NFL Picks-Week 14

The playoff picture is becoming clearer in the NFL. There are leaders, there are pretenders, and there is everyone else. Each division has a clear leader, followed by a dogfight for wild card positions in both the AFC and NFC.

In the AFC, Indianapolis and San Diego have the best records, at 10-2, and lead the South and West divisions, respectively. Close behind, at 9-3, are Baltimore and New England, leaders in the North and East divisions. There is a whole gaggle of teams at 7-5, in contention for two wild card spots. They are the New York Jets, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Kansas City, and Denver.

A similar situation exists in the NFC. Chicago has the best record at 10-2, and has clinched the North division. Dallas, New Orleans, and Seattle are all 8-4, and lead the East, South, and West divisions. Another gaggle of teams are 6-6, contending for two wild card spots. They are the New York Giants, Philadelphia, Carolina, and Atlanta.

Since there is a Thursday night game, the picks are ahead…

Last Week: 8-8 Overall: 116-76

New Orleans at Dallas: “Sunday Night Football on NBC…the only place that you’d want to be…” With apologies to Pink, this is the game of the week. Both teams are in line to win division titles, and one of them will have a bye in the first round of the playoffs. There is a good chance for a rematch in the second round. The Saints have had an incredible run, fueled by QB Drew Brees and RB Deuce McAllister. The rookie stud for the Saints has not been Reggie Bush, but WR Marques Colston, who is expected back this week. Bush broke out last week, however, for four touchdowns. The Cowboys are riding the golden arm of the Rib Man, Tony Romo, and have gotten six touchdowns in the last three weeks from goal-line specialist RB Marion Barber. They got a gift last week from new K Martin Gramatica, with three key field goals, including a game-winner in a 23-20 victory over the Giants. Pick: Dallas, of course.
Tennessee at Houston: The long-awaited Vince Young Bowl. Vince has guided the Titans to a 5-4 record since he became the starter, and returns to his hometown to face the mediocre Texans. The natives are restless in Houston because many feel Vince should have been drafted to be the quarterback of the Texans, and because QB David Carr has been rather pedestrian for five years. The Titans are fun to watch, and it will be interesting to watch the crowd reactions at Reliant Stadium this week. Vince’s mojo continues…Pick: Titans
Cleveland at Pittsburgh: Cleveland looks to be without QB Charlie Frye for the rematch in the Steel City. Pittsburgh has been a decent home team, especially against inferior competition. Pick: Pittsburgh
Atlanta at Tampa Bay: The Bucs are sliding, fast. Actually, they never climbed that high to begin with. The Falcons are a schizophrenic team. One week they’re great, another week, they’re horrible. The Falcons are still in playoff contention, and should have enough to get past Tampa Bay. Pick: Atlanta
Baltimore at Kansas City: I’d like to see this game. This is a possible playoff matchup. The Chiefs are coming off a heartbreaker in Cleveland, where they blew a 14-point lead to lose in overtime. The Ravens are also coming off a loss in Cincinnati. This one is in Kansas City, where the Chiefs have always been much better. Pick: Chiefs
Indianapolis at Jacksonville: The Colts are loaded for bear after losing at the buzzer to the Titans last week. The Jags helped their playoff chances with a win in Miami. The Colts are just a little bit better, even on the road. This will be close. Pick: Colts
Minnesota at Detroit: Yuck. This is a candidate for that Sunday afternoon nap. The Vikes are mediocre. The Lions are bad. This might actually be a high-scoring game. Detroit is usually good for three or four games a year. This could be one of them. Pick: Detroit.
New England at Miami: The Dolphins lost a big game last week to the Jags, severely hurting their slim playoff chances. The Patriots are rolling along, as usual. The Pats are a better team. Pick: New England
New York Giants at Carolina: Just another game between two 6-6 teams. Wait a minute, both of these teams have strong playoff hopes. This game is huge. The Giants’ ship is sinking fast. The Panthers haven’t been able to put any kind of consistency together. What gives? QB Jake Delhomme is injured for the Panthers, and may not play. I’m going out on a limb here: Pick: Giants
Oakland at Cincinnati: Here are the Bengals, putting together a playoff run, and they get one of the best gifts a team could get: a home game with the awful Raiders. Look for the Bengals to score early and often here. Pick: Cincy
Philadelphia at Washington: The Jeff Garcia mini-era is underway in Philly, as he had three touchdown passes Monday night in a win over the Panthers. The Redskins are like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. Philly has a lot more to play for. Will it matter? Pick: Philly
Green Bay at San Francisco: These teams have had a lot of great games through the years. This probably won’t be one of them. The 49ers have surprised a lot of people, and have won 5 games this year. The Pack is improved over last year, but are far from greatness. Look for a shootout here. Pick: San Francisco
Seattle at Arizona: Yuck. The Seahawks are back, as Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander have returned from injury. The Cardinals got a win last week in St. Louis, which is enough to tease the good people of Arizona. This could be ugly. Pick: Seattle
Buffalo at New York Jets: The Jets are in playoff contention at 7-5. The Bills have been competitive most of the time. The Jets could really help themselves with a win here. Pick: Jets
Denver at San Diego: A month ago, this was a good matchup. The last time these teams met, the Chargers put on a great comeback and squashed the Broncos in the fourth quarter, behind the greatness of LaDainian Tomlinson. That was also the beginning of the end of the Jake Plummer era in Denver. Jay Cutler is now the QB for the Broncos, but that won’t matter. San Diego is the real deal. Pick: Chargers
Chicago at St. Louis: The Bears are doing it with defense, defense, defense. The Rams are rebuilding their team, and don’t have much to show for it this season. This won’t be pretty, but the guys from the Windy City should win. Pick: Chicago

Iowa State Champions?

There weren't any huge upsets in college basketball last night. Northern Iowa went into Iowa City and defeated Iowa, 57-55, but that's no longer an upset. That gives UNI the sweep over ISU and Iowa, with two conference games remaining with Drake. Once again, I wouldn't call this an upset, but it's the closest thing we had to David over Goliath in college hoops yesterday. UNI has bragging rights in the Land of Corn today.

A Decent Proposal

The eternal, ongoing debate concerns the need for a playoff in the highest level of college football. At this point, the only opponents of a playoff system are college presidents, BCS conference commissioners, and some athletic directors and coaches. Many coaches (such as Urban Meyer) are warming to the idea of a playoff. Media members and fans have been on the playoff bandwagon for years.

The primary argument used against a playoff is the amount of missed class time around the end of the semester and final exams. That is a bunch of Barry Switzer (B.S.). Divisions I-AA, II, and III play four to five weeks of playoffs, ending right around finals week. The missed class time arguments do not wash.

The unsaid argument revolves around money. The BCS generates a large amount of money. The BCS is not controlled by the NCAA, but by the bowls and the six BCS conferences. The six BCS conferences accumulate a large percentage of the money generated by the BCS. An extra BCS game was created, and increased access offered to non-BCS conferences, as a way to avoid a lawsuit from the non-BCS schools. This is the reason for the extra rotating BCS championship game, beginning this season. Any playoff system would be controlled by the NCAA. It would generate a larger amount of money, but the BCS conferences would receive a smaller portion of that money. The power conferences would rather have a larger portion of a smaller pie.

A college football playoff would serve two purposes: 1) To determine a champion, and 2) to maximize revenue for the member schools.

My proposal calls for a 16-team playoff. Each of the 11 Division 1-A conferences would have an automatic qualifier, just as in the NCAA basketball tournament. There would then be 5 at-large teams.

Why 11 automatic qualifiers? 1) Each conference would receive a share of revenue from the playoff, so each conference should participate; 2) It provides an easier first-round opponent for higher-ranked teams; and 3) It adds the once-in-a blue moon chance at a David-beats-Goliath upset, the element that makes the NCAA basketball tournament great.

5 is a good number of at-large teams, because there are really very few teams capable of winning 4 playoff games in a row to win a national championship, and these are teams that would be capable of doing so. It also places a value on the regular season, as a 6th place team in a power conference would not be in the NCAA football playoff, as they would qualify for the basketball tournament. There would normally not be a team with less than three losses in the playoff as an at-large team.

What about Notre Dame? They would not get an automatic bid. They would be forced to strongly consider joining a conference. The Big Ten and the Big East would be forced into a bidding war to offer the Irish the best deal, if ND felt the need to join a conference. ND could squeeze a sweet deal out of either of these conferences, making up for their lost BCS money. A Big 10 championship game could make up for that. This year, they went 10-2, and are 11th in the BCS rankings. They would be the last at-large team under my proposal. They might not get that lucky every year.

The first two rounds would be played on home fields. This maximizes revenue, and keeps fans from having to travel to more than two bowl-like games in neutral locations. It would be next to impossible for large numbers of fans to follow their team to four bowl locations in consecutive weeks in one season. The semi-finals and finals would be mega-events played in neutral sites, determined by a bidding process.

Television rights would be sold to the highest bidder. Coverage on the first two weekends would be regionalized, but supplemented with pay-per-view coverage of games not broadcast over-the-air in particular regions, similar in form to ESPN Game Plan or CBS Mega March Madness.

A playoff for this year would be as follows (seeds are based on BCS rankings):

Troy (16, Sun Belt champ) at Ohio State (1, Big Ten champ)
Auburn (9, SEC at-large) at Boise State (8, WAC champ)

Wake Forest (12, ACC champ) at USC (5, Pac 10 champ)
BYU (13, Mountain West champ) at LSU (4, SEC at-large)

Notre Dame (11, at-large) at Louisville (6, Big East champ)
Houston (14, Conference USA champ) at Michigan (3, Big 10 at-large)

Oklahoma (10, Big 12 champ) at Wisconsin (7, Big 10 at-large)
Central Michigan (15, MAC champ) at Florida (2, SEC champ)

The first two rounds would take place the weekends of December 8-9, and December 15-16. Games would be played on Friday night and all day Saturday, with no games competing with the NFL on Sundays. There would be a break during Christmas weekend, and the semifinals would be played on Monday, January 1, in a neutral location-either a dome or a warm-weather city. The semifinals would be a mega-Final Four-type event, played as a doubleheader on New Year’s Day. The winners would play in another city on January 8, the day of this year’s BCS championship game.

Games would be scheduled for maximum television exposure, and for minimum overlap with NFL games.

This proposal promotes all that is great about college football, maximizes revenue, and protects the integrity of the regular season. It also determines a champion on the field.

