What We Learned Yesterday

Auburn and Oregon both held serve yesterday to remain atop the polls. Each team avoided the upsets that have been decimating the top ten lately, riding explosive offenses to 50-pt totals against decent conference opposition. Yes USC fans, that is really all you are these days. And two undefeated pretenders, Missouri and Michigan State, lost as expected in tough spots. And so we enter November with three undefeated non BCS teams in Boise State, TCU and Utah and all sorts of questions remaining about who the best teams are in 2010. Every week is an elimination tournament for the national title race while rearranging conference battles. Next week we have the battle for supremacy in the MWC between Utah and TCU with the loser also being bounced from BCS title game consideration and a SEC West showdown between Alabama and LSU that will send the loser packing. You have to love this time of year.

Remember When

The Penn State-Michigan clash tonight is not getting too much pub, but that has not been the case in the recent past. Although the series has been dominated by the Wolverines, here is a battle pitting then no. 3-ranked Penn State versus no. 5-ranked Michigan from October 15, 1994 as recapped in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia:

Penn State 31 MICHIGAN 24: Battle in "The Big House" drew 106,382, 3rd largest crowd to date in collegiate history. On the verge of putting verdict away, early-striking Penn State (6-0) collected mostly FGs and led 16-0 before K Remy Hamilton put Wolverines (4-2) on board at 16-3 before H. TB Tyrone Wheatley, who had only 9/11y rushing in 1st H, exploded for 67 and 21y TDs on consecutive series, and, in span of 4:19, Michigan suddenly jumped into 17-16 lead. Nittany Lions answered with QB Kerry Collins (20-32/231y, 3 TDs) passing for TD and 2-pt conv at end of 86y foray. After WR Amani Toomer (7/157y) set up 24-24 tie with 38y catch, Penn State forged ahead for good with 2:53 left: WR Bobby Engram made toe-in-bounds catch, TB Ki-Jana Carter (in photo, left, with Collins, center, and TE Kyle Brady) ran 26y and Engram caught 16y TD. Toomer maneuvered himself all alone at Lions 5YL, but lost his bearings and long pass drifted off his fingertips. Michigan soon evaporated possession on 4th down INT by Penn State DB Brian Miller.

Paul's Picks

Once again my lousy picking is deflating my interest in writing a long post. I am now at 17-22 for the season. Enough said.
Wake Forest at MARYLAND (-5.5)
Although neither team is a threat for a ranking or meriting much attention, the spread is implying that Maryland is decent. This is a pick based solely on noticing a spread that seems too high. Oh, and Wake does have some talent on defense. Pick: Wake +5.5
Vanderbilt at ARKANSAS (-21)
Pad the stats time for the Razorbacks. Pick: Arkansas -21
Akron at TEMPLE (-29)
I am including this game just so I can type a -29 next to Temple. Pick: Temple -29
Missouri at NEBRASKA (over/under 55)
Although I like Nebraska in this game-like everyone else--I am impressed enough with Missouri's defense to shy away from giving the points. But I do like the under in what should be a defensive struggle. Pick: Under 55
Cal at OREGON STATE (-3)
Cal has played four home games this season, winning them all by average 47-9 score. They have played three road games, losing them all by average margin of 16. This game is on the road and features the second half of the season Beavers, who are always good this time of year. Pick: Oregon State -3
Michigan at PENN STATE (+3)
How did Michigan get back into the rankings? Because they did not drop their third straight game(they were off)? Penn State wins third straight in rivalry once dominated by Michigan. Pick: Penn State +3

Boise Blues

One of the elements fueling the rise of Boise State football to prominence has been their frequent appearances on ESPN, based on their and the WAC's willingness to play games on any day of the week to suit the television schedule. But now that the Broncos are a top 3 program, is this still helping them?

I wonder. There is certainly an element of desperation to playing games on a Tuesday (they beat La Tech 49-20 last night). Or, to be honest, any day other than Saturday and maybe Thursday (but do not make it a habit). Boise has five more games this season and three of them are to be played on a Friday night, all to be aired on ESPN. Being on ESPN a majority of the season is a definite plus but playing on Friday nights hurts.

Of course, Boise is leaving the WAC after this season and it is the WAC's low-level status that is fueling these scheduling decisions. The Mountain West, which will include Boise starting in 2011, plays a great majority of their games on Saturday, but they do not have a deal with ESPN. Instead Boise fans will have to find their games on Versus or CBS College Sports. Boise will be on ESPN in the future when they play on the road against a team from a conference that has an ESPN contract--like Mississippi next September. So being on television will not be the problem (and they'll make close to $1 million a year more than they do under the current WAC contract). But fans will definitely have to work more to see their games and I bet the regular college football viewer will tune in for Boise's games against TCU (if they stay) or Air Force, but not the lesser lights. There is too much competition on a Saturday.

The other problem facing Boise as they search for more respect is that ridiculous blue field. What once was a way for the team to stand out is now a reason to point fingers at them for getting an unfair advantage by wearing blue uniforms. But more importantly they do not look like a national power when playing at home. I have a hard time watching a full game when they play at home and I assume a great many traditionalists do not even bother. Although Boise playing a great majority of their games on Saturday will be a reality beginning next season, the blue turf is here to stay.

