Left Overs!

Turkey sandwiches and turkey spaghetti are definitely in my future, an more picks are obviously in yours! Here we go!

Clemson at South Carolina- Clemson has won seven of the last nine against their in-state rivals. These two teams just seem headed in opposite directions. South Carolina has lost 4 of it's last 5. The usually stout defense seems to have lost its way, giving up an average of almost 30 points in the last three games. Clemson on the other hand is rolling. They have won the last six games after dropping a heart breaker to Maryland in the first week in October. I really like this Clemson team and the heart they play with week in and week out. They have a do it all running back in C.J. Spiller. Spiller is the only player in NCAA Div I to score a touchdown in every game this season and he does it in every way imaginable. He throws, runs, catches, and returns kicks for scores. He is high on the Heisman list and this Clemson team is rolling right along with him. I am taking Clemson big on the road. Elysa sees it differently, she is taking the GameCocks. Jess of course is taking Clemson and so is John.

Oklahoma State at Oklahoma- Any other year this would be a no brainer. The Sooners at home against their state rival, I am taking Oklahoma. But this year is a bit different. The Sooners sport a stout defense, but their offense seems to have no faith in freshman quarterback, Landry Jones. State on the other hand is rolling. They weathered the storm last week without their starting quarterback, Zac Robinson, who will return under center this week. In the absence of Dez Bryant, an array of weapons have begun to surface for the Cowboys' offense. Oklahoma State still has a chance at a BCS at-large bid, especially with Boise struggling a bit at home right now against Nevada. I am taking Oklahoma State, over the Sooners. John and Lys agree, Jess believes Oklahoma can get it done.

Florida State at Florida- Bobby Bowden is bowl eligible again. Which takes a little pressure off of him for this game. Meaning he doesn't have to win. That is a good thing for him considering he will probably be without his gritty starting quarterback Christian Ponder. Florida will be in full force. Although the Gators do not have much to play for against the Seminoles, a win will assure them a no doubt chance at a national championship if they beat Alabama in the SEC championships. I am taking Florida and I think that the starters will be out by the third quarter. Everyone has my back on this one.

Utah at BYU- Both of these teams have played extremely well this year. It is unfortunate that they have not gotten the coverage they deserve. Max Hall, the Cougar quarterback, threw for almost 400 yards last week. Utah still has the same style of stout defense that destroyed BYU's passing game last year. This is a game for second place in the Mountain West, but the bad blood in this rivalry runs deep. This is one of those toss up games that makes picking tough but I am taking BYU. Lys took the Mormon squad as well, with John and Jess taking the Utes.

Georgia at Georgia Tech- The Georgia Tech "Rambling Wreck" is slowly becoming my favorite college football team. Paul Johnson runs that old school triple option made popular by the service academies. Last year in this big rivalry game Tech surprised Georgia beating the Dawgs 45-42 and racking up over 400 yards rushing. It was the first Georgia Tech win in the state rivalry in this decade. Georgia is a young team that has struggled all season. Although revenge is on their mind, I am not sure that they have the fire power to win. Georgia Tech will win and keep their BCS hopes alive. Lys is taking the YellowJackets, John and Jess are taking UGA.

Notre Dame at Stanford- It looks like Charlie Weiss might be on his way out. Despite the players' efforts to back him, back to back losses to Navy and UConn are devastating. The task does not get any easier this week as they travel to Stanford. Stanford stumbled last week against Cal, but have been playing well down the stretch. Toby Gerhart, arguably the Heisman front runner, has ran for almost 600 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in his last 3 games against the likes of Oregon, USC, and Cal. Jim Harbaugh is doing amazing things in Stanford, and this may unfortunately be an audition for that Notre Dame job. I am taking Stanford. John and Lys agree. Jess took Notre Dame.

Arkansas at LSU- LSU will be tested again at home, where they rarely lose. Their strong defense will be under fire all game. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallet is the best in the SEC. LSU's offense has yet to materialize. They continue to struggle behind quarterback Jordan Jefferson. I do believe that the defense is strong enough to get the job done. I am taking LSU. We are split again on this one as Jess agrees, but John and Lys are picking the Razorbacks in the upset at home.

I hope that you got the chance to watch some college football today as the games did not disappoint. Alabama came back from 14 down to beat Auburn. Tulsa hung on to beat Memphis in overtime. West Virginia upset Pitt. Nebraska took care of business against Colorado. Rutgers, Central Michigan, and Ohio put their offenses on display. Boise State and Nevada was a pretty good game for about 2 and a half quarters. On Thursday Colt McCoy played his way back into the Heisman race and beat Texas A&M. In the Friday Picks, John, Jess and I went 3-0 and Lys went 2-1. It is shaping up to be a good weekend of football.

In some bizaaro news, Tiger Woods was injured in an apparent car accident early Friday morning. It was initially reported that he was in serious condition, then as the afternoon progressed it turned out that he was treated and released for facial lacerations. Now TMZ is reporting that the cuts on Tiger's face came from a fight with his wife. Weird.

That is the end of that. Live like no one is watching and help yourself to one more helping!

Blame it on the Tryptophan!

Wow, I am writing this from the floor of my living room, mostly because I cannot move. I now know why they call this Black Friday, because I am still feeling like I am going to blackout. Yesterday's football extravaganza went almost exactly like I thought it would. The Lions and the Raiders were embarrassed. My Broncos ended their slide by beating the Giants. The best game of the day was the Texas and Texas A&M shootout. Both offenses were out in full force. It was fun to watch and Colt McCoy finally got his win in Kyle Field. We are picking three games today, so let's get those started.