Buying A Bowl Bid

The 12-game schedule, along with changes made by the NCAA for bowl qualification, has added a new wrinkle to the bowl season. Teams can now qualify for a bowl with 6 wins, as long as their conference has enough contracts. Also, a team can count a win over a Division 1-AA (now Division 1 Championship Division) opponent toward bowl eligibility every year.

With only 6 wins needed for bowl eligibility, big-time schools can offer large payouts to 1-AA and lower-level 1-A schools for home games, with no required return game, and a chance at an easy win. Schools from major conferences have been doing this for several years, but now, it has become the difference between a winning and losing season, and key to becoming eligible for a bowl.

Six schools: Florida State, Miami, Iowa, Minnesota, Alabama, and Oklahoma State, finished 6-6, but will be playing in bowl games. Without the 12th game, each of these teams would be 5-6, and would be staying home for the holidays. After expenses, these schools may or may not make a profit off the trip. However, the players will gain three extra weeks of practice, and get a trip and some gifts. Notice I said trip, because some trips are better than others. FSU is going to San Francisco for the Emerald Bowl. Iowa is going to San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl, not a bad trip for a team that went 2-6 in the Big Ten. Oklahoma State and Alabama, on the other hand, are going to Shreveport for the Independence Bowl. There’s not a lot in Shreveport, except riverfront casinos. And, Miami gets a trip to Boise, Idaho for the MPC Computers Bowl. I haven’t checked air mileage, but I’m sure there are a lot of places in Central and South America that are closer than Boise is to Miami.

How did these schools “earn” these trips? They paid lower-rung teams to come play them in non-conference games. Check out these barn-burners:

Florida State: Home vs. Troy, Rice, Western Michigan (Troy and WMU were actually close games, and Troy led in the 4th quarter)
Miami: Florida A&M, Florida International (the infamous brawl)
Iowa: Montana (still playing in the 1-AA playoffs), Northern Illinois (going bowling). No huge complaints about their schedule.
Minnesota: Temple, North Dakota State (a blocked field goal away from upsetting the Gophers)
Alabama: Louisiana-Monroe, Duke, Florida International
Oklahoma State: Missouri State, Florida Atlantic
(these teams also played at least one home-and-home with a good program, but made it to bowls on the backs of cupcakes)

The bodybag games paid off in bowl trips for the fans, and an extra game and practice for the players. What a deal!

NFL Week In Review-Week 13

Another wild week in the National Football League, one in which kickers played a big part.

One week ago, Martin Gramatica was looking for a job. Enter Bill Parcells, who brought him in off the street after giving Mike Vanderjagt a pink slip. Gramatica made three of four field goals, including the game-winner from 46 yards out, as the Dallas Cowboys defeated the New York Football Giants, 23-20. Tony Romo threw a 42-yard pass to Jason Witten with less than a minute left in the game to set up the game-winning field goal. Romo is now 5-1 as the starter, and the Cowboys now have a 2 game lead in the NFC East with 4 games to play.

The Tennessee Titans aren’t going to the playoffs, but they are making some things happen in spite of that. Rod Bironas kicked a 60 yard field goal for the game-winner as the Titans defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 20-17. The Titans are now 5-7. Vince Young is now 5-4 as the starter in Music City. The Colts are now 10-2, and are tied with San Diego for the best record in the AFC.

The Cleveland Browns survived an injury to QB Charlie Frye to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-28, in overtime. Phil Dawson kicked the game-winner from 33 yards for the Browns. Trent Green threw four touchdown passes for the Chiefs, who will be wanting this one back if they narrowly miss the playoffs.

In the Sunday Night extravaganza, Josh Brown kicked the game-winner as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos, 23-20. This was the debut for Jay Cutler as quarterback for the Broncos. He had a decent game, but threw an ill-advised interception in the 2nd quarter that was returned for a touchdown.

Reggie Bush broke out in a big way for the New Orleans Saints, with four touchdowns in a 34-10 rout of the San Francisco 49ers. He had sat on my fantasy bench for a month, so I missed out on 41 fantasy points. Boo hoo. The Saints are now 8-4, with a huge game next Sunday night with the Cowboys in Irving.

The Detroit Lions led the New England Patriots for most of the game on Sunday. However, the Lions committed 5 turnovers, and those were too much for them as they fell to the Pats, 28-21.

The St. Louis Rams define the word mediocre. The Rams lost to the pitiful Arizona Cardinals, 34-20. The Rams had a promising start, but have been skidding of late.

LaDainian Tomlinson once again came up big for the Chargers, with 178 rushing yards and two touchdowns as San Diego won in the wind and snow of Buffalo, 24-21. The Chargers are now tied for the best record in the league, at 10-2.

Michael Vick had one of his better games for the Atlanta Falcons, as he threw for two touchdowns and the Falcons saved their season with a 24-14 win over the Washington Redskins. The Falcons are now 6-6. The Redskins blew all the momentum they had gained from the previous week’s win over Carolina.

Da Bears continue to move right along, as they defeated Minnesota, 23-13. Chicago is now 10-2, and has clinched the NFC North title. Da Bears are two games ahead of Dallas and New Orleans in the NFC. The road to Miami leads through Chicago.

Further north, the Green Bay Packers laid a major egg, as the New York Jets crushed the Pack, 38-10. Green Bay is now 1-5 at home. The Jets are now 7-5 overall, and are in playoff contention.

The Houston Texans doubled their win total of last year, with a 23-14 victory in Oakland. The Texans’ defense created 5 turnovers and had 5 sacks in the win. The Raiders moved a step closer to one of the top two picks in the upcoming draft. Neither team is very good, but the Raiders are exceptionally bad.

In Florida, the Jacksonville Jaguars went down to Miami and handled the Dolphins, 24-10. The Dolphins’ 4-game winning streak came to an end. The Jags are now 7-5, and are now in a gaggle of teams contending for two AFC wild card spots.

The other Florida team isn’t doing so well, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were clobbered by the Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-3.

Finally, last Thursday night, the Cincinnati Bengals saved their season, and joined that group of playoff-contending teams, by defeating the Baltimore Ravens, 13-7. The Bengals had a streak of 7 quarters without giving up points, until the Ravens scored in the 4th quarter. T.J. Houshmandzadeh had 100 yards receiving, including a 60 yard touchdown catch from Carson Palmer.

Tonight, the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Carolina Panthers in the City of Brotherly Love. The Iggles are looking for their first win with backup quarterback Jeff Garcia.

Urban Renewal

Congrats to the Florida Gators, the #2 team in the nation, and opponent for The Ohio State University in the BCS National Championship Game, January 8 in Glendale, Arizona. I don’t have a huge problem with it, as Florida beat Arkansas, LSU, Tennessee, and Georgia on its way to winning the SEC.

Coach Urban Meyer has now won championships in three different conferences in six years: Bowling Green in the MAC, Utah in the Mountain West, and Florida in the SEC.

I’ll have more comments on the BCS and the bowls later in the week.

Keep These Guys Out Of The Cheese

The North Dakota State Bison went into Milwaukee today and defeated 8th-ranked Marquette, 64-60. North Dakota State is in their fourth year as a full member of Division I. The Bison are now 4-1, with their only loss being a narrow 85-81 loss at Texas Tech.

This is North Dakota State’s second win in as many years against a major program in the state of Wisconsin. Last year, the Bison went into Madison and upset highly ranked Wisconsin. Their football team was a blocked field goal away from defeating Minnesota in Minneapolis. Are they becoming the Big Ten's worst nightmare?

I don’t think any more programs in Wisconsin will be scheduling these guys any time soon. Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wisconsin-Green Bay would be best served by not playing them.

That's A Load of BCS

It looks like the BCS qualifiers are set. The computers and pollsters will tell us who will play in the BCS National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona on January 8.

Tonight was an exciting and interesting night in the world of college football.

The Florida Gators won the SEC championship over Arkansas, 38-28. I’d hate to be the Arkansas special teams coach, as the Hogs gave up touchdowns on a blocked punt and a fumbled punt return. The Gators earn the right to either: 1) play Ohio State for the national championship, or 2) complain about being passed over in favor of Michigan. We’ll find out their fate on Sunday. Most likely, they are headed to the Big Easy to play Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights lost a heartbreaker to the West Virginia Mountaineers in triple overtime, 41-39. The Scarlet Knights, due to the missed two-point conversion, drop from the $14 million Orange Bowl to the $800,000 Texas Bowl. Of course, they’ll get part of the Big East cut of the Orange Bowl money, but they still lost a few million dollars from the missed opportunity to make the BCS. Louisville now goes to the BCS from the Big East, most likely to play Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl.

My Oklahoma Sooners won their 40th conference championship, defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 21-7. The Sooner defense came up big, only allowing a touchdown when Nebraska intercepted a pass deep inside OU territory. OU goes on to the Fiesta Bowl, where they will most likely meet Boise State.

All of these bowl pairings will be set tomorrow. I expect a rematch between The Ohio State University and the school up North.

Sons of Westwood

The mighty USC Trojans lost today to a basketball school, costing themselves a chance at a national championship. That basketball school is their archrival, the UCLA Bruins. UCLA defeated the Trojans, 13-9.

USC now returns to the Rose Bowl. There is now a looming controversy over the #2 spot in the BCS, between Michigan and Florida. As I write, Florida's not out of the woods yet, as Arkansas is making a comeback on the Gators. Stay tuned, as it only gets more interesting from here.

Mid-Major Upset of the Night....Not Really

There was no true mid-major upset of the night. The closest thing to it occurred twice in the Big XII Conference, but the Big XII teams were road teams. Iowa State, under new coach Greg McDermott, traveled to in-state rival Northern Iowa and lost, 70-57. McDermott formerly played and coached at UNI, and took them to multiple NCAA tournaments. The Missouri Valley, once again, is not playing like a true mid-major, and looks to put multiple teams in the Big Dance in March.

Another non-upset occurred in Wilmington, North Carolina, as UNC-Wilmington defeated Colorado, 67-55. UNCW was in last year's Tournament, and Colorado is playing out the string under lame duck coach Ricardo Patton, who has announced his resignation at season's end. This was not an upset at all, as UNCW should beat CU, even though CU is in a power conference.

NFL Picks-Week 13

There’s an NFL Network Thursday night special tonight, so the picks are early.