What We Learned Saturday

Being a big fan of major upsets, I am very happy right now. Every week another over-rated big power falls by the wayside and every week the "experts" drum up support for the latest BCS conference flavor. Auburn is no. 1 in the latest BCS ranking? The Arkansas back-up QB came off the bench and tore that D to shreds. All of these teams have flaws and it will be interesting to see who survives the rest of the action. Michigan State and Missouri, for example, will be hard-pressed to win this weekend (at Iowa and at Nebraska respectively). And we still have to have at least one stunning upset, whereby a team with a mediocre record knocks off a top 5 squad. How about Mississippi beating Auburn Saturday? All of that should make it a little easier for Alabama to climb back into the mix and for at least one non BCS squad--and there are three ranked in the top 7--making the title game.

And to be honest, there has been so much discussion about these non BCS conference teams that it will almost be a let-down if the BCS title game does not pit one them versus a more traditional power. And the ratings between Alabama and Boise would be huge. We'll see. It is only October 25.

There were quite a number of big games this past weekend in regards to conference action and I will break down each conference as the week goes on. It has been an exciting year and the final stretch promises some big-time action.

If You Root For Enough Teams...

There is nothing quite like sports to capture the highs and lows of life. Yesterday my wife and I went to the new Giants Stadium (hard to judge as we had good seats) to witness Navy run through and over Notre Dame. Being a fan of the Fighting Irish since birth, the game was a complete disaster. The Midshipmen dominated the action. But being that it was college football, we had plenty of fun tailgating with friends including long-time supporters of this blog Jim Johnson and Steve Feeley.

And in true sports fashion, the low of the afternoon was erased by the evening as the San Francisco Giants nipped the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 to win the National League pennant. Like Notre Dame, the Giants are a team I root for because of my father. And so it was great to see a team given little chance of winning, emerge victorious against the two-time defending NL champs. And so even though another Notre Dame season appears lost, the Giants are four wins away from an improbable championship--their first since 1954. They were given little chance that year too.

Go Giants!

Remember When

Today's Georgia Tech-Clemson match-up is a bit under the radar, despite being the rematch of last year's ACC Championship. But 20 years ago this battle, featuring two Top 20 teams, was a key game in Georgia Tech's stunning drive to a co-national championship. Here is a recap of the game, played on October 13, 1990, as written in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia:

GEORGIA TECH 21 Clemson 19: Yellow Jackets (5-0) won 9th straight over 2 years, jumping to 14-0 1st Q lead on 2 TD passes by QB Shawn Jones (pictured emerging heroically from some mist). Clemson (5-2) fought back on 4 FGs by K Chris Gardocki, his 44y boot narrowing gap to 14-12 in 4th Q. On following KO, Georgia Tech soph RET artist Kevin Tisdale went 87y to Tigers 13YL to set up TD run by RB T.J. Edwards. Tech staged GLS when LB Calvin Tiggle (19 tackles) made 4th down stop, but later allowed their 1st TD all year when Clemson QB Chance Cameron scored with 3:27 left. Gardocki missed 60y FG try with 1:00 to play.

The Yellow Jackets remained out of the national title picture despite this victory, and then fell to no. 16 overall on October 29 with tie to UNC. Unbelievably, they worked their way up to a shared championship with a great November, including an upset of top-ranked Virginia, and then Citrus Bowl win over Nebraska.

Pac 10 Update

Oregon's offense is good. Real good. Their defense? We need more evidence.

The cumulative record of the seven Oregon victims to date: 16-28 (11-27 if we take out Stanford). So let's not get too ahead of ourselves with the Ducks, who still have Washington and Arizona at home and road games against USC, Cal and Oregon State this season.

Also, can UCLA go back to their normal uniforms? We have given up on Oregon and their ever-changing but always ridiculous Nike efforts. But the Bruins?

Paul's Picks

Let's make this quick as I have to pick up my daughter from school.
I am now 15-18 for the season, which stinks. Here are the picks for this week:
Georgia Tech at CLEMSON (-5)
The Yellow Jackets pulled off an unusual sweep of an opponent last season by beating Clemson in the regular season and in the ACC title game. These two squads will not be meeting in December this year and this game will decide if the Tigers can beat coach Paul Johnson, who has now won 3 straight close games against them while at Tech. Game should be competitive and I will take the points. Pick: Georgia Tech +5
Michigan State (-6) at NORTHWESTERN
This is an awful scheduling spot for the undefeated Spartans as they are well overdue for a let-down following the late, crazy win over Notre Dame on 9/18, their head coach's heart attack that evening, the upset of Wisconsin on 10/2, the beating of Michigan 10/9 and then homecoming last week with the coach returning. That is a lot for kids. Add in the Northwestern spread attack, which is quite different than the one the Illini threw at them last week, and the reality that Iowa awaits them next Saturday, and Sparty should be in trouble against a game bunch of Cats. Pick: Northwestern +6
Syracuse at WEST VIRGINIA (-13.5)
While I love the effort the Orange give, they are not yet ready to handle a supremely athletic team on the road. The Schwartzwalder Trophy remains the property of the Mountaineers for a ninth straight year thanks to Geno Smith, Noel Devine, Jock Sanders, and company. Pick: West Virginia -13.5
Oklahoma (-3) at MISSOURI
The Sooners own this series, winning 19 of the past 20. And we are not talking about Barry Switzer running it up against an undermanned Tigers bunch a generation ago, but ranked Mizzou teams from 2006, 2007 (twice), and 2008 losing to Oklahoma by double digits. Yes no. 1 has fallen two Saturdays in a row, but the Sooners learned that lesson and will be focused. Pick: Oklahoma -3
Nebraska (-6) at OKLAHOMA STATE
I will give the Cowboys credit for one thing. Like Missouri this weekend, Oklahoma State has chosen this tough conference opponent as its homecoming foe. That takes balls my friends. But, it will not produce wins. Like Missouri, OSU has not beaten anyone even remotely sniffing the top 25 at the moment. And the Huskers are a bit angry after last week's loss. Plus the Nebraska seniors remember when the Cowboys rung up 45 points on them in 2007, the last time these two programs squared off. The Huskers will have their revenge and Oklahoma State's slide into Big 12 also ran status begins tomorrow. Pick: Nebraska -6
Alabama (-16.5) at TENNESSEE
Turn away children. Turn away. Pick: Alabama -16.5

