The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Championship Week

Or is it over?

That's the question a ton of teams are asking this week as College Football's regular season comes to a somewhat mediocre close.

Sure, our pals at the Four-Letter are hyping up the greatness of the College Football playoff, but really, it hasn't solved anything and there are no dominant teams.

None.

Look at the way it's played out. The only undefeated team in the land might not even make the playoff. And they're in one of the "Power" conferences. How does that happen? Everyone else has lost. And if they are "So dominant", how did they manage to lose?

Think about that for a second.

But alas, we are putting the wraps on yet another season of the Dozen and the Barrel. We don't always agree with the biased writers or coaches polls, we have our own opinions. And yeah, we pick games too. We're pretty good at it.

At least we'd like to think we are.

No, we don't get into the betting lines, there's not enough time in the day for us to do that much research, we pick with our sense of how things are going...and are for the most part, spot on.

Last week: 14-2. Yup, we picked Ole Miss and Arizona to win. That makes us 140-32 on the season--



Yeah, come back and see us next College Football season....

In the meantime, it's time for what you visit us for....or as the legendary Casey Kasem used to say, "On with the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) FSU 12-0. Yup. They are #1. We don't care that they barely beat up on mostly inferior ACC competition. They ran the table. In fact, they haven't lost in two seasons. Perception that they aren't as good doesn't matter.



It's what we think. Sure, the trendy pick is for Ga.Tech to beat them this week. And they might. We're almost tempted to make the pick. But not enough to do it. This Week: vs. Ga.Tech, Our Pick: FSU 37, Ga. Tech 33

2) Alabama 11-1. Okay, so the Iron Bowl ended up a shootout. Still, arguably this is the best team in all the land. But they have been beat. And pushed. We have to admit, Lane Kiffin has changed this team. But we always said as a head coach, Kiffy was a great offensive coordinator. This Week: vs. Missouri, Our Pick: Alabama 43, Mizzou 21

3) Oregon 11-1. We still don't love the Ducks, but we respect them. They've taken care of business. Marcus Mariota is awesome, but the o-line is dinged up. Interesting that they are playing the team that beat them early in the year (Arizona) for the Pac 12 title. This Week: vs. Arizona, Our Pick: Oregon 48, Arizona 37

4) TCU 11-1. Outside the brain fart with Baylor, the Horned Frogs have gotten better every game. But most are holding Baylor against them. We think TCU is tougher. And would fare better in the CFB Playoff. But that's our opinion. Trevonne Boykin is very, very good but no championship game for the Frogs to prove anything. This Week: vs. Iowa St., Our Pick: TCU 56, Iowa St. 21

5) Baylor 11-1. Sure, the Bears have been good. Really good this season. But their season hasn't ended yet. Bryce Petty is not a sure thing for Saturday's game. And the Bears play a tough Kansas State team. If they win, things get interesting. And they'd have a CFB playoff argument. But...This Week: vs. Kansas St. Our Pick: K-State 53, Baylor 45 UPSET !!!!!

6) Ohio St. 11-1. Poor Ohio St. Braxton Miller gets hurt and JT Barnett steps in and becomes awesome. Now Barnett gets hurt and Cardale Jones has to step in. And while Jones may be a good QB, he hasn't played yet. And that matters. A lot. This Week: vs. Wisconsin. Our Pick: Wisconsin 27, Ohio St. 23 UPSET!!!

7) Arizona 10-2. Rich Rodriguez has done wonders with this program. Who would have thought when he took the job a couple years ago, they'd be in this position. Yet they are. If...they can beat Oregon for the 2nd time, they have a playoff argument. But we don't think they'd leapfrog anyone ahead of them if they all win too. This Week: See #2

8) Kansas St. 9-2. They don't show well statistically, but it doesn't seem to matter. Bill Snyder is a magician...or sorcerer. Either way, the Wildcats just keep winning. They could easily have been undefeated this season. But losing to TCU is enough to keep them from playoff talk. This Week: See #5

9) Mississippi St. 10-2. They came back to earth quickly. But the wins this season speak for themselves. Yes, they lost the Egg Bowl, but way too many quality wins to drop them behind their arch rivals. No matter what happens, this season was a huge success in Starkeville. This Week: DONE--Bowl Game

10) Michigan St. 10-2. Always a quality team. Always good results. And always a couple of losses. They are consistently one of the best Big 10 teams, but that isn't always enough. Two quality losses means season over and bowl game left. This Week: DONE---Bowl Game