Alabama at Auburn- We are starting with the Iron Bowl! This is a great chance for Auburn to sneak up and beat Alabama. Auburn has looked great at times on offense, and their defense is solid enough, with a decent secondary. If they dedicate themselves to stopping Mark Ingram, I am not sure the Alabama passing game can beat the Tigers. But stopping Ingram is a task. He is the front runner for the Heisman on most of the lists I have seen. As much as I want to see an upset, I am taking Alabama, along with the rest of my pick and choosers. Jess, Lys, and John all picked the Tide.

Pitt at West Virginia- The Backyard Brawl is up next. (I think it awesome that two of the three games we are picking today have cool names attached to them!) West Virginia is a very talented football team. They have flown under the radar, but are fast and an all around good football team. Pitt, in my opinion is underrated. They have played above and beyond all expectations. They have to win this game to keep pace with a very good Cincinnati team, and have a chance at the Big East's bid for the BCS. I am not sure that the Pitt defense has the speed to defend the high flying offense of West Virginia. I would like to see the game between Cinci and Pitt mean a lot next week, but I am not sure that is going to happen. I am taking West Virginia at home. John and Jess agree, but Lys has decided to pick Pitt.

Nevada at Boise State- Another sticky game for a top 10 team. Boise State still has a lot of work to do if TCU keeps winning. With TCU ranked so high Boise State is not assured a BCS at large bid. Nevada has perfected the pistol offense and always play at the highest level. However this Boise defense is one of the toughest around. Kellen Moore, the Broncos' quarterback, is the most legitimate quarterback candidate for the Heisman. He has been close to flawless this year. On top of all this talent, Boise State has NEVER been beaten at home on the Smurf Turf by a WAC opponent. That is zero times. Boise State wins today but don't be surprised if it is close. Everyone agrees.

Well those are the three Friday games that we are picking. We will have the other seven up tomorrow. Enjoy your post Turkey Day football extravaganza. Live like no one is watching, and check out some of the college basketball today as well!

Weak in review

Here we go. Another week has gone by. College football is sadly coming to a close. But the good thing is some of the bowls are starting to shape up. NFL football is in full swing and is killing my fantasy team. I am excited to get started so here we go.

The two biggest stories of the weekend come from areas that are often overlooked by the qualified writer of this publication. First in NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson won his forth straight Sprint Cup championship. Four titles in any event (Notice how twice now I have not used the word sport for NASCAR, it is not a sport it is a past time. I drive fast everyday and turn left often enough and all I have ever gotten were speeding tickets and middle fingers!) is an amazing accomplishment. We members of the Belly Up Nation have a full beer for Jimmie Johnson, unless of course he is driving. Another four time winner comes from women's golf. Lorena Ochoa was named the LPGA player of the year for the fourth consecutive time. In a sport (I use the word sport here because golf is tough and I get tired when I play, of course I am chasing my ball all over the course) that is dominated by sexy superstars, Lorena Ochoa has consistently been a great player and a great role model. Just another reason that we need the LPGA. (Not to mention the afore mentioned sexy chicks that play! I love you Natalie Gulbis!)

In the NFL their was more craziness. The Colts won an ugly game in Baltimore to stay undefeated. The other undefeated team in the NFL, the Saints, also won. They demoralized the hapless Buccaneers. The Dolphins won on Thursday behind the legs of 32 year old Ricky Williams. Williams is the most productive back over thirty in a long time. ( Apparently marijuana is a performance enhancing drug.) As I said yesterday morning in my short rant my Broncos continued on their slide to obscurity. The Lions had a "big" win on Sunday as well. They beat the other worse team in the NFL, the Cleveland Browns. The only news from this game is that Matthew Stafford is improving and may turn out to be a pretty good quarterback. (Only if he gets traded to team with an offensive line!) Everyone is infatuated with Vince Young and his return to glory. But I, a Vince Young fan, am not sold completely on said return. He is being protected by a great running game and has not had his guts tested yet. I want to see how he reacts to a hostile crowd or a loss. But I am anxiously awaiting his return. (Then I can finally get the Titans jersey I almost bought last year until they benched Young for the ageless Kerry Collins.)

Coming this week in the NFL is the ever so popular Thanksgiving games. We have the Raiders at the Cowboys, the Packers at the Lions, and the Giants at the Broncos. Other than the fact that I am a Broncos fan, none of these games sound that interesting. The Lions and the Raiders are among the NFL's worst teams. The Cowboys and the Packers neither one look very solid. And the Broncos and Giants have a combined record of 2 and 8 over the last 5 weeks. Yeehaw here we go! These games have me wishing the Macy's Day Parade was extended by 12 hours.

