NFL Picks: Week 8

Last week: 11-3
Season: 66-35

Tampa Bay at Dallas: The quickly imploding Cowboys face a solid Bucs team. Tony Romo will still be out for the Cowboys. Is there a quarterback somewhere out there named Roy Williams? There are two other Cowboys with that name. Against my better judgment, I’m picking the Silver and Blue. Pick: Dallas

San Diego vs. New Orleans at London: The second annual game across the pond is a good matchup between two high-powered offenses. Pick: San Diego

Oakland at Baltimore: The Raiders scored a rare win last week in overtime against the Jets. The Ravens also won last week in Miami. The Ravens are more capable of winning two games in a row. Plus, the Raiders are a West Coast team traveling to the East Coast. Never trust a West Coast team crossing the country unless they’re really good. The Raiders aren’t good. Pick: Baltimore

Arizona at Carolina: The Cardinals are a good team at home. On the road, they’re wildly unpredictable. Once again, it’s a Western team going east. Pick: Carolina

Washington at Detroit: The Lions are pathetic. Enough said. Pick: Washington

Buffalo at Miami: Two AFC East teams waking up from the dead. The Bills are the real deal. Pick: Buffalo

St. Louis at New England: The Rams have gotten two wins in a row after making a coaching change. That streak ends here. Pick: New England

Kansas City at NY Jets: The Chiefs are absolutely awful, and are now missing RB Larry Johnson. The Jets shouldn’t have much problem here. Pick: Jets

Atlanta at Philadelphia: Falcons have been one of the big surprises in the league in the first half of the season. Eagles have been up and down, but are tough to beat at home. Pick: Philly

Cincinnati at Houston: Bengals are a bad team. Therefore, I won’t pick them until they win a game. That won’t happen this week, as the Texans will get win #3. Pick: Houston

Cleveland at Jacksonville: Jaguars should be able to handle an inconsistent Browns team. Pick: Jacksonville

New York Giants at Pittsburgh: Game of the week. Steelers keep finding ways to win, no matter who is carrying the ball out of the backfield. Pick: Pittsburgh

Seattle at San Francisco: Yuck. This game is a real stinker. Pick: San Francisco

Indianapolis at Tennessee: The mighty Colts visit Music City to face the undefeated Titans on Monday night. The Colts just aren’t what they used to be. The Titans remain undefeated. Pick: Titans

College Picks, Week 9

This week features a virtual national championship playoff game in the Big Ten and some wild skirmishes in the Big 12.

Last week: 15-5
Season: 120-40

Oklahoma at Kansas State: Sooners continue their redemption tour in Manhattan, Kansas. The Wildcats just can’t keep up with the high-powered offenses in the Big 12. Pick: OU

Oklahoma State at Texas: Battle of unbeatens in Austin. In four of the last six years, OSU has led at halftime, sometimes convincingly, before losing to the Longhorns every time. Look for lots of points here, with Texas scoring more. Pick: UT

Texas Tech at Kansas: Toughest test of the season thus far for the Raiders. Jayhawks were outscored last week in Norman by OU, 45-31. Flip a coin here. When in doubt, go with the home team. Pick: KU

Colorado at Missouri: Missouri is more like Misery right now, after two consecutive losses to Big 12 South opponents. Buffs won last week against K-State, but Missouri is still better than Kansas State. Tigers bounce back. Pick: Mizzou

Baylor at Nebraska: Huskers should be able to win this one, but Baylor won’t make it easy. Pick: Nebraska

Texas A&M at Iowa State: Two teams battling for Big 12 mediocrity. Pick: Iowa State

Auburn at West Virginia (Thursday): At the beginning of the season, many thought this game might have national championship and BCS implications. How things have changed! West Virginia lost two games early, while Auburn has fallen apart in SEC play. I don’t know if this game will be worthy of a couch-burning, but the Mountaineers should defend their home turf. Pick: WVU

Penn State at Ohio State: Joe Paterno is 174 years old, and has his best chance for his last national championship with the Lions, as they come in undefeated. The Big Horseshoe on the Banks of the Olentangy will be rocking, as the Buckeyes still own the Big Ten. Pick: TOSU

Alabama at Tennessee: This game is supposed to be on the Third Saturday in October, but someone at the SEC office had other ideas this year. That just postponed another loss for the mediocre Volunteers. The Tide remain undefeated for another week. Pick: Alabama

Boston College at North Carolina: The ACC may not have a great team, but they have a lot of decent teams. These are two of them. Pick: UNC

Illinois at Wisconsin: This game once had Rose Bowl implications. Now, it is a battle between disappointing teams. Pick: Wiscy

Wake Forest at Miami: Wake got blasted last week at Maryland. The Canes are a shadow of their former selves. Pick: Miami

Georgia at LSU: Another titanic showdown in the SEC, where there is a Super Bowl just about every week. Tigers got a good come-from-behind win last week at South Carolina, and are home. Pick: LSU

UCLA at Cal: The University of California will win this game. The question is: which one? Pick: Berkeley

Michigan State at Michigan: Spartans were on a roll until last week when they were ripped by Ohio State. This week, they face the reeling and rebuilding Wolverines. Michigan is very mediocre this season, but ought to be able to beat their in-state rival. That would really chap some people in East Lansing, in this, the Wolverines’ worst season in the last 50 years. Pick: Michigan

Virginia Tech at Florida State: Two ACC powers struggling to move past the pack in this balanced conference. The Seminoles are getting better every week. Pick: FSU

Wyoming at TCU: Wyoming? Please. Pick: TCU

Notre Dame at Washington: Huskies are on the way to a possible winless season as they continue the Tyrone Willingham Death March. Pick: Irish

USC at Arizona: Trojans continue their march through the Pac-10 with a trip to the desert. Pick: SC

Slippery Rock at California (Pa.): The Rock has a tough test in the Hotel California. The one in Pennsylvania, that is. Pick: California

As the BCS Turns

The first installment of Bowl Championship Series rankings came out on Sunday. As expected, Texas is on top of the rankings.

1 Texas
2 Alabama
3 Penn State
4 Oklahoma
5 USC
6 Oklahoma State
7 Georgia
8 Texas Tech
9 Ohio State
10 Florida
11 Utah
12 Boise State
13 LSU
14 TCU
15 Missouri
16 South Florida
17 Pittsburgh
18 Georgia Tech
19 Tulsa
20 Ball State
21 BYU
22 Northwestern
23 Kansas
24 Minnesota
25 Florida State

Some more observations:

• There is a good chance that at least one BCS conference team will go undefeated. Texas has at least two games left that they could lose: at home against Oklahoma State, and at Texas Tech. They stand a good chance of winning both of those, however. Alabama is undefeated, but still has SEC West battles against LSU and a weakened Auburn team. Penn State has a titanic road trip this week at Ohio State, but should be able to win the remaining games thereafter. At least one of these three teams will probably be in the national championship game, barring a collapse.

