The Ole College Try

This is your weekly wrap-up of the college football season, told from a couple of days distance simply to let some of the stories simmer a bit and to gain a bit of perspective. Although you may have a different take on the past weekend, I can only truly comment on games that I have seen, and I didn't get to watch that many games. Damn work.

Heisman Watch (Running Back Edition)

Favorite - Donald Brown - Connecticut - 190 yards against Louisville in a nationally televised game. He has 906 yards and 11 touchdowns in just 5 games. His lowest total of the year was against Hofstra in week 1, 146 yards, but 4 TDs.

Sleeper - Charles Scott - LSU - Not very well known, yet, but he has gained 535 yards and scored 6 TDs in only 4 games, including 141 yards and 2 TDs last week against Mississippi State. He could be the reason that LSU coach Les Miles said that his Tigers could run on anybody.

Rising - Javon Ringer - Michigan State - 897 yards and 12 TDs, including 198 and 1 TD last week against Indiana. This must have been a let down for him after putting up 282 and 201 against Florida Atlantic and Notre Dame the past two weeks.

Falling - Knowshon Moreno - Georgia - Only 9 carries for 34 yards in Georgia's loss to Alabama.

Statistical Favorite - Shun White - Navy - Since I have already mentioned the two top rushers in the NCAA, Brown and Ringer, I thought I would just honor our academies and the nations rushing leader per attempt. White averages an amazing 9.4 yards per carry.

Defensive Leader - Terrence Cody DT - Alabama - Alabama's defense deserves a ton of credit after holding Knowshon Moreno to just 34 yards (after a scintillating performance against Clemson's Davis and Spiller). Cody gets selected because the middle of the line is always where it starts, and he has 3 1/2 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery to go along with his 13 tackles this year. Plus, he's from Florida.

Player to Watch

I am going to leave this open b/c this award also goes to ...

My New Favorite Player

Jacquizz Rodgers, FR. RB, Oregon State University. The freshman rushed for 186 yards and 2 TDs against the heretofore vaunted USC defense, helping lead the Beavers to its upset victory over USC. Plus, his name is Jacquizz.



Predicted BCS Championship Game Matchup

Oklahoma v. Alabama. I am becoming a believer. I don't know if LSU could even run against that Alabama defense. Still a long way to go.

Rant(s) of the Week

1. Georgia's blackout - It isn't very formidable to have blackouts, brownouts, whiteouts, etc. when the other side knows that it is coming a week in advance. I know you can't keep that type of information a secret nowadays, but don't go out of your way to publish it.

Congratulations of the Week

To Alabama - for really waking everybody up to how good they really are. Also to Oregon State for a scintillating performance against USC, and a huge upset.

Underperformance of the Week

Wake Forest - who followed up its victory over Florida State with a 24-17 defeat at the hands of Navy.

Trivia Question of the Week

In honor of Javon Ringer's performance to date, this week's trivia question is, Who holds the Division IA record for most career games rushing for over 200 yards and how many games was it? Answers next week.

Last Weeks Answer

Brodie Croyle was the former record holder for TDs and total offense at Alabama until broken by John Parker Wilson.

Matchup(s) to Watch

1. Ohio State v. Wisconsin - Boring? Yes. But an important game nonetheless.

2. Oregon v. USC - USC must bounce back to have any chance of staying in the national championship picture. Oregon could smell blood in the water.

3. Auburn v. Vanderbilt - Important SEC tilt, as Auburn already has 1 loss in Conference, while Vandy is trying to move to 5-0.

High School Football Tragedy

Throughout the country you cannot find a bigger high school football rivalry than Pahokee High School in Pahokee, Florida and Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida. These neighboring towns abut Lake Okeechobee in western Palm Beach County, Florida. These towns are incredibly small, poor, rural and rely on one thing for their survival, sugarcane. In the past few decades, these towns have become known for something else, Football. That is with a capital FOOTBALL.

Each of these two schools have won multiple state championships, in different divisions, and have many alumni who have gone on the star at the college and professional levels. Pahokee is the two time defending state champion for its classification, and its notable alumni include Arizona Cardinal Anquan Boldin and current Florida State Seminole Antone Smith. Glades Central has won 6 state titles in its classification, tied for second most in Florida, and has more football players in the NFL and NCAA than any other high school in the country. Some recognizable names include former Buccaneer and Gator Reidel Anthony, NFL and Seminole receiver Jessie Hester (their current coach), current Steeler Santonio Holmes, former NFL RB James Jackson, former Dolphin safety Louis Oliver, and current Jaguar Fred Taylor. In fact, immediately prior to beginning my freshman year of college my high school played a Glades Central team that started JaJuan Seider at QB (cup of coffee in the NFL), Taylor and Jackson at RB, and Reidel Anthony at WR. We were happy at the 40-0 score in that game.

Before I get to the crux of my story, you need to understand the town dynamics. The kids on both of these teams know each other. Relatives live in each of the neighboring towns. In fact, Pahokee senior captain's Norman Griffith's mother lives in Pahokee and his father lives in Belle Glade. These two towns are that intertwined.

These two high schools play each year in "The Muck Bowl", one of those games were the pre-game starts all week, businesses close in both towns on football Friday, tens of thousands attend the game even though their aren't that many seats, and a truly great time is had by all. It should be a great game again this year as both teams are state ranked and undefeated.

On Friday evening, Pahokee had its homecoming game against Jupiter High School, and the number 1 ranked Blue Devils won 34-10. Pahokee's undefeated season is still going strong with a legitimate chance at a third straight state championship. The aforementioned Norman Griffith and some teammates went to celebrate the victory by attending a dance held at the Belle Glade Community Center. While there, according to reports, several people approached Griffith upset that he was wearing Pahokee's colors. The situation seemed ripe to escalate, so Griffith and teammate Donald Johnson decided the best thing to do was to extricate themselves from the situation. After leaving and getting in Griffith's family car, a young male walked up and shot Griffith, killing him and injuring Johnson.

Just utter and complete nonsense, as Griffith is apparently dead because he wore his school colors to a community center dance after a football game. This is heartless, tragic and utterly reprehensible. Not that anything like this matters now, but Griffith was being recruited by Division I-A schools like Iowa State, Middle Tennessee State, Ball State and Buffalo. Football was indeed Griffith's ticket. That ticket is now denied because of at least one moron who thinks that what you wear is more important than anything else.

To be fair, local authorities are investigating the shooting as gang related, at least to the point that the shooter may have been involved in a gang. A rash of gun-related incidents among young men have sprouted in Belle Glade lately, including a Glades Central player, Byron Blake, being shot in the hand just last Monday after practice. He returned fire before suffering further injuries. However, none of the reports link Griffith to any gang activity whatsoever.

A great postscript to this story could be written on Friday night, as Pahokee High School travels to Byrnes, South Carolina, to play an interstate game on ESPNU. Incidentally, Glades Central also played Byrnes, High School a couple of years ago, when ESPN was starting its high school telecasts. The Pahokee players have decided to play the game, as it does not conflict with Griffith's funeral, which will be held on October 11. To Byrne's credit, they have offered to spray paint Griffith's number 7 on the field.