SEC Report

Quarterback Cam Newton's excellent season is coming as no surprise to many college football experts who were well aware of Newton's singular talents and the ability of Auburn offensive coordinator Guz Malzahn to exploit them. Well, maybe no one expected him to be this good. Newton is the scary combination of an athlete with all the gifts who also works hard and studies the game. Basically he has it all, including the "it" factor that few athletes possess but that those who do can just will themselves or their team to victory. Newton has many more huge games to still perform in, including this Saturday against LSU, but all signs point to his continuing to be a dominant player for 2010 and beyond.

All of this has got to be killing Florida coach Urban Meyer, who recruited Newton to Gainesville for the 2007 season. Newton beat out fellow frosh John Brantley for the back-up job to Tim Tebow and was developing into the rare replacement for a legend who could keep up the high standards of his predecessor. All was fine and dandy until November of 2008 when the then redshirted Newton was arrested for stealing a laptop. Later it was revealed that Newton bought the already stolen computer and did not do the actual stealing. Still the damage was done despite all of the other crimes committed by fellow Gators. You see, none of those guys was trying to replace the sainted Tebow.

Meyer, of course, would have welcomed him back. He knew that the Gators offense that was built for Tebow was perfect for Newton and not for Brantley--as we are all seeing this year. But Tebow surprised many by deciding to return for his senior season last year which prompted Newton to leave Gainesville. To be as good as he is and sit around for a third year--all while being labeled a felon--would have been a waste for someone as good as Newton. And so he signed on with Blinn Junior college in January of 2009. After leading Blinn to the juco national title Newton signed on with Auburn on December 31, 2009. Happy New Years Tiger fans!

And so while the Florida offense struggles, the Auburn offense dazzles. Amazingly Newton both leads the SEC in rushing and is second in the nation in passing efficiency. He will be tested by the LSU defense this weekend that features a host of great athletes. And if Newton ever smashes into the equally massive DT Drake Nevis, the sound created will boom out to neighboring states.

Old-time Football

I returned to the Yale Bowl this past weekend to watch Fordham lose to the home team 7-6. Yeah, that's right. 7-6. There were two huge plays for the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter as sub QB Brook Hart threw a 29y TD pass to WR Jordan Forney for a 7-6 lead and then DT Chris Dooley blocked a go-ahead FG attempt to end final Fordham drive into Yale red zone. Yale is now 4-1 on the season as they look to compete for the Ivy title while the Rams fell to 2-5.

While the stirring action on the field was on a break, it was time to look around the old dame for signs of its past glory. You need a lot of imagination. It's place as an inspiration to other fields and stadiums is evident by how much of its age shows through. The Yale Bowl was shaped by digging out the bowl shape--with the field in the middle--and then putting the fans on the pitch heading up to the perimeter as inspired by similar fields in Ancient Rome. And when you walk through the portals to get to your seats (mind the splinters) you can imagine yourself in Rome for a brief moment. But to truly remember its days hosting football powerhouses, one would have to return when Harvard is in town and the now 61,000 capacity is stretched. But the game served our purpose, which was to enjoy a great fall day with family and friends. This was my daughter Pilar's fourth game and she had fun with her friends. They especially enjoyed running onto the field after the game (not as vandals but partaking in a Yale tradition). So while the glory days are long gone--and a Fordham-Yale match-up would have been one to watch 75 years ago--the Yale Bowl can still put a smile on a kid's face.

What We Learned Saturday

Yet another exciting Saturday of college football as Wisconsin stunned Ohio State, Steve Spurrier and Florida both lost and Nebraska still has some work to do to become a national title contender.

With the game at night Camp Randall was rocking even more than usual and no. 1 Ohio State was knocked down at the opening bell thanks to WR David Gilreath's 97y scoring return of opening kickoff. They then were further beaten down by allowing two TD runs by big RB John Clay, who rushed for 104y. The Badgers dominated in the trenches early in putting the Buckeyes in a deep 21-0 hole. But the Buckeyes showed some mettle by reeling off 18 straight points over the course of the middle of the game. Unfortunately for them, Wisconsin showed even more mettle by answering with the game's final 10 pts. The reward for Wisconsin? A trip to Iowa; the Hawkeyes have won six of the last eight games played in that series.

Florida has lost three straight games. As someone who really does not like Urban Meyer, I was pretty happy about the game effort turned in by Mississippi State. I also did not see the outcome as some huge upset as the Gators have had issues all year and the Bulldogs have been playing tough since hiring head coach Dan Mullen away from Meyer's staff (more about that later in the week). Meanwhile Auburn is getting a lot attention as they remain undefeated, but come on now. Arkansas brought in a little-used back-up--albeit a talented kid--and he ripped apart their defense. If QB Cam Newton was merely good, Auburn would have a couple of losses.

