Late Edition of Friday Briefs: College Football Picks

It's Friday night, I'll keep it short and sweet.

• ACC Title Game: Virginia Tech over Boston College
  
• SEC Title Game: Tennessee over LSU
  
• USC over UCLA
  
• Big 12 Title Game: Missouri over Oklahoma
  
• West Virginia over Pittsburgh

That's all folks

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Thursday Night Game: Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers

Happy Thursday to everybody. Tonight is the big game between the Green Bay Packers and the Namesakes Dallas Cowboys. Let's do THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN!!!

• Romo vs. Favre- It's the man who was Tony Romo before Tony Romo.
  


• Ryan Grant vs. Julius and Marion- Two is better than one.
  


• Terrell Owens vs. Packers Receiving Corp- Push.
  


• Dallas D vs. Packer D- The Packers line and linebackers, push on the secondaries.
  


• Wade Phillips vs. Mike McCarthy- Mikey Mikey.
  


• Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders vs. Cheeseheads- I've met some cheeseheads, they were nice. It's the Cheerleaders by far.
  
• WINNER: Green Bay Packers

Sean Taylor Video Tribute

Here are some videos to honor Washington Redskins Safety Sean Taylor, who passed away tragically yesterday at the age of 24.

This is a death that hits hard for me, being that he is only 4 years older than myself. You really have to enjoy life everyday. My thoughts and prayers continue to go to his family during these hard times. Now for some videos. (Major Props to Esellout for the videos)

RIP Sean Taylor

By now you've probably heard about the death of Sean Taylor. He died early this morning at the age of 24. Taylor was shot on Sunday night in his home in Miami after a robbery attempt. There were signs last night that things would be okay, but the tragic news came down this morning stating otherwise.

This is a devastating story. I'm not the biggest Washington Redskins fan in the world, but Taylor was a hell of a safety. He will be sorely missed not only by Redskins fans, but by the rest of the NFL.

If you want to send your best wishes, please send all of your cards to this address:

Sean Taylor c/o Washington Redskins

21300 Redskin Park Drive

Ashburn, VA 20147

Check out the Redskins forum for more...

Also, Washington Post has been updating the Sean Taylor story since it first broke. Jason La Canfora has done an excellent job with the coverage.

Also here is a video tribute to Taylor

Sean Taylor in serious danger

By now I'm sure you've heard about the home shooting of Sean Taylor, I will give you a quick update as to how things are going.

According to the Washington Post blog, Taylor's currently in intensive care and his "clinging to his life."

He is currently recovering in a hospital in Florida. Neither his girlfriend nor his child was injured in the robbery.

This is no doubt a terrible situation. It's hard to put into words how bad this is, not just for the Washington Redskins, but for the NFL.

Taylor is without a doubt one of the best safeties in the game. I wish him a full and speedy recovery. I will be keeping him in my thoughts and prayers.

Here's some Sean Taylor highlights.

The Mondays: Back from a couple of days off

Greetings to all who come in here and read my wonderful crap everyday. I am back from my Thanksgiving break. I enjoyed my time off and I hope everyone else did as well. Time for the recap:

• Chicago Bears defeat Denver Broncos in OT, 37-34- Let me start out by saying this, I don't know what to believe anymore. Beardo led two late drives downfield to give the Bears the victory in overtime. I don't know what to think anymore.
  
  I do know this, all those promos that tell all NFL fans to "Send their favorite player to Hawaii" have convinced me to vote Grossman in to the Pro Bowl. Before you go and accuse me of taking crack, hear me out.
  
  My plan is to vote Grossman to the Pro Bowl. Once he gets in, he will be lost in Hawaii and I will never see him in a Bears uniform again. It's an evil plan, but I am an evil man.
  
• New England Patriots defeat Philadelphia Eagles, 31-28 - Thank you for playing the game otherwise known as "YOU......CAN'T.........WIN!!!!!" You don't get a prize, but thank you for playing. Message from FBI Director: Winners don't use drugs!
  
  Seriously though, will the Patriots lose? Here is a look at their remaining schedule:
  
  Baltimore Ravens- They will be spotted 15 points, 20 if Kyle Boller starts.
  
  Pittsburgh Steelers- They have some hope. Only some though.
  
  New York Jets- No loss is worse than one to a division foe. If the Mangini's come to play, there is some hope. But Big Bad Bill is looking for some revenge for the SpyGate controversy.
  
