Hey, it's the NBA!

The NBA returned to action last night, and the Spurs picked up right where they left off. Kobe Bryant also put in his application to become the next Allen Iverson, as he hoisted up 32 shots, scoring 45 points, in the losing effort.

Despite the loss to the Spurs, LaMarcus Aldridge had a solid night for the Blazers. With the injury to Greg Oden, Aldridge is going to be relied on heavily this season to reach his potential in his second season. He got off to a good start, scoring 27 points on 12-19 shooting in 36 minutes. He also stayed out of foul trouble which was a consistent problem in his rookie campaign. The Blazers shot themselves in the foot a bit trading Zach Randolph before the season. Now with the injury to Oden, Aldridge will have every chance in the world to prove himself.

Kevin Durant begins his rookie campaign with a team with all kinds of question marks. It is obvious that this is Durant's team. He is their superstar. However, his durability is already becoming an issue with his sprained ankle that he's trying to come back from. However, the bigger question marks would certainly be the talent around Durant which is pretty non-exsistant. Durant will be fun to watch. The Sonics will not be. Though, I think you have to say the biggest questions mark is how far away this team is from becoming the Oklahoma City Sonics. Would they stay the Sonics? Or would they become something that locals can get behind, like the Oklahoma City This State Sucks?

TJ Ford will begin his second season at the helm for the Toronto Raptors. Ford is coming off career highs in points and assists and more importantly a season that he was pretty healthy throughout. While Ford is the starter in Toronto he will have to perform, as Toronto has quite a few people fighting for some playing time in their backcourt. He split time last season with Jose Calderon, and a late season trade added Juan Dixon. Now through free agency, Carlos Delfino and Derrick Martin joined the fray. Ford will get every opportunity to be the lead guy, but he will need to perform.

Daniel Gibson will start the season as the starting point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, coming off his post-season emergence, where he become one of the few reliable and useful players that the Cavs had outside of LeBron. Gibson, in only his second season will have every opportunity to play regardless of his performance. This is the case when you have Eric Snow and Damon Jones as the only other people that could possibly take away playing time. Gibson is only in his second season, but it looks like he may have found himself a niche in Cleveland.

Royal Ivey finds himself in a new home in his fourth season, joining the Milwaukee Bucks after three years in Atlanta. Ivey finds himself in a contributing role with Milwaukee as he will be one of two guards to come off the bench. He should find himself as a backup at point guard as well as a rotational player in the lineup. He had his moments in Atlanta, but could never seem to find his place. Hopefully, in a place with a little more stability, he will be able to find his key in the offense.

Maurice Evans and Chris Mihm are back and healthy in Los Angeles. With the lack of a designated lineup and bench, minutes should be full and plentiful. Right now Mihm finds himself behind Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum, but as inconsistent as they have been, Mihm will certainly get a chance to get in the game and make something happen. Evans should remain a player that gets 15 to 20 minutes a game in the Los Angeles rotation.

Looking around, blast from the past, Kris Clack is on the roster for the Austin Toros, NBA D-League team. He is joined on the team with Brad Buckman. Also, former Longhorn Brian Boddicker has left his Turkish club and signed with Grupo Capitol in the Spanish League.

Surprisingly, Gary Johnson Cleared to Play in Exhibition

In some both unexpected and great news, top Texas Basketball recruit, Gary Johnson was cleared to play in the teams exhibition opener. Up until now, it hasn't even been clear that Johnson could play this year, due to a heart ailment. At one point, some thought he may never play again. So good news for Rick Barnes and the Horns as Johnson was their top recruit from last year and now looks to be as productive as everyone expected.

JOHNSON TO PLAY



Texas hosts Xaiver of Louisiana this Friday.

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While this season has been anything but smooth sailing or impressive, Texas still finds themselves 7-2, pretty much out of the Big XII Race, but still in solid position for a New Year's Day Bowl or as crazy as it sounds a BCS Bowl.

The way teams have been falling this season, there is an excellent chance for Texas to end up 10-2 and in a BCS Bowl. Currently the Longhorns sit in 15th in the BCS rankings, and this is based solely on the Human polls alone. As Texas is unranked, by all six of the computer polls. I was kind of surprised at first, but with Texas' strength of schedule (71st), average margins of victory, and lack of a victory against anyone of note, it kind of makes sense why Texas is struggling in the computer polls.

Right now, Texas is sitting at 15th in the BCS with zero assistance from the computer polls. They currently sit, 27th, 28th, 29th, 29th, 32nd, and 35th in the six computer polls. With teams above them to lose more games, and Texas facing opponents with decent computer ranks (Oklahoma State - 37th, Texas A&M - 39th, Texas Tech - 56th), Texas should finally start getting some points for computer rankings starting next week. This should help them move up in the polls.

Granted all of this takes into account that Texas doesn't lose any of their remaining three, which is no guarentee. Texas just needs to get in the top 14 to have a shot at being selected for a BCS birth. But Texas also needs to get ahead of Missouri and Kansas (assuming that they would lose in the Big XII Title Game).

Dogus Balbay May Be Lost For Season

Well, damn. The one thing that Rick Barnes and the Texas basketball team cannot afford this year is injuries. Without the likes of all-everything Kevin Durant around the 40 acres anymore, Texas is going to have to be a young, deep team. Dogus Balbay, out of Turkey, was supposed to provide D.J. Augustin with some much needed rest at the point guard position. But for now, it looks as though Texas will have to come up with a Plan B as Balbay is out indefinitely and is requiring knee surgery. With the status of top-recruit, Gary Johnson, still way up in the air Texas is already at a disadvantage before the ball is even tipped on the season. It looks like A.J. Abrams and J.D. Lewis are going to have to step in to spell Augustine for the foreseeable future.


Does anyone else think it's weird that our point guards are named D.J, A.J. and J.D.? Just thought I would ask.

Big XII Power Rankings

Kansas remained unbeaten as Texas narrowly avoided the upset bid by Nebraska. Texas Tech was not so fortunate as Colorado scored the road win. Baylor and Iowa State, well, they're Baylor and Iowa State. Now for this week's Big XII Power Rankings...

Top Tier
#5 Oklahoma (7-1) (3-1) Idle last week
- The Sooners had an extra week to show up to work at the dealership and pick up their paycheck, and to prepare for Texas A&M at home this week. That probably took all of Monday for them, so they probably spent the rest of the time preparing for Baylor, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State. Who are we kidding they spent a day on Tech and the rest of the time on Oklahoma State.

#9 Missouri (7-1) (3-1) W - 42-28 - vs. Iowa State
- The Tigers didn't exactly make quick work out of Iowa State, but got the win. Missouri has a tough remaining stretch, and it will start this week with a trip to Boulder, Colorado. Colorado can't be taken lightly, just ask the Sooners and Red Raiders.

#8 Kansas (8-0) (4-0) W - 19-11 - at Texas A&M
- The Jayhawks went on the road in a hostile environment and got a win over a mediocre Texas A&M team. I don't know if you can call it a statement win, but it was something. This week shouldn't be too bad as Tom Osborne comes to town. Unfortunately there won't be an actual football team coming with him. The Jayhawks should be 9-0 in a week. The season-finale versus Missouri is looming.

#14 Texas (7-2) (3-2) W - 28-25 - vs. Nebraska
- Almost a disaterous loss at home to Nebraska. But Texas was able to come from behind thanks to 290 yards via Jamaal Charles. It will be interesting to see how Texas fares on the road against a rejuvinated Oklahoma State team with three years worth of redemption on their mind and a bye week to prepare. It's hard to tell which Texas team is going to show up.

