The Weekend That Was: Barkley Owned, Another Historic Loss, Irish for Real?, My New Favorite Player, SEC Joke Coaches

While it is the surprises, upsets and a sense of loyalty to a team that draws us to college football, there are a few truths that seem inevitable. A few of those came true this weekend: Virginia Tech begins the year in the top 10 and falls to an inferior team, Alabama beats Arkansas, USC starts in the top 5 and is a national championship favorite and falls, and Notre Dame wins three games and moves up the polls quickly. Now that you have the gist of Week Three in football, let's get to the nitty gritty.

Barkley remains defeated versus Stanford

STANFORD OWNS BARKLEY & CO.: At some point, what Stanford did/is doing will no longer be a fluke. Cardinal coach David Shaw has to get credit. He is Andrew Luck-less and is still pulling off 'upsets' of the No. 2 team in the country. I say "'upsets'" because it should no longer come as a surprise when he is able to beat the California team from the south. Maybe, just maybe, Shaw will be able to sustain some of the success his predecessors (Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck) began. I am all up for nerds ruling the football world.

Stanford is a rarity in college football. Not only do they all make 34's on their ACTs but they know who they are and what they can and can not do. They know they run the football well with a huge push from the big uglies upfront, which creates an obvious, enormous mismatch for USC, who is setup to beat the likes of Oregon.

Matt Barkley will graduate having never beaten Stanford, which is incredible when you look at the history of these two programs.

ANOTHER HISTORIC LOSS: Remember the questions I brought up last week after Arkansas blew a 28-7 lead to University Louisiana-Monore? There are more this week. Instead of doing listing those, here is some historical perspective of what a team that was beat by ULM in 2007 (Alabama) did on Saturday in Fayetteville.

The Tide shut out the Hogs at home for the first time since 1966, a 44-0 loss to the Baylor, but that was two years post national championship. It was the worst loss for the Razorbacks since a 70-17 show from the USC Trojans. It was an embarrassing day for Arkansas, and while the weather did not help keep fans in their seat, neither did their play on the field.

Injured Razorback quarterback admitted he thought some of his teammates quit, which is a direct reflection of coaching. There's good reason to be worried as Rutgers comes to Arkansas this week.

If anything, this makes The Game of the Century III (Alabama at LSU) all the more anticipated, and as my old man said, no doubt there is a Pop Tart sale in Arkansas.

Johnson has been "The Beast" for a while.

MY FAVORITE PLAYER IS A VOLUNTEER: Is there anything Tennessee sophomore A.J. Johnson can not do? He was named to the All-SEC freshman team a year ago and now is starting to show out on the offensive side too from the Wildcat formation.

Not only does he make grown-man tackles on defense, but the Volunteer captain scored a rushing touchdown against Florida.

He did the same thing in high school, too.

A Gainesville, Georgia native, he dominated this area for four years like few have and remains a local legend. If he continues on his current path, he will soon be a legend in the Knoxville area as well before making his way to the professional ranks.

NOTRE DAME IS FOR REAL (maybe): The Irish get their fair, and maybe more, share of articles and columns written about them, but anytime you go on the road, in a night game, and defeat a top 10 team, you start getting press for all the right reasons.

Coach Brian Kelley, who was brought over from Cincinnati for his offensive prowess, has started building his program from the defensive side of the ball. Now, other than Alabama and LSU, he may have the top defensive front in the country and the best linebacker in Manti Te'o. Kelley will build his offense no doubt, and if both sides of the ball progress like they seem to be doing, the Irish could be trouble in the future.

HOW QUICKLY CAN CHIZIK BE REPLACED: It's really a three-way race between Arkansas' John L. Smith, Auburn's Gene Chizik, and Kentucky's Joker Phillips to see who will be fired first. Two of the three will definitely be told to seek employment elsewhere come season's end, but Chizik has enough equity built up from a national championship two years ago.

After two dismal performances from his quarterback Kiehl Frazier, these games are much more like what we expected from Chizik when he came from Iowa State. This is what a Chizik team minus a $200,000 quarterback looks like.

That's what a Hilltoppers look like after they get their first SEC win.