Meanwhile, how well did Mack Brown sleep last night? Texas went from annual national title contender to also ran after two losses. But the team gave a more complete effort than in either of their losses and should be back on track for future dominance. The Huskers, meanwhile, showed that an over-reliance on a freshman QB can sometimes haunt you. The bigger issue--as it well may be for Auburn soon--is that a fast rise from good-to-solid, at times mediocre--to suddenly great is difficult for a collection of kids. Nebraska went from a 2-TD dog to Texas last year to a 10-pt favorite this year. The team could not handle their sudden thrust into that position. Head coach Bo Pelini has to get his charges re-focused quickly as Oklahoma State and Missouri are next up for the Huskers. They are a combined 12-0.

So it was another great day for college football. Meanwhile the big game today for the NFL? A battle of over-rated "powers" Minnesota and Dallas.

Remember When

Big game tonight in the Big Ten, which inspired this look back to October 27, 1962 when Wisconsin was the higher-ranked team entering this match-up, as recapped in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia.

OHIO STATE 14 Wisconsin 7

Before 85,640, Ohio State (3-2) elbowed way back into Big 10 race. Buckeyes scored 1st on QB Joe Sparma's 21y pass to HB Paul Warfield (pictured). Wisconsin (4-1) tied it in 2nd Q with surprise maneuver. After DB Jim Schenk's INT, Badgers ran plunge, then quick pass without huddle: QB Ron VanderKelen's 47y TD to HB Jim Smith. Trio of Ohio FBs combined to take advantage of personal foul on 57y 4th Q drive. FB Dave Francis appeared to be punched, and officials walked off PEN to Badgers 29YL. FBs Dave Katterhenrich and Bob Butts alternated driving to 1YL, and QB John Mummey sneaked over.

Loss chased Wisconsin out of nation's top ten, but Badgers recovered to win conference.

Paul's Picks

With last night's loss I have dropped to 14-16 on the season. Just call me Mr. Mediocrity.
The picks for thie weekend, using the lines from usatoday.org are as follows:
Iowa (-3) at MICHIGAN
Yes I am dumping on Michigan. But until their defense improves--and now top DE Mike Martin is banged up--I will continue to pick against the Wolverines. Pick: Iowa -3
South Carolina (-4.5) at KENTUCKY
A number of people are focusing on this spot as a tough one for South Carolina following the team's huge upset of Alabama last week, but remember that Kentucky put out a great deal of effort in playing Auburn so well. They have to be coached up too and the advantage in that department goes to SC coach Steve Spurrier, who is 17-0 lifetime versus Kentucky. Pick: South Carolina -4.5
Arkansas at AUBURN (-4)
A crazy series of late gets much more attention due to the SEC West standings. Game should be fun and I'll take four in a shootout with one of the nation's best passing attacks. Pick: Arkansas +4

Paying Players? Oh My!

There is much, much too much ado being made about allegations thrown out by former player's agent Josh Luchs in Sports Illustrated this week. Luchs admits to paying players throughout a career that roughly spanned the past 20 years. But the majority of players have long disappeared from the sport's memory bank and the crimes mentioned seemed rather lame. Jonathan Ogden is a big name--and big guy--but he just took one concert ticket. Ryan Leaf paid back the money he took. Some players admit to taking cash and others deny or refuse to talk, but we already know a great many football players take money. Some players were paid to play college football in the 19th century, so the problem has been with the sport since its infancy. To be honest, reading the article just made the business of being a sports agent rather pathetic. I have no interest in that aspect of the sport.
That said, I do want it cleaned up a bit. Paying players will never go away. But perhaps making it harder to do so will make some guys like Leaf become more diligent in his preparation as there will be no payoff until he makes the pros. And the playing field will be somewhat leveled between the schools with big bankrolls and the ones with smaller ones. And the positives to playing the sport--like character building, teamwork, achieving goals, etc--will outweigh the negatives, like prostituting yourself for an immediate payday. One would hope.

This Week's Picks

I am still uncertain about Saturday's games, but do like one tonight
South Florida at WEST VIRGINIA (-10)
This spread is based solely on South Florida's upset loss to Syracuse and not on the match-up of these two teams. The advantage West Virginia has had over the years in Big East play has been its team speed. Well that advantage has disappeared against the equally-fast Bulls, who have won three out of the last four in this series. Pick: South florida +10

Baseball Getting In the Way

I grew up a Yankees fan and remained so in 1969 despite heavy pressure on the school bus to kindergarten to switch my allegiance to the Miracle Mets. I stuck with the Yanks despite their attempts to play guys like Celerino Sanchez and Rich McKinney at third and the shameful way new owner George something treated my first sports hero, Mel Stottlemyre, when the reliable righty injured his arm. I was rewarded with the three straight pennants earned by the colorful squad playing in the renovated Stadium of 1976-78 and the consecutive World Series titles of 1977-78. I turned 13 less than two weeks after the 1977 Series ended and those were heady times for a kid.

My National League team was the Giants due to the fact that my father remained a Giants fan even when the team moved to San Francisco when he was in his early 20s. And so I was a fan of McCovey, Marichal, Bonds, Gallagher, Speier, Fuentes, Mays and Perry, etc in addition to the early 70s Yankees of Murcer, White, Munson, Peterson, Clarke, Michael and Stotts. By the time the Yanks did win that 1977 title the Giants were in rebuilding mode, but there was hope with kids like Jack Clark and Bob Knepper. Following the Giants was another way to stay close to my father.