  Miami Dolphins- There is a ton of pressure on this team to win a game. There will be even more pressure on them to beat the Patriots and keep them from going undefeated.
  
  New York Giants- There's somewhat of a chance, but nobody will know since half of the country can't get the NFL Network.
  
• Oakland Raiders defeat Kansas City Chiefs, 20-17- Major props to Chiefs rookie Kolby Smith, he had 150 yards rushing against the Raiders. The Chiefs certainly won't have to worry about the running back position now.
  
• Cleveland Browns defeat Houston Texans, 27-17- Why aren't people talking about Derek Anderson? He already has 22 touchdown passes this season, fourth best in the NFL. Plus wide receiver Braylon Edwards has 11 touchdown receptions this season, tied for third best in the NFL.
  
  We need to give this team some more love. They have a favorable schedule and have an opportunity to make the playoffs.

That's all the time I have.

SEE YA

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A Friend Needs Help This Thanksgiving

From my friend at Baseball Etcetera:

Notice

Yesterday we were served with an eviction notice with 48 hours to pay or move out of our apartment. Just in case we can't come up with the money I wanted to let the readers know what happened if there are no more posts forthcoming from Baseball Etcetera.

If we cannot come up with the money by tomorrow we may be forced to move out with only the barest necessities. If there are no more posts I want to thank everyone for reading Baseball Etcetera which started in May of 2004.

May God bless each reader if we are unable to write again. There is still a slim chance of not being evicted but as of today the future looks very bleak.

Thank you for understanding,

Andrew

This is a terrible situation. Andrew is a terrific writer and a terrific American. Here's some of his bio.

Served in Hawaii and Vietnam with the 25th Administration Company of the 25th Infantry Division from June 1963 till May 1966 as a postal clerk. Retired newspaper production worker having worked 36 years for Alexandria, Louisiana Town Talk.

Have been fortunate enough to see Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Ted Williams in baseball games in Kansas City back in the 60's.Also have seen Elvis Presley, Beach Boys,Righteous Brothers, Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn,Merle Haggard, Buck Owens,Johnny Cash and seen Julie Newmar, Stefanie Powers and Sue Thompson in person.

Enjoy southern gospel music especially the Dove Brothers Quartet. Like listening to old time radio shows from the 30's, 40's and 50's and like easy listening music by Diana Krall and Frank Sinatra. Emails can be sent to Niteowl049@msn.com.

The man proudly served his country and that is a very honorable thing for him to do. Now he needs your help. Spread the word if you can. Or check out the originator of this article over at Armchair GM. (Thanks TB)

Please do what you can.

Time to Make the Picks. I Made the Picks

I made my college football picks earlier tonight and now I will finish off the rest of the picks with some from the NFL. I'm headed home tomorrow and won't be back until Sunday. This will be my final posting before I head out for the weekend. So enjoy it while you can, because I won't be back until you come down with The Mondays.

THANKSGIVING PICKS (I have to do these separate):

• Green Bay Packers over Detroit Lions
  
• Dallas Cowboys over New York Jets
  
• Indianapolis Colts over Atlanta Falcons

Okay, time for the rest of the weekend:

• Buffalo Bills over Jacksonville Jaguars
  
• St. Louis Rams over Seattle Seahawks- Three whole in a row
  
• Denver Broncos over Chicago Bears
  
• Oakland Raiders over Kansas City Chiefs
  
• Baltimore Ravens over San Diego Chargers

Happy Turkey Day to everybody

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College Football Picks

I'll keep this short and sweet. It's Thanksgiving Day tomorrow and I am headed home this weekend. Therefore, I need to make my picks tonight.

• LSU over Arkansas
  
• West Virginia over Connecticut
  
• BYU over Utah
  
• Double Upsetter Numero Uno: UCLA over Oregon
  
• Dos: Virginia over Virginia Tech (Also Boise State over Hawai'i

Hump Day: Priest Holmes Retires

Happy Wednesday to everybody. I am making a couple of quick posts today to take care of the rest of the week.





Anywho, the big story of the day had to be the retirement announcement of Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes.





Holmes has been feeling numbness all week because of an injury suffered in Sundays loss against the Indianapolis Colts.





It was cool to see him try to make the comeback, but he's doing the right thing by retiring. His health and well-being is much more important than football at this point in his life. He was a terrific running back and I'll miss seeing him play.

