Mr. Ditka Goes To Washington

Today, the great Iron Mike Ditka was on Capitol Hill. He once turned down a chance to run for a seat in the United States Senate from Illinois. Ditka was in the Senate today, but was there to testify before the Senate Commerce Committee on behalf of retired NFL players.

Ditka is the spokesman for the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund. The group is attempting to convince the NFL and the players' union to reform the system of disability payments for retired players. Ditka, in the meantime, is trying to force the union's hand by asking for a congressional investigation of the union's finances.

The NFL is the most successful professional sports league in America. The league is more popular than ever. The league and its players are making more money than ever. There are many retired players that have fallen through the cracks of the league's pension plan. There are other ex-players who have debilitating football-related injuries and are unable to work. Yes, there are occupational hazards that come with playing a full-contact collision sport. However, the league and its players' union have a responsibility to help take care of those who have helped build the sport.

These are proud men who would rather not ask for a handout. They are not asking for the government to help them. They would simply like to receive something back from the game that they helped build, so that they can take care of physical needs brought about by their football careers.

The Roger Goodell era of the NFL is off to a great start. My hope is that the NFL and the NFL Players Association can do something more to help former players that have fallen upon hard times due to football-related injuries and conditions.

NFL Highway, Week 2

Life is a highway. So is the NFL. We won’t ride it all night long, but it is time for another trip down the NFL highway for Week 2. From the branch office in Windsor, Connecticut….

The Romo Empire continues to be built. The Miami Dolphins are the latest conquest of Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys, as Dallas won on Sunday, 37-20. Romo threw for 185 yards and two touchdown passes. The Cowboys next travel to Chicago for the Sunday night extravaganza against the Bears.

Break up the Texans! The Houston Texans overcame an early 14-0 deficit to thump the Carolina Panthers, 34-21. Matt (My Name Is Not Earl) Schaub and Andre Johnson connected on two first half touchdown passes to help the Texans to the win. The Texans are 2-0 for the first time in team history. Next week, the Indianapolis Colts visit Houston.

This blog has been ruthless in its criticism of the Cleveland Browns. Someone in Cleveland was listening, as the Browns came out of hiding to hang half a hundred on Cincinnati in a 51-45 win. Derek Anderson threw five touchdown passes for CLE, while holding Brady Quinn off for the starting job. Carson Palmer threw for six touchdowns in a losing effort for Cincinnati, making many fantasy owners happy.

The New York Giants stunk up the field yesterday, losing to Green Bay at home 35-13. The Giants are melting down as we speak. It’s going to be a long year in the Big Apple.

The other New York team came up a bit short, as the Jets narrowly lost to the Baltimore Ravens, 20-13. Notable in New York is the fact that Chad Pennington was apparently ready to play for the Jets, but did not play, as the Jets started Kellen Clemens at QB.

The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to roll. The Steelers rode four field goals and two touchdowns to a workmanlike 26-3 thumping of Buffalo. The Steelers are 2-0, and neither win has been close. The Mike Tomlin era is off to an impressive start.

The St. Louis Rams have been a big disappointment over the first two weeks of the season. Star punt returner Dante Hall fumbled a punt late in the 4th quarter, setting up the winning field goal for the Niners. San Francisco moves to 2-0 in what is turning into a renaissance for the 49ers.

In the battle of Swampland and Peanuts, the Jacksonville Jaguars outuglied the Atlanta Falcons, 13-7. This game had a fraction of the atmosphere of the other Georgia-Florida matchup that takes place every year at Alltel Stadium. Georgia and Florida might be able to beat the Falcons, as well. I wouldn’t quite put a good college team up against a bad NFL team yet, but the Gators would give the Falcons all they want. That’s a rambling way to say that the Falcons aren’t very good.

The team laying the biggest egg in the first two weeks has to be the New Orleans Saints. The Saints were picked by many to go to the Super Bowl, but are instead a bad 0-2, after being whipped 31-14 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are not great at all, but made the Saints look really bad.

The Indianapolis Colts escaped Music City with a 22-20 win over the Tennessee Titans. The Colts’ defense came through, stopping a Vince Young-led comeback at the end of the game. The Colts are not giving up their title without a fight.

Sunday’s late games saw three contests decided by a field goal. One was in Arizona, where the Cardinals got a big win over the Seattle Seahawks, 23-20. Edgerrin James rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals.

In Detroit, the Lions are 2-0 after beating Minnesota 20-17 in overtime. The Lions may or may not be that great, but they no longer suck. That is progress in the Motor City. Baby steps, baby steps.

The Denver Broncos were nearly embarrassed, as they needed overtime to beat the awful Oakland Raiders at home, 23-20. In the NFL, anything can happen, and usually does. That includes bad teams beating teams that are supposed to be good. That nearly happened in Denver on Sunday.

The Chicago Bears are now 2-0, after doubling up the Kansas City Chiefs, 20-10. The Chiefs are struggling. The Bears are good, once again.

In the Sunday night extravaganza, the New England Patriots scored their second 38-14 win in a row, this time over the San Diego Chargers. It is not known if there were illegal cameras in the stadium. Cameras or no cameras, someone is going to have to get past the Pats to get to the Super Bowl. This team is on a mission, and has improved greatly over last year.

The Monday night game features NFC East rivals Washington and Philadelphia, or a battle of the fight songs Hail to the Redskins and Fly, Eagles, Fly.

More Knee-Jerk Reactions

I took advantage of ABC's scheduling of the World's Biggest Pillow Fight this afternoon and spent most of the day and night with my family. It was time well spent in more ways than one. Some things I noticed in the world of college football when I got home:

Notre Dame is absolutely atrocious. In three games, America's College Team has not scored an offensive touchdown. They helped Michigan save face today, as the Wolverines handed the Irish a 38-0 pasting.

The Texas Longhorns survived a hornet's nest today, as the opening opponent for Central Florida in the Knights' new on-campus stadium. The Longhorns got out with a 35-32 win. The Horns are already looking forward to their game with OU on October 6.

OU pounded Utah State, 54-3. The Sooners did not score in the 4th quarter. They are also looking forward to a game in Dallas on October 6 against Texas.

Things are well in Tuscaloosa tonight. The Alabama Crimson Tide led Arkansas, 31-10. The Razorbacks then made an incredible comeback, and even went ahead by a score of 38-31. The Tide bounced back for 10 more points, to win 41-38. The Sabanites can rest easy tonight.

Big Blue Nation is celebrating tonight. Kentucky won a wild affair with Louisville, defeating the 9th-ranked Cardinals, 40-34. I expected this to be a high-scoring game. The Ville needs to go find a defense.

Break up the Dukies! Duke ended a 22 game losing streak with a 20-14 win tonight at Northwestern.

USC is really good. Nebraska looks pretty mediocre tonight. The Big 12 North is up for grabs, as Nebraska is still quite a ways away from becoming the Nebraska of old. Missouri, Kansas State, and even Kansas have a chance to win the North this year.

Colorado still stinks, but not quite as bad as last year.

More comments in a future post...

Knee-Jerk Reactions

A knee-jerk reaction while observing the early games:

The Big Ten is really horrible this year.

Wisconsin is finally pulling away from The Citadel, but was tied with them at the half.

Minnesota is getting drilled by Florida Atlantic.

Iowa is losing to previously woeful Iowa State.

This is in addition to what Michigan has already done/not done. Penn State, Purdue, and Michigan State look pretty good. The jury is still out on Ohio State. We'll know more about the Buckeyes around 6 PM Central time, after their game with Washington.

Outside the Big Ten, Syracuse is really awful. They are being hammered for the third week in a row, this time by Illinois of the Big Ten. Their football team is as bad as their uniforms. And, those guys still have to look forward to West Virginia, Rutgers, Louisville, and South Florida.

Cinderella? Maybe Not This Year

Will there be another Boise State this year? Or, a team from a non-BCS conference that qualifies for a BCS bowl? A team would need to go undefeated in order to do so, as they need to finish in the top 12 of the BCS rankings at the end of the season.

As of now, there are only six teams from non-BCS conferences still undefeated: UCF, Tulsa (Conference USA), Air Force, Wyoming (Mountain West), Hawaii (WAC), and Ohio (MAC).

UCF plays Texas tomorrow, and Tulsa plays Oklahoma next week, so those teams will have losses soon. Air Force and Wyoming play each other, and some other decent teams in the MWC, so it is doubtful that either of them will finish unbeaten. Ohio plays at Virginia Tech tomorrow, a game that is likely to end in a loss for them. Scratch Ohio. Which leaves Hawaii. If the Warriors can find a defense, they can still make the BCS. However, they have to find a way to keep the Louisiana Techs of the world from scoring 44 points on them in a game.

Hawaii is the best hope left for the little guys.

NFL Picks, Week 2

Week 2 in the National Football League brings another round of unpredictability. Teams are still sorting themselves out, and teams once known as pretenders attempt to become contenders. Of course, just the opposite is possible, as well. We’ll hope for no catastrophic injuries this week, and we’ll also hope that no one crosses the boundaries of fair play.

Last week was a good week for this blog, as 75 percent of the predictions were correct.