11) Ole Miss 10-2. Nice win over Miss State in the Egg Bowl. The Rebels struggled mightily down the stretch, but pulled it together to beat their arch rival and have one of the best seasons they've had in a long, long time. And they get to keep Hugh Freeze around for awhile. This team won't be going away soon. This Week: DONE---Bowl Game

12) Georgia Tech 10-2. Yes, Ga. Tech. Can you believe it? Uh, yeah, neither can we. They should have lost to our alma mater (Ga.Southern), but didn't. They just kept winning. And they beat an occasionally very good Georgia team last week. That counts. They'll make FSU nervous but....This Week: See #1

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



And so closes another season of crappy football. Our toilet bowl (Worst of the Worst) award already had been handed to SMU and the Mustangs did not disappoint. Sure, they got a new coach for next year, Chad Morris, which might be enough to get them off the island next year.

But that's next year.

In the meantime, we are going to award an honorary Toilet Ring to the Alabama Board of Trustees and UAB President Ray Watts Watts. You....deserve to stink things up for a long time for killing the football program without any real discussion on ways to save it.

Shame on all of you...

But enough of that....

5) Ray Watts 0-12. You sir have no spine. The president of a mid-major University who rather than speak out about the shady Board of Trustees trying to kill the football team, decided to just quietly do it without letting anyone know. Not standing up was bad. Plotting this course before saying you tried to save them is even worse. You suck dude...you really suck

4) Alabama Board of Trustees 0-12. We always knew University of Alabama fans were paranoid and somewhat delusional, but this takes the cake. Paul Bryant Jr decides he wants to cash in his vendetta against UAB from a long perceived slight. So you tell Ray Watts "Kill 'em". So he did. Of all places we thought a football program might be eliminated, Alabama was low on the list. Were you scared if UAB got decent they'd compete with you? Please....

3) Idaho 1-11. Hey, a not-UAB related listing. Poor Idaho. They weren't "not-competitive" this season, but they couldn't buy a win. But at least the season has come to an end. So there's that. And winter's coming. So there's that too. This Week: DONE

2) Georgia State 1-11. Two years, one win. Pity poor Georgia State. Totally unprepared to play in FBS, yet they jumped in anyway. And now they're paying for it. They are the cupcake everyone wants to play. So at least they are getting paid. Which is nice. And might spare them the UAB fate. Or not. This Week: DONE

1) SMU 0-12. Congratulations. You win! The Mustangs managed to not crack the top 100 in any major statistical category. Which is not easy to do these days. Sure, they have a game left. But we don't. So they get the Toilet Bowl title whether they like it or not. We wish new coach Chad Morris luck, sure he's him in Texas, but man, he's got a huge job in front of him. This Week: at UConn, Our Pick: UConn 37, SMU 10



Good Night Everybody.................

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of The Barrel: What's Happening?

If you don't know what this is...and depending on your age, you might not...look it up.

One thing always predictable about the college football season is its unpredictability. It's the reason there should NEVER be a preseason poll. They are utterly meaningless. Teams get ranked in the preseason based on reputation, not performance. Which is a total disservice to them all.

But enough of that. We all want to know what is going to happen here in the homestretch...



It will all be settled on the field. Right?

Picks: Last week: 8-5---ew...worst week ever. But there is hope. Overall: 97-23. And well, ya know, that's pretty good if I do say so myself. And I do...

So without further adieu, to quote the late, great Casey Kasem, it's "On with the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Mississippi State 8-0. Okay..we've avoided this for a few weeks now. And the Bulldogs barely escaped last week vs. Arkansas. But they did. However, at some point, the nations worst pass defense will bite them. Just not this week. THIS WEEK: vs. Tenn. Martin, (Really?), Our Pick: Miss St. 48, Tenn-Martin 3

2) Florida State 8-0. Sorry guys. You haven't been pretty...or popular. And you've barely escaped most every game. Admittedly, when you are the big dog, everyone is hunting you. But with all the chaos, often comes confusion. And you've been lucky. But hey, sometimes that is enough. This Week: vs. Virginia, Our Pick: FSU 31, UVA 17

3) Alabama 7-1. We have no idea why everyone underestimates these guys this season. What have they not done? Ok, they lost to Ole Miss in Oxford, not a big shocker. But hey, it doesn't matter. If they win out, they make the playoff. And nobody wants to play them when the Sabanator has time to prepare. This Week: at LSU, Our Pick: Alabama 37, LSU 33

