only defensive player on this list. A true defensive player hasn't been named college football's most outstanding player since 1997 when Charles Woodson of Michigan took home the trophy. Players like Manti Te'o, Jabrill Peppers, and Tyrann Mathieu have come close, but to no avail. The Houston Cougar has tallied 39.5 career tackles for loss and has already announced his entry in the 2019 NFL draft, where he'll almost certainly be a top five pick.

6. Will Grier, West Virginia- College football expert Pat Forde is on record saying that West Virginia will start off the season 7-1 or 8-0 and they'll be the talk of the college football world. He also said that there was no way Grier would win the Heisman. And while I hate to disagree with someone with the expertise of Forde, I have to do it. The Mountaineer threw for 36 TDs last year while completing 64.4% of his passes. If West Virginia does indeed get off to the start Forde projects, he'll be an early Heisman contender for sure.

5. Trace McSorley, Penn State- McSorley was my trendy Heisman outsider for much of last season. Unfortunately for him, his exploits were often overshadowed by some guy named Saquon Barkley (don't know if you've heard of him). Last year McSorley threw for 28 scores and completed 66.5% of his matches while also running for 491 yards and 11 scores. This may be crazy, but I think McSorley has a good chance at entering his name into the best QB convo.

4. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin- As a freshman, Taylor electrified the nation and brought Wisconsin on the verge of making the College Football Playoffs. The bar is certainly high, but Taylor has what it takes to do it again. It certainly helps that Wisconsin has arguably the best O-line in the nation and many, Forde included, have them penciled in to win the Big 10 and be national title contenders.

3. Bryce Love, Stanford- A running back not from Alabama hasn't won the Heisman since Ron Dayne in 1999 (sorry Reggie Bush). Still, if any RB this year has a shot, it's love. His stat line (which included 2,118 rushing yards & 19 rushing scores) last year quickly helped Palo Alto forget about Christian McCaffrey. A number of Stanford players over the last decade or so have been serious Heisman candidates, including Love, McCaffrey, Andrew Luck, and Owen Marecic, but none of them have won. Could Love be the one to break this spell?

2. Jake Fromm, Georgia- I'll admit, I've probably underrated Fromm for a while now. For most of last season, I held the belief that the Bulldogs were winning because of Roquan Smith and their phenomenal defense, not Fromm. In fact, I thought Fromm was holding them back. I finally was won over by his performance against Auburn in the SEC title game. Then, I became utterly enamored with new recruit Justin Fields and his very obvious potential. Regardless, Fromm is still the Georgia starter and it is looking extremely likely that UGA will be in the national title picture again this year.

1. Khalil Tate, Arizona- You might not have been paying attention last year, but Tate was quietly amassing stellar stats last year. The Inglewood, CA native passed for 1,591 yards, 1,411 rushing yards, and 26 total scores last year. However, he emerged too late on the national scene last season to be a serious Heisman contender, especially since by that point Baker Mayfield had locked it up. Now, Khalil Tate is our preseason pick to win the Heisman Trophy.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

A Small Take on a Big World's 2017 Person of the Year

Unless your name is Taylor Swift, chances are 2017 wasn't the best year for you. The news cycle was relentless with stories about illegal immigration crackdowns, fractures within the Republican Party, natural storms taking lives, the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, and that's only within the U.S. Across the world we saw contentious elections, terrorist attacks, and wars being fought.

It could be argued that 2017 was the year where the U.S. took a back seat on the world stage. This could be attributed to a number of things: President Trump's America-centric attitude, a number of international incidents, the U.S. no longer being regarded as a global power, etc. The last one may be the key though: under Trump, the U.S. has seen its global influence wane. The new dominant player in the world scene: China. That's why our 2017 Person of the Year is Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi became Chinese president in 2012 and with no apparent heir, is seemingly ready to rule for five more. The leader of the Chinese Communist Party is even mentioned in the Chinese constitution. The "Xi Jinping Thought" allows any challenge to the president to be viewed as a threat to the ruling party. 

In a three-hour long speech on October 18th, Xi declared that China intended to lead the world. French President Emmanuel Macron echoed that sentiment in a private summit after Trump withdrew from the Paris Accord. Xi's words have been backed up by numerous displays of power. After Trump broke precedent and called the Taiwanese President last December, China flew a nuclear bomber over the South  China Sea islands. Under Xi, China has increased its disputed presence in the aforementioned sea while staying very involved in Taiwanese and Hong Kong politics. 

