Ugly Uniform of the Day

Today's UUOTD is found in Kingston, Rhode Island. This uniform is worn by the Rhode Island Rams.

How many shades of blue can you mix with white for a uniform? And, what's with the baby blue ram's horns?

This thing is U-G-L-Y.

College Picks, Week 9

That’s 9, as in 9 lives. Cats have 9 lives, and there are some college football teams that would like to have 9 lives, as well. Actually, with the chaos that is the 2007 season, there are plenty of one-loss teams with the possibility of redeeming themselves in the BCS National Championship Game.

Last Week: 12-8
Season: 105-55

Oklahoma vs. Open Date: This one doesn’t count, as the Sooners take the week off. Open Date has never won a game. Pick: OU

Kansas at Texas A&M: The Fighting Manginos are flying high at 7-0. The Aggies are 6-2, but you’d never know it. The Ags will be underdogs in their last four games, and the real estate agents are banging on coach Dennis Franchione’s door. The Ags aren’t that bad, but they aren’t that great. For now, this is the year of the Jayhawk. Pick: KU

Colorado at Texas Tech: The Buffs appear to have peaked with their upset over OU a few weeks back. Few teams go into Lubbock and win. It’s hard. It's savage. Give me the Red Raiders. Pick: Tech

Nebraska at Texas: The Cornhuskers are playing out the string. They got royally kicked last week at home by the Fightin’ Texas Aggies. They now head down to the Forty Acres to take on the Longhorns. Good luck with all that. Pick: Texas

Iowa State at Missouri: The Cyclones played really hard last week in a 17-7 loss to OU. Their murderers’ row of a schedule continues with a trip to Columbia. This game is for the Telephone Trophy. The Tigers have been whipping all comers at home. This one won’t be pretty. Pick: Mizzou

Baylor at Kansas State: Zzzz. One more week in the countdown to a coach search in Waco. K-State should handle the Bears with ease. Pick: KSU

USC at Oregon: The Trojans have a chance to jump back into the national consciousness with a win at Oregon. The Ducks have jumped to #5 in the BCS rankings. Autzen will be louder than ever on Saturday. Pick: Oregon

Cal at Arizona State: What has happened to Cal? The Bears had a chance to be #1 in the nation, and promptly dropped two games to Oregon State and UCLA. The Fighting Sun Devils are undefeated and #4 in the latest BCS rankings. Pick: Arizona State

Ohio State at Penn State: Toughest game and trip to date for the top-ranked Buckeyes. Saturday Night Football on ABC. Over 100,000 blue-and-white clad fans in Happy Valley. This is a crazy season. #1 won’t stay #1. Pick: Penn State

West Virginia at Rutgers: Mountaineers are cruising right along, and now have a chance to win a Big East championship thanks to Rutgers’ upset of South Florida. Rutgers isn’t quite what they were last year, and probably doesn’t have enough to pull two consecutive upsets. Pick: West Virginia

South Florida at UConn: Battle for first place in the Big East. UConn is the only undefeated team remaining in conference play. But, UConn’s 6-1 record has been greatly aided by missed calls in wins over Temple and Louisville. The Huskies could well be 4-3 at this point. USF is coming off of a loss at Rutgers, and is glad this game is not played in November. My gut tells me to go against the warm-weather team going north, but UConn has been doing it with smoke and mirrors all year long. The mirrors break this week. Pick: South Florida

Indiana at Wisconsin: Three weeks ago, Wisconsin was the #5 team in the nation. Two losses later, the Badgers aren’t ranked at all. Indiana is still looking for win #6, which would make them bowl-eligible for the first time in forever. A red team is guaranteed to win this game. Pick: Wisconsin

Boston College at Virginia Tech (Thursday): Eagles are #2 in the nation as they visit Blacksburg for an old Big East rivalry transported to the ACC. Hokies have bounced back with a vengeance after being slammed at LSU early in the season. Pick: VT

Boise State at Fresno State (Friday): WAC showdown, with the winner surviving to battle Hawaii for a conference championship. When we last saw Boise, they were trading points with Nevada in a 69-67 quadruple overtime win. Fresno is looking good this year. Advantage goes to Fresno for their green field. Pick: Fresno State

Georgia vs. Florida at Jacksonville: The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party resumes. The Gators are the best two-loss team in the country. Plus, no matter how good either team happens to be, the Gators find a way to win this one, at least in recent years. Pick: Florida

Clemson at Maryland: Two inconsistent teams that define an inconsistent conference. Clemson hung 70 on Central Michigan, but have stumbled against ACC teams. The Terps lost a heartbreaker to rival UVa last week. Pick: Maryland

South Carolina at Tennessee: Steve Spurrier vs. Phil Fulmer. Spurrier has Fulmer’s number, and always has. But, the Gamecocks committed the unforgivable sin of losing to Vanderbilt last week. Vols got spanked by archrival Alabama last week. Vols win in spite of the coaching matchup. Pick: Tennessee

Northwestern at Purdue: Purdue always beats teams like this. It’s the big boys in the Big Ten they have problems with. Pick: Purdue

Louisiana Tech at Utah State: This is an awful matchup. But, it’s an even matchup. Tech has won two games, while Utah State has not won a game in over a year. They’re charging money to see this one. Pick: Utah State

Michigan State at Iowa: Spartans are improved under new coach Mark Dantonio. Hawkeyes are struggling big-time. But, the game is in Iowa City, where the Hawkeyes shocked previously ranked Illinois two weeks ago. Pick: Iowa

Tiffin at Hillsdale: Did you know that Hillsdale College does not accept government aid of any kind? They won’t need any help on the gridiron this week. Pick: Hillsdale

Message Board Thread of the Day

It's been a long time since there's been a Message Board Thread of the Day, but this one is priceless.

