Sharks Circling at USC?

Another article from Yahoo! Sports who are apparantly the only media outlet treating this as a big story. Considering that this could possibly lead to USC being stripped of their National Title in 2004, and very serious sanctions against the Trojans from the NCAA, I thought that this merited a quick mention.

The Dawning of a New Era

It's official folks, Tony Romo will be a long-term Cowboy. He signed a 6-year, $67 million dollar contract. As a huge Cowboys' fan I could not be more ecstatic about this news. I've been on the Romo bandwagon since the first time I saw him play in the preseason. The Cowboys seemed to always want to give the job to someone else as Dallas' fans were subjected to the Quincy Carter (talented, but a crackhead), Vinny Testeverde (mediocre and old), Drew Henson (very talented, but couldn't put it together), and Drew Bledsoe (post-prime) eras. There are many people who are still not convinced that Mr. Romo can lead this team to a super bowl victory. However, I have no doubts. It probably won't happen this year due to the ridiculousness of the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, but the Cowboys are definitely the favorite to get to the big game from the National League-like NFC. I would be very happy with just getting to the Super Bowl after watching how good the Patriots are this year. Many people, including at least one contributor on this blog, will tell me to tempor my enthusiasm because of Romo's six turnover game at Buffalo on a Monday night. However, even the great quarterbacks have off-nights. Tom Brady, who has 30 TD's and 2 INT's this year, has had at least one game of four interceptions in each of his first six years. Peyton Manning has thrown 3 int's or more 10 times in his career during the regular season. Hall of Famer Troy Aikman registered 3 or more int's 5 times over his last five years at the helm of the Cowboys. Lastly, let's talk about the immortal Brett Favre. For those who aren't aware, Favre is one of Thor's Hammer's favorite quarterbacks. Favre has thrown at least 3 int's in a regular season game 33 times in his career in Green Bay. My point is this. Even the best QB's have bad games. People shouldn't judge Romo based on one game they saw him play on a Monday night in October 2007. He has played very well ever since taking over for Drew Bledsoe last year. He may have tailed off near the end of the 2006 season, but he was still playing well enough to win. People forget that prior to his botched snap in the playoff game, he had led the Cowboy's down the field during the waning minutes without the benefit of a timeout and put them in position to win the game. All of the quarterbacks I've mentioned have something special. Although they may occasionally have played a bad game, you always got the impression that they could lead their team to victory even on the toughest of days. That's what I see in Mr. Romo, and I just wanted to congratulate Jerry Jones on locking up his franchise quarterback through 2013. I see good times ahead for the Cowboys.

Kickin Ass...World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party style

As some of you might know, I made the trek to the annual clash of Georgia and Florida this year for the first time in 4 years. Having arrived, via airplane, on Thursday morning, the weekend started early. First stop: The Anheiser-Busch brewery tour. Let me tell you, there isn't a better way to start a vacation than drinking a beer at 10 a.m. Hey, it's 5 o'clock somewhere, right? For anybody visiting J-Ville, I would recommend a visit. It is pretty cool to see all of the steps that go into making the world's greatest beer(no, that is not an opinion, for anybody wondering). The afternoon of Thursday was spent lying around the apartment, where we were staying, and playing Guitar Hero...Fantastic game for anybody that hasn't played. Thursday night is when the party started. The place: The Orange Park Dog Track. If you haven't been to a dog track before, I can only say this: You need to go. This was the second time that yours truly has visited said dog track and, unlike last time, I was determined to leave in the black. Well, obviously, I needed to work on my determination because, once again, I left in the red. But that was not the overall goal. Camaraderie among friends, was. Who am I kidding? All in all the Dog Track was a success, as long as you leave out the 2 plus hours that we had to wait to get a cab. The cab turned out to be a 2000 Honda Accord driven by one of our friends that came to pick us up because the cab companies never sent a cab. Try to imagine 9 drunk people crammed into a Honda Accord. Not pretty. I awoke Friday afternoon (yes, I said afternoon) to the wonderful watery taste in my mouth that signifies a trip to the bathroom. Needless to say, the Dog Park hot dog that I consumed the night before did not sit well on my stomach. Go figure. Well, a couple of powerades and an order of Hardee's chicken fingers later and I was ready to get back on the horse. By the way, not only did I not know that Hardee's still existed but I also didn't know that they had kick ass chicken strips. GreatOdin'sRaven highly recommends trying them. Anyways, Friday night we went to the local pool hall, where libations and pool games could be found aplenty. We arrived at the bar and I strolled over to the bartender and promptly ordered a frosty libation for myself and one for my fiancee. I gave the bartender my card and asked her to open a tab. Man, if only foresight was 20/20. More about that later. After a few rusty games of pool, Aquinas (that is my partner's nickname) and myself went on to dominate the tables. Meanwhile, my fiancee and the ladies where having a good time on yours truly's tab. When all was said and done, I had two beers on the tab and was greeted with a $65 bill. Thank you sweetheart! Anyways, after a short cab ride we all settled down for the night, dreaming of a Georgia victory for once in our lives. (Author's note: UGA has won multiple times against Florida in our lives but you get the point.) If there ever was a clusterfuck, then Saturday morning/early afternoon was it. The entire crew was up and at 'em around 7:30, however, we did not get to the tailgate, for many reasons, until noon. The late arrival caused a sour mood among the crew and, understandably, the tailgate got off to a slow start. However, it would soon be in full swing. After a few beers, everybody settled in and went about their tailgating as usual. Baggo was the popular game of choice (Baggo is a game where you attempt to throw beanbags into a hole from about 20 feet away.) and unfortunately, I didn't play so well. The "greatest hit," if you will, of the Tailgate was definitely the Soulja Boy-off. What, you ask, is a soulja boy-off? Well, allow me to explain. Just about every player in the NFL, when they score a touchdown, does a little move that resembles flying. This move comes from Soulja Boy. It is basically a dance that goes along with a, textbook, one hit wonder song. ANYWAYS, said dance was on center stage in Jacksonville and the outcome was a little foreshadowing of things to come. Team UGA(there was actually only one member) dominated team UF. I will credit the fact that Soulja Boy is ATL based. Not that that really has anything to do with it. The end of the Soulja Boy-off signaled the beginning of the walk towards our impending doom, or was it our impending doom? After the usual pre-stadium entry procedures (ie. hiding alcohol)were dealt with, we entered lovely Alltel Stadium and sat down right as the ball was being kicked. Well, the next 3+ hours was a fantastic time for Dawg fans. I will admit, I was not a fan of the team wide celebration after the first touchdown but it definitely fired the team up. The Dawgs played furious defense and ran the ball down Florida's guts the entire game. Here is a taste of what I am talking about: Matthew Stafford 11-18 for 217 yards with 3 TD's and 1 INT. Knowshon Moreno 33 carries for 188 yards and 3 TD's. 6 TOUCHDOWNS!!! Well, after those stats and multiple coke(Coca Cola) and assorted alcohols later, UGA was sealing the deal with a 42-30 win over the Gators. Needless to say, I walked back to the car in complete and utter shock. We followed up the win with a trip to Don Pablo's(not a huge fan) where I scarfed down a decent chimichanga and a fabulous Dos Equis. What a day. It was the first time that I had seen UGA beat the Gators in J-ville. Good times had by all. 7 a.m. came awfully early the next morning but I didn't care. The Dawgs got it done.

Shitcanned Coaches List?

The following list is just our opinion and is not in anyway based on anything other than our gut. Some of the coaches may seem out of place on the following list but, hey, we are trying to spark a discussion. Here it is, your shit canned coaches list.

Arizona: Mike Stoops should be fired at the end of the year marking the conclusion of one of the bigger disappointments in the last few years. Mike is clearly not like his brother and may soon be on his staff. I think Bronco Mendenhall of BYU would be a great choice as a head coach. He is a defensive guy which may give 'Zona officials a cause for concern as Mike Stoops was supposed to be a defensive wiz as well.

Arkansas: Houston Nutt is as good as gone once the season ends. If it were up to me I would look at Charlie Strong, the DC at South Carolina. He has southern roots and could recruit well for the Razorbacks. I think Strong would be an excellent head coach.

Auburn: Any sane person would think Tubbs leaving Auburn would be ridiculous. The problem is that a certain portion of boosters simply don't like him and who is to say that Tubbs would not look elsewhere (foreshadowing)? Look for current Tiger DC Will Muschamp to get a look as well as Bo Pelini but I would go after Jim Leavitt of South Florida. I think he would win big at Auburn.

LSU: From all accounts Les Miles will leave for Michigan should he get offered the gig. From all accounts Michigan is interested in Miles. Should things come to fruition we like Bo Pelini and Will Muschamp to get looks. Pelini would keep the most continuity but Muschamp (LSU DC for 4 years under Saban) might have the higher ceiling.

Michigan: Again, it has been reported the Lloyd Carr is thinking about retiring and if he does look for Miles to get the call. I don't think that Miles is the best hire but he is a Michigan guy and you cannot argue with his record at LSU.

Nebraska: Bill Callahan has failed at everything while at Nebraska except for the fact that he has brought talent into Lincoln, he just doesn't know what to do with it. If I were choosing the coach I would take Will Muschamp in a heartbeat. He could recruit players from the South to NEB and he would bring passion back to the Huskers. However, I do not know if he would leave the South when he as a decent shot at a number of other HC jobs. Look for Bo Pelini to be the talk of the town and he is most likely the favorite but Muschamp would be a better hire.

Ole Miss: Ed Orgeron has recruited well since he has been at Ole Miss. The problem is that he, much like Bill Callahan, cannot seem to do anything with it. Ole Miss should have never fired David Cutcliffe and they are regretting it every day. Ole Miss should look at Charlie Strong as well as Florida OC Dan Mullen. I like Mullen here because he could bring some offense to an Ole Miss team that has not played well since Eli Manning was there.

Texas A&M: As I hinted earlier, I think once Francione gets canned at A&M look for Tommy Tubberville and Bo Pelini to be the front runners. Texas A&M has a freaking huge endowment and can pay almost anything (yes, even Bama money) to the new coach. Since money is not an option if I were at A&M I would break the bank and pay Greg Schiano of Rutgers $3.5 M. If you can win at Rutgers you can win anywhere and Texas A&M is a sleeping giant and all they need is a great coach.

UCLA: Karl Dorrell has done absolutely nothing with a ton of talent. UCLA, like Texas A&M, is a sleeping giant and if they could get a coach who could compete with USC for recruits they would win a lot of games. Dorrell consistently loses to bad teams and cannot seem to get his team up for every game. If I were the Bruins I would look at Norm Chow and gauge his interest. He is a great offensive mind and he has a great reputation around the country, specifically in California.

Top 25

In honor of the week 9 Top 25 we here at the Gods of the Gridiron thought you might like a bonus top 25. Enjoy

1. Ohio State

2. LSU

3. Oregon

4. Boston College

5. Arizona State

6. Oklahoma

7. West Virginia

8. Kansas

9. Missouri

10. Georgia

11. Virginia Tech

12. Michigan

13. Hawai'i

14. USC

15. Texas

16. Uconn

17. Auburn

18. Alabama

19. Florida

20. South Florida

21. Wake Forrest

22. Clemson

23. Tennessee

24. Boise State

25. Wisconsin

GreatOdin'sRaven evens the score!

