College Football in Review:Week 5

The Week 5 of the 2008 College Football season is complete lets take a look at the week:

Best Game of the Week:USC vs Oregon State-No one outside of the state of Oregon saw this coming. USC went to a hostile crowd in Cornvallis and Oregon State smacked them in the face by doing everything that Ohio State didn't do. They blitzed the Trojans, got physical with them, ran em over with Jacquizz Rodgers and prooved that every team is different every week. This Oregon State team previously lost to Stanford and was blown out by Penn State.

Player of the Week:Jacquizz and James Rodgers(Oregon State)-The Rodger Brothers combined for 242 total offense in the Beavers beat the Trojans 27-21. Just like LeSean McCoy against WVU last year, Jacquizz Rodgers ran up and down on the Trojans.

Dissapointment of the Week:Georgia Bulldogs-That was pathetic...Scott Linehan would be proud. The Bulldogs have the blackout, they got the motivation, and they have a 31-0 deficit to start the game. Granted UGA came back and made it 41-30, but to get beaten up the way Alabama beat them was redicolous. You're the No.3 team in the country playing in-conference, at home...if they think Bama is tough wait til they see Florida and LSU.

Surprise Team of the Week:Oregon State-I don't think anyone expected the Beavs to do it. Penn State massacred them, and Stanford tore threw them. My thinking prior to the game was that it would start at 9:00pm and be over by 10:15pm, for which then I would go to bed...I went to sleep at 12:34am after Oregon State took a knee to win it.

Numbers:
186-Number of rushing yards by Jacquizz Rodgers in OSU's 27-21 win over USC

4-The amount of Pac 10 games that USC has lost since 2006. In the 3 years prior(2003-2005), they lost 1

411-The amount of passing yards by Sam Bradford in Oklahoma's 35-10 win over TCU

206-The amount of receiving yards by OU's Manuel Johnson

25-The amount of rushing yards by Oklahoma, too bad TCU couldn't stop the pass

31-The amount of points scored by Alabama in the first half against Georgia

19-The amount of points Michigan trailed by late in the 3rd quarter against Wisconsin

327-The amount of total offense by USF Quarterback Matt Grothe in the Bulls 41-10 win over N.C. State

1985-The last time Navy beat a ranked opponett

897-The amount of rushing yards by Javon Ringer through 5 games

2004-The last time Duke won an ACC game prior to their 31-3 rout of Virginia

The Contenders:
Oklahoma-Wow this may be the best Sooner team ever. Better than the teams from '53-'57, better than the 2000 team, and better than the '03 team. This Oklahoma squad is dangerous. I feel the only team left that can beat them is...

Texas-The Longhorns are back in '05 form and though it may be tough they're going to have to fight for the remaining schedule is a doozy. They have Kansas, Missouri, Texas Tech, AND Oklahoma. If the Longhorns can survive this and the Big XII title they will win their 2nd title in 4 years.

Alabama-Roll Tide Roll indeed, the Crimson Tide came out of Saturday night and beat Georgia up and down the field. Bama is dangerous and so is 2nd year head coaches(Stoops, Tressel, Meyer) all have won National Titles in their 2nd year. Can Nick Saban join this class?

Penn State-Darryl Clark is Michael Robinson and its 2005 all over again, Joe Paterno has not won a National Championship since 1987...Clark wasn't even born yet...if PSU and their "HD'"offense can keep running through and passing over teams they will win the Big Ten...and the National Title. They got through Illinois but now its time to face Purdue, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Michigan State.

South Florida-Da Bulls baby, USF continued their streak knocking off N.C. State 41-10 on Saturday night. The Big East is light this year so USF has a real shot at winning this conference. If its a confidence booster, USF's two toughest games are at home...but WVU and Louisville can always be a trap for anyone.

The Deadsetters:
USC-The Trojans were upended by Oregon State on Thursday night. Its a bad loss, mainly due to OSU's losses to Stanford and Penn State by 4 touchdowns. I think USC stays alive because it was a close game and it was a road interconference game and those are tough to win. USC's schedule the rest of the way is manageable but as a wise man says, "every underdog is dangerous".

Georgia-That was bad...really bad. UGA fell behind 31-0 in the 1st half of the game. They came back but it was not enough. I knew the Dawgs were shaken but never did I thought that Bama would beat Georgia the way they did. UGA needs to win out the rest of the way and beat Bama in a rematch in order to gain enough credibility for the National Title. Not going to be easy with LSU, Auburn, Georgia Tech and...

Florida-The Gators SHOULD NOT have lost to Ole Miss. Ole Miss has a good squad but they shouldn't have beaten Florida. But they did and I give credit to them. It was a good win but a tough one. The Gators only stay alive because it was a 1 point loss from a blocked kick but overall kudos to Ole Miss they will be back to 2003 status soon.

Wisconsin-I had the Badgers winning the Big Ten, but didn't expect Michigan to win. UM turned it over 8 times...and yet the Badgers still couldn't beat them. If UW wants to be a National Title contender they must win these types of game. UW can still make it due to the closeness of the lost but they must get through Penn State and Ohio State

Auburn-Auburn is barely hanging in there. They lost to LSU and almost loss to Tennessee and Mississippi State. You can only hang on for so long until you fall. They remind me of...

Virginia Tech-You'd think the Hokies would be 1-4 with the negativity surrounding them but this isn't the case. Va.Tech is 4-1 and they seem to be looking stronger and stronger much like the Virginia Tech we're used to seeing. The ACC is a little tough but the Hokies have proven people wrong once before...and they'll do it again.

Wake Forest-The Demon Deacans fell to Navy...the Giant Killers of America. Wake's secondary did great just not the linebackers and QB Riley Skinner. Wake can still win the ACC and still get to the title game but it will be a long road.

Maryland-The Terps knocked off another Top 25 team in Clemson a surprising upset considering that many had Clemson heavily favored. The Terps got ran up and down the field in the 1st half but bounced back in the 2nd to win the game. Maryland needs more consistancy on terms of offense, defense, and wins. If they can beat UVA on Saturday they will be consistant with wins a rarity for the Terps.

Michigan State-Javon Ringer is a horse, he has the led the Spartans offense to 897 rushing yards and demolished just about every defense along the way. If #23 can keep running and the defense keep hitting then the Spartans can win the Big Ten..and possibly the National Title.

Duke-The Blue Devils are a surprise in the ACC. They won their first ACC game in 4 years and could possibly win the Coastal Division. They have a good offense and a tough defense. However, they have to get through Vandy, Wake, Clemson, Va.Tech, UNC, and...

Georgia Tech-Saturday will be a test. They get Duke at home and the Dukies look dangerous. This will be an elimination game for the National Title race and a crucial Coastal division matchup.

Pittsburgh-Yes they're still alive. But they need to get through the rest of the Big East. The USF game on Thursday will be an elimination game. They also need to beat...

Notre Dame-The Irish offense looked good once again knocking off Purdue 38-21 and the defense held strong against a high powered Boilermaker attack. Notre Dame still has to get through Pitt, USC, Navy, and...

North Carolina-The Tar Heels escaped Miami. UM almost had them but at the end UNC caught lightning in a bottle and defeated the Canes in Coral Gables. The Tar Heels need to watch out for Maryland, Georgia Tech, Duke, and Notre Dame.

Boston College-BC knocked off another Northeast team this week, but need to get through the ACC and Notre Dame first.

Colorado-The Buffs have a tough Big XII schedule with Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska. But if they played the way they did against FSU their won't be any return to a National Title for the Buffs.

Speaking of...Florida State-The Noles did something surprising...beat Colorado. The Noles looked like the Noles of the '90's in their 39-21 win over Colorado sweeping the Buffs 2-0.

Nebraska-I thought they should've beaten Virginia Tech. They got ripped off on that penalty and it hurt. If anything I believe that NU will use this motivation against Missouri on Saturday night and upset the Tigers. If not, then the 11 year drought will continue.

The Unknown:
Northwestern-Is it really 1995? The Wildcats have jumped off to a surprising 5-0 start after coming back against Iowa on Saturday. Can this be a Rose Bowl birth or much much more with their toughest games at home against Ohio and Michigan State.

Kentucky-The OTHER Wildcats have been impressive in the post-Woodson era outside of the close game against Middle Tennessee, the Cats look great. However, it will be tough going against Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida.

Vanderbilt-Vandy was off this week but they get ready for the tough SEC schedule with Auburn on Saturday.

Texas Tech-Still waiting for them to play UT and OU. Though they could do it its just they need to work on defense they can't beat UT and OU by throwing the ball 80 times.

LSU-The Tigers look good, but they haven't really been tested. With the QB spot an unknown they look to attempt to repeat in the SEC.]

Eliminated from Contention:
Minnesota-The Gophers were beaten by Ohio State who was annihilated by USC who was beaten by Oregon State who was annihilated by Penn State...yeah thats not good for UM.

Louisville-2006 should've been the year but if Steve Kragthorpe can do it, he can get this team back to that quick.

Indiana-You need to play defense in order to win in the Big Ten.

Iowa-You can't blow leads and win its been proven in the past and it was proven here. I sense Kirk may be done after November. But lets wait and see.

Miami-Once again the National Title slips through the fingers.

The Mid-Major National Title Update:
Contenders:
Boise State(3-0)-The Broncos were off this week but will be back next week.

Utah(5-0)-The Utes got past Weber State on Saturday but you need to win by more if you want to win this title and get a BCS bowl shot.

BYU(3-0)-The Cougars were off this week getting ready for the tough Mountain West.

Ball State(5-0)-The Cardinals have blown out every team they've faced. But in the MAC anything can happen.

Tulsa(4-0)-If the Golden Hurricanes want to contend they must not let Central Arkansas score 34 points...oh wait. The defense needs to step up or be stepped on.

Still Alive(At the Moment):
Air Force(3-1)-The Falcons loss 2 weeks ago to Utah didn't help but wins over BYU and TCU can.

TCU(3-1)-The Horned Frogs got beat down by Oklahoma but at the same time they shut down the run. If their run defense can continue running(no pun intended) strong they should win the MWC.

Louisiana Tech(3-1)-Tech was off this week getting ready for tough ones against Boise and...

Fresno State(3-1)-The Bulldogs knocked off another BCS school in UCLA on Saturday in the Rose Bowl. The WAC is always tough, however.

Western Michigan(4-1)-The Broncos can still pull off the MAC and Mid-Major Championship...they just need to score more than 7.

Stat Leaders:
Rushing Yards:Donald Brown(UCONN)-906

Receiving Yards:Emmanuel Sanders(SMU)-561

Passing Yards:Case Keenum(Houston)-1,925

Points:Javon Ringer(Michigan State)-72

Most Passing Touchdowns:David Johnson(Tulsa) and Case Keenum(Houston)-19

Most Rushing Touchdowns:Javon Ringer(Michigan State)-12

Most Receiving Touchdowns:Jarett Dilliard(Rice)-10

Team Stats:
Most Points:Tulsa-54.8

Rushing Yards:Oklahoma State-340.3

Passing Yards:Texas Tech-426.3

What 2 Watch 4:
Pittsburgh vs USF-In a battle for Big East supremacy, USF and Pitt square off in what may be another Thursday night classic. See it Thursday at 7:30pm on ESPN.

