Gods of the Gridiron

Clemens Going Down...Does Anyone Care?

2008-02-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

Roger Clemens is getting a mixed bag on the Hill today. At one point a Congressman from Missouri (can't remember his name) asked what uniform Clemens would wear into the Hall of Fame. This was followed by Chairman Waxman's hammering of Clemens about his little discussion with his ex-nanny. Brian McNamee has looked both good and horrible today with the highlight coming when a Republican from Indiana (aren't they all Rep's in Indiana?) grilled McNamee on his false statements from the past. McNamee looks like the classic snitch in that he most likely is telling a great deal of truth but the fact that he is shady as hell will certainly open himself up to attacks.

On a personal level, I honestly don't care about the steroids issue. I know, I must be a horrible person. While ESPN et al. would like you to think this is the most important issue of the year I simply don't buy it. Fans went to baseball games in record numbers last year and whether people (read: the Media) want to admit it or not they like the home runs and the freakish size of the players. Watching a 2-0 baseball game is nice every now and then but let's be real. A 7-5 game is much more enjoyable to most people and therein lies the problem which baseball faces. While the media and the Congress want these drugs out of the game they are good for business and baseball is a booming business.

Why Don't I Care About The Super Bowl?

2008-01-31T10:56:00.001-08:00

I have not been this apathetic towards a Super Bowl since the 2000 Ravens-Giants sleeper. It must be something with the Giants because I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why I don't care about this game. On paper you would think that a team going for 19-0, a feat I never thought possible, would be enticing to an NFL fan such as myself. But alas, it isn't so. I could care less about Brady's ankle, or Belichick's redemption or whether or not Eli's head will litterally explode during the rendition of the National Anthem (check that, I actually do have interest in seeing that...and I even like Eli).

What interests me more are the prop bets that I could have made had I lived in Las Vegas. My favorite has to be the odds of half time performer Tom Petty burning the hippie lettuce whilst on stage. If there is someone cool enough to do that and not get shot by NFL security it might just be Petty. I got five on it! Another one of the props that intrigues me is the number of times Joe Buck will reference Peyton Manning. Poor Eli. He gets into the Big Game and people still want to hear about Peyton. I would rather bet on how many times it takes Buck to mention Tiki Barber's name before it sends Tiki into a rage a la Grand Theft Auto. Now that would be great TV. Have Tiki on the sideline with an ear piece and show his face everytime Buck drops a line about how this team just rallied around Eli after Tiki left. I will set the over/under on 7 mentions before Tiki chokes Pam Oliver in front of 80,000 screaming (or is it thankful?) fans.

At least the Super Bowl has all of he peripheral items blended into the game itself (commercials, cool parties) that can lessen the inevitable blow of a rout. While I would love to see the Hoodie take one on the chin and get dumped by Gomer's little brother I just don't see it. Plexiglass has run his mouth too much and I expect the Pats to come out smoking (like Tom?) and take it to the Giants.

Pats 37 - Giants 23

Format Change

2008-01-29T18:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Reader(s),

We here at the Gods of the Gridiron entered the blogosphere for the first time this past September with the idea of giving another perspective on college football. Now that we have gotten our feet wet, so-to-speak, we are branching out and decided to begin anew and cover all things sports related. Well, maybe not all things as hockey simply bores the hell out of us. We hope you like what we have to offer in terms of random posts as well as some Big Lead-style rundowns from time to time. We look forward to getting started and hope you enjoy what is to come.

Sincerely,

Guys with too much time on their hands.

Insanely Early 2008 Top 10

2008-01-16T11:07:00.000-08:00

We hear at the Gods feel that pre-season polls do more harm than good but as long as everyone else is doing them we might as well have some fun, right? Now that all of the underclassmen have declared for the draft we have a better idea of what teams should look like come September (is it really that far away?). Some of the big winners in terms of players staying includes Ohio State and Missouri while the big loser was certainly Oklahoma (3 All-Americans gone). There were also some teams that are so young (UGA and Florida) that players couldn't have left even if they wanted to. Not surprisingly, those teams start very high on this list. So, without further ado, here is the super-early-bird-special 2008 top 10.

#1. Georgia: 17 starters return from a team that finished #2 in 2007. 4 starters are back on the offensive line as well as Jr. QB Matt Stafford and Soph. RB Knowshon Moreno, Sr. FB Brannan Southerland and Sr. WR Mohamed Massaquoi. On defense the Bulldogs will feature one of the best secondaries in the nation and may have the fastest LB corps to boot. The main problem for UGA next year will be a brutal schedule which features road games against Arizona State, LSU, Auburn, South Carolina, Kentucky and a "neutral" game in Jacksonville against Florida. This is added to their home schedule of Tennessee and Alabama as well. Good luck with that Dawg fans. Projected Finish: 11-1 (at best; the schedule is simply too tough).

#2 Florida: The Gators bring back Heisman winner Tim Tebow, stud WR Percy Harvin and stud TE Cornelius Ingram on an offense that was dynamite last season. Add USC transfer Emmanuel Moody at RB and the Gators could very well boast the best offense in the nation next year. On defense they bring back a ton of starters (albeit starters from a bad defense) who now have a season of experience under their belts. The D cannot possibly play as bad as they did last year which should help put the Gators back into the national title hunt. Just like any other year the Gators have a tough slate of games which includes LSU, UGA, Tennessee, Miami, Florida State and Arkansas. While their schedule is not as tough as UGA's it certainly has its share of difficulties. Projected Finish: 10-2 (defense lets them down twice)

#3 Missouri: This pains me greatly as I cannot stand the Tigers but their team is poised to make a run at a title next season. Sr. QB Chase Daniel will enter the season as a top Heisman candidate while stud Soph. WR/KR Jeremy Maclin should have another freakish year. Their schedule is nothing like Florida's or Georgia's next season but they do open up with Illinois (sans Mendenhall) and must travel to Texas (assumed loss). Aside from that they have a fairly easy road to hoe as they get Kansas on a neutral field and KSU, CU and Okla St. at home. They have only 4 total road games (way to go AD) which include Nebraska, Iowa State, Baylor and aforementioned Texas. If they finish anywhere worse than 10-2 someone should be shot. Projected Finish: 11-1 (loss to Texas...the only truly good team they will play)

#4 USC: The Trojans have to replace some solid SR leadership with LB Keith Rivers and OT Sam Baker graduating but they are certainly not devoid of young talent. Soph. RB Joe McKnight has been the latest to get the "next Reggie Bush" tag put on him and the young stable on WR's should be vastly improved by September. On defense the Trojans will bring back freak SS Taylor Mays, stud LB's Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga but must replace star DE Lawrence Jackson and stud DT Sedrick Ellis. Once again USC proves that their balls are bigger than your balls by opening up at Virginia then hosting Ohio State before jumping into Pac 10 play immediately following that. I am not sold on Mark Sanchez as their QB but Mich Mustain could supplant him and run the Trojans' offense instead. Projected Finish: 11-1 (upset loss on the road in Pac 10 play)

#5 Ohio State: This may pain me even more than having Mizzou so high as this team has proven three years running that they cannot handle athletic teams. Their only "big" win in the last 3 years came against Texas when Colt McCoy was starting his 2nd game. However, they have the best RB in the nation as well as the best LB in the nation which is always a good thing. They managed to keep their stud LT and shutdown corner and should make another solid run for second place in 2008. They have the marquee non-conference game next season when they travel to Compton to take on USC (chalk that up to another loss) but aside from that their schedule shapes up for another 10-11 win season and the now annual embarrassment in a BCS title game. Projected Finish: 10-2 (upset loss to Michigan and hammered by USC)

#6 Oklahoma: The Sooners would have been in the top 3 had Reggie Smith, Malcolm Kelly and Curtis Lofton opted to stay for their senior seasons but alas, it wasn't meant to be. QB Sam Bradford needs to avoid the Sophomore slump that plagued Colt McCoy this season if he wants to repeat as Big 12 champions. Demarco Murray should be the feature back for the Sooners next season and he will have the pleasure of running behind one of the best o-lines in the nation. On defense they will sorely miss Smith and Lofton but Stoops always seems to reload there so until further notice you should expect the same. The Sooners do not have an easy schedule as they have non-conference games with Cincinnati, TCU and Washington as well as games against Kansas and Nebraska from the North. Add to this the brutal Big 12 South and OU would be lucky to get out of that division alive. Projected Finish: 10-2 (loss to Texas and Oklahoma State).

#7 Texas: The Longhorns had back-to-back "disappointing" seasons according to fans but that should change next season. The biggest off season hire of any team, head coach or otherwise, may very well be the hiring of Will Muschamp as the new DC. Muschamp is one of the best DC's in the nation and an excellent recruiter which should make what was a listless defense downright scary in the coming years. Texas loses Jamaal Charles to the draft but should be able to reload as there are always RB's at Texas. McCoy should have a better grasp on the offense and if he can cut down on the interceptions Texas should be able to win the Big 12 next season. Their schedule shapes up nicely as they get Arkansas in a transition year and play 3 cream puffs to round out their OCC. Aside from the showdown with Oklahoma the game with Missouri will make or break their year. If they can beat Mizzou (and I think they will) they could be looking at a BCS birth. Projected Finish: 11-1 (upset loss to Texas Tech).

#8 LSU: The Tigers lose 7 starters from a defense that led them to the 2007 BCS title. Gone are Glen Dorsey, Craig Steltz and Chevis Jackson as well as stud LB Ali Highsmith. LSU has been recruiting very well which should help soften those losses but losing DC Bo Pelini is also a huge loss. On offense they Tigers lose starting QB Matt Flynn, workhorse RB Jacob Hester and star WR Early Doucet. They do have a more talented (albeit not as intelligent) QB in Ryan Perriloux returning as well as a slew of capable RB's. Now, just like Georgia and Florida, LSU will have to run the gauntlet that is the SEC if they want to repeat as National Champions which includes games @Florida, @South Carolina, @Auburn and @Arkansas as well as home games against Georgia and Alabama. Projected Finish: 9-3 (losses to UGA, Florida and Alabama).

#9 Texas Tech: The Red Raiders bring back star QB Graham Harrell and WR Michael Crabtree as well as all 5 starting offensive lineman. Add to that the fact that 9 starters return on defense (even though they sucked on D last year...hey, you would think they have to get a little better, right?) and you have a potential top 10 team. Once again Texas Tech plays one of the most pathetic non-conference slates in all of college football. This should be 2008's version of Kansas as they tee it up with SMU, Nevada and Umass (they have a football team?). They open up with Tulsa which should shatter records for most offense as well as becoming the longest non-overtime game in NCAA history. They must travel to Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M but they do get to host Texas and Oklahoma State (we can only hope for another Gundy melt down after that one). Projected Finish: 10-2 (losses to Oklahoma and Kansas).

#10 Kansas: The Jayhawks preyed on one of the softest schedules in history last season in getting them to their first BCS bowl games. Next season won't be the same. While they bring back 9 starters on defense and 7 on offense the schedule gets much more difficult with road trips to South Florida, Oklahoma and Nebraska as well as home games against Texas Tech and Texas. While I do think this should be another solid team last year they played 2 good teams all year and went 1-1. Not so for 2008 as they will feel what it is like to be the hunted. Projected Finish: 9-3 (losses to Texas, Oklahoma and South Florida).

Ohio State Gets A Huge Commit...Sort Of

2008-01-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

Star Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis has decided to hold off on going pro and return to Columbus. He apparently wants to get embarrassed in the title game for a third year in a row. While I always like it when players return to college I honestly don't get this one at all. He must have gotten word that his stock was not as high as ESPN's Todd McShay has previously stated (top 15 pick) because if you are slated to go in the first 15 picks on the NFL draft you would be retarded to stay in school. The risk of injury is simply too high for someone to stick around and what are the odds that he stays in the top 15? I remember a few years ago stud Georgia DE Quentin Moses decided to stay for his senior year when he was projected as a first or second round pick and his stock plummeted. While this is certainly good news for Ohio State it won't make much of a difference unless they surround Laurinaitis with 10 other guys just like him.

Editor's Note: We will have a VERY early top 10 up after the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft has passed (Jan. 15th).

Funny because it is true...

2008-01-11T06:28:00.000-08:00

SEC Speed Wins Again: Ohio State...Go Away!

2008-01-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

Can we have a 2 year moratorium on Ohio State playing SEC teams in Bowl games? Once again the champions of the Little 11 get embarrassed by the big bad SEC. In a game that was not as close as the 2 touchdown score would indicate, LSU took it on the chin for 8 minutes and then blasted Ohio State for the next 52 and took their second BCS title in 5 years. LSU, as was Florida, was the faster, bigger and stronger team and it showed for the vast majority of tonight's game. I don't know why people continue to question the SEC and it's current superiority when they have to know that this is all cyclical. The Big 12 used to be dynamite and is now just recovering. The SEC was not the freaks that they are now just 5 years ago yet people don't want to admit what has to painfully (if you are a Big 10 fan) obvious. It will change, it always does, but right now the SEC is simply too good.

Showdown in Naw'leans

2008-01-07T09:07:00.001-08:00

So the day has finally come. Tonight, after a ridiculously long pregame show (or at least it will seem that way) from crappy-ass Fox ends, Ohio State and LSU will meet to decide who is this year's crystal ball winner. I cannot remember a time when a title game has been less talked about than this one but this is the game we have whether we like it or not. Only in the BCS era can we have a game in which the best 2 teams aren't even playing for the title. Ohio State let it slip that they were planning on playing their dual threat (read: black) QB in tonight's game. You know, the one who was suspended (only half of the season, mind you) for soliciting a prostitute. Why a QB from Ohio State would need to solicit sex from a hooker is beyond me. You would think the Vest would have that kind of thing taken care of for the glamour boys but to each his own. LSU will field their own degenerate back up QB when Ryan "4 Heisman" Perriloux will act as the Tim Tebow of the Bengal Tigers.

I know all of the Ohio State blowhards will tell you that the Vest has learned his lesson and will not be embarrassed like last year but unless his team got remarkably faster over the course of the last year (which it hasn't) or he is playing a team that got remarkably slower since last year (he isn't) I don't think Ohio State has the guns to win it (although if you listen to the national media, or ESPN as I like to call it, Ohio State is the prohibited favorite). Here is why.

LSU has the DB's to be able to play man-to-man coverage with the average Ohio State WR's. While I think Robiskie is a solid player he is nothing special and is not half the WR that Anthony Gonzalez was for the Buckeye's last year and he did very little in that game against Florida. This will enable LSU to bring 8 guys into the box to try and curb Beanie Wells as best they can which will force Todd Boeckman (or however the hell you spell it) to beat them. I am not sure that they can do this which should help LSU keep this Buckeye offense in check for the better part of the game.

On offense LSU does not match up well with Ohio State only in the fact that Matt Flynn simply is not that good. If Flynn plays well this game will be another sleeper but I think he will put his defense in some tight spots with a few key turnovers which should keep this game close throughout . Look for LSU to use Hester as their primary back and give 3 other guys some carries including the tiny, yet incredibly explosive, Trindon Holliday. There are rumblings that LSU has some plays designed to get him on the edge in some funky situations. Ohio State has some nasty players on D which should be enough to keep them in this game but there is simply too much speed on LSU's team for the Buckeye's to handle for 4 quarters.

LSU 24 - Ohio State 21

Muschamp to Tayhah...Look out Big 12.

2008-01-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

The University of Texas has struck black gold, or Texas Tea if you prefer. What is arguably one of the best hires this off season is not a head coach but a defensive coordinator. Will Muschamp, formerly of the Auburn Tigers, has been hired to co-lead the defensive charge for the Longhorns. Anybody that is an SEC fan knows that Muschamp is arguably the best defensive coordinator in all of football. Where as Auburn's offense has sucked ass since the departure of Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown and Jayson Campbell, its defense has been a veritable force to be reckoned with. Muschamp brings a passion and fury to the defensive side of the ball that is rarely seen and his players respond with weekly lights out performances. Needless, to say, those of us in the SEC are thrilled about the departure of Muschamp, however, being that we here at Gods of The Gridiron are also Big 12 fans (specifically Nebraska), we are not so thrilled. Muschamp's decision to leave Auburn, I will admit, came as a shock to most. Although if you ask any Auburn fan, they would say good riddance. Why...? Idiocy. It is the typical defense mechanism that kicks in when a member of your beloved team moves on to somewhere else. What can they say? They are human. The circumstances, under which he left, are also a little odd. Some sources say that is was in part to him getting turned down for extra tickets to the Chick-Fil-A bowl. I will wait a second to continue until you have read the previous sentence again. Yes, that is what you thought you read. I can only hope that somebody that was making roughly $425k a year, didn't leave his job because he couldn't get more "free" tickets to a football game. Good lord, you make $425k a year, go buy them. The more plausible reason would be due to a certain clause in his contract that would allow the University to back out when and if they saw fit. I have to admit, if somebody wanted that in my contract, I would leave as well. Let's be honest here for a second. Auburn is a good football school, which recruits fairly well, however, they are no Texas. The amount of talent that Muschamp will be able to pull from just greatly increased and in a conference where defense is optional at best, the addition of Muschamp should return Texas to the top of the Big 12 heap.