KENTUCKY'S BIG JOKE(er): Get it? Their coach's name is Joker and that's what he has made the Wildcats in the eyes of football fans. We have all heard Kentucky fans say the only sport they care about is basketball -- and horseracing. However, there are better ways to let everyone know that other than getting beat by Western Kentucky. Heck, they've only been an official FBS program for four years!

Sure you make all SEC fans proud during March and early April, but there is no excuse for this. Bye, bye Joker.

SEC Media Days, Cam Newton Street, Hold the Joe But More Kobe Please

We find ourselves in the middle of the beginning of the unofficial kickoff of college football. A little wordy, huh? It is easier to call them the Southeastern Conference Media Days, where coaches begin to make excuses for why their team will not live up to expectations (Steve Spurrier and Joker Phillips), respond with numerous wild card answers (John L. Smith and Les Miles), or simply fulfill an obligation to their conference (Nick Saban). 

No matter how your coach answers, the SEC Media Days are the biggest of their kind for the most competitive league in any sport so enjoy the make-believe camaraderie and hopefully we get a coach to drop gems like Missouri's T.J. Moe, "They say girls are prettier here, air's fresher, and the toilet paper is thicker."

Couldn't agree 'Moe', T.J.

This lonely student's sign reads: Protect the Paterno statue.

Some Students Ask for More Joe Please:
In more Joe Paterno news, students -- a population of two -- are camping out in order to protect the statue, which remains erect outside Beaver Stadium.

An anonymous flight from Ohio read "Take down the statue, or we'll take it down for you" (a hopeful me desires for this news to be true).

I wish I would have made note of this in my last post, but the chances of the statue being vandalized is somewhere around 100%. This is all the more reason to take the thing down from its current location and follow my instructions. Students from Penn State have tweeted that "these few students do not represent the entire campus population."

All the more reason for the "protesting" students to take advantage of their parent's investment -- because it does not last forever -- in room and board, and go back to their dorm and hold their own Paterno-crazed pity party.

Cam Newton Way Should be a toll road if plan comes to fruition:
He has NFL records. He was named the NFL Rookie of the Year. He has a statue at his alma mater (Can you even call it that when he only spent eight months there and did not receive a degree from there? Or Blynn Junior College? Or Florida? I digress.). But getting a road named after him? You must be out of your mind.

He is a 23-year-old admittedly "very immature" quarterback. And while -- speaking from experience-- this is to be expected for a man of his age, let's give him some time before we Georgians give him such an honor. For one, it would cost the residents of Scarborough Road in South Atlanta money, time and effort to change their address. Residents also report to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that they are not ready to name a street after a person with a scandaled past.


A second hearing is still on the agenda where the proposition will likely be shot down. If the road does pass a second vote, can we all agree it should at least be a toll road?

Give me more Kobe
NBA Commissioner David Stern has come forward saying that at the next olympics it is possible we see the 23-and-under rule enforced. Within these parameters, USA basketball would still be able to use NBA professionals with onlythree players over the age of 23. This would help protect players in the NBA from participating in the Olympics and coming home injured a la Blake Griffin and Kyrie Irving.

If Stern gets his way, you won't see Kobe or LeBron in USA unis anymore.

Thirty-three-year-old Kobe Bryant thinks the same way I do about the Commissioner's proposal, "It's a stupid idea," Bryant said. I could not agree more with the Olympic gold medalist.

Whether or not to play should remain up to the players, who risk injury and fatigue in the next 82-game season. Some argue that NBAers in international play makes for a competitive disadvantage for the rest of the world.

Um... is that not the point of competition? To be the best? In addition to winning another gold this summer clips such as these will be recorded for all Americans to "Ohh" and "Ahh" over.

Kobe also told a Y! reporter earlier this week that it is "possible" he retires at age 35. Say it ain't so. Sure Bryant is made fun of for the number of shots he takes, but a 1 1/2 years ago he ranked as the ninth best player of all time (and his stock is only rising). Of course, he may be modeling his career even more so like his idol Michael Jordan by testing retirement and coming back as a player-manager down the road.

