Just in time....

Here are the rest of the picks! Just to let ya'll know, John will have his pick in by game time. So here we go.

Ole Miss at Auburn- Another big SEC match up. Ole Miss is hitting it's stride with two straight wins. Running Back/wide receiver Dexter McCluster is a special type of athlete. He is averaging 14 touches a game, and should maybe see it more. The Rebels have a quarterback, in Jevan Snead that might be the best NFL prospect. Even better than Tim Tebow. The Rebels have only won twice in 13 games at Auburn. Auburn's offense showed signs of excellence early, but have looked awful recently and Ole Miss defense has given up more than two touchdowns only once this year. I don't believe that history will help them. I am taking Ole Miss. So are Jess and Lys. Now from Jason; "I like Ole Miss on the road. Auburn is in a tailspin losing their last 3 games but playing at home against a pretty good Ole Miss team may help but its an early day game so it won't be a lively atmosphere. I like the Rebels."

Georgia at Florida- I love that this has become a grudge match even more so in the last few years. The Florida offense is struggling lately. They are ranked 107th in the NCAA Division I in the redzone. They will be going against a Georgia defense that is ranked 100th in scoring defense. Georgia is coming off their best game of the season. Florida will have to get their offense together to continue to make a run at the National Championship. I think they will get off the snide and beat the Bulldogs. I am taking Florida. Once again Jess and Lys agree. And here is some more from Jason; "Florida blows them out in the World's Largest Cocktail Party."

South Carolina at Tennessee- I have said this before, this Gamecock team looks nothing like a Steve Spurrier coached team. They have won all their games with defense, not the wide open offenses we are used to from the "Old Ball Coach." Tennessee has lost two closed games to Florida, and Alabama. The Vols' duel threat at running back with Hardesty and Brown is improving the confidence of quarterback Jonathon Crompton. Gamecocks' quarterback Steven Garcia is also playing better behind a defense that is ranked 14th in the nation. This is the closest I am going to get to an upset pick this week I think. I am taking the Tennessee. Lys and Jess are taking the Gamecocks. Jason says; "This is bit of an upset pick but I'm taking South Carolina to beat the Vols. I think the spread is too much to begin with but Spurrier has always done well against Tennessee. It's totally different now with Fulmer gone but I think Tennessee has a letdown after the tough loss they had against Bama. Plus I hate Lane Kiffin so go Gamecocks!"

Texas at Oklahoma State: This is going to be a helluva a game. Texas has discovered a lights out defense. Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson has had a solid season thus far, even after the loss of all-American receiver Dez Bryant. Robinson has been spreading the ball around to his young core of receivers. The Cowboys' will have running back Kendall Hunter back and that should fuel this already potent offense. Texas also has found some offensive weapons with the blanketing of Jordan Shipley. I think the Longhorn's defense is too much on the road, I am taking Texas. Jess agrees but Lys is taking Oklahoma State and the upset. Jason has a take; "Dez Bryant now is no longer a Cowboy but I actually like the game to be close but Texas pulls it out."

USC at Oregon- This is another great game. USC is playing great, and they have their loss to a nobody out of the way, when they lost to Washington early this year. Oregon is last in the Pac-10 in throwing the ball, but the stat is deceiving due to their style of offense. They can throw the ball. I am in love with the play of Ducks' quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. He runs folks over and has a quick release of the football. This will be a big challenge for the Oregon offense, who struggled against another fast defense in Boise State. Matt Barkley, USC's freshman is calm, but tends to throw into coverage. The Oregon defense has a nose for the football, which might cause problems for the Trojan quarterback. I am going out on a limb here and taking Oregon, only because everyone else took USC. What do you say Jason? "Going USC here. All you seem to hear about on ESPN is how Oregon will beat USC at home but USC plays to their competition. They underachieve against bad teams at times and always play good when its a big game. I really hope Oregon wins but I expect a Trojan victory."

Central Michigan at Boston College- Central Michigan has another quarterback that I love. Dan Lefevre is the best quarterback in the nation. Yeah I said it. Central Michigan crept into this website's top 25 this week with the play of their offense, and a defense that continues to improve. Boston College is a good football team. They are growing and learning. They have a 25 year old freshman quarterback, Dave Shinskie, who has a strong arm and due to his age is more mature in the pocket than most freshman. Boston College lost a tough one against Notre Dame last week, and I don't see them getting back on track. The Chippewas will take advantage of the emotionally drained Eagles. I am taking Central Michigan. Lys and Jess follow me as always. Jason weighs in; "Central Michigan. Classic trap game for BC. They come off a heart breaker to Notre Dame and the players won't take Central Michigan seriously. I like Central Michigan."

Kansas at Texas Tech- Texas Tech has struggled to find their offensive success of the last few years. They are shaky at quarterback, starting two different quarterbacks, and pondering a third. They have played well at home though. Kansas is coming off a heartbreaking loss. Todd Reesing is looking to get his great season back on track after getting beat up by Oklahoma. I am taking Kansas. Jess and Lys toook Texas Tech. Jason says; "Both teams were embarrassed last week but I think Tech takes it at home."

Purdue at Wisconsin- Wisconsin started strong behind a great running game. The Badgers have lost their last two to Ohio State and Iowa. Purdue started off awful, but are playing with some confidence after knocking off Ohio State. I think the running game of Wisconsin is too much. Wisconsin. So is Lys and Jess. Jason? "Wisconsin here."

Iowa State at Texas A&M- A&M has looked crazy. They have been back and forth. But their offense has showed signs of unstoppability. It is at Kyle Field where it is loud, fun, and hard to win. Iowa State won in Nebraska last week, which is another tough place to play. I love the confidence of this Cyclone team, and the post game speech by their coach last week was amazing. But A&M is a good football team and will win at home. I am taking Texas A&M. Lys and Jess took Iowa State. Jason says; "Both teams coming off of big wins but I like the Aggies here."

There you go. Jason is already 1-0 after last night's upset in Tampa. If ya'll don't know the guest picker has won this every time on their first week of picking. Live like no one is watching and be safe, Happy Halloween!

Big Game Friday

There is a great football game on tonight. So as is our custom we will pick a Friday night game if it is warranted. We have a guest picker this weekend, my high school buddy Jason Faria. The rest of the picks will go up tonight after I get home from because we are waiting for John to finish feeding the poor and find time for to make his picks. So here is tonight's game.

West Virginia at South Florida: To start out, West Virginia is 1-1 on the road. They beat lowly Syracuse and lost to Auburn. The Mountaineers haven't beaten anyone convincingly and had to win the last two games with second-half comebacks. West Virginia has lost the last two times they played at South Florida. However the Mountaineer's running back Noel Devine, has been, well divine. South Florida has fallen off the map in the after two straight losses to the top two teams in the Big East, Cincinnati and Pitt. Bulls' freshman quarterback B.J. Daniels has struggled playing in relief of injured senior Matt Groethe. South Florida has relied heavily on the running game and the strong play of their defense. They will need Daniels to play better tonight however because West Virginia is ranked 9th in the country in rush defense. I like Jim Leavitt and the Bulls' defense, they are also 21-6 over the last 4 years at home. But West Virginia is on a mission. It will be close but I am taking West Virginia, along with John, Jess and Lys. Now from Jason; " West Virginia with the exception of Auburn hasn't played a tough team on the road yet. USF will be rocking on Friday night and they are coming off of 2 straight losses. Taking South Florida."