And so this season is one of the rare times that the Giants and Yankees have made the playoffs together. They are both in the semi finals, so to speak, and thus give me a reason to watch October baseball. Ahh, there lies the rub. I do not have time to watch October baseball due to the demands of following college football. On Saturday pitching match-ups featuring Cliff Lee of Texas against Andy Pettite of the Yanks and then Roy Halladay taking on Tim Lincecum of the Giants are pitted against the late afternoon and evening cfb games. I better check the batteries for the television clicker.

View From Bennett Avenue

ESPN is at it again. The show "The Experts" on ESPNU yesterday spent hours trying to sort out who would go to the BCS title game. Instead of evaluation of players and teams or a dissection of the season, these talking heads just focused on who would pass Boise and which undefeated BCS conference team was the best. It is the same conversation they had last week but they all thought Alabama was the best team then. There was absolutely no conversation on conference races or evaluations of the teams. With Michigan State moving up the ranks they spent time on them this week that they did not last week. But except for a mention of the QB Kirk Cousins and LB Greg Jones, the team was described as tough like their coach Mark Dantonio. But they were tough last year when they opened the season 1-3 so more analysis is warranted. The Spartans have been recruiting better of late and one of their top signees is RB Edwin Baker, who has rushed for 683y. Their leading rusher last year was Larry Caper with only 468y. So, clearly, that is a difference and worthy of more discussion than we get from "The Experts".

So ESPN can focus on projecting teams for January and SMQBs can give you some analysis.

What We Learned Sunday

The NFL stinks! Wow, they ruined a good thing. And I do not want to hear the word parity. It is just lousy football. The salaries got out of hand. The season is too long as it is--and they may make it longer--which takes away from the meaning of every individual game. Virtually every team is woefully inconsistent. Except of course for the Bills. They are consistently bad. My Giants looked good yesterday but have already thrown in two clunkers this year and it is early October. The NFL can hide behind story lines like the Favre and Moss versus the Jets tonight, but the league has to be worried. And college football will be the beneficiary as the games are more exciting, the quality has improved and there is much more at stake with a majority of games. Right now the dopes on ESPN Two are talking college football; for years Monday was reserved for a recap of the pro action from Sunday and preview of Monday night. The landscape is changing so get out and watch some college football.

What We Learned Saturday

College football is great. But we already knew that. I was pumped up to watch a number of games yesterday. The NFL slate today? Not a game worth three hours.

South Carolina is a good football team. The Steve Spurrier era in Columbia has been marked by frustration and disappointment as his squads were always missing something and eventually paid for it. But now the team is complete--but only when QB Stephen Garcia plays well. He exploited the Alabama secondary yesterday with help from his younger playmakers. And the South Carolina defense is playing at a very high level. But if the team over-celebrates this win and loses focus they will squander this win with a defeat at the hands of Kentucky next week (although Spurrier is 17-0 versus the Wildcats).

Alabama was due a clunker, but how about the excuses pouring out of the mouths of the analysts. We are supposed to feel bad for the Tide because they played three good teams in a row. Please. Every year for a decade we have been told about how tough it is to play in the SEC because week-in and week-out the games feature talented squads. So then when someone actually plays three good teams in a row--and Arkansas and Florida, the teams Alabama beat leading up to this game are not top ten material--we can use that as an excuse if they lose? Let's all hug Oregon State because after losing a tough game to Boise State they then had to play a solid Arizona State team and then travel to Arizona. Wait, they won that third game in an upset. Stanford, who followed up road games with Notre Dame and Oregon with USC? Well, the Cardinal won that third game too. And I guess those folks making that excuse--and there were plenty of them--must be against a playoff system. After all, you would have to win multiple tough games in consecutive weeks.

It looks like the LSU faithful will have to embrace head coach Les Miles, who is now 6-0 on the season. That fake FG call was fun, even it was executed poorly, and Miles does have his players' trust. Of course, the second half of the team's schedule features road games against Auburn and Arkansas and a home match-up with Alabama. Win two games against the AAAs of the SEC West and LSU may well find themselves in the SEC title game with a shot at the BCS title game. Then again, lose two to three games the rest of the way and the fans will be back calling for the Mad Hatter's head.

It is looking like the absence of a Michigan State-Ohio State game this year will be a shame as the two unbeaten Big Ten teams are playing at a high level. Iowa, who hosts both the Buckeyes and the Spartans, will have a lot to say about the winner of the conference. The Hawkeyes begin a run of seven straight conference games with a trip to Ann Arbor Saturday.

What else? Miami lost to FSU, but the Hurricanes had played road games at Pitt and at Clemson the two weeks prior so we must give them a pass even if they are not in the SEC. North Carolina State continues to be the surprise team in the ACC and their Thursday night showdown with Florida State on October 28 may decide the Atlantic Division. Then again, it may not as the Pack have three conference road games in November.

Oregon remains the best team in the Pac 10 and will do nothing this weekend to disprove that as they are off.

Can Syracuse save the Big East? Okay so they are only 1-0 in conference play. But how often do we get to say that? Coach Doug Marrone has done a great job of surrounding himself with just guys who want to play. They have worked hard and may be turning a corner. With Pittsburgh, Penn State, UConn and Boston College scuffling, the Northeast desperately needs a team playing well. Then again, the Yankees just swept the Twins, the Jets, Steelers, Eagles, Patriots and Giants are challenging for their respective divisions and hockey has started so most of the people up north may not notice.