Cam Newton Back in the News

The NCAA has released information saying they have begun a new investigation into Mississippi State's recruiting of former Auburn QB Cam Newton. MSU Head Coach Dan Mullen was Newton's offensive coordinator at the University of Florida and still maintains a strong relationship with the Heisman winner. Newton was thought to be headed to State for sometime but surprised many and headed to Auburn.  His questioned Auburn recruiting created a media fire storm during the 2010 season. My question is if he is found guilty of participating in a pay-for-play scheme at State would that not only affect State's current program but also his Heisman, the Auburn wins and National Championship? Talk about a quick way to heat up a low scoring rivalry.

My thought is he, similarly to USC RB Reggie Bush, was playing when he should not have been and the wins he contributed in should be vacated. Let it be known I do not have it out for Newton, but I am a fan of justice. I, like everyone else who watches football, am absolutely amazed by his abilities and think the Carolina Panthers are crazy if they do not take him with the number one overall pick in next week's NFL Draft.

The sad part to me in this investigation is the Mississippi State program could suffer probation, scholarship reductions, and/or vacated wins. Yes, if found guilty they would have done wrong and deserve their punishment. But can we give them a break? It finally felt like something was going right in Starkville and half the state of Mississippi had legitimate reason to believe they would have a winning season this season (No way I am talking about the Ole Miss fans. They are a long ways from a winning season. Heck, they lost to Jacksonville State and Vandy!). I want to believe Dan Mullen was doing it the right way in one of the hardest places to succeed in the SEC.

Word of advice I had last week for Auburn and it still holds true... Go ahead and build the statues of Bo Jackson and, my favorite Tiger ever, Samford Bulldog football coach Pat Sullivan. Honor them with all the laud they deserve. But let's hold off on the Newton trophy at least until all the NCAA allegations are washed away.

For the Auburn fans whom I have offended, check out the Saban statue with his most faithful follower.

In exciting SEC news check out this link for the SEC Composite Schedule. Print it out. Put it on your desk. Put it on your fridge and let's hope the next 4 months flies by so we can kick it off again.

Fat Tuesday

I am back to school this week and living today up large before the Lenten season is underway, enjoying all of the benefits that come with being the only male at an all girls university. To keep my sanity I oftentimes come to the library during my breaks to catch up on the sports world. read ESPN.com, SI.com, and a number of blogs about what is going on in the SEC, instead of reading over Anatomy or Neuroscience notes.  A couple of "notes" I've read today...

- In NFL news, other than that of the collective bargaining agreement (thought on this to come soon), former cornerback and current TV analyst Tiki Barber is coming back to the NFL next year. At least he pulled the trigger on his retirement once by actually retiring, Brett Farve. But really... How effective is a 35 year old, running back, a position reliant on speed and power, who has been out of the game for 4 years going to be? Will he even be picked up as a free agent? Maybe he can tag team with former New York Giants teammate WR Plaxico Buress who plans to return to football from his two year hiatus, which he spent in jail for shooting himself in the foot at a night club.

-The late Arkansas OL Brandon Bullsworth's name came out yesterday on the College Football Hall of Fame Ballot. Bullsworth, known for his distinct black glasses, was a walk-on for the Razorbacks that eventually earned himself a scholarship and a spot on the AP All-America second team by his senior season. He was killed in a car accident days after being selected in the first round by the Indianapolis Colts.

-There are a number of Newton ''Cam"eras following the Heisman winner at Auburn's pro day this afternoon. Is ESPN going too far in their coverage of college football? SEC fans would argue they aren't even coming close. Televised workouts, a signing day focusing on the hottest conference in all the land, four spring games televised, and a weekly show in ESPNU? Yeah.. it's a start. Keep the coverage coming.

-Turns out Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel knew and Buckeye officials knew about five of their players receiving benefits in exchange for autographed memorabilia eight months before the NCAA announced the suspension of the players from the first five games of next season.

-Ryan Mallet's response to not running the 40 yard dash at Arkansas's pro day earlier today, "I'm not Michael Vick. Everyone knows that." Sounds like the interview skills are improving.

Sorry for no basketball talk in the middle of March. I'll work on that.

Today's Happenings

I wish there was time during the day on a normal basis to write about what is going on in the sports world. Or in a dream world, I would have a talk radio show on which I could express my opinions. Maybe one day...