• The Big 12 South continues to have a murderers’ row, with four teams in the top 8: #1 Texas, #4 Oklahoma, #6 Oklahoma State, and #8 Texas Tech. OSU must visit Austin this week to play Texas. Tech must still play all three of the other Big 12 South powers. OU has a home game with Tech and a dangerous road trip to Stillwater to play OSU. With just a tiny bit of help, the stage is set for an OU-Texas rematch in the national championship game. Right now, the BCS computers like all of these teams. It is impressive that OU has a loss and is still ranked #4.

• Penn State plays Ohio State in Columbus on Saturday night in what may as well be the Big Ten championship game. No other team in this conference can touch either of those teams. Michigan thought they had something going when they led Penn State 17-7 in the third quarter. Penn State broke out the hammer, crushed the Wolverines, and won 46-17.

• USC is dominating the Pac-10 after an inexplicable brain fart on a Thursday night at Oregon State. It would be a huge upset if they lost to another Pac-10 team.

• There is a very good chance that a non-BCS conference team will make it to a BCS bowl for the third year in a row. For this to happen, one of these teams must finish in the top 12 of the BCS standings, or in the top 16 and ahead of the champion of a BCS-qualifying conference (such as the ACC or Big East). Currently, Utah and Boise State are undefeated and ranked 11th and 12th, respectively. Lurking at #14 is TCU, with one loss. It would be very interesting if TCU could qualify for a BCS bowl with a loss, provided they win at Utah. Boise State, however, has a very good chance to finish undefeated. Also in the rankings are undefeated Tulsa at #19 and undefeated Ball State at #20. Only one of these teams can make a BCS bowl, per the rules of the system.

That's all for now...

NFL Picks: Week 7

Some NFL picks while feeling grateful that I am not a fan of Washington State, who gave up over 60 points in a game to their fourth Pac-10 opponent today….

Last week: 8-6
Overall: 55-32

Dallas at St. Louis: The Cowboys enter this game with a new Roy Williams and a new quarterback, 40 year-old Brad Johnson. Rumor is that Jerry Jones is looking to buy an NBA franchise so he can hire Roy Williams from North Carolina to coach it. You can never have enough guys named Roy Williams. The Rams shocked the world with a win last week in Washington, their first of the season. Cowboys take care of business this week. Pick: Dallas

San Diego at Buffalo: This has the makings of a good game. The Chargers are bouncing back, while Buffalo suffered their first loss last week. Strange things happen when a West Coast team goes East. Pick: Buffalo

New Orleans at Carolina: Roll the dice, and may the highest total win. Who knows what to expect from either of these teams? Pick: Carolina

Minnesota at Chicago: Important game in the NFC North. Pick: Chicago

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati: The Bengals have shown signs of life lately, but haven’t gotten into the win column yet. They won’t win this week, either. Pick: Pittsburgh

Tennessee at Kansas City: Who would have thought that the Titans would be the last undefeated team remaining? They’ll stay unbeaten this week. Pick: Tennessee

Baltimore at Miami: This is another unpredictable game. The Dolphins lost on the last play last week in Houston. They should be strong enough to win at home. Pick: Miami

San Francisco at New York Giants: The Giants had a game scheduled last Monday night in Cleveland. They didn’t show up. Someone wearing their uniforms did, and the Giants got kicked. Giants bounce back this week. Pick: Giants

Detroit at Houston: The Texans got their first win last week, and now face the worst team in the league in the Lions. Pick: Houston

Indianapolis at Green Bay: The Packers went out to Seattle with a banged-up quarterback and got a win last week. The Colts looked like the Colts of old last week as they thrashed the Ravens. Can they still win a big road game? Good question. Pick: Green Bay

New York Jets at Oakland: Yuck. Rematch of the Heidi game from 1969. These players weren’t born then, with the exception of Brett Favre. Favre slings it for a bunch of yards against an awful team. Pick: Jets

Cleveland at Washington: Browns showed a pulse last week as they thumped the Giants. Now, they travel to D.C. to play the Redskins, surprise losers last week to St. Louis. I don’t trust Cleveland. Pick: Washington

Seattle at Tampa Bay: The Sunday Night extravaganza visits Tampa as the beaten-up Seahawks come to town. Pick: Tampa Bay

Denver at New England: ESPN gets a good one for Monday night. Pick: Pats

College Picks, Week 8

Last Week: 13-7
Season: 105-35

The wheat is being separated from the chaff in another wild college football season. This season is still very fluid. It remains to be seen if a team can win a national championship with two losses, as LSU did last season. The only thing guaranteed in college football is chaos. Now, on with the picks...

Kansas at Oklahoma: The Fighting Manginos are solid once again this season, but are not quite as good as they were last year. OU is mad, very mad, after last week’s debacle in Dallas. Pick: OU

Missouri at Texas: What was once a potential meeting of top 5 teams is now a do-or-die game for Mizzou. The Longhorns are flying high after a dominant 2nd half against OU. Look for plenty of points here. Pick: Texas

Baylor at Oklahoma State: The last thing the Bears needed was another juggernaut in the South division. OSU is coming off the biggest win in school history last week at then 3rd-ranked Missouri. Cowboys should be on letdown alert here, but should still win. Pick: OSU

Texas Tech at Texas A&M: This is the worst A&M team since before Jackie Sherrill arrived in Aggieland a quarter-century ago. Tech barely escaped last week with an overtime win over Nebraska. Pick: Tech

Nebraska at Iowa State: Iowa State has a long way to go to be competitive in this conference, proven by last week’s shellacking at the hands of Baylor. The Huskers nearly pulled an upset last week in Lubbock. Pick: Nebraska

Kansas State at Colorado: Buffs have come way down to earth after hitting Big 12 play. Wildcats got a conference win at Texas A&M last week. Winner has chance to go to a bowl game. Pick: Colorado

BYU at TCU (Thursday): One of two games that BYU has a chance to lose. Pick: TCU

Ole Miss at Alabama: Bama was idle last week and was passed by Texas for the top spot in the polls. Which Ole Miss team shows up? The one that beat Florida in the Swamp? Or, the one that lost at home to South Carolina? Bama wins a close one at home. Pick: Alabama

