Week 4 - Top 10

Week 4 and some newcomers to the Top 10.  And teams that have been kept out all season justify their exclusion (Texas and Oklahoma)

1. Alabama - A big rally, on the road, against a good Arkansas team.  The Tide keeps on rolling.
2. Ohio State - Hung 73 on Eastern Michigan, but gave up 20.  Holds on to the second spot, but Buckeyes are on notice.  And your schedule isn't that much better than Boise State's.
3. Boise State - Another game against a ranked opponent in front of a national audience and once again, the Broncos come through.  You can say their schedule is terrible, you can say their blue field is a joke.  You can't say they aren't a good football team.
4. Oregon - Drops a spot after beating Arizona State.  If the Sun Devils don't turn the ball over seven times, the Ducks lose this one.
5. TCU - Took longer than expected to get going against SMU, but the Horned Frogs beat them like they should have.
6. Stanford - Took out Notre Dame easily and sets up the big showdown with Oregon this weekend.

7. LSU - Another good win for the Tigers, defeating West Virginia.  The offense still seems a little suspect and there is always the Les Miles factor that can rise up at any time to cost a ball game, but the defense is looking great.
8. Nebraska - Struggled way too much with South Dakota State.  If they have those kind of problems in their Big-12 games, they'll lose a couple, but I think this was an abberration and they'll be fine.
9. Florida - Welcome, Gators!  Took you a while to get here but you finally stepped up and put a team away early instead of waiting until the fourth quarter.
10. Auburn - Impressive wins against Clemson and South Carolina gets the Tigers into the last spot in the list.  And with Alabama looming on their schedule, they have the chance to move way up.

On the outside looking in:

• South Carolina - Falls out of the top 10.  Same issues for the Gamecocks as their quarterbacks can't hold on to the ball in key situations.
• Oklahoma - Another win by the Sooners and another game of playing down to the competition.  With Texas' outstanding play so far this year, the Red River Shootout looks to be a snooze-fest (yes, Shootout, not Rivalry.  You don't get to change the name just because you want to be politically correct, especially in two states that like their guns).
• North Carolina State - Almost there, but want to see a little more defense from them and for them to close teams out.  Allowing too many fourth quarter points to make it interesting.  Quarterback Russell Wilson is going to start getting some national notice...he's been good for three years now.
• Utah - A win over Pitt and then three straight blowout victories.

An ugly weekend for the Big-10 as their Big-10 vs MAC Showdown weekend produced too many close games (Penn State, Illinois, Northwestern), two losses (Purdue and Minnesota) and a lot of non-competitive football.  The Big-10 commissioner needs to step in and stop this crap from continuing.

Texas' loss to UCLA couldn't happen to a nicer head coach.  Mack Brown's team is not very good this year and he got absolutely poleaxed by a Bruin team that threw for 27 yards.  I liked Mack when he was at North Carolina, but living in Austin seems to have made him a little bitch (which seems surprising since I've only heard good things about Austin).  His continual whining makes him seem like a porr loser and extremely non-likable (see how he got into the 2005 Rose Bowl game over Cal, see his current crusade to get Vince Young the Heisman Reggie Bush vacated, see him every year Texas has a loss or two and how his kids deserve a BCS game, see the way he votes for his team and Big-12 teams in the polls). 

And a correction to my Top 5 BBQ items to enjoy while watching college football:  #5 should have been Beef Brisket instead of chicken.  I must have had a beer or two too many when i started typing.  Fork-tender brisket with a good smoke ring and a beautiful BBQ bark is a slice of ecstasy for your mouth.

Sept. 25th Games

Three more picks for this week after going 2-0-1 last week, and if not for USC's Lane Kiffin's obsession with going for two after each touchdown, would have been 3-0.

The picks for this week:

at Connecticut -20 Buffalo - Going into this season, I though the Huskies had a shot at winning the Big East.  An ugly opener against Michigan and a fourth quarter collapse against Temple and they're sitting at 1-2.  Buffalo is just what Connecticut needs to get things on track before conference play starts.