Oregon State vs Utah-Last week the Beavers pulled off the biggest upset of the year. Can they knock off another Top 15 team? See it Thursday at 9pm on ESPN2.

Kentucky vs Alabama-Both teams are undefeated and both want to win the SEC. Can the Wildcats pull off the upset? See Saturday at 3:30pm on CBS.

Missouri vs Nebraska-Missouri has not won in Lincoln since 1978 and the Cornhuskers are hell bent for revenge after last years 41-6 blowout loss. Can the Huskers amount revenge or will history repeat itself? Find out Saturday at 9pm on ESPN.

Texas vs Colorado-The Longhorns are in the Top 5 and the Buffs want to be there. Colorado fell to FSU last week but look to rebound at home this week. Will they? Find out Saturday at 7:10pm on FSN.

Penn State vs Purdue-PSU are on a hot streak but Purdue is always dangerous. The Boilermakers are willing to win just about every home game for this season for Joe Tiller and hopes to pull the upset. Can they? Find out Saturday at 12pm on ESPN.

Texas Tech vs Kansas State-Road games are always tough especially for a Texas Tech team that struggles on defense. K-State has a good offense and hopes the defense can step it up. Can the Wildcats win? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC(check your local listings)

Oregon vs USC-The state of Oregon has been trouble for the Trojans. 3 out of their last 4 Pac 10 losses have been to Oregon and Oregon State. In '06, USC lost to the Beavs, and last year they lost to the Ducks. Following their loss to Oregon State, the Trojans hope to bounce back and amount revenge on the Ducks? Find out Saturday at 8pm on ABC(check your local listings).

Auburn vs Vanderbilt-Vandy is unbeaten and looks to take the SEC by storm. If they can beat Auburn then UGA, LSU, Alabama, and others should be on watch. Can Vandy beat the Tigers? Find out Saturday at 6pm on ESPN.

Ohio State vs Wisconsin-The Big Ten race is wide open and whoever loses this may be out of contention. Can UW bounce back after losing to UM or will the Buckeyes continue restoring their trust with the nation? Find out Saturday at 8pm on ABC(check your local listings).

UCONN vs North Carolina-The East coast war of the ACC and Big East continue. UCONN is a team on the rise hoping to get to a BCS Bowl and the Tar Heels are back looking their best since 1997. In a battle of east coast powers, who will prevail? Find out Saturday at 7pm on ESPN2.

Duke vs Georgia Tech-Never thought I'd recommend Duke in a game but the Blue Devils are the surprise team of the year. David Cutcliffe has bought a new attitude and look to the Devils. In an ACC Coastal division battle, Duke hopes to keep the wins coming, but the option is always tough to stop. Can the Dukies continue? Find out Saturday at 12pm on ESPNU.

Iowa vs Michigan State-Michigan State is a dark horse in the Big Ten behind their workhorse Javon Ringer while Iowa hopes to rebound from heartbreaking losses to Pitt and Northwestern. Can Iowa pull it off? Find out Saturday at 12pm on ESPN2.

Florida State vs Miami-The Canes and the Noles are in better form than last year and will be back soon. For now they're fighting for the ACC crown. In a possible ACC Championship preview, who will win the battle for the Sunshine state? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC(check your local listings).

Overview:Probably the best week of the season so far. So many great game, so many upsets and it'll get better this Saturday but last week will be a tough act to follow. It all starts as Florida Atlantic takes on Middle Tennessee in a battle for the Sun Belt conference at 8pm on ESPN2, part of a 5 day College Football week.

MLB Playoff Predictions

The 2008 MLB season has wrapped up. Even though the White Sox and the Twins have no settled the NL Central dispute. I don't see either team making it.

Here are my predictions:
National League:
NLDS:
Philadelphia over Milwaukee
Chicago over Los Angeles Dodgers

NLCS:Chicago over Philadelphia

American League:
ALDS:
Boston over Los Angeles Angels
Tampa Bay over Whoever the Hell they land

ALCS:
Boston over Tampa Bay

World Series:Chicago over Boston

I feel 100 years is enough and that the Cubs will win the World Series

y25 and Conference Standings(Week 5)

Well Week 5 of the College Football season is over. There were 5 big upsets this weekend and that shook the rankings up. Out from this weeks poll is TCU, Clemson, and East Carolina. In this week is UCONN, Oklahoma State, and Virginia Tech. Here are the rankings.

1.LSU 4-0(SEC)
2.Oklahoma 4-0(Big XII)
3.Alabama 5-0(SEC)
4.Missouri 4-0(Big XII)
5.Texas 4-0(Big XII)
6.Penn State 5-0(Big Ten)
7.USF 5-0(Big East)
8.Utah 5-0(Mountain West)
9.BYU 4-0(Mountain West)
10.Texas Tech 4-0(Big XII)
11.USC 2-1(Pac 10)
12.Florida 3-1(SEC)
13.Wisconsin 3-1(Big Ten)
14.Georgia 4-1(SEC)
15.Vanderbilt 4-0(SEC)
16.Boise State 3-0(WAC)
17.Ohio State 4-1(Big Ten)
18.Auburn 4-1(SEC)
19.Kansas 3-1(Big XII)
20.Oregon 4-1(Pac 10)
21.Fresno State 4-1(WAC)
22.UCONN 5-0(Big East)
23.Oklahoma State 4-0(Big XII)
24.Virginia Tech 4-1(ACC)
25.Wake Forest 3-1(ACC)

As you can see all the undefeateds from last weeks poll moved ahead of USC, Georgia, Florida, and Wisconsin with an exception for Boise State and Vanderbilt who were off this week. LSU is still Number 1 because they have yet to lose a game and is the only Top 5 team left from the beginning of the year(LSU, Georgia, USC, WVU, Kansas). Oklahoma State makes their first appearence in the poll since 2004.

Here are the Conference Standings:
1.SEC-6
Big XII-6
3.Big 10-3
4.Mountain West-2
ACC-2
Pac 10-2
Big East-2
WAC-2

With ECU's loss to Houston, the CUSA is out for the moment. ACC lost Clemson but added Va.Tech, the Big East added UCONN, The Mountain West lost TCU, and The Big XII gained Oklahoma State.

Tune in later for the College Football Review.

College Football in Review:Week 4

Week 4 in the College Football season is over. Lets take a look at the week in review.

Best Game of the Week:West Virginia vs Colorado-You know, the CU Buffs have made a Big XII Championship appearence in this decade. As a matter of fact, they've had 3. They beat Texas in '01, but in the last two('04 and '05) they lost to Oklahoma and Texas by a combined 112-6 and in both those years they failed to qualify for a bowl game. So to see the Buffs get a big victory like this is awesome. I hope Colorado can be back to full strength soon. They're one of my favorite schools. High drama and a thrilling finish makes this the game of the week.

Player of the Week:Russell Wilson(N.C. State)-In Week 1, this kid got beaten up by South Carolina for 20 passing yards. This week, Wilson threw for 3 touchdowns in N.C. State's 30-24 upset of East Carolina. Gotta hand it to the kid.

Dissapointment of the Week:East Carolina-Proof that the little games count too. The Pirates beat ACC and Big East Champs Virginia Tech and West Virginia but got upended by lowly N.C. State. The numbers were there, just not the team. But its still enough to give Skip Holtz a big coaching job.

Surprise Team of the Week:N.C. State-The Wolfpack got killed by South Carolina and Clemson and didn't even have a touchdown against an FBS school going into their 30-24 win over ECU. For Tom O'Brien, the genius behind Boston College and Matt Ryan, this was a big win.

Numbers:
166-The amount of rushing yards by Colorado's Rodney Stewart in the Buffs 17-14 win over West Virginia

328-The amount of rushing yards by Alabama in their 49-14 win over Arkansas. Is Bear Bryant back?

4-The amount of passing touchdowns by Terrelle Pryor in his debut as Ohio State beat Troy 28-10

386-The amount of passing yards by Boise State's Kellen Moore in the Broncos 37-32 win over Oregon

98-The amount of rushing yards by Josh Portis in Maryland's 51-24 win over Eastern Michigan. Pretty good for a back-up QB

201-The amount of rushing yards by Javon Ringer in Michigan State's 23-7 win over Notre Dame

699-The amount of rushing yards by Javon Ringer this season

The Contenders:
South Florida-The Bulls struggled agains FIU this week, but with the Big East looking easier, the Bulls look to make a National Title run.

Florida-After the Gators 30-6 win over Tennessee, I'm a believer. I know UT lost to UCLA but this is a rivalry game and this was a road game. The Gators still have UGA, LSU, Auburn, and Florida State but they can manage.

Texas-Its 2005 and Colt McCoy is playing as good as Vince Young...except he passes more. The Longhorns demolished Rice 52-10 and look to continue. They are real but they must not overlook Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech.

Wake Forest-They beat FSU, the defense is stiff, so look out for Wake. They still have Clemson and Maryland but they can manage it.

Penn State-Lets see...Texas is a top contender, Notre Dame beat Michigan but lost to Michigan State, USC is a juggernaut...so why can't Penn State re-enact 2005? With a tough defense and a great run game its possible. I think PSU should stick to the spread for now on. They're 1000x better.

Lets not forget about...USC and Oklahoma-They had byes but they will be back.

Deadsetters:
Kansas(3-1):KU bounced back nicely this week knocking off Sam Houston State 38-14. KU will be back in October when they start the month with Iowa State, Colorado, and the big one against Oklahoma.

Maryland(3-1)-The Terrapins blew out Eastern Michigan, but it ain't going to get easy for the Terps as they face Clemson on Saturday. Last year, the Tigers sent the Terps season into free fall winning 30-10 in College Park. Maryland better be on its "A" game against Clemson.

Georgia Tech(3-1)-The Triple Option is alive and well in Atlanta as Tech knocked off Mississippi State on Saturday 38-7. Tech is off this week but returns with a tough one against Duke before facing Gardner Webb and Clemson in Death Valley.

Michigan State(3-1)-Javon Ringer ran all over Notre Dame on Saturday leading the Spartans to a 23-7 victory. The Spartans have to go to Indiana this week before facing Iowa. However, after Iowa it only gets harder as the Spartans finish with @Northwestern, Ohio State, @Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue, and @Penn State.

Virginia Tech(3-1)-Staying alive is the theme for this team. They've managed to escape Georgia Tech and North Carolina rallying back from a 17-3 deficit to win 20-17. It won't get any easy as Tech plays Nebraska on Saturday.

Iowa(3-1)-The Hawkeyes slipped on Pitt on Saturday falling 21-20. The Hawkeyes need to get the passing game up or else they'll fall further. That won't be easy with Northwestern coming to town on Saturday.

Purdue(2-1)-The Boilermakers rebounded from losing to Oregon by almost losing to Central Michigan. The Boilermakers end the Best of 3 with a clean sweep of the Chippawas but they didn't go away easily. Lets see what they do in South Bend on Saturday.

Arkansas(2-1)-Yeah I don't see that happening

Boston College(2-1)-The Eagles surprised a few by handling UCF easily on Saturday. With the ACC coming up, the Eagles look to retain the Atlantic Division title and get a shot at the National Title.

Arizona(3-1)-The Wildcats ate up UCLA on Saturday. With the offense and defense connecting well so far this year, could we see another AU upset of a Top 10 team. Watch out USC.