Ohio State at Michigan State: Big, big game in the Big Ten. Winner has inside track to the Rose Bowl. MSU can really put themselves on the map with a win. But, TOSU has played big games before, especially in the Big Ten. Pick: TOSU

Georgia Tech at Clemson: What was once supposed to be a national championship-caliber season for Clemson has deteriorated into a mid-season coach firing. Now, they must face the Ramblin’ Wreck of Georgia Tech. Tigers come up big under interim coach. Pick: Clemson

Purdue at Northwestern: Wildcats suffered their first loss last week. They should be able to bounce back against the Boilermakers. Pick: Northwestern

Florida State at NC State (Thursday): Don’t look now, but the Seminoles are on the way back. They’re not national championship caliber just yet, but they should be able to contend for an ACC title. Pick: FSU

Hawaii at Boise State (Friday): Battle of the last two BCS crashers. This season, Boise State is one of ten undefeated teams remaining. Hawaii is in a serious rebuilding phase. Pick: Boise State

LSU at South Carolina: The Gamecocks can redeem themselves here with a win. The Tigers are hurting after being slaughtered last week in the Swamp. The Tigers have more talent. Pick: LSU

Virginia Tech at Boston College: Tech needs this one to stay on top of the ACC. Eagles have given the Hokies fits over the years in both the Big East and ACC. Pick: VT

California at Arizona: Big game for bowl positioning in the Pac-10. Weird things happen in late night games in the desert. Pick: Arizona

Michigan at Penn State: A long season for the Wolverines got longer last week with a loss to Holy Toledo. Penn State is cruising through an undefeated season. Pick: Penn State

Miami at Duke: The last time Miami visited Duke in 2006, a Duke team that went winless that year nearly beat the Canes. Duke is a lot better this season. Pick: Duke

Wake Forest at Maryland: Anything can happen in the ACC, and usually does. Pick: Wake Forest

Hofstra at Maine: Hofstra is now better known as the host of Wednesday night’s presidential debate. Their football team isn’t that bad, either. Pick: Hofstra

The South Is Where It's At

At the halfway point of the college football season, we find:

• There are ten undefeated teams remaining in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
• Five of those teams are in BCS conferences.
• Three of them are in the Big 12 South division: Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State.
• Oklahoma only fell to #4 in the latest AP writers’ poll. However, they have the worst record in the state. Oklahoma State and Tulsa remain undefeated.
• It’s early, but OU is not only #4 in the nation, but #4 in the South division standings after two weeks of conference play.
• The Big 12 South Division contains four of the top eight teams in this week’s poll: #1 Texas, #4 OU, #7 Texas Tech, and #8 OSU.

This is an incredible geographical concentration of football excellence. Oklahoma State joined this dogpile with an upset at previously third-ranked Missouri, 28-23.

Poor Baylor. The Bears have to play all these teams. Likewise for Texas A&M. However, if there was ever a year for A&M to stink, this is it, as they would have a hard time with these teams regardless.

Missouri and Kansas this week must fight for the honor of the North division in trips to Texas and OU, respectively. The rest of the North division looks relatively weak, though Nebraska nearly shocked Texas Tech in Lubbock on Saturday.

These teams should do a good job of knocking each other off in the last two months of the season, keeping one out of the BCS national championship game. The team with the best shot of appearing in Miami appears to be Penn State. The Nittany Lions are undefeated and are the best team in a weak Big Ten conference. Who will play them? Who knows. Alabama is strong and still undefeated, but must finish their SEC schedule. If USC can keep from farting around in the Pac-10, they have a good chance to get back to that #2 spot. Or, if a team survives the Big 12 with only one loss, they have a chance to be in Miami as well. In that case, Texas is in the driver’s seat.

The only guaranteed thing remaining in this college football season is change. Stay tuned.

NFL Picks, Week 6

Some picks while digesting OU’s loss to Texas. It could be worse. I could be a Michigan fan today.

Last week: 8-5
Season: 47-26

Dallas at Arizona: This was once practically a home game for the Cowboys in the desert. The Cardinals are now competitive, though, and are showing signs of being a respectable franchise. Kurt Warner and his receiving corps are very dangerous. Tony Romo really, really needs to quit throwing interceptions. And, Adam Jones needs to realize that those bodyguards are there to protect his career and livelihood. Still, the Cowboys are just a hair better. Pick: Dallas

Chicago at Atlanta: It wasn’t that long ago that the Falcons’ fortunes were lost in an illicit pseudo-dog kennel in Virginia. Now, the Falcons are riding the arm of Matt Ryan and legs of Michael Turner to some success. The Bears are better than their record indicates. Pick: Chicago

Miami at Houston: The Texans are snake-bitten. Never was it more apparent than last week when they blew a 27-10 lead in the last four minutes of the game to lose to the Colts. Now, the resurgent Dolphins come to town. The Dolphins are trusting in Big Bill, with Tony Sparano as the front man. I’m picking against the Texans until they win. Pick: Miami

Baltimore at Indianapolis: The Colts meet the newest Baltimore franchise, and are very lucky to be 2-2. The Ravens have shown flashes of brilliance to date, but are unpredictable. Pick: Colts

Detroit at Minnesota: The Lions are awful. I will pick against them until they win. Pick: Minnesota

Oakland at New Orleans: The Raiders play their first game after the firing of head coach Lane Kiffin. The franchise is a huge joke. The Saints lost a wild game last week to the Vikings. The Raiders aren’t as good as the Vikes. Pick: New Orleans

Cincinnati at New York Jets: The Bengals didn’t give up last week after being down 17-0 to the Cowboys. The winless Bengals now visit the Jersey Meadowlands to face the Fighting Brett Favres. Pick: Jets

Carolina at Tampa Bay: It’s really hard to pick against the Bucs at home. Pick: Tampa Bay

St. Louis at Washington: After 20 years, I saw this game on the schedule and still thought Cardinals. These Rams are as bad as some of the old Cardinal teams. The Redskins are flexing their muscles after a Week 1 loss to the Giants. Pick: Washington

Jacksonville at Denver: The Jags lost a tight one last week to Pittsburgh, while the Broncos escaped against Tampa Bay. It’s really hard to pick against the Broncos at home. Pick: Denver

Philadelphia at San Francisco: The Eagles need to get on the stick or they will be left behind in the rugged NFC East. The mediocre 49ers should be able to help them with that. Pick: Philly

Green Bay at Seattle: The Seahawks are like Kryptonite on the road, but are super-tough at home. It’s a long way to Puget Sound for just about anybody. Pick: Seattle

New England at San Diego: Great matchup for the Sunday Night extravaganza. Chargers need this one more, and should be able to handle the Brady-less Patriots. Pick: San Diego

New York Giants at Cleveland: Dangerous game for the undefeated Giants. But, I’m picking them until they lose to someone, or until they play Dallas. Pick: Giants

College Picks, Week 7

Last Week: 17-3 (Awesome!)
Season: 92-28

This week includes the mother of all rivalries: OU-Texas. Interestingly, the Big 12 has three of the top five teams in the nation, and four of the top seven. That will change after this week.