Last week: 12-4
Season: 12-4

Now, another round of predictions and projections for the National Football League:

Dallas at Miami: Cowboys won a shootout last week against the Giants, as Tony Romo accounted for five touchdowns. Dolphins lost an overtime heartbreaker to the Redskins, and now return home to sunny South Florida. Dolphins are still rebuilding. They simply aren’t as good as the Cowboys. Give me the Romo Empire. Pick: Dallas
San Diego at New England: Rematch of last year’s playoff game won by New England, after which Marty Schottenheimer lost his job as coach of the Chargers. Patriots whipped the Jets last week, but were caught videotaping the Jets’ coaches during the game, and were quickly fined and punished. That’s too bad, because the Patriots are good enough not to cheat. That’s a distraction, but not too much of one. Bill Belichick is an evil genius. Pats have the Chargers’ number. Pick: New England
Buffalo at Pittsburgh: Bills lost a heartbreaker to Denver last week, and also dealt with the catastrophic spinal cord injury to backup tight end Kevin Everett. Pittsburgh went to Cleveland and thumped the Browns. Look for more of the same this week on the banks of the Monongahela River. Pick: Pittsburgh
Indianapolis at Tennessee: Interesting game as the Colts visit the Fighting Vince Youngs. I’m not going to pick against the Colts unless I have to. Pick: Indy
Green Bay at New York Giants: Giants were hit by the injury bug last week in Dallas, losing QB Peyton Manning and RB Brandon Jacobs. Packers sneaked by the Eagles last week. It shapes up to be a long year for the G-men if they can’t get healthy. Pick: Green Bay
Houston at Carolina: The NFL’s newest juggernaut goes on the road to take on the Panthers. Panthers were impressive in last week’s win over the Rams. Houston will be competitive, but the Panthers are a little better. Pick: Carolina
San Francisco at St. Louis: 49ers won the late night game on Monday night. The Rams’ offense was lethargic against the Panthers, as RB Steven Jackson only gained 58 yards rushing and lost two fumbles. These teams are pretty comparable. Rams won’t lose two in a row. Pick: St. Louis
Cincinnati at Cleveland: Bengals were impressive in their win over the Ravens. The Browns are possibly the worst team in the league, and traded last week’s starting QB Charlie Frye to Seattle for a blocking sled and a tackling dummy. Bengals win bragging rights to Interstate 71 and everything on it. Pick: Cincy
New Orleans at Tampa Bay: Bucs aren’t as bad as Cleveland or Oakland, but they’re not that good, either. Saints are still favored to win the NFC South, in spite of the thrashing they took last week in Indianapolis. Even on the road, the Saints should win this one. Pick: New Orleans
Atlanta at Jacksonville: These teams are playing for the rights to some swampland and peanut farms in south Georgia. To be honest, the people in south Georgia are more concerned with the Georgia Bulldogs. The Falcons opened the Joey Harrington era by scoring a whopping 3 points last week in Minnesota. The Jags lost a winnable game to the Titans. That won’t happen two weeks in a row. Pick: Jacksonville
Minnesota at Detroit: Both teams are undefeated after one game. Vikes rode the legs of Adrian (Oklahoma) Peterson to a big win over Atlanta last week. Lions beat the sorry Raiders, and return home. Lions have a lot of weapons, as they have spent their first round draft pick in every draft for the last 39 years on wide receivers. Well, not that many drafts, but Calvin Johnson and Roy (Texas) Williams are good receivers. Pick: Detroit
Seattle at Arizona: The annual Arizona disappointment continues, as the Cardinals come off a close loss in San Francisco. The misery continues, as the Seahawks ruin the Cardinal home opener. Pick: Seattle
Kansas City at Chicago: The question here is: Will the Chiefs score? Pick: Chicago
New York Jets at Baltimore: Jets got thumped by the Patriots last week, with or without extra help. Ravens struggled in Cincinnati, but return home. Ravens’ defense helps get them on the right track. Pick: Balmer
Oakland at Denver: Yuck. Raiders are the worst team in football until Cleveland outsucks them. Denver is head and shoulders above the Raiders. Pick: Broncos
Washington at Philadelphia: They like the Redskins a lot in Philadelphia. Not really. The Eagles have enough to handle Washington. Pick: Philly

Most Important?

Excuse me while I go throw up.

ESPN just raised the following question regarding Saturday's Notre Dame-Michigan game: Is this the most important game ever between unranked teams?

Note to ESPN: There is no such thing as an important game between unranked teams, unless a championship is on the line. This is just a spare game between two annually overrated, overexposed teams.

I wish there were still ties in college football. I'd cheer for a scoreless tie in this game.

TV ratings are expected to be up for this one. People like to see a train wreck.

College Picks, Week 3

How time flies. It’s already Wednesday night, which means tomorrow is Thursday and the beginning of another college football weekend. Last week was a mediocre week in picking games, as I went for broke in picking some upsets and fell on my face. Here are some picks and comments for this week.

Last Week: 13-7
Season: 30-10

Picks for Week 3:

Utah State at Oklahoma: Sooners get a bodybag game to fill the schedule. Utah State was competitive, but fell short against UNLV and Wyoming. The Utah Aggies take a huge step up in competition this week. Pick: OU
Texas at UCF: Longhorns are guests of UCF as the Knights open their brand new on-campus stadium. Which Texas team travels to Orlando? The one that played against Arkansas State and the first half against TCU, or the one that drilled TCU in the 2nd half of last week’s game? Either way, do not think you can escape the eyes of Texas, even in sunny central Florida. Pick: Texas
Oklahoma State at Troy (Friday): The Men of Troy, Alabama open their home schedule after two money games at Arkansas and Florida. The Trojans scored 26 points against Arkansas and 31 against Florida. OSU got their first win last week, thumping Florida Atlantic, 41-6. I know OSU is in the Big 12, but that doesn’t matter to Troy. The Aggies will wish they hadn’t made this trip. Pick: Troy
Texas State at Baylor: Baylor won big last week over Rice. The Bears get win #2 this week. Pick: Baylor
Louisiana-Monroe at Texas A&M: Aggies barely survived in three overtimes against Fresno State. ULM plays their second money game in as many weeks, having lost at Clemson last week. Pick: A&M
Texas Tech at Rice: Tech had to come back last week to win at home over UTEP. They won’t have to do that this week. Rice looks like they are reverting to their traditional selves. Pick: Tech
USC at Nebraska: Huskers have been prepping for this game for three years. SC enters ranked #1 in the nation. Nebraska is a chic pick this week. I’m not buying into that hype. Pick: USC
Florida State at Colorado: A very ordinary FSU team visits the mountains for a late night game with the Buffs. Colorado isn’t that good, but the Buffs are improving. FSU struggled to beat UAB at home last week. CU got kicked by Arizona State after leading by two touchdowns on the road. This FSU team is a shell of the ones that came before it. Pick: CU
Iowa at Iowa State: Will Iowa State win a game this year? Not this week against the Hawkeyes. Pick: Iowa
Toledo at Kansas: The Rockets have slipped a notch last season and the first two weeks of this season, giving up 50+ points in each of their first two games. The Fighting Manginos have scored 50+ points in each of their first two games. The two teams have a common opponent: Central Michigan. KU beat CMU 52-7, while the Rockets lost to the Chippewas, 52-31. Pick: KU
Missouri State at Kansas State: K-State gets back to a normal non-conference opponent. Pick: KSU
Western Michigan at Missouri: Mizzou is undefeated after two games. That won’t change after three games. Pick: Missouri
Notre Dame at Michigan: Neither team has won a game. Both teams are starting true freshman quarterbacks. Still, TV ratings look to be up, because people like to watch a train wreck. There are no ties in college football, so I have to pick a winner. Pick: Michigan
Tennessee at Florida: Vols visit the Swamp. Good luck with all that. Pick: Florida
TCU at Air Force (Thursday): What’s up with the Mountain West Conference? They’re making these teams play on Thursday for a TV channel no one gets. This will be a pretty good game. Frogs are licking their wounds after last week’s debacle in Austin. Air Force has received new life with new coach Troy Calhoun. Still, TCU is bigger and faster than the Zoomies. Pick: TCU
West Virginia at Maryland (Thursday): Mountaineers toyed with Marshall last week. Maryland struggled to win in Miami. Against Florida International, not the Canes. WVU marches on. Pick: West Virginia
Cincinnati at Miami (Ohio): Archrivals meet again. Cincy is coming off a big win over Oregon State, while Miami lost a triple-overtime heartbreaker at Minnesota. Throw out the records in this one. Pick: Miami
Ohio State at Washington: Interesting game. Ohio State has been predictable in their first two games. The Huskies have impressed many in two wins over Syracuse and Boise State. Seattle is a tough trip, especially when the Huskies are good. Big Ten schools struggle when they go out West. The stars align for an upset. Pick: Washington
Louisville at Kentucky: The Ville’s football team scores almost as many points as their basketball team. Problem is, the defense gave up 42 to Middle Tennessee last week. The Big Blue are steadily improving, and can put points up themselves. I don’t know the over/under line on this game, but take the over. For the winner, think Big Blue. Pick: Kentucky
Hawaii at UNLV: Warriors got a close call last week at Louisiana Tech. They did not return home this week, but practiced and stayed in Houston before heading to Vegas. UNLV lost a close one to heavily favored Wisconsin last week. I don’t know if they can keep up with Hawaii. Pick: Hawaii
East Central (Oklahoma) at Eastern New Mexico: Tigers visit Blackwater Draw, N.M. in a Lone Star Conference showdown. Both teams are 1-0 in conference. Blackwater Draw is a tough trip. Pick: ENMU

NFL Highway, Week 1

And, now, the long-awaited trip down Week 1 of NFL Highway. This isn’t a boulevard, as that title has been taken. It’s not a freeway, because I don’t write that fast. However, it is a highway, because it covers long distances. So, buckle up and enjoy this trip around Week 1 of the NFL.