I would like to thank Jason for some great analysis, and for being an intelligent and vocal reader. There will be more to come. Live like no one is watching and stay tuned!!!

Unfortunately, there is a bright side

I am an optimist, no stop laughing it is true. No matter what the situation is I can find the brightside. So today I am going to take some unfortunate situations and find a bright spot. I feel it is my civil duty to ya'll to brighten up some of the sports stupidity. Without further ado, let the optimising begin!

Being Larry Johnson: Unfortunately; Kansas City Chiefs running back used his twitter account this weekend to criticize his rookie head coach. Which really isn't a big deal. But he used a homosexual slur when responding to a fan's jab at his character. Now the oft boneheaded Johnson has been suspended indefinitely by the team. Brightside; Your team sucks anyway, and Larry was just adding to the problem. He wasn't producing and he was distraction. With Johnson sidelined , the Cheifs can focus on their awful defense and horrible quarterback. Analysis; Larry Johnson is an idiot.

Washington Redskin's plight: Unfortunately; The Washington Redskins suck royally, and now they are trying hard to alienate their very loyal fanbase. The organization has banned all signs from the stadium, and refuse to allow sports stations nationally and locally from interviewing tailgating fans in the stadium parking lot. After they stripped play calling from coach Jim Zorn and lost Chris Cooley, their leading receiver, possibly for the season at tight end their offense doesn't appear to be better. Brightside; Ok, there is no brightside for the Redskins. But the Washington Wizards played last night and starting guard Gilbert Arenas didn't get hurt. That in itself is an accomplishment. Analysis; Until owner Dan Snyder sells the Redskins, they will continue to challenge our government for the title of most dysfunctional organization in Washington.

Jamarcus Russell's Fault: Unfortunately; Jamarcus is worse at leading than he is at playing quarterback in the NFL. Sure he can throw the ball a mile but he can't hit a receiver. He takes no responsibility for the team's misfortunes and is beginning to look very Ryan Leaf like. Brightside; If Russell keeps playing like he is the Raiders will have the opportunity to draft quarterback early in the first round. Jake Locker, Sam Bradford, and Jimmy Claussen are all possibilities. Analysis; Oakland should draft a quarterback, but about 20 pounds on Russell and move him to offensive guard. Then he can have a long career protecting your new franchise quarterback.

Damn Yankees: Unfortunately; The Yankees, whom I loathe, are in the World Series. Brightside; A-Rod, who is batting .500 before tonight and .471 with runners in scoring position, is still A-Rod and could choke at any minute. Analysis; "Hi, my name is A-Rod. I was under so much pressure making 20 million dollars a year that I had to use steroids. After admitting using performance enhancers, I am now playing lights out in the playoffs and hoping that no one will make any connections."

Dez Bryant Lies: Unfortunately; Talented Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant has been suspended for the year. He lied to the NCAA eligibility committee about a meeting he had with Deion Sanders. It is reported that he will more than likely forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft bringing an unsatisfying end to a sensational college career. Brightside; It has not been proven that Bryant broke any rules. He was suspended for not being honest. He lied because he wasn't sure if he broke a rule. This is good for him in two ways. The first is that he didn't break a rule that NFL views as a nuisance anyway. There is no doubt that the NCAA eligibility rules need, and are getting, some attention. Secondly, NFL analyst say that it will not hurt his draft status. Bryant has stayed out of trouble in college and the analyst think this might be a lapse in judgement not a character flaw. Analysis; The NCAA is reevaluating it's eligibility rules. I am no fan of Deion Sanders, but I would hope he was trying to mentor and guide the young receiver, and not recruit him for an agent. Bryant should've told the truth and Sanders should've known better.

Well there you go a little fun. I am watching Cliff Lee and the Phillies dominate the Yankees. Hopefully the Phils can get through the ninth without incident. (I know I said I wouldn't watch but that was me succumbing again to my trademark hyperbole.) Live like no one is watching and look on the brightside!

Another Weekend Gone, another top 25!

Well we have finished another sports filled weekend. There were great things, bad things, and things I just don't care about (I am talking to you UFC). College football was great, the NFL resembled college football, and the Yankees made the world series. So let my expertise and flawless research flow over you like water in the shower.

Let's start with college football, my favorite! For the first time this year Alabama looked vulnerable. It took Terrence Cody, a guy that could squash me with a toe or two, blocking two field goals for the Tide to defeat the pesky Volunteers. Notre Dame won again late in the game. They win tough football games and get no respect. Since when do we ask our champions to win every game without incident. The Irish might be the best offense in the country. USC continues to win, unfortunately. If they do not lose this weekend to Oregon they may weasel their way into the national title game, which forces me to root for Texas to go undefeated and that is right next to falling into a fire on the list of my favorite things to do. I am not ready to say I told you so yet, but be assured that it is coming. TCU is really good. By simply writing that sentence I am setting the Horned Frogs up for failure. If they continue to win they will hopefully force the BCS to speed up their decision on the Mountain West's chance for being a BCS conference. Other than a Miami loss to Clemson, everything went according to plan in the NCAA.

As I mentioned before, the Yankees clinched a spot in the World Series. They will play the Phillies. BLAH BLAH who cares. My baseball analyst, and drinking buddy, said that this is the "worst world series ever phils vs yanks I'd rather watch royals vs nationals". I agree wholeheartedly Mike now make me a Captain Morgan and cream soda. I also went to my Yankee expert, Jacqueline Bailey, to get a prediction. She took the Yankees in five. I have to believe her because I will probably not watch one inning.

The NFL was boring this week, mostly because the UNDEFEATED Broncos didn't play. But since I failed to mention the Bills last week, they won their second straight this week over Carolina, a game I am sure Mudd was at and drunk. Carolina should really start scouring back alleys for Jake Delhomme because he is a bum. Tony Romo went all Tony Romo for the Cowboys this weekend and led Dallas to a victory. In other news the Raiders and the Chiefs looked awful again. I am watching the Monday night game right now and it looks like the Redskins need to find another play-caller. In fantasy news, my team is poised to win but my tight end, Chris Cooley, just got carted off the field. The Saints stayed undefeated, despite the best efforts from Miami. New England made another statement against a garbage team, and look like they will be alright.

Ok UFC fans, get bigger shirts. Here is some knowledge for you, Lyoto Machida kept his title because he deserved to. I don't care who you ask, to be the champ you must knock out the champ. You do not get a belt because you scored the most points. I don't care how many punches Mauricio Rua landed, he should've knocked Machida out if he wanted to win the championship. There you go controversy over.

Now for the top 25:

1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Florida
4. Iowa
5. Cincinnati
6. TCU
7. Boise
8. LSU
9. USC
10. Georgia Tech
11. Oregon
12. Penn State
13. Oklahoma State
14. Pitt
15. Virginia Tech
16. Houston
17. Utah
18. Ohio State
19. Arizona
20. Miami
21. South Carolina
22. Cal
23. West Virginia
24. Central Michigan
25. Notre Dame

Just so there is no confusion, this is my top 25. I know it doesn't match any other top 25, but it is my opinion. Also it is how the national champion for this site will be picked. Well that is the weekend in review. For those of you who didn't read the mini-blog Sunday morning, John won the picks. Live like no one is watching and laugh, I promise it will help.