I remember playing sports in my younger day, and nothing was better than to play your best while beating your rival, especially in a small town atmosphere. Where I grew up there were 2 high schools. We saw the other school/team in church, at the beach, in the store, everywhere. Never, did the rivalry escalate into gun shots. Unfortunately for Norman Griffith, this is no longer the case.

Rest In Peace Norman Griffith. I never knew you, your family or any of your friends. But I do know people like you, who have managed to strap themselves out of situations, whether it be locale, station in life, family or otherwise. It's just a shame that you never had that same opportunity.

Girl of the Week

Yes it's Monday, but at least it is time for the Girl of the Week. This week - Chelina Manuhutu.

Picks of the Week (Week 4 Edition)

Here are your picks for Week 4 of the NFL. Remember, I will be keeping a running total based upon $100/game, 10% vig on all losses, and one $250 contest per week. Coming off an OK week, but lost my big bet, so we need to bounce back, and bounce back hard.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 1/2 versus Cleveland Browns
If Cincinnati plays anywhere near like they did last week, this game is going to be a rout.

Jacksonville Jaguars -7 versus Houston Texans
Houston just isn't very good, and Jacksonville finally showed me they could run the ball without any offensive linemen.

Arizona Cardinals +1 at New York Jets
And here's to the Cardinals offensive simply lighting up the Jets defense for about 40 points.

New Orleans Saints -5 versus San Francisco 49ers
The Saints offense is clicking, and San Francisco has nowhere near the firepower Denver does. I thought about taking this as my big game, but something scares me about the 49ers.

Carolina Panthers -7 versus Atlanta Falcons
Reality sets in for the Falcons.

Tennessee Titans -3 versus Minnesota Vikings
That Jeff Fisher sure can coach. By the way, Fisher was a Bear, whose playing career was ended when his leg broke on a special teams play. The tackler? Bill Cowher's jaw.

Green Bay Packers +1 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I would love to continue the trend of selecting the home favorites in the early games, but then I realized that Green Bay's secondary does not have Charles Tillman. Advantage, Packers.

Buffalo Bulls -8 at St. Louis Rams
It's the Rams.

San Diego Chargers -7 1/2 at Oakland Raiders
Somehow, Lane Kiffin will be fired and Rob Reiner, I mean Ryan, will replace him after a game in which Ryan's defense gives up 1,286 points. What a country.

Washington Redskins +11 at Dallas Cowboys
I do think the Cowboys will win, but Washington has enough talent on both sides of the ball to keep this a game.

Philadelphia Eagles -3 at Chicago Bears
I would love for this to be a repeat of Week 1, where the Bears shock a favored playoff-bound team, but I fear this will be a repeat where the Eagles beat the ever-living shit out of the opponent's QB.

Baltimore Ravens +5 at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Ravens look surprisingly spry. Even if McGahee can't play, the Ravens have enough at RB to milk the clock. They may lose 6-3 or 3-0 or perhaps 3-2, but this game stays close.

Bye

Bye

Bye

I hate byes. We need more football!

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Denver Broncos -9 at Kansas City Chiefs
1-3 this year on big bets isn't helping the total. In Cutler we trust (well, actually more like Brandon Marshall we trust). Is there anybody on the Chiefs that could guard Penny Marshall right now?


Last Week's Record: 9-5-1
Last Week's Big Bet: 0-1
Year to Date: 28-14-4
Big Bet Year to Date: 1-2
Winnings (Losses) for the Week: $185
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $1,080

Girl of the Weekend - Maggie DeGuire

NFL Wrap-Up (Week 3 Version)

Here are my thoughts from Week 3 of the NFL season, based purely on what I was able to see, and again, since I was at a bar all day drinking and watching football, that was a lot!

Game of the Week

New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos. As much as I would love to say it was the Dolphins at the Patriots, that game was only at its best by virtue of the outcome. New Orleans had lots of passing (Marshall 155 receiving yards, Brees 421 yards passing), lost of scoring, two point conversion attempts and a kazoo sighting (that's Martin Grammatica if you didn't know). Denver clicking on all offensive cylinders, but again not being able to stop anybody. I am looking forward to a lot of exciting Denver games this year.

Best Team Performance

The Miami Dolphins. They certainly earned it this week. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams ran all over the Patriots defense, the playcalling was genius and inventive and Joey Porter spent most of the game in the New England backfield. An incredible win by a team that really needed one. The inventive play calling shouldn't have come as a surprise since QB coach David Lee, was last seen as the Offensive Coordinator/QB coach at Arkansas, that ran their famous "Wildcat" formation with both Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

Least Impressive Team Performance

New England Patriots - for all of the above reasons.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Ronnie Brown, RB - Miami. Brandon Marshall followed up his award winning week from last year with another 155 yards receiving and a TD, but he doesn't even come close to Brown's week. Ronnie Brown gained 113 yards on 17 carries, scored 4 TDs himself and threw for a 5th, all against the heretofore vaunted Patriots.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)
Antonio Cromartie, CB - San Diego Chargers. Yes, I know the interception was against Brett Favre so it was bound to occur, but the athleticism involved in that particular interception was amazing. The timing, the coordination, and the ability to adjust to the deflection, and then the composure to run it back.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Rian Lindell K, Buffalo Bills. Kicked a game winning 38 yard field goal as time expired. I won't say too much more about kickers.


Goat of the Week

OK, so I lied. Martin Grammatica, K, New Orleans. 1 for 3 in FGs, including a late potential game winner.

Hit of the Week

Once again our winner is Ronnie Brown, who bowled over Ellis Hobbs at the goal line for a touchdown, especially since Brown could have avoided Hobbs by going either left or right, as nobody else was close. Instead, Brown lowered his shoulder to go through and over Hobbs.

Breakthrough Performance

Julius Jones, RB - Seattle Seahawks - for his 140 yard rushing performance after everybody thought his career was washed up. Why did people think that anyway? I agree he is no Marion Barber, but he certainly isn't a slouch. May have saved Seattle's season, although the game was against St. Louis.

Finally

Carson Palmer, QB - Cincinnati Bengals

No Kim Kardashian pictures this week. This is an award for "finally doing something this year" as opposed to "finally doing something at all", but Palmer was 27-39 for 286 and 1 TD, to hopefully put this offense back on the right track.

Ok, maybe one Kardashian picture.

Impact Injury

Charles Tillman, CB - Chicago Bears - Tillman got his feelings hurt after the Bears managed to stop the Bucs on third down deep in Buccaneer territory, meaning great field position for the Bears in overtime and an easy few runs and field goal. Except, Tillman had to take umbrage to the physical play of Tampa and earn a personal foul, giving Tampa a first down, and ultimately the game. Now granted, the fouls should have been offsetting, at least, as I saw one Buc player throw 3 punches, but Charles, the best way to strike back would be to win.

Team Rising

Buffalo Bills - Although played relatively poorly against the Raiders for 3 quarters, they still pulled out the win, are 3-0, and in first place in the AFC East.

Team Falling

New England Patriots _ I don't care if you did start Matt Cassell, or Kevin O'Connell or Matt Gutierrez, you are still supposed to be the Patriots. And this was the Dolphins.