Here comes some college knowledge! So there is no confusion, Charlie Weiss lost his job this weekend with that loss to UConn. TCU dominated again, proving they are the best all around team in the nation. They may not have the talent to hang with some of the big dogs but we will never know until they play one of those teams. Colt McCoy was solid again, and it doesn't matter what Tim Tebow or Mark Ingram did this weekend because they both played junior high flag football teams. The Bad Bandits stood a better chance against Alabama then Chattanooga did. LSU lost a close one to Ole Miss ending their chances at a BCS bowl run. I have a question, does anyone agree that Oklahoma State, with a win this weekend, has a case to jump Boise State for an at large bid into the BCS? Discuss amongst yourselves and then get back to me. Toby Gerhart of Stanford solidified, in my eyes, his bid for the Heisman with another strong performance in the loss to Cal. He may get a chance to pad his stats against a lack-luster Notre Dame defense this week. Speaking of Notre Dame, if the fan who sucker-punched Jimmy Claussen reads this blog (Which is highly unlikely because that would require brain cells) you are an idiot. This is not a way to convince the junior to come back for a senior season. Let's weigh his options; get punched in the face by idiots or make millions of dollars. Seems like a no-brainer to me! (Of course he could sign an MMA contract and do both!) Now on to the BUS top 25:

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

Yes TCU is number 2. If Florida and Alabama win this weekend they may earn their spots back. But TCU showed me more this weekend against a conference opponent, then either SEC powerhouse.

I want to take a special minute to remember boxer Francisco Rodriguez. Paco, as he was known to his friends and family was killed in the ring this weekend. In an unselfish act by his family to carry out his wishes, eight of his organs will be donated to waiting patients including his uncle. This story defies logic and has been on my mind all weekend. We over use the words warrior and hero in sports. But I think that, while the first only applies in context, the word hero is the only one that I can use to describe this young man. Live like no one is watching and remember to be thankful for those who do the right thing no matter the extenuating circumstances.

P.S. Since I won't be able to blog tomorrow or Thursday I want to let everyone know what I am thankful for. I am thankful for my healthy family and the blessing of employment in tough times. I am also very thankful for you my faithful readers for your incite and feedback! It is because of you that I am able to continue to do this!

Panic at the Broncos!

Another football weekend gone by. There seems to be a consistent pattern, both my fantasy team and my Broncos lose. It is an awful traumatic experience but I am starting to adjust.

Yesterday the Broncos played the biggest game of the year, and didn't even show up. The game was for the lead in the AFC West and the Chargers blew the doors right off of Denver. Our once efficient offense sputtered and stalled. IT got so bad we had to bring back in our injured quarterback because our back up, Chris Sims just couldn't get anything done. I wasn't impressed with our once tough defense, that gave up 32 points. It was no fun to be a Bronco fan. I didn't panic after the first or the third loss, but I am officially pulling my hair out and running around screaming. We are in full holy poop mode around here. The Broncos really are a pretty bad team.

That's enough of that! Today is my big brother John's 28th birthday! John is responsible for my obsession with Entourage and my love of the Sopranos. Thanks to him and no cable when we first moved to Arlington I found these two shows. John is a huge Maryland Terrapin fan and since I have nothing good to say about their football team I want to let everyone know that both men's ans women's basketball teams are undefeated!! So Happy Birthday John! Live like no one is watching and FEAR THE TURTLE!!!

Abort MIssion

My goal for writing this blog was to add some fan mania to legitimate facts. I have worked at being accurate and funny. I strive to give you the best that I have to offer. But all this effort seems to be futile. Because apparently all you have to do is pick by friggin mascot!

The picks this week went horribly awry! Lys won for the second time this year and did it in very dominating fashion. For those of you who don't know Lys picks by mascot. And this week she went 8-2. That's right 8 wins and 2 losses. She had a chance to go 10 and 0 if it weren't for two crazy upsets. If Wisconsin and Notre Dame had taken care of business, this very well might have been the last blog that I wrote. Every one else in the picks went 4-6. This is just stupid.

Well I have nothing else to say. I am flabbergasted and my credibility is shot. I stand before you a humbled man with no sense as to where I will go from here. Maybe I will take a job as a mascot somewhere. Live like no one is watching, and if you need football advice, call Lys!

A different look at football

Usually I would spend this time breaking down the games for Saturday, but I want to do something different. For those of you who don't know I coach a flag football team every Saturday morning. It is one of the most gratifying things I have ever done, and it is over tomorrow. So I am going to break down our game tomorrow.

Bad Bandits at Team 17: Well the first leg up goes to the Bandits, because we have a team name. Our running game has struggled but with Chris Swan playing more consistent at quarterback, we may not need to run the football. Receivers Jeron Jagiel and Mason "the Diesel" Cummins have been shining. Not to mention Mason leads the league in interceptions. ( I made that last part up because we do not keep stats!) Team 17 is tough and will have their offense firing on all cylinders. The Bad Bandits defense will have their hands full, and may have to stray from their usual zone, and try to match up man to man. It will be a great day of football, and I am taking the Bad Bandits.

This has been a rewarding season, and I hope that the boys have learned as much as I have. Now for the picks.

Ohio State at Michigan- I am taking Michigan at the Big House. The other three took Ohio State.
Oklahoma at Texas Tech- Texas Tech has only been a shell of it's self. I am taking Oklahoma on the back of that strong defense. John agrees but the girls are taking Tech.
LSU at Ole Miss- LSU is still trying to make a BCS bowl and they have an outside chance to get there. John and Jess think I am a genius, Lys just hates LSU and is taking Ole Miss.
Cal at Stanford- Cal will be without Jahvid Best again this week. I am taking Stanford and that powerful running game. John and Jess again agree, but Lys still thinks I am an idiot and is taking Cal.
Kansas at Texas- I circled this as an upset opportunity early in the year. But Kansas has been sliding and with all the distraction surrounding their coach I have to take Texas. We are all on the same page of this one.
Oregon at Arizona- I am taking Oregon, and so is Lys and John. Jess took Arizona
Maryland at Florida State- Neither of these teams have much to play for. I am taking Florida State. Lys agrees but Jess and John took Maryland, I think they thought it was a women's' basketball game.
Virginia at Clemson- We are all taking Clemson.
Wisconsin at Northwestern- We all are taking Wisconsin.
UConn at Notre Dame- We all took Notre Dame.