Georgia +1 at Mississippi State - Georgia is 0-2 in the SEC and a loss here will just about end any hopes of getting to the SEC title game.  Georgia's defense should be good enough to bottle up Mississippi State and quarterback Aaron Murray should do just enough to lead Georgia to their first SEC win.  If not, we're going to need a suicide watch in Athens.  Of course, the safe pick here is to take the Bulldogs to win.

Oregon -11.5 at Arizona State - Oregon leads the nation in scoring offense, total offense, scoring defense and total defense.  The last five times they've played the Sun Devils, they've beaten them by 23, 34, 12, 35 and 14.  Ducks cover the number by halftime and win by 20+, but if you're watching it on Fox Sports Net, stick around for a battle of hot chicks as both Oregon Cheerleaders and Arizona State coeds will be on display.

Bonus Game:

USC -21.5 at Washington State - Always a glutton for punishment, I'm taking the Trojans again this weekend.  The Cougars are terrible and have been for the past three years.  Horrible on offense, atrocious on defense, and seem like they don't have a clue what they're doing when you watch them.  USC struggles a little early but wears out the Cougars by the second half and pulls away for an easy victory.

Top 5 BBQ items to eat while enjoying a Saturday watching football:

5. Barbecued Chicken - Covered in sauce, chicken is a solid satisfier.  Goes well with any side and even good on a sandwich.

4. Pork Tenderloin - Pork absorbs seasonings like no other and a spicy/sweet dry rub makes this a solid entrant.  The way it melts in your mouth, the way each of the spices dances on your tongue, the way it make your stomach jump with joy...you can't go wrong.

3. Tri-Tip -  The subtle smell as it comes off the grill and the pleasure it gives your taste buds as it passes over your lips before it's journey to your stomach justifies the reason you're a carnivore.  On it's own or in a sandwich, this cut of meat delivers.

2. Pulled Pork - Surprisingly, it took a trip to Kentucky in 2001 for me to finally try this for the first time, and the memory of the taste of that sandwich still causes me to salivate.  The tenderness of the pork, the sweetness of the sauce with an undercurrent of heat that rose to a crescendo with each savory bite, causing me to reach for my ice cold beer to cool the fire so I could take another bite and start the cycle of pure heaven again. 

1. Baby Back Ribs - Dry rubbed or slathered in sauce, nothing can beat the satisfaction of pulling off a strip of pork from a fall-off-the-bone baby back rib, so tender even your toothless grandmother can enjoy it.  The ultimate finger food and the perfect complement to a hard-hitting prime time game and the opportunity to get in touch with your inner caveman.

Maybe This Would Work

I don't have much use for football.  Sure, the fans are passionate (some would say borderline insane); the games draw huge television audiences; people live and die with their teams on-the-field success; and the female fans are incredibly hot.  But the games are downright boring.  No, not College Football.  I'm talking about that other football, soccer.  The sport that seems to revel in low scoring ties, limited action and world-class "athletes" rolling on the ground after a casual bump like they were hit by an M82 Barrett Rifle.  I've tried watching the World Cup but it just can't hold my interest.  They don't ever appear to be really trying to score a goal.  And if they're not really trying to win, why should I really try to get interested?

Now, playing soccer on the Xbox and beating your brother is a different story.  And while playing FIFA 10, I noticed they do one thing in soccer that would be extremely interesting if applied to college football.  Depending on how you fared the previous season, you can get relegated to a higher or lower league.  The way it seems to work is the top two teams in the lower league get moved up to the higher league and the bottom two teams in the top league get moved down to the lower league.  Yes, I realize the NCAA and their forward thinking conference commissioners, who know the public doesn't know what they want by continuing to deny us a playoff, would never go for this, but imagine the possibilities and opportunities.