Notre Dame(2-1)-The Fighting Irish got handled by the Spartans in a game that was a little closer than the score looks. Notre Dame was almost within 6 in the last 5 minutes but a field goal miss ended their rally. Purdue comes to South Bend this week and the Irish look to beat the Boilers.

North Carolina(2-1)-Tough loss on Saturday. Even tougher is losing T.J. Yates for 6 weeks. That was the "x" factor in the Tar Heels 20-17 loss to Va.Tech. With an easy ACC, the Tar Heels can, however, make a run and hopefully reach the National Title.

Miami(2-1)-The Canes look like the same team they were from 2000-2005. They are fast, tough, physical and hard to beat. It was shown in their 41-23 with of Texas A&M. The ACC looks easy and so does the shot at another National Title in this decade.

Oregon(3-1)-The Ducks looked BAD. Simply put BAD. Boise State surprised everybody by going into Autzen Stadium and knocking off the Ducks and shutting down the run. They trailed 37-13 in the 4th but rallied to make it 37-32. Now if they can just keep the passing up and the running back up they can make a run in the Pac 10. However, they got to get through USC, Cal, and Oregon State first...all 3 on the road.

Florida State(2-1)-Not the start the Noles wanted. Once again, Wake Forest took FSU to the woodshed beating them 12-3. In the last two games at Doak Campbell, FSU has been outscored 42-3 by Wake. In the years before, Wake hadn't even scored 42 points. Again the ACC is a mixed bag so lets see what the Noles can do...if they can get past Colorado first.

Cincinnati(2-1)-After OU hammered them, Cincy came back and knocked off Miami U 45-20. The Big East looks simple for the Bearcats...if they can get past USF and UCONN.

Auburn(2-1)-They were close...but once again the offense stalled and the defense gave too much. As a result Auburn fell to LSU. Escaping MSU didn't help...neither did this.

The Unknown:
Georgia-The Dawgs beat down Arizona State...who lost the week before to UNLV. Before anyone jump on the Dawgs bandwagon. Remember they get Alabama on Saturday and Florida and LSU next month. Its a long season...especially in the SEC.

Northwestern-They're 4-0...but is it a legit 4-0? They beat Ohio by 8, which is just as good as Ohio State's win over the Bobcats. They have to go to Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, and Michigan. But they got Purdue, Ohio State, and Illinois at home...is it 1995 or another 2000?

Minnesota-The Gophers are back. Its official. I am fully convinced after a 37-3 win over FAU. But are they in Contender shape? We'll see when they play Ohio State on Saturday in Columbus.

Alabama-Roll Tide indeed...Bama knocked off Arkansas 49-14 on Saturday and face UGA on Sunday. With a good running game and a tough defense...is the Tide back?

Vanderbilt-They've never been on CBS...they've never won the SEC...at least recently. Can they get to a National Title? The passing game is working...the defense is ready...but can they survive Auburn in 2 weeks?

Texas Tech-Again...you have to play defense. Sure they shut down the mighty UMASS...but can they shut down the weak Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Missouri? What about Nebraska? You can only outscore someone for so long before they shut you down.

LSU-I'm concern about QB play here...LSU runs the ball well...but can they throw it well enough to surprise the SEC. Remember theirs 6 senses to a team. They got 5 but can they get 6 as they begin the SEC?

Eliminated From Contention:
West Virginia-Wow that Bill Stewart hiring looks really good right now. Nevermind he couldn't win at Division II VMI 12 years ago. I feel for Pat White...and Brian Brohm.

Ole Miss-Houston Nutt is doing a good job but just like at Arkansas...so close yet so far.

Arizona State-If I can name one team that has never won a National Title but is so deserving its ASU. They were screwed in the '70's twice. They were a Joe Germaine pick away from beating Ohio State and winning in '96. They started 8-0 last year and now they're eliminated. Rose Bowl is possible though.

Iowa State-Who said they were on the rise again?

Mid-Major National Championship:
History:In 2003, I established the y25 under the name "JB Top 25". At the end of the first year I handed out rewards. I created the Mid-Major National Championship for non-BCS schools who have no real chance in competing for the BCS barring a conference jump or a new BCS alignment. Only once(2003) has the 1st and 2nd best mid-major faced off in a bowl game. Only twice(2004 and 2006) has a team been rewarded both the Mid-Major National Title and the JFB National Title(my National Champion vote). Here are the winners.

2003:Boise State beat TCU 34-31 in the Fort Worth Bowl
2004:Utah was named champion after Boise State lost to Louisville in the Liberty Bowl and the Utes beat Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl to finish 12-0. Utah was also named JFB National Champion.
2005:TCU went 11-1 and knocked off Iowa State in the Houston Bowl.
2006:Boise State went 13-0 and beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl to win the title. Boise was also named JFB National Champion.
2007:Hawaii won the title after beating Boise State in the next-to-last game of the year in Honolulu. Hawaii lost to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl being the only team in the title's history to lose its bowl game.

Contenders:
Boise State(3-0)-The Broncos look to regain the title. They have started off well by beating Oregon 37-32 on Saturday. The WAC looks manageable with the hardest game interconference coming against Fresno State. Boise's last out-of-conference game is against Southern Miss on October 11th.

Utah(4-0)-Its been 4 years since the Utes went unbeaten. They look to do it this year but the Mountain West looks tough. The game to look out for is the last for Utah when they face BYU at home.

Speaking of...BYU-The Cougars have been in contention the previous two years but haven't won. This year the Cougars look dominant entering the Mountain West Conference. However, no one in this conference is a pushover just ask...

TCU(3-0)-The Horned Frogs got Oklahoma but with the way the MWC has been playing it might be a tough day for the Sooners. They beat OU in '05 which propelled them to the title. Can they win it back?

Ball State(4-0)-Remember when the MAC was dominant? Well times have changed and now Ball State is in control of the conference. They managed to win tough ones against Navy and Indiana. With Nate Davis at QB, the Cardinals have a good shot at winning the title.

Tulsa(3-0)-They've started out well and that game against Arkansas don't look so hard. With the C-USA play starting up can they run through the conference and to a title?

Still Alive(at the moment):
East Carolina(3-1)-The loss to NC State hurt but the season is long and it was a rivalry game on the road. ECU can still win the title but the C-USA is always hard.

Troy(2-1)-The Trojans struggled a bit against Ohio State, but they're always good and the Sun Belt is a 2-horse race. They already got past Middle Tennesse, can they finish the out-of-conference schedule and win the conference?

Colorado State(2-1)-Idk about this team. Colorado blew them out in Denver and they narrowly escaped Sacramento State. I feel that the game against Cal could be the death sentencer for this Rams team. If not that then the 2 week stretch of TCU and Utah could do it.

Marshall(3-1)-Tonight we're going to party like its 1999. For the Herd it may be they're winning again. They look good on offense and defense especially after their surprise 34-27 win over Southern Miss. It won't get easy when they travel to West Virginia on Saturday to face the Mountaineers. But if they keep playing strong they can beat this Mountaineer team and make the Governor proud.

Air Force(3-1)-The Falcons lost to Utah but that doesn't mean its over. They run the Flexbone well enough to possibly win the Mountain West but it won't be easy. They are off this week then return to play Navy. The key game is at home against BYU on November 15th.

Arkansas State(3-1)-They pulled off the upset over Texas A&M and are tied for the best team in Arkansas with the Razorbacks. Their toughest test comes November 1st when they travel to Tuscaloosa to play the Tide.

Louisiana Tech(3-1)-They beat Mississippi State but then turned around and got blown out by Kansas. They got Fresno State at home but land Boise State on Smurf Turf.

Western Michigan(3-1)-They have rebounded after getting blown apart by Nebraska on opening day. They got Illinois in Ford Field on November 8th but they also have Temple(this week), Buffalo, Central Michigan, and Ball State on the road. It could be a tough road for the Broncos.

Fresno State(2-1)-The lost to Wisconsin hurt and they narrowly escaped Toledo. UCLA on Saturday is winnable but they still have to play Louisiana Tech and Boise State...on the road.

UNLV(3-1)-They only had 2 wins last year. With victories over Iowa State and Arizona State the Runnin Rebels look good. Air Force and TCU come to Vegas but they got BYU in Provo.

What to Watch 4:
TCU vs Oklahoma-In 2005, the Horned Frogs knocked off OU in Norman en route to an 11-1 season and a Mid-Major National Championship? Can they do it again in the return game? Find out Saturday at 7pm on FSN.

Alabama vs Georgia-Last year the Dawgs escaped Tuscaloosa with an overtime victory. This year Alabama is much improved. Can the Dawgs win again in Athens? Find out Saturday at 7:45pm on ESPN.

Illinois vs Penn State-Last year the Illini knocked off Penn State sending them into a free fall which they never recovered from. Once again with Daryl Clark at QB, PSU is running high and spreading the ball out. Can the Nittany Lions start the season 5-0 for the first time since the dream 2005 season? Find out Saturday at 8pm on ABC(check your local listings).

USF vs NC State-Last week the Wolfpack upset ECU at home. Can they do it again with USF coming to town? Find out Saturday at 7:30pm on ESPNU.

Minnesota vs Ohio State-The Gophers have 4x the win total than last year. If they can pull off the upset in Columbus it can launch them toward a Big Ten title and their first Rose Bowl appearence since 1960. Can the Gophers do it? Find out Saturday at 12pm on Big Ten Network.

Maryland vs Clemson-The Terps have been shaky this year. They beat Cal but lost to Middle Tennessee. Going into Death Valley is never easy. Can the Terps beat Clemson? Find out Saturday at 12pm on ESPN360 or any local affiliates(check your local listings).

UCONN vs Louisville-UCONN is unbeaten once again and Louisville is looking for revenge from last years game. Can the Cards get revenge? Find out Friday at 8pm on ESPN2.

Michigan State vs Indiana-In an early-Big Ten battle, Javon Ringer and the Spartans look to come to IU and beat the Hoosiers and hopefully win the Big Ten. Can the Spartans do it? Find out Saturday at 12pm on ESPN.

Virginia vs Duke-The Blue Devils have not beaten UVA since 1999. With the Duke offense flying high can they pull off the victory? Find out Saturday at 12pm on ESPNU.

North Carolina vs Miami-The Coastal Division is up for grabs this year and every game counts? Who will win the battle between Butch Davis and his old school. Find out Saturday at 12pm on ESPN2.

Colorado vs Florida State-The Buffs pulled off the upset last Thursday and the Noles are looking to bounce back from the heart breaking loss against Wake. In a neutral site game in Jacksonville, can the Buffs get revenge? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC(check your local listings).

Marshall vs West Virginia-Marshall is flying high and WVU is sailing low. Marshall has never beaten WVU and this year could be their last real shot. Can the Herd do it? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm on ESPN360.

Virginia Tech vs Nebraska-The Huskers are unbeaten and the Hokies are surviving. Last time Va.Tech played a Bo Pelini team the Hokies got flatten by LSU. The Hokies want revenge on Pelini but the Huskers have something else on their mind. Is Nebraska back? Find out Saturday at 8pm on ABC(check your local listings).