Quick Hitter!

Good morning. Another full day of football starting in just a few hours. I was up so I wanted to spend a quick second giving you five things I saw yesterday in college football, as well as some fun stuff for NFL football today!

Here is five cool things that I saw in football.

1. The BCS will be interesting this week. Only half of the top 10 looked good; Texas, TCU, Cincinnati, LSU and Boise. And of those five, TCU is the only team that played a ranked opponent.
2. Georgia Tech is proving that you can be successful doing the same thing over and over. The Yellowjacket offense runs different versions of the same play repeatedly. The split wing option that has been left for the service academies is now dominating the ACC. It is the craziest thing I have seen since that night in Tijuana, you know what I am talking about John!
3. I saw a fat guy block two field goals without jumping. Terrence Cody of Alabama blocked two field goals yesterday, including the potential Tennessee game winner. He didn't jump either he just blew through the middle of the line and blocked out the sun. The dude is huge and some are saying he needs to move into the Heisman discussion.
4. Miami got upset by Clemson and no one was really all that surprised. Miami is talented but they are young. C.J. Spiller and the Clemson Tigers came in and played the Canes tough. It was one of the best football games of the year. Clemson is a pretty good football team and could get another shot at Georgia Tech in the ACC championship game if they both continue to win.
5. West Virginia's fans and community are amazing. A tough loss to West Virginia capped a extremely difficult week for the UConn Huskies. The class displayed by, not only both teams in an emotionally charged football game, but by the student body and fans in Morgantown on Saturday was inspiring. A signed banner stating "We are all Huskies", and a standing ovation as UConn took the field tugged at heart strings. It was an amazing display of compassion. But I have come to expect nothing less from a team and community lead by one of the classiest guys in college football, Mountaineer head coach Bill Stewart.

Today there are some great NFL match-ups. I can't wait to see the Vikings and Steelers play. My fantasy team really needs a win, and I am going out on a limb starting a still gimpy Frank Gore. John won the college football picks for the second week in a row, going 7-3, moving him into second place overall with a record of 50-32. Lys and I both went 6-4, taking us to 47-35 and 54-28 overall respectively. Jess had another 5-5 week and sinks to 41-29 overall. Live like no one is watching and there will be a full weekend recap and a new top 25 on Monday night!

This Weeks Picks!!!!

The week in college football has already been fantastic. The games on Wednesday and Thursday were great. I was actually glad to see Florida State come back and beat North Carolina last night. It almost seems like the players are trying to save Bobby Bowden's job. And tonight Rutgers is playing Army on the West Point Campus which is fantastic. My favorite part about college football tommorrow is that ESPN's College Gameday is going to be broadcasting from the BYU-TCU game. That is amazing. Two top 25 teams in the Mountain West getting some love!! Well here we go with this week's picks.

1. USF at Pittsburgh- Pittsburgh was the pre-season favorite to win the Big East, whatever that is worth. They are lead by the gritty play of quarterback Bill Stull. But the real surprise on offense is the freshman running back Dion Lewis, who is picking up right where Lesean "Shady" McCoy left off. This team has played tough and are 3-0 in the Big East. They will be facing a very tough defense from South Florida lead by defensive end George Selvie. The Bulls defense is 18th in overall defense, and play hard. Also there will be a little revenge on the minds of South Florida as Pitt knocked them off at home last year. It will be interesting to see if the Bulls' freshman quarterback B.J. Daniels can get back on track after struggling last week. I am taking Pitt. Jess agrees and Lys is taking the USF. Now to hear from John: "3-0 at home vs. 3-0 at home. I think the Bulls defense (5th in scoring in the nation) will be able to contain the Pitt running game. USF"
2. Tennessee at Alabama- Tennessee is better than people think and getting better on offense all the time. Their Monte Kiffin lead defense has played well, including against high powered Florida. Some think they finally turned the corner with a route of rebuilding Georgia. I, however, am not convinced. Alabama is on a mission. They have been playing the best overall football in the country this year. Mark Ingram is a machine. He is in my top three for the Heisman. I think that Tennessee has the ability to contain him, and they will have to have a chance. I have to take Alabama. Everyone agrees.
3. Oklahoma at Kansas- Kansas has quietly been a very good team. They lost to Colorado last week, but I think they got caught looking ahead. Kansas has a top notch recieving core and Todd Reesing at quarterback isn't too shabby. They will be playing an Oklahoma defense that is just lights out. I think too much is being made of the loss of Sam Bradford. Landry Jones has thrown for 1,111 yards and 11 touchdowns in two games and some odd quarters. He is a great quarterback he just needs the faith of his teammates. They will have to play great on offense, but I think that Kansas gets it done. Jess and Lys picked Oklahoma. And now more from John: "The Sooners are 0-2 on the road, that coupled with no Sam Bradford equals no win. The Jayhawks will keep the Sooners unranked; Kansas."
4. UCLA at Arizona- Ok I am convinced. Arizona is a pretty good football team. The Wildcat offense has consistantly gotten better. UCLA has been sliding after a great start. I think Arizona will continue its winning ways. John and Lys agree, but Jess is being a rebel and taking UCLA.
5. TCU at BYU- I am so emotionally involved in this game it is ridiculous. I have been hyping this conference for about 4 years now, and have been a big TCU fan for just as long. Last year this game was a blow out in the Horned Frogs' favor. This year BYU will be looking to hand TCU a crushing loss. It will be tough. TCU's defense is ranked fourth in total defense and have a sufficient enough offense, with spark plug slot reciever Jeremy Curley leading the way. I am almost reluctant to pick TCU because it might mean their demise, but what the hell TCU. Lys and Jess took the fighting Mormons of BYU. And more from the mind of John: "TCU is the only team I really care about in Texas. I think their big defensive game will get the BYU offense off it's game and bring this series closer to even: TCU."
6. Auburn at LSU: Auburn's offense looked almost unstoppable early. Chris Todd, however has beeen more turnover proned in the last couple of weeks. The real question is; Cna LSU do enough on offense? Auburn's offense has been averaging 35 points per game, while the LSU offense is ranked 112th in the nation. I am the only one on this blog picking Auburn, they all picked LSU. Lys did have some trouble though, because she picks by mascot and both teams are the Tigers. John's reason: "LSU doesn't lose in Death Valley (unless of course they are playing Florida.)
7. Texas at Missouri- Texas has a great defense. I haven't seen enough, other than completion percentage, to keep Colt McCoy in the top of the Heisman race. He is doing enough to win. The craziest thing is that the Longhorns have only lost twice the week after winning the Red River Shootout. Missouri really hasn't looked that bad on offense. Blaine Gabbert has been efficient, but is a bit gimpy due to a sprained ankle. Mizzou has lost its last two and I don't see them winning this one. We are all taking Texas.
8. Oregon State at USC: Bad news for USC, Jacquizz Rodgers is still the running back at Oregon State. USC has showed some weakness by having some trouble tackling the shifty Rodgers. The good news is that the Trojans will be playing at home. USC has beat the Beavers 21 straight times in Los Angeles, despite losing two of the last three meetings to Oregon State, both in Corvallis. Rodgers is second in the Pac-10 in rushing yards. All this doesn't mean much though, because the Trojans are only giving up 68 yards rushing a game. The Trojan;s offense has struggled to be consistant behind freshman quarterback Matt Barkely. But he has done enough to win every game he has started at USC. Oregon State has been very hit or miss this year. It would be great to see them knock the Trojans completely out of the national title picture but I serioulsy doubt it will happen; John, Lys and I are all taking the USC. Jess rebels again and picks the upset with Oregon State.
9. Arkansas at Ole Miss- Arkansas is one of those teams that gets better each week. The Razorback defense has been good, and Ryan Mallet continues to impress me. Jevon Snead, the Ole Miss quarterback has been disappointing this year. To be honest this was the toughest game for me to pick. I am timidly taking Arkansas. The girls agree, but John is taking Ole Miss.