Live like no one is watching and GO BAD BANDITS!!!

Hot Seats and Heismans!

With the college season winding down there has been a ton of discussion surrounding coaches jobs and the Heisman Trophy candidates. As is always the case I must weigh in with my expert opinion. I have a list of college coaches that have their jobs statuses dominating talk-shows and also my Heisman top five and honorable mentions.

Let's start with the cornerstone of college football which is coaching. These are in no particular order.

1. Charlie Weiss- It seems we have been discussing the status of Big Chuck's job since his third season. Believe it or not I am inclined to agree finally that it may be time for him to go. He has what is arguably his best team to date and the expectations were high. He has obviously underachieved. I think that if Jimmy Claussen declares for the NFL draft then it will be time for Charlie to move on.
2. Rich Rodriguez- It sounds absurd but after two years in Michigan, Rich-Rod is on the hot seat. I can understand the angst that Wolverine fans have about their coach. But if you look at it from a football point of view it makes more sense. Rodriguez runs a style of offense that you need specialized players for. (See Pat White.) He implemented that system last year and started putting his players in place next year. His future should be set for at least one, maybe two more years. But in Michigan fans are not as patient as, ok no football fan has any patience.
3. Mark Mangino- The big guy for Kansas is apparently in some trouble. Some former players are coming forward and making wild allegations that the coach was mean to them. Yeah I laughed a little writing it but it could cause the coach with a mediocre record to be out of a job. Kansas just doesn't need the press and some of the allegations are fairly harsh. I am more disgusted that these former players are bitching, but hey it is America where if you can't hack it you can always complain to someone.
4. Bobby Bowden- This is another absurd one. Yes it is time for Bobby Bowden to go, I understand that. But a man with his standing should be allowed to leave on his own terms no matter what they are.

Those are the four that I believe are the most prominent. So on to my Heisman top 5. These again are in no particular order, unless it is subconscious.

1. Toby Gerhart- The Stanford running back is third in the country in rushing and first in rushing touchdowns. He is the key piece to an offense that punches people in the mouth. Not to mention in the last two weeks he has rushed for almost 400 yards.
2. Mark Ingram- This kid in Alabama is carrying this team. Sure the Crimson Tide have a good defense, but there is absolutely no other offense. Julio Jones is a wasted resource at wide receiver because, unless Ingram can throw, there is no one to get him the ball. Ingram is consistent game in and game out despite being the only offensive weapon.
3. Colt McCoy- I hate the Longhorns, love this kid. His toughness and leadership make up for what he lacks in stats.
4. Tim Tebow- He is a the same as McCoy. He has an obvious drop off in the amount of weapons that he has around them and his stats reflect that. But he is leading his team and keeping them on track.
5. Jimmy Claussen- He has the stats, but seems to lack the leadership abilities to put him in that elite category. He has a lot to prove and should come back for his senior season.

And honorable mention is......?

1. Kellen Moore- Boise State's QB, and brother John's front runner.
2. Dan Lefevour- Central Michigan's beast of a quarterback, and my man crush.
3. C.J. Spiller- Should be on my big list but I forgot about him, BECAUSE HE PLAYS IN THE ACC.
4. Case Keenum- He is a lot like the Texas Tech quarterbacks' in the past, his numbers are padded by that wide open offense. But he is a great quarterback, and I played college football for his daddy and have a great respect for their family
5. Jacquizz Rogers- The undersized running back from Oregon State is putting together a great season.

Well that is that. The Oklahoma State Cowboys have a big game tonight. They need to win out to have an outside chance to make a BCS bowl. They may have to win over a struggling Colorado team tonight without star quarterback Zac Robinson. He is recovering from a mild concussion and shoulder sprain. So it may be tough on the Cowboys. Live like no one is watching and don't be mean!

Weekended!

The sports weekend concluded last night with a dud. This weekend for me was rather bittersweet. I won the college football picks and Stanford embarrassed a USC team that seems to have trouble with high-powered rushing offenses, but my Broncos lost their third straight and we are on the path to self-destruction. Other than that it was a fairly interesting weekend.

We will start with the NFL. The talk of the town is whether or not Bill Belicheck made a mistake going for it on 4th and 2 on his own 28. The Patriots and the Colts were playing each other on Sunday night and the game was close. With the clock winding down in the fourth quarter the Patriots had the ball on their own 20 and the lead. On fourth down and two Bill Belicheck decided to go for it, knowing that if he kept the ball rather than punting it away they could run out the clock. The problem with the theory is that the offense couldn't get the first down giving the Colts a short field to score the go ahead touchdown. Belicheck's decision has been highly criticized, but I believe it was a good one. The Patriots convert 4th and short 75% of the time, a much higher percentage than they stop the Colts offense. I hate Bill Belicheck but he is a great coach and made the right decision. In other NFL news my Broncos and Cowboys lost and the Browns are absolutely awful. In fantasy news, I am losing again.