 The Cam Newton saga continues as he had a workout for invited members of the media. The one thing I don't like about preparation for the NFL Draft is when armatures hold pro days for scouts. Not much can be learned when there is no defense and the player throws scripted routes. Yesterday, there weren't even pro scouts there. It was strictly media members to get the Cam Newton buzz back up.

In other Newton news Auburn said the athletic department has spent $170,000 in attorney fees this season in the Cam Newton case. 170,000+ 180,000= 2010 National Championship. Not a bad investment.

CBS announced with the help of TBS they will cover every March Madness game this year. Great idea, but I feel like the cutaways while watching one game to buzzer beater after buzzer beater. I think this takes away a little of the magic. Plus, I unlike my father, am not a seasoned veteran at changing channels effectively.

Jerry Sloan resigned from the head coaching job of the Utah Jazz, a title he has heald for more than 23 years. During his tenure he never won a championship, but also sufffered only one losing season. He would have a ring if his best teams hadn't had to go against Michael Jordan in his prime.

The Cleveland Caveliers now have a good argument in the case for the worse team in professional sports history after losing their 26th straight game. They now have the most consecutive losses of any team from the four major professsional sports.

Great article by SI.com's Andy Staples rating recruiting classes they should be.... looking back at how they fared in their time at college.

I know the "sports blogs" may not be the most interesting to my family who wants to know what is going on, but maybe you learned a little something. I know my Mom is learning a lot about sports and that is enough reason to keep on writing.

Championship Weekend

They say there is no playoff system, but what is this championship weekend come down to? Two teams must win to get their shot at a national championship. Experts can complain about the bowl system but the system we have now sure does make for an exciting last weekend of football.

Auburn vs. South Carolina- Did you see the special on ESPN about the SEC championship titled Atlanta? It hit the importance of this game right on the head. Yes, for the Tigers it most likely means a chance at the national championship and a Sugar Bowl bid for the Gamecocks, but it also means they are the best team in the South, a very important title in these parts. South Carolina must stop Cam Newton but no one has figured it out yet. It ain’t happening this week either. Sure South Carolina might play well for a while but the Tigers are playing for something bigger and Newton officially locks up the Heisman.

Oregon vs. Oregon State- Another “playoff game” atmosphere in Corvallis, Oregon, as the Ducks go down the road 40 miles and try to win the Pac-10. Oregon State has been the home to many upsets recently and would like nothing more than to ruin their rival’s run to the championship. Here is there chance. They are going to slow the game down to have a chance but their D isn’t good enough to do it. Ducks win and have roses in their mouths at the end of the night.

Florida State vs. Virginia Tech- Maybe this ACC Championship will have more than 10,000 people in Charlotte at the stadium. As good as the SEC Championship game is shows how the ACC just doesn’t have it quite right. If there are people there watching or not Virginia Tech is winning the game, sorry Boise. The Hokies are hot, winning their last 10 games. It really is about when you win in college football. Florida State has made huge strides this year and is headed to the right direction, but the Hokies are experienced.

Oklahoma vs. Nebraska- In the best game that no one is talking about, Nebraska is playing their last game in the Big 12. If you going to leave, this is the way to go. Too bad they don’t win in their last Big 12 match up. Nebraska’s games have been close recently and just have not been the same team since QB Taylor Martinez hurt his ankle. His motor is what makes this offense go. Oklahoma, on the other hand, has had to play its way into this game and is motivated to win and they will.

Other Picks (in bold):

Connecticut at South Florida- UConn is going to the Orange Bowl without a single vote in the Coach’s Poll.

Utah State at Boise State- I bet Boise K Kyle Brotzman doesn’t miss a kick. Too bad it’s one week too late

Southern Methodist at UCF- My high school QB and favorite UCF player WR Brian Watters gets a ring and a trip to the Liberty Bowl.

Washington at Washington State

USC at UCLA

Rutgers at West Virginia

Nevada at Louisiana Tech

College Football Week 11

I would like to start of and thank those that have and are serving our country, especially to those in my family. To me my grandfathers, Gramps and Granddaddy, thank you for what you did,  the lessons you have taught me, stories you have told me, and your service to our country. To all of you reading, if you are reading on Veteran's Day or not, tell someone thank you for putting their life on the line so that you can live the life you do today.