UPSET ALERT!!!!!!

10. Penn State at Michigan- Although they have struggled on the road, Michigan is 5-0 at home. Freshman quarterback Tate Forcier has shown signs of greatness, but his confidence may be wavering after he was benched for Denard Robinson late against Iowa. Penn State has played solidly on defense and their offense has come around in the last few weeks. They looked awful against Iowa, and quarterback Darell Clark has been so-so. Nittany Lion running back Evan Royster has been running well, and will more than likely have to carry the full load this week with back-up, Stefon Greene, nursing an ankle injury. Forcier and Denard Robinson will split time this week and that may cause consistancy problems for the Michigan offense. Still it is an upset pick so I am taking Michigan, funny thing is that everyone agrees with me.

John---------------Lys----------Jess----------Me

USF---------------USF----------PITT--------PITT

Bama-----------Bama---------Bama---------Bama

Kansas--------OU------------OU-------------Kansas

ZONA---------ZONA---------UCLA---------ZONA

TCU-----------BYU---------BYU------------TCU

LSU----------LSU----------LSU------------AUBURN

Texas--------Texas-------Texas----------Texas

USC---------USC--------Ore State---------USC

Ole Miss----ARK-------ARK---------------ARK

Mich--------Mich--------Mich----------Mich

Make sure you watch as much college football as possible tommorrow. There are a lot of great games. Live like no one is watching and GO BAD BANDITS!!!!!

A moment of reality...

Very rarely does reality creep into my make believe world of pretend sports writing. Unfortunately today that reality is sad. It seems that we quickly forget that the guys playing for our favorite college teams, are 18, 19, 20 year old kids. That fact has never been more evident than in the tragedy of Jasper Howard the 20 year old cornerback and special teams start at UConn. So here is what I know.

Jasper Howard was from Miami. He was an extremely talented high school star, and had a few choices of colleges, including some home state schools. He chose the University of Conneticut to escape the rough and tumble neighborhood he grew up in. In two years at the UConn Howard has shined on special teams and defense. Including winning the game ball shortly before that tragic Saturday night. After the game Howard and some of his teammates went to a school sponsored dance. Not some house party in a bad neighborhood. The kid was exactly where he should have been, celebrating the team's win over Louisville with a group of his peers. This is where details start to get shaky. There was a fight, and there are contradicting stories whether or not the football players where involved. In the melee, Howard was stabbed in the abdomen. A few of his Huskie teammates attempted in vain to stop the bleeding, Jasper Howard, soon to be father, passed away.

UConn head coach, Randy Edsall was called to identify the body and contact Howard's parents in Miami. You could see the weight of the tragedy on him as he told reporters, "This is not in my job description." I don't know the specifics of what this football team will have to overcome, but I do know what it is like to lose a member of your team, and the effect that can take on the individuals closest to him and the team as a whole. There will be countless of gestures this weekend honoring Jasper Howard, by all reports a good kid, including Clemson defensive back and Jasper's high school teammate Chris Chancellor wearing the number 6. The Huskies will take the field Saturday with heavy hearts against West Virginia. But as we all know that game will go a long way to mend broken hearts and lift spirits if only for sixty game minutes.

It is unfortunate that I have to write this blog. But as I mentioned I know what it is like to lose a teammate. You will never forget, but his memory is best honored by playing hard and living the right way. Live like no one is watching and remember this too shall pass.

Umm, OK!!!

What a great week of NFL football we had, not to mention my fantasy team won. The Sunday and Monday night games did not disappoint. The Patriots let loose in the snow and just piled the points on Tennessee. The Titans are downright awful, along with a quarter of the league. The four undefeated teams in the NFL are all playing lights out right now. And will someone please remind Brett Favre how old he is.

With all the crazy things going on out in the league, the most shocking is the Titans winless record. They lost Albert Haynesworth in the off season, but that doesn't explain why they can not throw, catch or kick. I am not sure that Kerry Collins is the answer, but can you trust Vince Young mentally? Their once dominant defense looks confused and weak. Another strange situation in the NFL is the Washington Redskins. They have yet to play a team with a win. And they are two and four in those games. Jim Zorn, a great coach, is getting the rug pulled from underneath him. I don't think that Washington needs a coach or quarterback change they just need to be sold to an owner who doesn't think he is Jerry Jones. But if they do change quarterbacks I would like to see Colt Brennan get a shot.

Some more great news this week is that my Broncos are 6-0. Like I said last week, I am still not 100% on board with Josh McDaniel, but he is still growing on me. The change on this team is in defensive mentality. Mike Nolan and Brian Dawkins have brought a new fire to this team. I am so pumped. Not to mention Tony Scheffler at tight end is a beast!

Well that is my meager attempt at an NFL wrap up. Live like no one is watching, and dress ugly and you will succeed!

Action packed weekend part 1!

Well this weekend is so full of awesomeness we are going to break it down into two parts. This morning will be the college, baseball and the preview of my big game tomorrow. Then tonight after the game or tomorrow, will be NFL/fantasy football. Since there is so much information in this robot brain of mine, it is time to get started.

Yesterday the BCS poll came out and it looked a little like I suspected, however there were a few surprises. I will give you five surprises:

1. There is no Oklahoma.. They have lost three of their first six, all to ranked opponents. I really thought they might sneak in at the bottom. But they didn't, I am not even sure they can work their way into the top eight. It is almost certain, barring a crazy finish to the season, that we will not see Oklahoma in a BCS game.
2. Two of the top 8 teams, the teams that play in the BCS bowls, are non-BCS teams. TCU and Boise State are in the top 8. You can rest assured that one of them, possibly TCU will get jumped no matter what they do. But if TCU beats BYU this week and Utah in the next few weeks, both teams are ranked in the top 25, it will be hard to argue the fact that they should get jumped by a one loss team.
3. Florida is in front of Alabama. With the human voting I can understand this. Florida is not playing great but they are playing to win. Alabama is playing the best, most consistent team in the country and have played a better schedule. I was astounded to see Florida first in the BCS.
4. Iowa is behind Cincinnati, and Boise. I think the reason for this is that Iowa started off of every one's radar. And since the two human polls are in the mix for the computers, that is the only explanation for Iowa being below these two.
5. Arizona is among the 2 loss teams in the top 25. This is crazy to me. They lost Iowa early and have played some mediocre teams close. This is the biggest surprise to me. They are a pretty decent team, but I am just flabbergasted that they are in the BCS top 25.

