Hot Stove Thoughts

Lackey to the Red Sox: On paper, this looks to be a great deal for the Red Sox. They get a number 1 starter that will likely slot into the third spot of their rotation. Apparently, they have lost faith in Matsuzaka. He now becomes the fourth, or maybe fifth starter, behind Bucholz. Two things would worry me as a Sox fan. The first is the Angels unwillingness to go to five years. Lackey has missed the start of the last two seasons with injuries, so it makes you wonder what the Angels know. They clearly know him best, so you have to wonder a bit. The second thing that would worry me a little is his desire to sign with a team where he will clearly be looked at as a number three. Maybe he is the ultimate team player, but most top flight pitchers have the attitude that they are number one and that is what makes them perform at their best.

Halladay to the Phillies/Cliff Lee to the Mariners: You have to think this keeps the Phillies at the top of the National League as of now. Word is they will lock him up for an additional three years as a condition of the trade. Hard to argue with adding Halladay, although you have to figure he starts diminishing at one point. My only problem is that unless Hamels bounces back, they are back in the same spot as last year and one dominant pitcher has not proven to be enough in the playoffs. The Mariners will team Lee with King Felix at the top of the rotation to create a pretty potent 1-2 punch. If they can get into the playoffs, they will be a tough out with those two leading the way. If they can agree to extension with Lee, it will also provide them with some insurance if Hernandez proves to be too expensive.

Matsui to the Angels: You would have to think this marks the end of the Vladimir Guerrero era in Anaheim. Matsui can provide plenty of pop from the DH spot and has proven to be a clutch hitter in the postseason. The Angels have clearly lost more than than they have gained to this point of the offseason, but you have to give GM Tony Reagins the benefit of the doubt based on recent success. At 1 year and 6.5 million, Matsui could prove to be the steal of the season much like Bobby Abreu did last year.

It should be noted that while all of these deals appear very likely, none have been officially announced.

LVSC Week 13 NFL Rankings

Every week Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the world's largest oddsmaking company, releases their top polls/rankings for the major sports. They describe their polls as ones in which "teams are ranked purely by the numbers, without media, regional, league, conference or any other biases – just the facts as determined by LVSC’s team of experts." Because they use the same information that is used to make the betting lines, it is perhaps the most complete and accurate poll. We will post the updated college football poll here every Tuesday and the updated NFL rankings on Wednesdays.



Two moves of note this week. First, the San Diego Chargers continue their climb up the ladder as they jump ahead of the Steelers into the fifth spot. I have been saying for the last few weeks that the Chargers are really hitting their stride, and that continued with a dominating victory over the Chiefs. Sure the Chiefs are not a great, or even good, team but those can be the toughest games. As I said with a Saints big win over Tampa two weeks ago, the truly great teams win the games they are supposed to win and do not look past opponents. The Chargers are not going to go quietly. The other move that caught my attention is the Patriots drop from second to fourth. Clearly, Vegas has taken notice that the Pats defense can not slow down the top offenses. I'm not sure I would even have them ahead of the Chargers at this point. In the NFC, the Saints and Vikings will battle it out for a Super Bowl trip. In the AFC, I'll take the Colts and the Chargers.

LVSC Week 14 College Football Rankings

Every week Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the world's largest oddsmaking company, releases their top polls/rankings for the major sports. They describe their polls as ones in which "teams are ranked purely by the numbers, without media, regional, league, conference or any other biases – just the facts as determined by LVSC’s team of experts." Because they use the same information that is used to make the betting lines, it is perhaps the most complete and accurate poll. We will post the updated college football poll here every Tuesday and the updated NFL rankings on Wednesdays.



The most interesting move this week is TCU jumping into the third spot ahead of Alabama. Vegas is confirming what most experts have been saying all along, that TCU can hang with the big boys. While still seen as 3.5 points below Texas, the Horned Frogs are clearly making their presence felt. Not sure I would want to draw them as my BCS bowl opponent. A team to keep an eye on this week is Nebraska. Checking in at nineteen, they have the capability to give Texas a tough game in the Big 12 Championship. Texas better be sure they are not looking ahead to a BCS Championship game, or they may get knocked out of it. Texas is clearly the better team, but Bo Pelini's Huskers have the ability to give them a tough game. One other team to note is USC. They move back up into BCS contention at number thirteen, which makes them eligible for an at large berth. Can you imagine the outcry from all of the Trojan haters if they were to slide into a BCS game? It is definitely a very outside chance, but just something to think about.

Be Careful What You Ask For

Don't you just love when grown men feel the need to show whose is bigger? In a classic battle of egos, an otherwise dreary crosstown rivalry turned into a pissing contest. With 52 seconds remaining and a 14 point lead, USC quarterback Matt Barkley took the snap and dropped to a knee to begin running the clock out. Apparently, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel decided that he would decide when the game was over as he called his first of three timeouts to extend the game. With a third down play coming and UCLA still with two timeouts, USC could have run one more play and punted the ball back to the Bruins with around 40 seconds remaining. Pete Carrol, however, decided that if Neuheisel wanted to keep playing, he would oblige. Barkley took the third down snap, faked the hand off and threw a 48 yard touchdown to Damian Williams. UCLA took offense and benches cleared as the USC team celebrated on their sideline and the Bruins left their sideline to cross the field. To me, two things stand out about the situation.

First. If Rick Neuheisel is going to call timeout and extend the game, he has to have his team ready to play defense. Was it the best idea for USC to throw the ball deep? Maybe not, but this is a rivalry game. If the winning team has already decided to take a knee and let the game end, you have to let it be. It is hard to agree with the argument that Pete Carrol showed no class and poor sportsmanship when he directed his team to take a knee in the first place. If UCLA wanted to decide when the game was over, they should have played better and been in the lead. Otherwise, if you want the game to continue; you better keep playing.

Second. It is rather comical to hear fans talk about how classless this move was by USC when two weeks ago they defended Stanford's decision to go for two when the game was a blowout. Going for two simply to try and reach 50 points when a game is clearly out reach is a completely different move. Had USC gone for two after the touchdown, you could use the comparison. If you approve of Stanford's move, you do not have a leg to stand on in arguing against USC's late touchdown.

Thanksgiving Pigskin Preview

Green Bay at Detroit: The Lions, coming off a dramatic comeback victory over the Cleveland Browns, welcome their long time rival to Ford Field for a Thanksgiving showdown. The Packers are looking for a win to remain in the NFC playoff picture, while the Lions are simply looking to put back back to wins together for the first time since 2007. It is going to be a tough task for the home team in this one. For starters, the Lions secondary is all banged up and they will be forced to start safety Marvin White, who was signed only a month ago after being cut by the Cowboys. Starting alongside him will be rookie Louis Delmas who is nursing injuries of his own. Add that to the fact that starting QB Matthew Stafford is nursing an injury to his non throwing shoulder after separating it at the end of last weeks game, and things look even worse. It is hard to imagine the Lions secondary being able to stop Aaron Rogers and company in this one, but it may be closer than the most people think.

Oakland at Dallas: The Raiders travel to Jerry's World after an improbable victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, while the Cowboys come off a very uninspiring defeat of the Washington Redskins. The Raiders offense seems to have found some rhythm behind new starting QB Bruce Gradkowski, probably because his throws are actually to his receivers. If the Raiders defense can put some pressure on Tony Romo, he will make plenty of mistakes and make this game closer than it should be. I'll take the Raiders and the upset as Romo will again prove that he is not a top flight NFL QB.

New York Giants at Denver: Boy how the Broncos have come back down to Earth. The team that had everyone talking about how wrong they were to start the season is now proving everyone right. The Denver defense is still playing very well, but the lack of offense is catching up to them. As opponents have had a chance to watch tape of Kyle Orton, the lack of any ability to throw the ball deep has become evident. Teams are now taking away the short stuff and forcing Orton to throw the ball down the field more. The Giants snapped their four game losing streak with an overtime win against the Falcons last week, but they have been struggling themselves of late. The Broncos defense should be able to keep this game close through the first half, but the offense will not be able to keep us as the game wears on. Look for the Giants to win this game by two scores.

LVSC Week 12 NFL Rankings

Every week Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the world's largest oddsmaking company, releases their top polls/rankings for the major sports. They describe their polls as ones in which "teams are ranked purely by the numbers, without media, regional, league, conference or any other biases – just the facts as determined by LVSC’s team of experts." Because they use the same information that is used to make the betting lines, it is perhaps the most complete and accurate poll. We will post the updated college football poll here every Tuesday and the updated NFL rankings on Wednesdays.