On the domestic side, Xi has tackled issues such as corruption, freedom of speech, and internet censorship. But his biggest impact has arguably been on the economy. Thanks to policies such as reducing pollution and decreasing state-owned industries, China has managed to fight back against its slowing economic growth. China has also funneled billions of dollars into Asia and Africa (which also gives it soft power). 

Furthermore, there does not seem to be any sign of Xi slowing down anytime soon. Although he has overseen the arrests of activists and human rights lawyers, Xi is widely believed to enjoy widespread support from his countrymen. There's every reason to believe that Xi will be the most influential and newsworthy person in the world for years to come.

Honorable Mentions:

Emmanuel Macron: Macron was elected president of France in 2017, countering the rising nationalist movement in Europe. The former economic minister has already gone to work revitalizing the French economy thanks to policies such as supporting digital start-ups. 

Mohammed bin Salman: The youngest defense minister in the world is also first in line for the Saudi Arabian throne. In November, Prince Mohammed detained four princes, eleven ministers, and many notable entrepreneurs in a supposed corruption crackdown. This move helped consolidate the Prince's power and made sure he was one of the Middle East's most impactful players. 

Jeff Bezos- Bezos went from selling books online to selling whatever he wants. Amazon is the world's largest online retailer and keeps on growing. In 2017, Bezos purchased Whole Foods and announced that Amazon was looking to build another headquarters, prompting hundreds of cities to submit proposals. 

Kim Jong Un- The North Korean dictator dominated the news cycle in 2017 thanks to his public drawn-out feud with President Trump. This feud of course, was brought on by the dictator's multiple nuclear tests and threats. 

Hamdi Ulukaya- It may seem weird to put the CEO of Chobani here, but Ulukaya is well deserving of this spot. The Turk has created hundreds of jobs all across the U.S., including upstate New York and Idaho. Not only has he hired native-born Americans, he has also hired refugees. Ulukaya also founded the Tent Foundation, a group dedicated to helping the world's refugees.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

2017 NFL Playoff Predictions

The NFL regular season is over. While 18 teams will go home to lick their wounds and prep for the future, 12 teams will gear up for war. The prize: the Super Bowl, one of the most prestigious titles in all of sports. In this post, we'll break down each game and pick our eventual winner. Let's get started.

Wild-Card Round:

#6 Detroit Lions at #3 Seattle Seahawks

This would be a much easier task if Detroit was playing at Seattle. Unfortunately for the Lions, they find themselves playing against the Seahawks in a very tough atmosphere. We all know how good the Seahawks are at home. That being said, Seattle is not at 100%. They lost Earl Thomas for the season, so QB Matthew Stafford should take a lot of shots downfield. But even without Thomas, Seattle has an incredible defense. They should apply a lot of pressure to Stafford and essentially nullify the run game. Thanks to injuries, Russell Wilson is not as mobile as he has been in past seasons, so Detroit can concentrate on covering the passing game.

Key Player for Detroit: Zach Zenner- Zenner has shown flashes of brilliance in recent weeks, but he'll be tested against Seattle. For Detroit to win, they'll need a solid ground game, not just a solid passing game.

Key Player for Seattle: Richard Sherman- when you lose one of the best safeties in the game, problems arise. Sherman and the rest of Seattle's secondary will need to step up to stop Detroit's receivers.

Pick: Seattle- the Seahawks defense will ultimately prove to be too much for a game Detroit team. Expect the Seahawks to pull away in the second half.

#5 New York Giants at #4 Green Bay

This is a really tough game to call. Both teams are pretty equal on talent level. If Green Bay was at full strength, they'd probably be the easy favorites. But injuries have decimated their roster all season long, so they've had to adapt. New York on the other hand, is flying high thanks to the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and Landon Collins. Green Bay is playing at home, and like the previous match-up, that really tips the scale in their favors.

Key Player for New York: Landon Collins- the safety has been one of the most remarkable defensive players in the entire league. The Giants will need big plays out of him.

Key Player for Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers- there is possibly no one in the more league with more momentum than Rodgers. After a shaky start to the season, Rodgers is posting MVP-worthy numbers and is playing some of the best football of his career. If this continues on Sunday, the Giants will be in a world of trouble.