In closing, here's a video tribute. Special thanks to Chavo

The Mondays: Down with the Sickness

Happy Monday to you all. I shall now do the weekly report.

• ROMO ALERT: Dallas Cowboys defeat Washington Redskins, 28-23- Stats: 22 of 32, 293 yards and four touchdowns.
  


• Sunday Night Recap: New England Patriots destroy Buffalo Bills, 56-10- Lost in this blowout was the video speech of Bills tight end Kevin Everett. It was an emotional moment for the Bills, but it wasn't enough to stop the new "Evil Empire."
  


• Brown-tastic: Cleveland Browns defeat Baltimore Ravens in OT, 33-30- This is the best story in the NFL. I hope the Browns can clinch a wild card spot.
  


• Two in a row: St. Louis Rams defeat San Francisco 49ers, 13-9- The Rams are on fire now. Imagine if they beat the Seahawks last week, how crazy would that be?

NFL Picks

I'll keep them short and sweet.

St. Louis over San Francisco

Pittsburgh over New York Jets

Green Bay over Carolina

Cleveland over Baltimore

New Orleans over Houston

College Football Picks

• LSU over Mississipi
  
• Clemson over Boston College
  
• Georgia over Kentucky
  
• Kansas over Iowa State- Could be a close one.
  
• Michigan over Ohio State- Winner gets a free trip to Pasadena

Note: No college football updates will be taking place today. Might have one tonight.

A Big Ten Titlefight For All

When High Noon hits Ann Arbor on Saturday, both the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes will be competing for the prize that is the Big Ten Title and the right to play in the Rose Bowl, come New Years Day.

When it comes to battles in the Big Ten, there is none greater. Last season around this time, both the Wolverines and the Buckeyes were undefeated and battling for the right to play in the National Championship game in Arizona. It was a hard fought battle the entire day, but in the end the Buckeyes were hailed as the victors.

The Buckeyes defeated the Wolverines in a 42-39 shootout. The game put the Buckeyes in the National Title game against Florida. The Wolverines would be in the Rose Bowl against USC. Both teams would lose their respective games.

This season, both teams are coming into this game with a loss. The Buckeyes come into this game with a 10-1 (6-1 conference) record. The biggest wins for the Buckeyes came against Purdue, Penn State and Wisconsin. Last week, the then top-ranked Buckeyes hope for an undefeated season ended when Illinois pulled off the upsetter in Columbus.

Michigan's road to this Big Ten title game was a bit rougher.

Michigan would lose to Appalachian State to open up the regular season. This was not suppose to happen to a team like the Wolverines. A top ten team losing to a Division I-AA school, that never happens and it probably won't happen again for a long time.

The Wolverines would then lose to the Oregon Ducks, the very next week. The Wolverines found themselves in an unfamiliar position, 0-2. They would manage to reel off eight straight wins before losing to Wisconsin 37-21. Now at 8-3 (6-1), the Wolverines have the opportunity to clinch the Big Ten title at home.

On Saturday, both teams will battle it out for 60 long, hard-grueling minutes. In the end, one of these two teams will be smelling roses.

Bills and Patriots Preview

The Buffalo Bills have a chance to play spoiler and end the New England Patriots season this Sunday night.

The Patriots (9-0) and the Bills (5-4) are first and second in the AFC East. The two previously battled in week three, when the Patriots blew out the Bills, 38-7. In that game, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes, including two to wide receiver Randy Moss.

It was the Bills third straight loss and they started the season 0-3. The last time the Bills started the regular season 0-3, it was in 2004. The Bills would pick it up and finish the regular season 9-7, just missing out on the playoffs.

Since the loss to the Patriots, the Bills have won five of six. They’re only loss was to the Dallas Cowboys, 25-24, on Monday night in week five.

No Lynch?

Bills rookie running back Marshawn Lynch is not expected to play on Sunday night after spraining his ankle in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins.

Lynch did not practice on Wednesday.

The rookie from California has had an excellent season so far, running for 751 yards and six touchdowns.

How much will the Patriots win by?

In eight of their first nine games this season, the Patriots have put up at least 30 points per game. In week nine against the Colts, the Patriots put up their lowest scoring effort of the season, only 24 points in the victory.

The Patriots were down by 10 going into the fourth quarter and they scored two touchdowns to
get them past the Colts.

The Patriots are the top scoring offense in the NFL, with 355 points. The other 31 teams don’t even come within 100 points of the Patriots.