Let's take last year as a sample.  To start, we need to rank the conferences.  Okay SEC, with your four straight national titles, and five in seven years, you're on top.  I'll go with the Big-10 next (four 10+ win teams and 2 BCS bowl game wins plus Penn State beating an SEC team in LSU and Wisconsin tuning Miami in Florida), followed by Big-12, Pac-10, MWC, ACC, Big East, WAC and Conference USA.  Based on last year's results, the SEC's favorite whipping boy, Ohio State, moves into the SEC along with Iowa.  Vanderbilt and Mississippi State...thanks for playing, you're now in the Big-10.  Ahh, but the Big-10 isn't done.  Since they aren't the top league, their bottom two teams are moving out to the Big-12.  Goodbye Indiana and...holy crap!  Michigan!  Well, you've sucked for a couple of years now and are dragging the Big-10 down.  You're getting replaced by Texas and Nebraska (hmmm, that particular move is happening soon anyway).

To carry it on further, the Big-12 gains Oregon and Arizona from the Pac-10 in exchange for Baylor and Colorado (overall record moves them out...eerie...this also is happening soon).  The Pac-10 loses Arizona State and Washington State to the Mountain West and gets TCU and BYU (with Utah just missing...again, scary how this is actually already happening).  The MWC jettisons New Mexico and Colorado State to the ACC and gains Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech (again, overall record decided who moves).  The ACC sends Virginia and Maryland on a short trip to the Big East and gets Cincinnati and Pitt;  the Big East gives Syracuse and Louisville their parting gifts and receives Boise State and Nevada; the WAC lets New Mexico State and Colorado State head to Conference USA and snags East Carolina and Houston.

Now the fun begins.  South Carolina and Kentucky...you are now bubble teams in the SEC and if you finish in the bottom two, you're moving down to the Big-10.  Texas and Nebraska...prove yourself as the best of the Big-10 and you'll be moving up to the SEC.  Best of all, TCU and Boise State, you get your shot to play with the big boys and prove you belong (and you too, Utah...I'm predicting in 2010 that they're going to do some damage in the Pac-10 very quickly).  If the Horned Frogs and the Broncos keep winning and keep finishing first or second in their conferences they'll move up, perhaps eventually getting to the SEC.  Sustained excellence is rewarded; sustained crappiness (looking at you Syracuse, Washington State, Iowa State, etc.) is punished.

Yes, there are a ton of problems with this proposal.  First and foremost are the traditional rivalries.  What happens to Alabama vs. Auburn if the Tigers have a bad year and end up in the Big-10?  Well, this isn't really a problem, as I see it.  Instead of scheduling Chattanooga as an out of conference game, Auburn can choose Alabama.  So, now the decision is Auburn's.  Do you want to play a cupcake or do you want to play your most hated rival?  And what if, and it's a big if right now, your win over Alabama lifts you into the SEC and knocks them down to the Big-10?  How sweet would that be?  To have 365 days of not just gloating about a win over the Crimson Tide, but that they suck so much that they're now in the Big-10?  This goes for all rivalry games.  Not only is it bragging rights for a year that you beat them, but also that you potentially sent them to a lower conference. 

The next problem is that eventually the SEC will become top heavy with all the best teams.  Well, if you listen to Lee Corso and ESPN, the SEC already has all the best teams, so it's status quo.  Every year though, the two bottom feeders are moving out and two new teams are coming in.  One solution is to go to mega-conferences, maybe a Premier Eastern Conference, a Premier Midwestern Conference and a Premier Western Conference, each with 20 teams and then Secondary Conferences in each region with 20 or more teams.  Then movement would be between the Premier and Secondary conferences in each region, possibly three teams each year moving up and down.

Which leads to the next problem.  Who plays for the National Title?  With three premiere conferences, one team is getting left out.  That's not much different than the current situation where one or more teams gets left out of a shot to win it on the field.  But it's still not satisfying.  How about a Plus One game?  Each Premier Conference winner gets into the four-team field and then the highest ranked second place team also is in.  Number one plays number four, number two plays number three and then the winners of those games play the following Saturday to see who hoists the crystal football.