Sunday night at the Cowboys’ retro sorta-dome, Tony Romo went off on the Giants, throwing four touchdown passes and running for another, as Dallas outscored the New York Football Giants 45-35. The Giants are in for a long season, as three players were injured, including RB Brandon Jacobs and DE Osi Umeniyora. Also, QB Eli Manning left the game late with a bruised shoulder, giving way to the Round Mound of Touchdown, Jared Lorenzen. Lorenzen has slimmed down from his college days at Kentucky, and now weighs in at 280 pounds. That’s still huge for a QB. If the Giants have many more weeks like this, Tom Coughlin won’t last the season as coach. It is now being reported that Manning's shoulder is indeed separated, and that he will be out for at least four weeks. The G-men are in T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

Break up the Texans! Matt Schaub will paint any car any color. Oops, that’s Earl Scheib. Schaub made Texans fans forget all about David Carr yesterday. Texans fans wanted to forget all about David Carr. Schaub connected with Andre Johnson on a 77 yard touchdown pass, and the Texans cruised to a 20-3 victory over Kansas City. Was that me that predicted the Chiefs to have a good season? I was on drugs when I reviewed their schedule. The Chiefs are off to an awful start. It looks like they will need to blow the whole thing up and start all over.

The Philadelphia Eagles will need to practice returning punts this week. The Eagles fumbled two punts, leading to two Green Bay scores, as the Pack beat the Iggles 16-13. The second fumble was by someone named J.R. Reed. When I first heard that, I thought it was J.R. Reid, the former UNC Tar Heel and NBA hoopster, making a try at the NFL. Wrong J.R. Reid. The Eagles may regret this one later in the year, when they’re trying to win the division or wild-card berth.

The eyes of most of the country were on San Diego yesterday, as Da Bears made the trip out to the West Coast. The Bears’ defense dominated for most of the game, but fumbles by Cedric Benson and Adrian (Georgia Southern) Peterson were costly, and the Chargers scored two late touchdowns to beat the Bears, 14-3. LaDainian Tomlinson threw a touchdown pass and rushed for a TD for San Diego. Antonio Gates looks to have a huge year as the tight end in Norv Turner’s offense.

Atlanta coach Bobby Petrino is one week closer to a reunion with his last college quarterback, Brian Brohm of Louisville, who is expected to be the first QB taken in next year’s draft. The Falcons stunk in the first game of the post-Michael Vick era, losing at Minnesota, 24-3. Adrian (Oklahoma) Peterson rushed for 103 yards and scored on a 60 yard pass play in his Vikings debut. He helped my fantasy team in my Yahoo public league, as well.

Two rebuilding teams met Sunday at Fedex Field in Landover, Maryland, as the Washington Redskins scored an overtime win over the Miami Dolphins, 16-13. This will be the first of a handful of wins this season for the Redskins, who are expected to end the Hall of Fame career of coach Joe Gibbs with a thud.

In St. Louis, MVP candidate and fantasy stud Steven Jackson fumbled twice and was held to 58 yards, and the Carolina Panthers handled the Rams, 27-13. The Rams were not the Greatest Show on Turf yesterday.

The Denver Broncos made a comeback yesterday in Buffalo. Out of timeouts at the end of the game, the Broncos rushed a field goal try, and kicker Jason Elam won it with a 42-yard field goal. This game was marred by a helmet-to-helmet collision which injured Bills TE Kevin Everett. He was taken to a Buffalo hospital for surgery, and was still unable to move as of Sunday night. Our thoughts and prayers are with him. ESPN is now reporting Monday afternoon that he will most likely be paralyzed. That is awful. Football is a brutal game, but this makes lots of other things pale in comparison.

The New England Patriots are a well-oiled machine. They made the best acquisition of the off-season, getting Randy Moss from the Raiders. Moss took a couple of years off figuratively while playing for Oakland, but is back with a vengeance, with 9 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots will be very hard to beat in the AFC as long as Tom Brady is the quarterback.

The Pittsburgh Steelers mauled the Cleveland Browns, 34-7. It was a great debut for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. On the other hand, it would really suck to be a fan of the Cleveland Browns. First, the original Browns were stolen by ex-owner Art Modell and taken to Baltimore, where they have been consistently good and have won a Super Bowl. After a few years without the NFL, they were replaced by poor excuse for an expansion franchise, with the Browns’ colors and nickname. The Browns are pathetic.

Vince Young continues to carry the Tennessee Titans on his back. The Titans went into Jacksonville and stole a win, 13-10. The Jags really needed that win to have hopes for contention this season. Vince is a special, special player.

Two bad teams met yesterday in Oakland. Detroit was the better of the two, beating the Raiders 36-21. The Lions are showing some flashes of hope. The Raiders are a step above the CFL, but are looking at another long, long season.

In the Great Northwest, Seattle proved to be a good pick for me in survival football, getting a solid 20-6 win over the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Will this be Jon Gruden’s last year in Tampa? It’s been downhill the last five years since winning the Super Bowl.

And, how can we forget last Thursday night, as the Colts opened defense of their world championship with a strong 41-10 win over the New Orleans Saints. The Colts will need more wins like that to keep up in the strong AFC. For the Saints, it seemed worse, but it only counts as one loss. They still look to be a team to beat in the NFC.

Tonight is the annual Monday Night doubleheader. The Ravens visit Cincinnati to take on the Bengals, and the Arizona Cardinals travel to San Francisco to play the 49ers. It’ll be a long night on the East Coast, but a welcome game at a reasonable time for people out West.

Even More Ramblings...

I got tired and went to bed early Saturday night. I missed a lot.

LSU spanked Virginia Tech, 48-7. LSU is the real deal. I don't know if they can get through the SEC undefeated, but they have a pretty good chance to do so.

Elsewhere in Louisiana, the Hawaii Warriors nearly lost. Hawaii escaped with a 45-44 overtime win over Louisiana Tech. If Hawaii keeps playing like that, some team is going to go over to the islands and beat them.

When I went to bed last night, Colorado was up 14-0 on Arizona State. That was the best the Buffs could do, as they were hammered by the Fighting Sun Devils, 33-14. Next for the Buffs: Florida State. FSU is very mediocre, and Colorado has a chance to win that game. FSU had to come from behind to beat UAB, who had been pile-driven by Michigan State the previous week.

Auburn better quit scheduling good teams in their non-conference schedule. South Florida went to the Plains and won an overtime game, 26-23. Note to Auburn: Play teams from the Sun Belt in non-conference games from now on.

Speaking of overtime, the Fightin' Texas Aggies outlasted Fresno State in triple overtime, 47-45. Imagine if the Ags had lost that game. The moving trucks would have been outside of Dennis Franchione's house.

More ramblings later...

More College Football Ramblings...

TCU is getting their heads handed to them in the second half by Texas. It's now 27-10 in the 4th quarter. TCU's defense put up a great effort in the first half, and the Frogs led 10-0 at the half. But, the Frog defense was on the field way too long in the 3rd quarter, and wore down. Texas has benefited from some questionable calls and Horned Frog turnovers. Texas looks like they'll be undefeated when they meet OU on October 6.

I tried to get too cute on picks this week. Another school making me look like a big dope is Virginia Tech. LSU is taking them to the cleaners, as it is 24-0 early in the 2nd quarter. LSU is the real deal. This also happens to be the year that the Sugar Bowl hosts the BCS national championship game, just down the road from Baton Rouge. The last national championship game held in New Orleans was won by LSU.

South Carolina got a huge SEC win, winning at Georgia 16-12. That will help them later in the year. The 'Cocks remain in the hunt for an SEC East championship.

Iowa State is another school that made me look foolish. I had a feeling Northern Iowa might have a better team, but I gave ISU of the Big 12 the benefit of the doubt. I was wrong, as UNI handled ISU, 24-13.

Food for thought: Michigan has now lost four games in a row. The Wolverines have not won a game since the death of Bo Schembechler last November.

More later...

More Ramblings...

I was wrong in giving Michigan the benefit of the doubt. They're not that good. Right now, they're not good at all.

Oregon 32, Michigan 7 in the 2nd quarter.

Does Lloyd Carr get fired after the game? Does he get fired at halftime?

Poor Michigan.

College Football Ramblings, Early Games

As I hoped, Oklahoma took Miami behind the woodshed. The Sooners won 51-13, and it wasn't even that close. Sam Bradford threw five touchdown passes, including three to Malcolm Kelly. In two games, the Sooners are averaging 65 points per game. OU is loaded.