Middle Tier
Oklahoma State (5-3) (3-1) Idle last week
- Oklahoma State has a history of jumping out to big leads against Texas and blowing it. It has left a bitter taste in the Cowboys mouth and they have had a bye week to get ready for the Longhorns coming to town. Zac Robinson has rescued this team and they have played well after their nightmare start to the season.

Kansas State (5-3) (3-2) W - 51-13 vs. Baylor
- The Wildcats rebounded nicely from their loss at Oklahoma State by pasting the Baylor Bears. While it is Baylor, it was a nice win to recover and get everything in order, as Kansas State tries to prepare themselves for a run at a solid Bowl Bid. Having Iowa State and Nebraska as your next two on the schedule certainly help that.

Texas Tech (6-3) (2-3) L - 31-26 vs. Colorado
- Texas Tech loses their second in a row, falling at home to that pesky Colorado team. What looked like a chance at a ten win season for Texas Tech is quickly falling apart. More surprisingly Graham Harrell has struggled throwing four interceptions in each of the last two games. They will have a chance to figure it all out as they travel to the land of opportunity, Waco, Texas, to take on the hopeless Baylor Bears. Texas Tech needs to figure it out quickly because after Baylor they end with Texas and Oklahoma.

Texas A&M (6-3) (3-2) L - 19-11 vs. #12 Kansas
- If Kansas was the real deal this would be nothing to be disappointed with, but I don't think Kansas is the #8 or #12 team in the country. Texas A&M was out of the game before they could establish their running game, and anytime you force Stephen McGee to throw 40 times, you're going to win the game. This is the part of the story where the Aggies start losing a lot. They have Oklahoma, then Missouri, then Texas to end the season.

Colorado (5-4) (3-2) W - 31-26 at Texas Tech
- This has been one of the more remarkable turn around stories in the Big XII. They are still two years away from having the talent they need to win. But they're winning now. They stayed in the mix in the Big XII North, and leave themselves a chance to go bowling this winter. Absolutely remarkable job by Dan Hawkins. I'm scared to see what he can do with actual talent. Can they pull off another miracle upset? Missouri is coming to town.

Bottom Tier
Nebraska (4-5) (1-4) L - 28-25 at #17 Texas
- Another tough loss to swollow for the Cornhuskers, as they let Texas run their way back from a 17-3 deficit. They have to head to #8 Kansas next weekend, followed by Kansas State and Colorado. At this point, I'm not sure if they can win any of them. All of those teams play great defense, and Nebraska will probably give up points to anyone. Is a (4-8) (1-7) season really possible for the Huskers? If it does happen they can't really keep Calhoun can they? Will Osborne make them run the option again? Okay, that last one was a little rediculous.

Baylor (3-6) (0-5) L - 51-13 at Kansas State
- Another pasting by a Big XII opponent. Things don't look to be turning around for the Bears, with Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State left on the schedule. (3-9) (0-8) would look all to familiar to the Bears, which would probably lead them to another familiar activity, looking for a new coach.

Iowa State (1-7) (0-5) L - 42-28 at #13 Missouri
- They played tough against Oklahoma and Missouri. I think that is about all you can ask for from a team this bad. It's just a shame that we can't give the fans what they really want. An end of season showdown against Baylor.

View From The Cheap Seats: Nebraska

The Good

Jamaal Charles in the 4th Quarter- You can't argue with a quarter that saw Charles come within 6 yards of the most productive quarter in NCAA runningback history. Charles ripped off TD runs of 25, 86 and 40 on his way to a 216 yard quarter. This was the running that everyone has wanted to see and expected from Charles and the Texas offense. Granted, all this happened against Nebraska (who happens to have the worst rushing defense in the nation), but Texas got the yards when they desperately needed them. Also, Charles eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the season. With as much bad publicity as the running game has received this year, its nice to see Texas with another 1,000 yard rusher only 9 games into the year.

Second-half Defense- After a first half full of wide open receivers in the middle of the field and a lack of 3rd down defense, the Longhorns stepped up and forced Nebraska to six straight 3-and-outs in the 2nd half. Perhaps the biggest stop of the day was when Colt was intercepted in Texas territory and the defense gave up no points and forced a Cornhusker punt. Sergio Kindle had his best day as a Longhorn with 8 tackles, a sack and pass break up.

The Bad

First-half Play Calling- It was almost too late when Greg Davis remembered that Nebraska had one of the worst rushing defenses in the nation. I do not exaggerate when i say that Nebraska blitzed Colt EVER SINGLE PLAY. Colt was hit hard and even knocked out for a play (which is becoming too routine). But inexplicably, Davis held strong to his "pass first" philosophy until the 4th quarter when he finally just started giving Charles the ball. If Davis had been on his game in the 1st half, Jamaal may have had 400 yards on the day and Texas could have sailed in to a nice easy victory. But seemingly on cue, Davis made it a close game with his stubborn play calling.

The Secondary- I think somewhere Nate Swift is still running wide open in the middle of the field. On his 2 TD grabs, there was no defender within 20 yards of Swift. Part of that blame lies with the inexperience of freshman safety Ishie Oduegwu and linebackers Jared Norton and Sergio Kindle, but wow, Swift sure was wide open for some big plays. The secondary allowed Sam Keller to throw for almost 300 yards and 2 TDs on the day and almost cost the Horns the game with their play in the first half.

The Ugly

Colt's Pass Protection- Like it was mentioned before, Nebraska literally blitzed every single down on defense, but Colt is just taking too much of a pounding this year. Though Colt was only sacked 1 time on the day, he was on his back most of the afternoon and had to take a play off after getting his head slammed into the turf. At a certain point it is nice to have such a tough QB, but I am actually getting worried about his long term health. He has the distinct possibility of become college football's version of Trent Green. I would not bee too shocked if Colt's grade are dropping with each time he gets planted into the ground.

Unit Comparison: Texas v. Nebraska

Once upon a time, this used to be a huge matchup with national championship & Big 12 implications. Now it is a big contest in name value only (granted thats almost all Nebraska's fault). None the less, Texas has not performed all that well for a four quarter stretch yet this year. Texas is the heavy favorite, but we have all seen what thats done for them so far this season.

Quarterback- Colt McCoy has struggled this year, but nothing like the abysmal year Sam Keller has put up. The disgruntled Arizona State transfer has only been able to prove the Sun Devil coaches were correct in benching him in favor of Rudy Carpenter (Zona St 7-0, Neb 4-4). Under Keller's lead, Nebraska is 9th in the Big 12 in scoring at 26 ppg. ADVANTAGE: TEXAS

Running back- Two of the traditional power rushing teams have both struggled a bit this season to get the ground game started. You just don't expect to find each of them in the middle of the Big 12 in rushing stats. Jamaal Charles has fumbled and lacked the big play ability that made him a freshman star. Similarly, Marlon Lucky just hasn't had a the super star impact he was expected to. Charles and Lucky have actually had similar years and they both cancel each other out. However, Texas has deeper talent with Vondrell McGee and Chris Ogbonnaya ready to step into service. ADVANTAGE: TEXAS.