Could this ever happen?  No.  We're not even any closer to a playoff to determine a National Champion, let alone a plus one game.  But it's an interesting option to think about while the various SportsCenter personalities talk about the merits of this team's strength of schedule or conference and quality of their team.  At least this option would let teams soar as high as they can, even if it took them a couple of years to get there.

Week 3 - Top 10

Week 3 and there is some movement in the top 10 due to some impressive performances and some clunkers this past weekend. 

1. Alabama (3-0) - It didn't take long for Heisman winner Mark Ingram to get into rhythm with the Crimson Tide's offense, going over 100 yards in the first quarter against Duke.  Big showdown in Fayetteville next week against the unbeaten Arkansas Razorbacks.
2. Ohio State (3-0) - It's always about the defense at Ohio State, but the offense behind Terrelle Pryor is efficiently putting teams away early.
3. Oregon (3-0) - There was a chance they were going to drop a bit this week, with a potential let-up game in Portland State.  Nope...69-0 by the third quarter.  That Duck mascot is getting a workout doing those push-ups after each score.  I'm taking him in the Capitol One Mascot Challenge.



TCU Cheerleaders

4. TCU (3-0) - Systematically destroyed Baylor this weekend, scoring touchdowns the first five times they had the ball.
5. Boise State (3-0) - The two week layoff didn't seem to have any impact on the Broncos as they blasted Wyoming.
6. Stanford (3-0) - I almost expect to see police tape around Stanford Stadium after the assassination that the Cardinal carried out against Wake Forest on Saturday night.  One-upping TCU by scoring touchdowns on their first eight drives, they don't seem to be missing Toby Gerhart at all so far.
7. Nebraska (3-0) - A great win on the road for the 'Huskers and they are starting to get that swagger that they had in the 90's.
8. LSU (3-0) - I believe that Coach Les Miles will pull a mental gaffe somewhere down the road, but for now, the defense (other than the sloppy second half against North Carolina in the opener) is doing the job. 
9. South Carolina (3-0) - Probably a case of a letdown after the big win over Georgia, but they drop a couple places as it took them too long to put away Furman. 
10. Vacant - A number of teams who haven't distinguished themselves to be in the top 10 at this point of the season, and each has a bit of ugliness.

On the outside looking in:

• Oklahoma - Falls out of the top 10 this week.  They have struggled way too much with Utah State and Air Force, especially for playing their first three games at home.
• Florida - New week, same story. Another double-digit win but still with the struggles in the first half, leading a down Tennessee team only 7-3 at halftime.
• Texas - A very sloppy game by the Longhorns and a Mike Leach-led Texas Tech probably takes advantage and beats them.
• Wisconsin - Still waiting for them to put that game together that says they are going to challenge Ohio State for the Big-10 title.
• Utah - Did what was expected and blew out New Mexico

And a bad Saturday for the state of North Carolina.  Alabama went to Duke and beat them 62-13.  East Carolina had a 27-21 third quarter lead on Virginia Tech and then gave up 28 unanswered points to lose 49-27. And North Carolina, still missing thirteen players due to an NCAA investigation, lost to Georgia Tech, 30-24.  With the way the ACC is playing this year, the Tar Heels are going to look back on this season and wonder what could have been. At least North Carolina State beat Cincinnati on Thursday night. 

Week 3 Musings

Why does Kansas coach Turner Gill wear a headset?  In their loss to Southern Miss on Friday night, ESPN kept cutting to Gill and lingering on him and not once did I see his lips move.  Is he a ventriloquist?  Or does that headset just pump in phone calls from angry Jayhawks fan?

UCLA...did you watch Nevada destroy your sister school, Cal last night?  That's how you run the Pistol offense.  Having an athletic quarterback, and not Kevin Prince, helps as well.  And once again, a non-BCS conference team beats an automatic qualifier.  "But they're still not as good," Lee Corso continues to say.  And it didn't take him long to become a complete shill for the SEC now that ESPN has the television rights to the SEC.