This is a post from SixPackSpeak.com, a Mississippi State fan board. The post describes a Bulldog fan's trip to Morgantown, West Virginia. MSU got whipped in their trip to the Mountain State last weekend.

LSU fans, please forgive me...

According to this poster, it's pretty bad when a place makes LSU look like Buckingham Palace.

Ugly Uniform of the Day

The West Virginia Mountaineers have been doing some funky things with their uniforms this season. They have mixed and matched all forms of white, blue, and gold.

This combination they wore last week against Mississippi State is putrid. They need to keep the gold jerseys in the closet. They look better in blue at home and white on the road. The font used for the numbers looks like something out of Star Trek.

Nike has opened up a big can of worms with this style.

Baseball Is A Talking Sport...

...and people in New England and the Rocky Mountains are still talking about it.

The Boston Red Sox completed their almost expected comeback Sunday night, creaming the Cleveland Indians, 11-2, in game 7 of the American League Championship Series. CLE had a 3 games to 1 lead before the Red Sox came back to win the series. Executives at Fox are very happy, as the Red Sox are one of the most popular teams in baseball. People in Cleveland continue to suffer, as bad things continue to happen to Cleveland teams. The city of Cleveland has not celebrated a championship since before I was born.

On the National League side sits the Colorado Rockies, winners of an amazing 21 of their last 22 games. The Rockies won a play-in game against San Diego to earn the wild card berth. They then swept the Phillies and Diamondbacks to win the National League pennant.

The World Series begins Wednesday night in Boston. I expect the Rockies to go cold after their 8 day layoff. I also won't be surprised to see a game snowed out in this series. Denver had their first snowstorm of the year on Sunday.

In spite of all that: Go Rox!

NFL Highway, Week 7

That's my wife's pink Tony Romo jersey. Women love Tony Romo.

There is always something worth mentioning on the NFL highway. This week included a record-setting performance, and more excellence from the league's best team.

The Dallas Cowboys held Adrian Peterson to 63 yards rushing and a touchdown, and used a blocked field goal return for a touchdown to cinch a 24-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Tony Romo threw for 277 yards and a touchdown for Dallas.

The game of the day was in Space City between Houston's old team and Houston's new team. The Tennessee Titans were without Vince Young, but that didn't matter. Kerry Collins led the Titans to a 32-7 lead. QB Matt Schaub had been knocked out of the game for the Texans. Backup Sage Rosenfels led the Texans to an improbable comeback, and the Texans went ahead, 36-35. Rob Bironas kicked a 29-yard field goal to win the game for the Titans, 38-36. Bironas kicked a league record 8 field goals. If the Titans would have scored a touchdown every time they kicked a field goal, they would have scored 70 points. The Texans had very little defense on Sunday. The hearts of Houstonians were broken once again, and Vince Young didn't even do it this time.

The Buffalo Bills keep fighting on, and it worked out for them on Sunday, as they defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 19-14. The Ravens were hampered on offense, starting six backups. The Bills had lost two earlier games on the last play, and were glad to escape with a W.

Don't look now, but the Detroit Lions have a winning record. The Motor City Madmen moved to 4-2 with a 23-16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Calvin Johnson recovered a fumbled Jeff Garcia snap and took it 32 yards for the winning score.

Poor Miami. The Dolphins aren't very good, and they had to play the Patriots on Sunday. Tom Brady threw six touchdown passes as New England pasted the Dolphins, 49-28. The Patriots are a well-oiled killing machine. Only injury and the Indianapolis Colts can keep them from the Super Bowl. There was one bright light in the wreckage for the Dolphins: Patrick Cobbs became the first graduate of Tecumseh High School to score a touchdown in an NFL regular season game. That's my alma mater. He used to live around the corner from my parents.

The San Francisco 49ers are having serious problems due to the injury to QB Alex Smith. The New York Football Giants flexed some muscle yesterday, pounding the Niners, 33-15. In the third quarter, Osi Umeniyora sacked Trent Dilfer, forcing a fumble which he returned 75 yards for a touchdown. The Cowboys better look over their shoulder, because the Giants are right behind them.

The New Orleans Saints continue to claw their way back to respectability. Reggie Bush scored the game winning TD on a screen pass as the Saints beat the woeful Atlanta Falcons, 22-16. Rowdy Roddy White caught eight passes for 110 yards and a touchdown for the sorry Falcons.

The one-armed bandit was present in Washington, as Kurt Warner played with a large elbow brace. The Cardinals barely missed out on a comeback victory, as the Redskins escaped with a 21-19 win. The Cardinals led in every statistical category. This includes turnovers and penalties, giving the Redskins the chance to win the game.

At McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, the Kansas City Chiefs continue their improbable season, claiming first place in the AFC West with a 12-10 win over the Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs now have an embarrassment of riches at RB, as Priest Holmes is set to join Larry Johnson in the Chiefs' backfield.

There was another shootout in Cincinnati on Sunday. The Bengals came out on the right end of this one, outscoring the New York Jets 38-31. Unknown Kenny Watson rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns for the orange and black. The Jets are now 1-6.

The Chicago Bears continued to save their season on Sunday. As they sat on their own 3 yard line late in the 4th quarter, QB Brian Griese's helmet lost its audio from the coaches' box. He may want to do away with the helmet radio, as he promptly led the Bears to a 97 yard game-winning drive, and the Bears beat the Eagles 19-16. The Eagles continue to sit in last place in the NFC East.

The sorry St. Louis Rams fell to 0-7, as they were drilled by the Seattle Seahawks, 33-6. The Rams will be an underdog in every game from here on out. They have a chance to go 0-16. They really need to get RB Steven Jackson back.

The Denver Broncos rescued their season in the Sunday Night extravaganza, using a 49-yard field goal by Jason Elam to win the game, 31-28. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 290 yards and 4 touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions and was sacked four times.

More Knee-Jerk Reactions

I love the SEC. Every game is a war. Every game may as well be the Super Bowl.

I'm sitting here watching Auburn play LSU. These two teams are knocking each other around. How did Auburn lose to Mississippi State? They later went to the Swamp and beat Florida, and may do the same thing to LSU in this game.

Every team in this league can beat the others on a given day, except for maybe Ole Miss. And, Ole Miss nearly beat the mighty Gators earlier in the year. Vandy went into the Chicken Coop and beat the South Carolina Gamecocks today.

The SEC East is a circus. Every team in that division has lost at least two conference games. It's not a matter of every team being horrible. Quite the contrary. Every team in that division is pretty good. Even Vanderbilt is no slouch. The division representative in the SECCG will most likely be determined by a tiebreaker.

In the West, the winner of this LSU-Auburn game will be tied with the Sabanists at Alabama for first place.

Forget the BCS. The winner of this conference should simply play an ACC or Big 12 South team for the national championship of the Confederacy.

Elsewhere, Nebraska is absolutely pathetic. The Fightin' Texas Aggies went up to Lincoln today and crushed the Huskers, 36-14. Dennis Franchione saved his job for another week. The Huskers have given up 81 points in their last two home games. Tom Osborne needs to go ahead and put Bill Callahan out of his misery. The Huskers may not win another game all season. They have remaining games against Texas, Kansas, Kansas State, and Colorado.

*Forget Auburn, at least for tonight. LSU was supposed to be setting up for a game-winning field goal. Instead, with one second left, LSU completed a 30 yard touchdown pass for a touchdown. LSU has destiny working for it. As a Sooner fan, I really would like to see our Crimson cousins take care of business against the Tigers next month in Tuscaloosa. I don't want us or anyone else to have to play LSU in New Orleans for a national championship.

Knee-Jerk Reactions

First, the Oklahoma Sooners survived a trip to the not-yet frozen tundra of Ames, Iowa. The Sooners trailed 7-0 at halftime, but scored 17 points in the second half to get by Iowa State, 17-7. It's a W whether it's by 10 or by 50.

From the Not Quite Ready for Prime Time Department: The South Carolina Gamecocks, going into today, controlled their own destiny in the SEC East. What do they do? Lose at home to Vanderbilt, 17-6. SEC Rule #1: If you lose to Vanderbilt, you do not deserve to win the conference.

Elsewhere in the SEC, Nick Saban suspended 5 players for "textbook violations", but it did not matter. Alabama took archrival Tennessee to the woodshed, 41-17. Saban earned part of his salary for this year. He also earned a portion of a Dreamland Barbecue franchise.

Back to the Not Quite Ready for Prime Time Department: The Cincinnati Bearcats lost their second game in a row. This time, it was to the mediocre Pittsburgh Panthers, 21-14. The Big East is nothing if not wacky. Connecticut is in first place.

Who is the king of the Northland? None other than North Dakota State. NDSU is ineligible for any type of postseason play, as they are in the last year of a five-year probationary period as they move from Division II to Division I-AA. The Bison have been taking on all comers, and are currently undefeated. They narrowly lost to Minnesota last year as their game-winning field goal attempt was blocked. This year, they returned to the Metrodome and finished the job, defeating the Gophers 27-21. This is their second win over a Division I-A opponent this season, having previously thrashed Central Michigan. Appalachian State and the rest of the Football Championship Subdivision want no part of these guys. Don't mess with NoDak State.

More later...

NFL, Eh?

A published report yesterday indicates that the Buffalo Bills are interested in playing preseason and regular season games in Toronto. The people of western New York should be afraid, very afraid.

The Bills would like to play one preseason game in Toronto next season, and would like to begin playing one regular season game per year in Toronto as early as 2009. The team first has to get permission from Erie County, New York, per the terms of their current stadium lease which runs through 2012.

Currently, the Bills claim 15,000 season ticket holders from Canada. I did not realize there were that many. The Bills would like to cultivate the large corporate base in Toronto in order to sell tickets and to lease luxury boxes.