Can we start the games earlier???

2008-01-02T09:38:00.001-08:00

So, I was laying on the couch, recovering from the incredible hangover that I had, while watching The Sugar Bowl. I looked down at my clock and seeing that the fourth quarter was about to start I figured it was 10:30...11 at the latest. But what time stares back at me...? 12:08. Needless to say, I was a little irritated. I wanted to watch the entire game to see the trophy presentation and to watch Georgia completely dismantle a team that truly shouldn't have been playing in a BCS game. Instead, since the alarm would be going off in a little over 7 hours, I headed for the bed. Why does Fox find it necessary to start the games at 8:30 east coast time? In the case of The Sugar Bowl, kickoff wasn't until around 8:52. Add to it that Fox went to commercial every time somebody took a deep breath and that Colt Brennan and Hawaii throw the ball about 80 times a game and you have over 5 hours of actual game play. The game finally wrapped up, or so I was told, around 2 a.m. Look I understand that these games are big money games for the networks but when a game starts, on the east coast, at 8:30 and doesn't end until 2 a.m., then you need to fix some problems. Needless to say, the BCS Championship Game on Monday will probably be a barn burner ala the Texas vs. USC game of 2005 and I will have to stay up until 2 a.m. to see the culmination of this years BCS screw up. Oh well, I might as well get used to it since the system isn't changing anytime soon.

Bowl Bonanza #3: New Year's Eve Bash

2007-12-30T14:30:00.000-08:00

In the busiest day to date we get a great night cap with the Peach Bowl (or Chick-Fil-A) and have some interesting games throughout the day. Florida State will field the JV squad in the Music City Bowl while Oregon limps into the Sun Bowl against South Florida. The feel good story of the bowl season plays out on the NFL network when Indiana takes on Oklahoma State in a surefire shootout. We are almost into the BCS games and Monday's slate will only further our appetite for them.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas, 12:30 ESPN)

California 31 - Air Force 21

California phoned it in more than any other team in the country this year while Air Force took many by storm (including lowly Notre Dame). A lot of people are pegging this game for the upset of the bowl season but I like Cal and their speed to be too much for Air Force. Desean Jackson will be the fastest player the Falcons have seen all year and should create some serious mismatches. Air Force will give it a go for a while but Cal simply has too much depth and speed.

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl (Boise, ID 2:00 ESPN 2)

Fresno State 28 - Georgia Tech 20

Georgia Tech is sans coach and playing out West where their pitiful fan base will not travel. Fresno State always plays big teams tough and Tech is not that good. All are signs why I have GT going down. Tech DC Tenuta won't be there as he has decided to leave the program so the one strong point of the GT team will be without its coach. I know little to nothing about Fresno State but I know all I need to about how average Georgia Tech is.

Brut Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas 2:00 CBS)

South Florida 30 - Oregon 17

Without Dennis Dixon Oregon is lost at sea and that is the case heading into this game. South Florida has a stout D, especially against the run, and should be able to stymie the Duck QB's all day long. The Bulls' offense is not much to write home about but the Oregon D is not the best either. I like the Bulls to put up a TD via the defense and get some solid production out of QB Matt Grothe.

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl (Nashville, Tenn. 4:00 ESPN)

Kentucky 30 - Florida State 20

Florida State will be without 25% of their roster due to the massive suspensions which leaves them very vulnerable. Andre Woodson is a top notch QB who should be able to get FSU in some tricky spots. The Free Show offense is horrendous but it should be able to move the ball on Kentucky at times. This game would have gone to FSU had it not been for that minor cheating scandal. Woodson will win the MVP as he should have a huge day against FSU.

Insight Bowl (Tempe, Ariz 6:00 NFLN)

Oklahoma State 38 - Indiana 30

This should be one of the highest scoring games of the bowl season with both offenses having great skill players. I think OSU has better skill players as a whole and should match up very well with Indiana. The Hoosiers have a great combo of offensive talent in a shifty QB and a dominant WR in 6-foot-6 James Hardy. I like Adarius Bowman of OSU a little better and the spark plug running back for the Pokes is solid. This should be an entertaining game with OSU coming out on top.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Atlanta 7:30 ESPN)

Auburn 17 - Clemson 13

This should be the opposite of the Insight Bowl where defense will rule the day. Auburn has one of the best defenses in the nation led by oft-suspended LB Tray Blackmon. Clemson will be without a few defensive starters due to suspension which should help the always average Auburn offense. There should be some hard hitting defense throughout and some stud RB play as well. Clemson has one of the best RB duo's in the country with James Davis and CJ Spiller while Auburn RB Brad Lester is solid (when not suspended). Look for Auburn to stuff the run and force Clemson to throw the ball where Auburn's D is fierce.

Independence Bowl: A Satan-Versus-Hippy Epic

2007-12-30T14:17:00.000-08:00

Alabama fans went nuts when Saint Saban took all of that chedda' and left the NFL to be the next Bear Bryant. Too bad Saban couldn't have gotten any new players. The Tide went an abysmal 6-6 with the low point coming when they lost to LA-Monroe at home. Saban was given a free pass this season but next year a 7-5 type season will not get it done. Colorado is living off of their freakish upset win over Oklahoma. They have a decent offense and a decent defense but Bama should have the edge in overall talent. I like Bama to win a close game where neither team looks especially good.

Bama 24 - Colorado 20

Bowl Bonanza #2

2007-12-28T17:48:00.000-08:00

For the second day in a row we get a triple header worthy of...well...not that much. Beginning with the Meineke Car Care Bowl (what a douchey name) and ends with the Alamo Bowl. In between the two is the epic contest known as the Liberty Bowl. The only reason to watch this game is the UCF RB, but more on that later. One way to look at it is that after Saturday night we will have cleared the majority of the horrible games and we will be that much closer to the real bowl games. And now, on to the picks.

Meineke Car Care Bowl (Charlotte, NC 1:00 p.m. ESPN)

Wake Forest 24 - Uconn 21

* actual score: Wake 24 - Uconn 10

This game is all about Defense (read: horribly boring) and should be close throughout. Both teams rely on a solid defense and great coaching to win games which means this could turn into quite the chess match. When Wake QB Riley Skinner gets into a rhythm he can be deadly (ask Florida State). Uconn relies on TO's and solid D (as well a BS fair catches) so they should be able to make plays during crunch time as many of their games were close. I think Wake Coach Jim Grobe is one of the best game day coaches in the business and he should be enough to get Wake Forest its first bowl win in a very long time.

Liberty Bowl (Memphis, Tenn 4:30 p.m. ESPN)

Memphis State 20 - UCF 17

* actual score: MSU 10 - UCF 3

This game is really too close to call but I am going with MSU for little more than admiration. Admiration of not only what Mississippi State has done on the field but also how head coach Sylvester Croon has done it: the right way. Croon focuses on defense and motivation and does so with a sense of class and dignity unrivaled in today's game. All of the talk going into this game will center on UCF RB Kevin Smith. Smith is 181 yards shy of Barry Sanders' all time record (note: Sanders played in 3 LESS games than Smith). MSU has been hit-or-miss on defense this year but I like them to step it up and make UCF beat them via the passing game and hold Smith under 180 yards thus keeping the record in Barry's hands.

Alamo Bowl (San Antonio, Texas 8:00 p.m. ESPN)

Penn State 27 - Texas A&M 17

* actual score: PSU 24 - TAMU 17

Texas A&M runs the ball very well. Penn State stops the run better. This is a case of strength versus strength when these two teams square off which should make for some good drama. Penn State as one of the best defenses in the nation led by star LB Dan Conner. Texas A&M will feature a 3 pronged attack with QB Stephen McGee and RB's Michael Goodson and Javorskie Lane. Penn State will force the Aggies to throw the ball and the only good option the Aggies have is in TE Martellus Bennett. I think Penn State can handle all of this and will win going away and give JoePa his 23rd bowl victory.

Bowl Breakdowns: A Triumvirat of Mediocrity

2007-12-28T07:31:00.000-08:00

We get the pleasure of watching 3 meaningless, boring football games today as we are slowly widdling away the horrible bowls. Today we have the Champs Sports Bowl, the Texas Bowl and the always enjoyable Emerald "Nut" Bowl. Rather than having me waxing poetic about the greatness, or total lack thereof, of these games we will cut to the chase and get on with the gettin' on...just like those lovely Song Girls.

Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando, FL 5:00, ESPN)

Boston College 31 - Michigan State 28

* actual score: BC 24 - MSU 21

Matty Ice and Co. should have little worries when it comes to putting up points on MSU as every team that plays the Spartans does that with ease. The problem for BC will be stopping the high powered Spartan offense. Mark D'antonio inherited a great offense when he took over for John L. Smith but has yet to fix the defense. This should be an entertaining game in terms of points scored as both offenses are highly productive. I like the BC defense to make at least one more stop than the Spartans thus taking the game in a shoot out of sorts.

Texas Bowl (Houston, TX 8:00 NFL Network)

TCU 23 - Houston 20

* actual score: TCU 20 - Houston 13

Houston comes into this game without their coach as he has bolted to Baylor (WTF was he thinking?). Houston is known, or at least was known, for their spread passing attack which should make for a decent match up with defensive minded TCU. TCU comes into this game highly disappointed with themselves as they were a pre-season top 25 team that finished at 7-5. Houston is right where they should be in some podunk bowl game that no one cares about. I like the TCU defense to hold Houston in check just enough to get the win. Thankfully this game is on the NFLN so no one will have to watch it.

Emerald Bowl (San Francisco, CA 8:30 ESPN)

Oregon State 30 - Maryland 28

* actual score: OSU 21 - Maryland 14

These are 2 teams that I know very little about. Oregon State gets their star RB Yvenson Bernard back from injury which should bode well for the Beavers. Under Ralph Freidgen the Terps are about as hit or miss as Lindsey Lohan. One game they look like knockouts and the next they are face down in a puddle of their own vomit while attempting to take a line of blow off of a hookers ass (ok, maybe that was a stretch...but not for Lohan). The Beavers will have more fans at the game (assuming people actually show up) but this game really is too close to call. I like Bernard and Co. from the West to redeem Arizona State for their phone-it-in performance from last night.

Philip Rivers and his Mouth of Trash

2007-12-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

Let's be completely honest. Who in the viewing audience thought that it was appropriate for Mr. Rivers to be talking trash to Jay Cutler? I contend that even the strongest Rivers' supporters (his family) were aghast with horror when they saw him jabbering at the Broncos' QB. What has Rivers ever done to be justified for this type of behavior. To me he looks like a rich man's Sam Keller with his shot put release. He is playing with one of the greatest running backs in the history of the NFL in L.T., and has above average talent all over the field when he is behind center. However, I have never gotten the feeling that he is anything but an average QB. Some will say that this is an idiotic opinion because he has led his team to back-to-back solid regular seasons. Despite the fact that the Chargers have been anything but consistent this season, they are still in position to finish 11-5 and champions of the AFC West. I feel that the Chargers are in the position that they are in not because of River's play, but in spite of it. I have watched a great deal of NFL games this year, including many including the Chargers, and I have yet to be impressed with Mr. Rivers. He seems to only be able to make strong throws when his receivers are wide open or make great catches. I never get the feeling that the Chargers are moving the ball because of Philip. This is directly counter to the feeling that I get when I watch the best QB's play. In conlusion, I simply ask Mr. Rivers to shut the hell up.

Holiday Bowl Previes: The First Good Matchup

2007-12-26T20:13:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of bad games on the bowl slate this year but the Holiday Bowl is not one of them. Texas and Arizona State are both high scoring teams (19th and 35th respectively) and this should be a fun game to watch. Arizona State gets it done via the air while Texas chooses to do its work on the ground. Sun Devil QB Rudy Carpenter should be able to attack the much maligned Texas D while Longhorn RB Jamaal Charles should be able to run all over the Sun Devils' defense. The Holiday Bowl always seems to be a shootout and this game should be no different. I like Colt McCoy to make enough plays to win this game in a barn burner.

Texas 38 - Arizona State 35

* actual score: Texas 52 - ASU 34

Motor City Bowl Preview...Does Anyone Even Care?

2007-12-24T16:10:00.000-08:00

Chalk this up into the category of bowl games that no one cares about. Purdue played Central Michigan earlier this year and hammered them in West LaFayette but this looks to be a little closer. Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour has put up some Vince Young-like numbers this season and looks to do the same against a shady Purdue defense. The Boilers will be without star WR Selwyn Lymon as he has been kicked off of the team. Talk about a bad year for Lymon. He gets hit up for a DUI and then gets stabbed in the chest only to be followed by getting booted off of the team. Way to go Selwyn. As for the game itself I am going with the upset and taking CMU. They played much better down the stretch while Purdue really struggled towards the end of the season. There should be a ton of offense on display which always helps the ratings of games in which no one cares about.

Central Michigan 34 - Purdue 31

* actual score: Purdue 51 - CMU 48 (F$!#, so close yet still so far away)

Hawaii Bowl Breakdown...Melikalikimaka

2007-12-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

Boise State finds itself in the Hawaii Bowl a yar removed from its shocking Fiesta Bowl win last year. This year they have to slum it up in Hawaii and take on a decent (at best) East Carolina team in what should be a blowout. The Mini-Lou Holtz coached East Carolina squad is not too bad coming in at 7-5 but when you play the teams that ECU plays that is not that impressive. Boise State hasn't beaten anyone of note but they have gone toe-to-toe with Hawaii. Boise played well in Hawaii and it certainly cannot hurt to be familiar with the setting. Boise has a better coach and better talent which should lead to a decisive score.

Boise State 31 - East Carolina 17

Mea Culpa

2007-12-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

I need to apologize to the readers. I promised bowl breakdowns for every game but as I have been shitfaced for the last couple of days I completely forgot to do breakdowns. But fear not. As I cannot fathom drinking...ever again, and will now do some breakdowns.

Is Something Fishy Going Down in Columbus?

2007-12-20T14:38:00.001-08:00

Earlier today there were reports on all of the major .com's that Ohio State had suspended 2 players for the BCS title game. The 2 players were both corners, one starting and one a solid backup and were said to have violated team rules. Now the team is saying that (gasp!) the starter has NOT been suspended and only the backup was. Now, we don't know what happened but we do know that either all of .com's as well as the Columbus Dispatch were dead wrong or Ohio State is not as saintly as Big 10 Commissioner Jim Delany would have you think. This would certainly not be the first time a school has chosen to suspend the backup and let the stud continue playing (FSU comes to mind during the Peter Warrick fiasco) but if this is in fact as shady as it looks, all of the Ohio State fans need to shut up with the bashing of the "corrupt" SEC. Now, this could all be a case of horrible journalism but something seems a little fishy to me.

Bowl Mania Begins Tonight...Can You Feel The Excitement?

2007-12-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

The 2007/08 bowl season begins tonight with Utah taking on coach-less Navy. With this marking the beginning of the end for this college football season we here at the Gods will predict each of the 32 bowl games with spectacular insight (ok, that last part was total bullshit). Let's get this started with the breakdown of the epic San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. On a short aside, could someone please explain to me why in the hell the good folks of San Diego could not have come up with a better name for a bowl game? That sounds like a financial seminar for the retired community of San Diego and not a bowl game. You guys are better than that. With that over, here is the breakdown of the first of many shitty...I mean fantastic bowl games.

Utah 31 - Navy 20

If Paul Johnson was still the coach of Navy their chances would have increased greatly. Sadly for Navy, he is gone. Utah has a stout defense (something that Navy does not have) and should be able to stymie the option game as they have had plenty of time to study it. Utah is well coached and has some deceptive speed (read: fast for a bunch of white kids) and should be able to score many-a-point on one of the worst defenses in the nation. Although I suppose when you put all of your effort in defending a nation you can only do so much on a football field. I am sure the ratings for this game will be through the roof thus making the good people of San Diego very happy. There is no truth to the rumour that next year's game will be named the Bank of San Diego's Free Student Checking Chrysanthemum Bowl.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2007-12-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

What is it about this picture that disturbs me so greatly. As a devout Georgia Bulldog fan, I should appreciate the fact that a national media personality such as Colin Cowherd made a visit to Athens for the UGA-Auburn game last fall and was given a personalized jersey. It could only help Georgia nationally when Cowherd has a good experience in Athens. However, the fact remains that I have simply developed a hatred for this man over the past year. I used to enjoy his show and listened on a regular basis. I realize that his job is to create controversy, but it seems that he has gotten more arrogant and all-knowing over the past year. He comes out with these outrageous opinions that aren't based on any semblance of fact. The best example of this syndrome is his treatment of Sean Taylor's murder. Instead of waiting for the facts to come out, he jumped to the conlusion that Taylor's past had a direct influence on his shooting. It turned out that he was dead wrong, and the crime was commited by teenagers in search of an easy score. As a media personality that wields such influence, this attitude strikes me as nothing but dangerous. It seems as if he has become increasingly controversial in an attempt to garner a bigger audience.