Overview:It was an ok weekend. I thought Thursday was good. Saturday afternoon was okish. The nightcap was the best so an ok College Football week. If you won't like this week then October 4th is looking like the best week so far. Enjoy the week(s). I say weeks because starting on Thursday the 25th until October the 7th there will be 12 consecutive days of football. It all starts on Thursday when USC plays Oregon State at 9pm on ESPN.

y25 and Conference Standings(Week 4)

Week 4 of the College Football season is over. This week Florida State, West Virginia, and Arizona State dropped due to losses to Wake Forest,Colorado, and Georgia while Illinois was replaced by Fresno State. Also new is Boise State,TCU, and Vanderbilt who beat Oregon, SMU, and Ole Miss respectively.

1.LSU 3-0(SEC)
2.Georgia 4-0(SEC)
3.USC 2-0(Pac 10)
4.Oklahoma 3-0(Big XII)
5.Missouri 4-0(Big XII)
6.Wisconsin 3-0(Big Ten)
7.Florida 3-0(SEC)
8.Alabama 4-0(SEC)
9.Texas 3-0(Big XII)
10.BYU 4-0(Mountain West)
11.Wake Forest 3-0(ACC)
12.Texas Tech 4-0(Big XII)
13.USF 4-0(Big East)
14.Penn State 4-0(Big Ten)
15.Utah 4-0(Mountain West)
16.Boise State 3-0(WAC)
17.TCU 4-0(Mountain West)
18.Vanderbilt 4-0(SEC)
19.Kansas 3-1(Big XII)
20.Ohio State 3-1(Big Ten)
21.Clemson 3-1(ACC)
22.Auburn 3-1(SEC)
23.Oregon 3-1(Pac 10)
24.East Carolina 3-1(C-USA)
25.Fresno State 3-1(WAC)

As you can see no change in the Top 10. 11-25 looks different, though. Lets take a look at the Conference Standings.

1.SEC-6
2.Big XII-5
3.Big 10-3
Mountain West-3
5.ACC-2
Pac 10-2
Big East-2
WAC-2
9.C-USA 1

With the addition of Vanderbilt to the y25, the SEC has broke the tie with the Big XII for 1st place while the WAC has entered the competition and the Mountain West is tied with the Big Ten.

College Football in Review:Week 3

Make or break Saturday is over lets look at the contenders, the deadsetters, and teams whose chances at a National Title died this past week.

Best Game of the Week:Kansas vs South Florida-Without a doubt, the best game ever played at Raymond James Stadium. The USF Bulls, trailed 20-3 at halftime and rallied back, only to loss that lead but managed to hang on winning 37-34. USF scored 31 unanswered to make it 34-20 with close to 8 minutes left in the game. But Kansas and Todd Reesing did not die and managed to rally back to tie it at 34. But a costly interception gave USF the ball inside their own 30. A few moments later and it was over...South Florida 37 Kansas 34.

Best Player of the Week:Maikon Bonani(USF)-Here you are...your a Freshman in college...earlier in the week you are given the starting kicking job and in your first game, you have to win the game for your team. Earlier in the game you missed a field goal. Now you have to make it or your team faces overtime and loses confidence in you. A sold out stadium of 70,000 people on their feet with 11 white jerseys coming at you and 10 green jerseys protecting you...that is what this young man did. To be in a situation as big as he was in and to come up in the clutch is an amazing achievement for a Freshman like him. Look for bigger, better moments in this kid's future.

Dissapointment of the Week:Ohio State-Yes, again. I was dissapointed in the Buckeyes for losing to USC and thus possibly ensuring them of a National Championship loss. A close loss is understandable, but to lose 35-3 on National Television in the biggest game of the year(outside of the National Title and Michigan game) is redicolous. They have no one to blame but themselves.

Surprise Team of the Week:Maryland-I expected the Terps to beat Cal, but didn't expect them to go out there after losing to Middle Tennessee State and somehow manage to pull out a victory over a Cal team who last week had flat out beaten Washington State. This win is huge for the Terps and can be a momentum shift for this football team.

Numbers:
892-Combined number of yards by USF and Kansas

6-Number of consecutive wins that USC holds over Ohio State

1974-The last time Ohio State beat USC, the 1974 Rose Bowl where Ohio State won 42-21

405-The amount of passing yards by Chase Daniel in Missouri's 69-17 win over Nevada

726-Combined number of passing yards by Texas Tech and SMU in the Battle of the Run & Shoot

1959-The year that most Syracuse fans wishes it was

7-The amount of touchdown passes thrown by Max Hall in BYU's 59-0 win over UCLA

423-The amount of yards passing Kevin Riley had in Cal's 35-27 loss to Maryland

25-The amount of rushing yards by Jahvid Best in Cal's 35-27 loss to Maryland. Best had 200 rushing yards against Washington State the week before

282-The amount of rushing yards by Javon Ringer in Michigan State's 17-0 win over Florida Atlantic

2-The amount of win that Duke has. Thats about the same amount as the previous 3 seasons.

260-The total amount of yards by Georgia Tech's Josh Nesbitt in Tech's 20-17 loss to Virginia Tech

The Contenders:
South Florida-The Bulls may have struggled with Central Florida and for a while against Kansas, but the Bulls are legit, their toughest game is their last against West Virginia on December 6th in Morgantown while they get Pitt, Rutgers, and UCONN at home.

USC-The Trojans have beaten Virginia and Ohio State by a combined 87-10. With an easy Pac 10 schedule(Arizona State, Cal, Oregon all at home) look for the Trojans to run the table to a 12-0 finish.

Oklahoma-The Sooners are 3-0...they have outscored opponetts 164-42 in 3 games. Sam Bradford has 882 passing yards and 12 touchdowns the running game is hot and the defense is brutal. The Sooners also have Texas Tech and Kansas at home and the only tough game is in October against Texas in Dallas. Look for Oklahoma to win the Big XII South unless they stumble ala last year.

Missouri-The Tigers are 3-0, Chase Daniel is playing to perfection and seemingly no one can stop them. The Tigers only real challenges come against the Longhorns in Austin and Kansas at Kansas City. However, that game against Nebraska is going to be a trap game. Mizzou is real.

The Deadsetters:
Kansas(2-1)-The Jayhawks may have lost to USF, but it was a close game...on the road. However, the Jayhawks have to go to Norman and play Oklahoma and have to play Texas and Missouri...thankfully one is at home and the other is in Kansas City.

Arizona State(2-1)-Yes, I know that ASU lost to UNLV, but the Sun Devils have the schedule to possibly help dig themselves out of the 2-1 hole. They get Georgia on Saturday at home, Cal in Berkeley, USC in Los Angeles, sounds tough but from their the schedule gets lighter. If they can get past these three games the Sun Devils may find themselves back in the National Title picture.

California(2-1)-The Golden Bears lost to Maryland on Saturday. But the pollsters will re-consider the lost later and if Cal can get past their hardest games(Arizona State, Oregon, @USC) they will be back in contention.

Maryland(2-1)-The Terps beat Cal which shocked everybody. In the previous two seasons, Maryland has been notorious for its bad starts and good finishes. In 2006, they started 2-0, got blown out by West Virginia, and escaped Florida International(who went 0-12 that year). The Terps lost to Georgia Tech two weeks later but racked off 5 consecutive wins and was suddenly 8-2 contending for the ACC Championship. In '07, they won their first two, got blown out by West Virginia(again...), blew a lead against Wake Forst, but still managed to beat Top 10 teams Rutgers(in Piscataway) and Boston College. I know they finish 6-7 but I'm just saying they're a mystery. The Terps still have to get through Clemson(on the road), Virginia(in Charlottesville), Wake Forest, Virginia Tech(in Blacksburg), North Carolina, Florida State, and Boston College(on the road). No easy task but if they can do it, Maryland could get back in the hunt.

Michigan State(2-1)-They barely escaped FAU, but the rest of the schedule is not as difficult. They get Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Wisconsin at home and the away games at Indiana, Michigan, and Penn State are managable. Look out for the Spartans as they enter the Big Ten schedule.

Virginia Tech(2-1)-The Hokies seemed to be connecting a lot better this week. But the schedule is going to be difficult as they go on the road to face North Carolina, Nebraska, Boston College, Florida State, and Miami. Beamer's done it before, he can do it again.

Georgia Tech(2-1)-The Yellow Jackets hardest games are Clemson, North Carolina, and Georgia. Clemson struggles against physical defenses, UNC is young, and Georgia seems vulnerable. Paul Johnson has faced many challenges before so he can handle it.

The Unknown:
Georgia-Unless the Bulldogs can shape up, they ain't going to make it. I know they demolished Georgia Southern and Central Michigan. But the Dawgs struggled against South Carolina and with depth being concerned, UGA must be concerned for the schedule against Arizona State(in Tempe), Alabama, Tennessee, LSU(in Baton Rouge), Florida(in Jacksonville), Kentucky(in Lexington), Auburn(on the road), and Georgia Tech it won't be any easier for the Dawgs.

Auburn-How are they a Top 10 team? The defense is alright, but the offense can't really score. 3-2? Come on. You can win with defense for as long as you desire but eventually it'll break.

Texas Tech-I know they have a high-powered offense that throws 9000 times a quarter, but just that ain't going to help you. I know they shut down SMU's attack, but thats because the defense is used to seeing the Run and Shoot from the offense in practice. Giving up 24 to Eastern Washington doesn't help much either.

Oregon-The Ducks are unbeaten, but is this really the same good Ducks team as last year? Or are they vulnerable if they lose their starting QB? Only time will tell as the Ducks prepare for Boise State, USC, Cal, and Arizona State this season.

Penn State-Is this the year? Can Joe Pa take the Nittany Lions to a National Championship game? I know they have fallen apart each of the last two years and was dissapointing in 2007, but the schedule points to yes as a chance to get through the season. They got Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Michigan State at home but they also got Purdue, Wisconsin, and Ohio State on the road. It could be 2005 all over again or a case of 2007.

North Carolina-The Tar Heels are 2-0, they won their first out-of-conference game out-of-state in 5 years. Butch Davis is a genious, the schedule favors them(hardest road game is at Maryland). Can the Heels get to their first ever National Title game?

Florida State-They're saying that the Noles are back, but the question is, "are they?". They beat Chattonoga and Western Carolina, thats easy...but they still got to face Wake Forest, Colorado, Virginia Tech, Clemson, and Boston College...at home and Miami and Georgia Tech on the road. Are glory days here again for the Noles?

Kentucky-The Wildcats are just as good as last year...but they are vulnerable. It was shown in Kentucky's 20-14 win over Middle Tennessee last week. The Wildcats were one yard away from losing.

Eliminated from Contention:
Ohio State-I know that in '83 Miami lost 31-3 to Florida and rebounded to beat Nebraska in the title but its different now. Too many teams are just as good.

Michigan-The Wolverines lost 35-17 to Notre Dame. No one expected much, but its still a dissapointment to be a Michigan fan and go another year without a title.

Mississippi State-2 points? Honestly...

UCLA-59-0 is just enough to bury you for 59 years.

Illinois-I know they're 2-1 but if they're struggling against Louisiana-Lafeyette and Eastern Illinois, I wonder then what Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Penn State will do to them?

Rutgers-They'll be back though, Greg Schiano is a genious, its just Mike Teel sucks.

Games to Look Out For:
West Virginia vs Colorado-The Mountaineers hardest task...trying to breathe after running for 90 percent of the game. CU looks to pull off the upset. You can see it Thursday at 8:30pm on ESPN.

Georgia vs Arizona State-Yes I know that ASU lost, but this is still going to be a good game, like Lou Holtz said, "Every team is different every week". Look for a good one. You can see it Saturday at 8:00pm on ABC.