Texas vs. Oklahoma at Dallas: Sooners are ranked #1 in the nation, while Texas has whipped five opponents to start the season, and is ranked #5. This has all the makings of a great game. Pick: OU

Oklahoma State vs. Missouri: Look for lots and lots of points in this game. Mizzou has an even more high-powered offense. OSU’s roll stops here. Pick: Missouri

Nebraska at Texas Tech: The Huskers got spanked last week by a good Missouri team, and now must go out to the plains of West Texas for another potential thrashing. Get your licks in on Nebraska now, because they’ll be back. Pick: Tech

Colorado at Kansas: Crucial game in Big 12 North. Colorado is stumbling after last week’s annihilation by Texas. Pick: KU

Kansas State at Texas A&M: Which team shows up for this game? A&M gets what looks to be a rare conference win. Pick: A&M

Iowa State at Baylor: Battle of Big 12 bottom feeders desperate for a win. Baylor has shown flashes of brilliance and is playing at home. Pick: Baylor

LSU at Florida: Which Gator team shows up? The one that whipped Tennessee and Miami, or the one that lost to Ole Miss? LSU has already won a big road game this season at Auburn. Pick: Florida

Tennessee at Georgia: Is it too early to start the countdown on Phil Fulmer? Georgia, and it might not even be close. Pick: Georgia

Notre Dame at North Carolina: Carolina is an interesting team. It’s always a big game when the Fighting Irish come to town, but the Tar Heels should be ready. Pick: UNC

Ohio State at Purdue: Purdue got spanked last week by Penn State, while the Buckeyes proved themselves on the road at Wisconsin. Look for form to hold true this week. Pick: TOSU

Arizona State at USC: USC came back to life last week by drilling Oregon. Arizona State heads back to the desert with their heads between their legs. Pick: USC

TCU at Colorado State: TCU is toying with the rest of the Mountain West before they run into BYU and Utah. Pick: TCU

Clemson at Wake Forest (Thursday): Clemson has been sorely disappointing this year, after being picked by some to finish undefeated. Wake lost an inexplicable game last week to Navy. Strange things happen on Thursday nights, but Wake should have the edge. Pick: Wake Forest

Minnesota at Illinois: The Gophers need just two more wins to become bowl-eligible. They won’t get one this week in Champaign. Pick: Illini

South Carolina at Kentucky: Gamecocks saved some face last week with a win at Ole Miss. UK had their chances at Alabama before losing, 17-14. Pick: Kentucky

UCLA at Oregon: Late night game at Autzen Stadium does not bode well for the Bruins. Ok, the game isn’t late out there, but it is for the rest of us. Oregon should cruise. Pick: Oregon

Michigan State at Northwestern: Wildcats are undefeated, putting my preseason projections to shame. Spartans have only lost once, at California. Winner stays tied for first place in the Big Ten. Pick: Northwestern

Vanderbilt at Mississippi State: Commodores are riding high after last week’s win over Auburn. Can they keep the string going? They will this week. Pick: Vandy

Arizona at Stanford: Wildcats only need two more wins to become bowl-eligible. Stanford is wildly inconsistent. This will be an up week for the Cardinal. Pick: Stanford.

Stony Brook at Liberty: Stony Brook is 1-4 this season, and must travel down to Lynchburg for this one. It’ll be a long trip back to Long Island for the Seawolves. Pick: Liberty

Ugly Uniform of the Day

Normally, I find the WNBA not worthy of comment. I think I heard that Detroit (coached by the great Bill Laimbeer) won the title over the weekend. However, I saw some really gross uniforms on SportsCenter the other night.




The Los Angeles Sparks were wearing these purple things with designs all over them. If they wore long pants, they would have looked like pajamas. These are U-G-L-Y! In researching these things, I found that they wear a similar gold uniform at home. Gross!

These uniforms are putrid. Yet another reason not to watch the WNBA.

NFL Picks, Week 5

NFL picks for Week 5..my, how time flies…

Last week: 11-2 (yes!)
Season: 39-21

Cincinnati at Dallas: The hapless Bengals visit the Stadium With The Hole In The Roof. Chad Ocho Cinco really needs to get it together. It’ll be hard for him without QB Carson Palmer. The Cowboys lost a tough game last week, and should be able to bounce back Sunday. Pick: Dallas

Tennessee at Baltimore: The Titans are undefeated heading into Crab City. The Ravens lost in overtime last Monday night in Pittsburgh. The Titans are good, but not good enough to skate through the whole schedule undefeated. Pick: Baltimore

Kansas City at Carolina: The miserable Chiefs got a surprising win last week over Denver. Can they make it two in a row? No. Pick: Carolina

Chicago at Detroit: The Windy City is having a rough week in baseball. They’ll make up for it in football, at least for a week. Pick: Chicago

Atlanta at Green Bay: Word is that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers may not play. That makes this game more interesting. Still, the Falcons have no business winning this game. Pick: Green Bay

Indianapolis at Houston: The Texans finally get to play a home game. Since the roof of Reliant Stadium was damaged by Hurricane Ike, the Texans will play eight home games outdoors. They came close last week in Jacksonville. Now, the suddenly mortal Colts come calling. Tough pick here. Pick: Indy

San Diego at Miami: The Chargers are once again starting to put it together. The Dolphins have the potential to be dangerous here. Pick: San Diego

Seattle at New York Giants: The Giants look like the best team in the league at this point in the season. Pick: Giants

Washington at Philadelphia: The Redskins got an unexpected win last week in Dallas. The Eagles failed to defend the honor of the NFC East last week, losing to Chicago for the division’s first loss against outside competition. Washington can’t help but have a letdown here. Pick: Philly

Tampa Bay at Denver: The Bucs continue to win games. The Broncos lost an unthinkable game last week in Kansas City. Denver bounces back here. Pick: Denver

Buffalo at Arizona: The Bills are undefeated. The Cardinals are really glad to be back home, after two bad losses on the East Coast. Like the Titans, the Bills can’t go undefeated forever. Pick: Arizona

New England at San Francisco: The Patriots are looking for answers after a bye week. The mad scientist, Bill Belichick, finds a way to get the Pats back on track. The Niners will be more than happy to help. Pick: New England

Minnesota at New Orleans: There should be plenty of offense on Monday night. Pick: New Orleans

Ugly Uniform of the Day

I am a fan of the throwback jersey. Most of the time. I make exceptions for that from time to time, though.