Wide Receiver- Texas may have lost Limas Sweed, but that has not slowed down Colt McCoy and his talented receiving corps. Quan Cosby has proven to be a sure handed, yet vastly underrated threat. Sweed's absence has also given Jordan Shipley the chance to emerge the budding big-time talent that has been expected of him. You know its never a good sign when your top 2 receivers are running backs. This is the case for the Cornhuskers. ADVANTAGE: TEXAS

Offensive Line- This has been a big concern for two teams that have usually relied on a big powerful line to bulldoze the way for their high-powered offense. We have already discussed the troubles on the ground, but both Colt and Keller have been sacked over 11 times this year. Both lines need to improve fast, but it doesn't look look likt it is going to be this year. ADVANTAGE: PUSH

Defensive Line- For Nebraska, the "Black Shirt" defense is a thing of the past. The huge D lines that used to control the line of scrimmage no longer exist. Texas' D Line is as strong as ever and getting to be healthy for the first time of the year. Okam, Aaron Lewis, Orkapo and the whole crew are all available and ready to continue to hold UT opponents to few yards on the ground. ADVANTAGE: TEXAS

Linebackers- In what has been a down year for Texas linebackers, at least we can say they are not as bad as Nebraska's. The Huskers have the worst rushing defense in the Big 12 and are giving up the most yards per game in the conference. Where is Bo Pelini when you need him? At least the young 'backers for Texas are getting some playing time and are playing well. ADVANTAGE: TEXAS

Defensive Backs- Again, Texas isn't great, but Nebraska's worse. The Texas defense, overall, has been playing betting since Kansas State. Ishie Ogedwu got a lot of time against Baylor, while much maligned DB Erick Jackson saw more of the bench. Ishie looks to continue to get a majority of the snaps as the Texas secondary become better and more experienced. ADVANTAGE: TEXAS

FRAMPAGE!!!!

Aggie fans have finally had it. Here is a classic example of the life and grieving process of your typical A&M fan....



Actually this is from the same Aggie that brought you "Leave Coach Fran Alone!"

Even the Collective Loathing of a Nation Cannot Stop Boston

Hasn't this gone far enough? At some point is has to stop, doesn't it? I mean someone has to step in and make it end, right? I don't know if any city has ever gone on a run like this. And if it is possible it seems like we're closer to the beginning than the end of it.

Seriously, the way Boston sports teams are winning is just nauseating. It probably wouldn't be so bad, except for the other things that come with it. Like the fact that you can't do anything sports related without having the city of Boston stuffed down your throat.

It starts with the Boston Red Sox. Sure great, you ended all those years of suffering with a likable team and a story book ending. You captured the heart of the nation. Only you did it with a payroll the size of the Yankees. Your best players came from the Twins, Indians, Marlins, and Diamondbacks (Phillies). You now have so many people that have jumped off the bandwagon, I have at least ten friends that once the playoffs roll around they start singing their allegiances to the Sox, and in between try and figure out who the new players are. I mean last night, they showed Troy Aikman in the stands, completely decked out with Red Sox gear. I mean I always suspected Troy Aikman was a soulless loser, but yeah, that pretty much confirmed it. I'm sure he's been a life long Red Sox fan, you know, growing up in California and Oklahoma, and spending his entire career in Dallas. Yeah, I'm sure that whole love affair didn't start exactly 7 minutes after the Red Sox won game 7 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees. The only question is, what did he do with all his Yankees gear? The whole love affair with the Red Sox has taken the exact same course as the Yankees from their Championship Shopping Spree in the 90s. That was a team featuring a bloated payroll and some homegrown talent sprinkled in (Jeter, O'Neill, Williams, Posada). And it has caused the formation of the bandwagon fans that loved the Yankees and the rest of the country that hated them. (Fans and team) And the same thing has happened with the Red Sox. I think I hate them more than I hate the Yankees.

But while all this has gone on, the Patriots have some how formed a dynasty in an era in football where you're not supposed to have dynasties. Early on, they seemed like a good bunch of guys, succeeding with solid talent, a team oriented attitude, and some luck. But as time passed and the wins kept piling up, the Coach Belicheck led Patriots seemed less and less like that likable good bunch of guys, then a bunch of unemotional players led by a coach who comes off more like an arrogant, self-loving, dictator. Throw in a quarterback that becomes less and less likable every time you see him with a supermodel that he will most likely impregnate by week's end. Brady is a great quarterback on a great team, you can't deny that. But when the #1 topic of a Colts broadcast isn't the unbeaten defending super bowl champions, but how the Patriots are the best team in football, you just get to the point where you've had enough. You would think Belicheck is related to every football analyst and Brady has impregnated their daughters the way every football person talks about the Patriots at all times.

Then last night, a new hatred of Boston takes center stage. #2 Boston College, fresh off of playing absolutely no one this season, faced their first true test of the season at #8 Virginia Tech. However, we were told Boston College wouldn't have any problems because of Heisman front runner, and Doug Flutie's love child, Matt Ryan. In a telecast that almost become unwatchable because of Flutie, Matt Ryan played terrible the entire game as the announcers searched for every opportunity to make an excuse. Then in the final three minutes, with Virginia Tech electing to go without a pass rush, Ryan was able to run around for 20 seconds on each play before finding open receiver after open receiver. Virginia Tech's defensive line looked so bad during that stretch it was no wonder that LSU was able to shred them 41-7 earlier this year. The win pretty much secured Ryan the Heisman and left Boston College without very many capable teams of beating them this season. Boston College is not very good, but now we're going to have to listen to Doug Flutie and company sing Matt Ryan's praises this season. The only way BC doesn't get absolutely killed in the National Championship game is if someone in the ACC can knock them off, or Ohio State makes it to the title game so BC can play another horribly overrated opponent. Either way, great, more Boston.

Of course what makes it even better is that the NBA is about to start. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact the Celtics just got Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Coupled with Paul Pierce, Boston is an instant contender in the still pretty pathetic Eastern Conference. I think what makes this worse is that I like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Even Paul Pierce is a pretty likable guy. But I'm positive that by the end of the season, we will be sick of hearing about the three of them and how it is like the Boston of old, while the sporting world sings the praises of the newest "genius" Danny Ainge. It hasn't started yet, but I'm sure it's not far off.

All of this wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the over saturation of the sporting market, and the domination of ESPN, head quartered in Boston, excuse me, Bristol, Massachusetts, excuse me Connecticut. Led by Bill Simmons, ESPN has dove in head first with round the clock Boston coverage. If it hadn't been for the Indians choking away the series, I'm sure the top three stories on Sportscenter would be Manny Ramirez driving a cab to the airport to fly home to the Dominican (Oh, that Manny), an inside look at Patriots camp, that despite popular belief Bill Belicheck actually does put his pants on one leg at a time, followed by a moving story about how Paul Pierce got stabbed 10 years ago, and Kevin Garnett gives him hugs and is dedicating his season to him.

The worst though has to be Bill Simmons. I read him avidly for the longest time because he is a very talented writer with a unique style. But he's gotten so big now that he pretty much as free reign from ESPN to write about the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics 24/7. Even with the NBA season (his specialty sport) a few days away, he can get away with posting his napkin notes on the 2008 NBA season as a preview. Instead continuing to smugly continue to write about the Patriots and the Red Sox. I could be wrong, but I can't say that I can stomach reading him anymore since his "Sorry I have to write my one article about Boston sports" has turned into "Sorry, I have to write my one article not about Boston sports".

I just want to be able to turn on a sporting event without having to hear about the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, or Boston College. Too bad it's hard to enjoy sports without watching ESPN, ABC, or the NFL. It's getting to the point that I wish the British had won the Revolution or at least destroyed Boston in the losing effort. If only the NHL hadn't ceased being a sport 4 years ago, because don't the Bruins suck?