Pick: Green Bay- while I would not be surprised if New York pulled off the upset, the Packers have too much momentum on their side to lose.

#5 Oakland Raiders at #4 Houston Texans

The real question here is how well Brock Osweiler will play. He struggled consistently throughout the season and was eventually benched in favor of Tom Savage. Unfortunately, Savage was concussed in Week 17, so Osweiler once again finds himself in the starting position. Houston fans should undeniably be worried, as Oakland's defense has the potential to eat him alive. That being said, Oakland's offense also has the potential to carve holes through Houston's defense.

Key Player for Oakland: Kelechi Osmele- Osmele and the entire offensive line will need to keep Houston's big men at bay. That will be easier thanks to JJ Watt being injured, but Houston still has the ability to rush the QB.

Key Player for Houston: Will Fuller V- the rookie has emerged as a great deep-threat option this year, but he will need to be a playmaker for Houston. The Texans simply do not have the talent to match up with the Raiders so they will be forced to rely on big plays to win.

Pick: Oakland- the Raiders are one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. This shouldn't be anything more than a warmup game for them.

#6 Miami Dolphins at #3 Pittsburgh Steelers

In Week 6, these two teams met. In a bit of an upset, the Dolphins won by 15 points. While it may be easy to point to them as the obvious winner, things are much different now. The biggest difference: Matt Moore is the QB for the Dolphins. In the Week 6 win, Ryan Tannehill was at the helm for Miami. Say what you want his ability, but he still picked up the W. Moore on the other hand, is much less capable. This should be a closer game than the first meeting.

Key Player for Miami: Jay Ajayi- the running back emerged to become one of the league's best running backs. He played very well against Pittsburgh in Week 6, but that was when he was a bit of an unknown commodity. Now that Pittsburgh has had time to prepare for him, he might be easier to contain.

Key Player for Pittsburgh: Antonio Brown- the best wide receiver in the league, Brown struggled against Miami the first time around. He will need a bigger game this time if Pittsburgh wants a chance at winning.

Pick: Pittsburgh- it's hard to bet against Roethlisberger in the playoffs. Add in the fact that Matt Moore is playing, and you have a perfect recipe for Pittsburgh to win.

Divisional Round:

#3 Seattle Seahawks at #2 Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta is defined by its explosive offense. With players like Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Tevin Coleman, how can you not be? The problem is its suspect defense. It's prime for guys like Jimmy Graham and Doug Baldwin to run over. Granted, it might not be enough, but it should at least keep them competitive. Seattle's defense will have their hands full, but they have the tools to get the job done.

Key Player for Seattle: Thomas Rawls- Seattle's leading rusher of this season was Christine Michael, who is now in Green Bay. Rawls is now the starting running back, but the whole run game remains weak. Rookie Alex Collins has shown potential, but Rawls will shoulder most of the load.

Key Player for Atlanta: Matt Ryan- the former Boston College QB is one of the front-runners for the MVP award. Against Seattle, he'll have a very tough outing, but he needs to succeed if Atlanta is to win.

Pick: Seattle- Atlanta's offense might be stumped by Seattle, while Seattle has the potential to run over the Falcons.

#4 Green Bay Packers at #1 Dallas Cowboys

The resurgence of the Cowboys has been one of the biggest stories of this season. They went from a mediocre team to viable Super Bowl contenders. The Packers, on the other hand, have managed to stay great for years now. That being said, it's hard to go against the 'Boys. Ezekiel Elliot just had arguably the best season for a rookie running back ever, the defense is flying high, and Dak Prescott is coming off of a Pro Bowl season.

Key Player for Green Bay: Clay Matthews- Matthews dealt with injury problems this season, but is now back. He and the rest of the Packers will have a hard time containing Elliot, but it's absolutely necessary.

Key Player for Dallas: Dez Bryant- the explosive receiver is one of the best in the game, and he should take advantage of an injury-riddled secondary.

Pick: Dallas- if Green Bay was at full strength then they might be the favorites here, but right now it's hard to pick against Dallas.

#5 Oakland Raiders at #1 New England Patriots

In an explosive second-round game, we have the two best AFC teams playing. The Patriots will get a boost from playing in Foxborough, and the Raiders are further weakened by the loss of Derek Carr. Carr was playing like an MVP, and not having him seriously hurts the Raiders. If Carr was active, I would probably pick the Raiders to win.