The Buffalo area has been declining in population and economic power for the last four decades. Buffalo is currently the #50 TV market according to Nielsen. In the NFL, only New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Green Bay are smaller (New Orleans was bigger before Katrina, and the Packers claim Milwaukee as a primary market in addition to Green Bay). The Bills have marketed themselves successfully in nearby Rochester and Syracuse, and are attempting to expand their regional footprint into Canada.


What about Toronto? Toronto is the economic and cultural hub of English Canada. It has a metropolitan population of around 6 million, or similar in size to Dallas and Houston. Toronto would be a no-brainer for the first international expansion of the NFL. The only drawback would be the stadium, as Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) only holds 53,000 for football-similar to the Houston Astrodome. They would have to find a way to get a new stadium built. Unlike in the U.S., Canadian federal, provincial, and city governments rarely fund stadiums and arenas.

Bills owner Ralph Wilson is 89 years old. He has no intention of selling the franchise, and does not plan to keep the team in his family upon his death. Therefore, the Bills will have a new owner in the future. A new owner will be very tempted to move the franchise 90 miles to the north.

NFL Picks, Week 7

It's already Week 7 of the NFL season. My, how time flies.

Last Week: 8-5
Season: 57-32

Here are some more picks:

Minnesota at Dallas: The Cowboys were kicked all over the field by the mighty Patriots, but now face a mortal Vikings team. The Vikes, however, unleashed rookie star RB Adrian Peterson for a million yards last week. Still, the Vikings won't be able to outscore the Romosexuals. Pick: Dallas

Tennessee at Houston: Vince Young and the old Houston Oilers return to Houston for their annual visit. Both teams have been bit by the injury bug. Never pick against Vince Young in Houston. The Texans will continue to regret that non-pick for years to come. Pick: Titans

Tampa Bay at Detroit: Bucs continue to surprise the world. Lions are coming off a bye, and have developed a high-scoring, high-powered offense with offensive coordinator Mike Martz. You may remember him as the mad scientist in St. Louis. The Bucs are going to finish with a good season. But, for one game, give me the Lions. Pick: Detroit

Atlanta at New Orleans: The Saints finally got off the schneid last week in Seattle. The Falcons are horrible, but are changing QBs this week, as Byron Leftwich gets the start for Atlanta. The Saints aren't where they want to be as of yet, but they get their second win in a row this week. Pick: New Orleans

Baltimore at Buffalo: The Ravens play ugly and win. The Bills have had two weeks to think about that Monday night heartbreaker against Dallas. Look for a low-scoring game here. Matt Stover will be used often to kick field goals for the Ravens. Pick: Baltimore

San Francisco at New York Giants: 49ers make the long flight to Gotham, where the Giants are starting to look strong. It's tough for West Coast teams to do well on the East Coast. This will be no exception. Giants have a strong running game. Pick: G-Men

Arizona at Washington: Redskins lost a close one last week in Green Bay. They bounce back this week against the mercurial Cardinals. Pick: Washington

New England at Miami: The Patriots should only need to play the starters for a half in this game. They're that good. Tom Brady throws the Dolphins back into the ocean. Pick: Pats

Kansas City at Oakland: One of the great old AFL rivalries. The Chiefs are surprisingly tied for first place in the AFC West. Not much was expected from them this year. The Raiders have won two games this year, which is what some expected them to win for the entire season. Pick: Kansas City

New York Jets at Cincinnati: Woeful Jets visit Cincinnati, where the Bengals are looking for an opponent to outscore. The Bengals have a suspect defense, but they will be able to outscore the Jets. Pick: Cincinnati

Chicago at Philadelphia: This has ugly written all over it. Neither team is that bad, but this will be a muck-it-up, grind-it-out game. Pick: Philly

St. Louis at Seattle: Speaking of ugly, this one defines it. The Rams are pathetic. The Seahawks are inconsistent. I'm glad I won't be watching this one. Pick: Seattle

Pittsburgh at Denver: The Steelers are a good team. The Broncos are not. That is hard for people in Colorado to get used to. It's going to be a long night at Mile High. Pick: Pittsburgh

Indianapolis at Jacksonville: The Jaguars get their opportunity to ambush the Colts. The Colts are undefeated and coming off a bye week. This has Monday Night upset written all over it. However, the Colts are good enough to hold off the upset bid. The Colts are trying to keep up with the Patriots. Pick: Indy

Bye: Carolina, Cleveland, Green Bay, San Diego

Who's Going to Nebraska?

The guillotine is being prepared in Lincoln, as Bill Callahan's days are numbered as coach of the Huskers. Who will go into the land of Corn to restore the glory of Nebraska? Here are some names that keep popping up:

Turner Gill. Legendary ex-Nebraska quarterback, now head coach at Buffalo. Was an assistant at Nebraska. Took the worst head coaching job in Division I-A and has the Bulls headed for respectability in the MAC. Has won three games there this year already, which is about like winning 9 somewhere else. Close to the new boss, interim AD Tom Osborne.

Bo Pelini. Former NU defensive coordinator, now holding the same position at LSU. Was interim head coach for NU's appearance in the 2003 Alamo Bowl. Passed over for the head coaching job by former AD Steve Pederson in favor of Callahan. Still a fan favorite. From the same high school as the Stoops brothers, and coached under friend Bob Stoops at OU in 2004.