Well, it took some time but yours truly has climbed into a tie for the weekly pick' em lead. Apollo's Creed officially shit the bed and Thor's Hammer opened the door just enough for me to walk right through. On a side note, UGA, FINALLY, put a 4 quarter effort together and showed something that has been lacking all year: Emotion. Well done!!! I tipped my whiskey and coke to you mulitple times on Saturday.


GreatOdin'sRaven: 5-3 (36-28...56.25%)


Thor's Hammer: 3-5 (36-28...56.25%)


Apollo's Creed: 1-7 (24-24....50%) missed 2 weeks


Look for this weeks picks coming soon...

It's All Worth It

I just experienced maybe the worst week picking games that anybody has ever experienced. I went a ridiculous 1-7 picking this weeks' slate of games. However, Georgia BEAT Florida and God's QB Tim Tebow 42-30. This simple fact has led to my face being plastered with a constant smile ever since the game ended. Georgia finally played with the emotion that has been missing too many times this year. The Dawgs had redshirt freshman RB Knowshon Moreno rush for 188 yards and 3 TD's running for most of the day to the left behind true freshman offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant and redshirt freshman offensive guard Chris Davis. Heralded Sophomore QB Matt Stafford finished with over 220 yards and 3 scores, and overshadowed the immortal Tim Tebow in this contest. If Stafford can start to show more consistency from week to week, the whole country will become aware of his immense physical skills.

I Suck at This

I made a decision last week that I wasn't going to bet on college football anymore this year. I've never lost money over a college football season, but this looks to be the first year that will happen. When you're not even getting 60% of your straight-up picks right, there's no way you are going to do well against the spread. I guess I'm the master of the obvious tonight. One last thought before I get on to the picks. The administration of the current Governor of Kentucky is facing 85 criminal counts and 23 felony counts. Yes, he is a Republican. Not only that, but he is running for re-election and is definately in the race. What is wrong with our country when this is the best we can do.

Virginia Tech 24 Boston College 21

It's about time that the magical carpet ride of the Screaming Eagles' comes to an end. Matt Ryan is a very good quarterback, but is Boston College really the second best team in the country. I think the answer to that question is clearly no. As Thor's Hammer so eloquently put, Virginia Tech is back to playing to their strengths. That means solid defense and excellent special teams. With this game being played in Blacksburg, Boston College will become just another #2 team in the polls to lose.

Florida 34 Georgia 17

I pray to God that I am wrong about this game. As many of you are aware, I am an unabashed Georgia homer, and a Florida hater. After watching both of these teams play throughout the first half of the season, I really don't see any way the Dawgs can win this game unless Florida comes out flat for some reason. With that being said, Georgia finally has the bye before this game that Florida has enjoyed more often than not over the past 15 years. Maybe the bye will make a difference for Georgia as they have had a week to rest, and Florida QB Tim Tebow is banged up after a grueling schedule over the past few weeks. As much as it pains me to say it, Tim Tebow is an awesome athlete. Hopefully, Georgia will be able to pull off the upset due to Matt Stafford playing one of his better games, and the defense stepping up to slow down Tebow.

Penn State 24 Ohio State 21

In this season of upheaval, it only seems fitting that Ohio State will lose a game paving the way for Michigan (losers to App. St.) to take over sole possesion of first place in the Big 11. Ohio State has looked very good in every game this year, but then again they haven't played anybody. As much as I would like to think that Purdue was a legitimate opponent, the fact is they weren't. This will be Ohio State's toughest game to date, and QB Boecker's biggest test. As long as Anthony Morelli doesn't screw it up, I think that Penn State pulls the upset at home.

Oregon 35 USC 24

USC certainly hasn't looked like a dominant team this year no matter who is playing quarterback. The Notre Dame game obviously doesn't count because Notre Dame flat out sucks. Mark "Dirty" Sanchez will wilt under the pressure of Autzen Stadium, and USC will continue their season of uncertainty. P.S. I hate the Pac 10!!!

South Florida 44 UCONN 10

UCONN is coming off a big win over Louisville at home last week. That being said, Louisville is not the same team as South Florida. The main difference is that South Florida has a defense. South Florida will dominate this game, and the defense will chip in with multiple turnovers.

Texas A&M 24 Kansas 23

I refuse to believe that Kansas is really that good. Let's take a look at who Kansas has played thus far this year to reach 7-0. They've played home games against Central Michigan, SE Louisiana, Toledo, FIU, and Baylor and road games against Kansas State and Colorado. They did win at Kansas State, but I don't think anyone should get too excited about Kansas just yet. Texas A&M has been up and down this year, and with this game being at Kyle field will have enough to get by the upstart Kansas Jayhawk based on the strength of their running game.

Rutgers 38 West Virginia 35

This game will be a throwback to old-time smashmouth football. Both teams will try to run the ball down the throat of their opponent, and will do so with two of the best running backs in college football. Ray Rice and Steve Slaten (don't forget Noel Devine) will put on a display of epic proportions in this game. In the end, Rutgers will pull off the victory and climb back up the rankings in this wacky season of college football.

California 34 Arizona St. 30

California will be the first legitimate team Arizona State has played all season. Cal will also be the first team to beat Arizona State this season. Coming off a loss last week to UCLA, Cal should be angry and will take out their frustrations on Dennis Erickson (the second dirtiest coach in college football next to Nick "The Devil" Sabin.

At Least It's Not the Yankees

I know we're not supposed to post things from other sports, but can you imagine the Super Bowl Champions or national champions in college football pouring beer on their trophy.

Lead Pipe Locks by Thor's Hammer

This is shaping up to be one hell of a weekend in college ball beginning with the only ACC game that you should watch all season long. With 6 games between BCS top 25 teams after this week we should know a lot about how the season will play out. Ohio State, Boston College and Arizona State all face their first true tests...in freaking week 9. Welcome to the season guys. Without further ado, here are your week 9 locks. And yes, the above picture makes Tim Tebow the coolest religious nut we can think of.

Virginia Tech 24 - Boston College 21

Virginia Tech has gotten back to what they do best: play hard defense and great special teams. Even though their offense is still a little weak playing at home, at night and on a Thursday should propel them ahead of a solid BC squad. BC QB Matt Ryan has played many great teams while at Chestnut Hill but he has not had the pleasure of facing VT on the road at night. Look for Ryan to stage a late comeback only to fall short of the upset. For the umpteenth time this season, #2 will go down.

Florida 31 - UGA 20

Florida owns UGA more than any other team and this season will not be any different. The Gators have the Heisman front runner in QB Tim Tebow and have one of the nastiest offenses in the country. UGA has a QB who continues to make mistakes and they have marginal WR's. Look for this game to be close at the half until the Fightin' Tebows pull away in the 3rd quarter. Tebow goes for another 3-4 TD's cementing his place among the nations elite players.

Ohio State 21 - Penn State 13

I do not think Ohio State is the best team in the country. I do, however, feel that they have played well enough to warrant their #1 rating. The game at Penn State really isn't as big of a game as Big 11 fans would have you believe but because it is being played at night the Lions should have a decent shot at the upset. I see a late Anthony Morelli pick 6 sealing the win for the Buckeyes. On a side note, look for Big 11 homer Brent Musberger's head to explode while he lauds the Buckeyes and Jim Tressel.

USC 31 - Oregon 27

I think USC's defense will be too much for Oregon to handle and the Ducks defense leaves a lot to be desired. USC is finally healthy again and has the most talent in the Pac 10 and it is only a matter of time until they begin to show it on the field. Oregon is playing with too many injuries, particularly at the WR spot, to be able to handle the Trojan D. If the Duck WR's were healthy they would have a much better chance at exposing the one weakness of the Trojan D. Alas, they are not healthy thus the Trojans should take this game on the road.

South Florida 27 - Uconn 17

Uconn robbed Louisville of a win last week at home but should have a much tougher time putting points on the board against a stout Bull defense. While USF slipped up last week against a solid Rutgers team, look for them to rebound by beating a quality opponent in Uconn. Matt Grothe should go for 3-4 TD's and the USF D should shut down Uconn's average offense.

Kansas 31 - Texas A&M 24

Kansas has one of the best offenses in the country and can really throw the ball well. Texas A&M has one of the worst passing defenses in the country...uh oh. Look for Kansas to spread out TAMU and throw the ball all over the field. The only hope TAMU has is for the ground game to chew up large amounts of clock keeping the KU offense on the sideline. If KU can pull this game out, their toughest game to date, it will set up a thriller when KU and MU meet for the Big 12 North crown at the end of the year.

West Virginia 27 - Rutgers 20

This game should be a interesting one. A finesse offense against a smash mouth defense and a smash mouth running game against a soft defense. If you like your offense to stay on the ground this game should be right up your alley. Look for Pat White and Steve Slaton to put up some gaudy stats and pull out a victory against a game Rutgers squad. Even though I have Rutgers going down, look for Ray Rice to run all over the Mountaineer defense.

California 31 - Arizona State 26

Arizona State has not played a team worth a damn all season long and we are at week 9. Cal has had back-to-back losses and are facing a must win situation if they want to keep any hopes of winning the Pac 10. Look for Longshore and Jackson to connect several times against a suspect Arizona State defense. I like what Dennis Erickson has done thus far but they have not played, let alone beaten, anyone of substance this season.

Week 9 picks...Excelling in mediocrity.

Just a little shot of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Oh, I forgot. I am not allowed to call it that anymore because that name is the only thing that makes students drink in Jacksonville. What a great use of time and resources presidents Adams and Foley. For the first time in 4 years, yours truly will be making the trek to J-Ville in order to watch Georgia get the shit kicked out of them, AGAIN!!! Now, one might say that I am being pessimistic. Well, welcome to the life of a Georgia fan who is getting ready for the Florida game. Anyways, this will be the first time that I have entered Alltel Stadium since the famous Terrence Edwards dropped pass in the 1 loss 2003 season. Yep, with that one pass went our guaranteed trip to the National Championship Game. Needless to say, I have some horrible memories in that town. While I am pounding the brewsky and catching some rays, there will be many great games on tap. Many teams are in the middle of a stretch run that will decide the fate of their "post season." Not to mention, we get to see if Ohio State can actually go more than one week at the number one slot. Oh yeah, don't forget about the little meeting in Eugene. Well, let's see if I can do a little better this weekend.

Ohio State 17 - Penn State 20


This will be Ohio State's first real test. Sorry, Washington, you do not count. Happy Valley at night with the "White Out" can be an intimidating place. The problem with both of these teams is offense, since none of them have one. However, I will take Morelli over Boeckman which gives Penn State a little advantage in the QB department. On the flip side, I will take Beanie Wells over Rodney Kinlaw in the running game. However, I really don't think the offenses will be the deciding factor in this game. This game should be a defensive struggle. Look for a late game turnover to set up Penn State for a dethroning field goal. Nittany in the upset.