Elsewhere, West Virginia got a scare for a time in the Friends of Coal Bowl, before pulling away to defeat Marshall 48-23 in Huntington. Marshall led 13-6 before the Mountaineers found another gear in the second half and pounded the Herd. Friends of Coal is a good idea. Here in Texas, we need something called Friends of Oil.

Nebraska went on the road and held off Wake Forest, 20-17. Wake Forest had their chances to beat the Huskers, but couldn't pull it off. The Huskers now get ready to host USC.

Minnesota has a hard time with the Mid-American Conference. For the second week in a row, the Gophers struggled against a MAC team, but won in triple overtime over Miami (Ohio), 41-35. I heard the MAC was looking for a new member.

Speaking of the MAC, Temple must be really, really bad. They were pasted by Buffalo, 42-7. That is awful. Buffalo is glad someone else now gets to dwell in the basement of the MAC. Plenty of good seats available at the Linc for Temple football.

The biggies are tonight, including Texas vs. TCU and LSU vs. Virginia Tech.

More comments later.....

Don't Forget Your Power Towel

This is Kansas State's attempt to involve their students in their games.

It's not Hot, Hot, Hot, but it's pretty cheesy.

NFL Picks, Week 1

The National Football League gets an early start, with the Thursday night season kickoff in Indianapolis. The Colts open defense of their Super Bowl championship with a home game against the Saints. With that being said, it's time for an early set of picks for the first weekend of games in the NFL.

NY Giants at Dallas: The Sunday Night game pits the Giants and the Fighting Tony Romos. The Giants play their first regular season game without retired RB Tiki Barber. Dallas continues to be a good place for ribs, if Tony Romo has his way. Of course I'm picking the Cowboys. Pick: Dallas
New Orleans at Indianapolis: America's two darling teams collide in Naptown. Pick against the Colts on the night they get their Super Bowl rings? Come on.. Pick: Colts
Kansas City at Houston: Not much is expected from the Chiefs this season. Not much is ever expected from the Texans. The Chiefs were once known as the Texans. The Dallas Texans, that is. Larry Johnson rolls over the Red, White, and Blue. Pick: Kansas City
Miami at Washington: Stink Bowl. Neither of these teams are very good. I'm glad I won't be stuck watching it. Pick: Washington
Denver at Buffalo: Broncos are glad they are making this trip in September and not December. Denver has more talent. Pick: Denver
Carolina at St. Louis: Which Panthers team shows up this year? Which Rams team shows up this year? When in doubt, go with the latest version of the high-flying Rams. Pick: St. Louis
Pittsburgh at Cleveland: The Steelers have a new coach for the first time since Theodore Roosevelt was president. The Mike Tomlin Show gets off to a good start against the hapless Browns. Pick: Pittsburgh
Atlanta at Minnesota: Two very unpredictable teams. Falcons look to struggle this year as their franchise quarterback gets ready to spend at least a year as a guest of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Pick: Vikes
Tennessee at Jacksonville: Vince Young and the Titans visit Jacksonville in what promises to be a wild one. Can the Titans renew the momentum of last year's fast finish? I don't know. Pick: Jacksonville
New England at NY Jets: Pats have reloaded for a Super Bowl run. Jets will be representative, but unable to keep up with New England. Pick: Patriots
Philadelphia at Green Bay: Reggie White played for both of these teams. That has nothing to do with the 2007 matchup. The Eagles are a little better than the Pack. Pick: Philly
Detroit at Oakland: Stink Bowl II. Forget that, this is the Suck Bowl. Detroit is bad, but showing signs of improvement. Oakland is pathetic. One of these teams will be 1-0. Pick: Detroit
Chicago at San Diego: The Bears will be good again, but so will the Chargers. The Chargers will be on a mission. Pick: San Diego
Tampa Bay at Seattle: Did you know that these teams entered the NFL together in 1976? Bucs are struggling. Seattle is favored to win the NFC West once again. Pick: Seattle
Baltimore at Cincinnati: First of a Monday Night doubleheader. Ravens' defense vs. Bengals' offense. Bengals will bounce back this year, and it will start Monday in the 'Nati. Pick: Cincy
Arizona at San Francisco: The Niners showed a lot of improvement last season. The Cardinals broke a lot of hearts, as usual. By Monday night, I'll be back in the Eastern time zone. I won't feel like staying up for this one. Pick: San Francisco

College Picks, Week 2

It's early for picks, but there are games on Thursday night, in addition to the beginning of the NFL season. Plus, I'm bored.

Last week: 17-3
Season: 17-3

Last week was a good week, helped by the proliferation of predictable Big 12 games. Absent from last week's list was Appalachian State-Michigan, but I did whiff on Notre Dame, Iowa State, and UMass-Dartmouth. And no, Lenoir Rhyne at Appalachian State isn't on this week's list.

Picks for this week:

Miami at Oklahoma: A generation of OU fans has waited 20 years for this one. From 1985-87, OU went 33-3. All three losses were to Miami, costing the Sooners two potential national championships. The guys playing Saturday were either in diapers or not born then. OU wins. I hope it's ugly. Pick: OU
TCU at Texas: Horned Frog fans wish this game was last week, when TCU cruised against Baylor and Texas played like dog poop against Arkansas State. TCU star DE Tommy Blake should be back for this one. The Horns have a lot to prove this week. They stunk last week. They won't be looking past the Frogs, but that may not matter. I'm going out on a limb. Frogs continue their winning streak against Big 12 teams. Pick: TCU
Nebraska at Wake Forest: Nebraska opened strong last week, hanging half a hundred on Nevada. Wake Forest lost QB Riley Skinner in their loss at Boston College. The game is down on Tobacco Road, but Big Red is starting to roar again. Pick: Nebraska
Fresno State at Texas A&M: Dangerous game for A&M. Fresno will give the Aggies all they want. I'm tempted to pick Fresno, but I won't. Coach Fran survives this one. Pick: A&M
Missouri at Ole Miss: Mizzou survived a wild one against Illinois last week. They should be able to handle the Rebels down in the land of cotton, but nothing is a sure thing with either one of these teams. When in doubt, go with talent. Pick: Missouri
UTEP at Texas Tech: Tech went to Dallas and beat the stuffing out of SMU on Labor Day. The Miners won a defensive struggle against Los Lobos of New Mexico, 10-6. Tech outscores UTEP. Pick: Tech
Rice at Baylor: El Stinko Game of the Week. Rice lost to Nicholls State last week. Baylor got skunked by TCU. I'm glad I won't be at this game. It'll be ugly, one way or the other. Pick: Baylor
Florida Atlantic at Oklahoma State: Oklahoma Aggies were brought way down to earth by the Georgia Bulldogs. They look to bounce back against the Owls of Florida Atlantic. FAU is better than some give them credit for being. Nonetheless, OSU wins this one. Pick: OSU
Northern Iowa at Iowa State: There is no such thing as a gimme in college football, as Iowa State and Michigan both learned last week. UNI is a strong FCS program, and nearly knocked off the Cyclones last season. My gut says UNI, but my head says don't pick against the bigger program. Pick: ISU
SE Louisiana at Kansas: Puhleeze. Pick: KU
San Jose State at Kansas State: K-State nearly beat Auburn last week. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. K-State bounces back this week. Pick: KSU
Colorado at Arizona State: Colorado came from behind to beat cross-state rival Colorado State last week. Arizona State pounded San Jose State. Dennis Erickson has the Fighting Sun Devils loaded for bear. This week, they're also loaded for buffalo. Pick: ASU
Notre Dame at Penn State: Notre Dame royally stunk up the field last week in a 33-3 whipping at the hands of the Ramblin' Wreck of Georgia Tech. Penn State warmed up by pasting Florida International. It looks like a long year for the Irish. Penn State, and it might not even be close. Pick: PSU
Virginia Tech at LSU: Saturday night in Tiger Stadium is a tall order for anyone. This one would be worth paying to see. Hokies are good, and have gotten through their first game since the tragedy on their campus. LSU is deservedly ranked #2 in the nation. LSU is known for losing games they should win at home, in spite of their home field advantage. I'm going out on a limb, and picking the Hokies. Pick: VT
Oregon at Michigan: Oregon has a good team. Michigan is the laughing stock of the United States. The secret is that Michigan isn't that bad. Wolverines bounce back in the Big House. Pick: Michigan
South Carolina at Georgia: Steve Spurrier brings his Gamecocks to Georgia. When in doubt, go with the home field, especially as UGa always finds a way to beat the 'Cocks. Pick: Georgia
BYU at UCLA: The Y plays their second Pac 10 team in as many weeks, after beating Arizona last week. Bruins whipped Stanford. This is an underrated matchup. When in doubt, again, go with the home field. Pick: UCLA
South Florida at Auburn: What's the deal with Auburn? They scheduled not one, but two teams in non-conference that could beat them. USF will scare War Eagle to death. In the end, Auburn wins again. Pick: Auburn
North Carolina at East Carolina: Pirates played tough in loss to Virginia Tech last week. Tar Heels blasted James Madison. Butch Davis will turn the Tar Heel program around. This is a tough one to pick. The sky is Carolina blue. Pick: UNC
Malone (Ohio) at Azusa Pacific: Long, long trip for Malone to Azusa, California. They'll have a nice trip to SoCal, but Azusa gets their first win of the year. Pick: Azusa

College Football Ramblings

Some random thoughts while digesting the implications of Appalachian State 34, Michigan 32....