College football is starting to shape up. I really think that TCU is the most complete team in the country. They are strong on defense, diverse on offense, and sound on special teams. They may not be the most talented team, but I believe they can match up with anyone in the country. I have thought all season that Cincinnati was the shakiest of the underdog teams but they have continued to prove me wrong. USC got out muscled again by a physical running team. Proving that this is truly a rebuilding year for the Trojans. In the picks this week, I went 9-1 taking me to 72-40 overall. John came in a close second going 8-2 and closing the gap at 69-43. Jess went 5-5 and Lys went 4-6 taking them to 56-44 and 57-55 overall respectively. Florida has finished it's tough schedule and should cruise to the SEC championship, where they will face Alabama. Alabama still has to play Ole Miss but they will should be fine. Pitt still has a tough road to ahead if they want to take the Big East from Cincinnati, the Panthers have Wet Virginia and the Bearcats left on the schedule. Also Boise State might get overlooked for a BCS bowl this year. Despite their high ranking and undefeated record, they can only get an at-large bid if TCU is still undefeated at the end of the year. College football still has a ton of drama left. Now for the BUS top 25:

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

Well there you go. The weekend in review. In some other quick news, both College and NBA basketball are underway. My Golden State Warriors SUCK!! Live like no one is watching and stay tuned for more non-sense.

Head to Head

Jess------------Lys----------John------------Me
Wisc-----------Wisc--------Mich------------Wisc
Ol Miss-------Ol Miss-------Ole Miss------Ole Miss
Florida--------Florida-------Florida--------Florida
Ohio st--------Ohio St-------Ohio St-------Ohio St
Oklahoma----OKlahoma----Oklahoma---Oklahoma
Utah-----------TCU----------TCU-----------TCU
Notre Dame---ND-----------Pitt------------Pitt
Texas Tech----TT-----------OK State-------OK State
Arizona-------Arizona-------Arizona--------Arizona
USC-----------USC----------USC-------------Stanford

These are the head to head picks this week. See my analysis for the games below. Live like no one is watching and happy Saturday!

Im Back!!!!

There is a great weekend of college football and I am ready! I am still getting used to the hours of this new job, and I am really sorry that I neglected you this week! But with a huge game on tonight and a few this weekend, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to drop some knowledge on ya'll.

First let's talk about tonight's game before we get into the picks. Tonight West Virginia travels to Cincinnati. Both of these teams have been hot as of late. Cinci is making a run for a BCS bowl and possibly the National Championship. Bearcat back-up quarterback Zach Colaros will make his fourth start. He has picked this offense of and has added the threat of mobility to the quarterbak position. West Virginia's offense is fast and can strike quickly. This might prove a problem for a Cincinnati defense that has been getting unfortunately worse. This will be a great football game tonight and one that Cinci needs to win to keep it's Cinderella hopes alive. With the picks we are doing something different with the picks. I am going to go through and pick all the games with the analysis. Then tonight when John gets his pick in we will put up the head-to head.

Michigan at Wisconsin- Wisconsin started off strong but lost back to back games. They are now back in the winner's circle. The Badgers have a strong running game and a tough defense. Michigan is a young team that struggles with consistency. They have been up and down and are 1-5 in the Big 10, losing all of their road games. The Badgers should have an easy road and I am taking Wisconsin.

Tennessee at Ole Miss- Tennesee is coming on strong. Improved play by quarterback Jonathon Crompton and a stout defense is a cause of concern for other SEC teams. Ole Miss is also in mid-season form. However Jevon Snead has been unreliable. The pre-season Heisman hopeful has been anything but spectacular. Earlier in the week I really thought Tennessee had a chance, but with all the distraction around their team due to the legal troubles of some high profile freshman, I have to take Ole Miss.

Florida at South Carolina- This rivalry game between the Gators and the "Ol' Ball Coach". Has been one sided in the Gators' favor. South Carolina has been playing great on defense, but their offense has been back and forth. Gamecock quarterback, Stephen Garcia, has been throwing the ball better. He is not on the elite level with SEC quarterbacks but he is no longer a liability to the team. The Gators defense has the ability to expose Garcia and this shaky South Carolina offense. It will be up to the Gators' offense to perform against another tough defense. This has proven a tough task for Florida all season. With all that said I am going to stick with Florida.

Iowa at Ohio State- Last week the Hawkeyes suffered their first loss in 15 games. They have been playing from behind for a majority of the year and last week Northwestern made sure that they couldn't miraculously come back. Ohio State has not looked like their dominant selves this year. This is due to the unstable play of quarterback Terrelle Pryor. But it is not all his fault. The usually strong Buckeye defense has let them down in key spots. However if Iowa gets behind early, I am not sure they can win this. I am taking Ohio State.

Texas A&M at Oklahoma- This will be a great match-up. Texas A&M has one of the top offenses in the nation, and Oklahoma's defense is really tough. A&m struggled against a great defense against Arkansas. The Oklahoma defense has been carrying this team, but struggled against high-powered offenses in Texas and Miami. Both teams are playing to become bowl eligible. This game is in Oklahoma, and I am taking the home team.