Last week was a down week in the SEC for "big" games but a good week for me in picking winners. Without further delay here is how it is going to pan out this weekend...

South Carolina vs. Florida- The game in Gainesville, Florida is the SEC Eastern Division Championship. The Head Ball Coach returns again to the place where he won his Heisman, National and SEC Championships and you know the fans will be ready for his return with so much at stake. Who better to beat for Steve Spurrier to beat than the Gators to try an clinch the Gamecocks first ever visit to Atlanta? I just don't see it happening. Unless Stephen Garcia, Alshon Jeffery, and Marcus Lattimore can play flawlessly like the Alabama game I think Florida and the home crowd will be too much. South Carolina has never won in The Swamp and the trend will continue for at least two more years.

Georgia vs. Auburn- Like the game above this game could decide the other half of the SEC Championship game. With a win Auburn will make it to Atlanta amidst all the Cam Newton "allegations." The Dawgs have the offense to beat a poor defending Tigers, pass defense is only better than Vanderbilt in the SEC. The question is whether or not they will be able to keep up with Cam Newton. No defense has been able to this year and I don't see that trend changing this weekend. There will not be quite as many points in this one as Auburn's barn burner with Arkansas but get ready for an offensive show.
                    
  - I am expecting a field report from Auburn. My sister will be on site decked out in her finest red and black.

Mississippi State vs. Alabama- State makes their second trip in two weeks down I-20 as they head to  Tuscaloosa. Last week the team attended the funeral of teammate Nick Bell, who died at the age of twenty after a brief bout with cancer, in Birmingham. Both teams will play with heavy hearts. There are several Crimson Tide football players who played high school ball with Bell. State has won their last six games, but Saban lost his last game at LSU. Which is more likely? The Bulldogs win number seven in a row, on the road, at night in Tuscaloosa, as Saban comes off of a loss? Or.. The Tide rolls, at home, at night, after a loss? I will always take the latter.

Utah vs. Notre Dame- Nothing is really appealing about this game so you may ask, Graham, why are you writing about it? It is giving me the chance to talk about Notre Dame football. This is the lowest the storied program has ever been. A recruit at the beginning of the season died. A student helping with practice has died. Next years recruiting class is losing commitments left and right. The Irish have list to Navy 3 out of the last four years. They lost to Tulsa. Bowl eligibility is questionable. What is going on? When it rains it pours and the Irish are going through a hurricane. Brian Kelley's offense can work but in the meantime the Irish need something good to happen, like the upset of No. 14 Utah. No, probably not. The rain just keeps coming with another beat down this weekend.

Penn State vs. Ohio State- Penn State has looked good as of late but the Nittany Lions have also been facing some overall weak defenses. Ohio State has quietly been climbing back up the rankings and with a strong conference and pretty strong out of conference schedule is not completely out a BCS bowl. Terelle Pryor show off some of his dual threat skills and the Buckeyes win easily at home against Penn State.

Other Winners (in bold):

Kansas State vs. Missouri
Oklahoma State vs. Texas
Virginia Tech at North Carolina
Ole Miss at Tennessee
Kentucky at Vanderbilt
Kansas State at Missouri
UTEP at Arkansas
Texas A&M at Baylor
Oregon at California
Stanford at Arizona State
Clemson at Florida State

How See the College Football Weekend

Back again and trying to improve on last week's terrible start. Oh well that is why they play the game, for me to talk about it. Sarcasm. Either way I like to think so. Studying for my Anatomy Lab exam might be what I should be concentrating my efforts towards. No worries parents and grandparents, I studied earlier today so I would have time for to write to my faithful followers.

LSU vs. Auburn- Seriously can any one stop Auburn quarterback Cam Newton? If LSU does they win the game easily. Besides Newton please tell me how Auburn would have scored any points this season. Nope, you can't do it. Like I said last week I know have complete respect for him but am not ready to crown the War Eagles (I know Auburn fans. It's so the two teams are not confused.) the SEC West champion, much less the winner of the whole league and I know that the Bayou Bengals will have to say something about it too. All this said, or written, for my more literal readers, I don't see the Mad Hatter being able to rub the rabbit's foot and pull out a win here.