*Note, all pictures taken from the front page of ESPN today.

Week 9 Spotlight

Pure and simple, the Staples need a big, big week to get back in this race. Week 8 was painful and may have cost Weis and squad the year's title. I think we need a Lou Holtz pep talk. In this case, it is from "Zombie" Lou Holtz...

"Raarrr! Me need fantasy points!"

QB- Tim Tebow- Tebow may be the Heisman front runner at this point and he may be closing in on Vince Young's record of 3000 passing yards and 1000 rushing yards in a year. He already has over 1700 passing yards and 500 on the ground. Lets face it, Georgia is not going to stop him.

QB- Pat White- The Mountaineers are, for some reason, flying a little below the radar this year, but White is still leading a top 10 team. White is another dual threat QB. He has 500 rushing yards to go along with 1000 through the air. Rutgers has a decent D, but not today.

RB- Justin Forsett- Cal's back is a bit overshadowed by Nate Longshore and DeSean Jackson. But this back leads the Pac 10 in rushing TDs. Arizona St has a weak defense and Cal will look to pound them on the ground to keep it away from Rudy Carpenter.

RB- Javorski Lane- Lane leads the NCAA in rushing TDs and has really taken over as featured back from Michael Goodson. A&M may not win, but you know the big guy is going to punch in 2 touches.

WR- Percy Harvin- This is Tebow & Florida's go-to weapon. Harvin runs, catches and scores TDs. The chances that Harvin doesn't touch the ball at least 20 times are very low. He will dice up the Georgia defense.

WR- DeSean Jackson- Jackson is the big play maker on a big play team. Cal looks to dice up the Arizona State defense through the ground and air. Jackson is a favorite target of Longshore and will take advantage of the Sun Devil secondary.

O- California- Cal will need to score 40 points to beat Arizona State. Luckily, they will put up 45 (and a lot of yards). This is going to be a shootout game, and the Bears will out-gun the Devils..

D- Clemson- The Tigers are playing Maryland. Maryland has always been a middle of the road team with a middle of the road offense. That is not going to change. Clemson will clamp down and shut down the Terrapins like every other defense that faces Maryland in a big game.

Definitions and Catching you up on the times

For some of you out there that might not be completely aware of the new phenomenon called Ghost Riding, a definition...

http://www.oneten.us/?p=4

While we're on the topic of clarifications and definitions, you think Bo Ryan knows what Soulja means when he says "Superman that hoe"?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=superman+that+hoe

Crank Dat Soulja-"Bo?"

When You think Wisconsin, you think popular rap music. Oh you don't? Well, don't tell that to Badger head coach, Bo Ryan. His participation in Macarena 2.0 (ummm... I mean the Soulja Boy Superman dance) essentially assures that half of the top 100 high school basketball prospects in America will soon descend upon the newly christened "Capital of Cool Black People," Madison, Wisconsin.



I can't wait until Rick Barnes releases a "ghost riding" video...

Week 9 Spotlight

Week 8 was a disaster for the Stomach Staples. They had very much the Notre Dame performance going 4-6 on pickem and losing 183-139. The loss knocked them out of the overall lead (1338-1304) and positions them in a dangerous position (Ed. Note: Really? Positions them in a dangerous position?) heading into Week 9...

Quarterbacks
Dennis Dixon has been stellar all season for the Ducks, throwing for 1700 yards and 16 TDs, and running for 400 yards and 7 TDs. In every tough game this season, he has risen to the occasion, and in front of the home crowd, he will rise to the occasion against the mighty Trojans and have a big day. Further south, Arizona State will face their first real opponent this season as they take on the Cal Bears. Rudy Carpenter has had a solid season (1700 yards/16 TDs) but he will get his first chance to show why they got rid of Sam Keller. (Well I think Keller might have shown that at Nebraska) It might help a bit that Cal's defense is pretty atrocious. Carpenter should be throwing the ball all over the field in a shootout.

Runningbacks
Ray Rice showed against South Florida he enjoys being the workhorse. He has done just that for Rutgers this season (999 yards/ 13 TDs) and will need to do it again to keep the high powered West Virginia offense off the field. Look for him to get 30 plus carries again. Why do they want to keep West Virginia's offense off the field? Because of Steve Slaton. The back has put together another solid campaign running for 715 yards and 10 TDs and 215 yards receiving. West Virginia likes to get him his touches in big games because of his big play ability. I think he'll get in the end zone at least twice against the Scarlet Knights.

Wide Receivers
Ohio State's offense had to break in a new quarterback this season and he relied a lot on his big target Brian Robiskie. At 6'3" Robiskie is a big target and has had a great season (37/728/7 TDs). After how much Penn State's small corners struggled against Indiana's big target, look for Ohio State to try and take advantage in a similar way. With Cullen Harper's emergence as a solid passing quarterback, Clemson has become multi-dimensional on offense. This has also allowed Aaron Kelly to emerge as a big time receiving threat. With 46 catches for 637 yards and 6 TDs, Kelly has established himself as Harper's favorite target. With Maryland coming to town, look for Kelly to add to those numbers.

Offense
With Cal's dynamic offense and lathargic defense, opposing offenses usually have the ball a lot and score a lot. Look for Arizona State and Rudy Carpenter to have a big day throwing the ball on the Bears. It should be a shoot out, and Arizona State should have a big day offensively.

Defense

Ohio State's defense has been the best in the country this season. Granted when you play in the Central Ohio High School District, that will be the case. The defense is talented though, and Penn State seems to shift into the 1950 offense in big games. And of course, Anthony Morelli is good for one defensive touchdown per big game.

Picks (Home teams in BOLD)
#8 Virginia Tech over #2 Boston College
#7 West Virginia over Rutgers
#12 USC over #5 Oregon
#10 South Florida over #23 Connecticut

#11 Florida over #18 Georgia
Clemson over Maryland
Texas A&M over #9 Kansas
Tennessee over #16 South Carolina
#25 Penn State over #1 Ohio State
#21 California over #4 Arizona State

Texas Wins Big

The unbeatable, unstoppable #1 Huskers marched into Gregory Gym last night and in front of a record sell-out crowd of 4,286, fell to the #5 Texas Longhorns 30-22, 30-25, 30-20. That would be 3-0 for those of you scoring at home.

While #5 beating #1 doesn't seem like that great of an upset, hopefully yesterday's post illustrated the magnitude of the win, and also completely jinxed the Huskers. While I can't say that I am a volleyball fan outside of the shorts, there's something to be said for overcoming slim odds and achieving the unthinkable. I'm sure Gregory was an electric place to be, and I couldn't help being excited. (I would have been there, but you know, not living in the state of Texas makes that challenging)

Texas got exactly what they needed to come out of this victoriously. Michelle Moriarity had clutch plays throughout the match, and Brandi Magee chipped in with 8 kills. The Longhorns also were helped by 13 kills and 8 kills by Juliann Faucette and Ashely Engle, respectively.

However, the game ball (they give out game balls in volleyball right?) goes to Destinee Hooker who had an unreal 17 kills (that's unreal, take my word for it). Texas played flawlessly for most of the match, and it was a landmark win for a program that has been around the top for the past few years, but hadn't gotten that signature win.

This is a young and extremely talented team with argueably their top three players as sophomores and a freshman. It would appear they only place is up. Good times!