Before their run of four Super Bowl wins in the 1970's that put them on the map, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the most hapless franchise in the NFL. You would think the Steelers would want to forget about those days. But, no.. The Steelers have chosen to wear this ugly ensemble as a throwback uniform. This is what the Steelers wore in the 1960's when they royally stunk up the field.

The gold helmets and white pants do not go with the black jerseys. My high school wore black and gold, and they never tried to wear a gold helmet with white pants and a black jersey. But, the Steelers are in the NFL. They should know better.

This comes from the same city that gave us the Pirates' mix and match uniforms in the 1970's. Go figure.

Yuck.

College Picks: Week 6

Last Week: 14-6
Season: 75-25

Another week of picks…this week includes the first week of conference play in the Big 12.

Oklahoma at Baylor: Poor Baylor. The Bears open Big 12 play against the #1 team in the nation. Sooners get a warm-up for Texas this week. Pick: OU

Texas at Colorado: Longhorns rolled through their non-conference schedule. Buffs have a chance to pull the upset at night in the mountains. However, the better team should win this game. Pick: Texas

Texas A&M at Oklahoma State: Aggies vs. Aggies. The Texas Aggies are struggling in a big way, and now enter conference play. OSU has a very good chance to move to 5-0. If they don’t, something is wrong. Pick: OSU

Missouri at Nebraska: If Missouri is going to contend for a conference and national championship, they must win this game. The Huskers came close but just short of an upset over Virginia Tech last week. Missouri is a better team than the Hokies. Pick: Missouri

Texas Tech at Kansas State: See Missouri. If Texas Tech is going to contend for any type of championship, they must win this game. This will be closer than it should be, but Tech should win the game. Pick: Tech

Kansas at Iowa State: Jayhawks are favored in dangerous road trip. They should live up to that billing. Pick: KU

Oregon State at Utah: One week after knocking off top-ranked USC, the Beavers must travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utes. That’s an order as tall as the Wasatch Mountains. Pick: Utah.

Kentucky at Alabama: Alabama proved last week they are the real deal. Pick: Alabama

Florida State at Miami: Florida State appears to be slightly ahead of Miami in their respective rebuilding processes. This was once the biggest game in America. Now it’s barely on the radar outside Florida. Pick: FSU

Illinois at Michigan: The Wolverines saved their season last week with a comeback win over Wisconsin. The Illini were competitive with Penn State for part of the game last week. Someone at the Big Ten office doesn’t like the Illini, sticking them with back-to-back road trips to Penn State and Michigan. Pick: Michigan

Ohio State at Wisconsin: Buckeyes visit Madison in a huge game with Rose Bowl implications. Badgers still don’t know what happened to them last week in Ann Arbor after blowing a 19-0 lead. Pick: Ohio State

Oregon at USC: Trojans were exposed as mortal last week by Oregon State. USC bounces back against the Ducks. Pick: USC

Auburn at Vanderbilt: Hell is freezing over. Vanderbilt is ranked 19th in the nation, and College Gameday is broadcasting from Vandy on Saturday morning. All good things come to an end, though, as Auburn restores order in the SEC. Pick: Auburn

Connecticut at North Carolina: Huskies are 5-0, but face their biggest test yet. Pick: North Carolina

Boston College at N.C. State: Wolfpack coach Tom O’Brien faces his former team. Pick: Boston College

Duke at Georgia Tech: Don’t look now, but the Dukies are 3-1. Yellow Jackets run all over Duke with the option. Pick: GT

Penn State at Purdue: Nittany Lions face challenging game as favorite in Big Ten. Purdue got plastered last week at Notre Dame. Penn State should be able to handle this one. Pick: Penn State

Iowa at Michigan State: Michigan State could be a surprise team in the Big Ten. They need this game to stay in the lead. Pick: MSU

South Carolina at Ole Miss: It’s desperation time for the Gamecocks, who can’t seem to capture the previous success of current coach Steve Spurrier and former coach Lou Holtz. They now head to Oxford to take on last week’s upset king Ole Miss. Pick: Ole Miss

Hardin-Simmons at Mary Hardin-Baylor: Both schools own the American Southwest Conference and Division III in Texas. UMHB has been a little better in recent years. Pick: Mary Hardin-Baylor

Ugly Uniform of the Day

The New York Jets today wore throwback uniforms formerly worn by the New York Titans. The NY Titans was the original name of the Jets franchise when they came into the American Football League in 1960.

In 1964, Leon Hess, owner of the Hess oil corporation, was a partner that bought into the team. The team moved to Shea Stadium, took the name of Jets, and changed the team colors to green and white to match the colors of Hess gas stations.

The Jets need to stick with the green and white uniforms. These Titans uniforms are putrid. Brett Favre threw six touchdown passes today. Even that performance can't outdo the stink that these uniforms laid out onto the Meadowlands turf today.

Leave these New York Titans uniforms at Shea Stadium. Never mind that Shea is getting blown up. The unis can be blown up with it.

NFL Picks: Week 4

NFL picks for this week…

Last week: 12-4 (much better!)
Season: 28-19

Washington at Dallas: The Greatest Division In Football, the NFC East, continues to flex its muscle. The division has only lost two games in three weeks, and those were to division opponents: Washington to the Giants and Philly to Dallas. The Cowboys are trying to keep up with the Giants and to hold off the Eagles and Redskins. The winning streak continues for Dallas. Pick: Dallas

Atlanta at Carolina: Don’t look now, but the Falcons are 2-1. They take the show up I-85 to face the Panthers, who lost last week for the first time. Things return to form this week. Pick: Carolina

San Francisco at New Orleans: This was once a division rivalry. Now, it’s just a couple of mediocre teams trying to play each other. Pick: New Orleans

Cleveland at Cincinnati: The state of Ohio is 0-6 so far this season. It’ll be 1-7 after this game. Someone has to win this one. The Browns have more hope than the Bengals. Pick: Cleveland