Best Teams

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Green Bay Packers
4. New York Giants
5. Denver Broncos

Worst Teams

32. St. Louis Rams
31. Kansas City Chiefs
30. Cleveland Browns
29. Oakland Raiders
28. Houston Texans

Preview - Game(s) of the Week

4. Philadelphia at Chicago - I only added this as a fourth game because, as a Bears fan, I am interested in seeing if the Bears can be as prolific as their Week 1 Sunday night victory over the Colts, and/or if we are going to see Caleb Hanie in at QB for the Bears because the Eagles knock out both Orton and Grossman. Naturally, the Eagles will only knock out Orton, and Grossman will play well enough to create a QB controversy.

3. Green Bay at Tampa Bay - The renewal of a good old fashioned NFC Central rivalry, between teams that look pretty good so far this year. Winner will be 3-1.

2. Atlanta at Carolina - Winner moves to 3-1 and at least a share of the the NFC South lead, depending upon the game listed above.

1. Baltimore at Pittsburgh - Could be the lowest scoring game since, well, last year's Miami Pittsburgh game played in the awful, and I mean awful, field conditions of Heinz.

Last Week's Trivia Answer
Philadelphia Eagles WR Don Looney was the first WR in history to amass two consecutive 100 yard receiving games to start his NFL career. As we saw this year, Ealges WR DeSean Jackson was the second.

Trivia
All of the Philadelphia Eagles sacks on Roethlisberger got me to thinking, what NFL player has the most consecutive games recording at least 1 sack? Please no online searches, and place your guesses in the comments. Answer provided next week.

The Ole College Try

This is your weekly wrap-up of the college football season, told from a couple of days distance simply to let some of the stories simmer a bit and to gain a bit of perspective. Although you may have a different take on the past weekend, I can only truly comment on games that I have seen, and I didn't see as many as I would have liked.

Heisman Watch

(Still) Favorite - Chase Daniel QB Missouri - 36-43 for 439 and 2 TD's. He keeps rolling. If he keeps this up in conference play, hand him the trophy.

Sleeper - Glen Coffee RB Alabama - 10 carries 162 yards and 2 TDs against Arkansas this week. He has well over a 8 yards per carry average this season (404 yards on 47 carries).

Rising - Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia - 149 yards on 23 carries after traveling across the country to play at Arizona State. But, more importantly, 9 TDs on the year. As we saw with Tim Tebow last year, that is how you gain votes.

Falling - Patrick Pinckney QB East Carolina - Not bad stats against North Carolina State, but for East Carolina to win any major awards or crash the BCS bowl games they needed to go undefeated, and that opportunity is now lost.

Statistical Favorite - Graham Harrell QB Texas Tech - 322 yards and 4 TDs against UMass, but more importantly 9 TDs in the last two games. It looks like his numbers are getting ready to take off, and having the best receiver in college doesn't hurt either.

Defensive Leader - Brandon Spikes LB Florida - He has had at least 10 tackles in every single game this year, including 10 against Tennessee. Trust me, this isn't a token mention just to appease those of you that think I hate Florida. Spikes is for real. He better be, I gave an Ole Miss alum 16 1/2 points for next week's game. Ruth's Chris - hear I come.

Player to Watch

Charles Scott. Jr. RB, LSU - He is averaging 9 yards a carry and has gained over 100 yards in each of his first 3 games this year, including 132 against a stout Auburn defense.

My New Favorite Player

Still "Boo" Jackson - QB Ohio University, until someone knocks the crap out of Tebow.

Predicted BCS Championship Game Matchup

Still USC v. Oklahoma. No reason to change this now.

Rant(s) of the Week

1. Nothing really to rant about this week involving the games, so let's just say if you are going to be a fan cheering for a team, please at least know what in the hell you are talking about.

Congratulations of the Week

To Wake Forest - for beating Florida State for the 3rd time in a row, including last week in Tallahassee.

And more importantly - to SYRACUSE for actually winning, even if it was 30-21 over Northwestern

Underperformance of the Week

Northwestern - see above.

Trivia Question of the Week

John Parker Wilson of Alabama recently set school records for both TDs and total offense. Which former Tide player(s)' records did he break for each category. Answers next week.

Last Weeks Answer

Troy Edwards, Louisiana Tech has the most TD receptions in Division I history with 50

Matchup(s) to Watch

1. Alabama v. Georgia - Back to back huge conference games for Georgia, plus it is the only battle of the weekend pitting two top 10 teams against each other. This should be a great one.

2. Illinois v. Penn State - Can one or both of these teams capitalize on the suckiness that is Ohio State and the rest of the Big 10, and if so, which one? Let the Juice loose and see if the Nittany Lions can contain him.

3. Syracuse v. Pittsburgh - Can Syracuse make it two in a row? Can Dave Wannstadt learn to coach? The answers to all these, and more coming this week.

Pac Man Fever (Week 3 Edition)

Here is your up-to-date stats of everyone's favorite cornerback, Adam "Pac Man Jones".

Pacman led the Cowboys in tackles with 6 solo and 2 assists. He also forced a fumble. That gives him 13 tackles for the year. He had 3 punt returns for a total of 12 yards.

But most importantly, our Patron Saint is 3-0.

Girl of the Week

And to start off your Monday, I present to you the girl of the week: Jaime Hammer.

Picks of the Week (Week 3 Edition)

Here are your picks for Week 3 of the NFL. Remember, I will be keeping a running total based upon $100/game, 10% vig on all losses, and one $250 contest per week.

Atlanta Falcons -5 1/2 versus Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were manhandled by the Raiders. Did I ever think I would be betting on the Falcons GIVING points in any game this year? No I did not. Did I ever think Tyler Thigpen would be in the NFL? Again, no I did not.

Oakland Raiders + 9 1/2 at Buffalo Bills
Just too many points. McFadden looks like he is the truth, and perhaps last week may give the Raiders some momentum. If this was in the 6 or 7 range, I would have taken the Bills.

Tennessee Titans - 4 1/2 versus Houston Texans
No reason, other than sometimes a team does better when an experienced backup QB takes the helm. He still has no receivers, but Chris Johnson is good. I think the off week might have hurt the Texans.

New York Giants -13 versus Cincinnati Bengals
The Giants are cruising. They are running the ball well, passing the ball well, and Justin Tuck is playing amazing. He is already in Super Bowl form. The Bengals are awful, just awful.

Arizona Cardinals +3 at Washington Redskins
When healthy, Kurt Warner is still one of the best QBs in the league, and he has phenomenal weapons at wideout. The Redskins have been up-and-down so far this year, so I'll take the points.

New England Patriots -12 versus Miami Dolphins
I am not sure that the Dolphins will be able to score enough to keep the Patriots from covering. Even though the Patriots looked a little unsure of themselves last week on offense, they are playing the Dolphins, which is good for anybody's confidence.

Chicago Bears -3 versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If Jeff Garcia were starting, I would have picked the Bucs, but Brian Griese is the starter, so I'll take the Bears. I hope this isn't just the homerism talking.

Carolina Panthers + 3 1/2 at Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson might be hurt, but Chester Taylor is a more than serviceable backup. I would be more concerned with the fact that Gus Frerotte is starting. At least he is no Tarvaris. It might be time for a Booty call. Carolina is 2-0 and gets Steve Smith back.

St. Louis Rams + 9 1/2 at Seattle Seahawks
Both of these teams are horrendous. Just awful. I will take the 9 1/2 points from a team as bad as Seattle.