Everyone knows, that the top 10 or 12 are all that matter in the BCS because they have the best chances to make it into the BCS games. But it is always fun to look at all of it.

In our pick-ems this week John won, going 8-2 and taking him to 43-29 overall. Jess and Lys both went 5-5, taking them to 36-24 and 41-31 respectively. I went a meager 6-4 and am 48-24. This week came down to the last few games of the night, but John led the whole way. Now for the BUS top 25:

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Iowa
5. Cincinnati
6. TCU
7. Boise
8. USC
9. Miami
10. LSU
11. Oregon
12. Georgia Tech
13. Penn State
14. Oklahoma State
15. Virginia Tech
16. BYU
17. Houston
18. Pitt
19. Utah
20. Ohio State
21. West Virginia
22. Mizzou
23. Arizona
24. Kansas
25. South Carolina

Despite what some of ya ll think I am not completely ignorant to the fact that there is baseball playoffs going on. I am not, I just don't care for baseball all that much. I know this though. You shouldn't sleep on the Angels, even though A-rod is playing well. In fact A-rod now has hit the most game-tying home runs, after the 7th inning in the post season. He has three and he hit them all this year. Phillies should be up 3-0, but are at 2-1 after the bullpen blew a Pedro gem.

And finally tonight's game. Everyone knows that I am a huge Broncos fan and I cannot wait for this game. The Chargers have been a thorn in the side of my beloved Broncos for a few years now. I think this will be a good game and I am picking the Broncos, and that stiff defense. I do need the defense to do well so my friend Jason will win his Fantasy game. I advised him not to take the struggling Bucs defense against Carolina, well the Bucs defense did well, so I need the Broncos to do well so I don't look like an idiot.

Well that is the weekend minus the NFL. Live like no one is watching and enjoy your day!

I pick em you love em!

Ok, here is the breakdown. This weekend will be one of the biggest in college football to this point. Some teams we have been wanting to get tested will have that test this weekend. I am looking at you Longhorns. There is going to be nine games picked today, because we picked the Thursday game. And away we go!



Texas at Oklahoma- Believe it or not I think this will be a defensive match up. Texas has the fourth ranked defense in the nation, a stat bolstered by the fact they haven't played any top quality offenses. Oklahoma's defense is ranked ninth and they have played a very high powered offense in Miami, and a consistent offense from BYU. Colt McCoy leads the nation in passing efficiency, but has only thrown 10 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. Sam Bradford came back last weekend to attempt to shake the rust off after missing 3 weeks with a sprained shoulder. The good news is that the Oklahoma offense will have leading receiver Ryan Broyles back. This will be the first time since the first half of the BYU game that their entire offense will be healthy. I am taking Texas because it just seems like this is their year. But the underdog in this game always seems to find a way to win. Lys and John are taking the Longhorns and Jess believes Oklahoma will pull off the upset.



Iowa at Wisconsin- If you like a ton of offense this might not be the game to watch tomorrow. Both of these teams have inconsistent quarterbacks and only decent running games. These two defenses are phenomenal! Wisconsin is second in the nation in takeaways. This is a tough one to pick but I am going with Iowa, so is John. Lys and Jess are taking the Badgers.



Texas Tech at Nebraska- Tech has struggled this year. Junior quarterback and former walk-on Steven Scheffield might have the opportunity to make his second stop. Starting quarterback Taylor Potts missed last week with a concussion and Scheffield has the support of his team. The Blackshirt defense of Nebraska has got to play big today, but the Nebraska offense is the concern. They have struggled against quality opponents and it is important that they keep that high-powered Tech offense off the field. I am taking Nebraska. John and Jess agree, but Lys is sticking with the Red Raiders.

Cal at UCLA- Both of these teams need a Pac-10 win badly. They are both 0-2 and have both looked awful. Cal got blown out by Oregon and USC in back to back weeks, and UCLA got beat by Stanford and Oregon. After starting out 3-0 both teams have hit a two game skid. Jahved Best was my pick to win the Heisman this year but he is all but out of the running after two horrible games. I am calling this for Cal. But I am the only one.

Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech- Virginia Tech is playing as well as anyone in the country. The Hokie defense is playing lights out and Tyrod Taylor is emerging as a top quarterback. Georgia Tech is so back and forth. Their offense is tough to stop, until fatigue sets in. This is the worst conditioned football team in the nation. I am taking Virginia Tech. Once again I am the only one.

Stanford at Arizona- Arizona has a very good offense. Stanford has the best running offense in the country behind the hefty wheels of Toby Gerhart. I am still on the Stanford bandwagon.
Lys agrees, but John and Jess clearly refuse to back the Cardinal.

South Carolina at Alabama- South Carolina is a good football team. Steve Spurrier has taken a great defense and supplemented it with an emerging offense. Stephen Garcia, the Gamecocks, quarterback has been playing better each week. But he will playing against the most consistent defense in the nation. Alabama is the best complete team in the country. Greg McElroy is an added bonus to the Tide's great running game. This will be a great game, but I have to say Alabama will win. John agrees, but the girls love the Cocks, Gamecocks that is!

UPSET SPECIAL!!!!!!!!!!

USC at Notre Dame- It has been a while since I could say this, but Notre Dame has the advantage at quarterback. Jimmy Claussen has been playing as well as anyone. The biggest question is can his porous offensive line give him enough time to throw the ball. USC leads the nation in sacks, and that spells bad news for a gimpy Jimmy Claussen. Freshman quarterback Matt Barker has been a solid staple in the Trojan offense. But the grass looks long in South Bend and the Irish look ready for a fight. That's right I am taking my beloved IRISH!!!!! Everyone thinks I am an idiot.

Well that is that. Live like no one is watching and never watch the lingerie football league. Don't get me wrong I love girls in lingerie, and I love football, just keep em far away from one another.

LYS+++++++++++++JESS++++++++++JOHN+++++++ME
Texas+++++++++++OU+++++++++++Texas=======Texas
Wisc============Wisc=========Iowa========Iowa
UF=============UF===========UF==========UF
TT============NEB===========NEB=========NEB
UCLA==========UCLA=========UCLA========CAL
GT============GT+++++++++++GT++++++++++VT
Stan===========Zona=========Zona=========Stan
SouCar========SouCar========Bama=========Bama
USC==========USC++++++++++USC+++++++++++IRISH

Big East Showdown, anybody care?

This will be a battle of the Big East unbeatens. Cincinnati (which is impossible for me to spell right) has the nations third rated scoring offense. Tony Pike, the Bearcats quarterback, is a efficient and has been unshakable in the pocket. He has thrown 13 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. I guess it helps when you get to throw to Rudy Gilyard, the nation's coolest interview. The thing that helps this high-flying offense continue to have success, is a moderate running game. South Florida has been an emerging program for the last few years. Mid season breakdowns and a late season loss in 2007, when the Bulls reached number two in the AP poll, have ruined this team's chances at a BCS bowl. The Bulls coach, Jim Leavitt, is a fiery young guy who may have a job for life if he keeps this up. South Florida is in the top 5 in scoring defense and freshman quarterback B.J. Daniels has picked up right where Heisman hopeful Matt Groethe left off, making plays with both his legs and his arm. I have been wavering back and forth between these two teams. I like both of their style and we all know I love an underdog. (Mostly because in college football I am a total bandwagon fan.) But I think Cincinnati, will take it tonight. But it will be a great game because this is the first time that both these teams have met as ranked opponents. John and Jess are going with me on this Bearcat bandwagon, Lys is taking Florida pride to a whole new level and picking the Bulls.