Lost in the shuffle was a game played last night on pay-per-view in Austin, as Arkansas State outplayed the Texas Longhorns, losing 21-13. Arkansas State outgained the Horns, and the Horns had more penalty yards. Texas has a lot to straighten out in a short amount of time, as the mighty TCU Horned Frogs visit the Forty Acres on Saturday.

TCU toyed with Baylor on Saturday, beating the Bears 27-0. That score could have been a whole lot worse. Baylor has a Big 12 schedule to look forward to, and a probable coaching change after the season.

Kansas State whipped Auburn for 55 minutes Saturday night. Problem is, the game lasts 60 minutes. War Eagle scored a go-ahead touchdown with two minutes to go. The Tigers then forced a fumble then ran it back for a touchdown to ensure the final score of 23-13.

Another Football Championship Subdivision school scored a win over a Football Bowl Subdivision school Saturday night, as Nicholls State traveled to Houston and knocked off Rice, 16-14. There were two weather delays in this game, as lightning was detected near Rice Stadium. Rice could very well be reverting back to the same old Rice, after last year's bowl appearance.

The Mid-American Conference represented itself well over the weekend, as Kent State won at Iowa State, and Bowling Green won at Minnesota. The difference between the haves and have nots in college football is not as wide as the BCS system would suggest.

A school that will have a hard time getting a name opponent to visit is Wyoming. The Cowboys whipped Virginia, 23-3, in Laramie. Virginia will probably be changing coaches at the end of the season. They also have to be asking why they agreed to a home-and-home with Wyoming. That's a tough road trip for anyone, much less a school coming from the East Coast. Cowboy Joe rocks.

That's it for now. More thoughts later in the week...

NFL Predictions, Part 4

Lost in the shuffle of the exciting college football weekend are the last installment of NFL projections. These come from the AFC South and West divisions.

The Indianapolis Colts return as defending Super Bowl champions. They will wear a large target on their back. Nonetheless, they should overwhelm the other teams in the AFC South. Tennessee rode the legs of Vince Young to 8 wins last season, and look to finish just short of the playoffs this season, as well. Jacksonville is changing quarterbacks, as Byron Leftwich has been let go in favor of David Garrard. The Houston Texans aren't totally hopeless, but they are hapless until proven otherwise.

AFC South Projections
Indianapolis 11-5
Tennessee 10-6
Jacksonville 8-8
Houston 5-11

The AFC West is both a feast and a famine. On one end, you have the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers. Both teams look strong this season. On the other end, you have the atrocious Oakland Raiders, who are projected to win one game. The sorriness of the Raiders will help the records of the Broncos, Chargers, and Chiefs.

AFC West Projections
Denver 12-4
San Diego 12-4
Kansas City 10-6
Oakland 1-15

What A Day!

Above is video from the last few moments of one of the greatest upsets in the history of college football, Appalachian State's 34-32 stunner over Michigan. I'm sure there's been a bigger upset, but one would have to look long and hard to find it. Some things to take from it:

* Appalachian State is not chopped liver. They have won two consecutive national championships in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA. They are better than at least half of the teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and would qualify for a bowl game playing in any of the BCS conferences.

* Appalachian State will have a hard time finding a FBS (I-A) team to play them in the future. This will affect their athletic budget, as they got $400,000 for this trip to Michigan alone.

* If ASU does not win the FCS national championship, it will be a stunner, but would also be a severe disappointment on the heels of this monumental upset.

* This blog predicts Lloyd Carr will retire as Michigan coach at the end of the season, to be replaced by Michigan alum Les Miles, currently the coach at LSU.

* This was a great first game for the Big Ten Network.

Just down the road in South Bend, I had pity for poor Notre Dame. Georgia Tech beat the Irish like a rented mule, 33-3. I expected a little more from the Irish. It's going to be a long year under the Golden Dome.

More comments on today's events in college football in a future post.

Appalachian State University is HOT HOT HOT

In honor of one of the biggest (if not the biggest) upsets in the history of college football, this blog presents one of the cheesiest public relations videos ever produced.

This was produced to present to friends and potential donors of Appalachian State University. It now lives as an Internet and YouTube legend.

Even when the weather is cold, Appalachian is Hot, Hot, Hot!

Ugly Uniform Of The Day

A new football season brings a new round of ridiculous uniforms. It would be really hard to top what I saw last night.

Syracuse got thumped by Washington, 42-12. Even worse than the score were the uniforms they wore. This blog ripped on the Orange for last year's uniforms. This year, some good changes were made, but the combination screams UGLY!!

Helmets: The blue "S" looks fine. It gives a somewhat modern look to the uniform.

Jerseys: It is good for a team called the Orange to wear orange jerseys. I had a hard time with the Orange wearing blue at home.

Pants: Orange pants are fine to wear on the road with white jerseys. At home, the combination of orange helmets, orange jerseys, and orange pants are hideous. White pants would improve this uniform greatly.

If the stripes were horizontal, these would have been mistaken for prison uniforms. As it is, they looked like pumpkins out on the field.

It was a bad night in Syracuse, unless you're a Washington Husky. They're counting the days until basketball season.

NFL Predictions, Part 3

As promised, after a long wait, this blog's projections for the AFC are now ready.

The strength of the NFL is definitely in the AFC. While the NFC has several good-but-not-great teams, the AFC has some beasts. There are teams here that would be Super Bowl contenders in the NFC but will struggle to make the playoffs in the AFC.

In the AFC East, the New England Patriots improved themselves with the addition of WR Randy Moss. This combined with a weak East division gives the Patriots a cakewalk into the playoffs. The New York Jets will be competitive, and would really like to trade places with the Giants to be in the NFC. Some pick Buffalo to be decent. I don't. Their schedule really works against them. Miami will be woeful.

AFC East Projections
New England 12-4
NY Jets 7-9
Buffalo 3-13
Miami 2-14

The AFC North looks to be really, really strong. The Baltimore Ravens will ride their defense to a dominating season. Right behind them will be the rebounding Cincinnati Bengals with their high-flying offense. Pittsburgh will be pretty good, but would be a Super Bowl contender in the NFC. Cleveland will be pathetic.

AFC North Projections
Baltimore 13-3
Cincinnati 12-4
Pittsburgh 9-7
Cleveland 4-12

In a later post, this blog will look at the AFC South and West divisions.

NFL Predictions, Coming

I haven't forgotten about the AFC. Those projections will be coming over the weekend. Stay tuned..

College Football Predictions, Week 1

It's hard to believe, but the greatest sport in the world returns Thursday night. That of which I am speaking is college football. With that comes the first weekly installment of predictions.

Once again, I will predict and comment on 20 games each week. I will pick all games involving Big 12 teams, plus other games of interest. Without further adieu, here are this week's picks:

North Texas at Oklahoma: Todd Dodge finds out there is a big difference between coaching Southlake Carroll against Richland or Haltom and coaching North Texas against the mighty Sooners. Pick: OU
Kent State at Iowa State (Thursday): Gene Chizik makes his debut as Cyclones coach against a team picked by some to win the East division of the MAC. This will be a tight game, but Iowa State comes through at home. Pick: ISU
Arkansas State at Texas: Arkansas State earns a big paycheck for their athletic department, while Texas gets a win. Pick: Texas
Colorado vs. Colorado State at Denver: Breakfast at Invesco Field, as this game kicks off at 10 AM local time. Both teams stunk last year, and don't look to be much better this year. Pick: Colorado
Missouri vs. Illinois at St. Louis: Could this be a future conference matchup in the Big 10? The Tigers aren't worried about that right now, as they look to be contenders in the Big 12 North. Pick: Missouri
Nevada at Nebraska: Nebraska starts with a respectable non-conference opponent in Lincoln. Huskers start off well this week. Pick: Nebraska
Baylor at TCU: TCU has a good team. Baylor is a bottomfeeder with little hope in sight. Pick: TCU
Oklahoma State at Georgia: Cowboys go between the hedges for a showdown with the Bulldogs. Some see this as a potential upset. I don't. Pick: Georgia
Central Michigan at Kansas: This is a make-or-break season for Mark and the Fighting Manginos. Win #1 comes in Lawrence against the defending MAC champions. Pick: KU
Montana State at Texas A&M: The last time Montana State visited a Big 12 school, they came away with a win at Colorado. That won't happen this time. Pick: Aggies
Kansas State at Auburn: We now know Bill Snyder is no longer the K-State coach, as he never would have scheduled a deadly road trip to the Loveliest Village on the Plains. KSU will wish they were back home playing a directional school. Pick: Auburn
Texas Tech at SMU (Monday): Tech gets to play a winnable game in front of alumni, students, and recruits in Dallas. Pick: Tech
Tennessee at Cal: Last season, Cal went to Knoxville as a national championship contender, only to be humbled by the Vols. This year, Cal gets revenge as Smokey visits Berkeley. Pick: Cal
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame: Battle of the Gold Helmets. This will be one of the better games of the weekend, but the Irish will have too much magic for the Ramblin' Wreck. Pick: ND
Wake Forest at Boston College: Wake Forest begins defense of their ACC championship with a Weekend In New England. I have a hard time picking against BC here, though I'm not sure which team is better. Pick: BC
Washington State at Wisconsin: The Cougars aren't afraid of anyone, and take the trip to Madison to face the Badgers. It's hard to win in Madison, and Wazzu won't be that fortunate. Pick: Wisconsin
Purdue at Toledo: Rockets look to recover from a rare losing season, and have a home game against a Big 10 team. This will be a good game, and the Boilers will have to fight for a win. Pick: Purdue
Houston at Oregon: The Coogs make their way to the Northwest to face the Ducks. Ducks go quack all over the Cougars. Pick: Oregon
Florida State at Clemson (Monday): The Bowden Bowl. Papa Bobby Bowden replaced five assistant coaches in the off-season in an attempt to restore FSU to glory. Clemson hasn't been the same since FSU joined the ACC in 1992. Death Valley will be rocking. Clemson has won three of the last four in this series. Make that four of the last five. Pick: Clemson
UMass-Dartmouth at Worcester Polytechnic Institute: This isn't Dartmouth of the Ivy League, but the University of Massachusetts campus at Dartmouth, MA. They went 5-4 last season, while WPI went 3-6. Pick: UMass-Dartmouth.