Remember When

The 20th anniversary of the fifth down TD for Colorado against Missouri has received some play this week so I decided to use the recap we have in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia for this week's installment of Remember When:

Colorado 33 MISSOURI 31: With 1st-and-goal at Tigers' 3YL with 31 secs to play, Buffaloes (4-1-1) backup QB Charles Johnson, in for injured QB Darian Hagan, spiked ball twice (on 1st and 4th downs) to stop clock in frantic 26-sec span after TB Eric Bieniemy (29/217y, TD) was stopped twice just short of GL. Johnson ran off T for winning TD on game's last play--erroneously-permitted 5th down play--so his TD should not have counted. Even then, Missouri D coordinator Michael Church contended, "When we see the film, we'll see that he did not cross the goal line." Lost in game's confusion and controversy was QB Kent Kiefer's 19-34/326y, 3 TDs, INT passing for Missouri (2-3). Kiefer hit WR Victor Bailey for diving 18y TD in 1st Q and WR Damon Mays (5/153y) for 49 and 38y TDs. After 14-14 H tie, Mizzou trumped 35y FG by Buffs K Jim Harper with FB Michael Jones' 13y TD run for 21-17 lead in 3rd Q. Johnson threw 70y TD pass to WR Mike Pritchard early in 4th Q, but after exchange of FGs, Tigers took 31-27 lead on Kiefer's 3rd TD pass and 2nd scoring catch by Mays with 2:32 to play. Amazingly, it was 6th straight game in which Colorado had played with verdict hanging on last possession.

Colorado fell from 12th in AP Poll to 14th after win. Soon after, they began methodical climb to top of the polls and eventual shared national title with Georgia Tech.

Paul's Picks

October 9, 2010 Picks
Boy do I like a lot of games this week, which is a bit daunting. The fear is that I will pick five games for you here and go 2-3, while hitting the others I do not select for your reading pleasure. I went 3-2 last week and am now 13-11 on the season. Mediocre? Sure, but I have had to overcome a dreadful start.
Here are the picks, all road teams, based on Danny Sheridan's odds as found Thursday at usatoday.com:
(Friday) Connecticut (-5.5) at RUTGERS
October 8th is my brother's birthday and he graduated many years ago from Rutgers. That said, I am taking Connecticut to win big. Rutgers does not have much of an offensive line and the Huskies have a very good front seven. While Rutgers' beleaguered offense will continue to struggle, their very game defense will eventually break under the pressure of carrying the offense. Pick: Connecticut -5.5
Michigan State at MICHIGAN (-4.5)
While it seems like I am picking on the Wolverines, they have not impressed me. Sure Denard Robinson is exciting, but the Spartans have enough tape to watch to devise a way to contain him. They will not stop him, mind you, but keep him from running wild. Meanwhile QB Kirk Cousins will enjoy throwing against the woeful Michigan secondary. Look for the visitors to not only cover but win their third straight in the series. Pick: Michigan State +4.5
Alabama (-6.5) at SOUTH CAROLINA
Yes that half point is luring me in like a sailor to a singing siren. What impresses me the most about Alabama is that they stick to what they do well no matter the opponent or score. With Arkansas beating them after three quarters and then Florida outgaining them last week, the Tide continued to hammer their way to consecutive SEC wins. They cannot let down this week against the Gamecocks, but unless QB Stephen Garcia plays like the Ryan Mallett of the 1st half of the Arkansas game or the Gamecocks defense plays like the Gators defense in the 2nd half of the Florida game, South Carolina is in trouble. Pick: Alabama -6.5
Oregon (-36) at WASHINGTON STATE
Bob and i normally avoid games like this for the blog, but they are available for wagering and this one does matter for polls and the like. By beating Stanford last week the Ducks bypassed Boise State for third place in the polls. They want more. With Ohio State banged up and suddenly vulnerable (not so much to lose but to fall behind Oregon), Oregon can sway voters with another monster effort on offense. Playing a program that they have scored at least 52 points in each of the last three meetings will allow them to improve on their 56 pts-per-game average. They will cover by the half against a Cougars squad that cannot put up a fight.
Rice at UTEP (-9)
When Rice has been good of late they have beaten UTEP and when Rice has been bad, like last year, they beat UTEP. And while the 1-4 Owls have played a tough schedule--losing to Texas, Northwestern, Baylor and SMU--the 4-1 Miners have enjoyed playing both New Mexico and New Mexico State. Despite the records these teams are even. Pick: Rice +9.

Trust Your Eyes

Quick, who leads the nation in the all-important yards-per-carry stat? He is from a major football power. Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson? That would be a good guess. But it would be wrong. LaMichael James of Oregon? Nope. The leader at the moment is none other than Pittsburgh back Ray Graham, who must be benefiting from defenses looking for teammate Dion Lewis. By the time they realize Graham has the ball he has run the 9.46y he is averaging. Robinson is not even the leader among QBs as his 9.23 ypc trails Nebraska's Taylor Martinez (9.36). That Martinez is beating Robinson is both a testament to his talent and a reminder that college stats are for the birds. Martinez ran roughshod over Western Kentucky and Idaho, programs that were ill equipped to catch him. Tune in Thursday night to see what he does against the moderately talented KSU Wildcats. The lofty numbers of all of these players will begin to fall as defenses tailor their game plans to what the coaches see on film. And players who rely on speed--like Graham, Martinez, Robinson and James (8.0 ypc)--will slow down as the season progresses due to both colder weather and wear and tear.