Florida vs Tennessee-Always a close one when in Knoxville, the Vols look to pull off the upset against a tough Gator team. You can see it Saturday at 3:30pm on CBS.

LSU vs Auburn-Its the battle of Tigers as LSU takes on Auburn in an SEC West battle. You can see it Saturday at 7:45pm on ESPN.

Troy vs Ohio State-The Buckeyes have been slipping and Troy is one of the best "unknown" schools. You can see it Saturday at 12:00pm on the Big Ten Network.

Wake Forest vs Florida State-Last time the Deacans went to Tallahassee they destroyed the Noles. Now FSU wants revenge. You can see it Saturday at 7:00pm on ESPN2.

Virginia Tech vs North Carolina-UNC is on the rise and Va.Tech is on the fall. You can see it regionally Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC(check your local listings).

Overview:
A good week in College Football although Saturday night was dissapointing. Lets see how this week goes. It starts Wednesday at 8:00pm on ESPN2 as Louisville takes on Kansas State.

New y25

This week in College Football is over, lets look at the y25 and the Conference Standings.

In the y25 this week is Florida State and Clemson, out is Fresno State and Cal

Here are the Top 25

1.LSU 2-0(SEC)
2.Georgia 3-0(SEC)
3.USC 2-0(Pac 10)
4.Oklahoma 3-0(Big XII)
5.Missouri 3-0(Big XII)
6.Wisconsin 3-0(Big Ten)
7.Florida 2-0(SEC)
8.Alabama 3-0(SEC)
9.Texas 2-0(Big XII)
10.BYU 3-0(Mountain West)
11.Auburn 3-0(SEC)
12.Texas Tech 3-0(Big XII)
13.Wake Forest 2-0(ACC)
14.Oregon 3-0(Pac 10)
15.East Carolina 3-0(C-USA)
16.USF 3-0(Big East)
17.Penn State 3-0(Big Ten)
18.Utah 3-0(Mountain West)
19.Kansas 2-1(Big XII)
20.Ohio State 2-1(Big Ten)
21.Arizona State 2-1(Pac 10)
22.Florida State 2-0(ACC)
23.Clemson 2-1(ACC)
24.West Virginia 1-1(Big East)
25.Illinois 2-1(Big Ten)

Here is the Conference Standings
1.SEC-5
Big XII-5
3.Big 10-4
4.ACC-3
Pac 10-3
6.Big East-2
Mountain West-2

Marshall Faulk and Joe Basford, Jr. on the St.Louis Rams

Source:ESPN

"After taking a beating in Philadelphia, the Rams returned home to take a beating from one of their all-time great players. Marshall Faulk, upset with the state of the organization, said age and bum knee might not stop him from getting 100 yards rushing and another 100 yards receiving against the current Rams defense.
Among the highlights:
Faulk wouldn't have paid top dollar to Steven Jackson because the Rams will be playing catchup most of the season, devaluing the running back position;
The Rams don't have enough of the right players or coaches. "It's preparation, it's understanding what you have, it's having guys that are reliable," Faulk said.
The Rams were so bad against the Eagles that they should refrain from watching video of the game for fear of damaging confidence.
Faulk, in his interview with Team 1380, was at his most pointed when talking about the defense and coordinator Jim Haslett:
"I like Jim. I've always thought highly of him. And I don't know, maybe he's upset of the old Rams-Saints days and he's throwing games or whatever. Some of the things I saw happening out there the other day, I wonder when he sat in his office yesterday morning, what was his mindset? Was he thinking, 'I need to change it up.' Was he thinking, 'My players screwed it up.' Or was he thinking that he messed it up? Because one of the three things happened, or needs to happen."
That's about as harsh as it gets one week into a season. Losing to the Eagles in the opener wasn't as important as how the Rams lost to the Eagles. They lost ugly and that makes it tough for a team coming off a 3-13 record."

This is a quote my dad posted on the StlToday.com Message Boards.

"I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF THE FANS BUT IF I HAD A MONUMENTAL FAILURE ON MY JOB I WOULD BE GONE IN A MINUTE HOWEVER I GET TO WATCH A TEAM GO DOWN HILL FOR THE LAST 7 YEARS AND YESTERDAY WAS THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMELS BACK. I'M NOT INTRESTED IN A WAITING TO SEE IF LINEHAN CAN TURN THIS FAILURE AROUND. SOMEONE HAS TO PAY FOR THIS TEAM THAT COMES OUT AND PLAYS LACKLUSTER FOOTBALL WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT. THIS TEAM IS FULL OF OVER PAID GUYS THAT HAVE NOT PERFORMED SINCE RECEIVING THERE BIG PAY DAY CONTRACT IE. BULGER LAST YEAR, PACE TWO YEARS AGO, AND PROBABLY JACKSON THIS YEAR. THE O-LINE IS A DISASTER THE D-LINE IS NO BETTER. ALEX BARRRON HAS NO BUSINESS ON THE FIELD I THINK HE PICKS THE WORST TIME TO HAVE FALSE STARTS. HE DOES AT HOME WITH NO NOISE MAKES IT WORSE YET. SOMEBODY NEEDS A FOOT IN THE --- AND LINEHAN DOESN'T HAVE THE BALLS TO DO IT. IF I WAS A RAM PLAYER I WOULD BE EMBARASSED TO WALK THE STREET. INCLUDING MANAGEMENT"

Now my take...I agree on Marshall's stance when it comes to Jackson. Even I thought he'd be getting too much. Steven Jackson since he arrived in 2004, has been injured nearly every year, when and if he's healthy he's good, but thats as rare as Haley's Comet. Hell I get head damage just by seeing the name Eagles after Rams, watching the film will cause heads to explode. I don't think its nothing personal I just think Haslett sucks. His defenses were good for what...2-3 years? After the Saints left the NFC West they tanked further and eventually he was fired. Its only Week 1 maybe Jim will get it turned around. Marshall is right...we do suck.

Heads do need to roll...as my dad said. Scott Linehan, IMO has somehow made this team worse than what it was in Martz' final two years 15-19 and constantly blowing leads...and knees. You can't fire Scotty now, if anything, he should've been fired last season. Its a shame, Leonard Little said, "this is the most talented team I've ever played on". Thats like me claiming Boonsboro would go 10-0 and win a playoff game last year because I know how good the talent is just by playing with it or my cousin's claim that the Freshman team would kill T.J. only to lose by 40...moral of the story...never go TOO FAR out of limb. Its September, maybe we'll turn it around or maybe we'll be playing Marty ball next year...if you catch my drift ;).

NFL Week 1

Week 1 of the NFL Season is over. Lets name some facts.



Game of the Week:Carolina vs San Diego-No doubt about this. Carolina and San Diego battled it out in Qualcomm Stadium and at the end of the day, the Panthers prevailed following a hail mary by Delhomme to win the game 26-24. Keep an eye on Carolina.





Player of the Week:Donovan McNabb(Philadelphia Eagles)-McNabb is alive and well in Philly and they're ready to party like its 2004. Can this be the year finally for McNabb?





Dissapointment of the Week:The Indianpolis Colts-A flat out bad performance against an inferior Bears team in the Colts 29-13 loss on Sunday. This is not how a Super Bowl contender should perform on opening day at home. Just plain bad.





Most Impressive Team of the Week:The Chicago Bears-Maybe 2007 was a fluke. Lovie Smith and the Bears seem to be back behind the throwing of Kyle Orton and the running of Matt Forte and a strong defense. Lets see if Chicago can keep it going.



Numbers:

220-The amount of rushing yards by Michael Turner in the Falcons 34-21 win over the Lions



10-The average of rushing yards by Turner in that game



24-The amount of incompletions thrown by Matt Hasselback in Seattle's 34-10 loss to Buffalo



414-The amount of passing yards the Rams surrendered in their 38-3 loss to the Eagles



0-The Rams are 0-5 when wearing white pants. Seriously stick to Gold are record is MUCH better in them. The White ones are cursed so are the blue



25-In 28 games, the Rams have only managed 7 wins or 1/4 or 25 percent



123-The amount of rushing yards by Matt Forte in his debut as the Bears beat the Colts 29-13



81-The percentage of completions by Aaron Rodgers in the Packers 24-19 win over the Vikings



260-The amount of pounds that JaMarcus Russell weighs



112-The amount of days left til Scott Linehan is fired



The Good:

New York Giants-They completely annihilated Washington. It was a flat out blowout. I don't know if you can blame that on Jim Zorn's constant changing of formations(from the Gibbs to the West Coast and back) or is the Giants defense that good. Either way they beat up on Jason Campbell and Clinton Portis. Brandon Jacobs looked like he was in 2006 form with his 116 rushing yards. Repeat?



Atlanta Falcons-Maybe I am wrong about this team, maybe they have a future Hall of Famer in Matt Ryan, a stud tailback in Michael Turner and a good coach in Mike Smith...or maybe its just that they're playing the Lions...I don't know. Either way I look for the success to continue in Atlanta if they can get past New Orleans, Tampa Bay, and Carolina.



Buffalo Bills-Never thought I'd see the day where a California player and a Stanford man would cooperate so well together. Trent Edwards(Stanford) and Marshawn Lynch(California) looked great in the Bills 34-10 win over the Seahawks. The defense completely annihilated Matt Hasselback and for the run game, the post-Alexander era may be a problem. The Bills have a real good shot to win the AFC East.



New York Jets-Theres a 2nd team in New York now. No one has noticed them because they've been in the shadow of the Giants. They're the New York Jets and they're ready to fly behind the arm of Brett Favre and a strong defense. The AFC East race looks interesting now.



Philadelphia Eagles-I don't know if its the Rams or my prediction of a Philly comeback is coming true. The Eagle demolished the Rams 38-3 on Sunday and Donovan McNabb looked like 2004 Donovan and not 2005-2007 Donovan. Seriously he's back, Philly's defense is strong and they can dethrone the Cowboys EASILY.



Pittsburgh Steelers-I'm quite surprised. I expected the Texans to go out and tear up Pittsburghs 5 man blockers but instead they gave Big Ben time and he tore up the Texans along with Big Willie Parker as the Steelers won 38-17. People are saying they're in for a letdown, but after Sunday I think the critics will be let down themselves.



Carolina Panthers-They're alive. I said it in preseason, that team in 2006 and 2007 is dead and a new one has arrised. Panther fans it is 2003 all over again. NFC beware theres a second kind of cat in this league.



New Orlean Saints-See Panthers but replaced 2003 with 2006.


Dallas Cowboys-A flat out beatdown on the Cleveland Browns. Tony Romo threw to his highest potential, Marion Barber III shreded through the Browns front 3, and T.O. is keeping the momentum going. The NFC East looks to be a fight to the death.



Chicago Bears-The Bears took the Indianapolis Colts and took them to the woodshed in their 29-13 win. 2007 may very well be a fluke. Kyle Orton is no Rex Grossman and Matt Forte ain't not Cedric Benson...he's better and the Bears defense never left.



Green Bay Packers-Who said it was going to be a down year. Despite not passing as well, Green Bay still looked like the same '07 team in their 24-19 win over the Vikings. In the post-Brett Favre era, Packers fans may see lots of green pastures. Heres to a potential Jets/Packers Super Bowl in February.