Just tried Doritos Tailgater BBQ flavored chips.  I think I'm going to need some sulfuric acid to clear that taste from my tongue.  Who approved that flavor?

Happy to see Penn State get the shutout, but the offensive struggles and turnovers against Kent State aren't encouraging going into the Big-11 schedule.  Those will get turned into points in conference play.

Michigan maybe isn't back yet.  Massachusetts brought back too many memories of Appalachian State today.

Karma's a bitch isn't it?  Ole Miss takes on the criminal Jeremiah Masoli and now has home losses to FCS Jacksonville State and a Vanderbilt team that is not supposed to win a game in the SEC.  At least the karma curse didn't hit the Mississippi females...they still are very easy on the eyes.

Florida vs Tennessee used to must see TV.  Now it's not even on the "last channel" button on the remote.

Why doesn't Lane Kiffin want to kick extra points?  Does he think he's playing the Xbox or PS3 and needs to go for 2 every time?

Jake Locker is not the number one overall pick in the 2011 draft.  Completing 4 of 20 passes for 71 yards is horrible.  Way overrated.  Washington cheerleaders on the other hand, way underrated.  Also underrated...rum and root beer.

Clemson and Auburn laying some vicious hits in the ESPN primetime game.  Great game in a great atmosphere in Jordan-Hare Stadium tonight.  Toomer's Corner is going to be covered in Charmin tonight.

Michigan State with solid brass ones in overtime on the fake field goal to get the win over Notre Dame.  I'm loving teams going for the kill in overtime this year and not just the tie to send it to another frame.

Every team doesn't need a black uniform.  Stanford's looks terrible.  Go back to the cardinal and white.

UCLA finally had the Pistol offense work for them tonight...I guess they paid attention to Nevada last night (or maybe it was the return of Rick Neuheisel's sweater vest).  Unfortunately for the Bruins, their performance was against a bad Houston defense, and it will give them the false sense that they've finally figured it out.  Like a house of cards, it's going to all come crashing down next week in Austin, Texas against the Longhorns.  I'm prediciting quarterback Kevin Prince is knocked out of the game by the third quarter.

Sept. 18 Games

Picks for September 18th games and a top 4 list:

Nebraska -3 at Washington - Cornhuskers defense is still good, Bo Pelini is looking to take the team back to their glory days and Washington just seems too trendy just because Jake Locker is back. 

Navy -3 at Louisiana Tech - The Navy offense has been out of sync so far this year.  The Bulldogs defense will help get them back on track and Ricky Dobbs will look like the 2009 version as Navy controls the ball, controls the clock and controls the scoreboard.

USC -11 at Minnesota - The Trojans looked like garbage on defense in their first game against Hawaii.  Looked like a drunken hobo on offense against Virginia in their second game.  They won both.  Minnesota was barely good enough to squeeze by Middle Tennessee State in their first game and then got rolled at home by somebody called South Dakota last week.  USC puts it together against a terrible Golden Gopher team and rolls big.

Top 4 Canadian Beers

4. Molson Canadian - A nice beer that goes great with hamburgers, steak or fried chicken and they score some style points for the simple yet elegant maple leaf on a white field bottlecap.

3. Molson Ice - Some find it a little skunky, but I find it an excellent complement to steak and with a 5.6% alcohol content it delivers.

2. Labatt's Blue - Always refreshing and anytime I'm somewhere that carries it, it always makes me wonder why it isn't more readlily available.  A very satisfying barley pop.

1.  Koakanee - Next to impossible to find in the Southern California area, and maybe it's scarcity makes me desire it more, an ice-cold Koakanee tops the list.  Like Oregon cheerleaders, this beer is pure bliss.  If you know where to find it in the Orange County area, let me know.

Week 2 - Top 10

This top 10 isn't based on your past reputation or how many national championships you've won between 1902 and 1950 or where your recruiting class ranked nationally.  It's based soley on how you're doing on the field.