Key Player for Oakland: Khalil Mack- one of the most feared defensive players in the league will need to be at his best here. If he can and teammate Bruce Irvin can keep the pressure on Tom Brady, maybe they can force some bad throws.

Key Player for New England: Julian Edelman- with Gronk out, Edelman is the biggest target for Brady. He and the other prominent receiving members of the receiving corps, like Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell, will need big games.

Pick: New England- if Carr was playing, I'd pick Oakland to win, but the Raiders aren't good enough without him.

# 3 Pittsburgh Steelers at #2 Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have some explosive, dynamite weapons on their team. This includes Travis Kelce, Eric Berry, and Tyreke Hill. Their defense and special teams are among the best in the league and should give Pittsburgh fits. Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell is the best back in the league, but KC can shut him down.

Key Player for Pittsburgh: Ryan Shazier- the former OSU standout will have his work cut out for him as he faces Spencer Ware. He'll also need to put pressure on Alex Smith.

Key Player for Kansas City: Justin Houston- Houston is expected to be back for this game, and hopefully he'll be healthy. Houston is the heart of KC's linebackers, so his presence will instantly elevate them.

Pick: Kansas City- the Chiefs are simply a better all-around team than Pittsburgh

Conference Finals:

#3 Seattle Seahawks at #1 Dallas Cowboys

Man, what a game this should be. Two of the best young quarterbacks in the league will be put to the test against two elite defenses. This game might just come down to whichever QB plays better. If Seattle still had Marshawn Lynch (who retired last season), they would be better equipped to deal with Dallas. Instead, Thomas Rawls will have his work cut out for him.

Key Player for Seattle: Jimmy Graham- Graham might just be Seattle's best weapon against a physical Dallas defense. The big-bodied tight end is a great pass-catcher and should get plenty of targets from Russell Wilson.

Key Player for Dallas: Tyron Smith- Smith helms the best offensive line in the country. Doug Free, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin, and La'el Collins are all tough, physical players that can create massive holes for Elliot to run through. That being said, Seattle has a ferocious rushing defense led by Bobby Wagner. If Dallas's o-line can hold them back, the Cowboys' chances of winning go up markedly.

Pick: Dallas- if Russell Wilson was 100% healthy and totally mobile, he might give Dallas fits. But since he's injured, Dallas will be able to contain him.

#2 Kansas City Chiefs at #1 New England Patriots

You might think that the Raiders and Steelers are the biggest threat to New England, but don't count Kansas City out. The Chiefs have one of the best D/ST units in the league and that could prove to be the tipping point.

Key Player for Kansas City: Alex Smith- the Patriots will try to put pressure on Smith, but he needs to stay cool and find the open receiver. If he plays well, the Chiefs have a realistic shot at winning.

Key Player for New England: Malcolm Butler- the man behind one of the greatest plays in NFL history will have his work cut out for him against the likes of Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce.

Pick: Kansas City- this is a big upset, but I think it's possible. Kansas City is on an incredible roll while New England is without Gronk, undeniably their biggest weapon. Plus, every good prediction needs a big upset and risky pick.

Super Bowl

Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs

If you had told me at the beginning of the year that I would be picking these two teams to meet in the Super Bowl, I would have laughed. In fact, in my preseason predictions, I picked Carolina to beat Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl. Yeah, that worked out well.

Key Player for Dallas: Sean Lee- the Cowboys will need their defensive leader to step up and contain the Chiefs' explosive players.

Key Player for Kansas City: Spencer Ware- Ware has done an admirable job stepping up in replace of the injured Jamaal Charles. But he'll need to have an epic game if he wants to keep the Chiefs in contention.

Pick: Dallas- it's simple, Dallas is the best team in the NFL. Kansas City has the talent to keep it close, but it won't be enough.

Super Bowl MVP: Ezekiel Elliot- you just know Elliot will have a career-defining perofmance here. He'll become the first rookie to ever win Super Bowl MVP.

Thanks for reading everyone.