With all that being said though, the biggest problem I have with this picture is that Cowherd looks like a gigantic douchebag.

Michigan Tabs Rodriguez as Head Coach

2007-12-16T14:53:00.000-08:00

The University of Michigan has replaced Lloyd Carr with West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez in a hire that has the potential to put the Wolverines back on top of the Big 10.

Rodriguez brings his high powered spread offense to Ann Arbor which is a funny twist as many said Carr's inability to stop the spread offense was his biggest weakness. As the saying goes, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" and that is precisely what Michigan has done. This move will sure make Ohio State nervous as the last 2 teams that ran the spread absolutely torn them a new one.

The deal is worth a reported $2.5 million per year making Rodriguez one of the top paid coaches in the country. It is unknown at this time whether or not Rodriguez will bring his staff with him but one thing is for sure and that is that the Wolverines got the big splash that their fans were looking for.

Petrino or Saban? Take your pick.

2007-12-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

When I heard the news two days ago that Bobby Petrino was leaving the Atlanta Falcons to take the job at the University of Arkansas, I wish I could say that I was surprised. However, given this guy's track record, he's only following a long established pattern of disloyalty and selfishness. At least when Nick Saban left the Miami Dolphins last year, he at least finished the season. He may have lied up until the very end, but at least he didn't quit on his team's fans, the players, and the owner before the season even ended. I'm really at a loss of words to describe the absolute classlessness that Petrino has exhibited over the past few days. I'll just let a few of the Atlanta Falcon's players describe it.

Careful What You Wish For...

2007-12-12T08:50:00.001-08:00

Arkansas got what it wanted on Tuesday evening: A top notch college coach. The problem...He will not be around long enough to fulfill the Razorbacks dreams. As everybody, now, knows, Petrino doesn't stay in one place for very long. Since his hire at Louisville, he has toyed with other jobs in every off season. So it comes as no surprise that he bolted from the Atlanta Falcons. What is a surprise is the way in which he bolted. Petrino, apparently, called in his resignation via cell phone and had a brief, to say the least, meeting with his staff to inform them of his decision. He did not, however, meet with the Atlanta Falcon players. The aforementioned actions can be summed up in one word: CLASSLESS! Maybe I am a little bit biased, seeing as I am a Falcons season ticket holder and if I am, then so be it. He at least could have had the dignity to address his players and offer some kind of explanation. But, what do expect from a man who has made it a habit out lying. Well, I will, at least, say this about Petrino, he is a hell of a college football coach and IF he stays at Arkansas, I have no doubt that he will win there. However, for the time being, I hope that he falls flat on on his face. Good luck Arkansas fans and for your sakes, you should trust Petrino about as far as you can throw him.

It must be hard to be Tim Tebow...

2007-12-10T06:39:00.001-08:00

Man, Tim Tebow is living the dream. Starting quarterback at the University of Florida, National Championship winner, Heisman trophy winner and connoisseur of large breasts. Man, it must be tough. On Saturday, Tebow took home the Heisman and in doing so became the first Sophomore to win the prestigious award. Where as Tebow is definitely deserving of the award this year, I can't help but feel bad for Darren McFadden. Twice now, has he lost out on college football's highest individual honor. Last year McFadden was passed over in favor of Ohio State QB Troy Smith. No offense to Troy Smith, but McFadden was the rightful recipient of the trophy, and what you ask was the reason for withholding the trophy from McFadden? Answer: He was a sophomore. Well, talk about ironic. This year McFadden plays second fiddle again, but this year it is to a sophomore, the one thing that kept McFadden from winning last year. But, all is not lost for RunDMC as he is damn near guaranteed to be the 1st overall draft pick this April (Please go to Atlanta Falcons.). As for Tebow, talk about high expectations. Now, that he has a national championship and a Heisman Trophy in the first two years of his career, how can he possibly top that? Honestly, you really can't top it but you can match it. He still has 2 years of eligibility left and barring injury should be able to continue to put up gaudy numbers. Although, with the introduction of Emmanuel Moody, Tebow's numbers should drop a little. However, he will still be the clear Heisman favorite heading into next year. Will he be able to do something that only one other player in college football has ever done, win the Heisman twice? Only time will tell. Speaking for everybody in the SEC, other than Gator fans, I hope that he doesn't.

2007 Bowl Season Is Here...This Is Me Yawning

2007-12-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

This past season was one of the most exciting college football seasons in history. It began with a bunch of hippies taking down Big Blue (in the Big House no less) and ended with West Virginia losing to a 28 point underdog on its own turf. So it is only logical that we would have been granted the opportunity to watch some great games this bowl season after the great regular season, right?

Wrong. There are 32 bowl games which means that nearly half of all division 1 football teams make a bowl. Well, seeing as how there are only about 30-35 good college football teams in division 1 this causes a problem. I remember when making a bowl game used to mean something and I am only 24 years old. Hell, Alabama made a bowl game. Yes, the same Alabama team that lost to freaking UL Monroe...at home! Florida Atlantic is going bowling too. I cannot wait to see the ratings on their epic tilt with Memphis.

The way I see it there are only 15 bowl games worth watching. If you do the math on that you would realize that this means that there are 17 games that are not only bad, they are atrocious. Now for the rankings. There are some surprises to the list as some BCS games are lower than other non-BCS games but that is to be expected as the BCS is one of the dumber things that the powers that be have given us. The top 5 will have a brief synopsis of things to come while the last 1o aren't quite worthy of my time.

Top 15 Watchable Bowl Games

#1. BCS Title Game: LSU - Ohio State

This is compelling on a number of levels. First, this is for the "title." I put that in quotes because how we will ever know who the best team is without a playoff is beyond me. This is also a very interesting match up that pits the big (slow) Ohio State team up against the athletic (fast) LSU squad. Will we see another rape-job of Ohio State or will the Buckeyes redeem themselves and take home their 2nd title in 5 years. There is no way Ohio State shits the bed for the second year in a row but LSU has too many playmakers for the Buckeyes.

LSU 24 - Ohio State 21

#2. Sugar Bowl: UGA - Hawaii

After last years' Fiesta Bowl everyone will be asking the same question. Can Hawaii be the next Boise State? As a Georgia grad I can already feel the team and the fan base taking the Warriors lightly. This is the same thing that happened to the Dawgs when they played West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl a few years back. If the Dawgs don't prepare for Hawaii like they would against an Auburn team this game will be VERY close. If the Dawgs come to play and bring their "A" game this will be a 25+ point ass kicking. I see Hawaii coming to play and the Dawgs playing their B+ game thus the score will be closer than it should be.

UGA 31 - Hawaii 21

#3. Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma - West Virginia

The Mountaineers epically shit the bed when they performed the choke job of the year by losing to Pittsburgh at home. Oklahoma lambasted Missouri in the Big 12 title game and feel snubbed by getting placed in the Fiesta and not the BCS title game. This game is going to come down to Pat White's arm. The Sooners are going to load up in the box and force WVU to throw the ball. The problem with that is the Sooners have some badasses in the secondary led by Reggie Smith. The Sooners feature the most efficient passer in the country in Sam Bradford and feature a power running game that should give the Mountaineers fits. WVU took UGA by surprise in the Sugar bowl in 2005 but will have that luxury this time around.

Oklahoma 31 - West Virginia 23

#4. Cotton Bowl: Arkansas - Missouri

The hose job of the latest BCS catastrophe went against the Missouri Tigers. Finishing 6th in the BCS and having already beaten both Illinois and Kansas the Tigers were past over by the BCS for both of the aforementioned schools. What do they get instead? A trip to shitty ass Dallas to play Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. The Razorbacks ended on a high note by beating then #1 LSU and look to end Darren McFadden's career with a win. Arkansas will be coached by their defensive coordinator in the game which shouldn't be that big of an issue as Houston Nutt sometimes forgets he has RunDMC in the backfield. There should be a ton of offense in this game and watching the contrasting styles should be worth your 3 hours. I like Arkansas' speed to prevail in a shootout.

Arkansas 31 - Missouri 28

#5. Holiday Bowl: Arizona State - Texas

Both of these teams looked like BCS locks as late as Thanksgiving but both faltered when it mattered most. Arizona State was hammered at home by USC and Texas lost to Texas A&M for the second consecutive year. The Holiday bowl is always fun to watch due to the fact that the defenses usually skip the trip out to Sunny San Diego. I think Arizona State is one of the most overrated teams in the country but Texas may be one of the most underachieving teams in the country. There is a ton of talent on each side of the ball with Texas bringing one of the best backs in the country to the game in Jamaal Charles and star Arizona State QB Rudy Carpenter. This game is almost always a close shootout and I feel that trend will continue.

Arizona State 35 - Texas 34

#6. Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Clemson - Auburn

I like the Tigers/War Eagles in this one as they should be able to contain Clemson's running game.

Auburn 20 - Clemson 14

#7. Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech - Kansas

This will be a very fast defense against a very spread out offense. I like the speed of VT in this one as Kansas hasn't beaten anyone of note all year long.

VT 27 - Kansas 20

#8. Capital One Bowl: Florida - Michigan

Lloyd Carr wants to go out on a high note. Too bad he can't get a horribly slow QB. Florida should light up the slow Michigan D and prove he was worthy of the Heisman.

Florida 34 - Michigan 24

#9. Rose Bowl: USC - Illinois

What a joke this game is. There are at least 3 other teams that deserve to be here more than Illinois. USC will make Juice Williams look horrible and should shut them down all day long.

USC 37 - Illinois 13

#10. Outback Bowl: Wisconsin - Tennessee

Tennessee has a knack for sucking in second tier bowl games but this years team has come on late. Wisconsin plays well in bowl games but this years team is not that good.

Tennessee 24 - Wisconsin 21

#11. Gator Bowl: Virginia - Texas Tech

UVA plays the game like a pro team would. Run the ball and stop the run. Texas Tech doesn't know what it means to run the ball so this should be fun. If Leech stays at Tech the Red Raiders should take this game.

Texas Tech 31 - UVA 28

#12. Music City Bowl: Florida State - Kentucky

The Seminoles had a bad year...again, but they get a shot at one of the top QB's in the nation in Andre Woodson. Kentucky's D is not that good which should keep the Noles in this game.

Kentucky 24 - Florida State 21

#13. Insight.com Bowl: Indiana - Oklahoma State

The feel good story of the year is Indiana making a bowl game on the heels of losing Coach Terry Hoeppner to cancer. Both teams have crazy good offenses and crazy bad defenses which should make for an entertaining game.

Oklahoma State 38 - Indiana 31

#14. Alamo Bowl: Texas A&M - Penn State

The Aggies will be sans coach in this game although that may not be a bad thing. Penn State has one of the most boring offenses in the country but feature a nasty D. Look for the D to carry the day.

Penn State 20 - Texas A&M 17

#15. Champs Sports Bowl: Boston College - Michigan State

Matt Ryan is worth the price of admission. Michigan State has a solid offense under first year coach Mike D'Antonio which should make this game a high scoring affair. I like Matty Ice to take this game and end his great career on a high note.

Boston College 31 - Michigan State 27

Ohio State and the Big 10: Defrauding College Football Fans Two Years Running

2007-12-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

Ohio State...yes, the same Ohio State that did not play a single team in the top 20 at game time. The same team that lost to the only other good team in the Big 11. The same team that won the weakest conference in the BCS and did so only because Illinois wet the bed against Michigan. The same team that played the 43rd toughest schedule (according to CBSsportsline) while Virginia Tech played the 4th toughest schedule and Georgia played the 21st toughest schedule gets the chance at a national title thanks to the great BCS. As the gentlemen at the Big Lead noted, if you learned anything after watching this year's college football slate it should be that a team has ZERO incentive to schedule tough opponents. Why play tough teams when your schedule strength goes unnoticed by the voters?

Oklahoma played and equally average schedule (44th), yet they have quality wins over Texas and Missouri (twice) but they lose out to an Ohio State team whose best win came against a VERY average Wisconsin team. Virginia Tech played the 4th toughest schedule this year while LSU and Georgia played schedules that ranked in the top 26 yet Ohio State, after having won a conference with only 3 ranked teams (and losing to one of them) gets to play for the title. We, as college football junkies at the Gods of the Gridiron, can only hope for a repeat of last years raping of Ohio State.

Right now if Ohio State were to play UGA, USC, LSU or Oklahoma on a neutral field they would be underdogs yet they are #1. But yes, Greg Saunders, this is the best system in place. The same system that puts Kansas in the BCS over Missouri when the Tigers beat Kansas head to head...one freaking week ago. The same system that puts #13 Illinois in the BCS over the same Missouri team as well as a higher ranked Florida and Arizona State team.

The most exciting sport in America gets to what should be the great conclusion and instead of waiting to see 7 amazing games (8 team playoff) we get to see a bunch of computers spit out an undeserving team to play for all of the marbles. What makes this even worse is that we have to hear it from Fox...oh the horror. When we should be seeing LSU play Oklahoma and USC play Georgia we instead get to see Virginia Tech playing Kansas (yes, that Kansas) and Hawaii playing in a BCS bowl game. What a sad state the college football world currently lives in.

An Absolute Clusterf#&k

2007-12-02T17:46:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post a conversation that I had with my girlfriend a few minutes ago while watching the BCS Selection Show on Fox. Keep in mind that she didn't even know what the BCS was until I made her watch the show.

Her: So even if Georgia beats Hawaii, they don’t get to play another game? I don’t get it.

Me: I know, it's a horrible system.

Her: I just thought the point of a championship was to figure out who was the best team. How can you do that if most of these teams don’t play each other during the regular season? It’s ridiculous. It just doesn’t make sense.

Championship Saturday is Here

2007-12-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

I sincerely wish I was more excited about today’s games. It’s very disappointing that Georgia is not playing today, but there are other games that I am mildly interested in. The Conference Championship games in the Big 12, ACC, and SEC should be entertaining affairs. However, I really could give a shit about most of the other games on the slate this week. After a mediocre start to the season in the picks I have gone 21-3 the last three weeks. Let’s hope that trend will continue this week.

Oklahoma 41 Missouri 35

Missouri could very easily win this game. Oklahoma did beat Missouri earlier in the season, but that game was played in Norman. This game will be played on a neutral field, and Missouri has the opportunity to earn a spot in the National Title game with a victory. With that said, Oklahoma is still the better team. I think Missouri will jump out to an early lead, but Oklahoma will come back and pull the victory out in the end.

Virginia Tech 28 Boston College 21

Virginia Tech has really been playing solid ball the second half of the season. With only one really bad loss on their resume (48-7 to LSU), VA Tech still has an outside shot at reaching the BCS Title game. Boston College on the other hand has fallen back to earth pretty hard after a very impressive start to the season. They’ve struggled in virtually every game since reaching the #2 ranking, and that trend will continue in this game. Boston College will stage a late comeback, but it will be too little, too late.

LSU 35 Tennessee 31

LSU should really pound Tennessee, but they seem to play down to their opponent no matter how much is on the line. That will continue in this game, and they will have to score a late touchdown to pull out the victory. Les Miles and Bo Pelini both have one foot out the door for the Tigers, so there is a question about where LSU’s mind will be in this game. Regardless, this game is for the SEC Title and both teams should be jacked up.

USC 35 UCLA 10

Not much to say about this game other than USC should be looking for revenge after last year’s upset loss to the Bruins. Nobody should get too excited about UCLA’s win last week against Oregon because the Ducks started a Leaf at QB. That win really shouldn’t even count for UCLA. The Trojans will win this one big, and provide even more impetus for UCLA to boot Carl Dorrell.

Hawaii 45 Washington 24

There is absolutely no way that Washington can score enough points to stay with Hawaii.

Arizona State 30 Arizona 24

I was torn on this game. I’ll go with Arizona St. because of the home field advantage.

Navy 21 Army 13

I know nothing about either team. I’m picking Navy because they have a much better record, and I think Paul Johnson is a very good coach.

West Virginia 56 Pittsburgh 17

Please God, help Pitt and the “Mustache Man” Dave Wannstedt pull the upset. We need a miracle from God for West Virginia to lose this game.

Prelude to the BCS

2007-11-30T21:19:00.000-08:00

The crazy college football season has one more weekend in which to one up itself. Of course, nobody will be shocked by the outcome, whatever that may be but you can bet that there is still some drama left. After this weekend the BCS picture will be set in stone and another regular season will be in the books. There are only a couple of games this weekend that will actually have an effect on the Championship game but, nonetheless, there are many great games to scope out. Unlike many years, the SEC championship has no bearing on the BCS Championship game but it could possibly be a showcase of both Michigan and Nebraska future head coaches. The two games that have the biggest BCS Championship ramifications are the Big 12 Championship game and the yearly "Backyard Brawl" between West Virginia and Pittsburgh. Needless to say, the folks in Baton Rouge, Columbus and possibly Athens will all be glued to the televisions hoping that the drama can continue for just one more week. Well, here are the picks.