Texas Prepares for the Good Nebraska

While the Texas football team prepares to face the artist formerly known as Nebraska this weekend, the Texas women's volleyball team prepares for a much more stern test from the #1 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Ranked #5, Texas is no slouch in their own right, but they still pale in comparison to this Nebraska team.

Texas is 14-3 this season, with their only losses coming in Lincoln, NE against #1 Nebraska (3-0) and two losses in State College, PA against #2 Penn State (3-1, 3-1). Other than these three losses Texas has looked impressive. Since their loss to open up Big XII play against the Huskers, Texas has won 10 straight matches, losing only 3 games along the way. They also posted impressive wins on the road against #15 Kansas State (3-2) and #21 Oklahoma (3-0).



(Left) Nebraska is crazy good. (Right) Julianne Faucette could be the Freshman of the Year

However, this Nebraska team is the defending National Champions and looks about as unbeatable as you can get. They are 19-0 on the season, losing only 1 game this year against #7 UCLA (W, 3-1). They also defeated #2 Penn State (3-0). They haven't missed a beat all year and look just a step above everyone else.

However, this Texas team is extremely young and extremely talented, and on the right night could up end the Huskers. The Horns will need everything to fall in place for them tonight and will need great games from their senior leaders Brandy McGee (Middle Blocker) and Michelle Moriarty (Setter). Both of the seniors will need to have the night of their lives to lead this Texas team to victory. If they can play well to go along with big nights from Texas' young guns of Julianne Faucette (FR, Outside Hitter), Destinee Hooker (SO, Outside Hitter), and Ashely Engle (SO, Right Side/Setter), who knows what could happen.

Faucette and Hooker have been leading this Texas team all season, but Texas will need an amazing performance from everyone involved. Gregory Gym will be rocking tonight, but the Horns will need the performance of the year to dethrone the #1 Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Big XII Power Rankings

Oklahoma and Kansas survived scares from Iowa State and Colorado, as Missouri made a statement against Texas Tech. Oklahoma State and Texas A&M came away with important wins to remain in the thick of things. But where do they all fall in the scheme of things? Let's find out with this week's Big XII Power Rankings:

Top Tier
#4 Oklahoma (7-1) (3-1) - W - 17-7 at Iowa State
- First Colorado and now Iowa State. The Sooners had their head on the chopping block for the second time against weak Big XII opponents. Baylor must be licking their chops. Oklahoma was lucky to get away with victory, and are quickly learning that you should at least be a sophomore before attempting to play on cruise control. Oklahoma is idle this weekend, though many might say that the Sooners were idle this past weekend as well.

#13 Missouri (6-1) (2-1) - W - 41-10 vs. #22 Texas Tech
- A big win by Chase Daniel and company. It might have been a more impressive performance by the Tigers defense, holding Tech's offense to zero points in the second half and 10 points overall. A narrow loss at Oklahoma is their only blemish on the schedule, and they should get another shot at the Sooners in December. They will show Oklahoma how you should beat terrible opponents this weekend as they take on Iowa State.

#12 Kansas (7-0) (3-0) - W - 19-14 at Colorado
- A solid win for the Jayhawks on the road at Boulder this weekend. They have proven themselves to be a team that will play consistent solid football and win off their defense. I still think their record is a little better than they are. Good teams just don't go into a game with such a conservative game plan that you are leading 3-0 at half time. They will have to prove themselves again as they have to go into a hostile Kyle Field this weekend, and take on the Aggies.

#16 Texas (6-2) (2-2) - W - 31-10 at Baylor
- It almost seemed like Texas went out of their way to keep it close. And that turnover on the fourth and goal was eerily similar to the play against A&M last year. Can the Horns be any worse in the red zone? This weekend they'll welcome Nebraska to town in a match up that looked like a daunting one at the beginning of the season. Now? Let's just hope we don't keep them in the game.

The Middle Tier
Oklahoma State (5-3) (3-1) - W - 41-39 vs. #25 Kansas State
- The recovery and turn around at Oklahoma State has been nothing short of miraculous. Obviously, benching your quarterback and screaming at reporters is much more effective than say, urinating on bars. They seem to play everyone close and rely on last second heroics which worked against Texas Tech and Kansas State, but didn't against Texas A&M. This is a team that can beat everyone and lose to everyone. I don't know what that says about them.

Texas Tech (6-2) (2-2) - L - 41-10 at #15 Missouri
- This was supposed to be the coming out party for Graham Harrell and the Texas Tech offense. Four interceptions, ten points, and a lot of the Mike Leach face later, Texas Tech remains a team that will feast on weaker competition and lose to good opponents. But they get Colorado this week, and nothing can heal your wounds like a susceptible pass defense.

Texas A&M (6-2) (3-1) - W - 36-14 at Nebraska
- You look at that 6-2 mark and wonder why they're not higher in the rankings. It would be the 2 losses. A&M looked terrible against Miami and Texas Tech and have beaten everyone else. Nebraska has fallen off the face of the earth, so A&M lacks a quality win. They will have their chance to get one this weekend when #12 Kansas comes to town.

Kansas State (4-3) (2-2) - L - 41-39 at Oklahoma State
- A tough loss for Kansas State who was looking to stay in the Big XII North race. But as teams are learning when they play the Pokes, throw out any semblance of order, because you are in for a high scoring, back and forth game. Kansas State came up just short, but will get to make themselves feel better by beating up on the Baylor Bears.

The Bottom Tier
Colorado (4-4) (2-2) - L - 19-14 vs. #15 Kansas

- Colorado played the Jayhawks tough, but just didn't have enough to get it done. Colorado continues to impress people with the way they have come together in such a short time under Dan Hawkins. They are proving to be a tough out, but just don't have the talent to compete right now. Hawkins had an advantage with the blue turf in Boise. This weekend he will get to see how hard it is to play on the speed turf in that shoe box of a stadium in Lubbock.

Nebraska (4-4) (1-3) - L - 36-14 vs. Texas A&M
- It's official. This season was a disaster. The AD didn't make it through the season, but will Bill Callahan be able to make it to next season? This team is starting to look an awful lot like the Oakland Raiders teams that Callahan coached. With Tom Osborne back in the mix, any chance we can see some option? Don't look for things to improve this weekend against #16 Texas. I think the ship broke in two, and now it will bob up and down in the water for a bit before it sinks all the way to the bottom. This could get ugly.

Baylor (3-5) (0-4) - L - 31-10 vs. #19 Texas
- Not as ugly as it will get in Waco, Texas. Baylor doesn't have a game on their schedule that appears winnable the rest of the way. Really, there's nothing much to say about the Bears. They have a defense that relies on effort and an offense that could be run by any of three overwhelmed quarterbacks. Really, I think the best bet is to avoid analyzing the team and make more bar urination jokes!

Iowa State (1-7) (0-4) - L - 17-7 vs. #4 Oklahoma
- Oklahoma asked them to win. They begged them to win. They gave them chance after chance after chance to win this game. And Iowa State just politely declined. This is the closest they will come to winning a conference game this season. Unless someone really goes out of their way to lose it. Even then, it's not a guarantee that Iowa State will take it.

A Few Thoughts on the Baylor Game

Texas' 31-10 win at Baylor was less than impressive, as Texas went through the motions and the game was much closer than the final score appeared. A few thoughts on the game and where the Horns go from here.