Denver Broncos-I don't know if Denver is that good or Oakland is that bad. Either way the Broncos tore up the Raiders 41-14 on Monday Night Football. Jay Cutler looked just as good and the run game is alive in Denver. With a falling San Diego, and an easy Kansas City, Denver may just win the AFC West.



The Bad:

Washington Redskins-In Jim Zorn's defense, its his first game as a head coach and offensive coordinator. But these players know how to play the game by now. The other night they looked confused and the defense was easily vulnerable against the Giants attack. I did say they'd start slow so wait and see what happens.



Detroit Lions-That defense looked dreadful. They're lucky to have the 2nd best receiving core, otherwise it could've stayed 34-21. Its not over yet, they still have a favorable schedule. So wait til November before we see what kind of team this is.



Seattle Seahawks-Old habits do die hard as the Seahawks defense looked bad in a rare occasion, in a 34-10 loss to Buffalo. Hasselback couldn't get anything going and any more injuries than they might fall the direction of...



St.Louis Rams-They've hit rock bottom. Without a doubt, rock bottom. In 2006, the Rams started 4-1 under Linehan and since they're 7-21. Scott Linehan needs to go, its clear to anyone who knows football. In a matter of 3 years he has managed to turn a decent 10-6 team into an 0-16 squad. The players are giving on him, its only a matter of time before the organization gives up on him. I hate to say it but the way that secondary looked, its as if 2007 never ended.



Oakland Raiders-Speaking of 2006, this team went 2-14 that year and Lane Kiffen turned them around to a respectable 4-12(misleading) record. But it appears as if they haven't really improved much especially after the beatdown Denver gave them.



The Unknown:

Miami Dolphins-They looked great against the Jets, but how long can they keep it up as Buffalo and New York continue to improve. The running game didn't look good at all.



Kansas City Chiefs-They shut down New England, but if Tom Brady was still in that game, would Kansas City been in it in the 4th Quarter?



New England Patriots-Brady is gone for the year, and now a guy who hasn't started since 1999 is taking over at QB. Matt Cassell was a **** recruit coming out of High School but was inferior to Carson Palmer(2000-2002) and Matt Leinart(2003-2004). So how can Cassell expect to succeed in the NFL?



Houston Texans-Is Pittsburgh that good or is Houston that bad? I don't know, either way Houston looked REALLY bad defensively in their 21 point loss to Pittsburgh. Lets see how the season plays out first.



Jacksonville Jaguars-They shouldn't have lost to Tennessee, they shouldn't have done so bad on offense, they should be 1-0. I think Jacksonville will be successful, but at the moment, I feel they might be in SOME trouble.



Tennessee Titans-How long can they win? Defense wins championships but you got to have an offense that can keep up. They don't really have a QB situation favorable but Chris Johnson and LenDale White can carry the load. We'll see what Tennessee is by Week 6.

Cincinnati Bengals-They were close, but yet so far. Truth be told, the Bengals should've beaten the Ravens on Sunday but they didn't. Just like in the past losing games they should've won. They got the talent, lets see if they can pull it off.

Baltimore Ravens-Joe Flacco looked good, he had a rushing touchdown and 129 passing yards. The defense looked improved, but lets see if they can stay that way through a tough AFC North and NFC East.

San Diego Chargers-Shawne "Lights Out" Merriman is out for the season and San Diego lost its home opener to Carolina. With the heart of the defense ripped out, can the Chargers bounce back and manage to win the AFC West? Lets wait and see.

Arizona Cardinals-Are they good? Are they bad? or are they ugly? We're not sure. The offense managed 23 points and the defense shut down the 49ers offense. Week 1 didn't tell much about them so we'll see as the tough schedule continues to arise.

San Francisco 49ers-J.T. O'Sullivan looked good, and Frank Gore is better...but they only managed 1 touchdown. The defense looked about the same. Maybe with time they'll improve.

Cleveland Browns-I said the defense would hurt them, and the offense seemed to hurt too. The Browns only managed 10 points in their 28-10 loss to the Cowboys. They can still be a playoff team but they just can't lose like that to playoff teams.

Indianapolis Colts-The need to do something. I know Manning wasn't in condition, but no excuse they can still make it through the year but they should not have lost to the Bears.

Minnesota Vikings-They almost beat Green Bay had it not been for Tarvaris Jackson. They need a QB if they expect to be successful in Minnesota. Wheres Brad Johnson when you need him?

Overview:Week 1 didn't tell much like it always does. Some good matches, some bad. Overall I look forward to October.

College Football in Review:Week 2

I'm actually on time this week lets hand out the rewards

Best Game of the Week:South Florida vs Central Florida-In possibly the last meeting ever between these two schools, the Knights refused to die. Trailing 24-10 in the final minutes, the Knights rallied to tie the game and send it into overtime. Greco and the Knights came close but loss by 3 inches in one of more controversial calls of the year. Overall USF wins 31-24.

Best Player of the Week:Patrick Pinkney(East Carolina)-This kid looked like a Heisman contender in ECU's 24-3 win over West Virginia. For Pinkney and the Pirates this is possibly the beginning of a beautiful season.

Dissapointment of the Week:Ohio State-The Buckeyes looked like the Bobcats in their win over them. If they play this way against USC next week then they have no chance in hell of escaping Los Angeles 3-0. They need to step it up. Fortunately Beanie Wells will be back next week.

Most Impressive Team of the Week:Central Florida-Last year the Bulls killed the Knights 64-12 and it seemed that UCF was mighty inferior to USF but yesterday the Knights prooved that they can hang with the Bulls. Hopefully, UCF can join the Big East soon and be allowed to compete with USF every year.

Numbers:
2-The number of wins Vanderbilt has over Steve Spurrier all time

1985-The last time Florida beat Miami prior to the 26-3 blowout win

0-The amount of touchdowns by West Virginia. The lowest amount of TDs by the Mountaineers since 2001(Rich Rod's 1st season)

51-The amount of consecutive points scored by Wisconsin after trailing Marshall 14-0 in the 2nd Quarter

3-The amount of inches between loss and 2nd chance for the Central Florida Golden Knights in their 31-24 loss to the USF Bulls

4-The amount of blown chances by Maryland in their 24-14 loss to Middle Tennessee State

2-The amount of weeks in a row that Arkansas has had to come back to beat an inferior team...at home

2-The amount of wins Minnesota has(1 more than last year)

Teams to Look out For:
Vanderbilt-The Commodores are 2-0 and they looked like a Juggernaut against a very good South Carolina defense. With Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee at home, Vandy looks to make a run in the SEC East.

Oklahoma-The Sooners scored 50 plus this week again and look scarier than last year. Watch out for the Sooners they're legit. Oklahoma's hardest game may be...

Texas-The Longhorns tore up UTEP last night and look to be in 2005 form again. Can Colt McCoy, Will Muschamp and company keep the fire going?

Missouri-Just an offensive explosion. Mizzou has came out and they have taken Illinois and SEMO to the woodshead. The Tigers hope to keep the offensive explosion going into the Big XII schedule.

East Carolina-Oh they're real they're damn real. The two hardest challenges(Va.Tech and WVU) and past them and now they need to get through UVA, NC State and the C-USA schedule. Is this year the year for the Pirates?

Wisconsin-It was a slow start for the Badgers but by the 3rd Quarter they looked like the team I thought I'd see. In their 51-14 whacking of Marshall, the Badgers prooved once again its better late than never.

Arizona State-The Sun Devils demolished the Cardinal and look to keep it up. With Georgia coming to the desert in 2 weeks. The Devils look to knock off the Dawgs and run the table in the Pac 10.

South Florida-At least according to Jim Leavitt. Leavitt said earlier in the week that they're beyond UCF and is ready to face Miami, Florida, and Florida State. But maybe this team is ready too...

Central Florida-The Bulls aren't the only team ready to move onto big competition. The other night I felt the UCF should be right there with USF...competing with the likes of Florida State, Florida, and Miami rather than lowly but up-and-coming Florida Atlantic and Florida International. Hopefully when, and if the Big East expands the Knights will be included.



Oregon-Maybe the Ducks will continue their success. In Oregon's last three games in the Post-Dixon era, the Ducks have combined for 166 points. This amount beats out the 3 losses after Dixon got hurt where they only managed to score 48 points. I know it maybe early but the Ducks aren't going away without Dixon and Stewart.



Penn State-I know that they're having there problems right now in Happy Valley, but the Nittany Lions look good to start the year. Its as if its 2005 all over again as Penn States offense continues to explode under QB Daryl Clark(or Doug Anderson as my NCAA 07, 08, and now 09 identifes him...story much much later). With Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Michigan State at home and their toughest games in October, the Nittany Lions could possibly make another BCS Bowl run but its all about getting past Ohio State and Wisconsin next month.



Wake Forest-Once again the Demon Deacans proove why they're the crown jewel in the ACC. They took on a very good Ole Miss team and rallied to defeat them. Wake is the team in the ACC. However, its all about getting past the tough games against Clemson and Florida State in order for the Deacans to re-appear in Miami...and this might not be just the Orange Bowl.



Ole Miss-I know the Rebels loss, but it was one of those, "went down fighting" types of losses. The Rebels may not be the same David Cutfliffe team from 2003, but they're looking like it more and more by the day. Lets see what they do against the SEC.



Georgia Tech-The Yellow Jackets have always had a good defense and so far under Paul Johnson it looks good. The Jackets though need to see how its offense can fair against the ACC schedule. So far they're 1-0 in the ACC following their 19-16 win over Boston College. There easier games come against Duke, UVA(at this rate), and possibly Miami but look for tough matches against Virginia Tech on Saturday and Georgia in late November.



Temple-Sure it was a 12-9 loss but they couldn't run the offense well in the monsoon in Philly. I know Temple has never done anything(how they got in the Big East in 1991 is beyond me) but under Al Golden they seem to be improving by the year. If I was them I'd stay in the MAC, but this team should reach the 8-9 win status real soon.



Middle Tennessee State-I know they beat a possibly bad Maryland squad(depends on the weather), but I feel that they're real. Middle Tennessee has always been on top of the Sun Belt dating back to 2001. This season I feel they can pull off upsets over Kentucky or Louisville(not like thats a challenge for them). Watch out for Middle Tennessee.



Minnesota-They're 2-0...I know it sounds like a gun jump but last year this team would've lost to Bowling Green rather then beat it like they did. The Golden Gophers under Tim Brewster should be back on top of the Big Ten real soon. For now they got to worry about road games against Ohio State, Illinois, Purdue, and Wisconsin. Look for them to pull at least 1 or 2 wins in that stretch. They had a Top 20 recruiting class last year and with the additions of two among the top backs in the nation(Hasan Lipscomb and Eric Stephens) the Gophers look to return to a Marion Barber III/Laurence Maroney type run game like in the '04 season.



On the Fall:'

Once Again...The ACC-Duke lost to Northwestern, Maryland lost to Middle Tennessee, Virginia Tech barely escaped Furman(it was 3-0 at halftime), Clemson and The Citadel was actually close for 2 Quarters, Virginia had a competitive game against Richmond, NC State barely beat Royal William and Mary, and Miami got hammered by Florida. With that the ACC is now has a combined record of 13-7 record out of conference with blowout losses to Alabama, USC, South Carolina, and Florida and competitive games with William and Mary, Richmond, and Furman. As The Beatles say...it can't get no worse.