NFL Projections, Part 2

Today, as promised, this blog will project the South and West divisions of the NFC.

The New Orleans Saints, last year's feel-good story, return for more as they look to defend their division championship. The Saints will successfully defend that title and return to the playoffs. They also have a good chance to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, behind QB Drew Brees and RB Reggie Bush.

The Carolina Panthers will bounce back strongly this season to contend for a playoff spot. Tampa Bay will be mediocre, and the Atlanta Falcons will wallow in the damage brought on by soon-to-be convicted felon Michael Vick.

Projected Standings:

New Orleans 12-4
Carolina 11-5
Tampa Bay 4-12
Atlanta 3-13

The West division has been touted by some as the most improved division in football. I'll believe it when I see it.

The Seattle Seahawks will be the class of the division once again. San Francisco showed a lot of improvement last season, but will slip back this year. St. Louis will have a high-flying offense, and not much more (they better have a high-flying offense, as I have Marc Bulger as QB in both of my fantasy leagues). The Arizona Cardinals will be the Cardinals once again, showing flashes of brilliance and not much else.

Projected Standings:

Seattle 10-6
St. Louis 7-9
Arizona 6-10
San Francisco 5-11

NFL Projections, Part 1

I apologize for the delay between posts. I've been out of town for work, and had family in from out of town this week.

As promised, this blog will also project results for the National Football League. Picking a 16-game season in advance is a lot trickier than projecting college football results. There is a lot more parity in the NFL, and a horrible team one year can be a good team the next.

We will begin in the NFC. Today, this blog will project the NFC East and NFC Central.

In the East, the Philadelphia Eagles will once again be the team to beat, with quarterback Donovan McNabb and running back Brian Westbrook. But, right with them will be the Dallas Cowboys, with new head coach Wade Phillips. The New York Giants look to slip just a bit, while the Washington Redskins will be hapless as long as Daniel Snyder owns the team.

NFC East Projections:
Philadelphia 11-5
Dallas 11-5
NY Giants 7-9
Washington 5-11
(Philadelphia wins the division on a tiebreaker)

In the Central, the Chicago Bears return to defend their NFC championship. The Bears look to be good once again, in spite of quarterback Rex Grossman. Detroit will be much-improved, while the Green Bay Packers will be fair to mediocre. The Minnesota Vikings are projected to bring up the rear here.

NFC Central Projections:
Chicago 11-5
Detroit 7-9
Green Bay 7-9
Minnesota 6-10

Next: NFC South, NFC West

Turning Thirty

Tonight, I got in the car and heard that the sad sack Rangers set a modern major league record by scoring 30 runs in one game against the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader. I'm in shock.

The Rangers only led 5-3 going into the top of the sixth inning, before going on an unprecedented tear. They scored nine runs in the sixth, 10 in the eighth, and six in the ninth. Wow. Texas won the game, 30-3.

I haven't seen any highlights or heard any comments. For the Baltimore bullpen, this is a meltdown of massive proportions.

The Rangers, even when they are horrible, never cease to be interesting. For Baltimore, this is yet another black mark on a once-proud franchise.

I'm in shock.

NCAA Projections-Bowls

A set of pre-season projections would be incomplete without predictions for post-season bowl games.

Bowl Championship Series:

BCS National Championship Game, New Orleans: USC vs. Oklahoma
USC should make it to this game, a rematch of the 2004-05 Orange Bowl in which the Trojans laid a beating on the Sooners. The Sooners make it here thanks to the Georgia Bulldogs, who take out previously unbeaten LSU in the SEC championship game. I look for USC to win the national championship.

Rose: Michigan (Big 10 champ) vs. LSU (at-large)
Fiesta: Texas (at-large) vs. Hawaii (at-large)
Orange: Virginia Tech (ACC champ) vs. Penn State (at-large)
Sugar: Georgia (SEC champ) vs. Rutgers (Big East champ)

The team that gets royally hosed in this scenario is West Virginia. They are projected to go 11-1, but are passed over in favor of Penn State, Texas and LSU for BCS bowls. The Big East allows their bowl partners to choose Notre Dame over a Big East team if available, and the Gator Bowl would do just that. This relegates 11-1 West Virginia to the Texas Bowl. It also sends 10-2 Louisville to the Papajohns.com Bowl.

Non-BCS bowls:

Citrus: Ohio State vs. South Carolina
Outback: Wisconsin vs. Florida
Gator: Notre Dame vs. Florida State
Cotton: Missouri vs. Arkansas
Holiday: Nebraska vs. UCLA
Chick-fil-A: Clemson vs. Auburn
Insight: Iowa vs. Kansas
Sun: Cal vs. Texas Tech
Independence: Oregon State vs. South Florida (Neither the Big 12 nor the SEC will have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill these slots)
Alamo: Purdue vs. Texas A&M
Texas: West Virginia vs. Oklahoma State
Las Vegas: Arizona State vs. TCU
Emerald: Miami vs. Oregon
New Orleans: Troy vs. Houston
Liberty: Southern Miss vs. Alabama
Papajohns.com: Louisville vs. Memphis
New Mexico: Utah vs. East Carolina (WAC will be unable to fill this slot)
Armed Forces: UTEP vs. Cincinnati (Mountain West will be unable to fill this slot)
Champs Sports: Indiana vs. Georgia Tech
Music City: Maryland vs. Tennessee
Meineke Car Care: Wake Forest vs. Pittsburgh
Poinsettia: Navy vs. BYU
GMAC: Tulsa vs. Northern Illinois
Hawaii: Arizona vs. Fresno State
Humanitarian: Boise State vs. Boston College
Motor City: Toledo vs. Northwestern
International: Pittsburgh vs. Ohio

Projections: Epilogue

I haven't forgotten the conference championship games. They will end up as follows:

MAC: Toledo over Ohio
C-USA: Southern Miss over UTEP (homefield advantage for the Eagles)
ACC: Virginia Tech over Florida State
Big 12: Oklahoma over Nebraska
SEC: Georgia over LSU. LSU will enter undefeated, but the game is in Atlanta. The Bulldogs knock the Tigers out of the BCS national championship game.

NCAA Projections: SEC

The last conference projection in this blog is for the SEC.

I love the SEC. It is perhaps my favorite conference. I'm not fanatical about any of the teams, but I love to see them beat up on each other. It's Southern fried football at its best.

The East division is traditionally the toughest in college football. Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee are perennially strong. Now, South Carolina, in the third year of coach Steve Spurrier, looks to make that threesome a quartet. When we last saw the Florida Gators, they were making mincemeat out of Ohio State in the national championship game. The Gators will always be good as long as Urban Meyer is the coach. This year looks to be a relative down year for the Gators, but only due to the schedule. Florida must travel to LSU and South Carolina. I look for them to lose both of those games.

Georgia will win the East division, in spite of a loss to Florida. Georgia never beats Florida, no matter how good they are. I'll go with history there. The new wrinkle to this division, though, has been added by the Gamecocks of South Carolina and their coach, Steve Spurrier. The 'Cocks continue to improve. They will pass Tennessee in the SEC pecking order. This is not good news for Vols coach Phil Fulmer. Just when the Vols were through with Spurrier, their nemesis ends up at South Carolina and becomes a pain in the Big Orange posterior there.

In the West, LSU looks to be favored in every game they play. I think they will be very good, and their toughest opponents are at home. Arkansas has a Heisman Trophy candidate in Darren McFadden, but enough off-field controversy for the National Enquirer. Auburn will be pretty decent, and Alabama will bounce back under new coach Nick Saban.