Utah at TCU- No maybes about it, this will be the biggest and most important game of the weekend. Utah is a great offensive football team. Their only loss this season came to the rolling Oregon. The Utes have an opportunity to derail TCU's BCS hopes and take the Mountain West lead with a win this weekend. The problem is that Utah will be starting a freshman quarterback and TCU's defense is scary. As good as the Horned Frog defense is you can argue that their offense might be better. TCU is as solid of a team as there is in all of college football. I am really nervous about this game and my pick. I love TCU but I don't wanna jinx them. Let's go TCU.

Notre Dame at Pitt- Another great match-up, this one between two good college quarterbacks. Notre Dame has struggled in all facets of the game, especially defense. They were destroyed last week by Navy's strong running game and the Irish face another pretty good running back this week, not to mention Bill Stull. The Panthers quarterback has been playing as good as anyone. The Irish have a pretty good offense, lead by Heisman hopeful Jimmy Claussen. Unfortunately Notre Dame must rely on it's shaky defense. I am sadly taking Pitt.

Texas Tech at Oklahoma State- This is a battle of the conference's best. Texas Tech, the Big 12's best passing offense despite starting three different quarterbacks, and Oklahoma State, the best rushing offense. Neither team sports a stellar defense, and that is what will be needed to win this game. I am taking Oklahoma State.

Arizona at Cal- Arizona will be beginning a tough four game row starting with Cal and ending with USC. If the Wildcats pull this off they will more than likely wind up in the Rose Bowl. The wheels are slowly falling off in California. Jahvid Best, the Bears starting running back, is likely out for the season after suffering two consecutive concussions. If Cal has any chances of salvaging this season they will need to win at home, and I don't think they have it in them. I am taking Arizona.

UPSET ALERT!!!!!!!!!

Stanford at USC- I haven't done this in a couple of weeks, but I am really excited about this possibility. The Trojan defense was manhandled up front by Oregon. Now along comes Stanford an even more physical team in the running game. Stanford has the opportunity to run away with this game, pun intended. The Trojan offense has also struggled the last few weeks. I am taking Stanford.

Well that is college football the way I see it. Rest assured I will have my black and purple on on Saturday night. Live like no one is watching and don't be afraid to dream. I will put up everyone's picks tonight.

So the weekend happened!

We have been through another weekend in sports. It was a good one. Even the NFL had a little something to offer. The college football picks left a little something to be desired. Not to mention my beloved Mcmurry lost again to arch-rival Hardin Simmons. In the picks Jess and John both went 6-4, Lys and I both went 3-7. Like I said we weren't that great. Dang it, as I am writing this Kyle Orton just threw a pick! So let's get this started.

Things are starting to really shape up in college football. Iowa finally lost after trailing in the fourth quarter in almost every game this year. Staying in the Big 10, Ohio State beat Penn State to help the Buckeyes' chances to win another Big 10 championship. Texas, Florida, and Alabama all survived and remain undefeated. Speaking of surviving, Boise State didn't help it's chances of making a BCS bowl game as they barely hung on to win. TCU continues to dominate and Stanford destroyed Oregon. Cincinnati won again behind back up quarterback Colaros. He set a Big East record with over 5oo yards of total offense. Clemson is quietly proving to be a solid football team, but shh don't tell anyone. Man, I can't wait until next Saturday!

The NFL is, well, the NFL. The Giants lost their fourth straight much to my delight. The Cowboys are starting to come on strong, beating the Eagles this week. Tampa Bay won their first game of the season wearing throwback jerseys from a time when the team was awful. Now that is irony. The Colts and the Saints are still undefeated, despite missing key starters on defense. The Redskins are still awful and so are the Lions and Rams. Their is really some awful football being played in the NFL. And now my Broncos are struggling and look like they might lose this Monday night game.

In some other football news, Lagarrette Blount will be back in the lineup for Oregon against Arizona state. I am glad that the coach made the right decision to reinstate the kid. The fans got what they wanted in Kansas City this week when the Chiefs cut running back Larry Johnson. I loved that Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith got in the middle of the melee after his quarterback was hit late after the play.

In news other than football. Powerhouse philly Zenyatta won the Breeders Cup running against the boys. The MLS playoffs are boring. NASCAR is in its race for the Cup and 3 time consecutive champion Jimmy Johnson holds a thin lead. Fedor Milienko knocked out some chump in a lower level MMA bout. And some other stuff happened too.

Now for the BUS top 25:

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

Well that is that. Live like no one is watching and play hard until the whistle.

A lot of picks, and a little misquotation!

There a couple of big games this weekend and a lot of things to watch for. I am really excited about the day in college football, and The Bad Bandits getting back too playing. Well let the picks begin. P.S. I will be misquoting John throughout this blog, so enjoy all of the things John should have said.

LSU at Alabama- This will be another SEC defensive showdown. Neither of these teams have much offense and rely heavily on their defenses. I know that Alabama has Heisman hopeful Mark Ingram. But a powerhouse running back does not make an offense and LSU's 7th ranked scoring defense has the opportunity to gobble Ingram up. Both teams will need thier underachieving quarterbacks to step up. This seems like the perfect opportunity for Alabama to be upset. But it won't happen, I am taking Alabama. Lys is taking Alabama and Jess is taking LSU. John has something to say; "Even though the tigers have owned the last two games at Tuscaloosa, Alabama won't let the SEC title (or possibly a national title) get out of their hands this week. I am taking LSU, though because I like purple."