Jamaal Charles Splitting Time
- Jamaal Charles could be, and should be seeing a reduced role in the offense after this weekend's game. Vondrell McGee played well against the Bears, and he should replace Charles for a number of reasons. First off, despite a fumble against Baylor, McGee is more secure with the football, he's stronger and doesn't put the ball on the ground nearly as often. You just don't seem to find yourself screaming, "Don't fumble, don't fumble, don't fumble!" when McGee carries the ball in the red zone. Second, McGee runs North to South. He picks up what is there, and hits the holes hard. Charles consistently bounces the ball outside and looks to use his speed to get wide. But it seemed like every time he ran in the Baylor game, they just kept pushing him further towards the sidelines until he ran out of room and was stopped for a two yard gain. Last, McGee just runs harder, and is bigger and stronger than Charles. McGee will begin to see many more carries as the season goes on, and Charles probably will not see many more red zone carries this season. Charles shouldn't be eliminated from the offense as his speed is an asset and he is solid out of the backfield as a receiver. But watching him play he just looks like a 3rd down back, and we should use him as one.

Colt McCoy's Happy Feet
- I don't know when this started to become a problem. It probably has to do with the concussions and the number of shots Colt has taken this season. Either way, over the last few weeks Colt has lost his comfort in the pocket. (This is based on the last few games, minus Iowa State, my grandmother could have shredded Iowa State that day) It seems that Colt has a four second clock in his head, and as soon as that clock goes off he is either scrambling to make a pass or taking off running. Early in the season, the offensive line was so bad he only had 4 seconds to throw, but now he has more time, and he's not using it. It's hurting his accuracy, it's hurting his decision making, and it's hurting the Texas downfield passing game. He is bailing on plays before they develop and trying to create too much. If he doesn't relax and stay in the pocket more, he will continue to throw one to three interceptions a game. And Texas won't beat good teams doing that.

Running out of Shotgun
- I've wondered this about Texas for the entire Greg Davis era, minus the Vince Young era. Why do we run an offense that is geared specifically for Vince Young or a quarterback with a similar skill set. Chris Simms floundered in this offense, and while Colt McCoy is mobile enough to manage playing in the offense, it isn't ideal for him, and it certainly isn't good for the Texas offense. The Zone read is effective when your quarterback is a legitimate threat. Colt McCoy isn't a legitimate threat to run. He is not a good enough runner that you need to focus on him, and he's not big enough to be exposed to that many hits during a game. The other problem with it, is that it starts your running backs 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage from a standing position. It asks an offensive line that isn't anything more than average, to hold blocks for 3 seconds longer than they would normally need to. It gives defenses all the time to react and charge the line, and it's the biggest reason the Texas running game is struggling. McGee ran well out of the I-back and single back sets, and it is a wonder why Texas doesn't use it more. I understand Colt is more effective passing out of Shotgun, but is he incapable of making a 5 step drop? The offense would benefit from a change in philosophy, or perhaps a new offensive coordinator. But as history shows, we won't be seeing either any time soon.

John Chiles role
- While College Football has embraced the role of a sparingly used running quarterback, or using a position player at quarterback to add creativity to the offense, Texas needs to figure out John Chiles role. In the Iowa State game, Colt was perfect on the first two drives and shredding the Iowa State defense for two touchdowns, only to be taken out for a 3 and out led by Chiles. I am for getting him experience and adding a wrinkle, but you don't need creativity or a wrinkle if you are doing well. Also, they need to let Chiles throw the football some. He has only attempted 9 passes on the season, four of which were the last four of the Kansas State loss. They need to give him some simple throws to get his confidence up, but also to keep defenses honest to his running. He is seeing 8 or 9 guys in the box anytime he is in the game, because they know Texas would only throw with Chiles if it is 3rd and 15.

Texas Linebackers
- Another game, more proof that the trio of Muckelroy, Norton, and Kindle are better than Bobino, Derry, and Killebrew. Each game it seems like the younger trio is getting on the field more and more, but can't we just stop the charade? It's like ESPN saying they don't favor the Yankees and Red Sox over every other Major League team. Just bench Bobino, Derry, and Killebrew. Tell them, guys this is major college football, so we can't play just because you are seniors. Tell them it's unfortunate, but we have to go with the more athletic, talented, instinctive and aggressive linebackers. Killebrew would celebrate and have aggression, you know, if he ever could run to a play. Bobino is athletic and talented, but he just is out there running around. If the play goes near him then he'll make the tackle, but that's a big if. And I just don't know how Derry gets on the field. It's just another frustrating instance of Mack Brown's take the good with the bad. He's loyal to a fault. I suppose we'll just have to hope that Bobino gets lost on the way to the stadium, Killebrew doesn't get there in time, and Derry just doesn't get there.

Texas Outlook
-Texas is a good football team, but their are a few things that are keeping them from being a great football team. On offense, there is no big play. If Texas scores, it is because they are picking up 3rd down after 3rd down. They don't rip off 25 yards or 50 yards, and eventually when you are forced to make a 15 play drive to score, you will falter. Also, Texas is abysmal in their execution, efficiency, and play calling in the red zone. They need to figure out what they are going to do in the red zone, and then execute it. Texas makes more mistakes in the red zone then they do anywhere else. On defense, Texas needs to improve against the mid-range play. Texas is consistently susceptible in the middle for 6 to 10 yards. If it is 3rd and 5 or less, it might as well be a first down. Improving the middle of the defense will get the defense off the field more often, and make them more effective throughout the game. Texas is a good football team, but these problems give opponents like Kansas State, Central Florida, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M a chance to beat us. And it will cause us to fall short against teams like Oklahoma.

Week 8 Spotlight

With the Staples hanging on to an ever thinning lead, week 8 needs to be a solid week to keep the Cleaning Crew at bay.

QB- Chase Daniel- Daniel may be just the 2nd best QB in the Big 12, but that also might put him as the 2nd best QB in the nation. With the exception of 1 costly mistake, Daniel had a great game against Oklahoma. Daniel is passing for almost 350 yards a game and has 16 TDs to only 6 INTs.

QB- Chad Henne- Michigan and Henne seems to be coming together at the right time. Against Purdue, Henne went foe 270 yards and 2 scores. He is still looking to Manningham as one of the best pass catchers in America. He looks to continue to bolster his expectation laden senior year.

RB- Michael Hart- Should be the leading Heisman candidate thus far in the year. Hart leads the nation with 150 yards per game and 12 TDs on the year. Hart has lead the Michigan team all year and looks to, again, for another week.

RB- Ray Rice- Umm... Is it cheating that I aleady know what Rice did on Thursday? (I didn't know before I selected him.) I predict Rice will go for 181yards and no TDs. Umm... That's exactly what he did.

WR- Mario Manningham- Has been the go-to wide out for the Wolverines for 3 years. Mario went for 180 yards and 2TDs against Purdue. Hopefully, he replicates that this week.

WR- Michael Crabtree- Crabtree had a down week last week. Oh by the way, that means he had 170 yards recieving, just no TDs. Crabtree is a dark horse Heisman candidate as a freshman and looks to abuse another secondary.

O- Michigan- I have really hitched my wagon to the Michigan Offense this week, so it is no surprise that I have Michigan's overall offense. Let's just hope that Illinois doesn't rise up and knock off the Wolverines because that would be a death blow for the Staples.

D- Florida State- The Defense is all that has kept Florida State's head above water this year. Couple that with the lowly Miami offense and the Seminoles look to pitch a shutout this week.