A Small Take on a Big World's 2016 Person of the Year

Every year, TIME magazine releases their Person of the Year, an award given to the year's biggest newsmaker. It's a tradition that dates back to 1927 when Charles Lindbergh was honored as the very first POY. Other winners include Mahatma Gandhi (1930), Winston Churchill (1940 & 1949), Queen Elizabeth II (1952), Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1963), the Apollo 8 astronauts (1968), Anwar Sadat (1997), Ted Turner (1991), Pope John Paul II (1994), Jeff Bezos (1999), Mark Zuckerberg (2010), and Ebola fighters (2014). This year's POY is President-elect Donald Trump. He has yet to take office, but his stirring brand of politics has gripped millions of voters and earned him the Oval Office.

Here at "A Small Take on a Big World", our POY will not be given out based on terms of being newsworthy. Instead, our POY will be the most influential person of the year. Who had the biggest impact on the world and changed its very landscape? The inaugural ASTOABW Person of the Year is... Donald Trump.

It may seem as if we're simply copying TIME, but there's been no way to get around the impact Trump has had this year. The real-estate tycoon is poised to become the leader of the Free World and the most powerful person on the planet. His actions and decisions will impact the lives of millions, if not billions, across the world.

Ordinarily, presidential campaigns can be derailed by any number of things. Think back to Michael Dukakis's run. Though he had a lot of momentum, all of that vanished when he was seen riding in a tank. The presidential candidate looked so goofy that voters couldn't take him seriously anymore, and his candidacy tanked. Trump has survived a number of scandals that would have taken anyone else out, essentially proving himself bulletproof. Most notable of this was the audio recording of his conversation with Billy Bush, where the two casually talked about sexual assault. Although Bush lost his job at NBC, Trump still went on to win the presidency. Other big scandals- Trump mocking a disabled reporter, lawsuits against Trump University, and promising to build a wall on the U.S.'s border with Mexico.

On the campaign trail, everything Trump said was just words and empty promises. If he lost the election, none of it would mean anything. But now that the presidency is his, there are a lot of promises and proposed policy options his voters are holding him too. While he probably won't get Mexico to pay for his proposed wall, he can expand the country's use of non-renewable energy sources and place limits on abortions.

Of course, we can't talk about the election without bringing up Russia. Trump's affinity for Russia and its hard-nosed leaders has made many politicians uncomfortable, including Senator John McCain of Arizona. A secret CIA memo said that the Russians, under the direction of Vladimir Putin, had interfered in the election process. Trump categorically has denied this, but it continues to cast a shadow over his transition process.

Whether you like him or not, Donald Trump will be the President of the United States for at least the next four years. His politics will undoubtedly offend a great number of people, but they are also echoing the desires of many Americans. Those who hate him see him as the product of a broken system, one that gives no value to the lives of the disadvantaged. Trump's fans see him as their voice and leader; the only one who can properly address their concerns. For them, Donald Trump is one of the best things to ever happen to America.

Honorable Mentions:

Recep Tayyip Erdogan- The Turkish president first made world news when he jailed more than 30,000 people in the wake of the Turkish coup. Many world leaders were dismayed with these jailings, but Erdogan used them to send a message to his opponents: he was still in power. He then made his presence known in Syria as he allied himself with President Assad. Now, his relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia continues to keep the rest of the world uneasy.

Mark Zuckerberg- As Facebook continues to dominate social media and the internet itself, Zuckerberg will always be an influential figure. Facebook itself has become extraordinarily influential, as evidenced by the fake news scandals that have plagued this year. Zuckerberg has vowed to fight fake news stories on Facebook, but nothing concrete has been created yet. The tech titan also made news for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

Nigel Farage- Farage was relatively unknown outside of England when the year started, but that all changed this year. That is because he was one of the biggest proponents of Britain leaving the European Union (a.k.a. Brexit). In a shocking turn of events, British voters chose to leave the EU, creating ramifications worldwide. Since then, the incredibly divisive politician has established a good relationship with President-elect Donald Trump.

LeBron James- It was a banner year for the greatest basketball player of our generation. In June, he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA title, thus fulfilling a promise he made to his hometown years before. For this, James was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year for a second time. But James also made an impact off the court. His philanthropic efforts were well-documented and he campaigned for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Elon Musk- One of the most prominent CEOs in the world, Musk has been involved in a variety of different avenues this year, including Tesla and Solar City. He has also recently expressed interest in improving the nation's infrastructure and transportation systems. Musk may play a bigger role in shaping our forthcoming technological advances than anyone else.