Gary Patterson. Current TCU head coach. Has been a consistent winner in Fort Worth. Was the brains behind Dennis Franchione's operation in Frogland, then won on a bigger level once he became the head coach. Believes in defense and power football. Native of Kansas and graduate of Kansas State.

Paul Johnson. Current Navy head coach. Has built Navy back to respectability using the option offense. Won I-AA national championships at Georgia Southern. Husker fans would love the option offense he would bring.

Other names will be thrown around. These four will rise to the top of the list.

College Picks, Week 8

This is the most fun and interesting college football season in recent memory. There is no clear favorite in the national championship race. Games that were once thought of as slam dunks and gimmes are no longer that. On any given week, a really good team can lose, especially to a conference opponent. With that said, here is another week of picks:

Last Week: 13-7 (Peru State lost. Too bad…)
Season: 93-47

Oklahoma at Iowa State: Iowa State’s team may not be very good, but their athletic department had no problem selling season ticket packages, as they are hosting Texas and OU in successive weeks. OU is only a 28 ½ point favorite in this one. Pick: OU

Kansas at Colorado: Who would have thought that this game would be for control of the Big 12 North? Kansas is undefeated at 6-0, and is looking like a legitimate Top 15 team at minimum. They aren’t just beating inferior opposition, but are pounding them into submission. The Buffs were thumped on the road by the Kansas Aggies last week. KU is actually favored on the road. When you’re hot, you’re hot. I’ll ride the hot hand. Pick: KU

Texas Tech at Missouri: Mizzou made a good showing last week in Norman, but the Tigers aren’t happy with that. They thought they could have and should have won the game. That’s progress in Columbia. Mizzou is a team to be reckoned with. Both teams have high-powered spread offenses. Whatever the point total is here, take the over. These teams will sling the ball all over the field. The game starts at 2:30 p.m., and may not finish until 7:00. Mizzou is just a little better. Pick: Missouri

Texas at Baylor: Texas bounced back from their loss to OU by hanging half a hundred on Iowa State last week. Baylor is everyone’s favorite whipping boy, and this season is no exception. The death watch continues for the Baylor coaching staff. Pick: UT

Kansas State at Oklahoma State: Thanks to the limits of the Big 12 TV contracts, this game will not be televised. That’s too bad, because this will be a good game. The Power Towel guys got a big win last week over CU in the Little Apple. OSU is coming off of their biggest win in ages, thumping Nebraska 45-14 in Lincoln. OSU is making a habit of getting people fired. After they outscored Tech last month, the Red Raiders fired defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich. Upon the Cowboys’ mauling of Nebraska, the Huskers fired athletic director Steve Pederson. What does that say about OSU? Who gets fired at K-State after OSU wins this one? Pick: OSU

Texas A&M at Nebraska: The Buyout Bowl. Both coaches, Dennis Franchione and Bill Callahan, are exploring their options as both are likely to be given the ziggy after the season. The Ticket’s Johnny Wyatt* will be at this one, as he likes to see coaches’ heads chopped off. Which team wants this one least? These teams have fallen so far, there is no TV for this one. They will only be moving from left to right on your radio dial. Pick: Nebraska

Florida at Kentucky: Do the Wildcats have anything left in the tank for this one? UK is coming off of a thrilling triple overtime win over then top-ranked LSU. They’re ranked #8 in the BCS. They now turn around and host a tanned, rested, and desperate Florida Gator team. Sorry, but there’s not enough gas in the tank in horse country this week. Pick: Gators

Tennessee at Alabama: It’s the third Saturday in October, which means one thing in the Confederacy: the Vols and Tide hook up. Lost in the shuffle of the rise of USC-East and Kentucky is Tennessee, as the Vols only have one conference loss, and control their own destiny in the conference. Meanwhile, the Sabanists at Alabama await their hated rivals with baited breath. Who do I pick? Could it be….Saban? Pick: Bama

Auburn at LSU: Down in the bayou, the Auburn Tigers continue their redemption tour as they recover from two early upset losses. LSU will be mad, hungry, and out for blood after their loss last week at Kentucky. The Tigers will win this game. Which ones? Pick: LSU

Miami at Florida State: This was once the biggest game of the year in college football. Now, it’s just a game between two ACC also-rans. FSU is just a hair better than the Canes, and it’s in Tallahassee. Pick: FSU

Virginia at Maryland: The Wahoos are now a quiet 6-1 after squeaking past UConn last week. The Terps have been inconsistent this year. Which Turtles show up? The good ones. Pick: Maryland

South Florida at Rutgers (Thursday): The Bulls are the story of this year’s college football season thus far, coming from nowhere to #2 in this week’s BCS ratings. This week, they play last year’s feel-good story in the Thursday night special. USF is better than many give them credit for. But, the Scarlet Knights put it together this week. Pick: Rutgers

Louisville at Connecticut (Friday): The Ville rescued their season last week with a 28-24 win at previously undefeated Cincinnati. They now visit Rentschler Field in East Hartford. The Huskies have only lost once, a 17-16 heartbreaker last week at Virginia. The Ville makes it two road wins in a row. Pick: Louisville