No big changes here. The top 5 stays the same while San Diego moves into the 6 hole. I would not be surprised to see them move ahead of Pittsburgh soon as well. The Chargers have definitely found their identity and, as a result, started playing great football. Philip Rivers is definitely one of the better leaders in the game. His confidence, borderline cockiness, seems to have rubbed off on his teammates. The big matchup this week will see the Saints and Patriots battle it out for the top spot on Monday Night.

LVSC Week 13 College Football Rankings

Every week Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the world's largest oddsmaking company, releases their top polls/rankings for the major sports. They describe their polls as ones in which "teams are ranked purely by the numbers, without media, regional, league, conference or any other biases – just the facts as determined by LVSC’s team of experts." Because they use the same information that is used to make the betting lines, it is perhaps the most complete and accurate poll. We will post the updated college football poll here every Tuesday and the updated NFL rankings on Wednesdays.



The top 5 spots stay the same this week, but Oklahoma drops from the six hole down to tenth following their loss to Texas Tech. They continue to be the team with the most disparity from the BCS polls as they remain unranked by the BCS. Stanford's loss drops them 5 spots to number 18. Interestingly, they are back behind USC who they destroyed just two weeks ago. It goes to show how much pure athleticism factors into college football. Notice that TCU holds a 2 point margin over fifth place Oregon. I am telling you, this team is for real. They definitely have the talent to hang with the big boys.

The Most Impressive Teams Today

In looking at today's games, two teams really stood out. New Orleans went down to Tampa Bay and beat the Buccaneers 38-7. While Tampa Bay is far from a top flight team, these are the games that have a tendency to jump up and bite the favored team. These are the games that an undefeated team has a tendency to look past. It is easy to get up for the big games, but it isn't quite as easy to get up for the games that everyone knows you're supposed to win. Top teams always win the games they are supposed to win and that's what the Saints did on Sunday. The second team that caught my attention was the San Diego Chargers. I have been saying for the past couple of weeks that the Chargers really seem to be hitting their stride and Sunday that continued. They went into Denver and took over the division lead with a dominant victory over a division foe. While the Broncos may not be quite as good as their record, they are still no pushover. That is especially true at Invesco. The Chargers defense, however, went into Denver and completely controlled the game. The offense didn't put up huge numbers, but they still managed to put 32 points on the board. The Chargers again continue to build momentum and, if this keeps up, they are going to be very tough to beat come playoff time.

Oh Neaux!

What was Les Miles thinking? With a chance to win the game, he let his team down. QB Jordan Jefferson was sacked with 17 seconds left in the game to create a 4th and 26 and Miles let eight seconds run off the clock before using his last timeout. Boy would those eight seconds have come in handy. On 4th and 26, Jefferson completed a deep pass to WR Terrance Tolliver that would have setup a field goal to win the game. Instead with only one second left on the clock, the field goal team was not ready to run on the field and Jefferson spiked the ball to stop the clock. As it turns out, spiking the ball with no time left on the clock doesn't help much. Had Miles called his timeout properly after the 3rd down play, LSU would have had plenty of time to spike the ball and kick the field goal. Had he had his field goal team prepared, they could have at least tried to get the last play off as a field goal attempt. Unfortunately for the Tigers, he did neither. You can chalk this loss up to the coaching staff.

Games of the Day

Ohio State at Michigan: The Wolverines welcome Ohio State to the Big House today in the latest installment of this storied rivalry. Clearly Michigan is not playing at the high level it is used to and Ohio State has already clinched the Big Ten title and a trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. Despite all that, you never know what is going to happen in these rivalry games. Ohio State should be able to score at will and win this game going away against a soft Michigan defense. I imagine the Wolverines will keep this game close for a little while, but Ohio State should pull away. One thing is for sure, Rich Rodriguez could definitely use an upset to help get some of the Wolverine faithful off his back.

Cal at Stanford: Stanford is easily playing the best football in the country right now as they welcome the Cal Golden Bears to town for "The Big Game." Hard to imagine Cal pulling this one out, especially without star running back Javhid Best. Best will miss today's game as he continues to recover from a severe concussion suffered in the game against Oregon State. Andrew Luck, Toby Gerhart and the entire Cardinal offense has been absolutely rolling in recent weeks. The overpowering run game allows Stanford to get a lead and then just take the air out of the ball and control the clock. I think this game is closer than you would guess, but Stanford comes out on top.

Oregon at Arizona: In a wide open Pac Ten, there are still multiple teams fighting for a trip to the Rose Bowl. Arizona needs the win to remain in contention. Oregon would seem to be the better team, but Arizona is incredibly tough to play at home. Mike Stoops has the Wildcat defense playing at a high level and QB Nick Foles is one of the better, unknown players in the country. I think Arizona takes this one and joins the rest of the teams atop the Pac Ten.

Great View of the World Series

Check out this great time lapse photography from Game 6 of the World Series. From CNBC's Darren Rovell "If you want a good look at the future of sports journalism, watch this incredible World Series time lapse through the lenses of 26-year-old photographer Robert Caplin.

The project involved shooting for about nine hours during Game Six with three Canon EOS 5D Mark II cameras. Caplin edited down the 12,000 images with his girlfriend Laia Prats into the short piece, which ended up running at 24 frames per second. He then matched it to Chopin’s Waltz No. 5."

Click this link to see the video http://www.robertcaplin.com/Videos.html

Clippers Announcers Suspended For Tonight's Game

Legendary Los Angeles Clipper broadcaster Ralph Lawler and partner Mike Smith have been suspended for tonight's game because of comments made during Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies. The exchange came as the two discussed Hamed Haddadi, the first Iranian born NBA player. The exchange is below:

Smith: “Look who’s in.”

Lawler: “Hamed Haddadi. Where’s he from?”

Smith: “He’s the first Iranian to play in the NBA.” (Smith pronounced Iranian as “Eye-ranian,” a pronunciation that offended the viewer who complained.)

Lawler: “There aren’t any Iranian players in the NBA,” repeating Smith’s mispronunciation.

Smith: “He’s the only one.”

Lawler: “He’s from Iran?”

Smith: “I guess so.”

Lawler: “That Iran?”

Smith: Yes.

Lawler: “The real Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

Lawler: “Wow. Haddadi – that’s H-A-D-D-A-D-I.”

Smith: “You’re sure it’s not Borat’s older brother?”

Smith: “If they ever make a movie about Haddadi, I’m going to get Sacha Baron Cohen to play the part.”

Lawler: “Here’s Haddadi. Nice little back-door pass. I guess those Iranians can pass the ball.”

Smith: “Especially the post players.

Lawler: “I don’t know about their guards.”

Really? First of all, for a viewer to be offend that Iran was pronounced (eye-ran) rather than the correct (ear-on) is one of the most ridiculous things I have heard in a long time. While I do not typically find it appropriate to tell someone else what they should be offended by, I have to call bs on this one. I suppose it is reasonable to think a person of Iranian descent could be offended by the Borat remarks, it is a stretch to consider it suspendable. Clearly Borat is a joke and no harm was meant by the comments. Ralph Lawler is the only classy, successful aspect of a joke of an organization. It is sad to see a fine broadcaster and all around guy like Lawler be disrespected by an organization who has worked so hard for. For the Clippers to not have his back, when he really should not need it in the first place, is just another embarrassment from the NBA's doormat. Here's to you Ralph Lawler, you deserve so much better.

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JaMarcus Russell Finally Benched

The Oakland Raiders have finally replaced JaMarcus Russell with journeyman Bruce Gradkowski. How it took this long we will never know. I suppose when you are paying a player as much money as the Raiders are paying Russell, you want to give him a chance to succeed. Russell was given plenty of time and has not seemed to make any improvement. He was pulled from the game 2 of the last 3 weeks, so patience was clearly running thin. While the Raiders haven't exactly surrounded him with talent, Russell clearly just does not have what it takes to be an NFL quarterback. To this point in the season he has only completed 47% of his passes and thrown only two touchdowns while turning the ball over 15 times. To make matters worse, he has reportedly been late for meetings all season and not shown the work ethic necessary to get better. It is one thing to struggle, it is another to not work at improving. Not sure what the Raiders can do with him at this point, but if he gets any fatter maybe they can switch him to the offensive line.

LVSC Week 11 NFL Rankings

Every week Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the world's largest oddsmaking company, releases their top polls/rankings for the major sports. They describe their polls as ones in which "teams are ranked purely by the numbers, without media, regional, league, conference or any other biases – just the facts as determined by LVSC’s team of experts." Because they use the same information that is used to make the betting lines, it is perhaps the most complete and accurate poll. We will post the updated college football poll here every Tuesday and the updated NFL rankings on Wednesdays.