Alabama vs. Tennessee- Remember when the 3rd Saturday of October meant something? It is OK if you don't. It's been a few years. Since Nick Saban has arrived to Tuscaloosa he has handled the Volunteers all three years. Last year's epic game in which Terrance Cody blocked a potential game-winning kick to win the game was just that, epic. I don't see this one being nearly as close as the Crimson Tide continues to get their roll on and handles this road game easily.

Mississippi vs. Arkansas- This game has started to mean something since the head coach of the Rebels is the former Razorback coach. Yet again, Houston Nutt will get a hearty welcome from his former home crowd. By hearty I mean the loathing will come straight from the heart. Petrino, who was berated earlier this week by a former co-worker during his stint with the Atlanta Falcons, the Cincinatti Bengals Defensive Coordinator, will be looking to show his home crowd that he couldn't be happier in Fayetteville. Arkansas' Ryan Mallet is back from his concussion and has a big week against a subpar pass defense from Ole Miss.

Oklahoma vs. Missouri- The matchup in Columbia is the home to College Gameday, which always bring a little extra excitement to the air. Add in two undefeated teams, one of which is the new BCS number one, and you have as big of a weeknd as you can have in Missouri (outside of Branson of course, Grannie). I am not a believer in the Tigers yet but this would boost nationwide credibility. I can't say that I see it happening though. Heisman candidate, DeMarco Murray runs wild and Oklahoma gets a big win to boost their already top BCS score.


Wisconsin vs. Iowa- Here is Wisconsin's or Iowa's chance to make some serious headway in their quest for the Big 10 title. This will be one of the hardest hitting games of the weekend with both clubs having serious size on the line. I was again impressed by John Clay and the Badger running game that I think they can pull out a tough road game against the most consistent team in America. Wisconsin goes on the road for a mini-upset and separates themselves as the team to beat in the Big 10.

Other Winners (in bold)

North Carolina vs. Miami
South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt
Georgia vs. Kentucky
Notre Dame vs. Navy
Georgia Tech vs. Clemson
Michigan State vs. Northwestern
Syracuse vs. West Virginia
UAB vs. Mississippi State
Whoever Boise State plays vs. Boise State


I have mostly visitors winning which makes me a little nervous but I am ready for Saturday. Who's with me?

Breaking Down the Weekend

1. It is clear that I am not a professional. I know my grandmother said she wrote my picks down and was going to see how I did. I would not be offended if you lost that piece of paper. I mean really Graham. Could you have been more wrong? Yes I could have I nailed the Kentucky upset and the Alabama win. Steve Spurrier… Was imitating Les Miles and risking the game worth losing the game? Other than that it was a rough first week. I clearly need more practice. Kudos to those teams that I did not pick, especially a Mississippi State team that will have something to say about who wins the SEC West.

2. Watching the games this weekend was not as much fun as last week. Missed the family surrounding me as we cheered on one of the most boring Arkansas wins. Which leads me to my next point. Can Arkansas win an important game on the road. This Cam Newton character is legit. He does what he wants when he wants. I was very impressed and am now a believer in his abilities. Does Arkansas win the game if Mallet stays in? Not sure. Tyler Wilson looked as good as most any quarterback in the country in a back-up role, except his counterpart on the other team.

3. It is clear that Gary Daneilson and Vern Lundquist are still not over Tim Tebow. Their obsession is sickening and I had to mute them in the fourth quarter to stop hearing the comparisons of Cam Newton to Tebow. The only thing worse during that broadcast was the officiating from SEC officials. It's bad guys. Some of the calls that were made, on both sides of the ball mind you, were just poorly made. Both of the fumble calls against Arkansas and the pass interference call against Auburn were poor excuses for officiating.

4. I am pretty sure I could write another page about what happened in that game (cheap blocking, the Bobby Petrino-Gene Chizik relationship, or the lack of defense), but I digress... We now know that Nebraska is just not quite ready for the big stage and that showed in the shellacking they got from Texas. It was clear that Texas is used to the big game atmosphere and Nebraska simply has not been there enough. Maybe next year in the Big Ten when you can still recruit Texas speed and play the Ohio power.