Unfortunately the Boise State Broncos won last night, but barely. This was their last tough test of the season so we will probably see them in the top 5. But the fist BCS rankings come out on Sunday and if Cincinnati and USC win this weekend don't be surprised if they are both in front of the Bois in blue. (See what I did there, clever huh!) This is the first of 10 games we are picking this weekend, and I will have the rest of them up tomorrow. Live like no one is watching an fight for what you want!

PS: Unbeatens another word that isn't!

BUS Top 25

Just for the record my fantasy team has gone to poot! Thanks to all the injuries and my inability to add quality players, we now suck. If I were the owner I would fire my coach/gm. But that is neither here nor there. I am amazed at how many bad teams their are in the NFL. It is beyond me, how badly they are playing but I have a great idea. If you haven't won a game by week 9 you must move to the UFL! That is pure genius and I am in the process of patenting it. Anyway if you didn't know my Broncos are 5-0. That might be because we are the greatest team in history! (OK that might be just might be a touch of hyperbole!) Well the pics went like this, Jess won with a 7-3 record raising the girls streak to two weeks, and the rest of us went 6-4. That makes me 42-20 overall, Jess in in second ( based on win percentage) at 31-19, Lys is in 3rd with a record of 36-26, John is bringing up the rear at 35-27. Now for the BUS Top 25:

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Virginia Tech
5. Cincinnati
6. Iowa
7. Boise State
8. TCU
9. USC
10. Miami
11. LSU
12. Ohio State
13. Oregon
14. Penn State
15. Oklahoma State
16. Kansas
17. Nebraska
18. BYU
19. Georgia Tech
20. Oklahoma
21. South Florida
22. Houston
23. South Carolina
24. Wisconsin
25. Notre Dame

Well that is that! There are some great games starting on Wednesday with Boise State and Tulsa. This might be the last chance we get to see Boise State lose. Live like no one is watching and continue to follow your dreams!

5 things to know about the Denver Broncos

The Broncos beat the Patriots today and have started 5 and 0. The game was beautiful, despite the Broncos hideous throwback uniforms! As you all know I was very critical of new coach Josh McDaniels and all of his off season moves. But he has the team locked in and they are playing good football. So I thought I would give all of my Bronco fans, and readers that need to get on the bandwagon, some things to think about!

1. We Could've done this with Mike Shanahan- Mike Shanahan and Josh McDaniels are both great offensive minds. Their philosophies center on running first and playing hard. But the difference this year is defense. Most Bronco fans know that defense has been the problem for the last couple of years. McDaniels hired Mike Nolan as the defensive coordinator and he has the defense playing like mad men. Unfortunately the change on defense had to come with a change at the top.
2. We couldn't have done it this way with Jay Cutler- When we traded Jay Cutler for Kyle Orten I was astounded. Kyle Orten had not looked solid and Jay Cutler was a pro-bowler. But Orten has been sound. He doesn't have the gunslinger do it all attitude. He is comfortable to just make the passes. Orten threw his first interception of the year today. This time last year Cutler had thrown 4 and it only got worse.
3. Knowshon Moreno is going to get better- Our running game has been inconsistent at times. I want to believe that is due to Moreno being young and still recovering from his leg injury. As he gets further in to the swing of the season he will start to hit those big explosive runs we saw in college.
4. We still have to play the Chargers- The Chargers have been an Achilles heel for the Broncos for a while. Hopefully a lot of that was because they were in the head of Jay Cutler. San Diego hasn't played great football this year but know they will be bring their A+ game against the Broncos.
5. Josh McDaniels is growing on me- Not because of his coaching style or even his decisions. But because of his passion. I thought he handled the Brandon Marshall situation well and, honestly, the wins don't hurt. But his celebration after the overtime field goal today showed just how important this win, and the success of this team is to him.

Well read and discuss among yourselves. Live like no one is watching and mustard and yellow jerseys plus brown pants equals undefeated!

Picks and stuff!

Tomorrow is a full slate of great games starting with the Bad Bandits at 10:00 am. But that is for another time. I am really excited about the day of college football. Not only the marquee games like Florida at LSU, but the other games under the radar, like Houston at Mississippi State. Without further ado here are the picks.

Auburn at Arkansas- Auburn averages 521 yards per game, that is fifth in the country. Arkansas looks good, but they are still not great. This is one of those look ahead games. Auburn has a rough schedule ahead of them, but I don't see them falling here. I am taking Auburn, and so is Jess. John and Elysa think there is an upset brewing and took Arkansas.

Oklahoma State at Texas A&M- Despite losing to Houston, Oklahoma State is still a pretty good football team. Unfortunately they will be playing without All-American wide receiver Dez Bryant. With all of the distraction surrounding Bryant's suspension the Texas A&M Aggies have a chance to sneak in and steal a win. But A&M looked rough against a good Arkansas defense last week. But their offense wasn't the biggest problem, their defense couldnt stop anyone. I am taking Oklahoma State with Elysa. JOhn and Jess are picking with the Kyle field advantage and taking Texas A&M.

Alabama at Ole Miss- Alabama is a great all around football team, probably the best in the country. They have consistently played better than anyone else. Ole Miss showed signs of weakness stumbling against a good South Carolina defense, and haven't played anyone else that measured up talent wise. I think this one might get ugly, and Alabama will be doing the whooping. We all agree.

Oregon at UCLA- UCLA is a good football team. They did lose a tough game against PAC-10 leader Stanford. Oregon has looked great since losing to Boise State in the season opener. Oregon right now is playing some good, inspired, football and I don't think this week will be any different. I am taking Oregon, and all but John agree.

Stanford at Oregon State- Stanford has the best running back in the nation, according to me. Toby Gerhart is averaging 130 yards per game and has eight touchdowns. Oregon State, on the other hand, has found it hard to find their stride. Stanford is playing with purpose and will "run" away with this one. I am obviously taking Stanford, and all agree except Jess.

Florida at LSU- Even without Tim Tebow this may not be much of a game. LSU has the worst offense in the SEC and Florida has the best defense. Location and hype may be able to make this a close game, but Florida will win. Everyone agrees.

Michigan at Iowa- Michigan is playing well, but struggled on the road last week. They are young and will be facing another tough test this week in Iowa. The Hawkeyes have proven themselves in tough games, beating Penn State in Happy Valley. They did struggle last week against Arkansas State, but that might have been their stumble game. I'll be rooting for Michigan, but Iowa should and will win. We are split on this one with Elysa agreeing with me and John and Jess taking the Wolverines.

Houston at Mississippi State- Mississippi State is a good defensive team that has proven they can hang with good teams. The Bulldogs have trouble finishing. Houston showed a weak link letting UTEP run all over them last week. Mississippi's running game might prove to be a problem again, but I really think Houston will get back on track this week. Lys is the only one who disagrees.