The Bengals made the big move this week moving up to the sixth spot after completing a season sweep of the Pittsburgh Steelers. A team that continues to rise is the San Diego Chargers. They really seem to be firing on all cylinders right now. They are going to be a very tough out come playoff time. You have to love the confidence, or cockiness depending on your view, of Philip Rivers. The team really seems to respond to him. You always have the feeling that he is going to find a way to win.

Who Is Your Top Team?

Vote for a team not on the list by posting in the comments section.

Week 12 LVSC College Football Poll

Every week Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the world's largest oddsmaking company, releases their top polls/rankings for the major sports. They describe their polls as ones in which "teams are ranked purely by the numbers, without media, regional, league, conference or any other biases – just the facts as determined by LVSC’s team of experts." Because they use the same information that is used to make the betting lines, it is perhaps the most complete and accurate poll. We will post the updated college football poll here every Tuesday and the updated NFL rankings on Wednesdays.



Not surprisingly, the biggest drop this week comes from USC who drops 10 spots down to sixteen. Stanford, on the other hand, rides its demolition of USC all the way up to the thirteenth position. Oklahoma remains a favorite of the LVSC despite not appearing in the BCS rankings. Florida and Texas remain the clear favorites as both are seen as at least a three point favorite over Alabama.

A Trade That Needs to Happen

The San Diego Padres are looking to trade All Star 1B Adrian Gonzalez, and they need to get a deal done. Trading your only true star player is not an easy move to sell to your fans, but it will pay dividends in the long run. The Padres will not be able to resign Gonzalez who will be in line for a huge contract at the end of the 2011 season and they cannot afford to let him walk and get nothing in return. If they trade him this offseason, they will be able to get some combination of 4 top prospects and/or major league ready players. While it will be hard for fans to accept at first, they will appreciate the payoff in the end. With or without Gonzalez the Padres are not contend for a playoff spot this year, so they need to do what is best for the team. The most likely destination is the Boston Red Sox as Jed Hoyer will likely feel most comfortable with the prospects he should know well coming from his former team. Don't rule out the Mets who desperately need a big bat.

Quick Hits From the NFL

What was Bill Belichick thinking? My gut reaction is that he wasn't thinking at all. Going for it on 4th and 2 from your own 28 with a six point lead and less than 2 minutes left seems crazy. Add to that the fact that the Colts had no timeouts left and a 70 yard drive seems even less possible. After thinking about it, however, you can see where he was coming from. The Colts previous 2 possessions were longer than 70 yards and took less than 2 minutes. Belichick clearly had more confidence in his offense gaining 2 yards than in his defense stopping Peyton Manning. I still would have kicked it away, but I can see where he is coming from.

At what point can we give up on Tony Romo. He clearly is not a top level NFL Quarterback. Time after time he fools everyone into thinking he has taken the next step and then he comes back to Earth. The Cowboys have not won a playoff game in over a decade and I don't think Romo changes that. He is simply too careless with the football and way too laid back to be an effective leader.

The Cincinnati Bengals have now swept their season series with both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. The offense is firing on all cylinders, but the defense has been the key. Both corners are plating shutdown defense, allowing Mike Zimmer to be his aggressive in his scheme. Credit linebackers Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga with bringing a hard nosed attitude and giving the whole defensive unit their swagger. They have to be considered one of the top teams in the AFC.

BCS Review

No changes this week at the top of the BCS as the top 5 remain Florida, Alabama, Texas, TCU and Cincinnati. The most impressive of the 5 was clearly TCU. TCU welcomed the sixteenth ranked Utah Utes to town and pounded them 55-28. Texas won big as well, but it was against Baylor. TCU definitely looks like they belong in the discussion with the big boys. If Texas finds a way to lose, TCU deserves a chance to play for the title. They have as much first line talent as anyone in the country, but they do not have the same depth as top teams. There is no doubt, however, they can compete at the highest level. It will be a treat to see them play a top team in a BCS bowl.

The Undeniable Best

One of our favorite things to do in sports is debate which athlete or team is the best in their given sport. Before tonight there were two athletes, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods, for which there is no argument against. Tonight, in Las Vegas, a third joined the club. That man in Manny Pacquiao. In front of a sold out crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Pacquiao systematically destroyed the bigger, and thought to be stronger, Miguel Cotto. Cotto came out of the gates fast landing multiple jabs that snapped Pacquiao's head back, but none of his power shots slowed Manny down at all. Many in boxing though that Cotto would prove to be too big and too powerful for Pacquiao to dominate the way he did against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. They could not have been more wrong. From the beginning Pacquiao was able to shake off everything Cotto threw his way and counter with his blinding speed and power. He knocked Cotto to the mat in the third and fourth rounds, and the fight was over from there. The only drama left was to see how long Cotto could stand and take the repeated punishment. At times, Pacquiao almost looked hesitant to continue pummeling Cotto. The fight likely should have been stopped by Cotto's corner much earlier. Eventually, in the twelfth round, the referee had to step in as it was clear Cotto could no longer defend himself. Pacquiao now takes home a belt in a remarkable seventh weight class. With this victory, it is clear that Manny Pacquiao is the best boxer in the world today. The only question is who's next. The biggest money, and most popular, fight would be against Floyd Mayweather Jr. From a pure boxing standpoint, Mayweather wants no part of Pacquiao. They don't call him Floyd "Money" Mayweather for no reason though. Ultimately, Floyd will take the fight and the enormous payday. Mayweather has never faced a fighter with the speed and power of Pacquiao and I don't think his defensive style would hold up. Let's just hope the ridiculous world of boxing can finally get one thing right and make this fight happen.

USC Embarassed by Stanford

For the second time in 3 games, the USC Trojans were completely dominated by a Pac 10 foe. First it was the spread attack of Oregon and now the power attack of the Stanford Cardinal. I really thought that the USC defense would match up well with the Stanford attack. I could not have been more wrong. Toby Gerhart, in what is becoming typical fashion, ran over and through the Trojan defenders all game long. Having a down season every 8 years or so is nothing to be alarmed about. USC is fielding a team that is young at virtually every key position, so you have to figure they are only going to get better and more disciplined. The frustrating thing is to see them getting beat the same way over and over. Pete Carroll is obviously a much smarter coach than I, especially since I am not a coach, but he continually plays a deep safe defense despite its failure. The Trojans consistently play deep to prevent the big play, but they are allowing every offense to establish and maintain a rhythm against them. Teams are too easily allowed to gain six and seven yards and march their way down the field. The defensive philosophy is predicated on being able to create a turnover before the opposition can complete its drive. The problem is this group is not creating turnovers, so a change needs to be made. Their best defender, Taylor Mays starts virtually every play 15 yards from the line of scrimmage. It would seem to me that you would like to give him an opportunity to make a play before the opposition gains 10 yards. It is very odd to see a Trojan team get pushed around like they did today and not respond. The effort from both players and coaches did not seem to be there, and that makes losing all the more frustrating.

Three Games I Like Today

Iowa at Ohio State: Coming off their first loss and without their starting QB, Iowa travels to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes. With a win, Ohio State puts themselves right back in control of a trip to the Rose Bowl. I am not sure either of these teams are all that great, but someone has to win the Big Ten. Look for Ohio State to beat an Iowa team led by a freshman QB and set their schedule for a trip to Pasadena.

Stanford at USC: Stanford comes into the game feeling great after their big win over Oregon, while USC returns to the Coliseum off of another uninspiring victory at Arizona State. The matchup of the game is clearly Toby Gerhart and the Cardinal rushing attack against the USC defensive line. USC has a tendency to struggle against small, quick running backs, but Gerhart is the complete opposite. Gerhart looks to run through you just as much as much as he looks to run around you. The game should feature some big collisions between Gerhart and USC safety Taylor Mays. Look for the USC defense to hold its own, as I think they matchup well against the Stanford offense. On the other side of the ball, USC gets back two key weapons in TE Anthony McCoy and FB Stanley Havili. They will make things much easier for freshman QB Matt Barkley. While Barkley is clearly the second best QB in this game overall, he will be the best today. Look for USC's talent and atleticism on offense to be too much for Stanford to contain. USC wins it by three scores.

Utah at TCU: Number 16 Utah goes on the road to take the number 4 TCU Horned Frogs. Nothing intimidates like a Horned Frog. While this is a big game because it features two teams toward the top of the BCS standings, it should not be close. TCU is on a completely different level than Utah. Look for TCU to win this game going away and keep a zero in the loss column

Another game to keep an eye on tonight is Alabama at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs gave Florida a tough game down in Starksville and Alabama can't afford to look past them. MSU should be able to keep this game close and could easily have a chance to win at the end.