Oregon at Stanford- The Ducks have won the last 7 games after dropping the opener to Boise. One of those wins was a dominant dismantling of USC. Oregon has a running game that is almost impossible to stop. Jeremiah Masoli is playing lights out. He can throw and run. Stanford started strong but have fallen off lately. The reliable Toby Gerhart has gotten no help from the rest of the offense. The Stanford defense will have their hands full with this physical Oregon Ducks offense. I am taking Oregon, Lys and Jess agree. More from John; "Oregon looked good last week against USC. But I like Stanford because John Elway played there!"

Ohio State at Penn State- Penn State is playing great. Ohio State quarterback, Terrelle Pryor has not developed as well as we all thought. The Buckeye offense is shaky and their usually reliable defense is not playing up to their potential. Ohio State is in a rebuilding phase, and needs some time. Penn State will win this going away. Lys and Jess are taking Ohio State. More fantastic sports insight from my brother; "I like Ohio because it is easy to spell, I am taking Ohio State!"

Oregon State at Cal- This might turn out to be the best game this weekend. Oregon State and Cal have been playing really well. This will be a test for both teams but I am taking Cal. Lys sided with me and Jess took Oregon State. John said "I like Beavers!"

Oklahoma at Nebraska- Nebraska is sliding. They had a great start, but their defense seems unable to stop anyone. Oklahoma is still a good football team, even without Sam Bradford. I am taking Oklahoma. Lys and Jess agree. John says, well actually I don't have to misquote him here the idiot took the Cornhuskers.

Virginia at Miami- I said at the beginning of the year that Miami is one of the best teams in the country and I still believe that. Virginia started badly but has been playing better. They just don't have enough to pull it off. I am taking Miami. Lys and Jess agree. John said; "Hurricanes are scary, I am taking Virginia."

Navy at Notre Dame- Notre Dame is a very good offensive team. Jimmy Claussen might be playing better than any other quarterback in the country. Navy is a good team again, they have a real chance to win this game. The triple option has given Notre Dame fits the last few years. I am picking Notre Dame. Lys and Jess agree again. John hates anything Irish, and is taking Navy.

South Carolina at Arkansas- The Gamecocks defense is good. Their offense is hit or miss. They will need more consistent play out of quarterback Stephen Garcia if they hope to beat Arkansas. Arkansas' offense is also inconsistent, but Ryan Mallet is the trigger in a very powerful gun. But they are not there yet. I am taking South Carolina to get back on track. Lys likes the Gamecocks, and Jess is taking Arkansas. John loves the Cock, but in reality he took Arkansas.

Wake Forest at Georgia Tech- When in doubt I always side with the triple option. I am taking Georgia Tech. Lys took the Demon Deacons and Jess took Georgia Tech. John took Wake Forest because he thinks it is some kind of magical fairy forest!

Florida State at Clemson- I am taking Florida State because they are a sentimental favorite. Lys took FSU because they are from Florida, and Jess is a huge Clemson fan. John took Clemson, no for real!

Hardin Simmons at Mcmurry- This is a big game only to me and the city of Abilene and is my upset pick of the week. It is the source of my angst toward John this week. I played for McMurry and Hardin Simmons is our cross town rival. McMurry is 13-56 over the last 7 years including 4 win less seasons. They haven't beat the Hardin Simmons Cowboys in over a decade. But who cares I am taking McMurry, and so is everyone but John. Thus the reason I hate him!

I know they are short this week but I was in a hurry Live like no one is watching and enjoy your Saturday. The major thing to watch for is Gameday broadcasting from the Army-Air Force game, in honor of the approaching Veterans day. It should be a great time.

It's over, It's finally over!

Well the good news is that the long, boring, annoying baseball season is over. The bad news is the New York Yankees won the World Series. But this will not be a post blasting the big market Yankees for buying the World Series, or my woeful musings how that is unfair. No this will be a proverbial tip of the hat for the World Champions of baseball, but it will be short because I have very few good things to say about the Yankees.

The series ended in game six. But I really thought it would be over earlier than that. Ryan Howard wasn't hitting, Cliff Lee was the only quality pitcher, and the Phillies just didn't look like they wanted to win. The Yankees on the other hand wanted this bad. You could see it in the face of A-Rod, or the effort that Texiera was putting forth. The Yankees almost needed to win, to live up to hype. People have been accusing Joe Girardi of over managing, of being to cautious. But what do we accuse him of when he wins the World Series. The Yankees won this World Series with guts and patience, the way any small market team would've done. The big money guys, like Sabathia and A-Rod were clutch, but Burnett was shaky. But none of them won the MVP. No, Hideki Matsui, the designated hitter, won the MVP. The Yankees won the series. See that is good stuff.

I hate the Yankees. With every inch of my being I loathe them. But they are the world champions, and have made a wish come true. They ended the baseball season. Live like no one is watching, and avoid all Yankee fans.

Power to the fans!

I heard two great stories this morning about fans getting it done! It is so cool when sports fans get involved in their teams to make a POSITIVE impact. Browns and Chief fans have gone beyond holding clever signs and heckling opposing players, to try to improve the current state and future image of their teams. I think this is really one of the coolest things I have heard and I wanted to dedicate a couple of paragraphs to it.