1. Alabama - Offense is clicking, defense has allowed six points in two games and even with their Heisman winner Mark Ingram out, the Tide is Rolling.
2. Ohio State - Defense is looking tough and if not for the gaffes on kick coverage, they would have beaten Miami by 20+.
3. Oregon - The Ducks point-a-minute offense is downright scary.  Spot an SEC team a 10-point lead in their building and then roll off 45 straight points to send Vols fans to their jugs.
4. TCU - A solid win over Oregon State and a blowout of Tennessee Tech are what you're supposed to do as a top 10 team.
5. Boise State - Virgina Tech did the Broncos no favors by losing to James Madison this weekend, but there's very few teams I'd take to beat these guys on a neutral field.
6. Iowa - Finally allowed a touchdown to Iowa State for the first time in four years.
7. South Carolina - Gamecocks with two solid wins and without the mistakes of past years plaguing the offense.
8. Cal - Two routs and the defense is looking good.  They're here for now...let's see if they pull their normal Jekyll and Hyde routine the rest of the year.
9. Oklahoma - Just squeezing in here with the destruction of Florida State, but the bad taste of that far-too-close win over Utah State still lingers.
10. Nebraska - The defense has been good with 6 picks (2 returned for touchdowns) and they're putting the games away early.

On the outside looking in: 

• Florida, Texas, Wisconsin all for the same reason - you're letting inferior competition hang around too long and in the case of Florida, your offense is disjointed and painful to watch.
• Stanford - Absolute beatdown of the Bruins in the Rose Bowl on Saturday night.  Do the same to Wake Forest (the cream of the ACC so far) this weekend and you'll be in the top 10.
• Michigan - The Notre Dame comeback win was big, but this isn't an Irish team from the 60's or 70's.  Your next two games are gimmes, Massachusetts and Bowling Green, but I guess Appalachian State always lingers in your minds now.
• LSU - Yeah, the defense was good against Vanderbilt but the offense let the Commodores stay in the game too long.  The 27-3 final score should have been the halftime score.

The Reason They're Sacred

Big games all over the weekend...Miami vs. Ohio State, Florida State vs Oklahoma, Penn State vs Alabama, Georgia vs South Carolina, Michigan vs Notre Dame.  These are the kind of weekends college football fans live for.

Jenn Brown

The weekend started off slow with Auburn's win over Mississippi State, but it's still the start of another week of college football.  Jen Brown on the sidelines was definitely the highlight. 

Heartbreaker for Marshall on Friday night.  Had West Virginia on the ropes and a chance to knock them out late in the fourth quarter...a fumble, two 90+ yard drives and overtime later, the Mountaineers come out winners.

Florida...if you want to have your offense show up before late in the third quarter, you might make those fans in the Swamp a little less edgy.  If not, Urban Meyer might be retiring again...or seeing if TimTebow can have another year of eligibility.  Gators...at this time, you are not the #8 team in the country.  I'm not even sure you're a top 25 team at this point.  God bless those pre-season polls that are based on past reputation, recruiting classes and whether the team has been heard of before.

When is Spurrier going to unload with the verbal grape shot cannister on Tennessee and the need for their coach Derek Dooley to have to show them how to shower? 

South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore is good. Very, very good.  Great win for the Gamecocks today against Georgia.  Maybe this is the year Spurrier and the Cocks get to the SEC Championship game...but they've teased me before.

James Madison?  Come on, Virginia Tech.  Yeah, you had a short week, yeah, the weather wasn't great, but you are (were) a favorite to win the ACC.  Now you'll run off 10 straight, go to the Orange Bowl and have Hokie fans wondering what could have been.

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson is pretty damn exciting.  We'll see how he does once Big-10 (11?) play starts, but so far, so good.  Not only does he run and pass, he drops punts inside the 5-yard line. Fantastic final drive to beat the Irish in South Bend.

Speaking of the Irish...makes me wonder what All-You-Can-Eat buffet Charlie Weis is terrorizing this weekend.