Boston College 24 - Virginia Tech 17

I am torn on this game. I don't know if Boston College is for real or if they just haven't played anybody yet. I would say that the ass whipping they put on Georgia Tech was a good indicator but Tech has, since, shit the bed. I know that the game is in Blacksburg, which is a bitch of a place to play, but Virginia Tech isn't bringing any better of a defense then Tenuda and Georgia Tech. With that being said, Matt Ryan and Boston College...I can't believe I am about to say this...move one step closer to the BCS championship game.

Arizona State 27 - California 24

Both of these teams bring potent offenses to the table, however, only one of them brings a potent defense to the table. I realize that Arizona State hasn't really played an offensive powerhouse, but they have put up some pretty decent stats. Dennis Erickson has brought new life into a program that was in the seventh circle of Hell under Dirk Koetter. Cal, on the other hand has been slightly derailed in the last two weeks with loses to Oregon State and UCLA. Look for Erickson to attack Cal's pathetic defense early and try to get Cal on the ropes quick. Cal's offense is just too good to shut out but I think ASU's defense will shut them down enough to ensure a victory.

Oregon 31 - USC 24

I am going against conventional wisdom here. Pete Carroll doesn't usually lose to good teams, he slaughters them (Vince Young being the exception). His weaknesses are the Stanfords and Oregon States. The problem with this game is that Oregon brings, quite possibly, the best offense in football to the table. Not to mention that the game is in crazy ass Autzen Stadium. Southern Cal's defense looked disgusting last week but let's try and remember who they played (Notre Dame). Oregon is also about 6 inches away from being undefeated. I don't know why am going with this pick, but I just have a feeling that Oregon gets it done. Most likely I will be proven horribly wrong, yet again, but oh well.

West Virginia 31 - Rutgers 21

West Virginia's offense is hard to gameplan for and even harder to stop. However, their defense is so shitty, that you can pretty much guarantee Ray Rice will run all over the field. It just depends on how fresh Rice is after being hit like a speed bag last week against South Florida. It is imperative for Rutgers that the running game works. However, I just don't think Rutgers will be able to hang with Slayton, White and Co for 60 minutes. Piscataway will not see two top 10 teams fall in consecutive weekends.

Kansas 28 - Texas A&M 17

The fighting Mangino's have a stout offense. Their defense is somewhat lacking but it is not like A&M has a spectacular offense. Tack on the fact that A&M has, arguably, the dumbest coach in football and the outcome of this one should be fairly evident. Look for A&M to use a heavy dose of Javorskie Lane (read: Nebraska game) and attempt to keep KU's offense off of the field. A&M must keep this to a low scoring game. If this turns into a track meet, then A&M will lose. KU's run to a Big 12 north title and a shot at Oklahoma continues. Coach Fran, please don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

South Florida 28 - Connecticut 17

Coach Leavitt's team lost a heart breaker to Rutgers last week and you can bet South Florida is highly pissed off. Connecticut hasn't played anybody this year (Sorry Louisville, you guys suck ass. Apparently, Coach Petrino knew something about this years team.) and I just don't think Connecticut will have seen as well rounded an opponent as South Florida. Coach Leavitt's Bulls are the best team in the Big East and look for them to put themselves back at the top of the Big East food chain. Matt Grothe should have a solid game and look for the Bulls defense to keep the Huskies from making this one close.

Florida 28 - Georgia 17

You have no idea how hard it is for me to pick against Georgia. I am a realistic fan, however, and I know that it will take some serious help for the Dawgs to pull the upset against Florida. Florida is still right in the thick of the SEC East race and cannot afford to lose another game in the SEC. The good news for the Bulldogs is that, for the first time in many years, they had a bye week adjacent to the Florida game. Hopefully, Richt and Co have come up with a solid scheme to shut down the Tim Tebow Express. If they haven't, it is going to be a long game for the Dawgs, as well as yours truly. Ultimately, I think Florida is just going to be too much to handle for the Dawgs. Add to it the fact that Georgia never beats Florida and it looks like the losing continues. However, I really hope I am wrong in this prediction.

Parity: What a Bitch

We have heard the p-word mentioned time and time again during college football games this season. This season will go down in history as the first season where the entire landscape of college football was affected due to the scholarship limits being cut from 95 to 85 in 1991.

Since then teams like Rutgers and South Florida have had the opportunity to scoop up players that normally would be playing for Penn State, Florida, Miami and Florida State. Central Florida has emerged as a solid program in a state dominated by the "big boys." What do you think the players that are stars for Rutgers, USF and Boise State would be doing right now had the schollies stayed the same?

Sitting on the bench.

Back in the day a team like Nebraska would have signed the stud players playing on Kansas and Kansas State, Pat White would be a reserve DB on Alabama and Matt Grothe would be a 4th string QB for the Gators. Those ten little scholarships, over the course of 16 years, have enabled teams like Hawaii and Boise State to obtain talented players which would normally have gone to USC or UCLA for years of riding the pine.

Whether we, as fans of established programs, like it or not, parity is here to stay. Teams like USF are sleeping giants that woke up 16 years ago with a little help from the NCAA. The only thing teams like Nebraska and Florida State (struggling old guard powers) can do is adapt and change with the times or they may become forgotten programs like Minnesota.

Pick 'Em Standings

In what can only be described as totally insane this season in college football has been nothing if not crazy. In our never ending goal of defining mediocrity all of us here at the Gods have had, yet again, an average week of picks. Here are your updated standings.

Thor's Hammer 5-3 (33-23...58.9%)
Great Odin's Raven 4-4 (31-25...55.3%)
Apollo's Creed 5-3 (23-17...57.5% missed 2 weeks)

Next week sets up nicely with 6 games between ranked teams (BCS poll) and a number of key conference match ups. Games to be picked will include:

#1 Ohio State - #25 Penn State
#2 Boston College - #8 Virginia Tech
#4 Arizona State - #21 California
#5 Oregon - #12 USC
#7 West Virginia - Rutgers
#9 Kansas - Texas A&M
#10 South Florida - #23 Connecticut
#11 Florida - #18 Georgia

The Luckiest Man in the World

What has Les Miles done to deserve his good fortune this year. Not only was he 5-5 on fourth downs to beat Florida three weeks ago, but he was saved from being a goat last night by a great play from quarterback Matt Flynn and receiver Demetrius Byrd. With his team trailing by a point at 24-23 and the clock winding down LSU was well into kicker Colt David's range. LSU decided to run one more offensive play before attempting the field goal. With single coverage on Byrd on the outside, the Tigers thought that they could possibly score a touchdown to avoid having to kick the field goal. Sure enough, Flynn made a perfect throw to a streaking Byrd who made a supurb catch as the clock ticked down to one second. That's right, there was one second left on the clock after Byrd had hauled in the go-ahead touchdown pass. If that pass had been incomplete, and LSU had somehow allowed the clock to run out without being able to attempt the game-winning field goal Miles would have vilified by the LSU faithful. Instead he was bailed out by his great talent again. During his post-game interview, it seemed as if Miles didn't even know how close he came to a monumental mistake. Miles' luck will turn around at some point, and a coaching mistake will end up beating his Tigers.

Not Living Up to Expectations

It continues to be a stuggle for Apollo's Creed to match his high expectations for himself. After years of success in the hypothetical gambling world, A.C. has felt the wrath that is the parity in college football this year. This goes not only for his picks on this blog, but also in terms of his hypothetical online gambling. He has never lost money over a college football season, but this looks to be the first season in which that will happen. He isn't used to this lack of success, and it comes at a very inopportune time as Apollo's Creed is between jobs. Maybe this is the week things will turn around. I have no idea why I wrote this paragraph in 3rd person, but it just felt like the right thing to do. Now, it's on to the losing picks.

USC 31 ND 10

This game really shouldn't be close, but you never know in this season of craziness. Sources say that Southern Cal will be starting Mark Sanchez who looked incredibly mediocre last week in his college starting debut. Putting that fact aside though, Notre Dame remains a horrrrrrrible (in the words of the immortal Bill Walton) team. USC's talent will overwhelm the overmatched Irish as the Notre Dame crowd looks on in absolute horror. This will not be a repeat of the classic 2005 battle in South Bend that USC won on a controversial touchdown at the end of the game.

Florida State 23 Miami 16

Talk about two programs that have fallen on hard times. Both teams still possess boatloads of talent, but it hasn't always shown on the field this year. FSU and Miami boast strong defenses and inept offenses. This could easily be a game where the winner doesn't score over 10 points, but I think that it will be a bit more high-scoring than that. FSU wins due to Kyle Wright and his penchant for turnovers and the home-field advantage at Doak Campbell stadium.

LSU 17 Auburn 16

LSU hasn't looked like the team they were supposed to be at the beginning of the year for the entire season. However, they had been good enough to win until running into a solid Kentucky team last week on the road. Auburn has been up and down this year, but they have been playing better lately and they sport a very good defense. LSU will kick a late field goal to end Auburn's hopes of an upset in Death Valley.

Alabama 23 Tennessee 16

Tennessee has looked very solid since their absolue debacle against Florida. Alabama has come down to earth since their impressive start of the season. Phil Fulmer has had Alabama's number throughout his tenure at the helm of Tennessee, but that will end this Saturday when John Parker Wilson leads the Tide to victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium. It will take Saban a few years to put his stamp on the Alabama program, but he has good enough players now to make some noise in the SEC. Alabama's defense will shut down the Volunteer running attack, and put all the pressure on Eric Ainge to make plays in the passing game. It won't be enough, and a Tide defensive touchdown will prove to be the difference.

Cal 34 UCLA 21

UCLA is still trying to recover from being the first team to lose to Notre Dame this year. Sure they were down to their fourth-string QB in that game, but they still lost to Notre Dame. Cal is also struggling with quarterback issues as Nate Longshore is questionable for this game. Cal's backup QB ended up costing them the game last week, but prior to his mistake he was playing pretty well. Cal is simply too good for UCLA, and will prevail rather easily.

Florida 23 Kentucky 17

Kentucky is coming off possibly the greatest win in program history last week over LSU. Florida comes into the Bluegrass with two conference losses, but is still a very good team. Florida will overwhelm Kentucky early and hold on in the second half for the win.

Ore 31 Wash 17

Why are we picking this game?

Illinois 24 Michigan 17

Michigan seems to have righted their ship after an extremely rough start to the season, while Illinois suffered their first conference loss last week to an extremely bad Iowa team that lost to Iowa State. Illinois will turn things around for the Wolverines, whose visit to Champagne will mark the Illini's biggest home game since the Kurt Kittner years. Despite last week's loss, I feel that Illinois is still a good team (especially for a Big Ten team). They will overcome Michigan's overall talent advantage with the home-field advantage and their solid running game.

Week 8...Ain't it great...Look Mom, I rhymed.

As the revolving door, that is the number one slot, goes into another weekend, one cannot help but be amazed at how unimportant the Notre Dame vs USC game has become. However, the weekend is still chalk full of nuts...I mean great games. The Auburn v.s. LSU game decides who represents the SEC West in the Dirty Dome and the Michigan v.s. Illinois game decides which team will be duking it out with Ohio State for the Big 11 title. Oregon and Cal are both in games that could prove to be fatal if lost, since they are against conference opponents and finally, Florida looks to get back in the top 10 in a showdown with number 7 Kentucky. Luckily for myself, the Nebraska game is not televised and Georgia is off for the weekend. So, let's see if my good picks from last week transfer to this one as well.