Oklahoma 31 - Missouri 28

Oklahoma took care of business the first time and something tells me that Missouri is foaming at the mouth for a chance at redemption. Honestly, this game will come down to one thing: Oklahoma's defense. If the Sooners D can keep the Tigers from putting up half a century then they stand a good chance of a 2nd straight Big 12 Championship. That, however, is a very big if. What is lost on most people is that Oklahoma has an offense that isn't too shabby either. Look for Bradford and crew to exploit a soft Tiger defense and play their way to another BCS game. Missouri's title hopes come crashing down.

Boston College 10 - Virginia Tech 21

Virginia Tech dominated the last meeting for all but 5 minutes. Those 5 minutes, however, contained 14 BC points and led to a BC victory. Va Tech hasn't forgotten that. The, usually, mediocre Hoakie offense has actually looked decent in the last couple of weeks and like typical Va Tech football, the defense is stout. I think the revenge factor will be enough for the Hoakies to pull out the victory and an ACC title for Beamer. They will most likely get a another shot at their opponent from last years Chick-Fil-A bowl: UGA.

LSU 21 - Tennessee 28

This is a reach but I just have the feeling that all of the chaos swirling around Baton Rouge will have a negative effect on the Tigers. It is no secret that Les Miles and D-Coordinator Bo Pelini could be leaving. Tack on the fact that LSU has next to no shot at a National title and that leads to a half-assed attempt on the field. Just last weekend, the Tigers were sitting at number one holding one of the two slots in the championship game. One week later, they are out of the championship race and are, most likely, losing two of their coaches. I think that will be enough of a distraction for Ainge and the Vols to not take advantage of.

USC 31 - UCLA 20

Karl Dorrell is out the door and man, did he screw up a great job. Anyways, USC is finally looking like the team that everybody expected at the beginning of the year, while UCLA is looking like the complete opposite of what we thought at the beginning of the year. Ultimately, the Trojans are just better. Oh, don't forget that this UCLA team is responsible for ending USC's title hopes last year. I would be willing to bet that the Trojan's haven't forgotten that.

Washington 21 - 35 Hawaii

Hawaii needs one more win to be guaranteed a BCS victory and they should get it here. Let's be honest, Washington is not a very good football team. With that being said, Colt Brennan and the Warriors should not have a hard time putting points on the board. There really isn't much else to say about this game. Hawaii earns a BCS bid...Woohoo.

Arizona State 31 - Arizona 17

State rivalries. These are usually the nastiest of them all. Arizona State needs this win to give them any hope of a BCS berth. The Sun Devils have a potent offense and should be able to score points on the Cats at will. Coach Stoops and his boys are fairly out manned and barring serious injury (read: Oregon game) they will not have what it takes to make it out of this one.

Navy 35 - Army 14

Navy leads the NCAA in rushing yards per game. In fact, watching Navy reminds you a little bit of old school Nebraska football. You can bet the coach Johnson and the Midshipmen will be doing some serious running on Saturday. I don't think most people realize how incredible of a job that Paul Johnson has done at Navy. To win at one of the academies consistently, is damn near impossible. Hats off to coach Johnson and his staff. Army on the other hand, is not any good. Look for Army to give it hell for about a quarter and a half. After that, Navy will take control.

West Virginia 45 - Pittsburgh 17

This game should be an absolute ass beating. West Virginia has an offense that is damn near impossible to stop. Their only loss this year was without Pat White. This game will be like most rivalry games: One team will play there ass of for about one quarter before ultimately folding. Oh yeah, West Virginia has to win this game in order to play for a National Championship. Something tells me that should be enough incentive to get the Mountaineers a victory.

Week 14 Picks: Championship Saturday

2007-11-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

The season is down to its final week and there is still so much to play for. West Virginia and Missouri are each one game away from making the national title game while other teams are pulling for their counterparts. UCLA may be sans coach should USC take them down in the Coliseum while LSU looks to rebound and take the SEC crown over a game Tennessee squad. We also have the Army-Navy game which is always fun to watch (less for the football and more the atmosphere). Could this be Paul Johnson's last game at Navy? We think yes but stranger things have happened. We also have a great re-match with Boston College taking on Virginia Tech in Jacksonville for the ACC title. There are great games this weekend and after Saturday be prepared for the onslaught of bitching amongst fans bases across the country. With that in mind here are your Championship Saturday locks.

Oklahoma 38 - Missouri 35

Missouri has a fantastic offense led by Heisman candidate Chase Daniel and should put up enough points to win this game. The problem is Oklahoma has QB Sam Bradford back and their offense may be just as effective as Mizzou's. This game will come down to which defense can stop the other (even if it is only one stop). If I were a betting man I would bet on the Sooners stepping up and making a play on defense and win this game in a shootout in San Antonio thus ending the Tigers dream season and relegating them to the Cotton Bowl.

West Virginia 41 - Pittsburgh 24

As a Georgia grad and avid fan I am pulling hard for Pitt knowing that it is futile. The Mountaineers have a dynamic backfield and should run all over the porous Pitt defense. The Panthers may make this a go for a half (I doubt it) but the fact that WVU is playing at home and they have everything to play for while Pitt may want to throw the game to get rid of Dave Wannstedt (only kidding...maybe). WVU should roll right into the BCS title game in N'awlans.

LSU 34 - Tennessee 28

Erik Ainge is the best QB no one wants to talk about but their run in the SEC is about to come to an end. LSU could be reeling after blowing their chance at a national title but as everyone who knows SEC football knows that at the beginning of the year an SEC title is the #1 goal. Les Miles may be on his way out and DC Bo Pelini could follow which is why I feel this game will be close and why I expect the Vols to put up some points on the once stout Tiger D. LSU QB Matt Flynn may be out of this game but I feel that Perriloux is a better QB, albeit an idiot who cannot keep himself out of trouble, and the offense opens up greatly with Perriloux under center. Look for this to be a close game (does LSU do it any other way?) with the Tigers pulling it out in the 4th.

Virginia Tech 24 - Boston College 21

The Hokies were stung by Matt Ryan in the final moments at home earlier in the year and they are looking for some payback. The Hokie defense looks as good as ever now that they have their full squad and should give the Golden Eagles fits. The Hokies are going to use the 2 QB system in hopes of achieving a Florida-like offense and so far so good. The Hokies are on a roll as of late and what was once looking as a lost season will end up in the Orange Bowl. Look for a tight game throughout with a key turnover leading the Hokies to a victory.

USC 31 - UCLA 13

USC wants to smack the Bruins around after last years upset in the Rose Bowl and this looks like a public funeral in the making. The Bruins are a banged up team while the Trojans have never been healthier. While it may benefit the Trojans in the long run to lose this game thus keeping the inept Karl Dorrell as UCLA head coach but this is not going to happen. The Trojans are one of the hottest teams in the country and should keep up that pace with a beatdown of their in-city rivals from Westwood. At least the Bruin fans can look forward to basketball season.

Hawaii 38 - Washington 28

Hawaii is one game away from the most undeserved BCS bowl in history. Having played one decent team all year the Warriors are one game away from a date with either LSU or Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl. Washington is a team that began with promise but has faded as the season has gone on and nothing that they have done lately points towards an upset this week. Colt Brennen should have his usual 50+ attempt, 400+ yard and 4+ touchdown game as the Warriors make their way to a BCS bowl.

Arizona State 30 - Arizona 23

Arizona State is still in the hunt for the Rose Bowl but having to pull for UCLA over USC is a long shot to say the least. Arizona is playing for pride as they have yet again underachieved under Mike Stoops. The Wildcats should make this a game as rivalry games rarely end in blow outs but Arizona State has too much on offense and playing at home should count for something.

Navy 38 - Army 24

Paul Johnson wants to go out with a bang and beating a bad Army team should do just that. While this will be a game for a half (Army has WAY too much pride to get housed from jump street) Navy's offense is too good for the boys from West Point to handle. The triple option that Navy uses is very difficult handle when you rarely see it and this game should be a perfect example of that.

RIP: Sean Taylor

2007-11-27T06:07:00.000-08:00

In what will most assuredly be one of the saddest stories of the year, Redskins safety Sean Taylor has died today from a gun shot wound suffered yesterday. Apparently he walked in on a robbery and was shot in the leg striking his femoral artery. He was 24 years old and had a 1 year old daughter. Some punk bitch took a little girl's father for a freaking TV...such a sad world in which we live.

Head Are Rolling

2007-11-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

Sweet Jesus it is a bad time to be a bad coach. With the season not even finished yet the number of coaches that are getting the ax is amazing. The following is a list of the known coaching vacancies (in order of best to worst job) and their most likely replacements.

Michigan:

Out: Lloyd Carr

Most likely replacement: Kirk Ferentz. We all know Miles has been mentioned but the Michigan AD loves Ferentz and there have been reports that there is mutual interest. On a short side note, it seems that Michigan is trying to get the most overrated coach in the nation when they could go get any young gun...simply amazing. Ohio State will rule the Big 11 for the next 20 years at this rate.

Nebraska:

Out: Bill Callahan

Most likely replacement: Bo Pelini. While we here at the Gods feel that there were better candidates, Tom Osborne loves Bo and the fans see him as a hero of sorts after his one year at Nebraska as their DC. Look for this to be announced in the near future.

Texas A&M:

Out: Dennis Francione

In: Mike Sherman. An ex-Aggie coach and former Green Bay Packer coach was hired out of the blue as his name was never mentioned in the search (props to AD Bill Byrne). It appears the Aggies will go to the West Coast offense so if you are an A&M fan good luck with that.

Ole Miss:

Out: Ed Orgeron

Most likely replacement: Houston Nutt. Jim Donnan said today on a radio show in Atlanta that he knows "for a fact" that Nutt has been offered the job at Ole Miss. Now the Rebel fans can see what a team looks like when it cannot throw the ball...oh wait, they had that the past 3 years.

Arkansas:

Out: Houston Nutt

Most likely replacement: Mike Leech. On the same radio show as mentioned above, Jim Donnan said he knows that Leech is the favorite to get the job in Arkansas which would be a huge change from Nutt. Leech actually knows how to throw the ball which is something the Razorbacks have never seen under Nutt.

Georgia Tech:

Out: Chan Gailey

Most likely replacement: Paul Johnson. Johnson knows the south (former Georgia Southern HC) and is a hot name in the coaching community. Anytime you can win at Navy you have proven that you are a good football coach. Now we can watch GT attempt to run the option on Virginia Tech, Miami and FSU...no worries there.

Washington State:

Out: Bill Doba

Most likely replacement: Bill Callahan? This is a total guess but he is a great offensive mind and can recruit very well. As long as he doesn't bring his defensive staff with him this would be a big upgrade for Wazzu.

SMU:

Out: Phill Bennett

Most likely replacement: Dennis Francione. His name has been mentioned and he has great ties in the state of Texas. SMU has a history of hiring coaches once their star has fallen a bit and Francione has had success at smaller schools (TCU for one).

Baylor:

Out: Guy Morris

Most likely replacement: Who cares? We honestly don't know now that Mike Singletary has shot them down. Baylor will never win in the Big 12 as they aren't committed to doing so. The Big 12 should kick them out and take TCU...Baylor is a joke.

Duke:

Out: Ted Roof

Most likely replacement: Who cares X2? This team should fold their program and we aren't even kidding. They can win in Basketball because getting 5-7 players through the admissions requirements is not impossible but getting an entire football team is. They could allocate money to other places as Duke will never win when they go up against teams like FSU, VT, MIA, BC, UNC, GT, CLEM, etc...Maybe they should give the money to the lacross team...just a thought.

All Signs Point To Bo Pelini Heading North

2007-11-26T14:25:00.000-08:00

From all of what we can find out it appears that Bo Pelini will be announced as the next head coach at the University of Nebraska. Tom Osborne has interviewed him already and the team is having a meeting today (Nov, 26th) and it has been widely speculated that they will learn that Bo will be their next coach. As a longtime Nebraska fan I can say that I am not overly thrilled about the hire as I think there were some better choices on the board but his defensive pedigree can only be a good thing for a Husker team that is coming off of the worst defensive season in their storied history.

A Return to Respectability

2007-11-21T20:27:00.000-08:00

After suffering through most of the season, Apollo's Creed has put together back-to-back 7-1 weeks in the picks. Look for that trend to continue as we look at this week's slate of games. Rivalry week is upon us, and I could not be happier. Not only do we have a great selection of college games to enjoy over the holiday weekend, but there are 3 NFL games on Thursday that are actually interesting to me. My two favorite NFL teams are in action as the Cowboys will take on the Jets and the Falcons are hosting a banged up Colts team. Although I have no allegiance to either team in the other game on Thanksgiving Day (Detroit-Green Bay), the Lion's game actually should be a fairly good game for the first time in years. In addition to picking our normal group of college games that we do every week, I'm also going to throw in the Thanksgiving Day NFL games as a special holiday treat for our readers. Without further ado, let's get onto the picks.

Missouri 48 Kansas 45

Wow!!! Who would have guessed before the season that this would be the biggest game of the weekend? I really don't have strong feelings about either team in this match-up in terms of making a confident pick, so I'm going to flip a coin in what should be a high-scoring affair. Both of these teams have powerful offenses that have gotten fat against ridiculously bad schedules, but at the same time they have been very impressive. Missouri wins a shootout on a late field goal to spoil Kansas' perfect season.

Virginia Tech 20 Virginia 16

This game is for the ACC Atlantic Division title, and should be a heated affair. Virginia is getting this game at home, and has been very effective at winning the close games this year. However, even at this point in the season I'm still not very confident in their ability to beat a solid team. I just haven't seen it, and Virginia Tech has been playing well lately. They take this game in a close one, and Coach Beamer will take his team to the championship game.

USC 27 Arizona State 23

Arizona State was exposed as the frauds that they are against Oregon and Dennis Dixon. Much like Kansas and Missouri, Arizona State hasn't beaten anyone of note. USC has been up and down, but in the end they are still USC. This game will be closer than many expect it to be, but the Trojans will pull out the victory on the basis of their defense and running game.

West Virginia 31 UCONN 21

As much as I would like to see West Virginia go down in this game, I just don't see them losing in Morgantown when they have as much on the line as they do. UCONN has played solid ball all year, but I just don't think they have the overall talent to score enough to keep up with West Virginia's offense.

Florida 35 Florida State 24

This game will be played in the Swamp, which really doesn't matter as much some would believe. Florida is simply the better team, and would probably be undefeated if they played in the ACC. Tebow has been unstoppable, and has turned out to be a much more accurate passer than I thought he would be this year. Tebow will dominate this game, and Florida State's pedestrian offense will be held in check.

Oregon 24 -UCLA 14

The only thing I will say about this game is that even though Dennis Dixon is out at QB for Oregon and a Leaf will get the start for the Ducks, UCLA is going to battle with a fourth-string walk-on QB. That alone will eliminate any possibility of a Bruin victory in Los Angeles.

Auburn 24 Alabama 14

I really can't stand Nick Saban. There's something about him that just makes my skin crawl. Maybe it's the fact that he's the devil. Anyways, Auburn should win this game as long as Brandon Cox doesn't blow it. It seems like that's always the extent of my analysis for any Auburn game.

Georgia 34 Georgia Tech 17

Georgia should put the final nail in Chan Gailey's coffin in this game. That said, this game always seems to be closer than it should be. That could very well be the case this year, but I really think Georgia is playing at the top of their game right now and will dominate the Yellow Jackets. Knowshon will continue his march towards being a preseason favorite for the Heisman in 2009, and Matthew Stafford will chip in a few touchdown passes.

Detroit 24 Green Bay 20
(Green Bay is a 3.5 point favorite)

Dallas 34 N.Y. Jets 13
(Dallas is a 14.5 point favorite)

Indianapolis 20 Atlanta 17
(Indy is a 12.5 favorite)

Rivalry Week...Let the bloodbath ensue.

2007-11-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

Well, anytime that we have a Florida State game in the picks, I deem it necessary to have a picture of the spokeswomen from FSU. Anyways, it's rivalry week and that means a ton of grudge matches on the tube. Just a taste of what we have this weekend: Kansas and Mizzou battle it out for a possible berth in the National Championship game. Needless to say, that game is the most important, in terms of BCS implications but the game to watch will be the Auburn vs. Alabama game as the Tide looks to rebound after their Pearl Harboresque tragedy last weekend. Also, look to see if the FSU linebackers can backup their claim of stopping the scoring machine that is Tim Tebow.

Missouri 35 - Kansas 31

Here is the first real test for the Kansas Jayhawks. Up until now, they have played the 117th toughest schedule in college football. In all reality, this game should be a toss up. Both of these teams are pretty evenly matched. Both have high powered offenses, however, both also have mediocre defenses. Sorry, I know that Kansas has great defensive stats, but just take a look at their competition up until now. If the Tigers can slow down KU's offense just a little bit, then the Mizzou offense should be able to take advantage of an overrated Jayhawk defense. This game is going to be a shoot out and, quite frankly, a fun game to watch. Unfortunately, for the Jayhawks, with this game goes the national title shot.