Florida State may not be as good as they appeared last week against Samford.  Oklahoma may not be as bad as they looked against Utah State last week.

Wake Forest and Duke combining for 70 points in the first half and 102 total points in the game?  Did basketball season start early?

LSU head Coach Les Miles has to be one of the worst ever at clock management.  1:04 left in the first half and he gets off 2 plays against Vandy.

Vanderbilt with some low standards on those pom-pom girls in the stands...I wasn't aware that they made sequin outfits in plus sizes.

Oregon cheerleaders in the rain...yes, there is such a thing as heaven on earth.  And yes, their football team is pretty good too.

Would have been nice if Penn State pulled the shocker in Tuscaloosa tonight, but didn't really expect it.  Alabama just way too experienced for the Nittany Lions' freshman quarterback.  A minor moral victory getting into scoring position a number of times against the Crimson Tide but couldn't close the deal and the turnovers killed them.  How would this game have played out last year if played as scheduled...with a senior PSU quarterback?

Football Season Has Begun

Thoughts on the first full Saturday of the 2010 season...

Florida has a total of 13 yards in offense in the first half and 235 yards for the game and 13 first downs in their lackluster win.  You weren't playing Miami you were playing Miami, Ohio, in your own stadium.  Ugly, ugly win for the Gators in their first game without TimTebow.

And, since according to the Big Six BCS conferences and the talking heads on TV (Craig James, in particular), since Boise State and TCU shouldn't get any credit for destroying the competition they play in their conferences, shouldn't #4 Florida take a huge hit in their ranking with how terrible they played against inferior competition.  Oh, you might drop them to #7?  Hypocrites.  Should drop them out of the Top 20, if you truly believe the mid-major conferences are that bad.

Florida State looked impressive in their first game under Jimbo Fisher.  Granted, it was against Samford, but remember, the 'Noles almost lost to Jacksonville State last year, so that's a big improvement.

Penn State's freshman QB Robert Bolden had a nice debut against Youngstown State, but I'm nervous about what's going to happen when Big-10 play starts (yeah, I know they play Alabama next week...I'm blocking that out right now and hoping he survives the game).

Texas and Mack Brown...I don't want to hear you bitching and moaning at the end of the year if you don't go to a BCS game.  You struggled with Rice; see comments about Florida above.  If you get credit for beating them, so does everyone else, and when they beat them in a much more convincing fashion than you did, they also get more credit.

Impressive showing by Oregon today and the football team was very good as well, even if it was against New Mexico.  They did what they were supposed to against do an inferior team.  Credit also to Iowa, Georgia, Air Force and Cal for doing what you're expected to do against lesser competition.

Once again, UCLA settling for field goals instead of touchdowns and costing them a game.

Way to go, Ole Miss.  Blowing a 31-10 first half lead to lose to Jacksonville State in double overtime.  The SEC is really, really good...at the top, they're better than everyone.  The middle and the bottom are just like every other conference.  Ole Miss probably was worried about how tough their SEC schedule is and weren't focused for today's game.

Those tight purple shorts and white boots are a great look for the TCU Showgirls.

Amazing one-handed grab by Alabama's Julio Jones for a touchdown in their rout of San Jose State.

The late afternoon games have had more teams doing what they're supposed to, but Kansas losing to North Dakota State 6-3 (you managed only a field goal?!?!) and Oklahoma struggling to beat Utah State by a touchdown isn't good.  I thought Oklahoma had a chance of being a contender for the national title this year. After this game, I may have to rethink that.

Nice win for TCU, especially considering they played an opponent with a pulse.  And North Carolina's 24-30 victory against LSU has to have Les Miles wondering if his team will underachieve just enough for him to get the Michigan job.  And speaking of the Wolverines, a very complete victory for them over UConn.  Hopefully they can do the same to Notre Dame next week.

The midfield logo for East Carolina is one of the best in the country.  They should get rid of the boring ECU on the their helmets and use that logo instead or even just the skull and crossbones.