The Bills aren’t even within 200; they’ve scored a total of 143 points this season.

There’s no telling what Sunday night will bring for both teams. Either way, one team’s winning streak will be snapped come the next day.

Tuesdays with Romo: Rams beat the Saints

The St. Louis Rams picked up their first win of the 2007 season on Sunday, after defeating the New Orleans Saints, 37-29.

The 37 points against the Saints was the Rams highest scoring game this season. Quarterback Marc Bulger completed 27 of 33 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Steven Jackson got back on track as he carried the ball 22 times for 76 yards and one rushing touchdown. Jackson also threw a two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Randy McMichael.

Receivers picking up game

Wide receiver Torry Holt had a season high 124 yards receiving and eight receptions against the Saints on Sunday. He wasn’t the only receiver to step it up.

Isaac Bruce caught four passes for 162 yards and also had a touchdown reception. It was Bruce’s first touchdown this season. In his previous two seasons, Bruce has caught a combined six touchdown passes.

Wide receiver Drew Bennett also caught a touchdown pass on Sunday, his second of the season.

Trouble with the O-Line continues

One issue that continues to bother the Rams is the trouble in the offensive line. Bulger was sacked four times on Sunday. This season, Bulger has been sacked 22 times this season, fourth most in the NFC.

The running game hasn’t been a lot better. Consider this, last season the Rams averaged 4.4 yards per carry, 10th best in the NFL. This season, the Rams are averaging 3.5 yards per carry, sixth worst in the NFL.

Run defense shuts down Bush

Despite giving up two rushing touchdowns, the Rams held the Saints to a total of 43 net yards on the ground.

In the process, the Rams were able to contain Reggie Bush to a combined 47 total yards, including 17 yards rushing. In the two games prior to Sunday, Bush had more than 100 yards of total offense.

The Mondays: Doing what I do best...What do I do best?

Happy Monday to everybody in the world of frilly things and weird stuff. We need to do a recap of an entire Sunday worth of football action. Can we do that? Pretty please!?!?!

• Rams pick up first win of the season, shock the Saints- I really wanted to pick the Rams to win this weekend and I didn't. Now, I look like a moron (I already did). Heck, Steven Jackson had a touchdown pass in the game. Congratulations to the Rams for their first win.
  
• Cowboys sweep the season series with Giants, win 31-20- ROMO ALERT: 20 for 28, 247 yards, four touchdowns.
  
• Bills keep the Dolphins winless- Take THAT Miami!!!!
  
• Bears win with Grossman, headline writer wants to cry- Rex Grossman came in and threw a touchdown pass. Now I've lost all hope for the season
  
• Steelers beat the Browns- Check this run out.
  
• SUNDAY NIGHT RECAP: Chargers hold off charging Colts- You can check out this return as well.

Well my time is up.

SEE YA

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Rams face tough challenge in Saints

The St. Louis Rams face a tough team following their bye week as they head down to the ‘Big Easy’ to take on the New Orleans Saints.

After starting the regular season 0-4, the Saints have reeled off four straight wins and are tied for second in the NFC South.

Offense Tale of the Tape

The Saints offense will be a tough task for the Rams. During their four game winning streak, the Saints have scored at least 20 points. Last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Saints put up 41 points.

The Rams offense continues to be dismal. They are the worst scoring offense in the NFL, with only 12 points per game. Even more stunning is the fact that the Rams have scored a total of 99 points on the season. The Rams are the only team in the NFL not to have scored at least 100 points, this season.

The rushing game for the Rams has been terrible. They have the fourth worst rushing yards per game in the NFL. Only the Kansas City Chiefs, the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears
are worse in that category.

Defense Tale of the Tape

Both defenses are similar; neither team is even close to being terrific. The Saints give up 23 points per game, while the Rams give up 27 points per game.

The Rams have given up a total of 219 points this season, worst in the NFC. The Saints have given up 186 points this season, tied for second worst in the NFC.

The Saints run defense will definitely be a challenge for running back Steven Jackson. The Saints are giving up 97 yards per game, 10th best in the NFL.

In the Saints four straight victories, the defense has given up a total of 173 yards on the ground. In eight games this season, only one running back has ran for more than 100 yards on the Saints run defense. Joseph Addai of the Indianapolis Colts gets the credit.

Little out for defense

The Rams put Leonard Little on the injured reserve this week after it was announced that he would get surgery to repair a torn ligament in his toe.