USC 31 - Notre Dame 10


This one shouldn't be close. USC is still pissed off at dropping a home game to Stanford and Notre Dame just isn't any good. The difference in talent between USC and Notre Dame is laughable and look for USC to use that to it's advantage. The "Genius" and his golden domers lose ugly.


Miami 10 - Florida State 17


Talk about a game between two teams mired in mediocrity. The sad thing is that both teams are loaded with talent. This game comes down to the 4th quarter every year and usually is decided by a missed field goal. Florida state is coming off a disappointing loss to Wake Forest and being at home should give the Seminoles a little extra incentive (Not that playing Miami isn't incentive enough). Look for FSU's defense to create enough turnovers for the inept offense to put 17 on the board. FSU by a touchdown.


Auburn 17 - LSU 24


This is the marquee game of the weekend. The winner of this game is, for all intensive purposes, the SEC Wests representative in the Championship game. This game doesn't bode will for the Auburn Tigers. LSU is coming off of a stunning triple overtime loss to Kentucky and gets to play at home at night. The one thing in Auburn's corner is coach Tuberville's impressive road record, especially, against rated opponents. Ultimately, man child Glenn Dorsey and company will limit the Tiger offense and LSU's offense will look much better if Doucet is back in the line-up. LSU wins on a late 4th quarter touchdown.


Tennessee 27 - Sabanation 21


I think Tennessee's game against Georgia was a wake up call (much to my chagrin). If the same Vol team shows up in Tuscaloosa they win big. However, I am expecting the sheer hatred between these two teams to bring out the best. Sr. QB Erik Ainge is quietly putting together a solid year and experience is crucial to winning road games in the SEC. I don't expect Tennessee to have the same result, as the Georgia game, in the running department, which will put more pressure on Ainge to get it done with his arm. On the flip side, Alabama needs consistent play out of John Parker "Bama Bangs" Wilson to give them a shot at victory. All in all this is a fairly evenly matched game. Should be a good one. Vols steal a win on the road.


Cal 28 - UCLA 17


UCLA coach Karl Dorrell is in some nicely simmering water. Inconsistency has dominated his tenure at UCLA and a win here could go along way in terms of job security. Cal's incredible loss (read: Freshman mistake) removes any room for error for the rest of the year. Another conference loss and any hopes for a championship are gone. That being said, look for UCLA to receive a healthy dose of DeSean Jackson and Justin Forsett. Cal's defense is definitely the chink in the armor and if UCLA can attack that they have a shot at pulling the upset. Ultimately, Cal's offense is too high powered.


Florida 31 - Kentucky 27


Urban Meyer has had two weeks to prepare for Kentucky where as Kentucky is coming off of an emotional, triple overtime, victory. Even though Kentucky is the higher ranked team and they beat LSU, I still think Florida is the better team. Florida's offense isn't far behind and from top to bottom has more talent than Kentucky. On the flip side of the ball, Florida's defense is much better than that of the Wildcats. Look for Tim Tebow to have a big game behind an offensive line that shouldn't have much trouble protecting him. The Key to this game is getting pressure on Andre Woodson. If the Gator's fail to pressure Woodson, then he will pick them apart with a vast array of talented receivers. Florida pulls the upset in Bluegrass country.


Oregon 28 - Washington 17


Washington is still a season or two away from rejoining the elite in the Pac-10. Oregon, however, is among the elite. Give me experience on the road any day, unless your name is Reggie Ball. The experience that I am talking about comes from Oregon Sr. QB Dennis Dixon. Add to Dixon, an extremely potent supporting cast, and you have a fantastic offensive football team. Defensively, like most Pac-10 teams, the Ducks leave a little to be desired. Even with a suspect defense, Washington will not be able to keep pace with Oregon's high powered offense. Oregon stays alive in the Pac-10 race.


Michigan 24 - 27 Illinois


This game is a toss up for me. These two teams match up really well. Michigan, however, has no chance without the services of Mike Hart. If Hart plays and is anywhere near 100%, then flip a coin for the winner. The Illini have one of the best running backs you have never heard of in Rashard Mendenhall. That guy is a beast. If Hart plays, be in for a show by the running backs. I am going with Illinois because they are at home and will be pissed off after losing to shitty Iowa. Look for a late 4th quarter field goal to seal the deal for the Illini.

Week 8 Picks by Thor's Hammer

I'm hanging on by a mere thread with a 1 game lead over Great Odin's Raven and this week I'm feelin' lucky. We have a solid slate of games on the docket highlighted by Auburn at LSU and Florida at Kentucky. We have a mix of Pac 10, Big 11, Big 12 and ACC games. When the Big L(East) stops sucking we will have some of those games as well. Now, on to the picks.


LSU 17 - Auburn 14

The last 3 games have been decided by less than a touchdown and this one looks to be the same. Auburn's defense has been lights out coming off of virtually shutting down Darren McFadden and Felix Jones in Arkansas prompting DC Will Muschamp to go crazy (this guy could get me to spear the Pope). LSU has to be somewhat drained after their thrilling triple OT loss to Kentucky but this game is at home, at night, which means that LSU should pull this one out. One thing that scares me is that Auburn Coach Tommy Tubberville is 9-1 in his last 10 games against top-10 teams. That stat is freaking unreal. Why Auburn fans (read: boosters) cannot stand him is beyond me.

Florida 30 - Kentucky 27

Kentucky has played Florida tough for the last 5 years or so and this year should not be any different. I think Florida pulls this one out due to having their bye week while Kentucky was battling with LSU. The Fightin' Tebow's should put up many-a-point on the Wildcat defense making this game somewhat of a shootout. The only way Florida loses this game is if they get down early and Kentucky gets on a roll. Look for Tebow to put up some stout numbers this week and further entrench himself into the Heisman fore front.

California 31 - UCLA 23

Assuming Nate Longshore can go for the Bears California should light up UCLA on offense. While California's defense is Swiss cheese they have freakish speed on offense and should put up over 30. After this game you can add Karl Dorrell to the list of coaches that have no chance of lasting until next year with the likes Bill Callahan, Dennis Francione and Houston Nutt. Dorrell had a team that won 7 games last year bring back 20/22 starters and has looked average at best throughout the year.

Florida State 14 - Miami 10

This should be a horrible game to watch and one that will rival the average Big 11 game when the teams are on offense. The only difference being that both teams still have speed on the defensive side of the ball. Both of these offenses are pathetic and embarrassing and if there is any other game on TV I would highly recommend that you watch that game instead. Miami and FSU each are littered with high profile recruits across the board yet they look like bad Div 2 teams. I am going with Free Shoe only because I figure that Miami will make more mistakes. FSU QB Xavier Lee will undoubtedly make 2-3 of the dumbest throws you have ever seen by halftime only to be eclipsed by Kyle Wright making 4-5 of the dumbest throws by halftime. I am not joking either. You can expect to see anywhere from 6-8 of the worst decisions made by a QB in your life by halftime of this game.

USC 31 - ND 10

USC has looked pedestrian in every game except for the NEB game (fuck you very much Callahan). The Trojan offense is, quite frankly, average right now and it doesn't matter which QB is playing. The Trojan defense is amazing however and they should have a field day going against arguably the worst offense in all of college football under Charlie Weis (genius my ass). Evan Sharpley is going to get the start so he, instead of Jimmy Clausen, can get hammered by the Trojan D. ND's defense should keep them in this game for a while until the talent of USC takes over and puts them away in the 3rd quarter.

Oregon 38 - Washington 24

Oregon is the most underrated team in the nation and may have the best offense in college football. While Ty has made Washington relevant again they are still a few years away from being a top Pac 10 team and this could be the year Oregon wins the conference. Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart are a potent duo in the backfield and should be able to shred the Husky defense. While Oregon's D is not the greatest all they need to do is come up with 2 stops each half and let the offense pull away.

Michigan 27 - Illinois 23

This game scares me a little because stud Michigan RB Mike Hart has a bum ankle. He is supposed to go (as if anything could keep this kid out of a game) and if he is ineffective I won't like Michigan's chances. While I love Illinois's running game, which features the most underrated player in the nation in RB Rashard Mendenhall, I cannot stand their passing game. While Juice Williams can run the ball very well he throws the ball a lot like Mike Vick and that is not a good thing. As long as Michigan can run the ball well it will open up Mario Manningham and the Wolverine passing attack. Look for Juice Williams to account for at least 3 TO's all of which will cost Illinois greatly.

Tennessee 27 - Alabama 20

Much to the chagrin of Alabama crazies...I mean fans, Fat Phil and Co. are going to come into Bryant Denny stadium and smack the Tide around. The Vols feature the most underrated QB in the nation in Erik Ainge and Alabama's defense isn't that good. While Bama will most assuredly put up a better fight than UGA I think the game won't be as close as the score would indicate. Look for Ainge and Co. to get out to a 10+ point lead early and never look back.

Pure Craziness!!!

I'm sitting here watching one of my two favorite NFL teams (Falcons) get physically dominated at home by the New York Giants. It seems like I just saw this happen yesterday. I DID SEE THIS HAPPEN YESTERDAY. After watching my Cowboys get steamrolled by the most ridiculous NFL offense I have ever seen, the Falcons are well on their way to falling to 1-5 on the season. Bring on Brian Brohm. I think it is time to put in the quarterback who gives you the worst chance to win. The problem is I can't decide who that is. Joey Harrington, Chris Redmon, and Byron Leftwich are all equally bad. Right now the game is only 21-10 at halftime, but much like yesterday in the Cowboy's game I don't have any confidence that the Falcons will be able to pull out the win. This continues a disturbing trend for me in my football fandom. I follow four teams closely. Those teams are the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, Geogia Bulldogs, and Purdue Boilermakers. In the past two weeks I have seen the Cowboys stumble on Monday Night Football only to get bailed out by the coaching genius of Dick Jauron, and get drilled at home by the greatest team ever assembled. The Falcons lost another heartbreaker last week, and look to be gunning for their fifth loss in six weeks tonight. Georgia got absolutely massacred at Tennessee, and looked pathetic against Vandy in Nashville. Purdue on the other hand has been doing pretty well. Actually, that's a complete lie. Purdue was exposed as the fraud that they are by Ohio State and Michigan. They were clearly outclassed in both of those games. I just don't know what I did to deserve this. Alas, there are a couple of things for me to be thankful for. One is that the Cowboys play in the NFC, and two is that I'm not a diehard Nebraska fan.