San Francisco 49ers -4 versus Detroit Lions
I just think that Mike Martz has something up his sleeve for this game. Detroit can throw the ball around the field and has great receivers, but they can be prone to turning the ball over. I think Patrick Willis makes one or two phenomenal plays, and Martz begins to pour it on.

New Orleans Saints + 5 1/2 at Denver Broncos
The Broncos look incredibly strong, and are liable to score a ton of points in this game, but as the San Diego game proved, they can also give up a ton of points. Take the over, whatever it is, and I'll take the points.

Philadelphia Eagles - 3 1/2 versus Pittsburgh Steelers
Both teams have looked very strong in the early part of the season. I just think that Philly wants to get back on the winning track after the close call in Dallas last week.

Baltimore Ravens - 2 1/2 versus Cleveland Browns
The close game against Pittsburgh notwithstanding, I think the Browns are going to be really bad this year, and I think Willis McGahee will be raring to go in his first action of the season. As you might remember, he was held out of the first game due to injury and the second game due to Ike.

Dallas Cowboys -3 at Green Bay Packers
Another very intriguing match up. Dallas offense is on a roll right now, and Green Bay, despite dominating most of the game, needed a big surge against Detroit to put the nail in the coffin. Philadelphia is no Detroit.

San Diego Chargers -9 versus New York Jets
The Chargers are going to be angry, and they have shown that they can score points in bunches. The Jets, well they haven't.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Indianapolis Colts -5 versus Jacksonville Jaguars
No Bob Sanders for the Colts - no problem. Jacksonville has lost more offensive lineman than the Colts, and this could mean a killing spree for Dwight Freeney. If the Colts get a lead and the Jaguars have to throw, how many sacks could Freeney get? 6? 7? 12? Maybe an exaggeration, but give the points, and take the Colts.


Last Week's Record: 7-5-3
Last Week's Big Bet: 1-0
Year to Date: 19-9-3
Big Bet Year to Date: 1-1
Winnings (Losses) for the Week: $300
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $895

NFL Wrap-Up (Week 2 Version)

Here are my thoughts from Week 2 of the NFL season, based purely on what I was able to see, and since I was at a bar all day drinking and watching football, that was a lot!

Game of the Week

San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos. No question whatsoever. This game had it all; big plays, special teams, backups performing admirably (Darren Sproles), brilliant homecoming (Brandon Marshall), Ed Hochuli, and well, blown calls by Ed Hochuli. Add to that a malfunctioning replay system and this game had it all. San Diego was robbed. Honorable Mention to Philly at Dallas, although that game was amazing as well.

Best Team Performance

Dallas Cowboys. They showed the NFL that they are currently the best team in the league with a scintillating 41 - 37 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. This game could have gone either way, but Dallas outscored Philadelphia 17-7 in the second half, when the defenses finally showed up at the game. Tony Romo was 25-37 for 312, including a big play to T.O., and Jason Witten with 7 catches for 110 yards. If the defense can make the big plays everyone is expecting them to, watch out. They did sack Donovan twice on Philly's last series. Plus, they have our Patron Saint.

Least Impressive Team Performance

This is difficult, but I am going with the Miami Dolphins over the Kansas City Chiefs this week. Miami wins primarily because they gave up a 79 yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin on Arizona's third play from scrimmage after the Cardinals lined him up in the slot to get 1-on-1 coverage by a linebacker. I mean, its not like Boldin has ever done anything in this league for the Dolphins to worry about.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Brandon Marshall, WR - Denver. So many great performances this week, but Marshall had the second highest total of catches in a single game in NFL history, with 18, for 166 yards and 1 TD.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)
Jon Beason, LB - Carolina Panthers. 11 tackles against the Chicago Bears, plus he seemed to get stronger as the game progressed. The entire Carolina defense took their strength from him and became better and better throughout the game. Plus, Big Beast perpetrated the first 7th Floor Crew-on-7th Floor Crew crime in NFL history when he recovered G-Reg's first fumble of the game.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Darren Sproles - San Diego Chargers. Felix Jones also had quite a weekend, but Sproles 103 yard Kickoff Return for a TD, coupled with his catch-and-scamper in the 4th quarter which felt like a return, takes this weekly honor. Two excellent weeks for former LDT backups (see Turner, Michael from last week).


Goat of the Week

I was sooooo going to award this to Greg Olsen, who fumbled the ball away twice leading to two scoring drives for the Panthers in their 20-17 victory of my Chicago Bears, but I couldn't because of ....

Hit of the Week

Ed Hochuli's hit on the entire Charger Nation when he blew his whistle. If you don't know what I am talking about, quit reading .... NOW!

Breakthrough Performance

Since I prefaced them last week, and since they both showed up strong this week, this award goes to Eddie Royal and DeSean Jackson, although Jackson was a bit boneheaded by throwing the ball away before actually entering the endzone. Both of them have served notice that they are receivers to be reckoned with in this league, now, not in the future, but now. Royal had 5 catches for 37 yards, but he scored the last TD, and the game winning two point conversion. Strong confidence in the kid from Jay Cutler. Jackson had 6 catches for 110 yards, and the now infamous bauble.


In realty this award should have gone to Darren McFadden for his 164 yards rushing, or to Jonathan Stewart for his breakthrough performance against the Bears, but I'll just leave them in the "keep a close eye on" category for now.

Finally

Reggie Bush, RB - New Orleans Saints. Since he scored again, I will leave him in again, simply so I can post another picture of Kim Kardashian.

Impact Injury

Bob Sanders, S - Indianapolis Colts. On a team already reeling from offensive line woes, the last thing they needed was to lose the heart and soul of their defense, which is exactly what happened.

Team Rising

Carolina Panthers. At 2-0, the Panthers have made an impressive opening salvo for surprise team of the year, even without Steve Smith. They have started to hone their running attack with Jonathan Stewart, and Smith will make the offense that much more explosive once he returns from suspension this week. Throw in a solid defense and the most underrated coach in football, and Carolina could be looking forward to a playoff berth.

Team Falling

Seattle Seahawks. From a perennial playoff foundation from the NFC West to a potential doormat in the league. They have started 0-2, and have lost to Buffalo and San Francisco. They need to get moving fast, or else everyone else out west could pass them (except St. Louis, they suck).

Best Teams

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Denver Broncos

Worst Teams

32. St. Louis Rams
31. Miami Dolphins
30. Kansas City Chiefs
29. Cincinnati Bengals
28. Seattle Seahawks

Don't worry, I am sure the Raiders will return after they no longer face the likes of the Chiefs.

Preview - Game(s) of the Week

3. New Orleans at Denver - Denver looks prolific on offense, and they don't look like they can stop anybody, which means points and points galore in this game. It should be very exciting for football fans.

2. Pittsburgh at Philadelphia - Philly proved its mettle last week, barely losing on the road. Elite teams return those type of favors by beating other elite teams at home. Pittsburgh is looking to solidify its ranking at the top of the entire AFC.

1. Dallas at Green Bay - The winner gets the early lead for home field advantage in the NFC, plus we get the chance to see just how good the Packers' offense can be under Aaron Rodgers, who has already played pretty decently against Dallas once in his career.