Rookie Dustin Fry is expected to replace Little in the line up.

Friday Briefs: A two for one special; Available this Tuesday

Today is one of those rare two for one specials. I will be picking some college football games and some NFL games. I'll start with the college picks.

I had my first 4-1 week in a long time over the weekend. This makes me happy. I could dance. My goal this week is to go 5-0.

• Georgia over Auburn- The team that scores the most points, wins the game.
  
• Missouri over Texas A&M- The Tigers want to make the Big 12 North a crapshoot.
  
• Michigan over Wisconsin- I honestly could see this game going either way, but Big Blue needs this one.
  
• California over USC- Yeah, that's a crazy pick.
  
• Boston College over Maryland- This better work out.

Time for the NFL picks.

I WENT 5-0 LAST WEEK, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!! Sorry, I got a little excited there, I don't ordinarily go 5-0. This is truly a terrific treasure for me and gives me confidence and hope for the rest of the season.

• Green Bay Packers over Minnesota Vikings- A 3-5 team that runs the football or a 7-1 team that struggles to run the football, which do I choose? Does that 7-1 team have Brett Favre? It does, just checking.


• Detroit Lions over Arizona Cardinals- BAKA SURVIVOR!!!!
  
• Oakland Raiders over Chicago Bears- I need a reason to believe the Bears can win.
  
• New Orleans Saints over St. Louis Rams- The Rams risk going 0-9.
  
• New York Giants over Dallas Cowboys- I shouldn't go against my namesake, but I do think the Giants have a legitimate shot at home and the potential is there for some sweet revenge.

Ehhh, that's all folks

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Ask Mr. Romo

That's right people, you now have the opportunity to ask the great ONR anything you want. Whether it's sports, sports, more sports, love(don't ask me that) or other random stuff, I'll answer it (poorly) for you. Post all of your questions here; the first edition comes out next week.

Please Post Question in Comment Section

Tuesdays with Romo: Bills Prepare For Showdown With Dolphins

The Buffalo Bills find themselves in a spot where they haven’t been in quite sometime, second place in the AFC East. Granted now, they’ve had that spot for over a month now, but it seems like now the Bills have hit their stride.

The Bills will take their three game winning streak to Miami on Sunday to take on the 0-8 Dolphins. This game could be a challenging one for the Bills.

The Dolphins are in dire need for a first win and as each week passes, the Dolphins can only be more motivated to pick up that first win and not be the first team in NFL history to go 16-0 and 0-16 in the regular season.

Offense Head-to-Head

When it comes to the offense, neither team has scored a lot of points this season. The Bills average just 16 points per game, sixth worst in the NFL and worst in the AFC East. As for the Dolphins, they average about 21 points per game, second place in the AFC East.

The Bills have the worst total offense in the AFC, averaging only 275 yard per game. The Dolphins average 305 yards per game.

If there’s one edge the Bills hold over the Dolphins, it’s in time of possession. The Bills are ninth in the AFC in time of possession, while the Dolphins are the third worst with a time of possession of 28:45.

Defense Head to Head

The Bills hold the edge over the Dolphins in terms of defense. The Bills only are giving up 20 points per game, seventh best in the AFC. The Dolphins give up 31 points per game, tied for worst in the AFC.

The Bills also have more turnovers than the Dolphins. The Bills have 12 interceptions this season, tied for second in the AFC. The Dolphins have only four interceptions, worst in the AFC.

Losman or Edwards?

Questions are being raised as to who would start at quarterback for the Bills on Sunday. Those questions were raised after JP Losman played a great game on Sunday, completing 24 passes for 295 yards and one touchdown.

Edwards was on the bench due to an injury he suffered against the New York Jets, two weeks ago.

The OTHER Rookie Running Back

With all the Rookie of the Year talk about Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch has stepped up significantly for the Bills.

The first round pick from California is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards with 690 and second in rushing attempts with 177. Lynch has also carried the ball the most times without fumbling this season.

On Sunday, Lynch ran for a career high of 153 yards on 29 carries for one touchdown. Lynch has carried the ball at least 20 times in six of eight games this season.

During the Bills three-game winning streak, Lynch has carried the ball 77 times for 317 yards and two touchdowns.

The Mondays: WHAT DID I SAY?!?!?!?

Happy Monday to everybody. Another week of NFL action has come and left us behind. Now, we will do what we usually do and that's.....you know.......recap.....