Michigan at Illinois: The bright lights will be in Champaign, as this one will be nationally televised on ESPN on ABC Saturday Night Football. The Wolverines have returned with a vengeance, having won five in a row after an embarrassing start. The Illini reminded us last week that Ron Zook is their coach, only managing two field goals in a 10-6 loss to Iowa. Michigan returns to prime time in more ways than one. Pick: Meatchicken

Penn State at Indiana: Lions go on the road to visit the resurgent Hoosiers. I hope Joe Pa isn’t driving. Penn State did knock the stuffing out of Wisconsin last week, while Indiana crashed back to earth against Michigan State. I don’t trust Penn State on the road. Pick: Indiana

Michigan State at Ohio State: Spartans have returned to respectability, but this is a trip to the Big Horseshoe on the Banks of the Olentangy. TOSU doesn’t lose in Columbus often. And, they won’t lose to Michigan State. Pick: TOSU

USC at Notre Dame: The Trojans are human. They’re just an ordinary Top 25 team, which is a lot worse than they have been in recent years. However, the Irish would trade places with them. The Irish stink, and can clinch a losing season with a loss on Saturday. Pick: USC

Cal at UCLA: The Bears blew a chance to become the #1 team in the nation last week. They now visit the Rose Bowl for a meeting with UCLA. The Bruins are having major quarterback issues. Cal hopes to return to this stadium on January 1. Cal should bounce back. Pick: Cal

Utah at TCU (Thursday): Once again, why play on Thursday night if you can’t be on ESPN or ESPN2? This one is on CSTV, Versus, the mtn., or one of those other out-of-the way channels the Mountain West is stuck with. Maybe it’s on QVC. Anyway, the Utes have been really good at times this year. So have the Frogs. It’s in Fort Worth, so go with the home team. Pick: TCU

Geneva at Thomas More: Thomas More is the only school in the Presidents Athletic Conference not located in western Pennsylvania. It’s in northern Kentucky, just across the river from Cincinnati, home of WKRP. Dr. Johnny Fever went there. Not really. Pick: Thomas More.

*Johnny Wyatt was a fictitious reporter on the Dunham & Miller morning show on The Ticket in Dallas. His specialty was reporting on coaching changes. He always described a coach firing in terms of the coach having his head chopped off. The Johnny Wyatt character had many different ways in which he described decapitation. He had this sick obsession with coaches getting their heads chopped off.

The King of Nebraska

...or, as my friend Zee called him, the Pope on a Tractor.

Nebraska wasted no time today in hiring an interim athletic director. It's none other than retired football coach and congressman Tom Osborne.

Osborne comes in to help clean up a massive mess. The football team is not up to par, and donors are threatening to withhold money from the program. Enter Dr. Tom. His job is to keep the donors happy and to fire coach Bill Callahan. Either that, or hire the new athletic director who will fire Callahan.

The parallels between the falls of the programs at Oklahoma and Nebraska are eerie. The only difference is that Osborne left the head coaching position on his own terms, while Barry Switzer left OU under a cloud of NCAA probation. After Switzer and Osborne, the schools have had the following coaches and athletic directors (OU followed by Nebraska):

Gary Gibbs=Frank Solich
Howard Schnellenberger=Bill Callahan
AD Steve Owens (OU Heisman Trophy winner)=AD Tom Osborne (national championship coach)
John Blake=The Huskers better hope their next hire is not another John Blake.
Bob Stoops=The Huskers would love to skip the Blake stage and get the new Bob Stoops, wherever he may be.

Nebraska has surrendered the Big 12 North to the likes of Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, and Colorado. It's a sad state of affairs.

The Big Red Revolution Begins

Football is a big deal in Nebraska. It's a really big deal. It's such a big deal, that when the football team consistently fails to meet expectations, the coach is not immediately fired. His boss is.

Steve Pederson was fired today as athletic director at the University of Nebraska. He is the Nebraska native that came home after a successful tenure as AD at the University of Pittsburgh. Since coming to Nebraska, he led the athletic department to expand facilities, accumulating a large debt. He also fired a football coach after going 9-3 when he fired Frank Solich after the 2003 season. He then hired Bill Callahan, fresh off of being fired by Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders. Pederson's future immediately became tied to that of Callahan. Since the football team is stinking up the field, the donations are drying up. It is job numero uno for the athletic director to raise money. Nebraska needs someone else to do that.

The Callahan era has not been a good one for Nebraska. His teams have been above average. The scandal in Nebraska, though, is the way he has handled the program. He has closed the program off to former players. He has shut down the much-loved and acclaimed walk-on program, which gave Nebraska natives the chance to contribute to and suit up for the Huskers. The natives in Nebraska are restless. The final straw was the 45-14 thrashing delivered by Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Bill Callahan's days are numbered. He will land somewhere next year as an assistant in the NFL. Someone will be asked to go into Lincoln to heal the Husker Nation and to clean up the mess.

Welcome to the New Millennium

This is such an upside-down college football season. What once was up (USC) is down. What once was down (Kentucky) is now up. What once didn't exist (South Florida) is now #2 in the nation. Wow.