Last Week's Trivia Answer
The ever-immortal Michael Bishop was the last QB prior to Matt Flynn to throw a touchdown on his first ever NFL attempt (or at least that is what my sources tell me).

Trivia
To keep up the rookie theme, DeSean Jackson is only the second WR in history to amass two consecutive 100 yard receiving games to start his NFL career. Who was the first? Please no online searches, and place your guesses in the comments. Answer provided next week.

Pac Man Fever

Not much defense at all in Monday night's game, and that means nothing spectacular for our Patron Saint. Again, he led his Cowboys to victory, and shouldn't that be all that matters?

Pacman's stats - 4 tackles and 0 assists on defense. That's 5 tackles on the year total. He also handled 3 punt returns at a 3 yard average. Yearly totals - too small to really care.

The Ole College Try

This is your weekly wrap-up of the college football season, told from a couple of days distance simply to let some of the stories simmer a bit and to gain a bit of perspective. Although you may have a different take on the past weekend, I can only truly comment on games that I have seen, but I did see portions of a lot more games than the previous weekend.

Heisman Watch

Favorite - Chase Daniel QB Missouri - He topped last weeks' 3 TD performance with another gem, going 23 - 28 for 405 yards and 4 TDs. Granted, he still will need to perform in the big games, but he is doing exactly what he needs to be doing against the non-conference portion of his schedule.

Sleeper - Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech - 8 catches for 164 yards and 3 TDs in a pass happy offense. Even given the scheme, Crabtree still produces, and is the best performing WR in football.

Rising - Todd Reesing QB Kansas - Played magnificently in the game of the week. His stats were 34-51 for 373 yards and 2TD, but his impact was so much more. Although they lost to South Florida, the Bulls' coach specifically stated that "that QB over there is real good". He is making a name for himself in the QB rich Big 12.

Falling - Pat White QB West Virginia - Probably a week late on this mention, as he really faltered in the loss to East Carolina, but I just had to bring up Tebow last week. Unless he, and the rest of the Mountaineers really turn it on the rest of the season, this year will be a whole lot of "what could have been".

Statistical Favorite - Again, this will most likely turn out to be the Graham Harrell portion of this blog, but for a second week I have to select - Max Hall QB Brigham Young. After a 486 2 TD performance, then a 338 yard 3TD performance against Washington, all Hall did was 27-25 for only 271 yards, but 7, YES 7, Touchdowns in a 59-0 spanking of UCLA.

Defensive Leader - The entire linebacker corps of USC. The absolutely annihilated Ohio State this week, as yours truly (and any other astute observer), predicted they would. Since you have to pick someone, it might as well be Ray Maualuga, since he will get the majority of the credit.

Player to Watch

Brandon Tate, Sr./WR , North Carolina - Yes he is a senior, but he absolutely murdered Sharon and the rest of the Scarlet Knights. And since Carolina has been irrelevant since Julius Peppers graduated, he is now a player to watch.

My New Favorite Player

Still "Boo" Jackson - QB Ohio University, until someone knocks the crap out of Tebow.

Predicted BCS Championship Game Matchup

Still USC v. Oklahoma. I haven't even talked about Sam Bradford yet, but that will certainly come in future installments of the Ole College Try. In honor of this prediction:

Rant(s) of the Week

1. I don't want to belabor the point since I wrote a whole post on the topic, but why must the networks try to force named events down our throat. Everyone with half a brain knew that Ohio State didn't stand a jean shorts chance in Gainesville to beat USC last week, yet we were saturated with "Collision at the Coliseum". It was a collision all right, and in some collisions people get hurt, bad. That was Ohio State. At the risk of repeating myself, it was truly the "Suckfest in South Central".

Congratulations of the Week

To Maryland, who answered my challenge from last week and beat Cal 35-27.

Underperformance of the Week

No contest, UCLA. I would love to really rag on Ohio State here, but I didn't expect them to win, and they were without Beanie Wells. UCLA just simply didn't show up, losing 59-0 to BYU and Max Hall's 7 TD passes.

Trivia Question of the Week

Terrell Owens is now second in most TD receptions in NFL history. In honor of his feet, who is the Division 1 leader in TD receptions, and how many does he have. Answers next week.

Last Weeks Answer

As Hopps correctly pointed out, the four colleges with alums who were both President of the United States and Super Bowl starting winning QBs are:

Michigan - Gerald Ford/Tom Brady
Stanford - Herbert Hoover/Jim Plunkett, John Elway
US Naval Academy - Jimmy Carter/Roger Staubach
Miami (Ohio) - Benjamin Harrison/Ben Roethlisberger

Matchup(s) to Watch

This is the SEC edition:

1. LSU v. Auburn - Winner gets a huge leg up in the SEC West, with only Alabama and an improved Mississippi set to challenge for the division. Can LSU succeed with a Harvard transfer at QB? Does Auburn finally have what it takes to get to the top?

2. Florida v. Tennessee - Is the Florida from 2006 or from 2007? Can Jonathan Crompton torch the Florida defensive backs a la Erik Ainge?

3. Georgia v. Arizona State - The Bulldogs' secondary looked a bit suspect against South Carolina, how will they fare after traveling across the country to face a real passing attack?

Girl of the Week

Good morning everybody. It is time for your Girl of the Week, Natalia Estrada.

Picks of the Week

Here are your picks for Week 2 of the NFL. Remember, I will be keeping a running total based upon $100/game, 10% vig on all losses, and one $250 contest per week.

Oakland Raiders + 3 1/2 at Kansas City Chiefs
Sure the Raiders didn't look great against Denver, but Denver is really good this year, and the Raiders ran the ball effectively with Fargas and McFadden. Plus, without all the drops, Russell would have had a decent game.

Tennessee Titans +1 at Cincinnati Bengals
Tennessee won a close battle against a good Jacksonville squad. This Cincinnati team is going to be awful. I'll take the points, even with Kerry Collins.

Minnesota Vikings +1 1/2 versus Indianapolis Colts
Chicago's defense really pressured the Colts last week, and the Vikings have an even better defensive line. The interior of the Colts offensive line is struggling with Saturday and Lilja out.

New Orleans Saints pick 'em at Washington Redskins
Even without Colston, the Saints offense will continue to move the ball. The Redskins did not look well against the Giants last week. I expect them to play better, but still lose.

Green Bay Packers -3 at Detroit Lions
Green Bay didn't miss a beat last week without You Know Who behind center. Detroit, well, is Detroit.

Chicago Bears +3 at Carolina Panthers
Both teams unexpectedly won games last week. It's time to see which team is for real. I'll take the points, and the defense.

New York Giants -8 1/2 at St. Louis Rams
The Rams are just awful.

Buffalo Bills +5 at Jacksonville Jaguars
I was tempted to make this my $250 game, but I didn't want to give the Bills the opportunity to screw me two weeks in a row. Jacksonville looks out of sync with its fourth string offensive lineman.

Atlanta Falcons +7 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It's not that I think Atlanta is going to be that great this year, it's simply because I don't trust Brian Griese given 7 points. This could be one of those 10-7 games.

Arizona Cardinals -6 1/2 versus Miami Dolphins
I don't know on this one. I guess I just think the Dolphins might lose another game by a touchdown.