Let's start with the Cleveland Browns fans and ownership. The fans of the Cleveland Browns have decided to show up to their next home game late. They are holding this sit out so the ownership will know how disappointed they are, and that the rest of the nation can see the empty seats and maybe understand their frustration. I know it sounds cheesy but this is not the best part of this story. The leader of this idea, Dog Pound Mike, got a chance to meet with the owner of the Browns yesterday and talk about why they are disappointed and what they want to see. After hearing the recount of the meeting, it sounds like the owner of the Browns, has a legitimate interest in how the fans feel. The owner is reportedly going to hold a press conference today and speak directly to the fans. I think this is great on both parts. I am not sure I agree with the sit out, but I do think it is awesome that the fans and the ownership are getting together on this and trying to figure something out.


The best story comes from Kansas City. Embattled running back, and obvious bonehead, Larry Johnson is very close to becoming the Chiefs' all time leading rusher. He is coming off suspension next weekend and will more than likely have the rest of the season to become the leading rusher. So this week while Johnson is on suspension, about 1,100 fans got together and put their name on a petition that was sent to Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli. The subject of said petition; keep Larry Johnson from getting the honor of being their all time leading rusher. The fans have spoken and they do not want Larry Johnson being associated with the Chiefs in the future. I know 1,100 fans is not a lot in the grand scheme of things, but it is a start. I encourage the rest of the Chiefs' fans that feel strongly about this to add their name.

Now for a quick World Series talk. The Phillies held on in game 5 to extend the series back to New York. Cliff Lee did well and A.J. Burnett looked awful. Tonight in game 6 we have pitchers with a combined age of 75. Pedro Martinez is pitching for the Phillies and Andy Pettitte is starting for the Yankees. Pettitte is going on 3 days rest which is tough for any pitcher but even more so for Andy who is 37. It seems that everything is lining up for the Yankees to win this series. But I am betting on it going 7.

Also I have to do some housekeeping. It was brought to my attention that I forgot to announce the winners of the picks last week. Jason won with a 6-4 record. I went 6-4 but gave the win to the guest because I am awesome like that, my overall record is now 60-32. John was next at 5-5, leaving him in second overall with a record of 55-37. Jess went 4-6 and moves to 45-35 overall. Lys went 3-7 and is now 50-42 overall. There you go. Live like no one is watching and make an impact, positively!

Where did it all go?

That's the question I have for the weekend. With a busy day on Saturday, Ryleigh's first Halloween and work all day Sunday, it seems like I had no weekend. I am not complaining I am just saying. But what a full weekend we had in sports. So let's dive in.

We will start with the NFL Sunday. Yesterday my Broncos got rolled by the Ravens. The worst part about the loss was that the Broncos looked horrible. The Ravens' defense made our offense look awful, and torched our defense. The Cowboys are rolling themselves into form. Romo has finally figured out what color jersey his team wears and has eliminated the mistakes. The Titans finally got their first season behind Vince Young. I am not sure how much Young had to do with the team's success, but the change seemed to help the offense mentally. The Rams also goot their first win of the season over the Lions. Miami beat the Jets for the third time in the last four games. The Miami offense looked horrible but Ted Ginn Jr. returned two kickoffs 100 yards for a touchdown. In other news Brett Farve got his revenge in Lambeau, lighting up the Green Bay defense. I learned something about Green Bay yesterday, if the Packers had an offensive line they might be unstoppable. The Giants lost their third straight. It seems like something is missing again in New York. There you go. Some NFL love.

Oh yeah sports fans there is a World Series going on. It is well documented how indifferent I am toward baseball, and how much I hate the Yankees. Unfortunately these two things are prevalent in the World Series. Over the weekend the Yankees took the first two games in Philadelphia. A-Rod has not been hitting as well as he was earlier in this postseason, but when the Yankees need him he is there. Phillies closer Brad Lidge had his first tough outing of the postseason, but it was just one of many tough outings he has had this season. He has some issues with his head that he needs to work out. Yankees now hold a commanding 3-1 lead. Tonight, Cliff Lee will try to extend the apparent inevitable. Damn Yankees!

College football was great! I only say that because USC got destroyed. The Oregon Ducks had over 600 yards rushing on the very proud Trojan defense. If you weren't a football fan and watched that game, you would think that Oregon was the perennial powerhouse. I think that Jeremiah Masoli is one of the most fun quarterbacks to watch in the history of college football. The Gators looked to have their offense back on track. Texas ran away from Oklahoma State. Texas is starting to peak at the right time, which might prove dangerous for any other team in the nation. It was a bad week to have the word Virginia in your school name. Virginia Tech and West Virginia got upset this weekend and Virginia lost to Duke. Cincinnati rolled again led by their backup quarterback. Boise and TCU destroyed the no names they played and Iowa pulled out another gut-check victory. Iowa quarterback, Ricky Stanzi threw 4 interceptions in the third quarter, then the Hawkeyes scored 28 points in the fourth to roll to victory. It was a fun filled day that was strange at times, but wonderful all together. However there was one moment this weekend that made me sick. In a you tube video it appears that Florida linebacker and defensive captain, Brandon Spikes, tried to gouge the eyes of the Georgia running back. Spikes is a great player and shouldn't try to resort to such cowardice. I agree with Mike Golic of ESPN radio's Mike and Mike when he said that this move by Spikes was worse than Blount's punch. It is absolutely disgusting and I hope that the Gators or the SEC take swift and appropriate action. Ok off my soap box, now for the top 25:

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

Well that was the weekend in sports. An American won the New York marathon for the first time in over 20 years. Enjoy a great Monday Night Football game tonight and watch a little baseball. Live like no one is watching and guard your eyes!