SEC Projections:

East
Georgia 11-1 7-1
Florida 10-2 6-2
South Carolina 9-3 5-3
Tennessee 7-5 4-4
Kentucky 5-7 2-6
Vanderbilt 4-8 1-7

West
LSU 12-0 8-0
Arkansas 9-3 5-3
Alabama 8-4 5-3
Auburn 8-4 4-4
Ole Miss 4-8 1-7
Mississippi State 3-9 0-8

NCAA Projections: Pac-10

Stuck in a time zone two or three hours behind most of the rest of the country lies the Pac-10 Conference. These guys really don't mind, as they perceive themselves as California cool, whether they are in California or not. There are some pretty good football teams on the West Coast, as well.

This conference plays a true round-robin schedule. When the NCAA allowed teams to play a 12-game schedule, the Pac-10 decided to make the extra game a ninth conference game. So, every team in this conference plays every other team every year. What a novel concept! Not many bodybag games against the likes of Louisiana-Lafayette for this conference. They choose to play each other. This drives up power ratings and ticket sales.

There is a juggernaut in this conference known as USC. USC is a well-oiled football machine. Five-star recruits are lining up to play there, and the Trojans are sending plenty of players on their way to the NFL. Any time the Trojans lose, it's an upset. This conference is USC's to lose. The Trojans should be favored to win every game. They have some dangerous road games at Notre Dame, Oregon, Cal, and Arizona State. However, I think the Trojans are good enough to win those games and finish 1st in the final BCS standings. There is currently a great tongue-in-cheek message board thread on the greatness of USC at OUInsider.com.

The rest of the conference is pretty good, but not awesome. I look for all of them to beat up on each other. UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, and Oregon State should all be bowl-eligible. Washington, Washington State, and Stanford look to bring up the rear.

Projected standings:

USC 12-0 9-0
UCLA 9-3 6-3
California 8-4 5-4
Oregon 7-5 5-4
Arizona 7-5 5-4
Arizona State 7-5 4-5
Oregon State 6-6 4-5
Washington 3-9 3-6
Washington State 3-9 1-8
Stanford 2-10 1-8

NCAA Projections: Big 12

I'm back in Texas today, and it's fitting that I project the Big XII Conference.

The Big 12 has become increasingly top-heavy, with the power residing in the South Division. Oklahoma and Texas are leading an arms race, and it's all the rest of the conference can do to keep up. Any time either OU or UT lose, it's an upset. That won't change this year.

The South division is comparable to any group of power schools in America. Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State are dangerous. However, they can't keep up long-term with the big dogs in Norman and Austin. Baylor has made huge strides under coach Guy Morriss, but can still only muster four or five wins per year.

On the other hand, the North division has been weak for the last few years. The division appears to have bottomed out, but as long as Nebraska is not national championship caliber, the North will be perceived as weak.

In the South, OU and Texas are head and shoulders ahead of everyone else. OU is strong at all positions except quarterback, where an untested player will line up behind center. Texas has a load of athletes as well, and hopes for QB Colt McCoy to be healthy. McCoy's injury last season led to two late season losses to Kansas State and Texas A&M. I predict one loss between the two teams: in Dallas on October 6, when the Sooners break a two-year losing streak to the Longhorns. OU will run the table at 12-0, and Texas will finish 11-1.

There will be a coaching change in College Station at the end of the year. Dennis Franchione faces a suicidal schedule this season, as the Fightin' Texas Aggies must travel to Miami, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Missouri. It would be an accomplishment to win one of those road games, much less more than one. It would be hard for any team this side of the NFL to run the table against that road schedule. In addition to that, Texas visits Aggieland with revenge on their mind, following last year's A&M win in Austin. Aggie boosters are already passing the hat to raise money for the buyout of Coach Fran. He would probably already be gone, but the Aggies pulled off that season-ending upset over hated archrival Texas, preserving his job for another year.

In the North, this should be the year of the Missouri Tigers. Missouri looks to be a good team with a favorable schedule. However, I don't trust them in big games. I don't really trust the modern-day Nebraska Cornhuskers in big games, either. However, something has to give when the Huskers visit Columbia in October. I look for Nebraska to escape Columbia with a win, and to win the North championship. The rest of the division looks pretty mediocre.

Big XII Projections

North
Nebraska 9-3 7-1
Missouri 10-2 6-2
Kansas State 5-7 3-5
Kansas 6-6 2-6
Iowa State 4-8 2-6
Colorado 3-9 1-7

South
Oklahoma 12-0 8-0
Texas 11-1 7-1
Texas Tech 8-4 4-4
Oklahoma State 6-6 4-4
Texas A&M 6-6 3-5
Baylor 4-8 1-7

Good Commentary, Or A Bunch Of B.S.?

The great Barry Switzer is the official retired football coach of this blog. Known in Oklahoma as The King, Switzer won three national championships as coach of the Sooners, then came out of retirement to win a Super Bowl as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Barry has signed a couple of media deals for this football season. He will appear on the tube with Jimmy Johnson on the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show. The two ex-coaches will review both college and pro football games and events, as Fox expands its role as the home of the Bowl Championship Series. Barry has also signed a deal to provide analysis for XM Satellite Radio. He will comment on college football daily on their sports talk channel.

Barry Switzer is a colorful individual. He has made many personal mistakes in the past. However, he is a knowledgeable football commentator, and is entertaining, to boot. His weekly radio appearances with the Hardline on the Ticket in Dallas are the stuff of legend, and even turned some public opinion in his favor as a result. He is never at a lack for words or for stories.

NCAA Projections: Big Ten (Or, Where Hooters Meets William Henry Harrison)

Today's blog post comes from Hooters in King of Prussia, PA. My wife won't come here with me, and I won't bring my kids here, but I like the wings and the free wi-fi. I'm serious!

Pennsylvania is Big Ten country, or it has been for the last 15 years since Penn State became the 11th member of the conference. With that in mind, I will project The Conference That Can't Count.

This conference is made up of big state schools with big enrollments, big stadiums, big alumni bases, and big TV markets. Well, all of them except Northwestern, who brings a big TV market and a history with the rest of the conference. The biggest and baddest of those schools are the triumvirate of Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan. For what it's worth, Wisconsin has given them a run for their money in recent years, in both football and basketball.

Last year, Ohio State and Michigan were undefeated at the end of the season, heading into their matchup in Columbus. Ohio State went on to lay an egg in the BCS national championship game, while Michigan got creamed by USC in the Rose Bowl.

This year, it's the Wolverines' turn to win the conference. The Maize and Blue look really strong, and get Penn State and Ohio State on their home field in Ann Arbor. I look for Michigan to trip up on a late-season road trip to Wisconsin. Outside of that, they would be a strong candidate for the BCS national championship game.

Penn State will also come up big this year. I have them losing only one game: a mid-season trip to Michigan. This will put them in contention for a BCS at-large berth, as they would lose the tiebreaker to Michigan in my projection.

Ohio State will be good, as usual. However, they won't be so lucky in trips to Penn State and Michigan, and will have to settle for a nice bowl trip to Florida.

Wisconsin and Iowa will both be good, but not quite on the level of the top three teams in the conference. I wouldn't want to play either of those teams, though.

Purdue, Indiana, and Northwestern will also be bowl-eligible. In Indiana's case, it's a big deal. The Hoosiers haven't been to a bowl since William Henry Harrison fought the Battle of Tippecanoe. They are also dealing with the tragic loss of coach Terry Hoeppner, who died recently from brain cancer.

Big Ten Projected Standings:

Michigan 11-1 7-1
Penn State 11-1 7-1
Ohio State 10-2 6-2
Wisconsin 9-3 5-3
Iowa 9-3 5-3
Purdue 7-5 4-4
Indiana 7-5 3-5
Northwestern 6-6 2-6
Illinois 5-7 2-6
Michigan State 5-7 2-6
Minnesota 5-7 1-7

NCAA Projections: Big East

Who would have thought three years ago that the Big East would be equal in strength to, if not stronger than, the ACC? The ACC had pilfered three of the Big East's strongest members (Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College). The Big East was left in survival mode, and picked up Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida. Granted, the only thing East about those schools is their time zone. But, it's all about survival, and the Big East survived with its BCS automatic bid intact.

Fast forward to 2006. West Virginia came off of their Sugar Bowl win over Georgia, which saved the reputation of the conference. Rutgers had their best season in recent history, and almost completed a rise from the dregs of college football to the BCS. And, Louisville was a field goal against Rutgers away from an undefeated season and a spot in the BCS national championship game. The 'Ville went to finish 12-1, including a pasting of Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl.

Rutgers, West Virginia, and Louisville all look to be strong again this year. The schedule favors Rutgers to win the conference this season. As a matter of fact, I predict the Rutgers hype machine to be in full force, as they will be in contention for a spot in the BCS national championship game. The Scarlet Knights will win their first 11 games, before losing in the last week of the season as they travel to Louisville. Still, the Scarlet Knights will win the league in a tiebreaker over West Virginia.

West Virginia looks to be stout as well, with Heisman candidate Steve Slaton. The Mountaineers will only lose when they travel to Rutgers. They will also be 11-1, and could very well find themselves in a BCS bowl.

Louisville will be no pushover. But, I look for them to lose in back-to-back November road trips to West Virginia and South Florida. The Cardinals will win 10 games this season.

Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Cincinnati, and South Florida will all be bowl-eligible. The Panthers look to be the best of that group. Syracuse will bring up the rear.

Big East Projection:

Rutgers 11-1 6-1
West Virginia 11-1 6-1
Louisville 10-2 5-2
Pittsburgh 7-5 4-3
Cincinnati 6-6 3-4
Connecticut 6-6 2-5
South Florida 6-6 2-5
Syracuse 3-9 1-6

NCAA Projections: ACC

Yesterday, we barely dipped our toes into the BCS water by projecting Notre Dame and its independent cousins Army and Navy. Today is the first of my projections for BCS conferences. We begin in the ACC.

The ACC has begun its expansion era with a thud. The conference originally expanded to 12 teams with the idea of matching Florida State and Miami in a championship game most years, if not every year. Instead, Virginia Tech won the league in 2004, an 8-4 Florida State team won the first championship game over favored VT in 2005, and Wake Forest beat Georgia Tech last year in a 9-6 snoozer at a half-full Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville. Needless to say, the ACC didn't expand for Wake Forest to win championships in front of an empty stadium. It expanded in an attempt to become a mid-Atlantic version of the football revenue-generating SEC. Instead, it has diluted its product. Whereas before it was Florida State and the Eight Dwarfs, now it is just a bunch of good but not great teams, with a horrible Duke team thrown in for good measure.

In the Atlantic Division, Florida State looks to rebound after an uncharacteristic 7-6 season. Bobby Bowden brought in four new assistants to provide new blood. The Seminoles always recruit well, and will bounce back to win this division. Wake Forest won't go away quietly. They'll represent themselves well, and may be a bit better than last year's conference champion. Maryland will have a good season, Clemson and Boston College look to be middle-of-the road, while N.C. State looks to rebuild after stealing coach Tom O'Brien from conference rival Boston College.

Florida State 10-2 7-1
Maryland 8-4 6-2
Wake Forest 9-3 5-3
Clemson 7-5 4-4
Boston College 6-6 3-5
N.C. State 3-9 1-7

In the Coastal Division, Virginia Tech is top dog (no Mike Vick pun intended). They'd have a great chance to go undefeated, but they have this thing called a date at LSU in Week 2. Good luck with all that. Still, they'll earn a date with Florida State in Jacksonville on December 1. Georgia Tech will earn their normal 7 wins. Miami will bounce back in the future, but not this year. They'll also win 7 games. North Carolina and Virginia look to be below average, while I expect Duke to go winless for the second year in a row. That doesn't really matter, as Duke is a basketball school.

Virginia Tech 11-1 8-0
Georgia Tech 7-5 5-3
Miami 7-5 4-4
North Carolina 5-7 4-4
Virginia 5-7 1-7
Duke 0-12 0-8

Editor's Note: I will be blogging more sporadically for the next four days. I leave Sunday evening for a work-related trip to the City of Brotherly Love, a/k/a Philadelphia. I will have my computer with me, but cannot guarantee any posts after Sunday. More BCS conference projections are coming, as are NFL projections.

NCAA Projections: Independents

There are only three independents playing major college football: Notre Dame, Army, and Navy. All find it beneficial to not be part of a conference at this time. All of these schools wear varying shades of solid gold helmets. All of these schools are also historical powers that have seen better days. That includes Notre Dame, their national TV contract notwithstanding.

Notre Dame looks to be good, but not great in the 3rd year of the Charlie Weis era. They can't make up their mind on being part of the Big Ten or the Pac-10. They play four Big Ten schools in a row, and also play three Pac-10 schools. The Irish will lose to Penn State, Michigan, UCLA, and USC. They play eight other teams they should be able to beat. This will put them in one of the Big East bowl games, most likely the Gator Bowl.

Navy is in line to win their 5th consecutive Commander-In-Chief Trophy. They should be able to knock off both Air Force and Army to do so. The Midshipmen will lose to Notre Dame for the 44th time in a row. Navy has not defeated Notre Dame in my lifetime. They also have several winnable games, and will go to a bowl, most likely the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego.

Army is improving, but may not show it in the results on the field this year. The Black Knights of the Hudson will lose to archrival Navy, and will suffer yet another losing season.

Independents Projections:

Notre Dame 8-4
Navy 8-4
Army 3-9

From the Penthouse to the Outhouse and Back

This is a pretty incredible story.

A few years back, Rick Ankiel was the next big thing as a young pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. All of a sudden, he flamed out. It was as much mental as it was physical. He made a couple of attempts to make it back to the big leagues as a pitcher before he quit pitching in 2005. He went back to the minor leagues, and developed into a power-hitting outfielder.

Fast-forward to 2007. Ankiel has been leading the Pacific Coast League in home runs, hitting 32 dingers for the Memphis Redbirds. He got called up to the big club this week. Tonight, he hit a three-run shot as the Cardinals beat San Diego, 5-0.

This is awesome stuff. It was a wild thing to watch his pitching career crash and burn almost overnight. It is even more incredible to watch him go back to the minor leagues, pick up another position, and get back to the bigs as a position player.

My hat is off to Rick Ankiel. Hopefully, he'll stay in the big leagues.

NCAA Projections: Mountain West

Today, I will project results for the Mountain West Conference. This is traditionally the best of the non-BCS conferences, though Boise State and the WAC would have an argument with that.

This conference was helped by the addition of TCU. The Horned Frogs won the league two seasons ago in their debut, and finished second last year. The Frogs have been to six bowl games in the last seven years. Only BYU and Utah have beaten the Frogs in conference play.

TCU will be good again this year. However, I expect for them to stumble twice. The first loss will be to Texas in Austin. It will be a very good game, but I don't expect the Frogs to catch Texas by surprise. The Longhorns know what happened in Norman when TCU last visited there. TCU will give the Horns all they want, and will probably even outplay Texas. But, I look for the Horns to luck out and take advantage of some home cooking. I would love to be wrong on that.

The second TCU loss will allow BYU to win the conference. TCU visits Provo on a Thursday night in November. I look for the Y to take advantage of home field and handle TCU, thus winning the conference.

Utah will be pretty decent, but is playing a killer non-conference schedule, including Oregon State, UCLA, and Louisville. Still, they should be much better than the bottom two-thirds of the conference.

The rest of this conference is pretty forgettable. But, a bottom-dweller here isn't as bad as one in the other non-BCS conferences.

Projected Standings:

BYU 10-2 8-0
TCU 10-2 7-1
Utah 7-5 6-2
Air Force 5-7 3-5
New Mexico 5-7 3-5
Colorado State 4-8 3-5
San Diego State 3-9 2-6
UNLV 3-9 2-6
Wyoming 3-9 2-6

NCAA Projections: Conference USA

Today's conference is Conference USA. This is the projection that I probably least enjoy doing. I find this conference rather boring and nondescript. But, it is a Football Bowl Subdivision conference, so I will project it. This is a far-flung group of schools scattered from North Carolina to almost New Mexico. Most of the schools in this conference have seen better days. They play pretty decent football at the top of the league. All of these schools struggle for exposure, competing with power conferences such as the Big 12 and SEC. Personally, if I have to choose between paying to watch Houston or Rice, and staying home to watch Big 12 games on TV, I'll choose the Big 12.

Southern Miss looks to repeat as champions of the East division. They are the best team in the division. Memphis will bounce back and finish right behind them. The rest of the division is full of mediocrity.

The West will be won by a team from the West Texas town of El Paso. UTEP and Tulsa will tie for the division lead, but UTEP will gain the tiebreaker with a head-to-head win. Houston will be solid, as well. SMU, Rice, and Tulane should consider dropping football. I'm only half-joking on that. Rice actually made it to a bowl game last year, but I expect it to be a one-year aberration after their coach left upon agreeing to a new contract.

Projected Standings:

East Division
Southern Miss 9-3 7-1
Memphis 8-4 6-2
UCF 6-6 5-3
East Carolina 6-6 4-4
Marshall 3-9 2-6
UAB 2-10 1-7

West Division
UTEP 10-2 7-1
Tulsa 10-2 7-1
Houston 8-4 6-2
SMU 5-7 3-5
Rice 2-10 1-7
Tulane 1-11 0-8

It Is Done

And so, it is done. Barry Lamar Bonds is now the all-time home run king of Major League Baseball. He jacked a pitch out to deep right centerfield in the bottom of the 5th inning off of the Washington Nationals' Mike Bacsik.

I can't say a lot that hasn't already been said, or will be said in the hours ahead. Bonds has shown himself to be a first-class jerk throughout his career. He has also been implicated in investigations regarding performance-enhancing drugs.

The sad thing is, he was a great player before he allegedly started using the juice. He was on a collision course with the Hall of Fame. He outperformed his father Bobby Bonds, who was a fine player in his own right. It is so hard to know how much of this record is bloated by performance-enhancing drugs. However, his statistics have advanced during a point in his career when they should have declined.

This is Barry Bonds' night. Tainted or not, he is the all-time home run king, for at least the next several years. Alex Rodriguez just hit his 500th home run, and he's only 32 years old. In a few years, we'll be watching A-Rod go for the record. Hopefully, A-Rod has been clean, and will restore credibility to the baseball record book.