Last week was really good, as I went 13-3. Season: 108-68

Dallas at New York Giants: The Giants are Team Turmoil at the moment. Michael Strahan called out Plaxico Burress for quitting on the team, then called out a reporter in a press gaggle for wanting to report it. Jeremy Shockey has been running his mouth, as well. It has not been a good three weeks at Camp Coughlin. The Cowboys are flying high, as the Rib Man, Tony Romo, makes the beginning of his bid to be compared with Staubach and Aikman. Do you really think I’m going to pick against the Cowboys now? Pick: Dallas
Baltimore at Cincinnati: The Thursday night NFL Network game. The Ravens sit on top of the AFC North at 9-2. Their defense had nine sacks, and forced three turnovers and scored a touchdown last week. The Bengals are starting to make their move toward a playoff spot. They need this game desperately. Carson Palmer and Ocho Cinco come through at home. Pick: Cincy
Houston at Oakland: Yuck. The Suck Bowl. Or, the Brady Bowl, as in Brady Quinn, probably the first quarterback taken in the upcoming draft. Both teams are bad. This one is in the Black Hole. Pick: Oakland.
Arizona at St. Louis: The old St. Louis team returns to the city with the Arch for what is now an annual trip. It’s been 18 years since the Cardinals called St. Louis home, so that shows you how old I’m getting. The Cardinals aren’t very good, and the Rams are decent at times. The newer St. Louis team should win here. Pick: St. Louis
Atlanta at Washington: The Redskins got a win last week against the Carolina Panthers with new QB Jason Campbell. The Falcons are one of the most inconsistent teams in the league. I don’t have a reason to pick against Washington. Pick: D.C.
Detroit at New England: Mismatch city. The Lions are terrible. They may be in line for Brady Quinn as well. The Patriots are still a force to be reckoned with. They should beat the Lions with one hand tied behind their backs. Pick: Pats
Indianapolis at Tennessee: The Colts are rolling along at 10-1, but only defeated the Titans by one point in their last meeting. The Fighting Vince Youngs made an improbable comeback against the Giants last week, winning 24-21 after being down 21-0 in the 4th quarter. I’d like to see this game, but I won’t get to. The Titans are becoming a fun team to watch. It’s hard to go against the Colts, though. Pick: Indy
Kansas City at Cleveland: The Chiefs are 7-4, in contention for a playoff spot, and get to go to Cleveland this week. Cleveland is a pretty dreary place this time of year, but so is their team. Pick: Kansas City
Minnesota at Chicago: The Vikes stopped a losing skid last week against Arizona. Da Bears are coming off of a loss in New England. Dome team vs. cold weather team in December, outdoors. Let me think…..da Bears. Pick: Chicago
New York Jets at Green Bay: Speaking of cold, brrr…. The Jets are a respectable 6-5. The Packers have improved this year, to 5-6 at this point. Brett Favre is still performing in Green Bay, and has improved over last year. In a close one, I’ll go with the Pack. Pick: Green Bay
San Diego at Buffalo: Warm weather team at cold weather team in December…wait a minute, these are the Chargers. They’ll give it to LaDainian Tomlinson 40 times and get out of Buffalo with a win. Pick: San Diego
San Francisco at New Orleans: The 49ers had their winning streak snapped last week. The Saints find themselves on top of the NFC South. Good things continue to happen in the Big Easy. Pick: Saints
Jacksonville at Miami: The East Coast of Florida Bowl. The Jags are not a good road team. The Dolphins have won four in a row with Joey Harrington at quarterback. At this rate, he’ll make Nick Saban want to stay in Miami instead of flirting with that Alabama job. Make that five wins in a row for the ‘Fins. Pick: Miami
Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh: Both teams have won Super Bowls in recent years, and both teams are struggling this year. The Bucs are worse. Pick: Pittsburgh
Seattle at Denver: The AFC West Reunion tour continues for the Seahawks, who celebrated the return of Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander with a big second half to defeat the Packers on Monday Night Football. The Broncos are changing quarterbacks, as Jay Cutler makes his first start in Denver. I’ll go with the known over the unknown here. Pick: Seattle
Carolina at Philadelphia: The Eagles are struggling, now that Donovan McNabb is out for the season. The Panthers have been nothing if not inconsistent. Monday Night in Philadelphia..who do I pick? Pick: Philly

Mid-Major Win of the Night

The Southern Conference got its second win over a BCS conference school in as many weeks, as the Furman Paladins defeated Vanderbilt in Nashville, 70-62. Furman coach Jeff Jackson was an assistant at Vandy for five years, before getting the Furman job this year. The SoCon is making noise in the non-conference part of the schedule, as Furman's upstate rival Wofford won at Cincinnati last week.

College Picks-Championship Week

It’s conference championship weekend, along with a few assorted regular season games. The #2 spot in the BCS is still in play, as well as four BCS conference championships.

Last Week: 13-7 Season: 180-80

Big XII Championship game at Kansas City: Oklahoma vs. Nebraska: The Sooners are making a surprise appearance here, winning seven games in a row after losing to Texas. They are doing it the Woody Hayes way: three yards and a cloud of dust. RBs Allen Patrick and Chris Brown have picked up the slack after the injury to Adrian Peterson. Nebraska is the best of a mediocre bunch in the North, but the Huskers do have a big road win over Texas A&M, the latest conquerors of Texas. The forecast is for temperatures in the 20s in Kansas City Saturday night, which favors the OU running game over the West Coast Offense of Nebraska. Pick: OU
MAC Championship game at Detroit: Central Michigan vs. Ohio: Frank Solich has the Ohio Bobcats in the championship game and a bowl in his second year in Athens. The Chippewas blew through the West division of the MAC. Pick: Ohio
Conference USA Championship game at Houston: Southern Miss vs. Houston: The Coogs have rolled through the West division of C-USA, after a midseason 3-game losing streak. Southern Miss is consistently good. The game is on Houston’s home field. Pick: Houston
ACC Championship game at Jacksonville: Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech: Wake Forest got through a murderer’s row in their division, getting past Maryland, Boston College, and a weakened Florida State to reach the championship game. Georgia Tech is coming off of a tough loss to archrival Georgia. Neither team expected to be here at the beginning of the year. The ride continues for Wake. Pick: Wake Forest
SEC Championship game at Atlanta: Florida vs. Arkansas: The Gators have made it to this point with only one loss, on the Plains at Auburn. Arkansas won 10 games in a row before losing last week against LSU. Arkansas is doing some fun things on offense, such as lining up RB Dwight McFadden in the “Wildcat” formation, a variation of the single wing. Florida barely survived last week in Tallahassee against weakened archrival Florida State. Arkansas is better than Florida State. Pick: Arkansas
Army vs. Navy at Philadelphia: A lot of these guys will be fighting terrorists as soon as next year. Props to them for serving our country. This rivalry takes a back seat to none. On the field, Navy is once again having a solid season. Army has had its ups and downs. Pick: Navy
USC at UCLA: All that stands between the Trojans and the BCS championship game are their hated rival Bruins. USC needs to win in the Rose Bowl to avoid returning there on January 1. UCLA is a fair team, but nothing special. USC just keeps getting better. Pick: USC
Rutgers at West Virginia: The Scarlet Knights can secure a conference championship and BCS bowl bid with a win. Problem is, it’s their toughest road game of the year. West Virginia suffered an improbable home loss to South Florida last week, bringing an end to their BCS hopes. Still, the ‘Eers will have enough in the tank to bounce back and handle Rutgers. There will be a lot of happy people in Louisville Saturday night. Pick: West Virginia
Air Force at TCU: TCU, with a win, will clinch another 10 win season, after slipping under the radar with early losses to BYU and Utah. Air Force has slipped to the status of a middle-of-the pack Mountain West team, and is no longer the strongest program of the service academies. Pick: TCU
Oregon State at Hawaii: The Beavers are the only team to defeat USC this year. They will not have a vacation in Hawaii this week, as the Warriors have won 9 games in a row, and are ranked 24th in the nation. The Warriors (don’t call them Rainbow) have scored more than 40 points in all 10 of their wins. The Beavers can’t hang with that. Pick: Hawaii

Super Bowl or Bust

Kicker Mike Vanderjagt was cut today from the roster of the Dallas Cowboys. Vanderjagt had struggled this season after signing a free agent contract in the off-season, making only 13 out of 18 field goals, after a record as the most accurate kicker in the league while kicking for the Indianapolis Colts. Vandy was in a season-long funk, after missing a game-tying field goal in a playoff game last season. The Colts lost that game to the Steelers, after being favored to win the Super Bowl.

This is not surprising. Bill Parcells is playing to win, and is playing to win now. The message has been sent: Super Bowl or Bust.

The Cowboys picked up ex-Buc kicker Martin Gramatica off waivers. Is the 33rd best kicker in football the answer? Parcells doesn’t trust Vanderjagt, so he had no choice.

The Cowboys have now changed quarterbacks and kickers. Is Parcells greatness, or is he just a glorified gym teacher? Time will tell.

How Can I Forget?

How can I forget the Pre-Season NIT (or whatever they call it these days)

The Butler Bulldogs weren't expected to do a whole lot in this tournament. However, they knocked off Notre Dame and Indiana in consecutive nights to earn a trip to New York City. Once at the Garden, they defeated Tennessee and Gonzaga to win the championship. Not bad.

The Bulldogs weren't expecting to be in the finals, and followed up last Friday's final in New York with a game back home against MAC power Kent State. Butler won that one, too, and is now 7-0.

The Butler did it.

NFL Week In Review, Week 12

Another weekend in the NFL is in the books….

Life is good, because the Dallas Cowboys are in first place. The Rib Man, Tony Romo, threw for five touchdowns and got his fourth win as the starter, as the Cowboys manhandled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 38-10. The Cowboys are on a major roll, and are favored by some to reach Super Bowl XLI. I’m not drinking that Kool-Aid just yet, but this run is fun. One week at a time, boys, one week at a time….

Also on Thanksgiving, Jake Plummer had his last start as quarterback of the Denver Broncos, as the Broncos lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 19-10. I called last week for a new quarterback in Denver, and apparently, I was not the only one. The Chiefs are now 7-4, and are tied with the Broncos in a dogfight for a wild card berth with five games to play.

The first of the Turkey Day specials was a turkey, as the putrid Detroit Lions lost to the Miami Dolphins, 27-10. Joey Harrington played quarterback, and the Lions lost. However, Harrington now plays for Miami, and got a win in his return to the Motor City. The Lions are owned by the Ford family, and play in a stadium called Ford Field. Ford really stands for Found On Road Dead. In five weeks, the Lions will be on the clock. That’s the draft clock, and the first pick in the draft.