Changes in Huskerland...To most, a sigh of relief.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers ship has been sailing down the river Styx for about three weeks now and in an effort to get out of Hades, the Cornhuskers have announced the stepping down (read: shitcanned) of athletic director Steve Pederson. Hopefully, the Cornhuskers will be shedding a few more husks by years end but to do so right now in the season would be ill advised. So, who is the next AD? If you are truly a Husker, one name leaps to mind. Will Dr. Tom Osborne please step forward? Osborne, no longer in politics, would seem to be the best choice, however, Osborne is no spring chicken. Look for Dr. Tom to be an interim AD while Nebraska searches for a full time AD. If you ask the Gods of the Gridiron, the new AD should be somebody with strong ties to the football team (preferably an ex-player) and one who understands that you cannot turn your back on past players as Pederson did time and time again. Yes, I know this is the Athletic Director that we are talking about but let's be honest, a successful football team takes precedence over most other collegiate sports. Call it what you will, but we call it the cash cow. Nebraska needs a return to tradition. The Huskers that have taken the field this year play nothing like the dominant Huskers of the 90's. Now, don't get us wrong, we are not saying the the 2007 Huskers have the talent of the teams of the 90's but they are a lot better than what we have seen on the field so far. They need a spark, a new life, a fury to get them back on the right track. So, choose carefully Chancellor Perlman, because the hopes of the Husker nation are riding on your decision.

Now, as for the assistants. Our sources say there will be at least 2 assistants let go but this will most likely happen after the Colorado game. Expect defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove to be one of them and while we have our guesses we will avoid the temptation to speculate on the other coaches. Now, if Nebraska were to ask us to replace Coz, here are a few names to keep in mind:

1. John Tenuta (DC, Georgia Tech). Tenuta is the best in the business but he is making some chedda' (400,000/year) and NEB may not have the money to pay him and by all accounts he loves Georgia Tech.

2. Chuck Amato (Assistant Head Coach and LB coach, Florida State). The Chest knows defense and while he was a bust as a head coach at North Carolina State he can recruit in the south (where NEB is non-existent) and always had a feisty defense.

3. Jim Mora Jr. (assistant HC and DB coach, Seattle Seahawks). While Mora was not a success as a head coach for ATL he would be a hell of a coach in college. Now, whether he is willing to leave the bigs in an entirely different question. This guy would be a dynamite recruiter at the college level.

4. Mike Singletary (assistant HC and LB coach, San Francisco 49'ers). This guy is an up and coming star in the coaching ranks and would be able to recruit any player in the nation with his name alone. He has done wonders for SF's once pitiful defense and could be a home run. Now, like Mora, whether he would want to leave the bigs is a gigantic obstacle.

Certified Bad-Ass...Offensive line, please get better.

As I was rotating sips of beer with sips of pepto, in order to control the ulcer that has developed from watching UGA football, I couldn't help but notice that Knowshon Moreno was running up and down the field. Does anybody else think this guy resembles a healthy, and I stress healthy, Cadillac Williams? Man, I can't tell you how amazing that sight was. It hearkens one back to 2003, when Musa Smith was rushing for 100 yards a game and UGA was a top 10 team. As a realistic Georgia fan, I had this season pegged at 9-3, I know that we have some tough games ahead but whether win or lose, it is comforting to know that this guy will be lined up in the back-field. It remains to be seen if Moreno can carry the burden of the running game for an entire season and even if he could, I am not sure the Richt would allow it. But damn!!! Just think of next year. An o-line with a full year under their belt blocking for Knowshon and red-shirt phenom Caleb King. Tack on Matthew Stafford, as a junior, chucking the rock to Massaquoi and stud freshy A.J. Green (assuming he stays with UGA) and in the words of Timbuk 3: "The future's so bright, I've gotta wear shades."

GreatOdin'sRaven climbs within 1.

Well, I managed to have a decent showing with my picks this weekend. It is about damn time. Last weekend was the worst sports weekend ever, for yours truly, and this weekend, frankly, wasn't much better. The Huskers looked pathetic, at best and Georgia needed a gift from above to beat Vanderbilt. If the Falcons could get a win tonight...who am I kidding. They are going to need the jaws of life to pull Harrington out of the turf. On a side note, look for yours truly and Thor's Hammer on ESPN...Hi mom! I will be the only one in the entire stadium wearing a Demorrio Williams jersey. Supportin' them Huskers. Anyways, I digressed. Here are the updated standings after week 6.

Thor's Hammer: 5-3
Total: 28-20

GreatOdin'sRaven: 6-2 (Boom, Pow, Surprise!!!)
Total: 27-21

Apollo's Creed: 4-4
Total: 18-14

This weeks picks coming soon...

Major Changes at Nebraska

A little bird has told me that Nebraska will look a lot different tomorrow morning. Our sources tell us that he Athletic Director, Steve Pederson and a litany of assistant coaches will be fired. We do not know which assistants will get shit canned but if defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove is not one of them I would literally shit my pants. Having the worst defense in a conference (Big 12) where defense is optional is never a good way of keeping your job. Look for a press conference tomorrow and for head coach Bill Callahan to have one more year to right the ship before he, too, gets shit canned.

Let's Try This Again

After two sub-par weeks I am hoping that this is the week that I turn the corner. There's no excuse for not doing better, especially when I'm actually on the plus side in my actual gambling. Everyone is talking about parity, but at the same time I think there are just a lot of mediocre big-time teams this year. People point to the Michigan-Appalacian State game and the USC-Stanford game to prove their theory about parity, but in my humble opinion parity had less to do with these powerful programs losing than merely a lack of focus by USC and Michigan. The world of college football will get straightened out at some point, and I am hoping that it happens this week.

Oklahoma 31 Missouri 21

Missouri is coming into this game on a roll with a powerful offense and an average defense. Texas is coming off a victory in the Red River Shootout, and should be up for this game as they are playing a quality opponent at home. I still feel like Oklahoma is one of the top three teams in the nation and this game feels a lot like the Purdue-Ohio State game from last week. The main difference is that Oklahoma gets this game at home and has a better offense than Ohio State. The Missouri quarterback is putting up sick numbers, but hasn't been tested by a defense nearly as good as Oklahomas. He'll also be playing without his top running back. Missouri will be able to put up some points on the Sooners, but it won't be enough to overcome the explosive Oklahoma offense that will run the ball straight at the Tigers all afternoon.

Arkansas 24 Auburn 21

I still don't trust Auburn QB Brandon Cox to do anything other than throw horrific interceptions at extremely inopportune times. Auburn's defense is solid, but the Arkansas running attack led by Darren McFadden will be effective against anyone in the country. If Arkansas only had a quarterback, this could've been a special year for the Razorbacks. This game is being played in Arkansas, and Auburn has a huge game with LSU on the slate next week. Auburn gets down big early, only to make a comeback and close the gap late in the game. It won't be enough to overcome Arkansas, and Houston Nutt will get a much needed win.

Wisconsin 17 Penn State 16

Wisconsin is the King of winning ugly games. This game won't raise goosebumps for anyone and will be downright boring, but that is just how the Badgers like it. I see Wisconsin getting a defensive touchdown courtesy of an Anthony Morelli turnover and pulling out the squeaker at Penn State.

Miami 13 Georgia Tech 10

This is a must win game for both programs. Georgia Tech started the season off strong against crappy competition, while Miami has looked very bad in every game this year except for their win over Texas A&M at home. This is the kind of game that Georgia Tech usually plays well in, but Miami's home crowd will pull the Hurricanes to the victory in a tight one.

LSU 27 Kentucky 24

The excitement for this game in Lexington is palpable. I can literally look out the window and see it. Kentucky kicked off the college basketball season yesterday with a crowd of over 23,000 on hand to watch the festivities at Rupp. This will be followed by maybe the biggest game ever at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington today when the #1 ranked LSU Tigers come to town. There is no way that Kentucky can't be up for this game, and this will be just another game for Louisiana State. I think LSU comes out flat which will allow Kentucky to hang around for the entire game. Kentucky QB Andre Woodson is looking to rebound from his poor performance last week against the Gamecocks in South Carolina. I think that he will play much better, but the absense of his starting RB Rafael Little will put too much of the game on his shoulders. LSU kicks a late field goal to escape with the win in a game much closer than the experts anticipated.

Kansas State 24 Colorado 20

I could give an absolute shit about this game. I won't be watching the game, and I will attempt to avoid seeing any highlights from this debacle in the Big 12 North. Kansas State is playing to stay in the North race, and Colorado is playing on the road. That equals a win for Kansas State. That will be the extent of my "Lou Holtz" style of analysis for this game. I think we all remember Lou's immortal analysis of the South Carolina-LSU earlier this season because it was so profound. "When you combine South Carolina's defense with Steve Spurrier's ingenuity, they win." Incredible.

Boston College 35 Notre Dame 14

Notre Dame sucks. I don't care if they finally got a win last week against UCLA. It took a team being down to their fourth-string walk-on quarterback for Notre Dame to win a game. Boston College QB Matt Ryan is just a little bit better than that quarterback from UCLA (sarcasm). Notre Dame's offense is still horrible with the evidence being their stats from the UCLA game. They finished 3-17 on 3rd downs, had 140 total yards, including 84 passing yards. They are playing this game at home, but it won't matter as Boston College won't turn the ball over four times to help the Notre Dame offense. Isn't it great when Notre Dame sucks?

Purdue 34 Michigan 24

To the untrained eye, Michigan has seemingly turned their season around. However, during their four game winning streak they have beaten a bad Notre Dame team, an Anthony Morelli led Penn State team, Northwestern, and Eastern Michigan. Not exactly murderers row. Purdue on the other hand hasn't beat anyone of consequence in their five wins either. They got exposed last week at home against Ohio State, and will be looking to rebound on the road in the Big House which really isn't a good thing. However, Purdue runs a spread offense which always gives Michigan trouble. They don't possess a running quarterback like Dennis Dixon, but Curtis Painter can spread the ball around. If he gets time in the pocket he will pick apart the Wolverines with Dorien Bryant having a huge day.

For week 7 picks, I flipped a coin...Here goes.

What started out as a promising season of picks, has quickly deteriorated to hilarity. It is time to get off the lose/break even schnide and start picking some damn winners. Unfortunately, there are enough toss up games to make it another interesting weekend. Well, where were we...


Missouri 21 - Oklahoma 35


Look people, Oklahoma shit the bed against Colorado. It happens to the best of us. They are still a juggernaut. Missouri put on a defensive clinic(first of the year) last week against Nebraska...Hell, they put on a football clinic last week. That being said, I would be willing to bet that it doesn't continue this weekend. OU's O-line should pound Missouri for 4 quarters. Coach Stoops; three words. RUN THE BALL. Missouri's offense is legit, however, it is awfully hard to score when you are on the sidelines (see: above suggestion). Missouri is yearning for national attention and would get it with a victory over Oklahoma but here is the problem: They aren't in the same class as OU. Sooners take it to the house.


Auburn 17 - Arkansas 21


The greatest player in college football will be on display in this game. Last year, Arkansas shocked the Auburnians in A-town with a healthy dose of RunDMC. Look for Arkansas to do the same thing this year...They really don't have much choice, considering their QB is a Dick. The only thing that worries me about this game is Arkansas's complete lack of defensive ability against Auburn's suddenly flourishing offense. Even with the AU offense looking better, I think Arkansas wins a close one at home.