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The Captain?

Jason Varitek, who wears a "C" on his jersey like a hockey captain does, had his club option for one year and $5 million rejected by the Red Sox earlier this week. After a miserable year behind the plate and a decreasing ability to throw base runners out, Boston brought in Victor Martinez at the trade deadline. While Martinez is no better at throwing runners out, he provides a legitimate middle of the order threat. On Wednesday, Varitek decided that he would take his one year, $3 million player option and return to the Red Sox. Why? Because it was more than he could get from any other team. He clearly has more value to the Red Sox than he would to any other team, and they did not find him to be worth the money. The question now is will Varitek continue to wear the "C". I do not see how he can. Every player will know that the team did not really want him back, so I find it hard to believe teammates will view him in that regard. Varitek has long been considered one of the better game callers and leaders in the game, it is a shame to see him go out this way.

Irresistable Force Meets Immovable Object

This week's Pac 10 showdown between USC and Stanford will feature some of the best collisions we have seen all season. Two guys on opposing teams who have an uncanny combination of size and speed will likely come together more than a few times. The two players I am referring to, of course, are Toby Gerhart and Taylor Mays. Gerhart is coming off of a game in which he ran over and through the Oregon Ducks all day long. Stanford hands him the ball and runs the traditional "power" play pretty much all game. Taylor Mays, along with Tennessee's Eric Berry, is considered one of the top Safeties in all of college football. He is always good for a few big hits every week, but this week will be special. This week when he sprints toward the ball carrier for a bone crushing tackle, he will run into one of the few opposing players who can match his power. It is going to resemble two bucks clashing to defend their territory. It could come down to who wants it more. No matter the outcome of the game Gerhart and Mays should be one of the better one on one matchups we have seen in a long time.

New Readers

New readers are strongly encouraged to comment on posts and leave feedback/suggestions. You can also sign up to follow us on the right side of the page.

LVSC Week 10 NFL Rankings

Every week Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the world's largest oddsmaking company, releases their top polls/rankings for the major sports. They describe their polls as ones in which "teams are ranked purely by the numbers, without media, regional, league, conference or any other biases – just the facts as determined by LVSC’s team of experts." Because they use the same information that is used to make the betting lines, it is perhaps the most complete and accurate poll. We will post the updated college football poll here every Tuesday and the updated NFL rankings on Wednesdays.



Really not much change this week with the exception of the Colts moving down two spots to 4th. The most interesting team might be the Giants who moved up a slot after losing their fourth straight game and stay two ahead of San Diego. While San Diego's victory over the Giants was not dominating, it was a win at Giants Stadium. At this point, I will take Philip Rivers and the Chargers over the Giants without a second thought. It looks like the Chargers are starting to hit their stride and it won't be long before they move past the Broncos for the division lead.

Let us hear your top 5 in the comment section below.

LVSC Week 11 College Football Poll

Every week Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the world's largest oddsmaking company, releases their top polls/rankings for the major sports. They describe their polls as ones in which "teams are ranked purely by the numbers, without media, regional, league, conference or any other biases – just the facts as determined by LVSC’s team of experts." Because they use the same information that is used to make the betting lines, it is perhaps the most complete and accurate poll. We will post the updated college football poll here every Tuesday and the updated NFL rankings on Wednesdays.



TCU makes the biggest jump in the rankings this week moving from the seventh spot up to number four. Interesting to note Oregon moving up a spot despite being pounded by Stanford last week. The boys in Vegas continue to feel strongly about Oklahoma despite another loss, one in which they managed to put only 3 points on the board. Predictably, Notre Dame drops from 18th to out of the top 30 altogether. That is probably not a shocker to anyone other than Charlie Weiss. Iowa also took a pretty big hit moving down eight spots to 19. This likely has as much to do with losing their starting QB as it does with them losing to Northwestern. Stanford moved into the top 30 and watching last weeks game, you get the feeling they might continue to move up the board. These are probably my favorite rankings because they are based solely on who the oddsmakers think will win games.

Let us hear your top 5 in the comment section below.

The Falling Irish

Just when everybody thought this would be the year for Notre Dame to rise again, things seem to have gotten even worse and Charlie Weiss is running out of excuses. He now has plenty of talent, but he still can't win. The offense, led by Jimmy Clausen, is explosive enough to keep them in games. The problem is apparently nobody told Charlie "the self proclaimed genius" to recruit a defense. The defense has failed to stop virtually every opponent. Charlie has got to be on borrowed time by now. Not only is the team losing, but he continues to show what an arrogant ass he is. After every loss, he has an excuse. He continually blames his players for failing to execute his scheme, and this week fired back publicly at a player who questioned his scheme saying "that's why he is not a captain." I don't know how much more of this the Notre Dame faithful can take. It is bad enough to struggle on the field, but the embarrassing attitude off the field makes it that much worse. They have had too much trouble recruiting in recent history to have a coach who nobody likes, and it is hard to think of another college football coach who comes off as less likable. Weiss is clearly not cut out to be a head coach. He may make an excellent offensive coordinator, but he clearly lacks the people and managerial skills to be at the top. Notre Dame needs a change, and fast. If the program's reputation falls much further they can forget about any top recruits moving to the snow covered middle of Indiana to spend their college years.

BCS Standings are Out

The BCS standings are out and we have some changes in the top 10.
1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. TCU
5. Cincinnati
6. Boise State
7. Georgia Tech
8. LSU
9. USC
10. Iowa

The biggest change in the top 10 is Iowa dropping from the fourth spot down to number ten as a result of their loss to Northwestern. Look for them to lose again this week at Ohio State and drop even further. They are still overrated even in the ten hole. USC climbs back into the top 10 more as a result of Oregon and Iowa losing than anything else. Their win over ASU was very uninspiring but, as we know, the computers don't have eyes. TCU climbs up to number four to replace Iowa and maintains their lead over Boise State for the non BCS conference automatic bid. As long as TCU keeps winning, Boise will not be able to catch them. An Iowa loss this week at Ohio State would go a long way toward helping the Broncos get an invite to a BCS bowl. All in all, not a very exciting BCS race this season. It would take a ton of big surprises to see anything other than the SEC champion take on Texas for the title.

A Look Back at Saturday's Games

The Iowa Hawkeyes luck finally ran out, taking them out of BCS title contention. They have trailed at the half in every game this season, but had come back to win them all before yesterday. They now will have to win at Ohio State to give themselves a shot at the Rose Bowl. Hard to imagine anybody being surprised to see them lose.

Florida and Texas both kept their undefeated records intact by beating Vanderbilt and Central Florida respectively. We really do not learn anything from either game against obviously inferior opponents. Florida had no choice as it was a conference game, but Texas picked this game. That wraps up their grueling non-conference schedule featuring games against powerhouses like Louisiana Monroe, Wyoming, UTEP and now Central Florida. It would have been nice to see them schedule at least one legitimate non-conference game. When the BCS standings are released this afternoon, we will likely see the Longhorns back in the third spot behind Alabama.

Alabama kept a zero in the loss column with a win over LSU. The game was a bit sloppy and I am still not convinced that the Alabama offense will be able to do enough to win against a team with a top defense. They look very inconsistent and have to settle for field goals way too often. We again saw a terrible call by SEC replay officials play a significant role in the outcome of this game. Officials upheld an incomplete pass call on an LSU interception late in the game despite replays clearly showing Patrick Peterson getting his foot down inside the line. The call allowed Alabama to kick a field goal and go up by two scores with only 3 minutes left, rather than the Tigers having the ball with a chance to win. It has not been a good year for SEC officiating, to put it mildly. Alabama now clinches a spot in the SEC title game against Florida.

I would say that Oregon fell trap to the "letdown" game against Stanford, but that would be selling Stanford short. Stanford and running back Toby Gerhart ran all over the Oregon and dominated the Duck defense. Oregon's offense gave it their best shot, but Stanford was just too much to handle.

Quick Hits:
USC gets back in the win column, but looks very pedestrian in doing so.

Notre Dame loses to Navy again. Charlie Weiss has got to be getting nervous.

McCoy to Shipley is the best QB/WR combo and it is not even close.

Iowa and Penn State losing has got to help Boise State's chances of a BCS berth.