5. Speaking of the Big Ten, there was a classic in Madison, Wisconsin. That looks like a fun place to watch a game and outside of the SEC and the classics (Michigan, Notre Dame, Rose Bowl, etc.) I am adding it to my "Stadiums To Go To" list that Pops and I will conquer when he doesn't have to work on Sundays and I am old and rich. Sounds like a dream...

6. Does anyone want to win the ACC? You still get a BCS payout to win the conference and your best team probably wouldn’t go .500 in the SEC West, where 5 of 6 teams are ranked in the AP top 25. Maybe the ACC and the Big East can get an all-star team together and play State.

7. It was worth being tired in church this morning to watch the overtime game between Washington and Oregon State. Gutsy, but understandable, call to go for two and the win.

8. Every game I watched there was mention made of the beautiful weather. Come to think of it every where in the country had perfect football weather.

Some picks for Saturday

Fall may be my favorite time of the year. It's a relief to be able to walk outside and not start sweating immediately. It's always fun to celebrate another year of life, but even better than these things is college football. Week to week, trying to predict what will happen and then watching the drama unfold is easily one of my favorite things. I thought about doing all of the SEC games but then I would have limited my blog. So I will dabble in all leagues. Where I am from and how I have been raised will influence which teams I write about. I know I will tend to talk more about the SEC. Here is how I see some of the games this weekend unfolding.

Arkansas vs. Auburn- One of the biggest games of the year in our household. The old man always says Arkasnas can lose every game but the Auburn one and he will be happy. It is the SEC game of the week for a reason. The game is almost as big as the pair of 6'6 quarterbacks matiching up. Ryan Mallet and Cam Newton could be deciding the SEC Offensive MVP this weekend on the plains. I don't see Auburn's secondary stopping Mallet. Arkansas has proved that they have a much improved defense from last year. Arkansas MUST be able to run the ball, block Auburn DT Nick Fairley to give Mallet time, and score some points in the 4th in order to win. To take a line from my Dad, I see the Hogs rumbling down from the Ozarks and spoiling the home teams party.

Alabama vs. Mississippi- This one could get very, very ugly. Julio Jones will not have to worry too much about his hand because Saban may not even pass the ball after what happened last week, running for less than 50 yards in the 2nd half. (And they tried to compare that RB tandem to McFadden and Jones... please) He is looking to take out his anger on somebody and poor somebody is Ole Miss. I don't see him taking out the starters until Alabama is up by 50. The black bear will not be roaring this week.

Florida vs. Mississippi State- Yet another Mississippi school at the wrong spot in the schedule. Florida misses Dan Mullen and his offensive creativity. State, on the other hand, is loving their new commander and chief. But he still does not have the players he had as the UF offensive coordinator. No way Urban Meyer loses three in a row and may show off some of his speed to Mullen. Look what you used to have. State might can hold it close but the Gators stop the bleeding and win one.

South Carolina vs. Kentucky- Upset special… Randal Cobb is one of the most fun players to watch in college ball and gets a chance to show off his skills again. After the emotional victory last week there is no way planning for Kentucky was the main focus. USC matched up great against Alabama because they stop everything that happens in the middle but Kentucky tries to spread everything wide. Cobb goes wild and comes away with the win.

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin- We’ll see how OSU handles being back in the number one spot. They will take care of a “What in the world happened to Wisconsin Badger” team. So much promise at the beginning of the year but a frustrating loss to a much improved Michigan State team has those in Madison wondering how the season will unfold. OSU knows they control whether or not they play for the ‘ship and will play like with fire. Defense is too good to let Wisconsin RB John Clay, a player scouts are drooling over (or at least I would be if I was one), do too much damage.

Furman vs. Samford- Rivalry game in the Magic City this week. The Bulldogs looked good in a game versus Western Carolina last week and look continue the momentum. Playoffs for the Dogs? As a proud alumnus I certainly hope so. Look for Chris Evans to continue to add to what is already the most rushing yards in school history in a little bit of an upset against the No. 26 team in FCS. Samford Bulldogs improve to .500 in the conference.

Other Winners (in bold)-

Boston College vs. Florida State

Georgia vs. Vanderbilt

Illinois vs. Michigan State

Southern Cal vs. California

Maryland vs. Clemson

Iowa vs. Michigan

Texas vs. Nebraska

Miami (FL) vs. Duke
Who ever Boise State plays vs. Boise State