Minnesota at Tennessee: The Vikings visit Music City to face the undefeated Titans. Can the Vikes put together two wins in a row? Nah. Pick: Titans

Green Bay at Tampa Bay: A Bay will win this game. The Bucs got a good win last week in Chicago, while the Packers showed themselves to be inferior to the Cowboys. Pick: Tampa Bay

Denver at Kansas City: This was once a big rivalry with high stakes. It’s still a big rivalry, but the Chiefs stink. Pick: Denver

Houston at Jacksonville: The Texans are in danger of having a really terrible season. This trip to Jacksonville won’t help them. Pick: Jacksonville

Arizona at New York Jets: The combined ages of the quarterbacks in this game, Kurt Warner and Brett Favre, is approaching 300. Not quite, but it seems like it. Pick: Jets

San Diego at Oakland: The Chargers got back on track in a big way last week. The Raiders can’t even fire a coach correctly. Pick: San Diego

Buffalo at St. Louis: The Bills are undefeated and a team to watch in the AFC. The Rams aren’t even a team to watch in St. Louis. Pick: Buffalo

Philadelphia at Chicago: The Sunday Night Extravaganza comes to the shores of Lake Michigan. The Eagles are a good team that happens to be in the same division as the Giants and Cowboys. Donovan McNabb comes back to his hometown and gets a win. Pick: Iggles

Baltimore at Pittsburgh: Monday Night in the Steel City is always good entertainment. The home field advantage strongly favors the Steelers. Pick: Pittsburgh

College Picks: Week 5

This is already a crazy week in college football, as #1 is up for grabs thanks to USC’s Thursday night loss to Oregon State.

Last Week: 15-5
Season: 61-19

TCU at Oklahoma: The game of the week in the chicken fried kingdom has the Horned Frogs headed up I-35 to take on the Sooners. TCU has won their last two games in Norman: in 1996 and 2005. The Sooners have a better team this year, and won’t be overlooking the Frogs. TCU is by far the best non-conference team on OU’s schedule. Pick: OU

Arkansas at Texas: Hurricane Ike got this game two weeks ago, and the two teams happened to have a common open date this week, so they’ll try again. Arkansas is in a major rebuilding mode under Bobby Petrino. There is a good chance they may not win another game this season. The Longhorns have been impressive against inferior competition. This might get ugly. Pick: Texas

Virginia Tech at Nebraska: The Huskers have a chance to put themselves back on the map as the Hokies visit Lincoln. VT is looking better after blowing their opening game against East Carolina. The Huskers aren’t quite ready for prime time yet, but their time is coming. Pick: Virginia Tech

Army at Texas A&M: The real Army visits the fake army in College Station. The poor Cadets are winless against a weak schedule. Just what the doctor ordered for the Aggies. Pick: A&M

Louisiana-Lafayette at Kansas State: Another rent-a-win. Pick: K-State

Troy at Oklahoma State: Troy visits their second OSU in a row after losing to The Ohio State University in Columbus last week. Last year, the Trojans shocked the Cowboys in Alabama. Mike Gundy is still a man. OSU gets revenge. Pick: OSU

Colorado vs. Florida State at Jacksonville: Buffs got a big win over West Virginia last week. Now, they must go cross country to play an FSU team that lost at home to Wake Forest last week. The run ends for CU. Pick: FSU

Alabama at Georgia: Bubba Bowl. The Crimson Tide have returned to their traditional place in the Top 10. Georgia sits at #3, with a chance to move as high as #1 with a win. Bulldogs get a big win this week. Pick: Georgia

Tennessee at Auburn: The Vols are in sad shape after being walloped by Florida. Philip Fulmer better be checking his retirement accounts, because he may be forced to use them after this season. Auburn, on the other hand, lost a tough game at home last week to LSU. War Eagle won’t lose twice in a row. Pick: Auburn

Wisconsin at Michigan: The rebuilding year continues for Rich Rodriguez at Michigan. Wiscy is solid again, as usual. Pick: Wisconsin

Purdue at Notre Dame: Notre Dame was starting to feel good about itself until the Irish went to East Lansing last week and lost. Make two losses in a row to Big Ten teams for the Irish. Pick: Purdue

North Carolina at Miami: Butch Davis returns to South Florida to take on the Canes in their new digs at Dolphin Stadium. Miami got a big win last week over A&M, but a lot of teams are going to beat A&M this year. The Tar Heels have enough to pull this one off. Pick: North Carolina

Fresno State at UCLA: Which UCLA team shows up? The Bruins are reeling after a season-opening win against Tennessee. Can Fresno pull out the win here? Yes. Will they? Nah. Pick: UCLA

Illinois at Penn State: The Nittany Lions are looking like the favorite in the Big Ten now. They open Big Ten play against last year’s Rose Bowl team, the Fighting Illini. Pick: Penn State

Mississippi State at LSU: Tigers are still the favorite in the SEC West. Bulldogs just can’t hang with the Tigers. Pick: LSU

North Texas at Rice: North Texas is looking to drop to Class 5A after the next realignment. Just kidding. Pick: Rice

Ole Miss at Florida: The mighty Gators roll on. Pick: Florida

New Mexico at New Mexico State: Not many people outside of New Mexico care about this one, but don’t tell anyone in the Land of Enchantment. Pick: New Mexico

Nevada at UNLV: Another in-state rivalry. UNLV looks like it is turning the corner. Pick: UNLV

Austin Peay at Eastern Kentucky: Let’s Go Peay! EKU is at home in this one. Pick: Eastern Kentucky

Once A Weekend Sports Anchor in Anchorage....

...now Governor of Alaska, and possibly Vice President of the United States.

Sarah Palin, Hottie Sports Reporter | Viral | SPIKE.com

This is 24 year-old Sarah Heath, in 1988, a weekend sports anchor at KTUU television in Anchorage. She had no clue she would eventually marry snowmobile racing champion Todd Palin, become governor of Alaska, and possibly Vice President of the United States.

Is this a great country, or what?

NFL Picks, Week 3

Some more NFL picks while remaining evacuated due to Hurricane Ike…

Last Week: 8-7
Season: 16-15 (yuck!)

The NFL is a lot harder to predict than college football.