Toby Gerhart is a MAN

Toby Gerhart showed Saturday why he has to be considered among the top running backs in the country. He carried the ball an astounding 38 times for 223 yards and 3 touchdowns. Even more, he crushed the will of the Oregon Duck defenders. Stanford continually ran the traditional "power" running play and Oregon had no answer. It was clear from the beginning that Gerhart had demoralized the Oregon defense and they could do nothing about it. Redshirt freshman QB Andrew Luck also had a solid game to provide some balance, but it was clear that Stanford knew they could control the game by running the ball. The Oregon offense did its best to try and rally at the end, but it was to no avail. Stanford will now travel to the Coliseum to take on USC and the Trojans defenders better be ready for a long night.

What Do They Watch In There?

SEC replay officials again leave you wondering what they are watching in there. It certainly does not appear they are watching the game, but maybe reruns of the Jeff Foxworthy show instead. In the fourth quarter of today's game at Alabama, LSU corner Patrick Peterson intercepted a Greg McElroy pass to give the Tigers the ball trailing by six with a chance to win the game. The ruling on the field was incomplete, out of bounds. Replays showed Peterson's left foot in the field of play near the sideline. It was close to the sideline, but it was clearly in. Still shots of the replay show the ball in his hands with his foot down, but replay officials apparently did not find it to be conclusive enough to overturn the incorrect call. It is understandable that they do not want to continually reverse close possession calls, but boundary rulings are cut and dry. You are either in or out, and he was clearly just inside the line. As far as I know the rule book only says you have to be inside the line, not a yard inside the line. Alabama instead was able to maintain possession and kick a field goal to put the game away. Who know if LSU would have scored to take the lead, but they at least earned the opportunity to try. Patrick Peterson played a great game and made a game changing play only to have it taken away by inept review officials. The SEC will again spend their week discussing poor officiating. The photo below shows the divot created by Peterson's foot and gives you an idea of how far in he was.

Oregon Getting Pounded, Alabama Trailing at the Half

The Stanford Cardinal are running all over the Oregon Ducks as they have taken a 31-14 lead into halftime. Toby Gerhart is demoralizing the Duck defense with 23 carries and 110 yards through the first 2 quarters. If they are not running with Gerhart, the Cardinal are gashing Oregon through the air behind superstar freshman QB Andrew Luck. Stanford has already put 316 yards of offense on the board and has Oregon completely out of sorts. It looks like the famous letdown game may have jumped up to bite the Oregon Ducks. If they want any chance at a comeback, they better tighten their chin straps and find the will to stop Gerhart in the second half.

In Tuscaloosa, the LSU Tigers have taken a 10-7 halftime lead into the locker room. Alabama's inability to mount any sort of offense in the red zone is killing them again. QB Greg McElroy missed a wide open Julio Jones in the end zone on one drive, which ended in a field goal, and McElroy ended the first half throwing an ugly interception near the goal line. Alabama was able to get away with settling for field goals against the Vols, but LSU has far too many athletes to get away with it today. LSU corner Patrick Peterson has been dominant, virtually shutting down Julio Jones. It looks like Alabama may join Iowa in the loss column today.

Down Goes Iowa

The Iowa Hawkeyes could not come from behind this week against the Northwestern Wildcats. Until today, Iowa had trailed in every game but was able to come back and win every time. The constant turnovers and playing from behind, however, finally caught up with them. They played the end of the first half and the entire second half without starting QB Ricky Stanzi and could never get the rally going. Northwestern played the majority of the game with their backup QB on the field as well. Iowa, while undefeated, has looked very beatable all season. They still control their own destiny in the race for a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl appearance, but their hopes of a BCS title are now gone.

Iowa Trailing at the Half

In typical Iowa fashion, the Hawkeyes trail Northwestern 14-10 at the half. Iowa already has 4 turnovers, one of which was a fumble recovered in the end zone by Northwestern for a touchdown. Iowa has come back to win every game this season, but this week will not be as easy. If they are going to come up with another second half rally, it may have to be without starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi. Stanzi injured his leg when he was tackled and fumbled the ball in the end zone in the second quarter. Stanzi went back to the locker room for further evaluation. Without Stanzi, Iowa will rely on backup James Vandenberg who has already thrown an interception that led to Northwestern's second score, and has looked shaky at best. We'll see if Iowa can pull another one out of the hat.

A Sign of Things to Come?

The first day of Breeders' Cup racing Friday was capped off with a big win by Life is Sweet and jockey Garrett Gomez in the $2 million Ladies' Classic. The more celebrated stablemate of Life Is Sweet, Zenyatta, won the same race last year on her way to the top of the racing world. This year, however, Zenyatta's connections have elected to run her in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic against the boys. Zenyatta and hall of fame jockey Mike Smith are the morning line favorite at 5-2, with Rip Van Winkle and Summer Bird right behind at 7-2 and 9-2 respectively. Does Life Is Sweets' victory foreshadow a Saturday victory from stablemate Zenyatta? My guess is that we see Santa Anita veteran Alex Solis and Richard's Kid pull off an upset in the Classic.

Manny Back to the Dodgers, Abreu Stays With the Halos

In what can be considered a "no brainer," which is perfect for Manny Ramirez, he elected to take his option of another year and $20 million dollars from the Dodgers. There really was no question that Ramirez would opt to take the option. Coming off one of the best second halves of his career, he was unable to find the big money deal he wanted before last season. After this year, he certainly was not going to get any offers close to $20 million this offseason. Not only was his performance down, but he tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended for 50 games. He finished the season with only 19 home runs and 63 runs batted in while appearing in only 104 games. In just 53 games with the Dodgers the prior season, Manny hit 17 long balls and drove in 53. Not only did he struggle at the edplate, but he constantly butchers plays in the outfield. He is basically a DH stuck in the National League. The Dodgers are hoping he regains his form of 2008. If the Dodgers want to get their moneys worth out of Manny, they might want to hope he finds a way around the tests again.


In what can be considered the best deal of the 2009 season, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed Bobby Abreu to a 1 year, $5 million deal. Abreu not only came through with a terrific season of his own, he acted as a mentor to the Angels' young players as well. Young stars Erick Aybar and Kendry Morales credit Abreu with teaching them about patience at the plate and how to be a professional hitter. Manager Mike Scioscia said all season that he considered Abreu the teams MVP. He was rewarded Thursday with a deal that seems to be good for both sides. He agreed to a 2 year deal worth $19 million and an optional third year for an additional $8 million. Abreu may not have the name recognition of Manny Ramirez, but the Angels clearly got the better of the two deals in Los Angeles this week.

Isn't She Sweet?

Check out the video below from a soccer game between BYU and New Mexico. Elizabeth Lambert has been suspended indefinitely.

College Football Preview

This weekends slate of games does not feature many matchups of top teams, but there are a few games of note.

LSU at Alabama: The ninth ranked LSU Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa to take on number three Alabama. Alabama is coming off of a bye week following a down to the wire game against Tennessee. Alabama will have to be better than they were against the Volunteers. While not looking as impressive as they did at the start of the season, the Crimson Tide has still managed to come out on top in every game they have played. They were fortunate against Tennessee to have Lane Kiffin's special teams be a complete mess. LSU will not afford them the same luxury. LSU is a good team with only one loss, but I do not think they get it done against an Alabama team that has had two weeks to prepare. Do not be surprised if we have a close contest, however, because LSU certainly has enough athletes to make some plays. An upset would not be shocking, but I see Alabama winning the game by two scores.

Ohio State at Penn State: The Buckeyes go into Happy Valley looking to put a solid win on their resume. To this point, they really have only played one top team, USC at home, and lost. Their next three games at Penn State, home against Iowa and at Michigan give them a chance to finish strong. It will be a tough task this weekend against a Penn State team that seems to have found its stride. They field a very solid defense that should be able to contain Terrelle Pryor on the ground and turn him into a passer, which greatly reduces his effectiveness. On the offensive side of the ball, QB Daryll Clark and RB Evan Royster lead an explosive attack that can put points up in a hurry. Look for Ohio State to leave town with a third loss on the board.

USC at Arizona State: Most years, we would simply be discussing how many points the Trojans will win by. This year is a bit of a different story. For the first time in recent history, USC will be coming off of a big loss in which they were completely dominated on both sides of the ball. How will they react? They clearly do not have the same amount of experience as last year's team, but some would argue they have as much, if not more, talent. We have not seen it yet this year, and I don't know that we will. Arizona State, however, is definitely in a down year. Look for the Trojans to come out playing angry, inspired football and get themselves back in the win column. I do not see this game being close.

A couple of other games to keep an eye on are Oregon at Stanford and Northwestern at Iowa. If Oregon comes out with any sort of let down after last weeks big win, Stanford has the talent to beat them. On the flip side, Iowa has to avoid looking ahead to its last big game next week at Ohio State. Northwestern hung tough with Penn State into the second half last week and will not be a walk over.