Denver Broncos -1 versus San Diego Chargers
No Merriman for the Chargers, yes Marshall for the Broncos. The Broncos look like they are clicking on offense already. Perhaps a meltdown is coming, but not this week.

New York Jets -1 1/2 versus New England Patriots
Let's just say I am not so much seduced by Brett Favre, but at the prospect of betting against an aging defense and Matt Cassel.

Pittsburgh Steelers -6 at Cleveland Browns
Cleveland is not as good as they showed last year, and Pittsburgh is now the class of the AFC.

Houston Texans -4 1/2 versus Baltimore Ravens
I initially wanted to go with the Ravens here, but with Hurricane Ike in the vicinity, who knows what is going to happen. I am picking Ike -1,000 versus Galveston Island, Texas. Remember, game moved to Monday.

Philadelphia Eagles +7 at Dallas Cowboys
Both teams have potent offenses, with some athletes on defense. I don't see this being a blowout in either direction, so I'll take the points.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

San Francisco +7 at Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks cannot run the ball, now their quarterback has a hurt back and their top receiver (for now) is out. I don't think the Seahawks will score 7, much less cover. Of course, now I give Seattle the chance to screw me two weeks in a row.

Last Week's Record: 12-4
Last Week's Big Bet: 0-1
Year to Date: 12-4
Winnings (Losses): $595

The Name Game

A good title to a high-octane sporting event just gives the event that extra dose of anticipation and greatness. The Thrilla in Manilla, The Rumble in the Jungle, The War By The Shore. Just the names alone evoke detailed imagery of the sporting event they represent.

However, not every single freakin' game needs a name, especially not a run-of-the-mill top 5 collegiate battle in which one school's recent lack of speed has caused it to be simply overrun by talented schools that do possess such speed. (I am looking at you Ohio State). Is the number 1 versus number 5 game one that I will watch? Yes. Is it a game to which I am looking forward? Yes. Will it be one of those classics that we will always remember throughout time? Absolutely not, as Ohio State is going to get run out of the Coliseum. If that is the case, why does the ABC/Disney family of networks insist on calling this came "The Collision at the Coliseum". It is an asinine moniker for a game that might be decided by 30 points. (OK - most likely 24).
Given the possible outcome, and the fact that most events must have titles now, how about this one:

THE SUCKFEST IN SOUTH CENTRAL!!!

Between how bad Ohio State will play, and the ass-kissing amongst all of the celebrites on the sideline, that is the most likely occurrence. A huge Suckfest.

Girl of the Weekend

Jarah Mariano - Mahalo

Goin' Crazy

While Vince Young is recovering from injury, we have a lot of time to review the events of last weekend, in which he was apparently sulking on the bench after his second interception, sitting on the bench with a towel over his head, telling head coach Jeff Fisher that he wasn't going back into the game, leaving his house without his cellphone, being in a bad state of mind so that his family called the team and/or police, and being found eating chicken wings and drinking beer with a friend. To me that sounds perfectly sane as I do that 4 or 5 times a week (the chicken wings and beer part). Anyway, this whole story reminds me of the Bad Boys movie theme, or at least the verse by Nelly, who warns NFL general managers about being seduced simply by the visible skills and body of a player, without analyzing their mental stability.

"I'm still a sucka for cornrows, I'll never change that. Your body is bangin' mama but where your brains at?".

Sounds as if the Titans should have found out where Young's brain is at.

Mt. Rushmore of Rap

I was listening to Eric Kuselias on Mike and Mike in the Morning a couple of weeks ago, and LL Cool J was doing promotions all over the station that day. He sat in to be interviewed by Eric, some of the TV guys and Scott Van Pelt. Anyways, Kuselias brought up the topic of who would be the four (presumably) guys that would be pictured if they made a Mt. Rushmore of Rap. I think this was a great question, would like to debate it myself, and this post is my answer to that query. Now the parameters for the answer are Mt. Rushmore itself, 4 faces and 4 faces only. This necessitates that groups are excluded. However, if you really want to make a case for your favorite group in the comments, be my guests. On to the Mt. Rushmore of Rap.

1. LL Cool J

His discography is lengthy and phenomenal. Radio (1985) had I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock the Bells". Coupled with his appearance as himself in one of my favorite movies, "Krush Groove", and you could tell that a star was about to break out. And boy did he ever. Bigger and Deffer (1987) had the ever popular "I Need Love", which put him on the map in my middle school world as soon as it came out. Walking With a Panther (1989) had such hits as "Big Ole Butt", "Going Back to Cali", "I'm That Type of Guy" and "Jingling Baby". Big Ole Butt had the line - "she worked at Red Lobster but I didn't remember". Now that's poetry. Mama Said Knock You Out (1990) had 3 hits, including "The Boomin' System", and two absolute MONSTERS, "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Around the Way Girl". He released 14 Shots to the Dome (1993), which went platinum without a single being released. Mr. Smith (1995) returned him to the forefront of the music world, with the singles "Doin It", "Hey Lover" and "Loungin". Phenomenon (1997) came out next, followed by G.O.A.T. (2000), 10 (2002) and The DEFinition (2004), which featured the hit, and club favorite "Headsprung". Todd Smith (2006) and Exit 13 (2008) were his latest two albums. This doesn't even include his greatest hits album, all world.

LL Cool J makes Mt. Rushmore primarily because of his longevity, along with some very popular and excellent songs of various styles. From his slow "I Need Love" and "Around the Way Girl", to the hard "Mama Said Knock You Out", to the creepin' classic "I'm That Type of Guy", to the club hits "Headsprung and Doin't It", LL always brought it.

2. KRS-One

KRS-One's discography is equally as long as LL Cool J's, even if not as well-known and popular to the general public. Criminal Minded (1986), By All Means Necessary (1988), Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop (1989), Edutainment (1990), Sex and Violence (1992), Return of the Boom Bap (1993), KRS-One (1995), I Got Next (1997), A Retrospective (2000), The Sneak Attack (2001), Spiritual Minded (2002), The Mix Tape (2002), Kristyles (2003), D.I.G.I.T.A.L. (2003), Keep Right (2004), Life (2006), Hip Hop Lives (2007), Adventures In Emceeing (2008), Maximum Strength 2008 (2008), Conflosation (2008).

Although not necessarily commercially successful in the way we think of extremely popular groups, KRS-One is not recognized for his popularity, but rather, because of his actual skills on the microphone, and his ability to create on the fly. He was a true freestyler, and his rivalry with MC Shan over the song "Queensbridge" made people pay attention to rappers, and not just the songs themselves. He practically created battle rapping, at least as far as the general public is concerned. A truly great MC.

3. Dr. Dre

Became popular as a leading member of the group N.W.A., with Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella. In 1988 N.W.A. released Straight Outta Compton, with three immediate hits, "Straight Outta Compton", "Gangsta Gangsta" and "Fuck Tha Police". After leaving N.W.A., Dr. Dre released The Chronic in 1992, his first solo album, although he did release the title song to the movie Deep Cover with Snoop Doggy Dogg, starring Lawrence Fishbourne and Jeff Goldblum. The Chronic contained such hits as "Ain't Nuthin But a G Thang", "Fuk Wit Dre Day" and "Let Me Ride". [Note - Fuk Wit Dre Day and Cop Killer were the songs I listened to in college to prep for any sporting event - those songs would get you in a mood]. Dre's next big production was to produce Snoop Doggy Dogg's debut album, Doggystyle, followed by the soundtracks for Above the Rim and Murder was the Case. He later released 2001 (2001), which contained the single "Forgot about Dre".