Arizona at Washington- Washington is a pretty good football team, but they are not there yet. Arizona is a good team and have played a decent schedule, their only loss is against Iowa. Washington has played some tough games as well. I think that this might be the best game of the weekend. I am taking Arizona and so is Jess, Lys and John are sticking with Washington.

UPSET ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!

Wisconsin at Ohio State- Wisconsin is a good football team, but hasn't played a ranked opponent. They will be heading into the Horseshoe which is always a tough place to play. This will be an old school battle in the trenches with Ohio State 10th in run defense and Wisconsin 14th in rush offense. I am taking Wisconsin, along with Elysa. John and Jess agree again taking Ohio State.

Well those are the picks this week. A quick thought, Dez Bryant is suspended for lying about a meeting with Deon Sanders. Apparently the meeting was not improper, so it is the lie that Bryant is in trouble for. Bryant needs to take responsibility and get back on the field. Live like no one is watching and pray for the family of Southern Miss walk on punter, Peter Wilkes, who was killed in a gun accident this weekend.

JOHN--------------------JESS---------------LYS--------------ME
ARK----------------------Auburn-----------ARK------------Auburn
A&M--------------------A&M--------------OKState--------OK STATE
UCLA-------------------Oregon----------Oregon----------Oregon
Stanford--------------OreState-----------Stanford--------Stanford
UF---------------------UF------------------UF---------------UF
Michigan-------------Iowa---------------Michigan-------Iowa
Houston------------Houston------------Miss State------Houston
Wash---------------Arizona------------Wash----------Arizona
UPSET ALERT!!!!
OSU----------------OSU--------------WISC-------------WISC

PS: My hometown Wildcats beat the Hobbs Eagles tonight! GO BIG BLUE!!!!

North Hold

The past five years have been the same for the Big 12 north. It didn't matter how good you did or what your record was you were playing for the opportunity to get beat by Oklahoma or Texas, but mostly Oklahoma. But something seems to be brewing in the North Division. Missouri and Nebraska are looking pretty good. Every team in the North has a winning record except for Colorado. The problem is only two of the North teams have played a conference game.

The match up tonight is extremely intriguing. Missouri is undefeated behind the spectacular play of sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert has yet to throw an interception. He is playing lights out, no matter the quality of opponent. Missouri's offense can score points, but the knock it still there, they haven't played any great, or even good teams.

Nebraska's Blackshirt Defense has only allowed 27 points this year. They, like Missouri, have not really played anyone with the exception of Virginia Tech. Nebraska lost to Virginia Tech by one point. The Cornhusker defense only gave up 16 points, but the offense and the special teams of Virginia Tech was outstanding. I believe that Nebraska is on track to be good. Zac Lee is a good quarterback and if the defense can keep playing well, they have a legitimate shot to not only win the north, but maybe play in a BCS game. That is if they can win tonight and beat Kansas and Oklahoma. Their schedule is set up for them to make a strong BCS run.

Now for John's thoughts:
"This is probably a show of who will be the Big 12 North contender. Neither team has played any team that was a measure of their talent, and when Nebraska did face a challenge they folded. I haven't been able to watch much football this year and there is so much of a game that doesn't come across while watching the ESPN game cast, or through the articles written about the teams, so calling this one is a bit hard. I like the changes that Pelini has made in Nebraska and I hope to see the legendary Blackshirt defense back on top. It may be the only thing that saves them from the offenses of the Big 12 south. Here's to turning around an 0-7 losing streak on the road against ranked teams. Go Huskers!"

Damn John with a little statitude! I like it. Live like no one is watching and screw the playoff baseball, watch a little college football tonight! Go Huskers!

Rush Defense....

For those of you who don't know my politics lean left. And by lean I mean I am a bleeding heart liberal compared to most of my friends. So when I heard that Rush Limbaugh was in a group bidding for the St. Louis Rams I was horrified. But then I thought; how bad could it be. So I decided to be objective and write this with as little opinion as possible. (Ok that is a lie. This is my opinion!)

First let us start with Rush Limbaugh the entertainer. Rush is a shock jock, nothing more. I don't understand why people continue to think of him as a political analyst or legitimate candidate for Republican supremacy. He is little more than a comedian. He is a well educated man, with highly offensive things to say. But I don't know him personally so I don't know if he truly believes the things he says. But it is the things he says that might keep him from being an owner of an NFL franchise, even if they are to rile up the masses! Rush came under some fire already while trying to be a sports commentator. He voiced an opinion about the sports media and their desire to see a black quarterback succeed. While his statement might have been spot on, it is not the thing you can say openly in America without drawing some fire. However these comments where mild compared to some of the other quotes attributed to Mr. Limbaugh. I was going to post them here but I can't find any that I can actually prove he said. The biggest problem with Rush, as he continues his quest to own a football team, is that he is very polarizing. Whether his persona is manufactured or real, people have strong feelings about him. He is not a nice person on his radio show which is all we really get to hear of him.

The question I have for Rush is; can he run the team without letting his politics get in the way? I think that this would be the biggest challenge for him. The only way to make it happen would be to quit his radio show. He has to say things on his show to keep his radio fan base, things that might not go over well with his football fan base. Is it fair of us to ask him to give up his radio show to chase his dream of owning a football team? Is it our fault that he cannot be the owner of a football franchise?

I asked a ton of people what they thought about this, an unofficial poll if you will. I got very different responses. But the overall consensus is that if he can separate the two he is fine. I just don't think that he can. The truth is I hate Rush Limbaugh. I think that he uses his freedom of speech to divide the country that I love, but he has to be a good business man, because he has a very successful business. It is not like there are no politics among NFL owners, the owner of the Steelers is the American ambassador to Ireland, but he is also not a controversial figure in the very divided world of politics. It leaves a lot to think about, but here is my opinion: Rush Limbaugh should be allowed to own a team. But if he wants to be successful he will have to watch what he says, and I don't think it is in him to do so. Live like no one is watching and do what you want, but watch what you say.

Randomness and The top 25!!

Another week in college football, and I have one less chance for a non-BCS team to play for a national title. In fact probably my best shot, Houston, went down in a heap of bad rush defense. This has been a sad recurrence, every year. I start hyping non-BCS teams and they eventually break my heart. Well thank you Houston, you have done it again. So here are 10 things I found out this weekend, that you may not care about:

1. Jimmy Clausen is the top ranked quarterback in the NCAA, but hasn't beat a team with a winning record yet.
2. The Broncos hired an offensive coach, but improved on defense....?
3. Wyoming's state flag has a buffalo on it, A BUFFALO!
4. Sportscenter has mentioned Brett Favre at least a billion times this weekend and i still don't care!
5. Peyton Manning tied Fran Tarkenton on the NFL all time passing TD list, and has the highest completion percentage of the four.
6. The Browns, Oakland, and St. Louis are all awful football teams.
7. University of Miami is as good as we thought, and it really was just a bad week against Virginia Tech.
8. Tony Romo and Terrell Owens deserve each other!
9. Toby Gerhart might be the best running back in the NCAA and I bet you don't know what team he plays for.
10. My fantasy team actually sucks! We are now 2 and 2 after starting 2 and 0.