Another competitor for that first pick in the draft resides on the South Loop in Houston. The Texans laid another egg, losing their second game in New York in ugly fashion. The Jets defeated the Texans 26-11 in a game that wasn’t even that close. It is becoming apparent that David Carr is not the answer for the Texans. He may go somewhere else (see Joey Harrington) and do well. It looks like the Texans may need to look elsewhere for a quarterback.

A quarterback that the Texans could have had is in Tennessee. Vince Young is doing good things in Music City, leading the Titans to a 24-21 comeback win over the New York Football Giants. The G-Men had a 21-0 lead, before the Titans came back. The Giants are in full meltdown mode, and are in danger of flat-out mutiny against coach Tom Coughlin. Yesterday, Eli Manning threw an ill-advised interception which led to the game-winning field goal. Coughlin called Manning out in the post-game press conference, only a week after he admonished Tiki Barber to keep team business in the locker room. Good luck in putting out that fire, Coach. Hopefully, this meltdown will last another week, as Tony Romo and the Cowboys visit the Meadowlands next week.

There will be another Super Bowl champion this year. It’s not official yet, but Pittsburgh is now 4-7, and the Steelers were spanked by the Ravens, 27-0 in Baltimore. The Ravens’ defense had nine sacks, three turnovers, and a touchdown. The Ravens are a very good team, and will be a tough out in the playoffs.

The team that formerly resided in B-More still sits on top of the AFC. The Indianapolis Colts pulverized the reeling Philadelphia Eagles, 45-21. Joseph Addai scored four touchdowns for the Colts, who ran their record to 10-1. The Eagles played their first game without QB Donovan McNabb, who is out for the season due to injury. The Colts are still the team to beat in the AFC, but the Chargers and Ravens will have a lot to say in the matter.

The Cincinnati Bengals are trying to make another run at the playoffs. They need a few more games like yesterday, when they drilled the Cleveland Browns, 30-0. Carson Palmer threw for four touchdown passes for the Bengals. The Browns are still trying to break up that argument between WR Braylon Edwards and QB Charlie Frye.

The Buffalo Bills won their second game in a row, as Rian Lindell kicked a field goal to give the Bills a 27-24 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bills are now 5-6. This game also has the distinction of being the first game to be blacked out to local television this season. Ralph Wilson Stadium did not sell out prior to 72 hours before kickoff, so the folks in Buffalo had to listen to this one on the radio. If I lived in Western New York, I don’t think I’d want to pay NFL prices to sit in the cold and see that team.

The Chicago Bears are mortal. Da Bears went to Foxboro and were handled by the New England Patriots, 17-13. The Bears now sit at 9-2, still 2 games better than anyone in the NFC, but not playing their best football and playing better teams on their schedule. The Bears are still hoping for home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. The Patriots have not given up on their season by any stretch of the imagination. I wouldn’t want to have to play them in the playoffs, especially in Foxboro.

In Landover, Maryland, Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell got his first win as the starter, connecting on a 66-yard touchdown pass to Chris Cooley as Washington defeated the Carolina Panthers, 17-13. Just when you give them up for dead, the Redskins come alive. Just when you think they’re going to be pretty good, the Panthers lay an egg. Go figure.

Elsewhere in the NFC South, the New Orleans Saints tightened their grip on the division with a 31-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Drew Brees threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns. The Saints look like geniuses with that signing. They have a big game in Dallas in two weeks.

Upriver, way upriver, in Minnesota, the Vikings broke back into the win column with a 31-26 victory over the sorry Arizona Cardinals. Dennis Green did not have a happy return to Minnesota. The Vikes are now 5-6, while the Cardinals are contending for that first draft pick at 2-9.

Their other competitors for the top pick in the draft are the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders gave a valiant effort, but came up short against the San Diego Chargers, losing 21-14. The great LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for two touchdowns, and threw for another. The Chargers are now 9-2, and are in command of the AFC West division.

The other Bay Area team also lost on Sunday, as the San Francisco 49ers’ winning streak was halted by the St. Louis Rams, 20-17. Both teams still trail the Seattle Seahawks, who host the Green Bay Packers tonight.

More BCS Ramblings

It happened: USC passed Michigan in the latest BCS rankings. Barring a disaster in the Rose Bowl Saturday against UCLA, the Trojan Men should have a date with the Ohio State Buckeyes on January 8 in Glendale, Arizona. Michigan would then be in line for a consolation prize: a trip to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

The LSU Tigers find themselves fifth in the latest BCS rankings. They will be cheering for Arkansas on Saturday. If 4th-ranked Florida loses to the Hogs, LSU will move up in the rankings. The top four teams in the BCS rankings are guaranteed a BCS bowl bid. LSU stands a good chance at a BCS at-large bid, regardless.

The BCS is kicking themselves over Wisconsin. The Badgers are 11-1, and ranked 7th in the BCS standings, but will be relegated to the Capital One Formerly Known As The Florida Citrus Bowl. The BCS bowls are limited to two teams per conference, and Ohio State and Michigan will represent the Big 10 in the BCS. One of these bowls would love to have 40 or 50,000 cheeseheads come to their city and watch their Badgers. Instead, the Badgers will return to Beautiful Downtown Orlando, where they defeated Auburn last January 1.

Props to the Rice Owls. The Feisty Nightbirds qualified for their first bowl since Noah was loading the Ark, with a 31-27 win over SMU. SMU is bowl-eligible for the first time since they were paying players, but will not be in a bowl game. Rice was 1-10 last year, and have made a quick turnaround under coach Todd Graham. The Owls will most likely appear in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, against TCU.

BCS Projections

No trades of teams involved in these projections.

BCS NCG: Ohio State vs. USC
Rose: Michigan vs. LSU
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Boise State
Sugar: Florida vs. Notre Dame
Orange: Louisville vs. Georgia Tech

Big XII Rankings

1. Oklahoma: Didn’t give up on their season, and something good happened for them.
2. Nebraska: Next step in rebuilding is Saturday night in Kansas City
3. Texas A&M: Signature win over Texas in Austin.
4. Texas: From the Fiesta Bowl to Fiesta Texas?
5. Texas Tech: Once again, a winning season and a bowl game.
6. Missouri: Bounced back from ISU loss with pounding of KU.
7. Oklahoma State: Had chance to defeat Oklahoma at end.
8. Kansas State: Inconsistent, but got big season-defining win over Texas.
9. Kansas: Finished regular season on sour note.
10. Baylor: Slowly improving.
11. Colorado: Program is bottoming out.
12. Iowa State: The coach search is on.

Mid-Major Wins of the Weekend

I’ve been away for a few days, but have noticed some eye-catching wins by some of the little guys in college basketball.

I’m not sure if the Missouri Valley Conference qualifies as a mid-major any longer. Their performance in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and their start to this season speaks for itself. Wichita State is the real deal, and went down to LSU and won yesterday, 57-53. Missouri State went to a tournament in a high school gym on South Padre Island, defeated #7 Wisconsin, and lost in overtime to Oklahoma State.

Today, Larry Krystowiak’s Montana Grizzlies defeated Minnesota of the Big 10, 72-65. in a tournament at the Milk House at Disney World in Orlando. We last saw Montana in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, after upsetting Nevada in the first round.

David continues to cause trouble for Goliath..

Strange Things Happen

The BCS and a few conferences came into focus this weekend, as a few unexpected things happened.

In our part of the country, the Fightin’ Texas Aggies went into Austin and shocked the Texas Longhorns, 12-7. Hindsight is always 20-20, but what was Mack Brown doing when he allowed Colt McCoy to come back from injury this soon? Colt had easily his worst game of the year, throwing three interceptions, and having to be carted off the field with 20 seconds left in the game, after aggravating his shoulder injury. I like Colt, and wish he didn’t play for that school in Austin. In my opinion, Mack set him up for failure by letting him come back so soon. On the other sideline, Dennis Franchione more than saved his job, and the Aggies delivered a win on which they can build a program. The Ags are going to be hard to deal with in years to come.

That result set up Saturday in Stillwater, where Oklahoma needed a win in the Bedlam series against Oklahoma State in order to win the Big 12 South and advance to the Big XII Championship Game next week in Kansas City. The Sooners got 156 yards rushing and a touchdown from Allen Patrick, and 74 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Chris Brown, to get past the Cowboys, 27-21. The Sooners have survived the ineligibility of a starting quarterback and offensive lineman, a botched call which cost them an early game at Oregon, and the loss of all-everything running back Adrian Peterson to win the South division and to be one step from a BCS bowl. Bob Stoops has done the best coaching job of his tenure at Oklahoma.

Elsewhere, USC pounded Notre Dame, 44-24, to make their case for #2 in the BCS rankings, and a spot opposite Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game. Notre Dame is vastly overrated, and has been the beneficiary of some good luck (Michigan State’s collapse) and good scheduling (name teams in down cycles such as North Carolina and Stanford, and the three service academies). It is my hope that the rumor comes true, and the Fiesta Bowl allows the Big 12 champion to play Michigan in the Rose Bowl, and that Notre Dame would go to Glendale to play Boise State. I would love to see Boise cream Notre Dame.

LSU helped their BCS at-large chances, by going to Little Rock and defeating Arkansas, 31-26. The Hogs’ 10-game winning streak came to an end. Arkansas can still advance to the Sugar Bowl with a win over Florida in the SEC Championship Game.

West Virginia blew their BCS chances with a 24-19 loss at home to South Florida. The Mountaineers are now reduced to being spoilers, as they face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights this week. Rutgers can win the Big East with a win in Morgantown.

The ACC has turned upside down, as Florida State and Miami are barely qualifying for bowls, and Wake Forest is playing Georgia Tech for the conference championship. In the Big 12, this would be like Texas Tech playing Kansas for the conference championship. In the SEC, it would be like South Carolina going against Ole Miss for a conference championship. Hell hasn’t frozen over on Tobacco Road, but it is basketball season there. It was weird to see Wake Forest play Maryland in a meaningful football game. That is usually reserved for basketball.

More comments, projections, and rankings to come later….

Finally, After 11 Years

Quick comment from the road, as I will have more hot sports opinions tomorrow on the BCS and the world of football...

After 11 years, there is finally a matchup between my beloved Oklahoma Sooners and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Big XII Championship game. Nebraska has been in this game three times, OU has been in it four times, but never have the two played each other in the Big XII championship game. With due apologies to Texas, Kansas State, Colorado, and the rest of the conference, this matchup was in mind when the conference and the championship game were created 11 years ago.