USC 27 - Arizona State 21

Arizona State still has an outside shot at a BCS Championship game berth but they have to get through USC first. One thing you need to know: Pete Carroll has never lost a game in the month of November while at the helm at USC. Now, at some point he will, but his team is still head and shoulders more talented then Arizona State and more times than not, talent wins out. Look for USC to curb a powerful ASU offense and give JDB and crew enough solid opportunities to put points on the board. USC spoils the Sun Devils hopes at a championship shot.

Virginia Tech 21 - UVA 17

This game is going to be the most boring game of the weekend. Both of these teams really don't have consistent offenses but they both possess solid defenses with the Hoakies having the edge. The fact that this game is being played at UVA should help but Va Tech's defense should raise enough havoc to ensure a shot at the ACC title this year. UVA's ACC title hopes come crashing down in a close one.

West Virginia 31 - Uconn 24

I think this game might get out of hand. West Virginia has a legitimate shot at a title if a few things fall their way. That being said, look for White and Slaton to run all over the place and do whatever it takes to get the job done. Bottom line: WVU's offense is pretty damn hard to stop and I don't think that Uconn has the athletes to get it done. This is West Virginia's last hurdle. If the Mountaineers get through the Huskies, then they just have to sit back and hope that some teams lose.

Florida 28 - FSU 17

The Florida State linebackers have been quoted as saying, "Tim Tebow is going down." Smooth move guys. Nobody has stopped Tebow all year and now you have gone and fired him up. Great game plan. This rivalry used to have National Championship implications every year but due to FSU's downward spiral into mediocrity as of late, it has lost a lot of its luster. Have no fear, it is still a rivalry between two teams that genuinely hate each other. This years installment should be won easily by the Gators due to the fact that they are just a better team. Look for Tebow to ink a few more touchdowns onto his Heisman resume in this one. Florida State will keep it close but, ultimately, will not have the offense to match the Gators.

UCLA 21 - Oregon 17

We saw how good Oregon is without Dennis Dixon. With Dixon out for the rest of the season, the QB duties fall on Brady Leaf. Yeah, same family. Like brother, like brother. That should tell you all you need to know. UCLA needs one more win to become bowl eligible and Karl Dorrell could use one more win...shit, Karl Dorrell is a dead man walking. Honestly, I just have a feeling that the Ducks go down in this one. It is unfortunate, because it would have been a great game between Oregon and LSU.

UGA 24 - Georgia Tech 17

This one is closer than it should be more years than not. The dawgs are playing solid football and a win will guarantee a BCS bowl game. Gailey and the jackets are playing anything but solid football. Add to that the fact that Gailey has never beaten a Mark Richt coached dawgs team and things do not look to good for the Jackets. Look for Georgia to try and jump on Tech early. If the dawgs can put a couple of early touchdowns on the board it should seal the deal because Tech doesn't have the offense to come from behind. However, if you have watched this game in the last couple of years, then you know that it will probably be ugly and close. Dawgs clinch a BCS bowl invite with a win on the flats.

Alabama 17 - Auburn 31

This is, arguably, the greatest rivalry in college football. Sorry Buckeyes and Wolverines, you don't own that distinction outright. Auburn has owned the Tide as of late and that trend should continue this year. Auburn has too good of a defense for the pedestrian Bama offense to overcome. The only that thing will give Bama a chance is a bed shitting by Brandon Cox. Something tells me that will not happen. Alabama comes out of the tragedy (read: Coach Saban press conference) game against UL Monroe and follows it up with a solid defeat at the hands of the Tigers. Look, I have no doubt that this series will get a lot more competitive once Saban has had a chance to get his players to Tuscaloosa but, currently, he doesn't have them. Man, Shula won just as many games last year with the same talent. Isn't Nick Satan...I mean Saban supposed to be the greatest college football coach...ever? Not all is well in Sabanation.

Week 13 Locks: Rivalry Week

2007-11-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

We have finally arrived at the annual rivalry week in collage football. This week also gives us the game of the year in college football when #4 Missouri takes on #2 Kansas which will go a long way in deciding who plays in the national title. We also get to see Saint Saban in his first Iron bowl. Losing to UL Monroe is shocking but losing to UL Monroe and Auburn in the same year is simply unacceptable to the Bama crazies. With that having been said it should be a great week in college football so let's get to the picks.

#4 Missouri 41 - #2 Kansas 35

Kansas' schedule makes Missouri's look like murderers row. No Texas, Oklahoma or Texas Tech. Well, at least they played a good out of conference slate right? Wrong. Central Michigan, Southeast Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International made up the OOC schedule for the Jayhawks. That is fucking pathetic. Sure, they have hammered a number of teams (ask Nebraska), but they have not played a team with a record better 6-5....are you freaking kidding me Kansas? And they wonder why no one respects them. Missouri at least played Illinois and won in a shootout. Neither team has played anyone with a defense except for Missouri playing Oklahoma (go figure that they looked like shit against the only team worth a shit). Both of these teams are total frauds with the winner having the pleasure of getting housed by LSU.

#11 USC 24 - Arizona State 21 (Thursday)

Arizona State is another team that is a total fraud. The Sun Devils have played only one team that could be considered great and were hammered by Oregon. The Sun Devils have not seen a defense as good as USC's and look for Rudy Carpenter to force too many throws against the aggressive Trojan defense. Booty and Co. seem to have picked it up a bit on offense for the Trojans and Arizona State's defense leaves a lot to be desired. I know Dennis Erickson has done great things with this team but they are a paper tiger and USC should take it to them on Thanksgiving night.

#8 Virginia Tech 24 - #16 Virginia 17

Virginia Tech has owned Virginia over the last 5 years and, although this game will be played in Charlottesville, I expect the Hokies to continue the trend. Tech has been playing great as of late and if not for the late game heroics of Matt Ryan Virginia Tech would be in the top 5 in the nation. Virginia has won 5 games by 2 points or less (think about this for one second; they are 10 points away from being 4-7). I like the Hokies to hit Virginia in the mouth from jump street and look for the defense to make a number of plays and get out of C'Ville with another win.

#3 West Virginia 38 - #20 Uconn

West Virginia is going to back into the national title game having not beaten a single team worthy of the top 25. Cincinnati and Uconn, the highest ranked teams that the Mountaineers will have beaten will both be out of the top 25 by seasons end. Uconn is another fraudulent team that has played a cookie dough schedule and look for West Virginia to run all over the Husky defense. Pat White and Steve Slaton should have a field say and West Virginia is going to set themselves up to play LSU in the title game. What a sad world we live in.

#12 Florida 28 - Florida State 24

Florida has one of the best offenses in the nation while Florida State always plays stout defense. FSU has one of the worst offenses in the country but the Gators haven't exactly played like the 85 Bears on defense. This game will be closer than most think with all of the emotion that the players will be playing with but look for Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin to light up the Free Shoe defense and cement his status as the Heisman frontrunner. If Tebow can put up close to 300 total yards and 3+ TD's the trophy should be his come December.

UCLA 20 - #9 Oregon 17

Poor Oregon. They were 3 games away from the BCS title game when their star QB Dennis Dixon blew his knee without being touched. They then lose to Arizona (4-6 at the time) and looked horrible in doing so and in a season that looked so promising may end up in the Sun Bowl. UCLA has been one of the most disappointing teams this season as Karl Dorrell and Co. had 20 starters returning. After a number of injuries and some horrible losses look for Dorrell to beat a top 10 team in the Rose Bowl and sending Oregon into a downward spiral.

#7 Georgia 24 - Georgia Tech 13

The Dawgs have owned this series as of late (5 straight wins) and the trend should continue on Saturday. The Jackets have not been able to develop a QB since Chan Gailey has been there and this has been the Achilles heel for Georgia Tech. The Dawgs are one of the hottest teams in the country and are a Tennessee loss away from playing LSU in the SEC title game. Matt Stafford has played well (save for the Kentucky game) and Knowshon Moreno is a beast. The Tech defense is stout against the run but they can only play so well for so long until they break down due to the tunrovers that Tech will commit. This should be the last game Chan Gailey coaches for the Jackets as he has done very little in a poor conference in the last 6 years.

Auburn 20 - Alabama 17

Nick, welcome to the Iron Bowl. Saban took one on the chin last week losing to UL Monroe and a follow-up loss to Auburn (which would be 6 in a row should they lose) and Saban will feel the Tuscaloosa heat all off season. There are rumours that Tommy Tubberville may dip out of Auburn and bolt to Texas A&M. I don't know if this will happen but if they are true then you know Tubbs will want to go out on a high note by beating Bama for 6 straight years. The loss will mark the second straight 6-6 season for the Tide thus putting half of the state on suicide watch.

Week 12 Anti-locks of the Week

2007-11-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

Last week seemed to right the ship a bit for Apollos's Creed. I finally found a way to get over half the week's games right. Maybe that trend will continue this week, but I highly doubt it. Anyway, let's get onto the picks.

Michigan 23 Ohio St. 20

It's another matchup in ESPN's "Greatest Rivalry in College Sports." The two best teams in the depleted Big Ten will meet in Ann Arbor to settle who will win the most ridiculously bad major conference I have ever seen. That observation is coming from someone who wants the Big Ten to be respectable. It wasn't that long ago that the argument for the Nation's best conference came down to the Big Ten or the SEC virtually every year. Those days are long gone and the Big Ten has been relegated to a second-class citizen in major college football. Ohio State has been vastly overrated for the entire season, and Michigan has seemingly recovered from a disastrous start to the season. The Wolverines are getting this game at home, and if it is true that Lloyd Carr is planning on resigning following the season then I fully expect Michigan to come out fired up in his last game against the hated Buckeyes. I think Michigan wins this game on a late field goal, and they keep open the possibility of sending Lloyd Carr out on a positive note.

WVU 35 Cincinnati 28

As much as I would like to see the Mountaineers go down in this game to keep alive the Dawg's slim hopes to reach the BCS title game I just don't see it happening. Even if the Bearcats can slow down Steve Slaton, they will still get burned by QB Pat White. The Mountaineers will jump out to an early lead in this game, and hold on for the narrow victory.

BC 28 Clemson 25

Alot of people seem to be counting Boston College out. However, they haven't given up on the season and will be going up against a Clemson team still coached by Tommy Bowden. Clemson only has two losses, and there is no way that Clemson will finish this season with fewer than four losses. It's simply not possible for a Tommy Bowden team to finish with under four losses. Regardless of how Matt Ryan has played over the past few weeks, he still is a very good, very experienced, college quarterback. B.C. will pull out this win on the road in a close game.

Georgia 52 Kentucky 31

Georgia seems to be on a roll. Since Mark Richt has been at Georgia, I can't think of a time when I was confident that they would score forty points. However, the offense is rolling right now and Kentucky definately doesn't have the horses "no pun intended" to slow down the Bulldog' rushing attack. Knowshon Moreno is getting an early start on what should be at least
two more years of Heisman candidacy for him. Kentucky will definately put up points in this game, but they won't be able to keep up with a suddenly potent Georgia offensive attack led by Matthew Stafford and Moreno.

Texas Tech 38 Oklahoma 35

Oklahoma is due for a big letdown on the road. They seem to have the season right where they want it in control of their own destiny. However, it wouldn't be unlike a Bob Stoop's coached team to have a letdown in a conference road game especially with a redshirt freshman QB. Texas Tech will respond to Mike Leach's impassioned remarks following last week's loss and pull off the shocking upset in Lubbock.

South Florida 31 Louisville 28

South Florida has literally fallen flat on their face over the past month. After a brilliant start to the season, they've finally started to play like South Florida should play. Louisville has had a disappointing year under first year coach Steve Kragthorpe, but they still possess the immensely talented Brian Brohm at QB. This game should be a close one, but South Florida will win another home game to salvage what still should be the best season in program history.

Missouri 48 Kansas St. 28

This is another game in which I'd like to see the underdog win. However, Kansas State gave up over 70 points to Nebraska which doesn't give me much hope that they can hold the Missouri offense in check enough to pull the upset. Missouri wins this one going away.

Arkansas 27 Miss. St. 13

There are not many SEC games involving anyone other that Ole Miss that I have no interest in watching. However, this is probably one of those games. Arkansas is completely one dimensional, and Miss St. is extremely boring to watch so I doubt that I will pay that close of attention to this matchup. This game is in Little Rock, and Darren McFadden is playing what will probably be his final college game, which leads me to believe that Arkansas will dominate this game on the ground and win a somewhat boring game to everyone except for the respective team's fans.

Week 12 Locks: Does Anyone Want to be #2?

2007-11-16T10:40:00.000-08:00

With Oregon being the 5th #2 team to lose to an unranked foe it reinforces the notion that every game, especially on the road, is going to be a dogfight. There are a few games that match ranked teams this week but other than that this week is somewhat slow. However, as we have seen all year, we should expect the unexpected. With that in mind here are my locks of week 12.

Ohio State 30 - Michigan 24

Jim Tressel absolutely owns Lloyd Carr. Having beaten Michigan like a drum over the last 5 years Tressel has Carr on the verge of retirement. If this was a completely healthy Michigan team I would like the Wolverines but with Hart, Henne and Long all banged up to a certain extent I like the Ohio State defense to win this game in the second half and Tressel will out coach Carr as he always does.

West Virginia 31 - Cincinnati 20

I am going out on a limb here and taking the road team big. Cincinnati has a ball hawking defense but seeing as how WVU doesn't throw the ball very much that should negate some of Cinci's turn overs. Pat White and Steve Slaton should be able to run all over the Bearcats and don't sleep on WVU's defense. While they were lit up last week by Brian Brohm (who isn't?) this has been a solid defense all season long.

Clemson 30 - Boston College 26

There has not been a team in the last 5-10 years that shits the bed in big games more than Tommy Bowden's Clemson Tigers. This is a home game and if the Tigers can pull it out they will be headed for Jacksonville for the ACC title game. Why I am picking them I don't know but I have a feeling that Boston College will continue their downward spiral. James Davis and CJ Spiller should be able to run the ball effectively and look for Cullen Harper to continue his stellar play at QB for the Tigers. Matt Ryan will try to keep his team alive with all of his might but his defense will once again let him down.

Georgia 38 - Kentucky 24

Kentucky brings the best offense they have ever had to Athens on Saturday and should be able to score plenty of points. The only problem is that UK's defense is horrible and Knowshon Moreno should run roughshod all over the Cats. Look for Matt Stafford to hit Bailey and Massaquoi deep a few times and UGA's run should continue with another big win in the SEC.

Oklahoma 48 - Texas Tech 34

A lot of people are calling for an upset in this game. Texas Tech has an explosive offense and is playing a home game at night. Oklahoma has just as good of an offense and has owned the Red Raiders for the better part of, oh, the last 100 years. Look for OU's defense to make at least one stop (which cannot be said for TT's atrocious D) and break out to a big lead only to see Texas Tech put up a half assed comeback which will undoubtedly lead to Mike Leech making some hilarious statement to the press.

South Florida 27 - Louisville 24

Brian Brohm is putting together another freakish season for the Cardinals. Too bad he doesn't play defense. South Florida should be able to put up plenty of points on Louisville and I like the Bulls defense to make a few stops along the way. This should be a close game as Louisville is looking for a bowl birth but South Florida has played very well against the Cardinals over the course of the last few years.

Arkansas 20 - Mississippi State 16

Darren McFadden and Felix Jones should be licking their chops as they look to bounce back from a bad performance against Tennessee (although McFadden's was more due to the idiocy of Houston Nutt). Mississippi State is the feel good story of the year in the SEC as they are bowl eligible and are looking for another win to secure a bowl selection. While the Bulldogs should play well, as the have all year under Croom, Run DMC and Co. should be able to take it to them at get a win in Little Rock.

Missouri 27 - Kansas State 24

On paper this game looks like a blowout. KSU is coming off of a game in which they gave up 73 points and 702 yards to a bad Nebraska team. Missouri has one of the best offenses in the country, led by star QB Chase Daniel and freshman sensation Jeremy Maclin at WR. Missouri may be looking ahead to their match up with Kansas a week from now. Look for Kansas State to play one of their best games of the year at home but Mizzou's offense is simply too good and they should pull this one out in the 4th quarter.

Week 12...Getting it done!

2007-11-16T08:46:00.000-08:00

Michigan vs. Ohio State: THE RIVALRY!!! What a crock of horse shit. Nobody outside of Michigan and Ohio gives a fuck about this game. Except ESPN, of course, who has its head so far up the Big 11's ass that it is comical. For the rest of us football fans, this is a decent weekend of games. The aforementioned game as well as a couple of others will decide conference championship contenders and some others could have BCS implications. Here are the picks.

Ohio State 27 - Michigan 21

This game is simple. If Henne and Hart do not play, then Michigan does not win. If they do, then this should be a knock down drag out battle like it is every year. I would look for Ohio State's defense to slow down the Michigan offense and in turn give the pedestrian Ohio State offense enough chances to score. Could this loss be the end of the Lloyd Carr era?

West Virginia 31 - Cincinnati 28

This should be a fun game to watch. Both teams are potent on offense, so scoring shouldn't be too low. Cincy has the better of the two defenses but I still think they are going to have a hard time containing Slaton and White. West Virginia is looking to get back into the BCS and Pat White and Steve Slaton should help them do just that. Can you imagine two guys in your backfield on almost every play that can take it to the house? Must be nice. What the hell is Rodriguez going to do when they are gone? Let's face it, something tells me that Noel Devine is going to have problems staying on the field.