However, it was what Dre did between solo albums that puts him on Mount Rushmore. His production of Snoop Doggy Dogg, and later Eminem and 50 Cents, among others, is what makes Dre stand out among rappers. To quote one of his own songs, "You never been on a ride like this before, with a producer that can rap". He also is known for his funky beats, often sampling funk hits from the 1970's. For his contributions as a rapper, producer, and for practically starting, with Public Enemy, the urban conscious movement in rap, Dr. Dre belongs on Mount Rushmore.


4. Kurtis Blow

I thought about this last person a lot, and Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube and Chuck D, all were finalists for this last spot. Plus, the Asian delegation would have selected the RZA, the GZA, the Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and the entire Wu Tang Clan.

However, I kept coming back to Kurtis Blow. Kurtis Blow's discography is not as lengthy as LL Cool J's or KRS-One's, but it does include, Kurtis Blow (1980), Deuce (1981), Tough (1982), Ego Trip (1984), America (1985), Kingdom Blow (1986), Back by Popular Demand (1988), and Kurtis Blow Presents: Hip Hop Ministry (2007). His hit singles include "Christmas Rappin'", "If I Ruled the World" and "The Breaks", which has been sampled and referenced in all sorts of popular culture, including video games like Grand Theft Auto, Vice City.

However, Kurtis Blow's greatest contribution may have been his compilation series, History of Rap, in both book and CD formats. In addition to being a capable MC himself, Kurtis Blow's contributions will allow future rappers to know the lineage from which they developed, and allow all of us to truly know the history of this purely American form of music.

Your thoughts?

NFL Wrap-Up (Week 1 Version)

Isn't it great to have the NFL back? Well, for most fans it is. For those of you too drunk to remember, here is your weekly NFL Wrap-Up. Based primarily on what I was able to see.

Game of the Week

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints. A division battle between two playoff-oriented teams. A great way to start the season, with enough offense and defense to make any fan happy. Honorable Mention to Minnesota at Green Bay and Carolina at San Diego.

Best Team Performance

Philadelphia Eagles. A 38-3 thorough ass-whipping of the St. Louis Lambs, err Rams. McNabb threw for 361 yards and a 131 passer rating, and three separate receivers gained at least 102 yards (DeSean Jackson, Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett). Honorable mention to the Denver Broncos, who won their game against the Oakland Raiders in about 2 minutes.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Oakland Raiders. They just simply looked out of sync the entire game. Dropped passes, missed opportunities (as few as they were), McFadden injured and just out-and-out sloppy play. Russell didn't play awful, so he may be something for the fans to keep watching.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Michael Turner, RB - Atlanta Falcons. 220 on 22 carries, for 2 touchdowns. Welcome to the starting lineup Mr. Turner.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)
London Fletcher, LB - Washington Redskins. 17 tackles. Just an enormous effort in an uphill game for Fletcher.

Honorable Mention to Charles Grant, DL - New Orleans Saints. He was only credited with 3 solo tackles and 1 sack, but he was a complete disruption in the game against the Buccaneers.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Roscoe Parrish - Buffalo Bills. Concussionless and incredibly quick. Changes direction on a dime quicker than anyone in the NFL. His 63 yard punt return for a TD was electric. He could challenge Devin Hester as the most exciting Hurricane return man in the NFL.

Hit of the Week

Philadelphia's Sheldon Brown's hit on St. Louis's Steven Jackson that took his head (OK, his helmet) clean off. Much props to Jackson for popping right up.

Also Kansas City's Bernard Pollard's hit on T ... nah - that's just too mean, and it wasn't that big a hit. (Yep, I am going to hell).

Breakthrough Performance

This should go to Michael Turner, but because he was already mentioned, I am going to give this to his teammate Matt Ryan, QB. Not huge numbers (9-13, 161, 1TD), but a victory for QB-starved Falcons Fans (all 3 of you), plus a TD on his first NFL pass (more on this later).

Also look out for Eddie Royal, WR from Denver, and DeSean Jackson, WR from Philadelphia.

Finally
Reggie Bush, RB - New Orleans Saints. 14 carries for 51 yards, and 8 catches for 112 yards, including a 4th quarter game winning 42 yard TD reception that was practically all run. Is this the Reggie Bush that everyone was expecting? Plus, Kim Kardashian.

Impact Injury

Duh!

But also Nate Burleson, and possibly the combo of Joseph Addai and Dallas Clark. Burleson's injury is really threatening to the Seahawks because with the exception of one Shaun Alexander record setting year, they rely on the passing game. With no starts at WR, they need the collective talents of all of their receivers to really function, especially since their RB's are just not good.

I could also put Shawne Merriman here, but his injury was from so long ago, that he could have been recovered by now. Whoops.

Team Rising

Chicago Bears. Assuming that Kyle Orton can continue his steady play, they might just have the right run/pass mix to have a serviceable offense which complements their dominant defense. Now, I know their defense was not good last year, but the performance against the Colts, with the pressure they put on Manning and the tackling by the linebackers and secondary, especially on the slant patterns, was great. [Ed. note - Probably wishful thinking and Bears homerism.]

Team Falling

Cincinnati Bengals. And fast. Their prolific offense might just be finished, and since their defense never even approached adequate, that spells trouble, Ocho Cinco or no Ocho Cinco.

Best Teams

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Denver Broncos
5. New York Giants

Worst Teams

32. St. Louis Rams
31. Cincinnati Bengals
30. Seattle Seahawks
29. Oakland Raiders
28. Cleveland Browns

Preview - Game(s) of the Week

3. Indianapolis at Minnesota - The loser falls to a precarious 0-2. Not impossible (See Giants, New York circa 2007), but still not a fun hill to climb.

2. Buffalo at Jacksonville - Time to see if Buffalo is real. Also time to see if Jacksonville peaked last year, or if the Titans just have their number.

1. Philadelphia at Dallas - For division, conference and possibly league supremacy.

Trivia

Who was the last quarterback before Matt Flynn to throw at TD on his first NFL attempt? Answers in the comment section. Answer provided next week.

The Ole College Try

This is your weekly wrap-up of the college football season, told from a couple of days distance simply to let some of the stories simmer a bit. Truth be told, I was at the Miami-University of Florida game (with it's own stories and post later this week), so I really didn't get to see a lot of football this week. Therefore, we have an abbreviated version.

Heisman Watch

Given the Beenie Wells injury, and the fact that I will most likely want to write about Knowshon Moreno later in the year, consider this an all-QB edition.

Favorite - Chase Daniel QB Missouri - He has started out like a house on fire, going 16-17 for 245 yards and 3 touchdowns this week against South Something Missouri State (OK - I know the something is supposed to be East). Coming off a Heisman-like campaign, he has reached the top of the charts for now.

Sleeper - Juice Williams QB Illinois - 124 yards passing and 174 yards rushing for 3 total touchdowns coming off a nice passing game against Missouri. Juice is an exceptionally fun player to watch, and gives the Illini a chance in every game.