Thank you for reading everyone.

The Imitation Game Review

The next review in our series of Oscar nominated pictures will be The Imitation Game.With seven Oscar nominations (including for Best Picture), 1 Oscar win (for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay), and ranked 207 on the IMDB Top 250, The Imitation Game was easily one of the most decorated movies of 2014 and was one of the most hyped. The story of Alan Turing (which only became known in recent years) is one of the most intriguing ones out there. For those of you who don't know, Turing was a Cambridge professor who played a big role in cracking the German Enigma machine. Without his efforts, Nazi Germany might have won World War II. However, Turing was prosecuted because of his homosexuality, which was then seen as a crime in Britain. Because Turing's work was classified for a long period, it has only recently been celebrated. The story of Turing (along with Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch playing Turing) drew a lot of attention and Oscar buzz. At one point, many were sure The Imitation Game would win Best Picture and Cumberbatch would win Best Actor. Though neither of those predictions would come true, the film was a massive success, both financially and critically.

 The movie revolves around Turing's life (everything from his school years to his life after the war)and it does a beautiful job of telling it. Keira Knightley (who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress) played the role of Joan Clarke, who helped Turing break the Enigma and was engaged to him for six months. The two have fantastic chemistry together that makes the movie even more enjoyable to watch. While Knightley is definitely deserving of her nomination, it is Cumberbatch's performance that steals the show. He does an absolutely masterful job as Turing, managing to capture every essence of Turing's personality.

Morten Tyldum (who received a nomination for Best Director) does a great job organizing the scenes, allowing everything to flow well and tell Turing's story. The score (which earned Alexandre Desplat a nomination) is absolutely beautiful and punctuates the movie wonderfully. The title song is hauntingly beautiful and will transport you back to the movie every time you listen to it.

The Imitation Game was one of the best movies of 2014 and Benedict Cumberbatch gave an iconic performance that will be remembered for years to come. If you haven't seen this movie yet, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Whiplash Review

In case you missed it, the 2015 Academy Awards took place last month. Reviews of the event itself were mixed, but it cannot be denied that some of the movies honored at the event were truly spectacular. The Academy Awards are wonderful publicity for the movies that are nominated. After all, the event serves as a validation as to how good some of these movies are. A nomination for a prestigious award such as Best Actor, Best Director, or Best Picture will go a long way in persuading someone to watch a movie. With that in mind, ASTOABW would like to give special attention to some of the movies honored at the Academy Awards. First up: Whiplash.

Though it was nominated for Best Picture and is #37 on the IMDP Top 250, the big selling point for Whiplash is the incredible performance given by J.K. Simmons. Not only did he win over 30 awards for his performance as Terrence Fletcher (including the Oscar for Best Acting Supporter), but his performance is already being considered one of the most iconic performances of the decade. The lead actor, Miles Teller, also gives a splendid performance as Andrew Neiman, a young drummer with dreams to be a great  jazz musician.

The story revolves around the relationship between Neiman, a first-year student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory, and Fletcher, the conductor of the jazz band at Shaffer. Neiman is placed into the core band (the main band) after Fletcher hears him play. Though Fletcher first appears to be kind and forgiving, it soon becomes clear that that is not the case. Fletcher is hell-bent on finding the next jazz legend, and he will stop at nothing in order to do so. He pushes Neiman, often with unconventional methods, to reach his full potential. The performances by both men, along with their incredible chemistry, is what drives this movie.

At a running time of 107 minutes, the movie does not drag in any spot. Any deviation from the main plot ties in beautifully with the rest of the movie. It results in the viewer being completely glued to the screen, a true cinematic miracle. On top of that, the movie is punctuated with a beautiful soundtrack (they won an Oscar for Sound Mixing). It is all but a guarantee you will be humming "Whiplash" and "Caravan" for at least a few days after you watch the movie.

If you haven't watched Whiplash yet, hopefully this post persuaded you otherwise. It is a truly excellent movie that is worth your while.

14 Big Stories of 2014

2014 now lies in the history books, and it was definitely one to look back and reflect upon. New inventions were created, conflicts were started, and events happened that no one will soon forget. As we do every year (or at least since 2012), we're going to look back at 14 of the biggest stories of the year. These stories range from technology to politics to sports to everything in-between. Let's get started.