Once Again...The Big East-East coast football sucks its official no team can beat the West. Outside the SEC all east coast teams suck. If the Pac 10 and the Big 12 schedule a best of 20 series(with a tiebreaker being "who can beat a 1-AA team the worse contest" then it would be a clean 20-0 sweep). The Big East, once the savior of East Coast football is a joke of a conference with the ACC. Connecticut had a competitive game against Big East castoff Temple(and once again should NOT have won), Pitt had a competive game against Buffalo(who I see as the next-in-line for a Big East expansion), West Virginia lost to East Carolina, Cincy got hammered by Oklahoma, and Syracuse lost to Akron. So far the Big East out of conference is 8-7. Thanks for making the ACC look good. USF is the savior of the Big East now and they need UCF and ECU there BADLY.



Will Be Back:

South Carolina-I'll say it again NO WAY Spurrier ends his career as a loser in Columbia.



Central Michigan-Speed wise they were overmatched. This isn't the same CMU team from last year nor '06. If it was it'll be a different result. I still think Central Michigan is the best team in the MAC and that Dan LeFevours is the best mid-major QB in the country.



Cincinatti-The Bearcats got a culture shock against Oklahoma. Its really the first real opponett outside the Big East that they have faced since their 2-game series with Ohio State at the beginning of the decade. Bearcats aren't bad, OU is just that good.



Miami-They hung in there with the Gators. In the eyes of me and the rest of the Miami fanbase thats an accomplishment alone. Lets see what the Canes will do for the rest of the year.



Southern Miss-Yes they lost to Auburn but Larry Fedora is a great coach and so far a good recruiter. Look for the Golden Eagles to continue success under this new coach. They may not have SEC speed but they're damn close to it.



Washington-The Huskies got screwed, bottom line. I feel bad for Ty Willingham. Every time he comes close to a big win he gets screwed by some BS call(see USC in 2006 and 2007).



Stanford-I feel that Walt Harris' recruiting is doing no favors for Jim Harbaugh and this game showed it. At least Dirk Koetter left something for Dennis Erickson to work with.



Oregon State-In 2006, Oregon State, in their first 5 games, beat Eastern Washington and Idaho but got beaten down by Boise State and Cal and had a close lost to Washington State. But for the rest of the season, The Beavers fought back and knocked off USC(The Trojans first Pac 10 loss in 3 years at the time), Arizona State(middle of the road bowl team), Oregon(who prior was dominating the series), Hawaii(with the record breaking Junior Colt Brennan and on the Island), and Missouri(1 year prior to the amazing 12-2 run)in the Sun Bowl. There only loss was to UCLA in that time and this was the same Bruins that beat USC in Pasadena. In 2007, they did the same thing this time beating Utah and Idaho State but getting hammered by Cincinatti(2nd in Big East), Arizona State(who was Co-Pac 10 Champs), and UCLA. However, after the 40-14 loss to the Bruins, Oregon State caught fire again and knocked off #2 Cal in Berkeley, #17 Oregon, and Maryland(who beat Boston College and Rutgers). So the Beavers have nothing to worry about. This team always starts slow. Its all about what they do in 2 weeks against the Trojans on ESPN.



Future Uncertain:

Ohio State-The Buckeyes almost lost to Ohio...the Bobcats...Frank Solich...if they come out like that against USC next Saturday look for a complete blowout of the Buckeyes and another National TV humiliation.



Florida-Miami isn't supposed to be that good. For the longest time the Gators only had 1 touchdown. If they think the SEC is going to be like that then they better watch for Georgia and Tennessee. And if they think Miami plays tough wait til they get a load of Florida State in November.



West Virginia-I said it last week, if you can't play defense, you can't win. It was proven this week as the 'Eers lost to East Carolina, with Colorado, Auburn, Pitt, and USF still to come, the Mountaineers may be looking at a December bowl.



Auburn-Again underachievement. I don't believe Auburn is a Top 10 team hence the reason why they're not in my Top 10. If they can't do much against Louisiana-Monroe and Southern Miss I can't imagine what they will do against LSU and Alabama.



Texas Tech-Again, they're not scoring enough and again another offense makes their defense look mediocre. The Red Raiders need to realize defense wins championships and the Run and Shoot can be shut down. Especially by an Oklahoma or Texas team.



Alabama-That game against Tulane looked nothing like opening day Tide but more like November 2007 Tide. Seriously I thought Tulane was going to pull off a Louisiana-Monroe type upset on the Tide.



BYU-The Cougars escaped Seattle by luck. Pure luck. The Huskies should've won and its a fluke that they didn't. Its the 2nd year in a row that a mid-major "BCS Buster" has been exposed by Washington(see Hawai'i and Boise State in 2007).



Illinois-I'd said they'd be back but I didn't expect a performance like I saw against Eastern Illinois. I don't know if its just the stats or was the game really that close? I know its a 47-21 score but EIU shouldn't be scoring 21 points.



Michigan-Good job beating Miami(OH), now lets try to beat Notre Dame, Ohio State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Penn State before we bring out the Champaign.



Speaking of...Notre Dame-The Irish looked bad. It looked like the same exact team that beat Duke and Stanford at the end of last year but also lost to Georgia Tech, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, and USC...oh BTW, Notre Dame has to play those last four this year. Good luck and good night Charlie Weis.



UCONN-The Huskies are the luckiest team ever...I swear. They're the opposite of Washington they get good luck rather than bad. They should not have beaten Temple in '07 and they should not have beaten them this year.



Virginia-Again, its Richmond, it can't be THAT hard.



Clemson-Yes it was 45-17, but the Citadel was in that for a LONG time. Davis and Spiller looked good, but again, its The Citadel. Its not that hard as say, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida State, and Wake Forest.



Pitt-Again if you want to impress anyone then kill Buffalo(not the animal). Instead the Bulls were in it in the 4th Quarter and should've won.



Maryland-This is a disgrace. Ralph Friedgan in this decade has fallen the most on terms of wins. He went from an amazing 31-8 record from 2001-2004 and since he is 26-24. Certainly not the numbers for a team trying to win a major conference.



Arkansas-Again a competitive game against an inferior team. Is the Petrino hire really worth it?



Overall:A weak Week 2 with exception a few teams. But the first two weeks are never good. Week 3 should be the start of the more "classic" matchups. Lets see what Week 3 brings us.



Kansas vs South Florida-This will be a battle of two very good offenses. KU wants to proove they can win outside of conference against another BCS school and USF is ready to proove itself among the elite. You can catch this Friday at 8pm on ESPN2.



Ohio State vs USC-This is the dream match...The Buckeyes versus The Trojans a classic "Rose Bowl" rivalry renewed in the regular season. See it Saturday at 8pm on ABC.



Georgia vs South Carolina-This was one of two losses for Mark Richt and the Bulldogs last year and they hope to avenge it. It won't be easy coming from Athens to Columbia though. Catch it Saturday at 3:30pm on CBS.

Oklahoma vs Washington-This one has a feeling to it. An "this could be an upset, but I want to say it is" feeling. You see I like Jake Locker, he's a great QB but he plays on a bad team. But then again UW always plays good at home in big games. Keep an eye on this one if OSU/USC gets ugly go here. See it Saturday at 7:45pm on ESPN.

Wisconsin vs Fresno State-Its the Crown Prince of the Big Ten, versus the up-and-coming Fresno State. If the Bulldogs can pull it off they have a clear shot for a BCS Bowl bid. See it Saturday at 10:30pm on ESPN2.

Auburn vs Mississippi State-Its a spread attack from Auburn vs the balanced Mississippi State. The Bulldogs defense is tough and look to knock off Auburn for the 2nd year in a row. See it at 7:00pm on ESPN2.

Oregon vs Purdue-This is interesting, Purdue's spread versus Oregon's spread. Its Justin Roper vs Curtis Painter, its Mike Belotti versus Joe Tiller, its Big Ten vs Pac 10. Lets see who can win it. It airs regionally at 3:30pm on ABC(check your local listings).

UCLA vs BYU-Mormons vs Surfers, its round 3 of the Bruins/Cougars trilogy. UCLA took Game 1 in the Rose Bowl last year...but lost the rematch in Sam Boyd Stadium, 3 months later. Now its Game 3 in Provo, Utah. See it Saturday at 3:30pm on Versus.

Georgia Tech vs Virginia Tech-Can the Triple option attack of Georgia Tech vs the tough defense of the Hokies. Can the Yellow Jackets knock off the Hokies for the 3rd year in a row or will Va.Tech finally beat Ga.Tech. See it regionally Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC(check your local listings).

It begins Thursday at 7:30pm with North Carolina and Rutgers on ESPN. Have a good week.

y25

Week 2 of the College Football Season is complete lets look at the y25

1.LSU 1-0(SEC)
2.Georgia 2-0(SEC)
3.USC 1-0(Pac 10)
4.Oklahoma 2-0(Big XII)
5.Kansas 2-0(Big XII)
6.Ohio State 2-0(Big Ten)
7.Florida 2-0(SEC)
8.Missouri 2-0(Big XII)
9.Texas 2-0(Big XII)
10.Wisconsin 2-0(Big Ten)
11.Auburn 2-0(SEC)
12.Arizona State 2-0(Pac 10)
13.Wake Forest 2-0(ACC)
14.Texas Tech 2-0(Big XII)
15.Alabama 2-0(SEC)
16.BYU 2-0(Mountain West)
17.Oregon 2-0(Pac 10)
18.East Carolina 2-0(C-USA)
19.Fresno State 1-0(WAC)
20.USF 2-0(Big East)
21.Penn State 2-0(Big Ten)
22.Cal 2-0(Pac 10)
23.Utah 2-0(Mountain West)
24.West Virginia 1-1(Big East)
25.Illinois 1-1(Big Ten)

Conference Standings:
1.SEC-5
Big XII-5
3.Pac 10-4
Big 10-4
5.Big East-2
Mountain West-2
7.ACC-1
WAC-1
C-USA-1

College Football In Review:Week 1

Well it was a long weekend and I'm almost 2 days late so lets get on with it

Best Game of the Week:Tennessee vs UCLA-I was mighty impressed by the Bruins injury max offense and them managing to hang in there with the Tennessee defense. The most credit for that always goes to the defense, however, as they managed to hold the Vols and shut down Jonathan Crompton. Kevin Craft was the hero here as he managed to rally the Bruins back after a poor start on his own. This kid has a future.

Best Player of the Week:Isiah Williams(Illinois)-Sure the Illini lost but on Saturday night this kid grew before our eyes as he stepped up to be the leader of this football team after they trailed 45-20 in the 3rd Quarter and although they fell short with more time I believe he and the Illini would've been able to pull out the victory

Dissapointment of the Week:James Davis and C.J. Spiller(Clemson)-overall not a very good game for the Dynamic Duo. Clemson's Thunder and Lightning resembled a slight drizzle as Alabama held them to 0 yards rushing in the Tide's 34-10 win over Clemson.

Most Impressive Team of the Week:Alabama-last year the Tide started hot at 6-1 but burned out to finish 7-6. Many people were doubting Bama going into their matchup against the Tigers but Nick Saban and Company shredded the Tigers 34-10 and outgained them in all categories.