Dallas at Green Bay: The Cowboys travel to Green Bay for the first time in forever, and Tony Romo returns to his native state of Wisconsin. Aaron Rodgers is really, really hot as he replaces the great Brett Favre. Still, it’s hard for me to pick against the Cowboys. Do you really think I would do that? Pick: Dallas

Miami at New England: The Patriots won a game last week with Matt Cassel as starting quarterback in place of the injured Tom Brady. Now, the awful Dolphins visit Foxboro. The Pats have won 18 regular season games in a row. Make that 19. Pick: New England

Houston at Tennessee: The Texans visit the former Oilers. The Texans laid a big egg in their first game, then had an egg laid on top of them last week as a result of Hurricane Ike. The Titans are a surprising 2-0. Make that 3-0. Pick: Titans

Tampa Bay at Chicago: This game is the definition of unpredictable. Get ready for lots of defense in this one. Pick: Chicago

Cincinnati at New York Giants: The Bengals have started out really pathetic. The Giants have picked up where they left off in February. Pick: Giants

Arizona at Washington: Start printing playoff tickets in the desert, because the Cardinals are 2-0! This one will be a bit much for them, though. Pick: Washington

Carolina at Minnesota: The Panthers are 2-0, while the Vikings are a disappointing 0-2. Also, Adrian Peterson is a game-time decision for the Vikes. The Panthers make it three in a row. Pick: Carolina

Kansas City at Atlanta: Yuck. The Chiefs aren’t very good at all. The Falcons may turn out to be better than expected. Pick: Atlanta

Oakland at Buffalo: Watch out for Buffalo. The Bills are pretty good. Pick: Buffalo

Detroit at San Francisco: Somebody has to win this game. Pick: San Francisco

New Orleans at Denver: Attention, AFC: The Broncos are back. Pick: Denver

St. Louis at Seattle: Somebody has to win this game, also. The Rams are putrid. Pick: Seattle

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia: Winner gets to paint the state capitol in Harrisburg in their team colors. The Linc will be rocking for this one. Pick: Philly

Cleveland at Baltimore: The new Browns visit the old Browns. Cleveland is off to a slow start. The Ravens steal one at home. Pick: Baltimore

Jacksonville at Indianapolis: AFC South showdown. The Jags really need a win here. So do the Colts, as they limp along at 1-1. Pick: Colts

New York Jets at San Diego: Brett Favre appears on Monday Night Football once again. The Chargers are very desperate, especially after last week’s questionable loss in Denver. Chargers roll in this one. Pick: San Diego

College Picks, Week 4

Last Week: 14-6
Season: 46-14

This week’s games begin on Wednesday night, so the picks are a little early.

Kansas State at Louisville (Wednesday): Steve Kragthorpe has to be wondering if it was worth it to leave Tulsa for Louisville. The Ville has struggled in the last season plus the first part of this one. They get a home game against Kansas State, who suddenly isn’t afraid to go on the road to play a decent team. This will be a pretty good game, especially for a Wednesday night. Pick: Louisville

West Virginia at Colorado (Thursday): The Mountaineers were proven mortal by East Carolina two weeks ago. They now head to the other mountains to take on the improving Buffs. Tough pick. Strange things happen on Thursday nights. Pick: Colorado

Baylor at Connecticut: It’s a long way from Waco to East Hartford. The Bears have to be feeling pretty good after getting two lopsided wins in a row. But, the Huskies are feeling even better after pounding Virginia. Pick: UConn

Miami at Texas A&M: In the 90’s, this would have been a titanic matchup. Now, it’s two names with not nearly as much game. The Aggies regained a bit of respect by going out and getting a win at New Mexico in their last game. The Canes are a shadow of their former selves. Pick: A&M

Sam Houston State at Kansas: Mismatch alert. Pick: KU

Rice at Texas: The Feisty Knightbirds come into this one with a winning record after three games. The Horns have been impressive in wins over Florida Atlantic and UTEP. Pick: Texas

Iowa State at UNLV: The Clones go to Sin City to face a hot UNLV team. The Rebels got their biggest victory in years last week with a 23-20 overtime win at Arizona State. Pick: UNLV

Buffalo at Missouri: The Bulls are improved, but aren’t in Mizzou’s league. Pick: Missouri

Massachusetts at Texas Tech: There is a really big difference between Amherst, Massachusetts and Lubbock, Texas. UMass is a pretty good FCS program, so there may not be quite as much difference between the football teams. Still, Tech should win comfortably. Pick: Tech

Florida at Tennessee: It’s going to be really hard for the Big Orange to beat the Gators, even in Knoxville. Pick: Florida

Georgia at Arizona State: The Bulldogs leave the Peach State for a non-conference game for the first time in eons. They head to the desert to play an ASU team that is reeling from a shocking overtime loss at home to UNLV. The Bulldogs have fallen from 1st to 2nd to 3rd in the polls without losing. They get a statement win this week. Pick: Georgia

LSU at Auburn: LSU visits the Loveliest Village on the Plains for a titanic SEC Saturday night battle. This has become the biggest game in the SEC West year after year. Winner gets the inside track to a trip to Atlanta in December. Pick: Auburn

Notre Dame at Michigan State: The Irish are smiling after last week’s whipping of Michigan. They now head up the road to East Lansing for a chance to go undefeated against the Great Lakes State. Michigan State is improving a lot. The green team wins this one. Pick: Michigan State

Virginia Tech at North Carolina: Ambush alert. Butch Davis has the Tar Heels up and going now, evidenced by last week’s thrashing of Rutgers in New Jersey. Tech has already lost to East Carolina before winning home games over Furman and Georgia Tech. Pick: North Carolina

East Carolina at N.C. State: Pirates have been giant killers this month with wins over Virginia Tech and West Virginia. The Wolfpack aren’t as good as either of those teams. Pick: East Carolina

Arizona at UCLA: Both teams lost on the road to Mountain West teams last week. Arizona lost at New Mexico, while the Bruins were pounded by BYU, 59-0. Can the Bruins find anything after that debacle? Probably. Pick: UCLA

TCU at SMU: The Iron Skillet is on the line once again. TCU is rolling right along, and won’t overlook the Ponies. Pick: TCU

Alabama at Arkansas: The Hogs are the worst 2-0 team in America, having squeaked out wins over Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe. Alabama has shown signs of returning to greatness. Pick: Alabama

Mississippi State at Georgia Tech: State lost a baseball game last week to Auburn, 3-2. Georgia Tech has looked pretty good running the option, but lost last week in a trip to Virginia Tech. Pick: Georgia Tech

Central Michigan at Purdue: These teams play all the time, it seems. They played twice last season: a regular season game in West Lafayette and in the Motor City Bowl. Purdue won both games. They’ll win this one, also. However, it won’t be easy. Pick: Purdue

NFL Picks: Week 2

NFL Picks, Week 2

Quick picks after a long trip and a hurricane….