As expected, The Ohio State University is #1 in the first BCS rankings. The surprise is that South Florida is #2. If the season were to end today, the South Florida Bulls would be playing for a national championship. This is a program that only began in 1997 and moved to Division I-A in 2001. Wow.

Boston College has its highest ranking ever at #3. LSU is the highest-ranked one-loss team, at #4. The Tigers still have a good chance to play a home game at the Superdome in the BCS National Championship Game.

More surprises in the top 10 include South Carolina and Kentucky. Both teams are currently tied for first in the SEC East. The Gamecocks are 7th in the BCS, while the Wildcats are 8th. Is Kentucky now a football school?

I'm loving this football season. I'll love it even more if the Sooners can move up from #5 to one of the top two spots, in spite of their brain fart at Colorado.

NFL Highway, Week 6

The NFL highway is long. It's really long if you're the Chicago Bears, and had to watch Adrian (Oklahoma) Peterson run today.

We begin in Dallas, where the New England Patriots scored a season-high 48 points today and pounded the Cowboys, 48-27. Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes for the Pats. The Pats are a well-oiled killing machine. They have a great chance to go 16-0 if they can get by Indianapolis in three weeks. The Patriots' smallest margin of victory is 17 points. The Cowboys return to NFC competition next week.

Chicago has a RB named Adrian Peterson. They wish they had the one that plays for Minnesota. The rookie from Palestine, Texas and the University of Oklahoma had 361 all-purpose yards, including touchdown runs of 67, 73, and 35 yards. He also set up the game-winning field goal with a 53 yard kickoff return. The Bears' Devin Hester is living up to the standard set by his mentor, Deion Sanders. Hester played defense, offense, and special teams for the Bears. He returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown, then caught an 81 yard touchdown pass to tie the game late.

Note to self: Play Derek Anderson in your fantasy league. Anderson threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another as the Browns defeated the Miami Dolphins, 41-31. Cleo Real Lemon threw for two touchdown passes and rushed for two more for the Dolphins. The Dolphins are in sad shape at 0-6. The Browns are in uncharted waters at 3-3.

Matt Stover was the player of the game for the Baltimore Ravens, as he kicked five field goals in a 22-3 win over the St. Louis Rams. Gus Frerotte was a turnover machine for the Rams, throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble. The Rams are bad, bad, bad. They're 0-6.

In an unlikely battle of NFC playoff contenders, the Green Bay Packers came from behind to beat the Washington Redskins, 17-14. The Packers now find themselves tied for the best record in the NFC at 5-1. I wouldn't want to go to Green Bay for a playoff game in January.

For three quarters, the Houston Texans were right with the Jacksonville Jaguars. That all changed in the 4th quarter, as the Jaguars put it into high gear to pound the Texans, 37-17. Maurice Jones-Drew had 260 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns for the Jags. The Texans stumble to 3-3.

The Kansas City Chiefs are a surprising 3-3. They outscored the Cincinnati Bengals today, 27-20. The Bengals are a bad 1-4. They have some great offensive talent, but no defense. That's too bad, because coach Marvin Lewis made his reputation on defense. The Bengals have not been the same since QB Carson Palmer busted his knee in a playoff game in 2005.

The New York Jets dressed up as the New York Titans today, but had no luck as they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 16-9. The Jets need help, bad. The Eagles needed the win and got it. The Eagles didn't need their throwback uniforms for this one.

Tampa Bay is a surprise in the NFC South. The Bucs continued their winning ways with a 13-10 win over the Tennessee Titans. Vince Young was injured in this game for the Titans. The Bucs are now 4-2 and in first place in the NFC South.

The late games saw some interesting action. Last week, Vinny Testaverde was watching the games on TV. This week, he led the Carolina Panthers to a win, 25-10 over the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have quarterback problems, as Kurt Warner was hurt in the first quarter. Tim Rattay, who was also on the street last week, played most of the game for Arizona. I've heard that George Blanda, Joe Theismann, Bernie Kosar, and Tim Couch are available for next week.

The return of the San Diego Chargers is well underway. LaDainian Tomlinson scored four touchdowns, as the Chargers handled the Oakland Raiders, 28-14. L.T. helped me in one of my fantasy leagues, on a team that also happened to have Adrian Peterson. The Chargers are now in a tie for first place with the Chiefs. Two weeks ago, they were given up for dead.

Speaking of dead, the New Orleans Saints rose from the dead Sunday night by handling the Seattle Seahawks, 28-17. Drew Brees threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns as the Saints earned their first victory of the year. The Seahawks remain tied for first place in the NFC West with the enigmatic Cardinals.

More Knee-Jerk Reactions

It looks like there's going to be a new #1 team in the nation. LSU went up to Kentucky and lost in triple overtime, 43-37. The Tigers shouldn't go down too far in the polls, but will lose the #1 spot.

Enter Cal. The Bears had a chance to be the new #1, but quickly lost to Oregon State, 31-28. Cal had a chance to tie the game late, but the Bears were unable to get a game-tying field goal attempt off in regulation.

So, who will be #1? It looks like it will be The Ohio State University. Remember them? The Buckeyes are 7-0, and are the next team standing. Luckily for them, this is also the first week of the BCS rankings. Boston College should be right behind them at #2.

Wow.