NFL Week 9 Rankings

Every week Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the world's largest oddsmaking company, releases their top polls/rankings for the major sports. They describe their polls as ones in which "teams are ranked purely by the numbers, without media, regional, league, conference or any other biases – just the facts as determined by LVSC’s team of experts." Because they use the same information that is used to make the betting lines, it is perhaps the most complete and accurate poll. We will post the updated college football poll here every Tuesday and the updated NFL rankings on Wednesdays.



Not really much surprise here. Some might have Denver higher than the boys from Vegas, but you can see the argument for the teams ahead of them. With no surprise, Cleveland checks in at the bottom of the rankings. They are a complete mess from top to bottom. Not only is the team terrible on the field, but they just fired General Manager George Kokinis after less than a year on the job. They will now be paying over $20 million to former coaches and GM's through 2011. I may not be a genius, but I am pretty sure that paying $20 million to people who no longer work for you is not the best way to run an organization. It has to make you wonder how it will affect their handling of Eric Mangini. Players do not seem to care for him, so it will be difficult to convince top free agents to join the team. They clearly do not have the personnel in place to win, but how will it get better. I can't imagine Randy Lerner will be too quick to fire Mangini who is in the first year of a four year, $12 million contract.

The Most Accurate Poll?

Every week Las Vegas Sports Consultants, the world's largest oddsmaking company, releases their top polls/rankings for the major sports. They describe their polls as ones in which "teams are ranked purely by the numbers, without media, regional, league, conference or any other biases – just the facts as determined by LVSC’s team of experts." Because they use the same information that is used to make the betting lines, it is perhaps the most complete and accurate poll. We will post the updated college football poll here every Tuesday and the updated NFL rankings on Wednesdays.

WEEK 10 RANKINGS


The two most interesting teams on the list would have to be Oklahoma and USC. Oklahoma is in the fourth spot despite being twenty spots lower in the BCS. USC drops only one spot from last week after being destroyed by Oregon, who is one spot below. The oddsmakers, like many around the country, do not have much confidence in the undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes putting them outside the top 10. I am not sure you would get much argument with that thought outside of Big Ten country.

Way to Lay Down the Law Urban

University of Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer announced today that star linebacker Brandon Spikes will be suspended for the first half of this weekends game against Vanderbilt. Spikes was caught on camera intentionally gouging the eyes of Georgia running back Waushaun Ealey. It was a completely classless and uncalled for action by Spikes. Meyer, who was made aware of the incident on Sunday night by his wife, reviewed the tape and met with Spikes before reaching his decision. He was quoted as saying "I don't condone that, I understand what goes on on the football [field], but there's no place for that." Such a stiff penalty will surely drive his point home. He went on to make excuses for his star player by saying that it was retaliation for an earlier play in which Spikes had his helmet ripped off and was poked in the eye. Tim Tebow also stuck up for his teammate saying "I don't think that we did anything in that game that they didn't do." Well then, by all means Mr. Spikes go ahead and gouge the eyes of your opponent, we didn't know that they started it. Your total lack of class is completely excused. I hope you can find a way to make it all the way through the first half on Saturday.

BCS Standings are Out

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Iowa
5. Cincinnati
6. TCU
7. Boise State
8. Oregon
9. LSU
10. Georgia Tech

No real surprises here. Texas makes the jump past Alabama to number 2. It really does not matter too much as far as the title game is concerned. As long as Texas stays in the top 3, either Florida or Alabama will eventually move out with a loss in the SEC Championship Game. USC drops down to the 12th spot with their loss and Oregon moves up to number eight. It looks like we are heading for a title game featuring Texas against the winner of Alabama and Florida. The SEC teams have not wowed me as much as teams like Texas, Oregon and Cincinnati but they will likely stay up at the top of the BCS standings. It definitely would not be a shocker to see one of them lose a game before they get to the SEC title game. If you are looking at who is playing the best football right now, you would probably have to go with Texas and Oregon. Iowa could easily lose to Ohio State in a couple of weeks and take themselves out of contention. It would be a shame to see another Big 10 team ride a weak schedule into the title game again, only to get beat by superior athletes. Fair or not, I do not think the human polls will let Iowa into a top two spot regardless of their finish.

My Top 10

For what it's worth, which is nothing, here is how I would put the top 10.
1. Texas
2. Florida
3. Alabama
4. TCU
5. Boise State
6. Oregon
7. Cincinnati
8. Iowa
9. LSU
10. USC

There is a significant drop in my opinion after the top 8, and I am not very convinced that Iowa would beat any of the teams on this list. Hard to put a 2 loss USC team in there, but who would you put ahead of them. They beat Ohio State in Columbus and I do not see Penn State or Georgia Tech at the level of these 10.

In the NFL, You Just Never Know

Until 3 weeks ago, the New York Giants looked like arguably the best team in football. Then came a loss at New Orleans, followed by a home loss to the Cardinals and another at Philadelphia. Losing in New Orleans is nothing to be ashamed of as the Saints are among the top teams in the league. The troubling part is the performance of Eli Manning over the last couple of weeks. For the second consecutive week, he has thrown multiple interceptions and looked completely out of sorts. This week, the defense chipped in as well giving up multiple big plays to an Eagle offense that had been struggling coming in and was without Brian Westbrook. The Giants' injuries may finally be catching up with them. The Eagles now move ahead of New York for first place in the NFC East and the Giants better figure it out in a hurry. They have a very tough schedule through the end of the season. Their bye after next week's matchup against the Chargers can't come soon enough.

The Rams Are on the Board

The St. Louis Rams finally put one in the win column with a 17-10 victory over the Detroit Lions. In a battle of two bad teams, the Rams came out on top thanks to a Stephen Jackson touchdown run in the last two minutes. It may have come against the lowly Lions, but a win is a win and it has to make the Rams feel better going forward.

Quick Hits From Yesterday's College Football Action

For the first time in a few weeks Florida looked convincing in their win over Georgia. They could be hitting their stride at the right time. Georgia is not a great all around team, but neither are some of the teams they have struggled against. I would still like to see them against a top tier team that can play on both sides of the ball. Offenses in the SEC are way down this year which has let the top teams struggle and still come away with wins.

Colt McCoy and the Texas offense are finally coming together. They had struggled to find any consistency all season, but the last two weeks have been a different story. To perform the way they did on the road last night shows me they are hitting on all cylinders again. I would take them over either SEC team right now. Let's see if they jump ahead of Alabama for the number 2 spot in the BCS who was idle yesterday.

Oregon made a huge statement. While many experts said USC would have a down year this season by their standards, a win over the Trojans is still a big deal. They completely dominated USC on both sides of the ball. There is not a team in the country who wants to play them right now. It will be interesting to see how far they move up in the BCS standings.

If only the computers had eyes. The computers will likely still have Iowa at the top of their rankings. Does anyone really think they could beat the other top teams? I am not sure they would be favored to beat anyone else in the top 10. If they do run the table and get beat out for a spot in the title game by a one loss SEC team, they will not have much of an argument. They have struggled to get through a very weak conference.

Oregon Proves They Are For Real

Before the college football season started many people looked at the Oregon Ducks as one of the top teams in the country. Then came their season opening loss at Boise State. In a nationally televised game, the Oregon Ducks were dominated by Boise State and then lost their top running back to suspension for punching a Boise State player after the game. Since that loss, Oregon has gained momentum again by dominating every opponent they have faced. Many people would have told you that coming into tonight's game against USC, they were playing better than anyone in the country. Watching them go up and down the field against USC, it would be hard to argue with that idea. They took it to a USC defense that came into the game as the Pac 10's number 1 rush defense and pass rush. Oregon has officially announced that they are a force to be reckoned with. A win over perennial power USC will make everyone pay attention. With Texas' victory over Oklahoma State, Oregon is likely headed to the Rose Bowl on New Years Day. USC will now likely be looking at a non BCS bowl game for the first time in 7 seasons.

Police on Alert in San Diego

The Oakland Raiders and their fans invade Qualcomm Stadium to take on the Chargers. At 3-3, the Chargers are considered by most to have underachieved. On paper they have more talent than most teams, but the defense has not held up. They are in the bottom third of the league in both total yardage and points allowed. The Raiders offense, however, may be just what they need. Led by ridiculously inept QB Jamarcus Russell, the Raiders are last in the NFL in total yards and next to last in points. Russell was pulled in the first half last week against the Jets, so expect the leash to be short again. With a struggling defense as well, the Raiders are going to a very hard time keeping this game close. Look for Philip Rivers and Vincent Jackson to carry over last week's rhythm and lead the Chargers to a fairly easy victory. The big question for this game. Which number will be higher, Raiders points or Raider fan arrests?