Here we go:

• ROMO ALERT: Dallas Cowboys defeat Philadelphia Eagles, 38-17- Romo had a terrific game, completing 20 of 25 passes for three touchdowns and one interception.
  
• Green Bay Packers defeat Kansas City Chiefs, 33-22- The Packers look like the real deal at this point. They'll face a real tough test in the Cowboys, very soon.
  
• New England Patriots defeated Indianapolis Colts, 24-20- I TOLD YOU THEY'D WIN....NOW WE'RE ALL DOOMED!!!!
  
• Minnesota Vikings defeat San Diego Chargers, 35-17- Adrian Peterson=Superfunk
  
• Cleveland Browns comeback, beat Seattle Seahawks, 33-30- Wow, this may be the surprise of the year that everybody was waiting for.
  
• Monday Night Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers over Baltimore Ravens

SEE YA

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College Football Update: Forget it, He's on a Roll

It's that time of the night, most of the games are over (except on the west coast). Shall we do a recap for the rest of the day? (Yes)

Fair enough:

• Kansas kicks the crap out of Nebraska, 79-36- .....Tom Osbourne on line 1.....
  
• Navy beats Notre Dame, 46-44 in triple overtime- Notre Dame wasn't ready to give up their winning streak over Navy. They needed another three periods of play to enjoy those final moments of the streak.
  
• LSU beats Alabama, 41-34- Take THAT Nick Saban!
  
• Missouri continues to make the state of Colorado cry, wins 55-10- Missouri and Kansas to settle who plays in the Big 12 title game, three weeks from now.
  
• Michigan comes back, beats Michigan State 28-24- Hey that's almost like the movie 300!
  
• Oregon defeats Arizona State, 35-23- Look at them Ducks go.
  
• Florida State upsets Boston College, 17-7- Ahhh crap!

That's all for tonight. Take care.

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College Football Update: I Know What You Are, But What Am I?

Happy Saturday to everybody. It's time for me to do a college football update. It is about time that I did that because it has been a couple of weeks since my last full one.

• Virginia upsets Wake Forest, 17-16- Behold, a new twist in the ACC.
  
• Iowa hurts my feelings, beats Northwestern 28-17- Damn Hawkeyes.
  
• Indiana defeats Ball State, 38-20- Congratulations to the Hoosiers for officially becoming Bowl elgible.
  
• Ohio State defeats Wisconsin- Go Bucks Goo, GO Bucks Gooo, hey Columbus what do you say, the Buckeyes are gonna win today! (Note: I did that for all Buckeye fans. That is from the Go Cubs Go song)
  
• NC State defeats Miami, 19-16 in OT- I didn't really see it.
  
• Clemson destroys Duke, 47-10- *Laughs*

That's about it for now, I will be back later with some more updates, so keep it tuned here.

SEE YA

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College Football Picks

Yes, I know it is late, but it is Friday night and it's quiet. I have nothing to do and no parties to go to (like I go to parties anyway). The only thing I can really do is just write. Therefore, writing is what I shall do. Okay I am wrong. I am just picking games because I haven't done that this week.

• Ohio State over Wisconsin- It will be a close one and we will see if the Buckeyes can hold on to their #1 ranking.
  
• Kansas over Nebraska- Does anybody else want to see if Mangino is a Weeble-Wobble?
  
• Oregon over Arizona State- Seriously though, it would be fun.
  
• LSU over Alabama- People all over the world are doing the latest dance craze....It's called, The Dorsey!
  
• Boston College over Florida State- Ehhh, I got nothing.

Thank you, here's AC/DC on your Friday night.

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Friday Briefs: Some Football Picks

Happy Friday to everybody. TGIF man. I need to make some football picks. I haven't been too hot. I have cooled down quite considerably. I should make better picks OR keep making stupid ones.

• Green Bay Packers over Kansas City Chiefs- This one is a tough one to pick. I can honestly see it going either way.
  
• Buffalo Bills over Cincinnati Bengals- LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT!!!!
  
• Cleveland Browns over Seattle Seahawks- Cleveland wants to rock and they will against the Seahawks on Sunday.
  
• New England Patriots over Indianapolis Colts- PATS GOING 8-0....RUN AWAY BILL & TOM ARE GOING TO DESTROY THE WORLD!!!!!
  
• Washington Redskins over New York Jets- Kellen Clemens, Roger Clemens, does it really make a difference?