Knee-Jerk Reactions

Nebraska football has experienced a lot of ups and downs in the four years of Bill Callahan's reign as head coach. Texas Tech hung 70 on the Huskers in Lubbock in 2005. However, today was the low point in the modern history of Nebraska football. Oklahoma State went to Lincoln and manhandled the Huskers, 45-14. That's not Oklahoma, but Oklahoma State.

Nebraska is a proud program that deserves much better. The athletic director, Steve Pederson, and coach Callahan both received contract extensions in recent months. The Nebraska athletic program will be in an even bigger hole by paying buyouts for both of them. However, that appears to be the only course of action.

The people of Nebraska want their football program back.

It's Hoops Time, Baby!

Tonight is the beginning of college basketball season, as it is the first day schools are allowed by the NCAA to conduct practice.

The NBA is currently in its exhibition season, playing in places such as London and LaCrosse, and playing teams from places such as Greece and Israel.

This means one thing: It's basketball season!

The author of this blog has been spending weekdays during the last two months in the Hartford, CT-Springfield, MA area on a project for work. Springfield is best known as the birthplace of basketball, and the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame.


I have not been able to visit the Hall of Fame, as it closes at 4 pm during the week, and I have not been there on a weekend. However, I took some pictures of the outside. The Hall of Fame moved into new quarters about five years ago.

Welcome back, hoops!

NFL Picks, Week 6

The NFL is settling into something that resembles form after five weeks of the season. There are three undefeated teams: Dallas, New England, and Indianapolis. There are three winless teams: Miami, New Orleans, and St. Louis. There are a ton of other teams in the middle.

Last Week: 10-4
Season: 49-27

Here are this blog’s fearless picks for Week 6 in the National Football League:

New England at Dallas: The mighty Patriots roll into Dallas for a meeting with the Cowboys. Can the Cowboys shut down Tom Brady and Randy Moss? The Cowboys are coming off an improbable win on Monday night at Buffalo, winning 25-24 despite 6 turnovers by Tony Romo. Who wins on Sunday? Who do you think? Pick: Dallas

Minnesota at Chicago: Someone named Adrian Peterson will be a winner in this game. The one from Oklahoma isn’t surrounded with nearly as much talent as the one from Georgia Southern. The Bears saved their season last Sunday night with a win at archnemesis Green Bay. Da Bears make it two in a row. Pick: Chicago

St. Louis at Baltimore: The injury-wracked Rams visit Crab City, where the Ravens’ defense awaits. Good luck with all that. Pick: Balmer

Philadelphia at New York Jets: The Eagles had such a hard time in their last appearance at the Meadowlands, they needed a week off. Now they head back up the turnpike to take on the Jets. The Jets aren’t nearly as good as the Giants, and they proved that last week. It’s a long year for the New York Football Jets. Pick: Philly

Miami at Cleveland: The woeful Dolphins visit CLE to take on the no-longer-horrible Browns. The Dolphins are now being led by quarterback Cleo (Real) Lemon as a result of last week’s possible career-ending injury to QB Trent Green. A skunk by any other name still stinks, though, and the Dolphins stink. Pick: Cleveland

Washington at Green Bay: The Packers are reeling after last week’s home loss to Da Bears. The Redskins come off of a whipping of Detroit. Packers bounce back. Pick: Green Bay

Kansas City at Cincinnati: Bengals are coming off a bye, but did they find a defense on that week off? Carson Palmer, Ocho Cinco and company should be able to outscore the Chiefs. Pick: Cincy

Tennessee at Tampa Bay: The Fighting Vince Youngs go on the road to the city by the Bay. Tampa Bay, that is. Bucs got spanked last week in Indy, but lots of teams would get spanked in Indy. Bucs bounce back at home. Pick: Tampa Bay

Houston at Jacksonville: The Texans are in last place in the AFC South with a winning record at 3-2. The Jags find ways to win, whether they look good or not. When in doubt, pick the home team. Pick: Jacksonville

Carolina at Arizona: Quarterback problems continue in Charlotte. Jake Delhomme is out for the year. David Carr has a back injury. So, the Panthers signed Vinny Testaverde this week from the St. Aloysius Home for the Aged. The Panthers will start either Vinny or ex-Cowboy training camp star Matt Moore. Meanwhile, Kurt Warner is regaining his magic in Arizona. If Testaverde is the starter, the combined age of the two quarterbacks in this game will be 80. Pick: Arizona

Oakland at San Diego: Winner will be in first place in the very mediocre AFC West. Chargers exploded back onto the scene with a 41-3 win last week in Denver. Think they’d like to have the first four weeks of the season back? Chargers coach Norv Turner formerly coached the Raiders. Pick: Chargers

New Orleans at Seattle: The Saints have been awful this year. Their task doesn’t get any easier with a long trip to the Northwest. I’m sure NBC is really looking forward to this one now. Pick: Seattle

New York Giants at Atlanta: If the schedule makers had known that the Michael Vick fiasco would happen, this game wouldn’t smell Monday night. So, ESPN gets stuck with a real dud this week. The Giants are looking pretty good. Strange things can happen on the road in the NFL. However, the Giants are better than the Falcons. Pick: New York

Bye: Buffalo, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Denver, Detroit, San Francisco