Week 8 Spotlight

After a two week hiatus, and watching Joe Pa's Stadium Cleaning Crew struggle to perform well, we enter week 8 ready to turn around the struggles. After some scoring adjustments the Stomach Staples hold a 1165-1155 lead. But have no fear, Week 8 will turn it all around...

Quarterbacks
Graham Harrell takes his show on the road to Missouri this week. He has put up astonishing numbers this season, and don't look for the Tigers mediocre defense to put a stop to it. The Red Raiders will throw all game long. Andre Woodson has been battle tested and has played solid in big games. That will be no different this week as he takes on the Florida Gators. But the Gators defense is no where near the LSU defense that he faced last week. He should shread the Gators on the ground and through the air.

Running Backs
UCLA has a solid defense, but California's offense is loaded, and they will throw the ball and spread out UCLA's defense. When this happens, Justin Forsett will take advantage inside and kill the Bruins on the ground. Rashad Mendenhall has had a great season for the Illini, running for 839 and 10 TDs in 7 games. He is the key for this Illinois team and he will get the ball early and often against the Wolverines. He won't do tons of damage on the ground, but look for him to get in the endzone against Michigan.

Wide Receivers
As Texas fans will tell you, the Kansas State Wildcats have one receiving threat, Jordy Nelson. Despite this information, Nelson continues to make catches, 56 for 727 in 6 games. This shouldn't change as Oklahoma State doesn't have a great defense. Speaking of passing offenses, Texas Tech has the best in the country. While Michael Crabtree gets all of the exposure, Danny Amendola is having a great season as well. As defenses gear towards Crabtree more and more, look for Amendola to benefit.

Offense/Defense
Texas Tech's offense is the premier unit in the country. It will get to shine on a national stage as they face Missouri. The Tigers unit hasn't been formidable for much of the season, and Texas Tech will be their greatest challenge yet. Tech will shread the Missouri defense en route to a big day. LSU's defense had a lackluster showing against Kentucky, and you can expect them to rebound in a big way. They face a good Auburn team, but it's a team that relies on their defense. The game should be under 20 points, and LSU's defense should cause problems all day for Auburn.

Picks
(2) South Florida (6-0) at. Rutgers (4-2)
Texas A&M (5-2) at. Nebraska (4-3)
(12) California (5-1) at. UCLA (4-2)
Miami (4-3) at. Florida State (4-2)
(15) Florida (4-2) at. (7) Kentucky (6-1)
(24) Texas Tech (6-1) at. (16) Missouri (5-1)
(21) Tennessee (4-2) at. Alabama (5-2)
Kansas State (4-2) at. Oklahoma State (4-3)
(25) Michigan (5-2) at. Illinois (5-2)
(17) Auburn (5-2) at. (4) LSU (6-1)

Lessons We Could Have Learned From Mark Cuban

We learned a few weeks ago that Roy Williams is a classy catch for any lucky lady. Trips to McDonald's, bowling, and a movie in, is more than most can handle. Of course he also elaborated, saying that he never tips the pizza guy.

As Mark Cuban and his Dairy Queen experience taught us, this was probably not the smartest thing to say. And of course it drew the ire of Pizza Hut, who offered to teach Roy the importance of tipping.

So of course, to smooth everything over, Roy spent yesterday delivering pizzas for two hours to the greater Detroit area. No word yet on how well he was tipped.

Not How You Want Your Baptists to Act

Baylor offensive line coach Eric Schnupp was arrested early Sunday morning by Waco police for urinating on a bar. Yes, he urinated on a bar.

The arrest came hours after Kansas had finished off the Bears 58-10. Schnupp is in his first season as the offensive line coach, after spending three season at West Texas A&M. Obviously, this kind of behavior is not out of the ordinary at West Texas A&M. Hey isn't Ryan Leaf a volunteer coach there? That would explain it.

Baylor has been outscored in three conference games this season 135-43. Things are obviously looking up.

http://deadspin.com/sports/this-beer-tastes-like-pee/meet-eric-whizzer-schnupp-311195.php

Big XII Power Rankings

In what has been a crazy season thus far (#2 South Florida), the Big XII has not spared themselves from the festivities. The Big XII North has staged a slight resurgance this season, and this coming with absolutely no help from the Cornhuskers. We have just gotten into the teeth of the Big XII Conference schedule, so there is plenty of time for the world to get back on its axis. Though that may not happen and South Florida will play Hawaii for the National Title game with Kansas playing Texas Tech for the Big XII Title.

On to the rankings...

Top Teir
#4 Oklahoma (6-1) (2-1) - W - 41-31 vs. #11 Missouri
- The Sooners have steadied the ship with wins over Texas and Missouri. They are back to playing solid championship football and are in the mix for a National Championship as well as the Big XII Title. The defense has looked susecptible over the past two weeks, and with a freshman quarterback it is possible for an off week.

#15 Kansas (6-0) (2-0) - W - 58-10 vs. Baylor
- The only unbeaten team left in the Big XII, Kansas silenced some critics with a solid win on the road against Kansas State. Other than that game, they have just been rolling through weak teams. If they are still standing from their next three (at A&M, vs. Neb, at OSU) then they could be a darkhorse for the National Title and staring a BCS bowl right in the face. Though I think if I wanted to have a successful season, I would schedule four really bad non-conference opponents and avoid having to play Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech in conference.

#15 Missouri (5-1) (1-1) - L - 41-31 at #6 Oklahoma
- The defense finally let the Tigers down as the offense couldn't match the 41 points that Oklahoma put on the board. Missouri will need to figure out ways to stop opposing offenses if they want to remain in the Big XII chase. This week Texas Tech comes to town and Missouri will have to find some way to slow down Graham Harrell (3100 yards, 31 TDs). If Missouri can keep Texas Tech to under 40 points, they should be able to win the game and reestablish themselves as the favorite in the Big XII North. Should they lose, they could be entering their traditional late season tail spin.

#22 Texas Tech (6-1) (2-1) - W - 35-7 vs. Texas A&M
- A convincing win for Texas Tech puts them atop the Big XII South with, well, everyone else. But if the defense can continue to perform, and by perform hold teams to under 35 points, then their offense will take care of the rest. Graham Harrell is putting up silly numbers and it appears that no one can cover Michael Crabtree (1200 yards, 17 TDs). The offense is performing as well as it ever has, but if the defense can even play mediocre, this becomes a very scary team. The question is whether A&M is struggling that much right now, or whether they have signs of life on the defense. Chase Daniel and Missouri will answer that question for us this weekend. Tech needs this game as Texas and Oklahoma still loom large on the schedule.

The Middle Teir
#19 Texas (5-2) (1-2) - W - 56-3 at Iowa State
- Some would say that Texas should remain in the top tier, citing their overall talent and the way they have played the last two weeks. But, Texas is effectively out of the Big XII race, unless Oklahoma finds away to lose two more games. Texas winning out is not even a lock, as Texas Tech and Oklahoma State boast wide open passing attacks that will put a strain on the Texas defense. But Texas still has time before they have to worry about that as they first face the woeful Baylor Bears and the trainwreck that is the Cornhuskers.

#25 Kansas State (4-2) (2-1) - W - 47-20 vs. Colorado
- Kansas rebounded nicely from their loss to Kansas by putting an impressive game together against Colorado. This is by far the best performance by the Kansas State offense, and the Wildcats continue to impress by the way they play. They are a well coached team, and appear to have an effective game plan each week that they execute well. They still might not have the talent to win the Big XII, but they are a tough matchup and will definetely be in the running for the Big XII North for years to come.