Special thanks to the Fightin' Texas Aggies for making this possible with their upset win over Texas.

It's going to be a fun week. Boomer Sooner!

Mid-Major Wins of the Night

David knocked Goliath over not once, but twice tonight.

Jackson State, of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, continued their Show Us The Money tour of 2006 tonight in Piscataway, New Jersey, as they shocked Rutgers, 71-70. Catraiva Givens hit a 3-pointer from the right wing with 1 second left on the clock to give JSU the win. Jackson State opened the year with four games in nine days, all on the road, at Alabama, Georgia Tech, Memphis, and Illinois. NBA teams don’t even have schedules like that. The athletic director is happy, however. So, too, now, is the conference commissioner, as this will go a long way toward helping the SWAC avoid the opening-round NCAA tournament game on that March Tuesday night in Dayton.

At Fifth Third Arena a/k/a the Shoe in Cincinnati, Wofford shocked the Cincinnati Bearcats, 91-90. Wofford is located in Spartanburg, S.C., and is a member of the Southern Conference. Coach Mick Cronin is not happy in Cincy tonight. Worthless disclosure: I sat in front of Mick on a flight from Houston to Cincinnati last spring, as he and several other coaches were leaving a major AAU tournament in Houston. I didn’t try to talk to him, as he and his assistant were busy making legal cell phone calls to recruits. I’m sure he’d appreciate some guy in Texas blogging about it. Hopefully, his fortunes will improve at UC this year.

NFL Picks-Week 12

Once again, early picks due to the Thanksgiving week, and my impending road trip.

Last week: 7-9 Overall: 95-65

Tampa Bay at Dallas: The Cowboys are coming off of a big win over the previously undefeated Colts. Bruce Gradkowski and the bumbling, stumbling Bucs come to town after a win over the Redskins. The Rib Man, Tony Romo, leads Dallas to yet another win. Pick: Cowboys
Miami at Detroit: The Lions are now leaders in the race for the #1 pick in the draft, where Adrian Peterson looms as a possibility. The Dolphins have won three games in a row. Make that four. Pick: Miami
Denver at Kansas City: Inagural regular-season game for the NFL Network, where it will have a pseudo-national telecast, as very few cable companies are carrying it as of now. Denver is coming off of a disastrous loss to the Chargers, while the Chiefs loom right behind the Broncos in the standings. This game has big playoff implications. The two teams had a field goal-fest earlier in the year in Denver, with the Broncos winning, 9-6. Someone will score a touchdown here. Pick: Kansas City
Pittsburgh at Baltimore: The Steelers are on the rebound, having won two in a row after a 2-6 start. The Ravens continue to march through their foes, and lead the division at 8-2. This one is in the city by the bay (Chesapeake, that is). Pick: Baltimore
New Orleans at Atlanta: The meltdown that all Saints fans feared has begun. Or, has it? The Falcons define inconsistency, as demonstrated by their quarterback, Michael Vick. The Falcons lost last week, so they’ll win this week. Pick: Atlanta
Jacksonville at Buffalo: This is the perfect opportunity for a Sunday afternoon nap. I’m glad I won’t be in a position to watch this snoozer. The Jags are not a good road team. The Bills are slowly improving. Pick: Buffalo
Houston at New York Jets: The Texans return to New York for the second time, having lost a close game to the Giants earlier this month. The Jets are searching for their offense, as they were shut out by the Bears. Something weird will happen to the Texans to cause the Jets to win. Pick: Jets
Cincinnati at Cleveland: Buckeye Bowl II. The Browns are competitive, but rarely win. The Bengals need to go on a winning streak if they want to live up to expectations. Cleveland finishes the job this week. Pick: CLE
Carolina at Washington: The Redskins are going downhill fast. The Panthers need to put together a streak. This is the perfect time for them to do that. Pick: Carolina
Arizona at Minnesota: Dennis Green returns to Minnesota with the sorry Cardinals. The Vikes haven’t been playing real well lately. The Cardinals will come close, but will find a way to throw the game away. Pick: Minnesota
San Francisco at St. Louis: The 49ers are now 5-5, and have quickly turned into a fun young team. The Rams are trying to find their way, but are back home in their dome. The Niners’ run ends here. Pick: St. Louis
Oakland at San Diego: The first game between these teams was one of the ugliest displays of football in years, as the Chargers had their way with the Raiders. The Raiders have improved slightly, but that won’t matter, as the Chargers are the real deal. Pick: San Diego
New York Giants at Tennessee: The Giants are suffering through a rash of injuries, and now head for Music City to take on Vince Young and the Titans. The Titans are inconsistent, but Vince Young has had them in most of their games since he took over as QB. Pick: Titans
Chicago at New England: Da Bears visit Foxboro. The Bears are having a great season. I trust Bill Belichick to have the Pats ready for this one. Pick: Pats
Philadelphia at Indianapolis: NBC wishes they could have this pick back, as Donovan McNabb is out for the season with a torn ACL. The Eagles are in a heap of trouble. The Colts could make this real ugly, real fast. Pick: Indy
Green Bay at Seattle: Which backup quarterbacks will play? Brett Favre left last week’s game with an arm injury, but should be ready to play Sunday. Matt Hasselbeck has been out for the last month, and could be back for this game. The Seahawks need him badly. Shaun Alexander will be back for the Seahawks. Pick: Seattle

College Football Picks-Thanksgiving/Rivalry Week

I am going to be on a trip to the Land of Okies beginning Wednesday, and will not have access to a computer until Sunday. Therefore, I will be posting picks and comments today. Games begin Thursday, so it’s not too early.

With the addition of the 12th game, there are plenty of games to pick this week. Lots of teams are still playing.

Last Week: 15-5 Overall: 167-73

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State: The Bedlam Series, or the Aggie Super Bowl. OSU could go 1-11, but if they beat OU, their season is considered a success. Playing OSU in Stillwater is never an easy task for any OU team, no matter how good they are. This year, the Sooners have had injury problems at running back, and may be playing a third-string RB again this week. Nonetheless, the defense has been improving. OSU has been scoring a lot of points, but their defense has been suspect. This will be a tight game. OU wins. Pick: OU
Texas A&M at Texas: Coach Fran appears to have saved his job, but is winless against OU and Texas. The Horns will have Colt McCoy back at quarterback. The Ags still have a talent deficit against the Horns, as well as a coaching deficit. This game is in Austin. Every Sooner will be cheering for the Aggies, but that won’t matter. Texas wins, and it might not be close. Pick: UT
Kansas at Missouri: KU needs a win to nail down a bowl bid. Mizzou, after coach Gary Pinkel received a three-year extension, went on the road and laid an egg against last-place Iowa State. This one is really hard to figure. Mizzou is at home. Pick: Misery
Colorado at Nebraska: It’s been a long year for the Buffs. Nebraska is taking the next step in the rebuilding of their program, by qualifying for next week’s Big XII championship game. This might get ugly, and lots of people will be switching their TVs over to the other game on CBS. Pick: Nebraska
LSU vs. Arkansas at Little Rock: What was once a CBS Black Friday time-filler is now loaded with post-season implications. Arkansas has clinched the Western Division of the SEC, and is having a magical season. The winner of this game has a very good chance to make it to a BCS bowl as an at-large team. The magic carpet ride continues for the Hogs, for at least one more week. Pick: Arkansas
Florida at Florida State: The Seminoles are a dying, withering program. The Gators have a lot to play for, with a chance for a BCS bowl and possibly more. I see no way FSU keeps this close, even at home. The Gators laugh all the way to the bank. Pick: UF
Boston College at Miami: The Larry Coker death watch ends after this game, as the Canes mercifully pull the plug on him. BC is simply better than Miami. Miami finishes with a losing season. Pick: BC
Georgia Tech at Georgia: Tech has won the Coastal division of the ACC, and will be in the ACC championship game next week. Georgia has had an up and down season. Which Bulldog team shows up-the one that played Kentucky, or the one that played Auburn? My guess is the latter. Bulldogs win between the hedges. Pick: UGa
Virginia at Virginia Tech: The Wahoos have had a disappointing season. The Hokies last week scored their biggest win of the year by pounding Wake Forest, 27-6. This one is in Blacksburg, and the Hokies get their 10th win. Pick: VT
South Carolina at Clemson: Steve Spurrier has spent the last week denying his interest in the Miami job. He says he came to SC to do things no one believes can be done, such as win championships. He does have them bowl eligible, but another important thing in Gamecockland is to beat hated Clemson, and to beat them consistently. This is easier said than done. The Taters have some disappointing losses, but still have a better team than SC. Pick: Climpson
North Carolina at Duke: Awesome basketball game, Suck Bowl in football. Duke needs to give up football. However, they need a football team to stay in the ACC. Carolina is preparing for the Butch Davis era, and got a win last week over their other rival, N.C. State. Carolina sends John Bunting out with a two-game winning streak. Pick: UNC
Oregon at Oregon State: Ducks have been very disappointing after their pseudo-win over Oklahoma. The Beavers have an upset win over USC under their belt. The Beavers have the momentum and the home field. Pick: OSU-West
Kentucky at Tennessee: This one used to be for a barrel of bourbon, until a rash of drunk driving accidents in the late 90’s forced the presidents of the schools to drop this tradition. Tennessee had a tradition of beating Kentucky consistently until last year. The Cats barely achieved bowl eligibility last week by holding off Louisiana-Monroe, 42-40. They won’t get that lucky this week. Pick: Vols
Mississippi State at Ole Miss: The Bulldogs have been improving recently. Ole Miss led LSU for the entire game last week, but tanked at the end and allowed LSU to escape with an overtime win. This will be a competitive game. Pick: Ole Miss
BYU at Utah: BYU is on top of their conference for the first time in several years. It doesn’t matter, though, when they play the Utes. Still, BYU has a better team. Pick: the Y
Boise State at Nevada: Huge game with BCS implications. A Boise State win keeps them in the top 12 and gives them a BCS bowl bid, most likely in the Fiesta Bowl. Nevada could do major conference schools a huge favor with a win. This is an ambush waiting to happen. Pick: Nevada
Notre Dame at USC: Major BCS implications in this game. Notre Dame can spoil USC’s season with a win. USC has clinched at least a bid to the Rose Bowl, and can help themselves in the BCS computers with a win. Notre Dame will probably still make a BCS bowl with a loss, but would be hard-pressed to pass Michigan with a win. USC is just a little better than the Domers, especially in SoCal. Pick: USC
Wake Forest at Maryland: The Atlantic Division title is on the line, with a spot in the ACC championship game. Both teams are reeling. Wake Forest got pounded last week by the Hokies. Maryland gave up touchdowns on three turnovers last week in a shellacking by Boston College. What gives? I’m afraid the dream season for Wake Forest turns into a nightmare. Pick: Terps
Arizona State at Arizona: The Wildcats are on a major roll, with big wins over Cal and Arizona in the last two weeks. The Sun Devils may be playing for coach Dirk Koetter’s job. When in doubt, go with the hot team. Pick: Arizona
TCU at Colorado State: TCU continues to roll through the rest of the Mountain West, after early losses to BYU and Utah. Rams coach Sonny Lubick is rumored to be retiring, and this could be his last game. Pick: TCU

NFL Week 11 In Review

A wild weekend in the NFL…..