Boston College 17 - Clemson 24

I don't know why in the hell I am picking Clemson. The fact that Tommy Bowden is their coach should be enough to steer me towards Boston College but alas, with the Tigers I will go. Simply put, Clemson has better athletes and better players. While Matt Ryan gets all of the glory, most people don't realize that Clemson QB Cullen Harper has more TD's, a better QB rating as well as a better completion percentage. Tack on the fact that the game will be played in Death Valley and...Oh yeah, Clemson can get medieval on that ass with Thunder and Lightning, as well and Clemson should win this game.

Kentucky 17 - Georgia 35

I might be going out on a limb here but Georgia should pound Kentucky this weekend. Here is my reasoning. Kentucky cannot stop the run and Georgia's run hasn't been stopped by anybody, since the Tennessee game. The success of the running game has, in turn, opened up the passing game, which has led to numerous big down field plays. Even with that being said, the key to this game will be Georgia's front four against the o-line of Kentucky. If the Dawgs can bring constant pressure, then the secondary should be able to contain the potent receivers. The Cats being without the service of starting tailback Little doesn't help either. And let's not forget the fact that Georgia lost to Kentucky last year and is probably looking for a little payback. Dawgs roll in A-Town.

Oklahoma 35 - Texas Tech 28

Oklahoma is probably the most balanced team in the country. Without the shitting of the bed game against Colorado, they would be the clear number 1 team. This game, however, should be interesting. Texas Tech can score and score big. It is a requirement to tune into this game at some point to see the freak of nature that is Tech Fr. Wide Receiver Michael Crabtree. Man, this kid is sick. He has over 1700 yards on 113 receptions and 20 touchdowns. That doesn't happen. Anyways, if Tech is going to pull the upset, you can bet that Crabtree will be expected to carry the load. Ultimately, Oklahoma has too much still to play for the come out flat in this one. If everything plays out like it seems it will, the Oklahoma vs Kansas game will not only be a BCS deciding game but it will guarantee a trip to the Championship game. So, expect Oklahoma to bring the pain for the rest of the year.

Louisville 21 - S. Florida 24

Both of these teams haven't had the seasons that they were hoping for. At one point, the Bulls were the number 2 ranked team in the country and the Cardinals were in the top 10. Well, that has since changed. Louisville imploded and the Bulls have lost 3 of their last 4. Although none of these two teams have a shot at the BCS or the conference championship, the Bulls still have a shot at a 3 loss season, which should get them into a decent bowl game. Look for that motivation to help South Florida overcome the Cardinals and get them another win.

Missouri 42 - Kansas State 21

Missouri cannot afford to slip up or their shot at playing for the Big 12 championship is lost. If they shit the bed against K State, then the only thing they could do, is spoil Kansas' National title hopes. With that being said, look for stud QB Chase Daniel to lead the powerful Tiger offense to a victory and set up the Big 12 North showdown with undefeated and, in my opinion, highly overrated Kansas. This has been an incredible year for Daniel and the entire Tiger team. Look for it to continue this weekend.

Mississippi State 10 - Arkansas 35

No offense to Miss State and Coach Croom, but Arkansas should run away with this game. Darren McFadden will be looking to take out some frustration at losing another Heisman trophy on somebody and unfortunately, that somebody is Mississippi State. I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am with Coach Croom and the Bulldogs. I don't think I picked this team to win a damn game at the beginning of the year, but the Bulldogs will most likely finish 7-5. 7-5, are you serious? Anyways, Arkansas will be handing them their 5th check in the loss column. Razorback fans better take in everything they can in these next two games. Reason: They will never see anything like it ever again. With the departure of McFadden and, most likely, Jones goes any hope of winning for the next few years. Hopefully, Coach Nutt has...who am I kidding, Coach is certifiable. Arkansas, you are up shits creek without a paddle.

Heisman Top 5

2007-11-12T14:43:00.001-08:00

We have a shake up at the top of the list and while some may not like the notion of dropping after a bye week you simply cannot ignore what #1 has done throughout the course of the season. With just a couple of weeks to go the time is now for the Heisman contenders to earn those last few undecided votes. This week we have added a twist with the inclusion of a percentage of taking the little bronze man.

#1. Tim Tebow (QB, Florida)

Chance of winning: 40%

Tebow is a freak of nature. Let's start with the fact that he is built like a LB and has great speed for someone as thick as he is. Last week he lit up a reeling South Carolina team to the tune of 7 touchdowns (5 rushing, 2 passing) and had more yards than the entire Gamecocks team. The fact that Tebow has stayed as healthy as he has is remarkable in its own right but when you add that the fact that he has over 40 touchdowns on the season in the best conference in football. There were many who thought that Urban Meyer's system would not work in the SEC (myself included). Little did I know. Florida may have some deficiencies on defense but with Tebow and Harvin coming back next season the young Gators are going to be a force in the SEC.

#2. Dennis Dixon (QB, Oregon)

Chance of winning: 30%

Dixon was off last week with Oregon having a bye and is dropped in this week's poll due to the freakish play of Tebow. Dixon is the key component of the explosive Duck offense and has torched the Pac 10 this season. His numbers are on par with Tebow's except for the total touchdowns but his team is in much better shape (although I think Florida would beat Oregon on a neutral field). All in all Dixon is having a great season and, sadly, if there had been more talk of Dixon after his destruction of Michigan he may well have the almighty media behind him.

#3. Darren McFadden (RB, Arkansas)

Chances of winning: 15%

Run DMC is the best player in the nation. I know we have said this all year but it holds true every week. Sadly, the Razorbacks have a passing offense some High School coaches would laugh at. McFadden had a decent game against Tennessee (22 carries, 117 yards) but it went unseen as his team was drubbed by the Vols. Don't feel too bad for McFadden seeing as how he shouldn't last past the 5th pick in next years draft.

#4. Chase Daniel (QB, Missouri)

Chances of winning: 10%

Daniel has lit up almost every team he has played this season. Too bad for Daniel the only truly good team Missouri has played was Oklahoma and he shit the bed. Fear not Daniel fans as Chase and Co. may get a shot at 2 top 5 teams in the next 3 weeks. Should Missouri beat Kansas (as this writer believes they will), Missouri will get another shot at Oklahoma. Of course this is all moot as almost all of the ballot will have already been sent in. Either way Daniel should be a lock to make it to New York as he as put up some damn fine numbers.

#5. Pat White (QB, West Virginia)

Chances of winning: 5%

White is just as important to WVU as Tim Tebow is to Florida. While many view Steve Slaton as the star of thew Mountaineers without White WVU is average at best offensively. Slaton gets those massive holes due to the defense freaking out at the notion of White running all over them (just ask Louisville). The 50 yard run that White had against the Cardinal (on national TV no less) could have been his Heisman moment had WVU not lost to an average South Florida team (one in which White played only a half). While White has zero chance at being an NFL QB he is one hell of a college signal caller and fits Rich Rodriguez's system perfectly.

Updated Standings

2007-11-12T06:38:00.000-08:00

If only every week went as this past week. The three of us here at Gods went a combined 20-4 on the week leading us to believe that we are not, in fact, retarded.

Thor's Hammer: 47-33

Great Odin's Raven: 47-33

Apollo's Creed: 37-28

Don't Trust These at All

2007-11-09T16:28:00.000-08:00

I have struggled this entire season picking games. However, I am not alone as nearly everyone in the country has had problems in this season of upsets. Maybe this will be the week that things turn around for Ole' Apollo's Creed.

Georgia 27 Auburn 24

This game could go either way as both teams have been playing very solid ball over the past month. The road team usually finds success in this matchup of SEC heavyweights, but that trend doesn't always hold true. We are overdue for a home team to hold serve in this game. The Auburn defense has been extremely impressive this year, and I don't expect the Georgia offense to be able to run the ball as effectively as they did against Florida. Auburn simply has a much stronger defense. However, even if the Bulldog running game does not have the massive success that they have become accustomed to over the past three weeks, Matt Stafford will be able to do enough in the passing game to make up for the missing yards in the running game. I simply do not trust Auburn QB Brandon Cox to be able to get through this game mistake free. Even though Cox is at least 42 years old, he will make freshman mistakes that will ultimately end up costing his team the game.

Kansas 43 Oklahoma State 40

Both of these teams feature high-powered offenses and below average defenses. Kansas put up 76 points last week, but also continued their season-long trend of not playing any pass defense. Oklahoma State is coming off a tough loss to Texas in which they jumped out to a big early lead and let the Longhorns come all the way back to win the game. This game has all the markings of a contest where the last team to have the ball will win. I think that team will be Kansas as they continue their dream season.

Virginia Tech 20 FSU 16

Florida State finally showed some signs of life last week in their victory over Boston College on the road. However, Florida State still doesn't possess much of an offense. Virginia Tech is a team very similar to Florida State in that they possess a very good defense, and a pedestrian offense. Home field advantage will play a big role in this defensive struggle as the crowd at Lane Stadium will carry the Hokies to the victory.

Fla 41 S.C 35

In a match-up featuring the Ol' Ball Coach against his alma mater and former team, Florida has the decided advantage in offensive firepower. Both of these teams have struggled on defense recently with South Carolina giving up an incredible 500 yards of rushing to Arkansas just last week. As much as I would like to say otherwise, the simple fact is that Tim Tebow is an incredible offensive talent. Tebow will be the difference as the Gators will avoid the upset.

Clemson 27 Wake Forest 17

In a matchup that I could care less about, two of the better teams in the ACC will meet in Clemson, South Carolina. The Clemson running attack will be the difference as I see no way that the undersized Wake Forest defense will be able to slow them down. Clemson wins the game in rather dominent fashion with a late Demon Deacon score closing the gap to the final tally.

Cincinnati 21 Uconn 13

The Bearcats get the Huskies at home in this matchup in the Big East. Connecticut controls their own destiny in the quest for the Big East Championship. Cincinnati is playing the role of spoiler, and should come out on top due to the home field advantage. I have to admit that I have been surprised with the Huskies this year. They've done enough to reach this point in the season in position to win the conference, but they aren't good enough to not slip up at some point. Cincinnati pulls the mild upset to put UCONN back to where they belong.

USC 28 Cal 20

Southern Cal has been very inconsistent this year, specifically at the quarterback position. Cal has also been up and down this year and hasn't had the year they hoped for coming into the season. USC will look more like the Southern Cal of old as they win this game on the road.

Michigan 24 Wisconsin 20

Michigan has been on a roll since they started off the season so poorly, and I don't expect that to end in this game. Even though the game is being played at Camp Randall Stadium, Michigan seems to be on a collision course with Ohio State for the Big Ten title. I just don't see Michigan losing prior to that game, especially to a team as overrated as Wisconsin.

Week 11 Victories...Count on it

2007-11-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

Well, I had a slightly better week than Thor's Hammer, so I have the lead going into week 11. The games, overall, are not as exciting and as marquee as last weekend but there are still some solid games to go around. The South's Oldest Rivalry, Auburn and Georgia, will be on display as well as possible Heisman winner Tim Tebow. Let see if the trend continues this week...Here they are.

Georgia 21 - Auburn 17

Auburn has a sick defense. The only problem is that they don't have a very stellar offense. It seems like this series always goes to the away team and in Georgia's case that does not bode well. Not only are they the home team but Tuberville doesn't lose on the road. The key to this game is UGA's running game against AU's defense. If Moreno can run the ball effectively, then Georgia should win the game. However, Auburn's defense doesn't allow many rushing yards. (see: Arkansas game. RunDMC held to under 50 yards.) The good thing for Georgia is that they have the one thing that Arkansas doesn't have: A passing game. Georgia's defense should be able to hold its own against the Auburn offense as long as they get pressure on QB Brandon Cox. Look, I have watched this game enough to know that this will be a smash mouth contest and you might as well flip a coin to determine the winner.

Kansas 35 - Oklahoma State 30

This game is going to be a shoot out. In all actuality, my estimate is probably too low. Kansas put 76 points on the board against the Huskers last week but they also surrendered 39 to Nebraska. Who, by the way, was without it's starting QB. Honestly, none of these teams plays very good defense and until Kansas plays somebody of note (ie Missouri or OU) I am not drinking the Jayhawk kool-aid. The one thing that Kansas has going for it is a legitimate offense. These guys looked like a well oiled machine last weekend. Mangino has definitely proven that he has the system to work. God, imagine if he had Oklahoma or Texas talent in the Big 12. KU wins and gets ready for the clash with Missouri for the Big 12 North title.

Florida State 17 - Virginia Tech 20

This will be a defensive struggle to the end. Reason: Both offenses are not very good. Virginia Tech definitely has the advantage, however. With the exception of last weeks upset of Boston College, the FSU offense couldn't score on tackling dummies. Look for a potent Tech defense to cause enough turn overs to get the Hoakie offense into the end zone. Va Tech pulls out a victory and gets ready for the Miami Tropical Depressions.

Florida 28 - S. Carolina 21

Something tells me that the old ball coach will have a couple of things up his sleeve for the Gators. Just like LSU vs Bama, there will be a little bit of extracurricular crap involved (read: Spurrier used to coach the Gators) but, ultimately, Florida is a much better team. Look for Tim Tebow to put the offense on his shoulders and add some more stats to his Heisman curriculum vitae. Especially, after having a week to review how Arkansas or should I say RunDMC absolutely shat on the Carolina d.

Wake Forest 20 - Clemson 24

Ah, the perennially underachieving Tigers. Man, why in the hell does Tommy Bowden still have a job? Anyways, playing in Death Valley is a tough task. Even if it is a noon game. Look for Clemson to dish out a heavy dose of C.J. Spiller and James Davis...Sorry, I mean Thunder and Lightning. What most people probably don't realize is that Clemson QB Cullen Harper is the highest rated QB in the ACC (try a 152.21 rating). Yes, even higher than Matt Ryan. Look for Clemson's offense to give the defense enough points to secure a win.

Uconn 24 - Cincinnati 17

This game will be a battle of two solid defenses. Well, as solid as you can be in the Big East. Uconn is currently atop the Big East with wins against Louisville, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and South Florida. With a win over Cincy they will set up a late season match up with West Virginia for the Big East crown. Man, talk about parity. We are picking a football game between Cincinnati and Connecticut. What the hell is happening? Anyways, look for the Huskies to continue to roll, sort of, against another Big East team.

USC 28 - Cal 17

The one stat that you need to look at is this: 25-0. That is Pete Carroll's record in the month of November. Something tells me that will be 26-0 after Saturday. California has imploded and tumbled out of the National Championship race. USC has the defense to slow down the high powered offense and on the flip side, they have the offense to put points on Cal suspect defense. Even though this is a road game, look for Carroll and the Trojans to put another check in the win column.

Michigan 24 - Wisconsin 10

The key to this game is the health of Michigan's Mike Hart. If he is ready to go, the Wolverines shouldn't have much of a problem. If he isn't good to go, things could get a little dicey. Ultimately, Michigan is the better team. The have much better talent at pretty much every position and that should be evident on the field. Michigan wants a shot to knock Ohio State off of their podium but they need to get through Wisconsin first. If P.J. Hill cannot go for the Badgers it could be a long day in Cheeseland. Look for Michigan to seal the deal.

Locks of Week 11 by Thor's Hammer

2007-11-07T09:50:00.000-08:00

After another dismal (4-4) performance last week I am attempting to regain my game picking mojo. This week lacks the punch of last weeks games but there are some good ones in SEC (as usual) as well as a hodgepodge of other action.

The standings are as follows:

Great Odin's Raven: 41-31

Thor's Hammer: 40-32

Apollo's Creed: 30-26

And now, without further ado, here are the week 11 play-doh...I mean lead pipe locks.

Georgia 23 - Auburn 21

The best player on the field will be UGA Freshman RB Knowshawn Moreno. Having already surpassed the 1,000 yard mark this season, Moreno is looking to put his name next to the great Hershel Walker should he get the Dawgs into a BCS game. Auburn comes into this game as the best defense in the SEC and 8th overall and DC Will Muschamp has the Tigers playing better than they did all of last year. The key match-up will be Tiger LB Tray "Little Ball of Hate" Blackmon against Moreno. If Moreno can run the ball effectively on this stout Auburn D (held RunDMC to under 50 yards) the Dawgs should be able to hit a couple of play action passes deep. Even though the home team never wins this game (AUB is 18-9 in Athens), I like the Dawgs to pull it out on a late Brandon Coutu FG.

Virginia Tech 20 - Florida State 17

FSU is coming off of an impressive road victory over then #2 Boston College. They now must face a hot Virginia Tech team that is finally playing good football. In a game where defense should rule the day look for Va Tech to make too many plays on defense (especially given the tendency of FSU QB's turning the ball over) and pull this one out at home. Beamer has his team poised to take the ACC title if they can continue their stellar defensive play.