NFL Preview

While the game of the week is clearly the winless St Louis rams at the 1-5 Detroit Lions, we are going to take a look at a few others.

Denver at Baltimore: The Broncos will put their undefeated record on the line at Baltimore. The Ravens started the season looking like possibly the best team in the NFL. Teams have since found that the Ravens' secondary has lost a step and can be taken advantage of. While the defense is still one of the hardest hitting in the league, they no longer have the ability to win a game without some help from the offense. Second year quarterback Joe Flacco will face a stiff test against the Broncos defense. The Denver defense has allowed fewer points than anyone in the league and is second in yards allowed. Look for this game to stay close through the 3rd quarter and the Broncos offense to pull through in the end.

NY Giants at Philadelphia: The Giants come into Philadelphia looking to end a two game losing streak. The Eagles are coming off two uninspiring games of their own, a loss to the Raiders and a win over the dysfunctional Redskins. Against the Redskin, the defense was able to take advantage of an inept Jason Campbell and put some points on board. The Eagles offense connected on a couple of big plays, but again failed to find any consistency. They will find it tough to move the ball against a Giants defense that allows fewer yards than anyone in the league. Look for the Giants offense to rebound from last weeks performance as well. The Giants will leave Philadelphia with a two score victory.

Minnesota at Green Bay: Brett Favre returns to Lambeau in the purple and gold of the hated Vikings. In week 4, Favre led the Vikings to a 30-23 victory over his former team on a Monday night in the Metrodome. This time, he will be in Green Bay as a visitor for the first time. He will have to work to control his emotions and play within himself. If Favre focuses too much on revenge, it could result in some early turnovers and have the Vikings playing from behind. The difference in this game could be the Vikings' previous 2 games. They are coming off games against two of the most physical teams in football, Baltimore and Pittsburgh, which is sure to have them a bit banged up. The Packers, on the other hand, are coming off of easy victories over the Browns and Lions. Look for Aaron Rodgers to take advantage of a tired Minnesota defense which will be without star DB Antoine Winfield. The PAckers will wear the Vikings down and come away with the win.

Yankees Come Through in Game 2

Game 2 was a game the Yankees had to have, and they came through. The Phillies got out to an early 1-0 lead on a second inning single by Matt Stairs that scored Raul Ibanez. Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui gave the Yankees the lead with solo home runs and they would go on to win 3-1. After dropping game 1, the Yankees had to win this game. They now travel to Philadelphia for 3 games where they will need to win at least one game to get the series back to the Bronx. The Philadelphia crowd will make things much more difficult, especially with a Halloween night game. The insane Philly fans do not need any extra incentive to be out of control, but Halloween might just give them some. The Phillies should be able to ride the home field advantage to two wins and head back to New York with a chance to close out their second consecutive World Series title.

Vince Young Gets a Second Chance

With a not so subtle nudge from ownership, Jeff Fisher announced today that Vince Young will be the starting quarterback this week as the Titans welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Titans have now gone from stomping on the "Terrible Towel" to waving the white flag. The Titans would owe Young a 4.5 million dollar roster bonus if he were to stay with them next season. Ownership wants to get a look at him before they make that decision. You can not blame them for wanting to take a look, but the fact that longtime head coach Jeff Fisher has not put Young in before this week should be all they need to know. Kerry Collins has thrown only 5 touchdowns with 8 interceptions while leading Tennessee to an 0-6 record. If Fisher had any thought that Vince Young gave them a chance to win, he would have been on the field by now. The biggest challenge Jeff Fisher will face now is convincing the rest of the team that the organization is still playing to win. In an interview earlier this season, analyst and eight time pro bowler James Lofton talked about how surprised he was to see Vince Young paying no attention on the sidelines while the offense was on the field. Nearly every other backup QB in the NFL has a headset on listening to the play calls and watching every offensive play to learn and prepare to start. You know all of his teammates noticed the same thing. If he does not care enough to learn and prepare, how is he supposed to lead? Vince Young, with his 33 career interceptions compared to only 22 touchdowns, clearly does not give Tennessee the best chance to win. The best explanation for the move. At this point, what is there to lose?

Cliff Lee Cruises

Cliff Lee completely dominated the Yankees tonight. The whole lineup was completely off balance. You've got to think the Yankees are praying that Charlie Manuel will go with a four man rotation. CC Sabathia starting 3 of a possible 7 games looked like a huge advantage for the Yankees. Watching tonight's game, it looks like Lee can completely neutralize Sabathia. How about that second home run from Utley? Has it landed?

A Look at Some of Saturday's Key Games

This Saturday's college football schedule features 3 big games. Let's take a quick look at each of them.

Texas at Oklahoma State: The number 5 Longhorns travel to Stillwater to take on number 14 Oklahoma State. This will be the last big test for an undefeated Texas team looking to return to the BCS title game. The Cowboys are led by quarterback Zach Robinson, who is among the best in the country. They will, however, be without star wide receiver Dez Bryant who remains suspended for the balance of the season. Texas comes in fresh off of their best offensive performance of the season, a 41 - 7 victory over Missouri. If the offense can carry it's rhythm into this game, the Longhorns should be able to escape with their undefeated record in tact. Aside from last week, however, the offense has struggled to stay consistent. Look for the hostile Stillwater crowd to keep the offense off balance and help keep this game close. Oklahoma State will have a chance to win this game late, and I would not be surprised to see an upset.

USC at Oregon: In a battle of top 10 teams, USC travels to Eugene to take on the Oregon Ducks. You could make the argument that Oregon is playing better football than anyone in the country right now. After a season opening loss at Boise State, the Ducks have come back to look like the team they were thought to be prior to the season. The winner of this game will likely end the year as the Pac 10 champion and guarantee themselves a spot in a BCS game. Autzen Stadium is one of the tougher places in the country for visiting teams. A prime time, Saturday night game should have the crowd at a fevered pitch all night. USC and freshman quarterback can look to their experience at Ohio State to help deal with the crowd noise. I would give a slight edge to USC on both the sides of the ball, but special teams could play a big role in this game. USC has a dynamic punt returner in Damian Williams, but their kicking game has struggled at times this year. The USC offense could also be without tight end Anthony McCoy, who is nursing a sore ankle. McCoy has proven to be the safety valve for Matt Barkley all season. Oregon will look to run the football with quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and speedster LaMichael James. If the Trojans fill the box against the run, look out for Oregon tight end Ed Dickson to make some key catches. USC's balanced offense should be able to run the ball early to help setup the passing game. Overall, the difference will be the wide receiver's from USC taking advantage of the Oregon secondary to win a close game.

Georgia at Florida: Georgia will take on top ranked Florida in the annual showdown known as the "Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." Florida has shown signs of vulnerability the last couple of weeks as the offense has struggled to be as dynamic as we are used to. You could easily make the argument that if it were not for some very questionable officiating, we would be looking at a Gator team with at least one loss. The lack of a big time receiver has been more of a problem than most thought. Fortunately, they have one of the best defenses in the country. Georgia does not have the talent to match Florida, but anything can happen in a rivalry game. If Georgia can force Florida into a couple of turnovers as Mississippi State did last week, they can stay in this game and give themselves a chance to win. In the end, I expect Florida's talent to be too much for Georgia to handle.

An Interesting Baseball Read

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/28/baseball.mud/index.html

Is the NHL a Better Watch Than the NBA?

The NBA opened the season tonight with 4 games. The 2 nationally televised games put the two biggest stars, Kobe and Lebron, on display. Nobody can dispute their greatness, and most can appreciate watching their immense talent. The problem, however, is that the rest of the league just is not that good. The pace of the game has slowed terribly with constant fouls and timeouts seemingly every time one team scores consecutive baskets. It seems like every possession turns into one player holding the ball and eventually driving to the basket to get fouled or kick it out to a teammate who misses the shot. While this era may feature some great individual athletes, team basketball is not at the level it used to be. The NHL, on the other hand, has taken great strides toward making it's game much more watchable. The biggest difference is the number of games broadcast in HD. Virtually every game is now broadcast in HD, which makes the game much easier to follow on TV. Recent rules changes have also opened the ice up, allowing the speed and skill of the players to really show. It has allowed for increased scoring and end to end action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you have not watched a Washington Capitals game, do yourself a favor and make time to. Alexander Ovechkin is one of the most exciting players to come around in a long time, in any sport. Not only is he the best player on the ice, he also has the most fun. He shoots the puck harder,faster and way more often than anyone else, but is just as happy to run through an opposing player with a devastating body check. At the same time, the league features a collection of young, talented players like never before. It is safe to say that any game you turn on will treat you to some fast paced excitement and more than a few plays that make you say "wow." You will also see some of the most violent collisions in sports, and the player will just get back up and skate back to his position without any hesitation. It is easily the best combination of speed, skill and power that you will see. While the NBA seems to have slowed the pace with constant whistles and stoppages, the NHL has allowed the pace and scoring to pick up, and the great skill of its players to shine. Now, if they could just get Versus back on DirecTV so the rest of the world can see it.