The 1972 Miami Dolphins are breaking out the champagne and celebrating, as there will be no undefeated team in the NFL, for the 35th year in a row. The Indianapolis Colts lost to Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys, 21-14. I found myself rooting for both teams, as Peyton Manning is quarterback for my fantasy team. He threw two touchdown passes, but also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Marion Barber scored two touchdowns for the Cowboys, whose season has been resuscitated by the emergence of the Rib Man. My fantasy team wound up winning anyway, and the Cowboys got a big win, making me very happy.

The Colts need to be afraid, very afraid, because of what lurks out on the West Coast. San Diego is the real deal. The Chargers got a huge win last night in Denver, 35-27. San Diego trailed 24-7 in the third quarter, before making their comeback. The great LaDainian Tomlinson scored four touchdowns for the Bolts. Denver was exposed as a team without a quarterback. The Broncos need for Jay Cutler to be ready now, as Jake Plummer is not the answer in Denver. The Broncos appear to be headed for wild-card purgatory, while the Chargers are really, really good. I think they can beat the Colts in either Sandy Eggo or in Naptown.

Another team to be reckoned with in the AFC is the Baltimore Ravens. B-More won their 8th game yesterday by handling the Atlanta Falcons, 24-10. Jamal Lewis scored three rushing touchdowns for the Ravens. The Ravens also got 212 return yards from B.J. Sams. The Ravens are the third team in this three-team race in the AFC.

In the NFC, all roads lead through Chicago. Da Bears went 2-for-2 in New York, blanking the Jets, 10-0. This was a great game if you like lots of defense. The Bears did not score until kicking a field goal in the third quarter. The Bears are now 9-1, and are looking like a lock for the playoffs, if not more. Some team is going to have to freeze themselves in Chicago in January in order to make the Super Bowl.

The New Orleans Saints had an awful game on Sunday. Other teams would call it a disaster, but the Saints endured a real-life disaster last year. The Saints were drilled by the Bengals, 31-16. Rookie of the First Half of the Year Marques Colston was injured in the first half, taking his previous seven touchdown catches with him. The Saints missed him, and hope that he will be able to return. Carson Palmer and Chad Ocho Cinco Johnson connected on three touchdown passes for Cincinnati. Is it too late for the ‘Nati to make a run?

Elsewhere in the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers won their second consecutive game, holding off their hated rival Cleveland Browns, 24-20. Ben Roethlisberger threw a 4-yard shovel pass to Willie Parker for the game-winning touchdown with 32 seconds left. The Steelers inch back up to 4-6.

For the second year in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles will have to finish the season with another quarterback. Donovan McNabb suffered a torn ACL in the second quarter of Sunday’s 31-13 loss to the Titans. The Eagles are in a heap of trouble. The Titans are an interesting team, and are much more competitive with Vince Young at quarterback.

It was homecoming on Sunday in Houston, as the Texans invited all ex-Oilers as well as other Houston area NFL alumni for events surrounding their game with the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo once again created a nightmare for Houston football fans. Lee Evans was the man for Buffalo on Sunday, as he caught two long touchdown passes, and compiled 265 yards on 11 catches, to set a team record. The Bills beat the Texans, 24-21, on a last-minute touchdown pass from J.P. Losman to Peerless Price. The Texans are now 3-7.

Break up the Dolphins! Nick Saban’s team won their third game in a row, defeating the reeling Vikings, 24-20. The Dolphins move to 4-6, as they begin to live up to preseason expectations.

Their division rival bounced back in a big way, as the New England Patriots beat Green Bay like a rented mule, 35-0. Brett Favre suffered an arm injury in the second quarter. The ageless Vinny Testaverde finished the game for the Pats in mopup duty.

The Kansas City Chiefs, as expected, defeated archrival Oakland, 17-13. The game marked the returns of Trent Green as quarterback of the Chiefs, and Aaron Brooks as quarterback of the Raiders. The Chiefs are in the mix for a wild card berth in the AFC.

The St. Louis Rams were once the Greatest Show on Turf. That is far from the case now, as the Rams were shut out by Carolina, 15-0. The Panthers were helped even more by losses by the Saints and the Falcons, and now have a very good chance in the NFC South division.

Elsewhere in the South, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their rematch of last week’s playoff game with the Redskins, 20-17. The Redskins started rookie quarterback Jason Campbell for the first time, and played their first game without injured RB Clinton Portis. It’s going to be a long end of the season for the Redskins.

In the 3:00 specials, San Francisco moved to an improbable 5-5, with a 20-14 win over the Seattle Seabags. The 49ers no longer suck. The Seahawks need Matt Hasselbeck back in the worst way. Seattle is still in first place in the NFC West, but have the Niners breathing down their backs.

In the other 3:00 special, the sorry Arizona Cardinals defeated the putrid Detroit Lions, 17-10. Matt Leinart got his first win as starting quarterback in Arizona. The Lions moved in front of the Cardinals in the race for the #1 pick in next year’s draft. This game definitely qualified as a Suck Bowl.

Mid-Major Wins of the Weekend

There were two wins by mid-majors that caught my eye this weekend.

Saturday, the Winthrop Eagles went into Starkville and defeated Mississippi State, 74-63. Winthrop is no pushover, having made the last two NCAA tournaments and five overall. MSU is wishing they hadn't scheduled them.

Today, the Monarchs of Old Dominion traveled up to D.C. and shocked 8th-ranked Georgetown, 75-62. Old Dominion is no slouch either, coming off a trip to the semifinals of the postseason NIT last year, and an NCAA appearance in 2004. They are also members of the Colonial Athletic Association, home of 2006 tournament darling George Mason. The Hoyas wish they had scheduled St. Leo, as they often did in the 80's.

Half a BCS Mess

Who's Number Two?

The Ohio State University took care of business on Saturday, with a wild 42-39 win over Michigan. Both teams went to the air early and often. Woody Hayes was turning over in his grave. Bo Schembechler was turning over at the funeral home, as he hasn’t been buried yet. Those two coaches made this game famous with three yards and a cloud of dust. The Buckeyes can book their reservations for the BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Arizona on January 8. The race for the other spot is a mess.

Michigan has a chance to join them, but they need some help. They would really be helped if their little buddies from Notre Dame beat USC on Saturday. USC played a lethargic first three quarters before pulling away to defeat Cal, 23-9. At this point, Michigan remains #2 in the BCS rankings. It remains to be seen if USC wins over Notre Dame and UCLA would help them pass Michigan in the BCS rankings.

Also players in this #2 mess are Florida and Arkansas. Both teams have games this week, as Florida plays Florida State, and Arkansas plays LSU. The winner of their duel in the SEC championship game has an outside chance to end up as the #2 team.

If USC wins out, it’s hard to argue with them due to the strength of their non-conference schedule. They would have wins over Notre Dame, Arkansas, and Nebraska, in addition to their Pac-10 title. Michigan has proven themselves worthy, but USC’s non-conference schedule should be enough to carry them to the #2 spot.

BCS Projections

BCS NCG: TOSU vs. USC
Rose: Michigan vs. Notre Dame (rematch)
Fiesta: Texas vs. Boise State
Sugar: Florida vs. West Virginia
Orange: Arkansas vs. Georgia Tech

Big XII Rankings

1. Texas: Needs win over A&M to stay in this spot.
2. Oklahoma: Needs win by Texas Aggies and win over Oklahoma Aggies.
3. Nebraska: Getting ready for Kansas City.
4. Texas A&M: Sooners will be cheering for Aggies on Friday.
5. Texas Tech: Good win over OSU.
6. Oklahoma State: Inconsistent, but facing their Super Bowl with OU coming to Stillwater.
7. Missouri: What was that brainlock in Ames?
8. Kansas: Fighting Manginos need win over Mizzou this week.
9. Kansas State: Followed up Texas win with loss to hated archrival KU.
10. Baylor: Season mercifully over.
11. Colorado: Improved from beginning of season to end.
12. Iowa State: Sent coach McCarney out a winner.

NFL Picks-Week 11

Last Week: 7-9 Season: 88-56

Another mediocre week. Let’s see what Week 11 brings….