Oklahoma State (4-3) (2-1) - W - 45-14 at Nebraska
- The Cowboys appear to be all the way back from their disasterous start to the 2007 season. They are a long way from that train wreck of a football team, and a long way from what now appears to be preposterous pre-season Heisman predictions for backup quarterback Bobby Reid. But Bobby Reid is a wonderful young man and we wish him the best (Breathe, Mike Gundy, breathe). Quarterback Zac Robinson is much more stable under center and Oklahoma State has their swagger back. This teams holds their destiny in their hands as they have beaten Texas Tech and will face Kansas, Kansas State, Texas, and Oklahoma the rest of the way. It is a daunting task and will probably be too much, but they will beat some people.

Texas A&M (5-2) (2-1) - L - 35-7 at Texas Tech
- Texas A&M has lots of problems and are short on answers. What makes it worse, is that no one is sure what the problems exactly are since the end of the Insider Newsletter. The Aggies appear to be unable to regain what once was a powerful offense, and has become one dimensional, and even that dimension hasn't been very good. Texas A&M travels to Nebraska this weekend in a game they need to salvage their season. If they cannot win against Big Red, it will be time to sound the alarms, as the Aggies end their season with four straight ranked opponents (Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas). Things could get awfully bad, awfully fast for the Aggies.

The Bottom Tier
Nebraska (4-3) (1-2) - L - 45-14 vs. Oklahoma State
- Things continue to go downhill for Nebraska. Nebraska doesn't give up 40 points at home. They have done that 3 times this season (USC, Ball State, Oklahoma State). Sam Keller hasn't lived up to any expectations, and the program has not regained the status that they had hoped in year four of the Bill Calahan experiment. But the problems have been solved, as Nebraska fired their Athletic Director this week. Obviously he is the reason their defense can't stop anyone. Nebraska is out of the running in the Big XII North. At this point they just want to avoid a losing season and embarrasing themselves any worse than they did against Oklahoma State.

Colorado (4-3) (2-1) - L - 47-20 at Kansas State
- Colorado has made great strides from last season, and the Oklahoma win, is something that Dan Hawkins will be able to build his program with. However, they won't be sneaking up on anyone the rest of the season, and that's unfortunate with Kansas, Texas Tech, and Missouri up next for the Buffaloes. They have exceeded all expectations for this season, and Hawkins won't let them settle the rest of the way. But they still are a year or two away from competing for the Big XII crown.

Baylor (3-4) (0-3) - L - 58-10 at #20 Kansas
- The Bears appear to have peaked last season, as they are back in the cellar of the Big XII South. They are not very good on offense and defense, and they showed it last week with a thumping at the hands of Kansas. Baylor doesn't play Iowa State, so they will need to upset somebody if they want to avoid an 0-8 Big XII campaign. The Bears seem to be trapped in a vicious cycle of hiring a new coach, peaking in year four, falling apart in year five, and starting over with a new coach. I'm not saying Guy Morriss, is fired at the end of the year, but you'd have to wonder if the Bears go (3-9) (0-8). It all just seems to similar to the experience of their last head coach.

Iowa State (1-6) (0-3) - L - 56-3 vs. #22 Texas
- Iowa State is bad. I wasn't sure just how bad they were until I watched them play this weekend. They are terrible. I'm not sure that Rice looked as bad as Iowa State did. What makes matters worse is Iowa State is the least penalized team in the Big XII. That means they don't make mistakes. They are just bad. I would be shocked if they win another game all season. Their only remaining game against an unranked opponent is a home tilt with Colorado. Hope you know what you got yourself into Mr. Chizik.

Week 7 Spotlight

After a big win from Jo Pa's Cleaning Crew (204 - 186), the total score for the year is now 1049-1032 with Weis' Staple still hanging onto a slim lead. Once again, Jo Pa's coach is in Arizona at MLB scout camp, so he will not benefit from an explanation of his player selections.

Charlie Weis' Stomach Staples lineup:

QB- Chase Daniel- Daniel had a huge week with 2 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs, all the while leading Missouri pass Nebraska and into a #11 ranking. Daniel does face Oklahoma, but Colt McCoy showed that OU can be passed on and beaten as long as you don't make mistakes. This will be a shootout that Daniel can rack up stats in.

QB- Casey Painter- Painter goes against Michigan's defense which had shown that it can give up yards (ask Dennis Dixon). Painter is the top QB in Big 10 and looks to have a big game at the Big House. Painter will put up numbers as Purdue is a pass first offense.

RB- Mike Hart- Hart is the top RB in that nation and should be leading the Heisman race. He has 163 rushing yards a game and 10 touchdowns on the year. Hart is keeping Michigan alive. The Wolverines will try to keep Painter off the field with the run game. Hart is going to rack up big yards.

RB- PJ Hill- Hill averages 125 yards a game and has 10 TDs on the year. The 3rd leading rusher in the Big 10 has to go against a stout Penn State defense, but the Badgers will be leaning hard on the legs of PJ.

WR- Harry Douglas- Louisville has had a disappointing year as a team, but Douglas has put up some huge personal numbers. He is Brian Brohm's top threat in an offense that averages over 400 yards passing a game.

WR- Adarius Bowman- Bowman is averaging over 100 yards receiving on the year and has caught 6 touchdowns. He is the top threat on Oklahoma State's team and looks to have a big game against a porous A&M defense.

O- Louisville- Louisville has the 5th best offense in America and shows no signs of slowing down. They go up against a strong Cincinnati defense, but they have not been stopped this year. It is not likely the Bearkats will stop the Cardinals either.

D- Penn State- As inconstant as State's offense has been, the defense has been that solid. PJ Hill may get his yards, but the Lion defense has answered every call and passed every test this year.

#19 Wisconsin v. Penn State
#1 LSU v. #17 Kentucky
#6 Oklahoma v. #9 Missouri
Louisville v. #15 Cincinnati
#22 Auburn v. Arkansas
Purdue v. Michigan
Indiana v. Michigan St
Vanderbilt v. #24 Georgia
Nebraska v. Oklahoma State
Georgia Tech v. Miami

Joe Paterno's Stadium Cleaning Crew lineup:

Sam Bradford
Brian Brohm
Darren McFadden
Tashard Choice
Malcolm Kelly
James Johnson
Cincinnati
Georgia Tech

#19 Wisconsin v. Penn State
#1 LSU v. #17 Kentucky
#6 Oklahoma v. #9 Missouri
Louisville v. #15 Cincinnati
#22 Auburn v. Arkansas
Purdue v. Michigan
Indiana v. Michigan St
Vanderbilt v. #24 Georgia
Nebraska v. Oklahoma State
Georgia Tech v. Miami

Big 12 Preseason Basketball Honors

Texas' D.J. Augustin tops the Preseason basketball list for the Big 12. The coaches voted him to be the top player in the league. Despite that, Texas faces a tough road in the Big 12 without Kevin Durant back for his sophomore year. Texas looks to compete with Kansas and Texas A&M for a very tough Big 12 title.

2007-08 Preseason All Big 12 Team

G Curtis Jerrells, Baylor JR
F Darrell Arthur, Kansas SO
G Brandon Rush, Kansas JR
C Aleks Maric, Nebraska SR
G D.J. Augustin, Texas SO
C Joseph Jones, Texas A&M SR

Player of the Year: D.J. Augustin, Texas
Newcomer of the Year: DeMarre Carroll, Missouri
Freshman of the Year: Micheal Beasley, Kansas State

Preseason Polls