Michigan 24 - Wisconsin 20

The Wolverines are playing some pretty good ball after their first few games and now are poised to make a run at the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin has been exposed for the frauds that they have been the last couple of years and the trend should continue. I know Michigan does now fair well when playing at Camp Randall but this is not the best Wisconsin team and they are playing without their top WR. Look for a steady diet of Mike Hart and Michigan QB Chad Henne should be able to hit WR Mario Manningham on a few deep plays.

Cincinnati 24 - Uconn 18

These two teams are mirror images of one another which should make this game very interesting. They both rely on defense and special teams but I like the Bearcat offense a lot more than I do the Husky offense. Cinci QB Ben Mauk should play well and this could be the day that Uconn's luck runs out. Look for both teams to cause a number of TO's but I like Cinci's offense to capitalize more than the Huskies.

Florida 28 - South Carolina 24

South Carolina is coming off of a game in which their stellar defense gave up over 500 rushing yards (yes, I said 500). Florida is coming off of a beatdown of a solid Vandy team and their offense has been nothing short of spectacular. Tim Tebow is in the thick of the Heisman race and do-it-all Percy Harvin is a machine. This game will be close as it is being played in Columbia but there is simply too much offensive talent on Florida's team to lose this game. USC's offense has been average at best as of late and I would expect the trend to continue.

Kansas 31 - Oklahoma State 27

The Pokes are coming off of yet another brutal loss to Texas where they held a 21-point 4th quarter lead. Kansas is coming off a gang raping of Nebraska and their confidence could not be any higher. OSU has a legitimate offense but their defense is not going to cut it against the best offense you have never seen, led by stud QB Todd Reesing. Look for Kansas to get to 10-0 (having played no one) and they should set themselves up for a showdown with Missouri at the end of the year.

USC 27 - CAL 20

USC's has a freakish defense and an average offense. California has a freakish offense and a terrible defense. I always like the defense in that match-up and this instance is no different. Should Cal lose this game it would give them 4 losses in the Pac 10 and would mean another average year for Jeff Tedford. USC has proven all year long that without the stud WRs and RB's that they have had in the past that they are simply not that good on offense. Cal's defense is bad enough that it should not matter.

Clemson 27 - Wake Forest 23

This is the type of game that Tommy Bowden usually loses. Clemson is better, playing at home and favored to win. Wake coach Jim Grobe is one hell of a coach and should have his team prepared but I just cannot believe that Spiller and Davis won't run all over the undersized d-line of the Demon Deacons. This should be a good game to watch as neither team is drastically better than the other one but Clemson still has the edge in talent...if only Bowden would win the games he was supposed to win. This win should make the Boston College - Clemson game for all of the marbles in the ACC.

Sanford Stadium Blacked Out?

2007-11-07T05:56:00.000-08:00

As many of you have probably heard, the senior players have called for the fans filling Sanford Stadium, on Saturday, to wear black shirts. I would like to think that this would be something that all UGA fans in attendance, that know about the black out, would participate in...but for anybody that has been around football in the south you know one thing: The south is all about tradition. Fans wear the same thing every Saturday and if you change any part of your usual Saturday attire/routine it is considered sacrilege. Look, I am all for tradition but if the players ask you, as a fan, to wear black shirts because they think it will show a sign of unity, then wear a black shirt. Last time I checked the players don't ever come out and ask the fan base to do anything. The least you can do is honor the players that give you that tradition you hold so dear. I guess I just don't see what the problem with this is? I know...Georgia is copying Penn State's "White Out." I have news for you people: Penn State isn't the first to think about the fans wearing a shirt of the same color and they will not be the last. They might have been the first to get an entire stadium to do it but they aren't revolutionaries in the field of fan attire. Look, the bottom line is get to Sanford Stadium, wear a damn black shirt and cheer on the Dawgs.

Heisman Top 5

2007-11-05T10:57:00.001-08:00

With only 4 weeks left in the season this is a crucial time for Heisman candidates. One slip up (see Matt Ryan) and you could be out of the top 3 and relegated to becoming a mere spectator when the award is announced. Here is the Week 10 update of the Heisman board.

1. Dennis Dixon (QB, Oregon)

Dixon has played brilliantly this season and that trend continued against #5 Arizona State. Dixon threw for almost 200 yards and had 4 touchdowns against a top 5 team on national television which adds up to a spot on the top of the list. Oregon has a bye week and then 3 games (2 on the road) against teams where the Ducks will be huge favorites. The only thing that would keep Dixon from winning the Heisman would be the severity of his 3rd quarter knee injury. If the "mild sprain" is not that serious, you could be looking at your 2007 Heisman winner.

2. Tim Tebow (QB, Florida)

Even though the Gators have lost 3 SEC games, Tim Tebow has been a man-child on the field this year. Tebow still has games with Florida State and South Carolina (this week) which will be on national television giving Tebow ample opportunities to win over those undecided voters. If he can continue to put up 3-5 TD's/game and win then it would not shock me to see Tebow take the Heisman as he has a little more cache than does Dennis Dixon.

3. Darren McFadden (RB, Arkansas)

RunDMC is the best player in the country. Too bad that guy never wins the Heisman. Just when people were starting to forget about McFadden he rips off an SEC record 321 yards on a very good South Carolina defense. McFadden also threw a touchdown pass in the game against the Cocks further supplanting his status as the most dynamic player in all of college football. Whether or not he actually wins the award should not affect his status as the biggest badass on the planet.

4. Chase Daniel (QB, Missouri)

Daniel has been nothing short of spectacular this season and has Missouri poised for a run at a BCS bowl game. The Tigers have a boat load of talent on offense and Daniel is the key component to their attack. He is coming off of a 400+ yard output in a beatdown of a solid Colorado team on the road. With games left against top 5 Kansas and a rematch with OU should they win the Big 12 North, Daniel should have plenty of chances to impress voters in the coming weeks.

5. Matt Ryan (QB, Boston College)

Ryan was the leader of the pack last week after his late game heroics against Virginia Tech. Then he went out and laid an egg against Florida State on national television. Yes, he threw for a lot of yards (over 400), but his 3 picks were all killers including the final interception that went back for a touchdown. While Ryan still has a game with Clemson, his candidacy was very reliant on the fact that his team was undefeated and slated to play for the national title. Unless the first 3 on this list fall face first in the coming weeks it looks as though Ryan will see the Heisman slip from his grasp.

Just Missed:

Andre Woodson (QB, Kentucky)

Michael Crabtree (WR, Texas Tech)

Todd Reesing (QB, Kansas)

Mike Hart (RB, Michigan)

Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen...Into The Toilet

2007-11-04T18:49:00.000-08:00

What is lost in all of this talk about parity in college football is the complete collapse of some of the nations premier programs. Notre Dame, Nebraska, Florida State and Miami have all descended into mediocrity (thanks for the line, Pederson) and this should be one of the main stories this season. While South Florida, Uconn, Kentucky and South Carolina have all had great seasons but what has been lost in all of their success has been the complete downfall of the once great powers that were mentioned above. Nebraska is coming off of one of their worst games in team history, one in which they gave up 76 points to Kansas (yes, that Kansas). Notre Dame just snapped a 43 game winning streak over Navy by losing at home and falling to 1-8 on the year. Miami lost to NC State (at home, no less) and fell to 5-4 on the season while their arch rivals Florida State scored an upset after beating Boston College. Who would have ever thought that Florida State beating Boston College would be a monumental upset? Lost in all of the talk of parity has been the complete explosion of the old guard which led us at GOTG to look at how long it should take the aforementioned programs to get back to a title contending state.

1. Notre Dame

Notre Dame has been able to recruit good players over the course of the last few years. If they can limit the amount of big games they play to 4-5 instead of 7-8 they should be able to get into that 9 win range which would mean a BCS game for Notre Dame. Now, I do not think Charlie Weis is as good of a coach as the media would want you to believe which is why I do not think he will ever win a title at ND. Look for ND to get back into the national title discussion in the next 2-3 years.

2. Florida State

In what has become one of the greatest mysteries over the course of the last 5 years has been the demise of Free Shoe. They continually get top notch recruits and they play in an average conference yet they seem to be destined for mediocrity. They have already lost 3 ACC games (including a loss to Wake Forest for the 2nd year in a row) and their offense looks down right embarrassing most of the time. There is a lot of talent on this FSU team so it should only be a matter of time before they can get back in the national title race. Look for FSU to take the ACC in the next 1-2 years following that up with a run at a national title in 3-4.

3. Miami

Miami, like Florida State, has been able to recruit talent to Coral Gables but they have been lacking in results. New coach Randy Shannon has is work cut out for him as he, much like Bowden at FSU, cannot seem to field an offense that can put up more than 20 points on a consistent basis. Miami is in much worse shape than FSU and it should take them much longer to get back into the national title hunt. Look for the Canes to play well in the coming years but they are 4-5 years away from a title run.

4. Nebraska

The Huskers seemed to be on their way last year having lost to 4 top 10 teams but an average of 9 points. Then this year began. A blowout loss to USC, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Kansas will get you fired every time and it will be no exception for Bill Callahan. This Nebraska team has completely given up on their coaches and has showed nothing but a pathetic half-assed effort for most of the season. The players look slow and have zero heart which is not what Nebraska was known for back in the day. Nebraska and Miami are in the same boat in terms of issues and neither of which should be in the national title hunt anytime soon. Look for Callahan to get fired immediately following the Colorado game and whomever gets the task of returning Nebraska to glory should be given at least 5 years because that is what it is going to take.

Quick Picks for This Week

2007-11-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Thor's Hammer not releasing the games to pick this week until yesterday, I'm just now getting around to posting my picks. It really doesn't matter if I don't write a whole lot about each game due to time being short, because all these picks will be wrong anyway.

Oregon 38 Arizona State 28

LSU 31 Alabama 20

Ohio State 27 Wisconsin 7

Virginia 21 Wake Forest 19

Boston College 20 Florida State 6

UCONN 21 Rutgers 20

Oklahoma 38 Texas A&M 20

South Florida 20 Cincinnati 17

Locks Of The Week by Thor's Hammer

2007-11-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

This has been one of the craziest seasons that I can remember. My picks have been average at best all season and will most likely continue that trend this week. Here are your lead pile locks.

Oregon 38 - Arizona State 24

I don't think Arizona State is really as good as their record indicates and I think Oregon will prove that this week. The Ducks have the best offense in the country and playing at Autzen stadium is no easy task. Look for Dennis Dixon to vault into the Heisman lead with a huge day and RB Jonathan Stewart will run all over the Sun Devils defense.

LSU 24 - Alabama 16

LSU comes into this game with the status of star DT Glenn Dorsey up in the air. If Dorsey cannot play that will certainly help the Bama running game which could affect the game. I don't think he should play but that is in large part due to the fact that LSU's D-line is strong without Dorsey. I think Bama's defense won't be up to the task in handling WRs Early Doucet and Brandon LaFell. This game will be close but I like LSU to pull it out in the fourth quarter.

Ohio State 27 - Wisconsin 13

The Badgers are simply an average team (much like the entire Big 10) and Ohio State will stomp them. The Buckeyes have a nasty defense and should be able to shut down the lowly Badgers offense. Look for Beanie Wells to run all over Wisconsin and Brandon Robiskie to catch a couple of deep bombs.

Wake Forest 27 - Virginia 20

Wake has really hit their stride after their early losses to Boston College and Nebraska. Virginia started off ACC play with a bang but, like always, they have come back down to earth and played poorly over the last few weeks. They are coming off of a loss to lowly NC State while Wake is coming off of a beat down of UNC. Look for Jim Grobe to out coach Al Groh all day and Wake should take this game in the fourth quarter.

Boston College 24 - Florida State 13

The FSU offense is a complete joke and their defense seems to be fading. As long as BC can limit the TO's this game should not be that close. How Free Shoe has fallen this far is amazing when you think about how dominate they were in the 1990's. BC QB Matt Ryan should continue the spiral towards mediocrity and he just may bolster his chances for the Heisman.

Rutgers 23 - Uconn 21

Uconn looks like last years Rutgers' team and have now become one of the bigger surprises this season. I think Rutgers will run Ray Rice 35 times and should be able to keep the clock rolling and wear out the Uconn D. The Huskies got away with one last week against Louisville by scoring on a punt return when the player clearly signaled for a fair catch. I think their luck runs out this week and Rutgers comes away with the win.

Oklahoma 34 - Texas A&M 17

Oklahoma has one of the most prolific passing attacks in the Big 12 and Texas A&M cannot defend the pass. Look for OU QB Sam Bradford to have a field day against the Aggies and OU should roll in the game that will assure that Francione gets canned at the end of the year.

South Florida 27 - Cincinnati 20

The Bulls and Bearcats were the talk of the Big East a few weeks ago but after both teams lost 2 games in a row they need to get back to their winning if they want to contend for a conference title. South Florida has a better QB and a better defense which always translates to winning. Look for the Bulls to get a lead early and hold on for the win.

Week 10...THE SABAN BOWL

2007-11-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

Here it is folks. THE Saban Bowl. Outside of Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge, however, nobody gives a shit. We have a solid slate of games to pick this week. The Pac-10 champion, for all intensive purposes, will be crowned this weekend and Ohio State will be one game closer to the Michigan match-up, which will decide the Big 10 champion. The afore mentioned Saban bowl has huge SEC West implications, even though Bama still has Auburn remaining. Just in case anybody is wondering, you did not hear incorrectly, Nebraska is a 20 point underdog to Kansas. What the hell is happening in Lincoln? Hopefully, the skers can pull the spoiler card and get it done on the road. Here are the picks.

Arizona State 28 - Oregon 35

I will be honest. This should be a great game. The Pac-10 does not get the respect that it deserves, in large part due to the late game times on the east coast. Simply put, the Pac-1o doesn't get a lot of east coast exposure. Well, that will change this weekend with ESPN broadcasting the game in prime time. Even with one loss, Oregon still has National Championship hopes and ASU, with zero losses, is in the thick of the hunt. Wins against Oregon and USC would all but lock a shot at the title for the Sun Devils. Unfortunately, Oregon will put the first blemish on the Sun Devil's record. Dixon and company will look to put ASU in a hole quickly and then match score for score until the end. This should be a high scoring game. Oregon, ultimately, has the better offense. Not too mention, they have the raucous Autzen Stadium crowd in their corner.

Texas A&M 17 - Oklahoma 27

This game shouldn't be very close. A&M has a lot of talent, but they also have an uber idiot for a head coach. The idiot cancels out their talent. However, with the way that this year has gone, all bets are off. I have to stick with OU for a number of reasons: Better on both sides of the ball, better coach and staff, home field advantage, to name a few. Look for the Sooners to shore up the Big 12 South and still be in the hunt for a berth in the BCS Championship game.

LSU 27 - Sabanation 20

By all accounts, LSU shouldn't have too much trouble here. But, you have to throw in all of the extracurricular crap that comes along with this game. LSU, athlete per athlete is the much better team but Bama has St. Saban, which should help. Bryant-Denney Stadium should be rocking and you know damn well that Saban wants this game more than any other. Unfortunately, Bama just isn't as good. Look for LSU to pull this one out late and keep the National Championship hopes alive.

Wisconsin 10 - Ohio State 28

Ohio State is a solid football team. Their offense isn't as potent as last years but their defense is as good if not better. Wisconsin, however, is a one trick pony and that pony's name is C.J. Hill. Look for Ohio State to shut down the run and make Tyler Donovan beat them with his arm. Wisconsin's defense isn't anything to write home about and you can bet they receive a healthy dose of Beanie Wells. Ohio State retains the number one ranking.

Connecticut 21 - Rutgers 17

I do not know what happened this year in college football. Uconn, Kansas, Cincinnati, etc. Well, Uconn is quietly leading the Big East. Which, in all reality, isn't that impressive of a stat. Rutgers, however, has imploded over the last couple of weeks. I don't have a clue who is going to win this game and really don't have a gut feeling. Who knows anything about Uconn football? The one thing that I do know is that Uconn plays solid defense. Add that they get the game at home and I will go with the Huskies???

South Florida 27 - Cincinnati 24

Another one of those games that you wonder what is happening in college football. In this case, both of these teams have been knocked back to reality in the last couple of weeks. For all intensive purposes, both of these teams are out of the conference races. They would both need a lot of help. I really think that S. Florida is a solid program and quite frankly, they should have better athletes. Grothe is a solid QB and doesn't make many mistakes. South Florida takes the win with a late 4th quarter field goal and doesn't look back.

Boston College 21 - Florida State 10

Look, Florida State has, quite possibly, the worst offense comprised of the most talented players. You follow? That being said, FSU's D is going to have to help out in a major way. I just don't see them being able to keep Boston College at bay long enough. I am not sold on BC being the second best team in college football but, if they continue to win then they will play for a Championship. While we are on the subject, I also don't buy Matt Ryan as the best player in college football. I will be the first to admit, however, that the game leading touchdown pass he threw against Va Tech was one of the greatest passes I have seen but the best player in football he is not. Anyways, BC stays unbeaten.