1. The Ebola Outbreak- It seems like every year, there is a "new and exotic" disease that everyone is afraid of getting of. Past examples include SARS and swine flu. This year, it was Ebola. Despite the disease existing for decades, 2014 was the year it burst into the international spotlight. Soon, countries all over the world were taking preventive measures against it. The Ebola Fighters were even named POY by TIME.

2. Ferguson, Missouri- This small town was put on the map after an African-American teenager named Michael Brown was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Brown was unarmed at the time, but reports conflict about his actions right before his death. In response to the teen's death, the city erupted in violent protests that featured tear gas and looting. Wilson (who was married in October) was found not guilty by a grand jury, causing even more unrest. The riots were the most tweeted about event of the year.

3. ISIS- Originally an al Qaeda splinter group, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria burst onto the headlines this summer. In June, they began invading cities in Iraq. Later that month, they announced the creation of a caliphate. Since then, the radical Muslim group has continued to shock the world by releasing the videos of beheading hostages and recruiting people from all over the world, including the United States.

4. U.S./Cuba Relations- In December, President Obama made a landmark announcement would begin restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba. He announced that the U.S. would re-open an embassy in Havana and soften travel restrictions. The move came about after Cuba released American Alan Gross, who had been held captive for five years. This ends a thaw between the two countries that started in 1961.

5. Malaysian Airlines- It was not a good year for Malaysian Airlines. First, in March, Flight 370 disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. Crews are still searching from the plane. Then, four months later, Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 passengers and crew members were killed. A final report on the crash is expected in August of 2015.

6. Taylor Swift- The country star's newest album 1989 was the best-selling album of 2014 and one of only two albums that sold over 1 million copies (the other was the Frozen soundtrack). Swift also made headlines when she had all of her music pulled from Spotify.

7. Luis Suarez- The Uruguayan soccer star made headlines at the World Cup when he bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during a match. As a result, Suarez was suspended for the rest of the Cup. After this incident, Suarez left Liverpool FC for FC Barcelona. The transfer fee of 75 million pounds set a new record.

8. Robin Williams- The world was shocked when comedy legend Robin Williams passed away on November 11th. The coroner ruled that the death was by suicide. Williams leaves us with classic works such as Dead Poets Society, Jumanji, Aladdin, Good Will Hunting, and Good Morning, Vietnam.

9. Landon Donovan- The greatest American soccer player of all time first made big headlines when it was announced that Coach Jurgen Klinsmann had not selected him for the World Cup roster. Instead, Donovan worked as a World Cup analyst for ESPN. Then, in December, Donovan and his team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, beat New England Revolution to win the MLS Cup,

10. Chris Pratt- Pratt started the year as a cast member on the penultimate season of Parks and Recreation. Then, in the summer, Guardians of the Galaxy released, which Pratt starred in as Star-Lord. The Marvel movie turned out to be a huge success and was one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. To top it all off, Pratt hosted the season premiere of Saturday Night Live in September.

11. The Interview- Originally, this was supposed to be a standard movie. Starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, this movie was about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. However, this movie jumped into the limelight when the dictator announced that there would be big consequences if this movie was released. Sony was then hacked by a group called Guardians of Peace, which was against the release of The Interview. Despite all of this uproar, the movie was released in select theaters and online.

12. Midterm Elections- On November 4th, the Midterm elections took place. Despite a very low voter turnout (36.3%), the Republicans took control of the Senate and kept their grip on the House of Representatives. Many political analysts interpreted this as unhappiness over President Obama's policies.

13. Matthew McConaughey- It was an all-around fantastic year for McConaughey. Many people believed that his best days were behind him, but the Texan proved them all wrong. First, he won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Dallas Buyers Club. which he also won a Golden Globe for. Then, he was nominated for two Emmys for HBO's True Detective: one for his lead role and the second for being one of the shows's executive producers (the show was nominated for Best Drama Series). He capped off his wonderful year with the release of the sci-fi movie Interstellar.

14. International Sporting Events- Two big international sporting events took place this year: the FIFA World Cup, which took place over the summer in Rio de Janeio, Brazil, and the Winter Olympics, which took place in February in Sochi, Russia. Germany beat Argentina in the finals to clinch the World Cup while Russia won more medals and gold medals than any other country.

What was your favorite story of 2014? Comment and let me know.