NBA Tips Off Tuesday Night

The NBA opens the 2009-10 season with 4 games Tuesday night. The marquee games feature the new look Cleveland Cavaliers welcoming the Boston Celtics to town, while the Lakers will host the Clippers at Staples Center. This will be the first regular season game for the Cavs new duo of Lebron James and Shaquille O'neal. Cleveland fans are hoping Shaq can finally provide King James with the support to help lead them to a long awaited championship. Time will tell, but I am a bit skeptical of the move. James' success comes largely from his ability to get to the rim, and he will now have to contend with Shaq taking up space in the lane. Unless Shaq shows a new found quickness, I just do not see how it is going to work out. Meanwhile, the Celtics have added veteran forward Rasheed Wallace to the mix. Wallace should provide them with another deep threat to help stretch opposing defenses, and give them insurance behind Kevin Garnett. Their season will depend greatly on Garnett's ability to stay healthy. In Los Angeles, the big question is Ron Artest. You can really only describe him as a question. If Artest stays focused and behaves, the Lakers could be even better than last year. He is one of the best defenders in the game and has a better than average offensive game as well, but will he stay focused? You would have to think Phil and Kobe have as good a chance as anyone to keep him on track. Look for the other Staples Center tenant, the Clippers, to return to the playoffs behind a rededicated Baron Davis and number 1 pick Blake Griffin.
Overall, the West looks to be a two team race between the Spurs and Lakers. Ron Artest should give the Lakers the ability to rest Kobe Bryant more and keep him fresh for the playoffs. At the same time, the Spurs have arguably the deepest team in the league and should be able to keep their veterans fresher and healthier than past years. The East looks to be a three team race with Cleveland, Boston and Orlando battling it out all season. Ultimately, I think the Celtics' acquisition of Rasheed Wallace trumps the Shaq to Cleveland and Vince Carter to Orland moves. I'll take a rematch of the 2008 Finals with the Lakers taking on the Celtics. This time, the Lakers come out on top.

Lane Kiffin Reprimanded by SEC

University of Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin, along with Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen, was reprimanded Monday by SEC officials for criticizing referees. Dan Mullen had a legitimate gripe. Florida linebacker Dustin Doe intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to extend Florida's lead to 29-13. Replays clearly showed that Doe was stripped of the ball at about the 2 yard line, while prematurely celebrating (and no, there is not a pill for that). While the outcome of the game likely would not have changed, it certainly would have made things much more interesting. Kiffin, on the other hand, seems to be using his gripe as an excuse to cover up for poor coaching. With Tennessee trailing by 2 and 38 seconds remaining, Kiffin elected to run the clock down and attempt a 46 yard field goal rather than run a 3rd down play. His kicker had already missed from 48 yards and had a 44 yard attempt blocked earlier in the game. Kiffin claimed he did not want to run another play for fear of an interception or the ref's "losing a game for us there and some magical flag appear." Here's an idea. Hand the ball to your best offensive player, Montario Hardesty, and let him try to grind out a few more yards to help out your obviously struggling kicker. Kiffin also complained about no flag being thrown for Terrence Cody removing his helmet after blocking the field goal. Even if the referee had thrown a flag, Tennessee would not have had another chance at the field goal. The penalty would have been enforced on the next play, which would have been an Alabama offensive play. Had Kiffin done a better job of coaching his players, it may have made a difference. Because the blocked field goal did not cross the line of scrimmage, Tennessee could have recovered the ball and tried to run with it. Had they recovered it, the non-call would have made a difference because Tennessee would have had possession of the ball. Perhaps, Lane should stop worrying so much about everyone else and worry about coaching his team.

From Calling BINGO to Calling Plays

The Philadelphia Eagles travel to Washington to take on the Redskins tonight. The Redskins have been embarrassingly bad so far this season. Their first six games have come against teams looking for their first win. Four of those teams got their first win, including the lowly Detroit Lions. How bad is it in Washington? After last week's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, owner Daniel Snyder stripped Head Coach Jim Zorn of his play calling duties and passed them off to newly hired offensive consultant, Sherm Lewis. Lewis has been calling BINGO games at a senior center in Michigan for the past five years and after just two weeks back in the league, he will be calling the plays. The Redskins are quickly becoming the Raiders of the East.

BCS Review

The latest BCS standings were released Sunday afternoon, with the top 3 spots remaining unchanged. Florida, Alabama and Texas hold down the first three positions, while Iowa and USC round out the top five. Florida and Alabama will likely meet in the SEC championship game, meaning one of them will have at least one loss. Unbeaten Texas and Iowa control their own destiny for the second spot in the title game. Texas' only real test left is at Oklahoma State, while Iowa still has to travel to Columbus for a showdown with Ohio State. USC's toughest remaining game will come this weekend at Oregon. Two of these five teams will likely meet for the BCS title, but which two will it be? You could probably make a case for any of them. The top 4 are undefeated, but all have looked beatable at times. My guess is that we have either an undefeated Florida or Alabama taking on a one loss USC in the title game.

QB Changes in the Bay Area

The 49ers pulled QB Shaun Hill and replaced him with former #1 pick Alex Smith. Smith made Head Coach Mike Singletary look good throwing for 3 touchdowns and giving the team a chance to win. We'll see who gets the starting nod next week.
Meanwhile, in Oakland, Tom Cable has finally seen enough of Jamarcus Russell. After 3 first quarter turnovers, Cable put the hefty QB on the sideline in favor of journeyman Bruce Gradkowski. The only question you can have regarding this move. What took so long?

Florida Jumps Alabama

Florida has moved ahead of Alabama in the AP poll to once again claim the top spot in both the AP and Coaches' polls. Texas and USC are 3 and 4 respectively in both polls, while Cincinnati is in the five spot in the AP and Boise State claims the five spot in the Coaches. It's hard to argue with the top four teams in whatever order you want to put them. Personally, I would have USC ahead of Texas based on overall talent and offensive balance. So again, the human polls put USC ahead of the other unbeaten teams. We'll see where the computers put them when the BCS standings are released this afternoon. A win next week in Eugene would certainly help.

Girardi Taking a Big Chance

Yankees manager Joe Girardi has decided to stick with scheduled game 6 starter Andy Pettitte, despite CC Sabathia now being available on full rest. Throughout the series, Girardi has changed pitchers 20 times in 5 games, and now, with a chance to close the series out, he decides not to. He was quoted as saying "I don't think you can afford to look ahead. You have to worry about this series." If that is the case, how can you take the chance of the series going to a game 7, where anything can happen, with your best pitcher sitting in the dugout. The Angels have proven they can put the ball in play against Pettitte, but they certainly have not against Sabathia. The other chance he now takes is the Yankees winning the series in game 7 and then not having Sabathia or Pettite available until game 3 of the World Series. If the Angels beat Pettitte in game 6, Girardi will certainly be second guessed for this decision.

Quick Hits From Today's Action

• Not sure why Lane Kiffin would not run another play with 38 seconds left on the clock before attempting the field goal. Tennessee had already missed from 47 yards and had a 43 yard attempt easily blocked. A 44 yard attempt was anything but a sure thing. He may be thinking about that decision for a while.
  
• Florida again had a critical call go their way. It certainly looked as though Dustin Doe had the ball knocked out of his hands had about the 2 yard line. Hard to say if the outcome would have changed, but the momentum certainly would have changed sides.
• USC's offense, particularly Alan Bradford, seemed to really find its stride. They look to be the top offense as far as balance is concerned. Matt Barkley threw a couple of aggressive passes that were intercepted, but he certainly looks to be the real deal. Tough test ahead of them next week at Oregon.
• Does another close Notre Dame win over a mediocre team mean we have to listen to Charlie Weiss complain about not being in the top 25 again?
  
• With apologies to Texas, Cincinnati and Iowa, I would have to put Alabama, Florida and USC at the top of the list. Not sure I would argue with whatever order you want to put them in.