Last Week: 8-8
Season: 8-8

Philadelphia at Dallas: Both teams were impressive last week in big wins. Cowboys are at home on Monday night. Pick: Dallas

Tennessee at Cincinnati: Titans rode the arm of Kerry Collins to a win last week over the Jags. This week, they face the Ocho Cincos of Cincinnati. Pick: Cincinnati

Buffalo at Jacksonville: Bills looked sharp last week in dismantling of Seattle. Jags return home after losing to the Titans. Pick: Jacksonville

Oakland at Kansas City: Raiders got spanked last week on Monday night. It looks like another long year in the Black Hole. Pick: Kansas City

Indianapolis at Minnesota: Great matchup in spite of the Vikings’ loss last week in Green Bay. Colts didn’t look real great last week, either. The Colts are too good to go 0-2. Pick: Indy

Chicago at Carolina: Two surprise winners from last week. Is the magic back in Carolina? It’s too easy to tell. If the Bears can spoil the opening of the Colts’ new stadium, they can win here. Pick: Bears

Green Bay at Detroit: Lions were their normal selves in an opening-week loss to Atlanta. They come home to face the Favre-less Packers. Pick: Detroit

New York Giants at St. Louis: The Rams were really awful last week in being drubbed by Philadelphia. Now, they face the defending Super Bowl champions. Pick: Giants

New Orleans at Washington: Saints go on the road. Washington is really unpredictable. Pick: Redskins

Atlanta at Tampa Bay: Break up the Falcons! They’re 1-0. Not after this week. Pick: Tampa Bay

San Francisco at Seattle: Seattle is down to wide receivers off the street. Still, they’re playing the awful 49ers. Pick: Seattle

New England at New York Jets: This one is full of drama, as Brett Favre plays his first home game at the Meadowlands, and the Patriots play their first game without Tom Brady. This is the biggest injury in the NFL in years. Brady is the straw that stirs the Patriots’ drink. Pick: Jets

San Diego at Denver: Denver is flying high after pounding the Raiders late last Monday night. Chargers need a win to avoid going 0-2. Pick: Denver

Miami at Arizona: Yuck. Pick: Arizona

Pittsburgh at Cleveland: This should be fun, as no one hates the Steelers more than the people in Cleveland. The Steelers are a better team, though. Pick: Pittsburgh.

Baltimore at Houston: Oops. Hurricane Ike got this one. They’ll play later in the year.

College Picks: Week 3

Better late than never….

These picks are being made somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean. By the time I post these from the Newark airport, some of these games will be in progress.

Oklahoma at Washington: Washington lost last week on a questionable call of celebration in the end zone after a potentially game-tying touchdown. The Tyrone Willingham Death March continues, as the mighty Sooners visit the Great Northwest. The last time the Sooners visited the Northwest, Oregon stunned OU on some questionable late-game officiating. Perhaps the Pac-10 refs will get it right tonight. Pick: OU

Arkansas at Texas: Postponed. Pick: Hurricane Ike

Kansas at South Florida (Friday): I would have picked South Florida, and they won. This one doesn’t count.

Iowa State at Iowa: The Cyclones have won their first two games, but take a step up in competition against the Hawkeyes. The Cyclones more than hold their own against Iowa, a point of contention among Hawkeye fans. Go with the home team here. Pick: Iowa

Nevada at Missouri: Is Nevada trying to join the Big 12? This is their second game in a row against a Big 12 team, as they lost at home last week to Texas Tech. The Wolf Pack visit Columbia in what could be either a good game or a blowout. Missouri cruises in this one. Pick: Mizzou

New Mexico State at Nebraska: Years ago, this would have been a mismatch of Biblical proportions. It still won’t be close. Pick: Nebraska

Washington State at Baylor: Wazzu is at rock bottom. They can only go up. They now go into the land of Dr Pepper to take on Baylor, who pounded Northwestern State last week. Hey, it was Northwestern State, but it’s news when Baylor pounds anybody. Two in a row for the Bears. Pick: Baylor

Missouri State at Oklahoma State: Rent-a-win. Missouri State gets to pay for a women’s sport with the money from tonight’s check from OSU. Pick: OSU

SMU at Texas Tech: The Mustangs aren’t ready for prime time. Tech is. Pick: Texas Tech

Ohio State at USC: TOSU flies to the Left Coast bumbling and stumbling. USC is a well-oiled machine. Pick: USC

Michigan at Notre Dame: Zzzzz. The names are big, but that’s all in this game. Notre Dame struggled last week against a San Diego State team that lost to Cal Poly the week before. Pick: Meatchicken

Oregon at Purdue: Good intersectional matchup as the Ducks fly to Indiana. Go with the home team. Pick: Purdue

Wisconsin at Fresno State: This is what the little guys live for: a home game against a big-time opponent. The Badgers enter a hornets’ nest, or better yet, a dog pound. Pick: Fresno State

Georgia at South Carolina: If Georgia is going to contend for an SEC or national championship, they have to win this game. The Ol’ Ball Coach and the Gamecocks beat the Dawgs in Athens last year. But, they also lost to Vanderbilt last week. Georgia is really good. Pick: Georgia

Auburn at Mississippi State: Auburn continues their run through the state of Mississippi, having disposed of Southern Miss last week. This is a possible land mine for War Eagle, but Auburn should win here. Pick: Auburn

California at Maryland: The Pac-10 is racking up some miles in non-conference matchups this week. The biggest thing the Terps have going for them this week is home field. Pick: Cal

Stanford at TCU: Stanford is improving under Jim Harbaugh. The Frogs are tough, especially at home. Pick: TCU

Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech: Battle of the Techs. Georgia Tech is now running the wishbone under Paul Johnson, and is 2-0 as a result. VT is still trying to bounce back from the stunning loss to East Carolina. This game is in Blacksburg. Pick: VT

Virginia at Connecticut: This is a rebuilding year for the Cavaliers. One of their close victories last season was over UConn. The Huskies get revenge this year. Pick: UConn

UCLA at BYU: UCLA looks for their second win over a big-time opponent under Rick Neuheisel. BYU is very fortunate to be undefeated after last week’s event in Seattle. Pick: BYU

Air Force vs. Houston at Dallas: Instead of playing in a hurricane in Houston, these teams will play in the rain at SMU. Pick: U of H

Arizona at New Mexico: If Mike Stoops wants to take the Wildcats to a bowl and keep his job, U of A must win this game. Los Lobos is 0-2 against the state of Texas, having lost to TCU and A&M. Pick: Arizona