Wake Forest 24 - Virginia 17

This game is a battle of the mediocres. I think I am going to go with Wake Forest in this one. Riley Skinner is a solid QB and leads the team well. Oh yeah, Coach Grobe isn't so bad either. Virginia has the home field advantage but they can't score any points. Look for Wake's D to bring everything, including the kitchen sink, in order to keep the offense from scoring points. This game will be ugly but Wake will win with a early 4th quarter touchdown.

Sharks Circling at USC?

2007-10-31T20:10:00.001-07:00

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

2007-10-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-10-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-10-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-25T10:01:00.001-07:00

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

2007-10-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-10-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-22T11:13:00.001-07:00

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

2007-10-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-10-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2007-10-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-10-15T13:34:00.001-07:00

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.

2007-10-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-10-15T09:44:00.001-07:00

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

2007-10-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-13T06:03:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-10-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-10-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-10-05T03:07:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday, Thor's Hammer

A Week to Recover

2007-10-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-10-02T10:04:00.001-07:00

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

2007-10-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-10-01T08:02:00.001-07:00

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

2007-10-01T06:25:00.001-07:00

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

Week 5 Picks: The Aftermath

2007-09-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

Wow...not a good day for favorites. Look for the weekend rundown later this week. For now, look at our pitiful records from last week.

Great Odin's Raven: 3-5 (18-14)

Apollo's Creed: 3-5 (10-6) still catching up

Thor's Hammer: 4-4 (19-13)

Nice Story about a former Boilermaker

2007-09-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Drew Brees loves his alma mater...and Carlton

Talk about earning the man of the year award.

The Mike Gundy Beer Commercial

2007-09-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

This did not take very long. Here it is, your Mike Gundy beer commercial.

Week 5 Picks

2007-09-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

By the end of the weekend we will have a better outlook as to the pecking order of the Pac-10 as well as a couple of 5-0 teams leading the Big 10. A couple "revenge" games on the slate in WVU - S. Florida and Texas - K. State should make for interesting theater. However, nothing could be better than the possibility of Notre Dame going 0-5. This is when College Football really gets good. And now, once more unto the breech, dear friends.

West Virginia 27 - USF 21

Revenge game #1. Last year USF ended all hopes of West Virginia playing for a National Championship and although coaches, apparently, never use revenge as a motivational tool, (bullshit) you can bet last years loss will add some kick to WVU. Even though this will be the most balanced team WVU will face in the Big East, WVU will still put up points. This one will be a close one.

FSU 10 - Bama 21

Man, there isn't much I like on the sidelines of these two teams. Possibly two of the more disliked coaches in college football. Is it a coincidence that they are so disliked because they are/have been so good (not counting recent Bobby Bowden)? Anyways, FSU's offense is absolutely horrible and Bama's defense is sound enough to keep them from doing anything of significance. The real test is the Bama offense against the perennially stout FSU defense. I think turnovers by the FSU offense will negate solid defensive play by the Seminoles D. The celestial rise of St. Saban gets back on track this weekend.

Florida 31 - Auburn 10

Florida's offense is much better than most people imagined it would be this off season. Couple that with the fact that Auburn and Gorgeous Borges can't seem to move the ball 3 feet, and what do you have? Another Florida ass kicking. Maybe Auburn can take a page from Ole Miss' playbook. They managed to lose by only 6 to the Gators. Tim Tebow will strengthen his Heisman legitimacy this weekend with another solid performance. Can you say game of the year when Florida visits LSU?

Texas 21 - Kansas State 17

Revenge game #2. KSU shocked the Longhorns in Manhattan last year and basically put an end to Texas' National Championship hopes. This year, I wouldn't plan on the same outcome. Although, Texas has looked mediocre at best this year, they are still much more talented and have too many superior athletes. Playing at home in Austin will help and the way Texas has played so far, they may need it . Texas wins at home in a close one.

Purdue 31 - Notre Dame 17

The train wreck continues Golden Domers. Notre Dame sucks. That is all that needs to be said for this game. Apollo's Creed, I am picking your Boilermakers. Coach Weis, I have included a recipe that I think will come in handy this weekend. Let me know what you think.

Wisconsin 21 - Michigan State 10

I have to be honest, Wisconsin has yet to impress me. I will give Bielema credit though, it may not be pretty but he wins. This should be an interesting test with Michigan State. It took Wisconsin all four quarters to beat Iowa last weekend and Michigan State is on par, if not better than Iowa. Having the game at home with tons of screaming cheese heads should help. Hey Bielema, crack open a Schlitz for me buddy.

USC 35 - Washington 17

USC is the real deal this year. Well, I guess they are the real deal every year but maybe a little more so this year. This will be a good test for Pete Carroll and his Trojans. Washington is slowly but surely improving under Ty Willingham and within the next couple of years should be back in contention in the Pac-10. This year, however, USC is just a flat out better team. There isn't anything that they aren't good at doing. If Ty Willingham wants to see how to beat USC's defense then he just needs to watch the Nebraska tape. Yes, I know they beat Nebraska but the Huskers racked up 420 yards of offense and 31 points. The Trojans move one game to closer to New Orleans with this win.

Oregon 35 - California 28

I will be honest. This game is a complete toss up for me. It, ultimately, came down to home field advantage. That and I think Cal's defense just isn't strong enough. The winner of this game will be in the drivers seat for a Rose Bowl berth. That is, of course, because I am assuming USC goes unbeaten and plays for a National Championship. Both teams have great offenses and I believe you will see a lot of point scoring and not so much defense. Oregon's is the better of the two, which will help insure a big win for Oregon and coach Bellotti.

Picks of the Week from "the DEGENERATE GAMBLER"

2007-09-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

Since we are still picking outright winners instead of against the spread, it should be easy pickings (no pun intended) once again for Apollo's Creed this week. I started off my first week picking games on the blog strong with a solid 7-1 showing. My record would have been 8-0 if I would have had the guts to follow my heart and pick the Wildcats to beat Arkansas in Fayetteville. My strategy this week is to pick the games based on my initial thoughts, and not to over think things. With that said, let's get on to the picks.

South Florida 31 West Virginia 28

I feel like this game will put the South Florida program on the map in what is still a top-heavy Big East. Yes, I know what people are thinking out there. South Florida has already arrived, thanks to a solid road win over an admittedly down Auburn team this year and last year's win over the Mountaineers in Morgantown. However, I feel that South Florida still has to prove that they have staying power. With a solid team on both sides of the ball, and the home-field advantage, South Florida should be able to overcome West Virginia's explosive offense.

Alabama 23 Florida State 13

As much as I want to pick the Seminoles in this game, I don't trust either Drew Weatherford or Xavier Lee at QB for Florida State. Both defenses are solid, and John Parker Wilson is the difference as the Crimson Tide wins rather easily.

Florida 30 Auburn 10

The Auburn offense has been horrible in against every team they've played this year except for a pathetic New Mexico State squad. There is absolutely no way they will be able to slow down the Florida offense enough to stay in this game. Florida QB Tim Tebow has turned into a legitimate Heisman candidate in just his sophomore year, and the Florida defense is solid. I hate both of these teams, so it's easy for me to keep the emotions out of the pick. Florida dominates and the seat gets hotter for Tuberville at Auburn.

Texas 31 Kansas State 14

Texas isn't as good as they've been over the past few years, but it really shouldn't matter in a pathetic Big 12. Oklahoma should handle them, but that game isn't for a few weeks. Kansas State doesn't have the athletes to stay with Mack Brown's bunch, and unless Brown makes some bonehead coaching decisions (not out of the realm of possibility), Texas will handle the Wildcats.

Purdue 52 Notre Dame 21

As a Boilermaker fan, and an Irish hater, I have been greatly looking forward to this game all week. This one really shouldn't be close, as Purdue's offense has been close to unstoppable this year, albeit against less than solid competition. However, if you study the game tape of the Purdue offense, what you see is a team that has the athletes and scheme to score against anyone in the country. Notre Dame is definitely not one of the best teams in the country, and have played so bad that it's almost beyond comprehension. Now, the Purdue defense is still the weak point of the team, and the Irish should be able to score some garbage points after the game is out of hand. The only thing that could possibly make this game competitive is if Purdue continues their early season trend of fumbling the ball away pretty much every possession they don't score on. It's almost as if that's Joe Tiller's new strategy this year. "Let's just fumble instead of worrying about punting." All kidding aside, the Boilers win in a blowout.

Michigan State 20 Wisconsin 17

I'll be completely honest. I don't think either one of these teams is very good. However, Wisconsin has been playing with fire every game this year and is due to lose one. Michigan State's new coach has the Spartans believing in themselves again after the dark days of the John L. Smith era, and they will pull the upset in a tight one.

USC 48 Washington 10

USC is a great team as usual. Washington is still a slightly below average team, with a good young quarterback to build around. The greatness of USC wins big.

Oregon 35 Cal 31

Oregon has a stud at quarterback in Dennis Dixon, as well as explosive athletes all over the field. Cal has a very good quarterback, as well as explosive athletes all over the field. The stud wins every time especially in the friendly confines of Autzen Stadium.

Thor's Hammer Gives You the Week 5 Locks

2007-09-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

Last week yours truly took one on the chin, defining mediocre going 4-4 on the week. Again, now that Apollo's Creed is on board (degenerate gambler) I am feeling the pressure. With a great slate of games this could be a make-or-break week for Thor's Hammer. So, without further ado, here are the week 5 picks.

West Virginia 31 - South Florida 27

South Florida is a 7 point home dog. South Florida beat West Virginia in Morgantown last season. South Florida actually has a defense. With all of this having been said, I see West Virginia coming from behind late in the 4th quarter on a Noel Devine highlight reel TD. South Florida is an emerging power in college football but they are still 1-2 solid recruiting classes short of dominating the Big (L)East.

Florida State 20 - Alabama 17

Florida State has had 2 weeks to prepare for this game while Bama has had back-to-back thrilling games at home. The Fightin' Sabans now hit the road to play a stout defense led by (2nd stringer?) LB Geno Hayes and stud S Myron Rolle. Bama has a decent offense but their D is lacking which should help the pitiful Free Shoe offense. While this game could go either way, give me the team that is rested and not coached by the devil.

Florida 27 - Auburn 13

The Gators survived a scare in Oxford last week while the Tigers hammered lowly New Mexico State. Auburn has played 2 quality teams (KSU, USF) and should have lost to both of them while losing to freaking Miss St. in the process. The Gators bring the best offense in the SEC every time they step onto the field and Auburn...well, they don't bring a very good offense to any field. Tiger QB Brandon Cox looks like a tackling dummy far too often and their running game for Auburn has been less than effective against every team not named New Mexico St. Tebow (for Heisman?) and the Gators should roll in Gainesville.

Texas 30 - Kansas State 14

Texas was in line for a shot at the title last season until they went into Manhattan and lost to the Wildcats in the Big 12 upset of the year. This time the game is in Austin and the Longhorns will have revenge on their minds. This looks like an ass whooping but KSU does have a stout D (unlike 9 other Big 12 teams) and this could be close for a half. With that having been said, UT should still roll as they have so much more talent than the Wildcats.

Purdue 31 - Notre Dame 17

The Irish have scored 27 points in 4 games. My God, Charlie Weis is a genius!! Purdue has a nasty offense, as usual, and an average defense, as usual, which is why the Irish should score at least 1 touchdown. However, the Boilermakers do have a great QB in Curtis Painter and they should feast on the worst Notre Dame team ever. I bet Notre Dame AD Kevin White is second guessing that 10 year extension he gave to Chunky Charlie after getting blasted by USC and LSU. This is what happens when you hire a douchebag.

Wisconsin 20 - Michigan State 14

Good God the Big 11 is horrible. The teams in the Big 11 are setting back offensive football 50 years. The Penn State-Mich and Iowa-Wisc. games were brutal to watch. This weeks Big 11 game of the week shouldn't be any better. Neither team has an offense worth a damn and fans can expect to see much of the same in Madison. This is a classic "who cares" game but seeing as this is the best game of the week in the Big 11 we here at Gods of the Gridiron felt in necessary to discuss it...and to rip the Big 11.

USC 41 - Washington 17

As stated earlier on the blog, USC is so good it is stupid. While Washington was a nice story earlier in the year getting waxed by Ohio State at home and following that up with another loss to UCLA (who lost to Utah by over 30 pts) quickly put them in their place. USC is going to roll like they always do giving Booty another chance to further his Heisman hype. Maybe freshman sensation Jake Locker can scare USC a little, but I highly doubt it. This one should be over mid way through the 3rd quarter.

Oregon 34 - Cal 31

In what is easily the game of the week the second tier Pac 10 teams battle it out to determine which team will step up and challenge the mighty Trojans. Oregon lost their leading receiver for the season which will undoubtedly hurt their chances but have you seen Cal play defense? Cal is still getting praise after beating an average Tennessee team at home while giving up over 30 points. This is the best Oregon squad since Joey Harrington was there and this game being at home should give them an advantage. While I think Cal will light up the scoreboard in Autzen stadium I like Dennis Dixon and John Stewart to make one more play than the Bears.

Week 5 Look Ahead

2007-09-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

Just a little FYI, this week has some delicious games including West Virginia-South Florida, Free Shoe-Bama, California-Oregon, Auburn-Florida, Kansas State-Texas, Notre Dame-Purdue, Michigan State-Wisconsin and USC-Washington. Since Louisville has gone to shit faster than Mexican food the WVU-USF game could be the game of the year in the Big L(East). Surely Jesus wouldn't let Saint Saban lose two games in a row would he? Could Notre Dame really start 0-5?? All these questions and more will be answered in the coming days when the Gods make their picks. Now that we have a degenerate gambler on board myself and Odin's Raven need to step it up.

Updated standings...GreatOdin'sRaven draws even!!!

2007-09-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I got one back in the win column and drew even with Thor's Hammer this weekend. Unfortunately, we both lost in picks to Apollo's Creed. What can you do? Apollo's creed is a habitual gambler, so he should beat us in picks every week. Oh, if only that was how it really worked. Here are the records for the weekend and the overall.

GreatOdin'sRaven- 5-3

Thor's Hammer- 4-4

Apollo's Creed- 7-1.

Total:

GreatOdin'sRaven- 15-9

Thor's Hammer- 15-9

Apollo's Creed- 7-1( Missed the first two weeks, so there is a little catching up to do)

Week 4 Recap

2007-09-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

In what was a somewhat boring week in terms of top match ups the game of the week (homer alert) had to be Georgia's OT win over Bama on the road. Although not the prettiest game of the day it got the job done putting the Dawgs back into contention for an SEC title. One very bizarre moment in this game came when play-by-play man Mike Patrick went a little off course and wanted to talk some gossip (http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2007/09/mike-patrick-has-important-things-on.html). Is he seriously the best ESPN could get? Hell, pay me half of what he is making and I guarantee I cannot be any worse (seriously, I am not joking and can be reached at pdub1005@gmail.com). In the other SEC games of note Kentucky beat Arkansas despite McFadden going off giving batshit crazy Hog fans even more reason to hate Houston Nutt. LSU smacked South Carolina around causing the Head Ball Coach to switch QB's for the umpteenth time and Ole Miss put a scare into FLA losing 30-24 which caused OU to jump the Gators in the AP poll. USC rolled as usual and the Irish of Notre Dame are now 0-4 for the first time in their 119 year history. We here at the Gods of the Gridiron feel Notre Dame's start is due to Karma after all of those pederast Catholic priests got away with touching boys. Serves you right, bitches. Apparently defense has become optional for some college football teams. Louisville lost to freaking Syracuse (yes, the same team that had been outscored 118-32 entering the game) after giving up almost 500 yards and 38 points in Papa John's stadium. Are you kidding me? If someone would have told me that the Cardinals would lose to Syracuse at home I would have told them to put the blunt down. Meanwhile, Nebraska's D hasn't shown up this year (I am not counting beating a shitty Nevada team). The Huskers had to watch a 55 yard FG miss left by Ball freaking State Saturday to escape with a 41-40 HOME win. Ball State piled up over 600 yards of offense including over 400 yards passing. In the last 2 weeks the black...I mean pink shirts have given up over 1,000 yards of offense and 89 points at home. Even in the miserable Big 12 that won't get it done.

Stafford to Henderson

2007-09-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

UGA 26 BAMA 23

2007-09-23T06:09:00.000-07:00

WOW!!! Talk about a game that brought back memories. Five years ago, the Dawgs won a game at Auburn in the final seconds on a play very similar to the one they scored on to win the game last night in overtime. Only the protagonists have changed. This time it was Matthew Stafford and Mikey Henderson instead of David Greene and Michael Johnson. Could this be the play that restores Georgia football to their normal standards. The Dawgs still don't control their own destiny thanks to the loss at home two weeks ago to the Ol' Ball Coach, but any educated observer would believe that South Carolina will probably lose another conference game before the SEC season comes to a close. There are still plenty of scary games for the Dawgs on the schedule, specifically the Florida game in Jacksonville, but last night's win puts the Dawgs in position to make a run at their fourth appearance in the SEC Championship in Coach Mark Richt's seven years at the helm.

One final thought: Mark Richt is now 23-3 in opponents home stadiums in SEC Games.
How ridiculous is that?