Wow, wow, wow!  Unbelievable finish to the Tulsa vs ECU game.  Golden Hurricanes and Pirates trading blows in the second half and ECU wins on a final play jump ball for the touchdown, 51-49.  A combined 47 fourth quarter points.

Great finish to the opening weekend with the Boise State vs. Virginia Tech game.  Broncos came out firing in the first quarter and give credit to the Hokies for fighting back.  Boise is a very good team and they were able to drive down the field at the end to win the game.  Can't wait until next weekend...Miami vs. Ohio State, Notre Dame vs. Michigan, Florida State vs Oklahoma, Penn State vs. Alabama...Love this time of year!

O, Joy!

College football has started and there is joy throughout the land...

Don't know who that Michigan cheerleader was in the ESPN Thursday Night game intro, but, Damn! Nice work, Wolverines! About time you got someone worthy of some television time.

South Carolina's gorgeous female fans in black dresses and heels for the opener...can't go wrong with that.

If Marcus Lattimore can do against the SEC what he's done to Southern Miss, South Carolina may finally make a run for that SEC Championship Game. And Stephen Garcia is making smart decisions, which has to make the Head Ball Coach happy. Granted, it's Southern Miss, but if those two keep it up, the Gamecocks will be dangerous in the SEC this year. And Connor Shaw is a player after my own heart...went to USC because he's a Spurrier fan.

Jenn Brown on the sidelines for ESPN Thursday night games is pretty close to a lateral move in place of Erin Andrews. Looking forward to Ms. Andrews getting a bigger role on the Saturday Gameday show, though getting up at 6am to catch it is going to be tough...but I'm a gamer, and I'll make the sacrifice.

Lindsay Soto

Speaking of sideline reporters, Lindsay Soto on the sidelines for Versus is way, way underrated. She's always smiling and she looks like she would be a ton of fun to have a few drinks with.

Can someone please kill the Dr. Lou spot at halftime? I'd rather watch some gravitationally challenged flag girls twirl their flags to the latest Lady Gaga hit reinterpreted by the home team band than listen to Lou Holtz stumble through another awkwardly forced bit.

Minnesota has issues. Struggling to beat Middle Tennessee State who is without their starting quarterback. And the fact that they traveled to Middle Tennessee State...can the Big 10 (11? New Big 12?) trade them out for someone else? Hard to believe that at one time the Golden Gophers were relevant in college football and won National Championships.

I love the tradition of college football, but I also love these so-called "new" teams getting a chance to show what they can do against the automatic qualifier conferences. Utah is good and has been good for a number of years now (Alabama...remember your beat down?). I'll be rooting for TCU and Boise State this weekend as well. I'm a long-time Penn State fan, but the arrogance of the Big Six conferences in regards to BCS berths really grates on me. These other teams are catching up...show some stones and start playing them if you truly think they aren't that good instead of playing Youngstown State, Charleston Southern, Georgia State, etc.

I know there's not a lot of love for the state of Utah in Southern California, but those female student Ute fans...blonde hair, tight Utah Ute t-shirts and tight jean shorts...that's a winning combination for me.

Really? ESPNU is televising Samford at Florida State on Saturday? I don't know which is more pathetic...the fact they're televising it or that I'll probably flip over to it during the commercial breaks on other games. Yes, I have a problem.

Got to love Spurrier throwing on 1st and 10 with just over 2 minutes to go in the 4th quarter and leading 41-6. There's a reason he's an assassin. Too bad it was an interception. Nice opening victory for South Carolina.  Now don't implode the last 5 weeks of the season.

USC vs Hawaii...and my first thoughts are of the Song Girls in bikinis on the sands of Waikiki.

Trojans look very sloppy on defense. Where's the hitting that used to be their signature? And did Hawaii ever give a reason for changing their name from the Rainbow Warriors to the Warriors?

Did the Song Girls not travel to Hawaii or did ESPN only have female camerapersons? I only saw one shot of an SC cheerleader...there's a producer who might need to be touching up their resume come Monday.