Rising - Riley Skinner QB Wake Forest - All he does is play well and win games. This week he had 267 yards passing in a win over a rapidly improving Mississippi.

Falling - Tim Tebow QB Florida - He really hasn't played that well in the first two games against Hawaii and Miami. The Hurricanes defense had him really flustered for the first three quarters, until bailed out by a blatantly awful replay call. Since he doesn't have the great statistical numbers of others, he has to play well and be a "leader" as well as be multi-dimensional, which he hasn't.

Statistical Favorite - In what will most likely turn out to be the Graham Harrell portion of this blog - Max Hall QB Brigham Young. He followed up his 486 yard 2TD performance opening week with a 338 yard 3TD performance against Washington.

Defensive Leader - Myron Pryor DT Kentucky - Even before his 72 yard fumble return for a TD against Louisville, he and fellow DT Corey Peters were controlling that game. No single defensive player has had as much of an impact this year in the games I have watched.

Player to Watch

Sean Spence, FR., University of Miami - He spent practically the entire game in the Florida Gators' backfield. He is going to be an absolute monster. Star written all over him.

My New Favorite Player

Franshaw "Boo" Jackson - QB Ohio University.
Let me count the reasons why. 1. His name is Franshaw. 2. His nickname is Boo. 3. As a backup QB, he almost led Ohio University to the first victory by an Ohio school over Ohio State since Oberlin College in somewhere near 1936. 4. His hair.

Predicted BCS Championship Game Matchup

Right now, it looks as if it is USC v. Oklahoma. SEC is too tough this year, with their champion possibly having 2 or 3 losses. I expect USC to win by somewhere around 1 zillion points this week. In honor of this prediction:


Rant(s) of the Week

1. That was absolutely not an excessive celebration you morons. The fact that the Pac-10 recently stated that it's officials were correct in penalizing QB Jake Locker is even more asinine. Washington deserved the chance to send that game into overtime, or possibly, to go for 2.

2. Instant Replay is supposed to make the officiating better, not overturn the correct call. First, the ruling on the field was "incomplete pass". Second, there is nothing in the replay that conclusively shows that his elbow hit the ground in the field of play. Third, he never had full control of the ball to begin with, in bounds or out of bounds. Fourth, if you have to ask what play I am talking about you haven't been paying attention.

Congratulations of the Week

To East Carolina, who could have absolutely rested on their laurels after an upset win over Virginia Tech, but instead took it right to West Virginia, for its second upset victory to start the season. I can't see anybody in Conference USA that wants to play them right now.

Underperformance of the Week

A lot of strong candidates for this one, especially in a week in which Ohio U almost pulled off the shocker against Ohio State, San Diego State doing the same thing at Notre Dame and the aforementioned East Carolina game. However, the winner this week is the University of Maryland, who lost 24-14 against Middle Tennessee State.

Trivia Question of the Week

Four colleges have had alums that became both a President of the United States and a Super Bowl winning starting Quarterback. Name the Universities. (And for those that will ultimately ask - the Presidents and QBs are different people). Put your guesses in the comments. Answers next week.

Hopefully this week we can see some much better matchups.

Pac Man Fever

After being out of the NFL for what seemed like forever, our Patron Saint made his return Sunday against the Cleveland Browns starting in place of the injured Terrence Newman. Although his numbers were not incredible, the Cowboys did win 28-10 and Pacman and his compatriots held the vaunted Browns passing attack to 114 yards.

Pacman's stats - 1 tackle and 0 assists on defense. He also handled 2 punt returns at a 4 yard average.

As he becomes settled into a rhythm of playing every week, Pacman is sure to explode.

Girl of the Week

Lots of stuff to report on from this weekend. Before we get to some of the stories, we must start with the important stuff, the Girl of the Week - Natalia Paris.

Picks of the Week

This is the first of many "picks of the week" segments that will occur weekly at We Make It Rain. It is a tried and trued concept, plus I can keep track of what I would have earned had I actually bet on all of the games (since gambling is illegal). Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from my local paper as of the time of typing the entry. I will keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. On to the picks.

New York Giants - 4 1/2 at Washington Redskins
I just don't think that Washington is that good. Campbell still needs to develop, and there is that ridiculous week 1 winning streak for teams that won the Super Bowl.

Baltimore Ravens + 1 1/2 versus Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati just isn't that good. Of course, Baltimore is starting Joe Flacco. In this scenario, I am going with the home team.

Miami Dolphins +3 versus New York Jets
Chad Pennington is so familiar with the Jets defensive players and tendencies, that he has to have an advantage, right?

Kansas City + 15.5 at New England Patriots
Simply because the spread is too high for not knowing exactly what we will get from Tom Brady.

Pittsburgh Steelers - 6 versus Houston Texans
Pittsburgh's defense is going to be as strong as always. I think Hedley Lamar (or Woodley) is going to have a breakout season. Pittsburgh's schedule is tough overall, but I look for them to start out strong. The Texans will be much improved, if not in record, then at least on the field.

Jacksonville Jaguars -3 at Tennessee Titans
Between these two teams, there is a grand total of 0 Wide Receivers.

Atlanta Falcons +3 versus Detroit Lions
Simply because of the Honeymoon effect for Ryan. Could be a shootout.

New Orleans Saints -3 versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I like the Bucs to make the playoffs this year, but New Orleans at home getting points? Come on.

Philadelphia Eagles - 7 1/2 versus St. Louis Rams
For some reason I keep wanting to take St. Louis here, but my mind keeps overruling my initial thoughts. Perhaps because Steven Jackson just signed, the offensive line didn't get any better and Pat White broke some of Marc Bulger's collegiate records.

Dallas Cowboys - 5 1/2 at Cleveland
I think Cleveland is going to have a horrible year. With Dallas's high flying offense, they will score a ton of points. This might be the Cowboys' year, as they signed a proven winner in Pac Man Jones to lead the team through the playoffs. Look at what he did last year in leading a completely undermanned Titans' team into the playoffs. What? He didn't play last year? Really? Nevermind.

San Diego Chargers - 9 versus Carolina
The Chargers will start the season at home with an eye-popping destruction of Carolina, to the point where we will call them the San Diego Hannas.

Arizona Cardinals -3 at San Francisco 49ers
Having finally settled on a reliable and prolific QB, Arizona should make a run. I think they will win the NFC West.

Chicago Bears + 9 1/2 at Indianapolis Colts
This is strictly a homer hunch, but I think that Manning not playing the preseason at all, together with the loss of his center and both guards, may allow for a massive game by Tommie Harris. At least massive enough to cover.

Green Bay Packers -3 versus Minnesota Vikings
I think the Packers are going to be just fine without Farve. Minnesota will win their share of games, just not this week.

Denver Broncos -3 at Oakland Raiders
I think the Broncos are playoff bound this year, and if they cannot beat the Raiders by 3, then they don't deserve to be in at all. I do think Oakland will have a respectable year. Not good mind you, but respectable.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Seattle Seahawks +1 at Buffalo Bills
Not sold on Seahawks running game, but I am not sold on Buffalo at all. Better team getting points? Don't mind if I do.

Previous Week's Record: N/A
Year to Date: N/A
Winnings (Losses): N/A