Wisconsin 10 - Penn State 14


The ultimate battle of slow, Big 10 football teams. This game will be the most unexciting game of the weekend. Wisconsin's defense was torched last weekend by a solid Illinois offense and you can bet Penn State has been watching that game film. On the flip side, Penn State hasn't performed to expectations this year and could use a solid performance from Sr. QB Anthony Morelli (haven't had one yet). The deciding factor in this game will be the 12th man. Happy (or not so happy, this year) Valley is not an easy place to play and you can bet the crowd will be in full white out glory. Look for their noise to cause problems for Wisconsin's offense. Nittany, gettin' it done at home.


Georgia Tech 21 - Miami 17


These are the games that Chan Gailey and Georgia Tech always win. The underdog on the road game. It doesn't hurt that Tech will get to play a pathetic offense in the Kyle Wright led Miami Tropical Depressions. Tech's defense has been the only item of consistency for the Jackets, this year. Look for them to get a couple of turnovers to help the offense out. Tech scores a late touchdown off of a turnover to win on the road.


Kentucky 24 - LSU 35


This game will feel like deja vu for Kentucky (see: South Carolina). LSU brings a better defense to the bluegrass state and, let's be honest, a better offense then South Carolina possessed. That spells another nightmare for Kentucky and QB Andre Woodson. LSU will be looking to flex a little muscle as the consensus number one team in the country and unfortunately, for Kentucky, they are next up on the schedule. LSU will not need another "Bluegrass Miracle" to win this one.


Colorado 17 - Kansas State 21


The Buffalo's are still on cloud 9 after the defeat of OU. Meanwhile, K State is coming off of a disappointing loss to Mark "Small Island" Mangino and his Jayhawks. The edge in this game has to go to K. State due to their nasty defense. The offense, on the other hand, is a different story. Inept would probably be the best way to describe it. K. State is not out of the Big 12 north race yet, so they cannot afford to lose again. So, I would expect them to come out guns a blazin'. Colorado is getting better under Hawkins but they are still a year or two away from competing for a north title.


Boston College A LOT - Notre Dame NOT A LOT


The Holy Bowl. This game could get ugly, and ugly fast. This will be the best offense that the Genius and his Golden Domers have seen so far. Emu boy...Watch Matt Ryan, that is how you are supposed to play QB. Boston College is about as well balanced of a team as you will see this year. Solid O and solid D make them a tough opponent for Notre Dame. Hell, this year they wouldn't even need to be solid to take it to the Irish. Considering the authorities have called off the search for missing "Touchdown Jesus," I wouldn't plan on seeing much scoring from the Domers. BC BIG!!!


Purdue 21 - Michigan 24


Has Michigan played a game on the road this year? If they have, it sure as hell doesn't seem like it. For anybody out there wondering: Mike Hart is the 2nd best player in College Football. The only thing that he is missing is that explosive burst (see: Darren McFadden) and he would be officially unstoppable. He has put Michigan on his shoulders and helped right the ship. Now, don't get me wrong, they still have a long way to go but it seems like they are playing with more confidence. Purdue's offense should put up points but as long as Michigan continues to ride Mike Hart, they should take the win.

Week 7 Picks by Thor's Hammer

Parity is a bitch and it is not just on the football field. After picking winners at a 65% clip I have drifted into mediocrity going 4-4 in back-to-back weeks. While I still lead the standings people need to keep in mind we don't even look at the spread, we simply pick the winners. And now for the picks.


Oklahoma 34 - Missouri 24

Missouri is clicking on all cylinders coming off of their blowout win over lowly Nebraska and want to prove that they deserve to be among the nations elite. Too bad they don't. Missouri has lit up Illinois and an average Nebraska team and that is it. Oklahoma has the best offensive line in college football and will play this game the way everyone should against Missouri: run the ball right at them all day long. This does a couple of things. It will wear out Mizzou's D and it will keep Chase Daniel off of the field thus forcing the Tigers to press and try to make too many plays. This will put the Tigers into situations where Bob Stoops and Co. can bring the house and force some TO's. Missouri is still a good team but I just don't think they are in the same class as Oklahoma.


Arkansas 24 - Auburn 21

I am not sold on Auburn's offense, especially at the QB position. Brandon Cox is simply and average QB and it will cost them mightily in this game. Arkansas features the best RB duo in the nation in Darren McFadden and Felix Jones and will pound the rock 50 times a game (unless Houston Nutt finds a way of fucking this up...which is a distinct possibility). Auburn comes into this game banged at some key spots none of which is more important then stud DE Quentin Groves (dislocated toes). Assuming Groves can play, there is no way he will be 100% so look for Arkansas to run the ball right at Groves and make him tackle RunDMC and Jones.


Michigan 27 - Purdue 24

This is a very interesting game. Purdue runs a spread system and we all know how horrible Michigan is against the spread. However, Boilermaker QB Curtis Painter is not a threat to run the football which should help the inept Michigan D. Look for Mike Hart to get his usual 35 carries and 170+ yards and grind out the clock and keep the Purdue offense off of the field. The only way Michigan loses this game is if they put the ball on the ground giving Purdue a short field to work with. But seeing as how Hart never fumbles the ball, this is highly unlikely.


Boston College 31 - Notre Dame 14

Hide your pre-pubescent boys because the Catholics are coming. In a battle for religious supremacy I like the boys from Chestnut Hill to take down ND in a big way. The only way ND doesn't get blown out is if BC lets UCLA coach Karl Dorrel coach this game and turn the ball over 7 times like UCLA did against the Irish. BC QB Matt Ryan is an absolute stud and should shred the Tom Zbikowski (or however the hell you spell it) and the Swiss cheese defense that he leads. Look for this game to be close for a half until BC realizes they can throw the ball 50 times for 500 yards and Chunky Charlie won't be able to do anything about it.


Penn State 17 - Wisconsin 16

This is a bitch of a game to pick because neither team is very good. Penn State has an anemic offense and Wisconsin will be without their best WR which should enable the Nittany Lions to stack the box in order to stop PJ Hill. If Hill is held in check, and I think he will, this should be one of the worst games to watch this college football season. Is it just me or does the Big 11 have at least one game each week that sets back offensive football at least 20 years? With both teams being so horribly average I will always take the home squad but please, I beg of you, watch another game. This one could literally bore you to death.


LSU 27 - Kentucky 20

The Tigers are riding high after their huge win over Florida which is why I have this game being closer than most. I think this will be a slight let down game due to everyone inside of the SEC still taking Kentucky lightly. Look for UK to jump out to a 7 or 10 point lead until reality sets in and LSU hammers them 27-10 after the 3rd quarter. I am not sold on Les Miles as a coach which is why I see this game being closer than it should be. The key match up in this game will be Wildcat Andre Woodson against the ridiculous LSU secondary. If Woodson gets hot this game could be very interesting as he is the best QB in the nation. Too bad he cannot play defense.


Kansas State 20 - Colorado 17

This should be a very competitive game featuring 2 of the best defenses you have never seen. Wildcat Coach Ron Prince has yet to put a productive offense on the field but his defenses are nasty (see the Texas game). Colorado has played well thus far with their only losses coming against Free Shoe and Arizona State (both ranked teams). Dan Hawkins is a very good coach and his offense has looked the part at times this year but it is CU's defense that looks so impressive. Look for this to be a knock down, drag out fight between two hard hitting defenses. I am taking KSU because they are at home and can ill-afford to lose 2 straight conference games at home.


Miami 17 - Georgia Tech 14

This is a very interesting game. Tech (specifically coach Chan Gailey) find themselves in a must-win situation. Having lost to Virginia, Boston College and Maryland the Jackets cannot afford another loss, especially to a team that is not very good. Miami is coming off of a terrible loss to North Carolina and Coach Randy Shannon could use a solid home win. This is the same Miami squad that hammered Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl which leads me to believe that they can pull this one out at home. Look for this to be a classic defensive struggle with Miami making one more play than Tech.

Updated Standings...Couldn't buy a win!

As for the teams that I follow, here is how last weekend stacked up. The slate was: UGA (alum) - Tennessee, Nebraska (father was a coach/grew up on Husker football) - Missouri, Atlanta Falcons (season ticket holder) - Tennessee Titans and last, but not least, Holy Divers (Fantasy Team- notice the reference to Dio) v.s. Brown Trout. Well, I didn't win one damn game. Not one. It was the worst overall sports weekend, ever (in terms of my teams). The good thing is that nobody had a good weekend. 4-4 took the title this weekend and that is not something to be bragging about. Hopefully, this weekend will be a little better on my teams and I can get at least one win. Here are your updated standings after week 6.

Thor's Hammer: 4-4
Total: 23-17

GreatOdin'sRaven: 3-5
Total: 21-19

Apollo's Creed: 4-4
Total: 14-10

Stay tuned for this weeks picks.

Top 25

We here at the Gods of the Gridiron feel that having pre season polls is one of the most absurd aspects of college football. Trying to guess which team will do what is not exactly the best way of determining who is the best team in college football. We like to have a few conference games under our belts before we can make any real judgements on which teams are good and which teams aren't so good. So here is our Top 25.

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. California

4. Oklahoma

5. Boston College

6. South Florida

7. Oregon

8. USC

9. South Carolina

10. Missouri

11. West Virginia

12. Florida

13. Arizona State

14. Virginia Tech

15. Cincinnati

16. Illinois

17. Kentucky

18. Hawaii

19. Kansas

20. Auburn

21. Florida State

22. Tennessee

23. UGA

24. Texas

25. Wisconsin

Heisman Ballot...As Of Now

Disclaimer: We here at Gods of the Gridiron feel that the Heisman has become a popularity contest. Instead of actually going to the "most outstanding player" in college football it goes to the QB or RB from the #1 team in the nation. While we are huge Eric Crouch, Jason White and Ron Dayne fans (maybe not huge), we feel that they had no business winning the award. Our ballot will probably look a little different than some other ballots but we don't really care. So, without further ado, here is the top 5 Heisman candidates through 6 weeks.

1. Darren "RunDMC" McFadden (RB, Arkansas)

RunDMC is tearing it up again through 6 games for lowly Arkansas. Averaging just under 6 yds/carry and 155 yds/game McFadden is the most electric player in the nation. Too bad his team is going nowhere because he is clearly the best player in the country but his chances to win the Heisman go down every week no matter how well he plays.

2. Tim "Uber Christian" Tebow (QB, Florida)

Tebow is a one man wrecking crew for the Gators. If you look at his numbers and nothing else you may wonder why he is so high. He is averaging under 250 yds passing/game but he kicks in another 83 yds/game on the ground and has a total of 22 TD's to just 3 INT's. If you would have watched last weeks game against LSU you would know just how important and badass this kid really is. And to think, he is only a true Sophomore.

3. Chase "Booger" Daniel (QB, Missouri)

Many people may not even know who this cat is but he can sling the hell out of the ball. Daniel is in his second year as the full-time starter for the Tigers and has mastered Gary Pinkel's spread offense (he ran the same offense in highschool while in Texas). Through 5 games Daniel is averaging over 340 yds/game and has 18 total Td's to just 4 INT's. He has lit up a good Illinois team and a bad Nebraska team but has otherwise played some pretty shitty teams (Illinois State anyone?). Next week he gets to take on the Oklahoma Sooners and if he lights them up his stock will shoot through the roof.