SEE YA

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The Best Team You'll Never See in the BCS Title Game

This team is one of the best teams not only in their conference, but they are also the no.-1 ranked team in the country.

However, you won’t see them play in New Orleans in the BCS title game. In fact, you won’t even see them play in a BCS Bowl game or even a bowl game at all. That’s because they play in Division I-AA, or the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The team is none other than the University of Northern Iowa Panthers (UNI).

The Panthers are the top ranked team in the AGS FCS rankings and second ranked in the FCS Coaches Poll, behind North Dakota State. UNI is 8-0 and are coming off of a 14-13 comeback victory against 22nd ranked Youngstown State.

The Panthers were down 13-0 going into the fourth quarter; when wide receiver Johnny Gray scored on a 29 yard pass from redshirt senior quarterback Eric Sanders, with 11:58 left in the game. Gray would score again on a 19-yard run to put the Panthers ahead for good.

The game was played at the UNI-Dome, a 16,000 seat dome that is not only a huge staple of the campus, but of the town of Cedar Falls. It certainly isn't the Big House, but they always fill the seats week in and week out. Let’s not forget about the Astroturf that covers the field, a true dying breed in college football.

The school itself is one of the best in the Midwest, according to US News and World Report, ranked second in public comprehensive universities. The enrollment is just over 10,000.

The school is in Cedar Falls, a town of 36,000 people. According to the US Census taken in the year 2000, the median age is 26. Cedar Falls is like any ordinary town, it has a mall, a movie theatre, a bowling alley, even a bike trail.

As for Sanders, he’s a highly touted quarterback who knows how to win, ever since his days at Oelwein High School, a school that barely has 500 students enrolled. The town itself, Oelwein, is a town of 6,000 people, a true small town where everybody knows each other.

Sanders led Oelwein to the state playoffs during his junior and senior season. However, Oelwein fell short midway through the playoffs. He then went to UNI, where he spent his freshmen year as a red-shirt.

In 2005, Sanders led UNI to the Division I-AA Championship game against Appalachian State. (Sound familiar?)

The Panthers had to go through Eastern Washington, a no.-1 ranked New Hampshire team and Texas State to reach that point. They would lose the title to Appalachian State.

Sanders was named the Gateway Football Freshmen of the Year in 2004 and was named a Second Team All-American by CollegeSportsReport.com in 2005.

It’s been two years since that magical season and the Panthers are looking to win it all this year. This weekend, they’ll play Missouri State and will try to clinch the Gateway Conference, earning the Panthers an automatic bid in the playoffs.

Even if the Panthers make the playoffs and make it to the National Title game, they’ll still be somewhat overshadowed in Iowa by both the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones. It’s a Cy-Hawk state, not a lot of room for the Panthers.

There won’t be any controversy; you won’t hear Tony Kornheiser or Michael Wilbon argue about it on PTI. There won’t be wall-to-wall coverage of this team on any of the games on Fox. More importantly, this will be a game that won’t be played in January.

The Panthers don’t need to worry about their ranking in the AP Poll, nor do they need to worry about their strength of schedule. They won’t lose sleep over not blowing out their competitors. All the Panthers need to do is win.

Thursdays: One Word For Each Team (NFC Edition)

I took care of the AFC yesterday, now I need to profile the NFC. This one should be very interesting. For those who don't know the rules, I'll explain. I will describe the 16 teams in the NFC, using only one word. (WARNING: SOME OF THESE WORDS ARE MADE UP, TRY TO GUESS WHICH ONES)

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys--Superfunk

New York Giants--Elisha

Washington Redskins--PAIN!!!! (and lots of it)

Philadelphia Eagles--BOOOOO!!!!!!

NFC North

Green Bay Packers--Favre-tastic

Detroit Lions--Okay (I guess)

Chicago Bears--GGGROOOOSSSSSSSSMANNNN!!!!! (Kinda like Mahoney)

Minnesota Vikings--Peterson (Sgt. of Chicago Police)

NFC South

Carolina Panthers--VINNY!!!!!!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers--Chucky

New Orleans Saints--Improving (For a second straight year)

Atlanta Falcons--Brohm (NO RYAN)


NFC West

Seattle Seahawks--Damn

Arizona Cardinals--Damn (again)


San Francisco 49ers--Dayymnn


St. Louis Rams--Super-Damn

SEE YA

Nos

College picks later



Nos