There are two things that really pissed me off this weekend. The first one was the excessive celebration call in the LSU-Georgia game. I hate that this is an issue. If you are not demeaning a member of the other team, or taunting, you should be allowed to celebrate. I tell the boys on my team, to celebrate as a team, and that is what the teams did in this game. This is a stupid rule that is removing the fun from the game. The second angering moment was the bull mess roughing call against the Ravens' Terrell Suggs. Ray Lewis had it right in his post game rant. There has to be some latitude in the rules. It is starting to get ridiculous. I am all for safety but to play football you have to take hits. And unfortunately some of those hits will inadvertently be low, or high, or whatever. Let the kids play! Now for another list because I like them. Here is my top 5 surprises in the NFL.

1. The 49ers are good.
2. The Detroit Lions are better than their record.
3. Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn both suck.
4. They are letting Matt Millen do commentary.
5. The Super Bowl teams are a combined 3-4.

Well enough of this goofiness. Let's try the top 25.

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. LSU
5. Cincinnati
6. Virginia Tech
7. Boise State
8. TCU
9. Iowa
10. USC
11. Ohio State
12. Miami
13. Penn State
14. Auburn
15. Oklahoma State
16. Oregon
17. Kansas
18. Ole Miss
19. BYU
20. Wisconsin
21. Nebraska
22. Stanford
23. Mizzou
24. USF
25. OU

The picks went as I predicted, except not like I predicted. Does that make sense? No, ok. Lys won the week at 8-2, Jess came in second at 5-5, and John and I tied at 4-6. It was a tough week, like I thought it would be. Lys will be writing the guest blog this week because that was the deal if she won a week. (To be honest I never thought it would happen, she picks by mascot for cheese and rice!) Live like no one is watching and never underestimate the luck of the ignorant!

Pick ems that might sink me!

We picked ten extremely tough games this week. Hopefully I will go 5 and 5 and not 0 and 10, both of which are possibilities. So let's get this party started!



Michigan at Michigan State- This will be Michigan's first road game of the season. With such a young team that could prove to be a problem. It will be an especially big test for freshman quarterback, Tate Forcier. Although Michigan State is not bad, they have definitely not looked good. Both of the Spartan quarterbacks have the tendency to throw interceptions. This will be a tougher game for the Wolverines than some might think, but I am picking Michigan any way. John and Jess agree, but Lys is picking the Spartans. John says; "I really want to take the Spartans on this one because I have a soft spot for this team, but I don't know if they can do it."



UCLA at Stanford- UCLA is a shaky 3 and 0. They have not played anyone, unless you count Tennessee. Stanford is a solid and consistent. Toby Gerhart is a big, sure footed running back who is hard to bring down, he has an uncanny ability to wear out defensive lines. This will be a battle for the top spot in the Pac-10, yeah that's right, UCLA and Stanford are playing for the top spot in the Pac-10. This, like most picks today, is scary because we don't know how good these teams are. John and I are taking Stanford, and the girls are taking UCLA.



Washington at Notre Dame- Notre Dame is a decent football team. Jimmy Clausen is still nursing a turf toe injury and is also down a receiver. Washington is looking better every week, even in the loss to Stanford. Jake Locker is gaining confidence to go along with all of his skill. I feel that Washington is on the right track, but just not there yet. Notre Dame is teetering on a dangerous edge, they might not be any good. We will see this week, I am taking Washington. John and I agree again, and the girls took the Irish.



Georgia Tech at Mississippi State- Georgia Tech needs to have a big game to get their season back on track. It won't be easy because Mississippi State is a sound defense . We all took GT.



Texas A&M at Arkansas- This is really more like a home game for A&m, considering it is being played in the new Dallas Cowboy stadium. Texas A&M is another team we don't know much about. Aggie quarterback Jerrod Johnson is a great runner in the read/run option offense made famous by the Vince Young led Longhorns. Arkansas has shown flashes of being good, but they get penalized a ton. They also have a shaky defense, that gets tired and struggles late. A&M is a decent team and are coming into this game with a lot of confidence, so I am taking Texas A&M. John agrees, and the girls took Arkansas.



Auburn at Tennessee- Auburn is good and has been flying under the radar. There is a lot of talent on both teams, Auburn just seems to be getting the most out of theirs. I think that Tennessee is close to busting loose on offense and their defense is tough, this is just not the week they get it done. The girls and I took Auburn. John believes the Vols will get it done.



USC at Cal- Cal looked horrible last week. Heisman hopeful Jahvid Best only rushed for 55 yards. They will have their hands full with a defense that leads the nation in sacks, and is tough against the run. USC is still solid and are looking to get back into the hunt in the Pac-10 and nationally. This is another toss-up but I am taking Cal. Lys and Jess are taking USC, and John is taking Cal because "maybe not but screw USC." My sentiments exactly!



Oklahoma at Miami- Oklahoma is going to play without returning Heisman trophy winner, Sam Bradford. There won't be much drop off on the field, but the leadership off the field in a hostile environment will definitely be noticeable. OU is a big 12 rarity because they have a good defense. They have pitched two shutouts, including one over high powered Tulsa.

Miami is a good team that is getting better. But it is always hard for young teams to overcome big losses. You have to wonder if they will be able to get up for yet another big game. If they are going to stay in this game they will have to get pressure on Landry Jones, which will be a task in itself considering OU's oft questioned offensive line is playing better than expected and Miami's defense is 85th in the country in sacks. I think this will be the game of the week. I am taking OU. John and Jess have my back, and Lys is the only believer in the 'Canes.

Wyoming at FAU- We are only picking this game because Lys and I are going to watch it! I am taking Wyoming and so is John. Lys and Jess are taking the Owls.

UPSET ALERT!!!!!!

LSU at Georgia- LSU is last in the SEC in offense. They needed big plays and a goal line stand to survive against Mississippi State. Georgia is a solid football team and are poised enough to pull of the upset. Joe Cox is a good quarterback and should have the arm to blaze the shaky LSU secondary.Not to mention Mark Richt has Les Miles number, LSU has not beaten Georgia under Les miles. UGA will win the . John and Jess are on board but like usually Lys is taking LSU because she thinks I am full of crap!

Well that is the picks for this week. Now for some after thoughts:

1. Watch the story on Mark Herzlich tomorrow on College Gameday. He is the Boston College linebacker who beat cancer and now has dreams of playing football again.
2. Tiger Woods has now earned a billion dollars over his career! I think he should but the LPGA tour and make it HUGE!!!!
3. Oregon coach Chip Kelly is thinking of reinstating running back Legarrette Blount. His intentions my not be pure but I think it is the right idea. The punishment was too stiff in the first place.
4. Joe Flacco might be for real, but we will find out this weekend when the Ravens play the Patriots.
5. You can put hot sauce on grits, but not on oatmeal, go figure!

Thanks for reading and live like no one is watching.

Lys----------------Jess---------------John----------------Me

MSU------------Michigan-----------Michigan-----------Michigan

UCLA----------UCLA---------------Stanford------------Stanford

ND------------ND-------------------Washington--------Washington

GT------------GT------------------GT-------------------GT

Arkansas---Arkansas----------A&M-----------------A&M

Auburn----Auburn-------------Tenn-------------Auburn

USC-------USC-----------------Cal---------------Cal

Miami---OU-----------------OU-----------------OU

FAU------FAU-------------Wyoming---------Wyoming

LSU-----UGA-------------UGA---------------UGA