Team stats, especially this early in the season, are for the birds too. It is funny hearing experts trumping a particular school's rush defense based on their current rankings despite the fact that said defense has not played any good run teams. Or that team has led throughout most of their games, forcing their opponents to throw more. When it is this early in the season you must trust your eyes more than numbers. Michigan's pass defense came into the season undermanned. They were then exploited by Notre Dame and others. So when Indiana QB Ben Chappell tore them to shreds this weekend--he completed 45 of 64 attempts for 480 yards--it should not have come as a complete surprise even though no quarterback had come within 200y of Chappell's total in the four games Michigan played prior to meeting IU. But there were extenuating circumstances helping the Wolverines stats in their first four games. UConn is set up to be a run first team, Notre Dame's QB Dayne Crist missed half of the game to injury (and still threw for 277y), UMass is a FCS team with a balanced attack and the starting QB for Bowling Green missed the Michigan game with an injury. Heisman voters need to take the Michigan secondary into account if Terrelle Pryor has a similar day for Ohio State on November 27.

And we all have to take into account misleading statistics when touting teams and players.

View From Bennett Avenue

Well the Boise State poll drop has begun. Voters waited one week after the Broncos' win over Oregon State to begin the process that will result in their not making the BCS Title game if other power teams have the same unbeaten record. Boise, and TCU, need all of the other challengers to lose--and some lose twice--to be able to finish ahead of them in the minds of most voters.
It is somewhat laughable that the program that is currently passing Boise, Oregon, is the one member of the top ten that this edition of Boise State has proven that they can beat when sweeping a home-and-home series in 2008-09. After all, what does Boise have to do to stay ahead of Oregon in the polls beyond beating them twice? But wait, you say, Oregon has the best offense in the country this year and deserves the higher ranking. But Oregon averaged 47 points per game after three games before taking on, and losing to, Boise in 2008. And last year's Ducks managed only 8 points against this Broncos defense last year. Are they that much better one year later? Instead we should be discussing just how great the Boise State defense is and whether Oregon can score against them.
Broncos coach Chris Petersen did not rip into voters over the news. What can he do? Win all of his games? Well, yeah, but that will never be enough.

Remember When

Quick, name a meaningful Stanford-Oregon game? There are not many. But Remember When found a classic--along with this crazy photo of former Oregon coach Len Casanova--as recapped in the pages of The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia:

Oregon 27 STANFORD 26: Oregon (6-1) coach Len Casanova surprised Stanford (4-3) by opening game with 2-WR set and operating quickly without huddle, one of rare times it was tried in that era. Ducks went 72y on first series to 5y TD run by HB Jim Shanley (21/71y). What ensued was O warfare, waged without TOs, as teams traded TDs in every Q. In 1st Q, Indians received 73y TD pass from QB Jack Douglas (14-25/210y, 3 TDs) to HB Jeri McMillin, and Douglas followed at 11:23 of 2nd Q with 6y TD throw to FB Chuck Shea on 4th down. It gave Tribe its only lead at 13-7. Webfoots came right back on QB Jack Crabtree's 1st of 2 TD sneaks to retake 14-13 edge in last 5 secs of 2nd Q. Shanley caught 17y pass to Stanford 8YL after 2nd H KO so that Crabtree could call his own TD sneak again. FB Jack Morris scored 2y TD early in 4th Q, but missed kick to leave it at 27-20. Less than 5 mins from end, Indians E Gary Van Galder caught Douglas's 3rd TD pass, but HB-K Al Harrington, under rush pressure from both Oregon Es, J.C. Wheeler and Ron Stover, missed wide with tying x-pt. When Indians reached 8YL in last min, Stanford coach Chuck Taylor ruled out FG try because Harrington, his only capable K, was out of lineup, ineligible to return. Douglas tried 4th down pass, but was smothered by G Bob Grottkau on game's last play.

Hopefully Saturday's game will be as exciting. And hopefully Oregon coach Chip Kelly will allow his head to be photographed surrounded by a bunch of footballs. And the Ducks hope a win propels them to the Rose Bowl, as it did in 1957.

Well, sports fans, we’re white racists again

Coaxed by Soledad O'Brien, Hispanic interviewer for CNN, Miami Heat basketball star LeBron James admitted in a Monday TV taping that he felt racism played some part in the overwhelmingly negative public reaction to his dramatic, ESPN-orchestrated free agent "decision" televised this summer.

Oh, really? I guess it's my fault, not LeBron's ego, and not "World-Leader" ESPN again acting as if it were bigger than sports. And what of Ms. O'Brien's responsibility for having framed her question in racial terms in the first place?

Do I as a 63-year-old white sports fan get off the hook as a racist if I feel boyishly-enthusiastic, southern white football quarterback Brett Favre is just as big an ego-maniacal boor as James? In fact, I'll say Brett has earned a far greater annoyance factor because he has pulled his insufferable "I might be retired, I might not" act for not one but three straight seasons.

Give LeBron some credit. He contributed all of his income from the hour-long ESPN show to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Good for him. What's Brett done?

While I don't pretend to speak for all white sports fans, I believe we white fans mostly have preferred our sports heroes to write a decent-sized check to charities and not make such a public spectacle of it.