Indianapolis at Dallas: The Colts are 9-0. They have slept through many of those games, such as last week against Buffalo, winning 17-16. They have shown the ability to get up for big games, such as the one two weeks ago against the Patriots. The Cowboys are woefully inconsistent. Tony Romo appears to be the real deal at quarterback. I’m really tempted to pick the Cowboys here, but my better judgment says no. Pick: Nap-town
Buffalo at Houston: The Texans are coming off their third win of the year, surpassing last year’s win total. The Bills aren’t a very good team. Neither are the Texans. Pick: Houston
Atlanta at Baltimore: Michael Vick had a brain fart last week, committing three turnovers against the Browns. Now, he faces the Ravens’ defense. Good luck with all that. Pick: Baltimore
Chicago at New York Jets: Da Bears play their second game at the Meadowlands in two weeks. No, the Bears didn’t sell mini-season ticket plans for games in New York. This is a road game against the J-E-T-S, who upset the Patriots in the slop last week. The Bears go two for two in the Jersey swamp. Pick: Da Bears
Cincinnati at New Orleans: The disappointing Bengals travel to the Big Easy to take on the surprising Saints. There will be a lot of points scored here. The Saints will score a few more. Pick: New Orleans
Minnesota at Miami: Two teams going in opposite directions. The Dolphins are starting to get it together, winning their last two games with starting QB Joey Harrington. The Vikes have slid back into mediocrity. Pick: Miami
New England at Green Bay: The Pats have proven to be mortal, losing their last two games in a row. The Pack has been a better road team than home team. The opposite is true for the Pats. Something has to change. Pick: Green Bay
Oakland at Kansas City: One of the great AFL rivalries resumes. The Raiders have won two games, which is two more than many expected at the beginning of the year. The Chiefs welcome back QB Trent Green. The Chiefs are a better team. Pick: Kansas City
Pittsburgh at Cleveland: These teams have identical 3-6 records. Both teams won last week. This one is worthy of a coin flip. Pick: Pittsburgh
St. Louis at Carolina: The Barbecue Bowl. I prefer St. Louis ribs. Carolina has a better football team, though. Pick: Carolina
Tennessee at Philadelphia: The Vince Youngs visit the City of Brotherly Love. A long season continues for the Titans. Pick: Philly
Washington at Tampa Bay: Rematch of a playoff game from last season. This year, both teams will have to buy a ticket or watch TV to see a playoff game. RB Clinton Portis is now out for the season for the Redskins. Pick: Tampa Bay
Seattle at San Francisco: The 49ers have won four games. Think they wouldn’t like to have that first Arizona game back? The Seahawks return RB Shaun Alexander this week. That should be enough for Seattle. Pick: Seattle
San Diego at Denver: A good one on Sunday Night Football. Both teams are 7-2. One will win the division, the other will be a very good wild card team. This is a tough pick, but I’ll go with the home field and Denver. If we’re lucky, it’ll snow in Denver Sunday night. Pick: Denver
New York Giants at Jacksonville: Both teams have been bitten by the injury bug. The Giants lost last week to Da Bears, while the Jags lost to the sorry Texans. The Giants are a little better, and should be able to bounce back. Pick: Giants

A Michigan Man

Word has come that legendary former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler died today at the age of 78. This comes on the heels of the biggest Michigan-Ohio State game ever.

Coach Schembechler won multiple Rose Bowls and Big Ten championships, and sent many players to the NFL. I best remember him in his capacity of athletic director, as the Wolverines' basketball team was set to play in the NCAA tournament. Michigan coach Bill Frieder took the same position at Arizona State, but wanted to coach Michigan through the tournament. An upset Schembechler turned him down, and told the press, "I don't want an Arizona State man coaching the Michigan team. I want a Michigan man to coach the Michigan team". Schembechler hired Steve Fisher as interim coach, and Michigan won six games in a row to win the national championship. Fisher then stayed on as permanent head coach.

Though Bo came from Miami of Ohio, he made his mark at Michigan. He was truly a Michigan man. The Maize and Blue Nation will miss him.

College Picks-Weekend of November 18

Last Week: 14-6 Season: 152-68

Pomona-Pitzer surprised me with their rout of archrival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

It’s shaping up to be a big week in the world of college football…

Oklahoma at Baylor: If this game were in September, I’d be scared to death. Baylor has been wrecked by injuries, and the Sooners continue to overcome adversity. OU rolls. Pick: OU
Oklahoma State at Texas Tech: I don’t know the over-under on this one, but over would be a safe pick. If this were in Stillwater, I’d say OSU in a rout. It’s in Lubbock, and anything can happen. I think OSU is a better team. My gut says Tech. Pick: Tech
Kansas State at Kansas: The Wildcats shocked the world last week with their unexpected upset of Texas. The Jayhawks need this one to become bowl eligible. The Cats get better every week. Pick: K-State
Missouri at Iowa State: The Telephone Trophy is on the line. This is Dan McCarney’s farewell as coach of the ‘Clones. The Cyclones haven’t been very good this year. Mizzou is pretty decent. Pick: Missouri
The School Up North at The Ohio State University: This is the Game of this Century, to date. This is one of the top 5 rivalries in college football, and brings added stakes, as Michigan is ranked #2, and Ohio State has been ranked #1 all season. This game lives up to the hype. Normally, the winner goes to the Rose Bowl. This year, the loser will head to Pasadena. Not a bad consolation prize. Winner goes to the BCS championship game, and the loser can still wind up there if it's a close game and the polls and computers line up right. Michigan covers the spread, but Ohio State wins the game. Pick: Buckeyes
Auburn at Alabama: Still the best intra-state rivalry anywhere, no matter how good or bad the teams are. People in the state of Alabama live for this game 365 days per year. Auburn crashed hard last week in a whipping at the hands of Georgia. Bama has been mediocre all season. Auburn has created a history of winning in Tuscaloosa since Alabama moved their home game to campus from Birmingham. Auburn has a better team. Mike Shula can’t be feeling real secure in his job right now. Pick: Auburn
California at USC: Cal is coming off of a shocking upset loss at Arizona. USC pounded Oregon last week. The Trojans are coming into their own after being upset at Oregon State. I’m afraid this one might be ugly for Cal. Pick: USC
Maryland at Boston College: Huge game in the ACC Atlantic Division. Winner still has a shot at the ACC championship game. Maryland has been living on a wing and a prayer, but has been winning. This one is in Boston. Pick: BC
Iowa at Minnesota: The battle for Floyd of Rosedale. Iowa has been a huge disappointment this year, and quarterback Drew Tate is questionable for this game. Minnesota narrowly escaped with a win over North Dakota State, and has since handily defeated Indiana and Michigan State. The Gophers would become bowl eligible with a win in the HHH Dome. Iowa is melting down. Pick: Gophers
Indiana at Purdue: This one is for the Old Oaken Bucket, and for the first time in several years, the Hoosiers have a chance to win. Purdue is 7-4, and has had a decent season. The Hoosiers have been stumbling of late, but a win would make them bowl eligible. The Bucket stays in West Lafayette. Pick: Purdue
Tennessee at Vanderbilt: Phat Phil’s Big Orange are on a two game losing streak. They also lost to Vandy last year, which very seldom happens. This won’t be a blowout, but the Vols won’t let Vandy beat them two years in a row. Pick: Tennessee
Virginia Tech at Wake Forest: Wake Forest controls their own destiny in the ACC Atlantic Division. The Hokies can’t win the Coastal division, but they can spoil Wake’s run at the Atlantic crown. How real is Wake Forest? I don’t know. Pick: Hokies
West Virginia at Pittsburgh: Thursday night game at the Ketchup Bottle. The Backyard Brawl. WVU is too strong for Pitt. It might not be close. Pick: West Virginia
Rutgers at Cincinnati: Ambush alert for the Scarlet Knights, as the Bearcats are capable of the upset. Rutgers will get a battle and then some. They should have enough to win the game, though. Pick: The State University of New Jersey
Arizona at Oregon: Wildcats are coming off the biggest win of Mike Stoops’ tenure, an upset over Cal. Oregon got smashed by USC at the Coliseum. Can Mike Stoops do what his brother didn’t, win at Oregon? Not this time. Pick: Oregon
N.C. State at North Carolina: Is this a basketball game? Just kidding. One coach is cleaning out his office, and the other one will probably do the same soon. UNC has one win all season, over I-AA Furman. The Wolfpack have three wins. The Tar Heels are coming off an ugly 7-0 loss to Georgia Tech. They score this week, and actually outscore their rival. Pick: UNC
Miami at Virginia: Both programs have seen their better days. Now, this is just a spare 12:00 EST game on Lincoln Financial Sports (the ACC regional TV network). Both schools have produced a ton of NFL players. Problem is, they’re all in the NFL now. Pick: Virginia
Washington at Washington State: The Apple Cup. Washington has been sliding for the last month. WSU has been inconsistent, and got spanked last week by Arizona State. Washington usually wins this game when they are not supposed to. My gut says Huskies. Pick: U-Dub
South Florida at Louisville: Louisville is coming off of a demoralizing loss at Rutgers, after blowing a 25-7 lead. South Florida will give the Ville all they can handle. The Cardinals have more talent, however. Pick: Louisville
Yale at Harvard: Winner has a chance at a share of the Ivy League championship. Yale can win it outright with a win and a Princeton loss. Both teams are 7-2 overall. When in doubt, go with the home team. Pick: Haahvud

Mid-Major Win of the Night

It is next to impossible for me to give college basketball the commentary it deserves on a nightly basis. However, certain things get my attention, none moreso whan when a David beats a Goliath, or when a "mid-major" beats a school from a power conference.

Last night, the Golden Eagles of Oral Roberts went into Lawrence and shocked the Kansas Jayhawks, 78-71. This is huge for them, as this win most likely keeps them out of a 16th seed if they make the NCAA tournament. ORU is the real deal. They'd probably beat my Sooners by 20 right now.

Coach Scott Sutton will have his pick of big-time jobs in the next couple of years, if he so desires.

Remember the Titans? That was ORU's nickname, before they dropped out of Division I in the late 80's. When they returned to D-1 in the early 90's, they picked up the nickname of Golden Eagles. I personally prefer Titans. Once a Titan, always a Titan.

Big News In Tally

Jeff Bowden has resigned as offensive coordinator for the Florida State Seminoles.

Wow. I refuse to speculate on what happened here, but the big goose egg against Wake Forest sealed his fate. This buys his dad a couple more years and gives him the opportunity for a well-deserved farewell tour if he so chooses.

The Bowden-Paterno race remains in full swing. The last one standing is the winningest coach in Division I-A history.

Basketball Season Already?

This is old news, but it is basketball season. College hoops has been going on for a week, and the NBA has been playing for close to a month. I am going to plead ignorance at this point.

In my advancing age, I have a hard time keeping up with more than one sport at a time, unless it is in the middle of playoffs, or if I have a fantasy team. I haven’t played fantasy basketball in a few years, so I haven’t had reason to keep up with the NBA on a daily basis before the playoffs. I do know my Dallas Mavericks had a four-game losing streak last week.

College basketball is at times the best sport out there. The NCAA Tournament is the best sporting event going. However, I have a hard time getting up for the regular season until conference play starts in January. There will be interesting non-conference games in November and December, but there will also be plenty of mismatches between power schools and schools running on a shoestring budget. Basketball has even more bodybag games than football. But, one of the cool things about college hoops is the sheer amount of “mid-majors”, and the opportunity for them to beat big schools in both the non-conference schedule, and in the Big Dance. I couldn’t tell you who is ranked in the Top 25 at this point, but I did see a headline that Vermont went on the road and beat ranked Boston College. That’s great. I have the most fun following teams on their run to the Tournament. The fun for me is the journey to the Dance. The Dance is just icing on the cake.