4. Mike Hart (RB, Michigan)

Hart is quickly becoming one of my favorite players in college football. He is the best leader in the country and acts as a senior should on a team that seems to struggle each week only to pull out a win on the shoulders of Hart. Through 6 games Hart is 2nd in the nation in rushing gaining over 160 yds/game and has put an average Michigan team on his back the entire season. Hart is averaging just under 5.5 yds/carry and is toting the rock almost 36 times each game. Assuming his legs do not fall off at some point this season he could rush the ball almost 400 times.

5. Michael Crabtree (WR, Texas Tech)

Sweet Jesus this kid is a freak. Through 6 games (half of his season), Crabtree, a freaking freshman, already has 70 cathes for 1,074 yards and 17 Td's. This kid is on pace to shatter every single receiving record in the book in his first season in college football. He is averaging 179 yards/game and is the most explosive player you have never heard of. This kid was a big time recruit so don't dismiss him due his playing in a funky, pass-happy system at Texas Tech. He is only on pace for 140 catches (record), 2,148 yds receiving and 34 TD's (record).

Be on the look out for:

DeSean Jackson (WR, California)

Matt Ryan (QB, Boston College)

Andre Woodson (QB, Kentucky)

Rashard Mendenhall (RB, Illinois)

Dennis Dixon (QB, Oregon)

Glenn Dorsey (DT, LSU)

Jim Harbaugh...Football Savant?...and Other Musings

Apparently Jim Harbaugh knew what he was doing all along. First he calls out Pete Carroll at the PAC 10 media day saying this was going to be his last season. He then said he felt USC was arguably the best team in the history...before a game was even played this season. Add to that the comments about how Michigan bends the rules to get athletes....I mean student athletes into school (I know, you are as shocked as I am). What did this do for Captain Comeback? Very little seeing as how Stanford was blasted in 3 of their 4 games leading up to the USC public funeral. Clearly Stanford had other plans. The Cardinal took it to the Crips....I mean Trojans and shocked the college football world. While this will most likely prove to have been a fluke it certainly gives Harbaugh some priceless pub while he tries to revive the hapless Stanford program.

In the game of the day the best team in the country (LSU) survived blow after blow from the Florida Gators. If anyone doubts the SEC as the premier conference just watch a replay of that game and shut the fuck up. The speed that was on display was unrivaled and the coaching was top notch. LSU coach Les Miles gambled all night long including going 5/5 on 4th down conversions including going for a 4th down instead of kicking a gimme FG to tie the game with less than 3 minutes to play. This guy coaches like I do on Xbox 360. The Gators are now in the title bearers of the "best team with 2 losses after 6 weeks" award (trophy presentation will be on Tuesday in Gainseville). LSU cannot savor this game for too long as they have to run a mini-gauntlet for the next 3 weeks taking on Kentucky, Auburn and Alabama. Should the Tigers get to 9-0 an undefeated season should be expected.

In other action around the nation Tennessee shat on Georgia jumping out to a 28-0 halftime lead and cruising to a 35-14 victory in what was easily the worst Georgia game in Mark Richt's 7 seasons as head coach of the Dawgs. In the "what the fuck happened to that team" game of the day Missouri embarrassed Nebraska 41-6 in a game that wasn't even that close. In year 4 of the Bill Callahan regime Nebraska looks no better than a middle of the pack Big 12 team and may be the 5th best team in the North. The Nebraska defense, formerly known as the blackshirts, has given up over 40 points in three of their last 4 games as well as giving up 400 yards in all but 1 game this season. Seeing as Callahan was given a 3 year extension after week 1 this season it appears as though Nebraska may not find respectability for a long time. It must be very rough to be a Nebraska fan at the moment.

FYI: This week there will be the debut of the Top 25 and Heisman polls for our beloved readers to enjoy.

Happy birthday, Thor's Hammer

A Week to Recover

Last weekend's slate of games proved that nothing can be taken for granted in college football. That's what makes the sport so great. We had a slew of upsets, and my record in picking games took a major hit. However, I was not alone in having an off-week and there is still plenty of time for me to finish with the best record even after missing the first week.
This weekend's games promise to be highly entertaining and I am greatly looking forward to them. What would make the weekend even better is if I didn't also have to move. That is going to be a real hassle, but I'll still find time to watch all the games. With that said, it's on to the picks of the week.

Kentucky 34 South Carolina 27

I feel that the Wildcats can overcome their lack of defense with one of the most explosive offenses in the country. I picked against Kentucky when they traveled to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas, and I am not going to make the same mistake again. Andre Woodson is the real deal at quarterback for the Wildcats, and this is starting to look like a magical year for the traditionally moribund program at Kentucky. The magic will not end in Columbia, and the Wildcats will pull out a close one over a South Carolina team missing their best defensive player in Jasper Brinkley.

LSU 24 Florida 21

LSU is playing a night game at home this weekend against a very solid Florida team. It was expected that both teams would be undefeated going into this game, but Auburn changed that with their win last week over Florida in the Swamp. LSU possesses the best defense in the country and will be able to hold Tim Tebow in check. The Tigers will dominate this game, but the Gators will punch in a late score to make the game like it was a very close contest.

Oklahoma 41 Texas 14

Oklahoma is coming off a huge letdown game in Boulder, while Texas is still recovering from the shellacking they took at the hands of Kansas State. Although both of these teams are coming off of losses, Oklahoma is clearly the better team. I thought Texas had turned the corner and was going to maintain the momentum created by the Vince Young-era, but they obviously are just not very good this year. This one should be a blowout, and Oklahoma will take clear control in the Little 12 South.

Georgia 30 Tennessee 17

I hate picking Georgia games. Even if I felt that Georgia would probably lose, I couldn''t in good conscience pick against the Dawgs. With that said, I don't have any problems picking the Dawgs to win this one rather comfortably. I feel that Phil Fulmer's time in Knoxville is almost up, and the Dawgs will hammer in one more nail in his coffin. Matthew Stafford will play mistake-free, and the Georgia defense will keep the high-powered Tennessee offense in check.

Ohio State 30 Purdue 20

The Boilermakers have a high-powered offense that looked like it was sleeping for much of the day against Notre Dame. I was looking for the Boilers to score at least 50 points, or at the very least cover the 22 point spread. As good as Purdue's offense is, their defense is still extremely shaky. They do possess some talented football players on that side of the ball, but I don't see any way that they will be able to stop the Ohio State offense. I think the home crowd keeps the Boilers close, but in the end Ohio State will just have too much talent for the Boilermakers.


Missouri 38 Nebraska 34

Clemson 17 Virginia Tech 10

Rutgers 24 Cincinnati 17

Week 6 picks...Looking to rebound

Well, there wasn't much to cheer about in terms of last weeks picks. Absolutely abysmal. But, in the words of Walter Sobchek: "it's all water under the bridge." This week will, most undoubtedly, be the most important weekend, overall, for College Football. I know that there will be other weekends of importance but this one will separate the contenders from the pretenders. Crucially important conference match-ups in the SEC, ACC and Big 12 will decide which teams still have hope for a conference championship and which others might as well phone in the rest of the season. I, honestly, might occupy the couch or bar stool for at least 10 hours on Saturday. With that being said, let's see if I can't be a little more accurate with this weekends picks.



UK 28 - S. Carolina 21



This game is a toss up for me. Kentucky has a disgusting offense and a horrible defense. S. Carolina, on the other hand, has a stout defense and a pathetic offense. This could be the ingredients for a boring game. Carolina gets them at home, which should help but the loss of Jasper Brinkley will not. I just don't think Carolina will be able to hold UK's offense in check for the entire 60 minutes without Brinkley. However, I wouldn't be surprised if the old ball coach had a trick or two up his sleeve.



Florida 17 - LSU 24


Last weeks loss to Auburn should've shown LSU all it needed to shut down Florida's offense. LSU's offense, while not fantastic, should be able to put points on the board considering the overall amount of talent it posseses. If you are a coach with a young team, the one game you don't want to play is at LSU, at night. That stadium is going to be nuts and LSU fans are relentless. Add to that, the fact that LSU is ranked number one and the fans will have been drinking for about 12 hours and you have absolute bedlam. Even with all of those advantages, this game is still going to be a close one. The toigers by a touchdown.

Texas 17 - Oklahoma 28

The winner of this game represents the Big 12 South in the conference championship game. Okay, so there could possibly be another team that gets there but let's not get carried away. Oklahoma was clearly looking past the lowly Buffalo's and Texas...well, they aren't very good. Oklahoma should pound Texas in this one, but like all rivalries it will be close for the majority of the game. Ultimately, OU's offense will be just too much for Texas to handle. A couple of late scores will give OU a little breathing room and a win in the Red River Shoot-Out.

Georgia 24 - Tennessee 17

When you look at this game, you can't help but wonder, which UGA and Tennessee teams will take the field. These are the two Jekyl and Hyde teams of the SEC East. One week it is solid college football, the next week it is unbearable to watch. If I were a betting man, and I am not, I would go with the Dawgs. Coach Richt just doesn't lose road games in the SEC. Couple that with the fact that Tennessee doesn't have much of a defense, and zero running game and you have to figure that the dogs get it done in good ole Rocky Top.

Nebraska 35 - Missouri 32

This game will be the Big 12 version of Kentucky vs Louisville. 2 solid offenses against 2 terrible defenses. So, with that being said, look for a pretty hefty over on this game. Like the Texas vs Oklahoma game, this game will decide who represents the Big 12 north in the conference title game (to be slaughtered by OU). After watching Nebraska play this year, I am a little hesitant to put my faith in Kevin Cosgrove's defense. However, I think the players step it up and get a big win for the program and take the next step to getting to the conference championship for the second straight year.

Ohio State 27 - Purdue 20

I will be honest, I have not been too impressed with the Big 11 this year. This game, however, has two of the better teams squaring off. A match-up of Ohio State's defense against Purdue's offense. They don't say defense wins you championships for nothing. Unless, in Ohio State's case, they are playing Florida. Even though this one is in West Lafayette, I think Ohio State is just a better team. I don't think this will be a very exciting game to watch, unless of course, you are an Ohio State or Purdue fan. Look for a late touchdown drive by Ohio State to seal the deal.

Virginia Tech 17 - Clemson 28

Clemson shit the bed last weekend. Don't get me wrong, Tech is a good team but Clemson is better. Classic Tommy Bowden. This year, however, Clemson will pull it back together and get on the right track. Va Tech's d is pretty stout but Clemson's "Thunder and Lightning" is a tall order to stop. A night game in Death Valley is not a welcoming proposition for an opposing team. That place will be nuts. Look for Clemson to bounce back into ACC contention this weekend.

Cincinnati 21 - Rutgers 28

I really want to pick Cincinnati in this game just because it is Cincinnati. However, Rutgers will be pissed off after the loss to Maryland and will be looking to put it on big time. Add to it that the game is at home and Rutgers should look a lot better than they did last week. I am still on the fence, in regards to Cincinnati. They have looked good this year against mediocre competition. They did, however, smash Oregon State. There are good times to come in Cincinnati, especially with the arrival of Demetrius Jones, but they are still behind the upper echelon of the Big East (if there is such a thing). Look for Ray Rice to tow the load this weekend and get Rutgers back on track.