We also prefer athletes who play team sports to act a bit more as if their purpose were to contribute to their team winning games, not act as though the sport was created as their personal stage. Thousands of teammates from all parts of the globe worked together to win. For example, Lou Gehrig (a German-American with a heavy New York accent) and Joe DiMaggio (a San Francisco Italian) acted this way, so did Jackie Robinson (a Southern California-bred black) and Pee Wee Reese (a Louisville white), Roberto Clemente (a Puerto Rican black) and Bob Moose (a small-town Pennsylvania white), Gale Sayers (an Omaha-born black) and Brian Piccolo (a Florida-born white), Juan Marichal (a Dominican black) and Bill Haller (an Illinois white), Cookie Gilchrist (a Pennsylvania black by way of Canada) and Pete Gogolak (a Hungarian-born white), Rod Carew (a Panamanian black) and Harmon Killebrew (an Idaho white), and Sandy Koufax (a Brooklyn Jew) and John Roseboro (an Ohio black).

I guess we're guilty of asking today's athlete to act like a teammate and not an over-inflated deity. Guilty as charged.

--Bob Boyles

Paul's Picks

With consecutive 3-1 weeks, I am on a roll and now 10-9 on the season. So pay attention for once. My picks for the first weekend of October--using the Friday lines from USA Today--are as follows:
Friday
BYU (-4.5) at UTAH STATE: The Cougars season has unraveled after an opening win over Washington as the banged up squad has lost three straight, all by two TDs or more. But those defeats were to Florida State, Air Force and Nevada, all of whom are much better than Utah State. BYU has won 10 straight in the series and needs to right its ship now with San Diego State and TCU up next on the schedule. Utah State QB Diondre Borel is talented, but its defense is beleaguered. Pick: BYU -4.5
Oklahoma (-3.5) vs. Texas: The Longhorns are going to bounce back from their stunning loss to UCLA last week and play a spirited game. But they do not have any weapons on offense and will struggle to score. The Sooners offense features two game-breakers in back DeMarco Murray and receiver Ryan Broyles and they should be able to trade a few TDs for UT FGs. Oklahoma has lost four of the past five in this series and are pissed off about the last two that they could have easily won. While I hate that extra half point, I do see a 10-point win for OU. Pick: Oklahoma -3.5
Michigan (-10.5) at INDIANA: One of these weeks I will have to stop picking against Michigan. But this spread is silly as IU is angry after last season's controversial loss and has a passing attack featuring QB Ben Chappell and a veteran receiving corps that should blitz through the weak Michigan secondary. Don't get me wrong--I do not see the Hoosiers defense stopping Michigan and QB Denard Robinson either. But in a shootout I will gladly take a home dog of double digits (and the over too). Pick: Indiana +10.5
Navy at AIR FORCE (-10): The home team is definitely due to win in this heated series after losing seven straight. But by 10? With the way Navy has dominated its service academy brethren--last losing to either Army or Air Force in 2002--the Falcons will be happy with any kind of victory. The Midshipmen will play with the confidence that elevates winners. Look for OT for the second straight time in this series or a last-sec winning FG in regulation. Pick: Navy +10.
Florida at ALABAMA (-8): Is it me or is Alabama a bit overrated? Part of the problem for me is that I tend to see their mediocre performances more often than their great ones. In their last 12 games I did not see them blowout Mississippi State and Chattanooga last season nor San Jose State and Duke this season. And they definitely looked great against Florida in the 2009 SEC title game and in the first half against Texas in the BCS championship contest. But I did see them struggle against South Carolina, Tennessee and Auburn last year and Arkansas last week. They are good, and I would vote them no. 1, but for long stretches of games against top competition they go into funks where they do not look very good (see 2nd half versus Texas). This will be important against a Florida squad that enters the game with supreme motivation. They know that the Tide has surpassed them as the best team in the country and they also know that Alabama beat them up last year. Hell, their performance almost killed their coach (well, they think so anyway). As much as I dislike Urban Meyer I respect his coaching acumen and know he will pull out all the stops in this game. The Tide win a close one. Pick: Florida +8.

Bob’s Picks

Bob's Picks for Oct. 2, 2010: This week, Point Spreads are based on the Bodog.net line in Thursday's USA TODAY.

Road Favorites

Sometimes travel soothes the soul. Top 10 travelers get their props from Las Vegas, but when decent to good football teams make road trips, the oddsmakers often underestimate them and give too much credit to inferior home teams.

There are three road favorites I like to beat spreads this week:

Northwestern (-4) at MINNESOTA: The Golden Goofers are in real trouble. Meanwhile, these aren't your dad's Northwestern Wildcats, winners of 18 games in all of the 1980s. But your "dad" still makes odds in Vegas and can't see Northwestern for the solid program it is now. Pick: Northwestern -4

Notre Dame (-2.5) at BOSTON COLLEGE: This marks the Fighting Irish's first step in an interesting trio of eastern venues this year: lovely Chestnut Hill (where it might still be raining on Saturday), the New Meadowlands Stadium (vs. Navy), and the new Yankee Stadium (vs. Army). Notre Dame is desperate for a win. BC had won six straight in the series until last year when its offense went on strike. BC's attack isn't any better this year. Pick: NOTRE DAME -2.5

Georgia (-3.5) at COLORADO: The Buffaloes are better but probably not enough ultimately to save coach Dan Hawkins' job. Ordinarily, Georgia might overlook this fair out-of-conference opponent, but after three straight losses, the Bulldogs themselves are desperate. Pick: GEORGIA -3.5

--Bob Boyles