Last weekend, as I saw the ESPN ticker, I had to stop and remind myself that those were basketball games at the bottom of the screen. In my football mindset, I didn’t expect Texas to play Alcorn State, because I was watching them play Kansas State.

If college basketball coaches decided to move the start of their season to January, I wouldn’t complain a bit.

NFL Week In Review-Week 10

This weekend saw a lot of exciting action, some high-scoring games, and a demonstration of parity in the league.

The one team in the league with only one win is one that many expected to do great things, the Arizona Cardinals. The Dallas Cowboys went out to the desert and got a 27-10 win over the hapless Cardinals. The Rib Man, Tony Romo, threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys cruised to victory. The Cowboys return home to face the undefeated Colts.

The Houston Texans got an unexpected win, defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars for the second time this season, 13-10. David Carr was knocked out of the game with an injury, and Sage Rosenfels came off the bench to guide the Texans to a win. Sage might have been a better quarterback all along. The Jags’ backup, David Garrard, threw four interceptions in a nightmare game on the banks of the St. Johns River.

Steve McNair had a successful return to Tennessee, as the Ravens came from behind to defeat the Titans, 27-26. The Titans continue to improve as Vince Young gains more experience. The Ravens are now 7-2, and own the AFC North division.

William Tecumseh Sherman, the pride of Ohio, burned Atlanta to the ground during the Civil War. The Cleveland Browns are the pride of part of Ohio. They didn’t exactly burn Atlanta yesterday, but they did shock the Falcons with a 17-13 win at the Georgia Dome. Michael Vick had a brain fart, throwing two interceptions and losing a crucial fumble. The Browns are now 3-6, while the Falcons are 5-4.

Ohio’s other team took part in a shootout. The Bengals scored 41 points yesterday. Trouble is for them, San Diego scored 49 against them. The Chargers are an offensive juggernaut. Yesterday was the third time the Chargers have scored 40 or more points in a game this season. They are now 7-2, and in a dogfight with Denver in the AFC West.

Upriver in Pittsburgh, the Steelers engaged in a shootout of their own, defeating the first-place New Orleans Saints 38-31. Fast Willie Parker rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns. The Saints dropped to 6-3, but are still in first place in the NFC South.

The Philadelphia Eagles returned to the win column with a 27-3 win over the Washington Redskins. The Redskins and my fantasy team took a major blow, as Clinton Portis suffered a hand injury. His future status is unknown. Donte Stallworth was on the receiving end of an 84 yard touchdown pass from the Eagles’ Donovan McNabb.

The Northeast received a load of major showers yesterday. Nowhere was this more evident than Foxboro, as the New England Patriots played in the slop against the New York Jets. The Jets apparently are better built for slop, as they upset the Pats, 17-14. The Pats are crashing back to earth. The Jets are now just a game behind the Patriots in the AFC East.

Their AFC East buddy Buffalo Bills went to the dome in Indy, and gave the Colts all they wanted, before Indianapolis won, 17-16. The Colts are 9-0, but are not thumping inferior teams as they did last year. Still, 9-0 is 9-0. They’ll take it.

The Miami Dolphins won their second consecutive game, beating the visiting Chiefs 13-10. The Dolphins may finally be asserting themselves and starting to meet pre-season expectations, after a woefully slow start.

The San Francisco 49ers are still not a very good team. However, they found a way to win their 4th game of the season yesterday, with a 19-13 win over Detroit. Frank Gore broke a 61-yard run for a touchdown, and had 148 yards in the first half before leaving the game with a concussion. The vaunted Detroit offense did not show up.

The St. Louis Rams traveled to Seattle, and lost to backup quarterback Seneca Wallace, 24-22. Josh Brown kicked a 38-yard field goal for the win. The Seahawks remain in 1st place in the NFC West.

The Green Bay Packers continue to improve. The Minnesota Vikings are crashing, and crashing hard. The Pack went into the HHH Dome and nipped the Vikes, 23-17. Brett Favre is still crazy after all these years, and is still productive after all these years.

The Denver Broncos went out to Oakland, and had a narrow escape. The 7-2 Broncos pulled out a 17-13 win over the Raiders. The Raiders are still in contention for a high draft pick in the spring.

The Sunday Night extravaganza matched the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, in the first of NBC’s flexible-scheduling choices for Sunday Night Football. The Bears thumped the injury-scarred Giants, 38-20. Devin Hester returned a missed field goal for 108 yards and a touchdown. This is a tie for the longest play in NFL history. The Bears placed themselves in much better position to game home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Big Orange Jacket

I am going to take this opportunity to use this part of my blog to talk about something very loosely related to college football.

My wife and I lost a friend this past weekend to cancer. I first met Steve Maness over 11 years ago when my wife and I were dating. He sang at our wedding. He also added to the comedic value of our wedding video when interviewed during the reception, when he said in his Tennessee drawl, "This food is butt-kickin' good!"

Steve was a passionate person, and fun for everyone to be around. He was a native of west Tennessee, and his love for the Vols never ended, even as he spent two decades in Texas. We would invite him to our place for watch parties, and he was in his finest form during the Miss America pageant and when the Tennessee Volunteers were playing. During the Vols’ heyday in the late 90’s, we would have parties with the express intent of watching Steve watch Tennessee. It would be hilarious to watch him yell at Peyton Manning, Tee Martin, Phil Fulmer, or whoever the Big Orange target would be at the time. As would be expected, he thought Steve Spurrier was the Antichrist. We hosted a watch party at our house for the 1999 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, in which the Vols defeated Florida State for their most recent national championship. Steve walked into our place with the most obnoxious looking deer hunter-orange jacket, with a Tennessee football helmet on the back. Those of us not from Tennessee could not help but laugh. After all, we weren’t there just for the Tostitos, the Vols, or the ‘Noles. We were there to watch Steve watch the game. He was in rare form that night, especially as the Big Orange won the crystal football.

Steve was about much more than the Big Orange, though. He was a well-rounded individual, and was first and foremost a committed follower of Jesus Christ. He was an accomplished musician and soloist. He was also a scholar, with a PhD in New Testament, and taught graduate classes in Greek. For his day job, he worked in the financial industry for a mortgage company in Dallas. With varying interests and talents such as those, I would call him a Renaissance man.

Steve fought cancer off and on for the past four years. After what was apparently a successful surgery last week, he was unexpectedly found dead of a heart attack last Saturday. He never married, but leaves behind his parents and a world of friends, on whom he had enormous impact.

Heaven is richer today. Steve is in a place where there is no death, no pain, no suffering, and no sin. His gain is our loss.

On a side note, I’m no fan of the Vols, but I want the jacket.

A Wild Day

Wow. The BCS got thrown for all sorts of loops, with chaos in the Top 10. The Game of this Century is set up for Saturday, with #2 Michigan set to travel to the Horseshoe to play hated archrival #1 Ohio State. A lot of things happened this weekend, all of which contribute to the greatness of college football.

First, on Thursday night, the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey broke through with a win over #3 Louisville, 28-25. Rutgers trailed 25-7 before coming back to win on a Jeremy Ito field goal. Speaking of Ito: Can you believe it’s been 11 years since the O.J. trial? I digress. Rutgers is still undefeated at 9-0.

Saturday was a wild day in the Top 10. The Florida Gators needed two blocked kicks to hold off Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks, 17-16. The Ole Ball Coach is snakebitten this year, with close losses to Auburn, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Florida. The Gators will find themselves third in the BCS standings this week.

The Texas Longhorns experienced disaster. As Texas took a 7-0 lead over Kansas State on a Colt McCoy quarterback sneak, Colt suffered a broken clavicle. Texas from there looked rusty, suffering turnovers and blocked punts, and allowed KSU to take a 42-21 lead. Texas closed to within 42-35, before K-State added a field goal, and Texas scored to make the final margin 45-42. Texas lost its chance at the national championship game, but can still win the Big XII South with a win at home over Texas A&M. I laughed this game off. However, injuries can turn things around in a heartbeat.

I predicted the Georgia-Auburn game would be ugly. I didn’t expect it to be ugly in favor of Georgia, as the Bulldogs ruined the season of War Eagle, winning 37-15. Auburn has now suffered two butt-kickings on their home field. Georgia salvaged some respectability for their season, after losing to the Wildcats of Kentucky in Lexington the previous week.

Out West, the Cal Bears were caught looking ahead to next week’s showdown with USC, as they were stunned in Tucson by the Arizona Wildcats, 24-20, in the biggest win in Mike Stoops’ tenure in the desert. Cal can still win the Pac 10 by winning their remaining games with USC (good luck with all that) and Stanford.

The world turned upside down in Tallahassee last night. Florida State played Wake Forest. One team was ranked 18th, the other was unranked. The game ended in a score of 30-0. Wake Forest is the ranked team, and they won 30-0, for FSU’s first shutout loss since 1971. Things are not well in Tallahassee. Bobby Bowden is protecting his son, offensive coordinator Jeff, at all costs. The wolves are out down there, with good reason. Coach Bowden is a legend, and deserves to leave/retire on his own terms. He built that program from nothing. However, he needs to see the train wreck that has developed here. At this point, whenever it may happen, he is going to leave his program in shambles. A terrible shame. At the same time, Wake Forest is the real deal. They are a team of destiny.

BCS Projections

BCS NCG: Ohio State vs. Michigan (rematch)
Rose: Notre Dame vs. USC (rematch, but the Rose would kill for ND if they can’t get a Big 10 team)
Fiesta: Texas vs. Boise State
Sugar: Florida vs. West Virginia
Orange: Arkansas vs. Wake Forest (this one is wide open)

Big XII Rankings

1. Texas: Shocking defeat in the Little Apple, but is still the best team here.
2. Oklahoma: Sooners keep overcoming adversity, defeating Tech with a third string running back.
3. Nebraska: Champions of the North Division, and a threat in Kansas City.
4. Oklahoma State: Took Baylor down Route 66.
5. Texas A&M: Lost second heartbreaker in a row at home.
6. Kansas State: Improving quickly, and pulled upset of the season over Texas.
7. Missouri: Good, but not great.
8. Texas Tech: See Missouri.
9. Kansas: Can salvage a bowl with win over K-State or Mizzou.
10. Baylor: Injuries have sucked the life out of the Bears.
11. Colorado: Finally out of the cellar.
12. Iowa State: On track for 0-8 in the conference, and a new coach around the corner.