Joe Tiller to Retire?

According to Tom Dienhart of the Sporting News (via yahoo), Joe Tiller wants to go out on a high note. This would be somewhat shocking and makes you wonder if he wants a new challenge.

Thor's Hammer gives you Blockbuster Saturday's Winners

Holding the slightest of leads over Great Odin's Raven, the pressure is palpable. I could really use a week in which all of the games were relatively easy to pick so as to build on said lead. But alas, it is not to be. This was the red letter week entering the season and, while many of the participants lost last week, (some worse than others) this is still the marquee weekend of the year. There are 6 games between top 25 teams and all of which will have an impact on the BCS bowls. Add to that the UGA-TENN and WISC-ILL games and you have one hell of a weekend. Without further ado, here are your week 6 locks.


South Carolina 27- Kentucky 24 (10/4)

The Wildcats are the talk of the SEC and are the only undefeated Eastern division team. Having already beaten Arkansas and Louisville they have has their fare share of big games making them battle tested. However, they now must go on the road and play the best defense that they have faced all year. The Gamecocks will not be at full strength as Jasper Brinkley, the defensive leader and LB, is out for the season but this team will still get after it on defense. With or without Brinkley, this is stil the best defense that Kentucky has faced. This game will be won or lost when South Carolina is on offense. If the Cocks can put up 25+, they should win this game. This is a night game in Columbia so the crowd will be in to it making it that much more difficult for Andre Woodson and Co. I expect that the Gamecocks will at least slow Woodson down and limit Kentucky as much as possible. The Evil Genius wins again, putting the Cocks into the top 10.

LSU 27 - FLA 21

This was going to be the game of the year until Florida tripped over their dick last week. While this is still going to be the marquee game amongst marquee games it has certainly lost some of its luster. The Fighting Tebow's had a rough game against Auburn in what was a very surprising loss and now find themselves in a must win situation should they want to repeat as national champions. The Gator's are weak on the corners when playing D which is where LSU should make their money on Saturday utilizing their advantage with Brandon LaFell and Early Ducet. Until Tebow can get a running back to take some pressure off of him I won't be completely sold on this team. Meanwhile, LSU is playing at home...again and at night. Look at the history of LSU when they play at night and you will see a team that is nearly impossible to beat. While I am not sold on Flynn at QB, I am sold on the best defense in the country (yes, better than USC) which is what will keep this game from being as close as the score would indicate.


Oklahoma 38 - Texas 20

This game reminds me of the Red River Shootouts...I mean rivalry that took place Pre-Vince Young. Before Mack Brown learned how to coach (read: got Vince Young) Bob Stoops and OU would embarrass him on national television. Get ready to see more of that. OU fell asleep at the wheel last week in boulder (smokin' dat weed, perhaps?) after leading by 17 at the half. Clearly looking ahead to Texas most likely cost OU a shot at the title which means they are going to be pissed come Saturday. This year's Texas team is simply not that good (refer to the ARK ST and UCF games) and Mack Brown is the most overrated coach in America. Unless Vince suits up for the 'Horns look for Allen Patrick, DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown to run all over Texas enabling Sam Bradford to kill the 'Horns with some play action.


Georgia 27 - Tennessee 24

Mark Richt is an astonishing 9-2 against ranked SEC teams on the road and has won the last 3 games in Neyland stadium. Fat Phil will be on the hot seat should the Vols finish anything less than 2nd in the SEC East (which they will) meaning that this game could determine how much longer he roams the sidelines for Tennessee. UGA has played well the last 2 weeks and are fast enough on D to keep up with the potent Vols attack. The weakness of Tennessee is clearly their defense which is where this game will be won or lost. If the Dawgs can run the ball effectively and not make Stafford throw the ball 30 times UGA should leave Knoxville a winner once more. Look for Brandon Coutou to hit a game winning FG with under 2 minutes to play setting up a late Asher Allen INT to seal the deal.


Ohio State 30 - Purdue 21

The Boilermakers are coming off of a less-than-impressive victory over lowly Notre Dame and have yet to play a team with a defense like Ohio State. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have yet to face an offense as potent as the one Joe Tiller and Co. will bring to the field Saturday in West LaFayette. This looks like a classic Jim Tressel game where he comes in a runs the ball to set up some big plays and lets his D win the game for him. While Purdue will put up some points on the Buckeyes, they simply don't have the horses on offense or defense to pull this game out. Now, the last time Purdue hosted Ohio State when they were a top 5 team it took a 4th and 12 deep bomb to Michael Jenkins to beat the Boilers. Don't expect a repeat as Ohio State goes ahead in the 3rd quarter and puts Purdue away.


Nebraska 38 - Missouri 35

The Big 12 media writers chose Missouri as the favorite to win the North division. Yet somehow this game feels like Nebraska should be the team to beat even though they are a touchdown underdog. Both teams feature a stout offense. Missouri has the 12th best offense (scoring offense, the only one that matters) led by Chase Daniel (ranked #5 in offense by an individual player). Nebraska is not too far away from the Tigers as they are ranked #25 in soring offense. If offense was all that mattered when it came to winning football games, Gary Pinkel and Bill Callahan would be football savants. Therein lies the problem; winning football games requires a defense. Missouri is ranked smack dab in the middle in scoring defense coming in at #58 in the country while Nebraska is even worse coming in at #67. Neither team has been able to stop anyone all season. However, the Huskers have played a much tougher schedule (#33-#95) and took it to Missouri last year winning 34-20 in a game where the Huskers were up 27-3. Gary Pinkel's best record in the Big 12 is 4-4 in his 6 seasons as head coach. The next big win for the Tigers will be their first under Pinkel. Give me the Huskers in a shootout in an homage to the old Pac 10 where defense was optional.


Clemson 20 - Virginia Tech 17

This is a must win game for Clemson if they want any chance at an ACC title. After losing to Georgia Tech last week the Tigers can ill afford another conference loss. Virginia Tech virtually disappeared after they were dumped on by LSU and the Hokies are coming into this game having been nothing if not average in every game that they have played (not counting the ass whooping in Baton Rouge...where they were dreadful). I like Clemson to get healthy this week by using the best RB combination outside of the Arkansas. Virginia Tech's offense has sputtered under the direction of true Freshman QB Tyrod Tayler, but anything is better than Sean Glennon. The Hokie defense can only keep you in the game, you'd better have an offense that can put points on the board. The Tigers ride James Davis and CJ Spiller but they win the game on a Mark Bucholtz FG (that's redemption with an R-O-N for those of you who were wondering).


Rutgers 24 - Cincinnati 21

The Cincinnati Bearcats boast the most opportunistic defense in the country leading the nation if TO's gained and TO margin. This is not a one trick pony however. The Bearcats also bring the #6 scoring offense to the table averaging over 46 points per game. They have blasted Oregon State already and now look to take Rutgers down for a 2nd year in a row. The Scarlet Knights aren't that bad either, coming in at #13. Rutgers is coming off of a home loss to Maryland but have yet to lose to a Big East foe. The Scarlet Knights should be jacked up for a game that may determine who wins the Big East. I am not sold on either team as Rutgers has played no one and has a loss and Cincinnati has only beaten Oregon State. I like Rutgers to defend their home turf ending Cincinnati's undefeated season. Look for Ray Rice to get the ball 30 times and run for over 150 yards.

Week 6 Picks: A Preview

Wow, what a great slate of games this weekend. Look for the picks to come in a little later (FRI) due to a busy schedule (tests and what not) plus I need more time to figure out who in the hell is going to win games on "showdown Saturday," or whatever the hell ESPN will call it, featuring 7 games between top 25 teams.

Marquee games this weekend:

#8 Kentucky vs #11 South Carolina (10/4, ESPN)
#9 Florida vs #1 LSU (CBS)
#19 Texas vs #10 Oklahoma (ABC)
#12 Georgia vs Tennessee (CBS)
#25 Nebraska vs #17 Missouri (ESPN)
#4 Ohio State vs #23 Purdue (ABC)
#15 Virginia Tech vs #22 Clemson (ESPN)
#20 Cincinnati vs #21 Rutgers (ESPN2)

What we learned this weekend...

As the dust settled from a crazy weekend of upsets, the Top 10 found themselves licking the wounds from the buzzsaws that were look ahead games. Oklahoma, Florida, West Virgina (not a spelling error), Texas and Rutgers all succumbed to lesser opponents and officially shook up the BCS (even though the BCS poll is not out yet). I would be willing to bet that there haven't been that many losses in the top 10 in one weekend ever. I could be wrong but I don't care. Half of the teams lost. The biggest loser after the weekend is, undoubtedly, The Big East. The last two weekends have proven to be hell on earth for the Big East. South Florida excluded. The two powerhouses in the conference, or so we thought, heading into the weekend both lost (Rutgers and WVU). Thus, leaving South Florida as the only unbeaten, of significance, left in the conference. No offense to South Florida, but I would be shocked if they make it through the year undefeated. Who is the next biggest loser? Ah, that would be the Big 12/Red River Shootout. The big 12 went from two teams in the top 10 to no teams in the top 10. As for the Red River Shootout; it went from being a battle of top 10 unbeatens to a battle of two one loss teams. Don't get me wrong, the game will still be a heated battle and one that should make for some good entertainment, but it lost a little bit of it's luster. Last on the "biggest loser" list would be the Florida v.s. LSU game. Man, a night game in Red Stick...I mean Baton Rouge between the number 2 and 4 teams in the country. Not too mention the Tim Tebow express rolling into town. What a game. This game will still be the marquee game of the weekend, and Florida showed us last year that one loss doesn't ruin a season, but it has been slightly tarnished by UF's loss to Auburn. Meanwhile, out on the west coast, it became clear that USC is going to have some stout competition for the Pac-10 crown as Oregon and Cal duked it out in Autzen Stadium. Both teams showed explosive offenses, however, I believe it will be the defenses that cause their undoing. In the heartland, we learned that Wisconsin is the most mediocre number 5 team ever but more importantly, we learned that Notre Dame still sucks. Don't look now, but I believe the BCS is considering giving Notre Dame an at large berth again this year. Coach Weis, did you use the boilermaker recipe I gave you last week? In the Southeast, we learned that Tommy Bowden did it again. What is "it" you ask? "It," would be underacheiving for the umpteenth straight season. We also saw that St. Saban is going to need a little more than 5 games to return Alabama to prominence, much to the chagrin of crazy bama fans. Now, I'm fittin' to enhance yo brain with a little nugget for thought. BCS title game match-up...South Florida v.s. Ohio State. It's not as unfeasible as one might think.

DeAngelo Hall Is Such A Prick

Living in the ATL, we here at the Gods of the Gridiron have the pleasure of listening to the musings of DeAngelo Hall. Thanks to Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via the Big Lead) the rest of the nation gets to enjoy listening to the jackass as well. MeAngelo, as many in ATL know him, could be on his way out.

"I want to be respected. I don’t just walk up to people and [curse at] them all the time. But you can ask [former coach Jim Mora]: If he [cursed] me, I [cursed] him right back. That’s probably my biggest problem, that equality."

--DeAngelo Hall