Numbers:

74-The amount of yards gained by Youngstown State in their 43-0 lost to the Buckeyes

558-The amount of yards gained by USC in their 52-7 thrashing of Virginia

50-The amount of points scored by Oklahoma in the first half of their 57-2 thrashing of Chattanoga

400-The amount of yards West Virginia gave up to Villanova in WVU's 48-21 win over the Wildcats

0-The amount of rushing yards combined for Clemson's James Davis and C.J. Spiller

373-The amount of wins Joe Paterno has following Penn State's 66-10 win over Coastal Carolina tying Bobby Bowden

349-The amount of rushing yards in Georgia Tech's 41-14 win over Jacksonville State. Close to 1/4 of the rushing yards accumulated by Tech last season

49-The amount of Passing Yards by NC State in their 34-0 loss to South Carolina

404-The amount of Rushing Yards by Wisconsin in their 38-17 win over Akron

2-The amount of points scored by Louisville in their 27-2 loss to Kentucky

5-The amount of Turnovers by Louisville in the same game

2-For the 2nd year in a row Michigan has lost its opener. The last time this happened was from 1987-1990 when Michigan lost 4 straight years to Notre Dame

3-The amount of months til Steve Kragthorpe is fired from Louisville and Gregg Robinson is fired from Syracuse

3-The amount of blown chances Maryland had at scoring in their 14-7 win over Delaware

Teams to Look Out For:

Ohio State-I know its Youngstown State but the Buckeyes looked dang good in their 43-0 thrashing of the Penguins. Beware Trojans.

Speaking of...USC-The Trojans flat out beat Virginia to a bloody pulp 52-7 and look scarier than last year.

Oklahoma-I know its Chattonooga, but the Sooners are hell bent on winning a National Championship and after the demolition of Mocs, OU looks to retain its Big XII title once again.

Missouri-The Tigers offense looks even tougher than last year. Though the defense brings up a lot of questions after allowing 42 points in their win over Illinois.

LSU-Granted its a depleted Appy State, but LSU looks like they're ready to retain the title and get a dynasty born in Baton Rouge.

Alabama-Roll Tide indeed, the Crimson Tide stormed the Georgia Dome and took Clemson to the woodshed. With this win confidence is rebuilt in Saban and the Tide should contend for the SEC Title this year.

Texas-In what many people thought was an upset to be, the Longhorns demolished Florida Atlantic 52-10. Granted its FAU but Florida Atlantic returns one of the best mid-major teams this season and for the Longhorns to demolish the Owls the way they did is a sign that the power in the Big XII South may shift. It all depends on what happens next month in Dallas.

East Carolina-The Pirates looked good, real good, the Pirates are one of the teams I believe could contend for a major BCS game. The first task is done...now they have to beat a harder "Virginia" team...West Virginia and last year the Mountaineers demolished ECU. ECU's secondary is fantastic and WVU should struggle with the pass but the run will be hard for the Pirates to stop.

Bowling Green-I don't know if its Wannstedt or are the Falcons a legit team out of the MAC, we'll see next week.

UCLA-"The Monopoly in Los Angeles is officially OVER". Those words rang in the heads of the Bruins all week and despite Quarterback Kevin Craft's lousy performance in the 1st half(7/18 and 4 picks), he managed to rally the troops along with the defense to beat a good Tennessee squad considered to have one of the best secondaries in the Country. Theres a storm coming over the L.A. Coliseum and December 6th should be an interesting day in L.A.

On the Fall:

Hawaii-I think the Sugar Bowl loss and the Florida loss has killed Hawaii's program possibly for good.

Virginia Tech-The Hokies have seen better days, with Sean Glennon at Quarterback and Tyrod Taylor's inconsistancy along with a depleted defense. It'll be hard for Va. Tech to comeback barring a 2004-esqe miracle.

Ryan Perillioux-You know if he was on LSU playing Georgia Tech he would've been on the other side of the score column. Remember kids...drugs are bad.

Louisville-Who said Hunter Cantwell was a top NFL prospect obvisiously hasn't watched the post-Petrino era of Louisville. Maybe they'll bounce back but under Kragthorpe the Cards have gone NOWHERE but down.

Rutgers-I think its time to wake up in Piscataway because its not 2006 anymore and if Rutgers once to be a top 10 team again they can't lose to Fresno State no matter how good the Bulldogs are.

The ACC-Va.Tech lost to ECU, UVA got killed by USC, Maryland barely escaped Delaware, NC State got hammered by South Carolina, Clemson got pounded by Alabama, UNC barely beat McNeese State, Duke is already better than Va.Tech, UVA, NC State, and Clemson...what happened to this Juggernaut of a Conference we were supposed to get in 2005?

The Big East-Rutgers got beat soundly by Fresno State, Louisville got beaten up by Kentucky, Syracuse is being buried as we speak, Pitt, a preseason Top 25 lost to Bowling Green, and West Virginia looked bad in a blowout WIN. Its literally looking like a two team race between WVU and USF.

Will Be Back:

Illinois-The Illini's offense looked great and the defense will improve as the year goes on.

Appalachian State-The Mountaineers don't play anymore I-A schools.

Clemson-The Tigers will rebound and still win the ACC team. They're still a good team no matter what critics say.

Tennessee-They're a good team, and the only weakness seems to be Special Teams. They will be ready to contend for the SEC.

Oregon State-It was only a close lost and they always have a good defense every year. Expect them to be ready against USC this month.

SMU-Someday, I know the 56-20 loss doesn't say it, but soon they'll be partying like its 1982 at SMU.

Syracuse-They have a rich history. Get a good enough coach and they'll be contending for the Big East again.

Michigan-Its only one bad start against a good Utah team. With Miami(OH) and Notre Dame coming before the big one against Wisconsin, the Wolverines have time to turn it around.

Delaware-I-AA playoffs that is

Michigan State-They lost to a good Cal team and their best games are yet to come. Remember they always play tough and good in East Lansing.

Future Uncertain:
West Virginia-Sure they beat Villanova up, but the Mountaineers were OUTGAINED by them. What looks like a blowout looks more like a loss on the stats.

Texas Tech-Yes they beat Eastern Washington, but the Red Raiders high powered offense only scored 49 points and allowed 24. If you're going to allow 24 points to Eastern Washington thats the equilivant of allowing 50 plus against Missouri, Texas, Kansas, or Oklahoma...all 4 teams that the Red Raiders play this year. People are keen on them winning the Big XII South but the question is...how can they?

Washington-This is make or break for Tyrone Willingham. If the Huskies don't win this year then Ty is out the door...and possibly out of College Football. The Huskies schedule don't get any easier as they play BYU, Oklahoma, and Stanford next. Thankfully for the Huskies they're all at home. Unthankfully, 2/3 are BCS Contenders. If Washington finishes 0-4 in this stretch expect Coach Willingham to be out of Seattle.

Pittsburgh-Usually after a disastrous loss like the one Pitt suffered against Bowling Green, teams can either bounce back and be on fire the next week, or flounder out the rest of the year. Michigan didn't respond well to losing to Appy State as they lost to Oregon the following week. But most of the time, teams like Pitt should be able to bounce back. After all its only Buffalo, a team that is on the rise in the MAC under Turner Gil, the best mid-major coach this side of Knoxville, Maryland. Upset Part 2? If Pitt can't win any of their next 3(Buffalo along with Iowa and Syracuse) then that contract extension Wanny got will look REALLY bad.

Maryland-The Terrapins beat Delaware ONLY 14-7. Granted it could've been 35-7 but it wasn't. It was 14-7 and the Terps threw 2 picks and squandered every scoring opportunity. If Maryland can barely beat Delaware I can't imagine what teams like Cal, Clemson, Virginia, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College, or maybe there opponet this week...Middle Tennessee, the Prince of the Sun Belt conference(inferior to FAU of course) will do to them. Could there be an upset this week? Maryland needs Chris Turner to start and he will but thats only cause of Steffy's injury otherwise he would transfer to UCLA or something like that where he could I don't know....START?

Mississippi State-The Bulldogs showed promise under Sylvester Croom last year when they went 8-5 and beat Alabama, Auburn and UCF. But the lost to Louisiana Tech is a HUGE setback. I know it was a road game but to lose to La. Tech has to be set back in the minds of many Bulldog fans and players. If they struggle against La. Tech they're definately going to have problems against Auburn, Georgia Tech, LSU, Alabama, and Ole Miss.

Texas A&M-The Aggies lost to Arkansas State...I repeat Arkansas State. Something Dennis Franchione didn't do was lose to a lower-tier I-A school. 18-14...how does that feel?

Arkansas-Bobby Petrino and Company began their marriage trailing Western Illinois 24-14 late in the 4th but rallied back to win 28-24. I know that the team is depleted compared to the Houston Nutt teams of the last two years but this is redicolous when you consider recruiting and everything else.

Kentucky-I know that UK crushed Louisville, but is Louisville really that good? We'll see what UK does the rest of the way in the post-Woodson era.

Overall:A rather boring Week 1 in College Football there were some great games but too much schmozz to fill the way. Lets see what Week 2 brings us with big match-ups like:

Central Michigan vs Georgia-The Dawgs are hurt and Butch Davis, Dan LeFevour and company look to pull off the big upset. The game, however, will not air on Television unless you get ESPN360 or gameplan.

Cincinnati vs Oklahoma-The Bearcats know that Ben Mauk is gone but that won't stop Brian Kelly and the Cats from trying to pull a big upset. The game will air Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC.

Miami vs Florida-The Gators want to get back to the National Title Game. The Hurricanes just want to get back period. Look for an interesting chess match between offense and defense but this could turn ugly if UF gets up early. The game will air Saturday at 8:00pm on ESPN.

West Virginia vs East Carolina-Skip Holtz looks to redeem himself and the Pirates from last years 48-7 humiliation. But first they got to upset another top team. Can ECU do it? This game will air Saturday at 4:30pm on ESPN.

Southern Miss vs Auburn-Its speed vs speed. Auburn's spread offense vs Southern Miss' fast offense. Can Larry Fedora and the Golden Eagles manage to pull it off and continue building the Eagles? This game will air on Raycom Sports(check your local listings) at 12:30pm

Texas vs UTEP-UTEP like other Texas teams are determined to dethrone the King of Texas, the Longhorns. Can the Miners pull it off? This game will air at 10:15pm on ESPN2

Texas Tech vs Nevada-This is interesting...the Run and Shoot of Texas Tech vs the high powered Pistol attack of Nevada. With Tech's defense playing the way it usually does look for this to be a battle on offense. This game will air at 9:05pm...check your local listings.

USF vs UCF-Central Florida has one last shot to beat their hated rival USF. In the battle over the Orlando-Tampa area who will win? This game will air at 7pm on ESPN2.

Oregon State vs Penn State-Its East meets West as the Pac 10 battles the Big Ten again. Can the Big Ten pull it off this time? Find out at 3:30pm Saturday on ABC(check local listings).

Ole Miss vs Wake Forest-Its Houston Nutt and his Runnin Rebels vs Jim Grobe's Demon Deacans. In the clash of two conference threats. This game will air Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC(check local listings).

Miami(Ohio) vs Michigan-The Wolverines look to rebound after last weeks lost. Can the Redhawks continue Michigan's home losing streak? Find out Saturday at 12pm on ESPN2.

It all begins Thursday at 8:30pm as South Carolina takes on Vanderbilt on ESPN.

Enjoy the weekend