4) Auburn 7-1. Another team that all they do is win. It doesn't matter how, or who, as long as you win. Another team that controls their own destiny and is getting better as the season goes. This Week: vs. Texas A&M, Our Pick: Auburn 48, Aggies 31

5) Kansas State 7-1. The only loss: Auburn. And only because the kicker failed. Do not sleep on this team. They are well coached. And they are well balanced. They are our pick to win the Little 9 (Big 12), because they play defense. We'll know for sure after Saturday. This Week: at TCU. Our Pick: K-State 41, TCU 38

6) Oregon 7-1. This is our pick for the most overrated team. They are not on the level with the top 4 on our list. They just aren't. If you get them down, they will fold. They always do. Yes, Marcus Mariota is awesome, we agree. But he's not enough to win the whole she-bangy...This Week: at Utah, Our Pick: Utah 37, Oregon 36 UPSET!!

7) TCU 7-1. Still trying to figure out how they escaped West Virginia. Thought for sure they were done, but alas, they won it. Another very dangerous team, with a scary good offense. The "D", that's a different issue. Not confident on the finish. This Week: see #5

8) Michigan St. 7-1. Can they win the B1G? Yup. Are they good enough to run with the SEC? Maybe. But win the Big 10, you get to go to the playoff. Even if the rest of the conference is pretty wretched. Connor Cook has been great, and the Defense is solid. This Week: vs, Ohio State, Our Pick: MSU 37, tOSU 31 (would be upset if in Columbus, it's not)

9) Arizona State 7-1. Time for a test. Todd Graham has done a good job here, reviving the program. Outside a brain fart vs. UCLA, they've been very good. Not flashy, just good. But tough times are ahead. Win this week, they could run the table and find themselves in the Pac 12 title game. This Week: vs. Notre Dame, Our Pick: ASU 27, Notre Dame 23

10) Notre Dame 7-1. If you are gonna be a top 10 team, you need to win the games you are supposed to. And Navy nearly came back and beat the Irish. That should never happen. This is a good, not great team in a year full of teams like this. So there's always a chance--This Week: See #9

11) Ole Miss 7-2. Back-to-back tough losses. Really tough losses. This is a really good defensive team that's been inconsistent on offense. They can't win the SEC West anymore, but they might have a say in who does. Hate to see what happened to Laquon Treadwell, that..ooof. Anyway---This Week: vs Presbyterian (huh?), Our Pick: Ole Miss 41, Presby 10

12) Ohio St. 7-1. Yes, I'm ranking them here. It's my poll. And I think they've gotten better every week. The Va.Tech loss hurts though. We like J.T Barnett and this is a stout defense. If only they played at home this week. Oh well...This Week: See #8

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



This is getting tougher to pick each week. Some of our regulars here are actually winning games. We're so confused. How can we have crappy teams if there aren't any crappy teams.

Oh, wait...then there is SMU...

5) Kent State 1-8. Oh you Kent State. MAC Action---it's fan--tastic. Well, fall and soon winter is up you Golden Flashes. And hey, that means basketball. Which surely will be better than Football. So there's that. Good luck and godspeed. This Week (Nov 12th): at Bowling Green, Our Pick: Bowling Green 38, Kent State 10

4) Idaho 1-8. Go potatoes. You managed to squeeze defeat out of the jaws of victory. You had Arkie State down after 3 quarters and lost by 2 TD's. Hey, enjoy the snow. This Week: at San Diego State, Our Pick: Aztecs 43, Idaho 31

3) Troy 1-8. Well, it's almost over. And brother Jon reported noted H.S Football coach Rush Probst wants to replace Larry Blakely next year. We ask: Why? This season has been an unmitigated disaster and it may not get better anytime soon. Okay, maybe this week. This Week: vs. Ga. State, Our Pick: Troy 24, Ga.State 13

2) Georgia State 1-8. Yes Panther fan, you drop because you had 6 yards rushing and we're left to wither in the Appalachian State snow. Come on now. A little snow and cold won't hurt you. You can do better than that? Right? This Week: See Above

1) SMU 0-7. Good news Mustang fan. You didn't get beat by the Bye last week. Right? You didn't lose that game...did you? Wha? Oh, never mind. Way too many games left (5) none of which really are winnable. So there is that. Good luck in the coaching search. This Week: at Tulsa, Our Pick: Tulsa 21, SMU 3

Here is your song of the week, a good...and different choice from Milky Chance--yes, they are German:

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Who Loves Ya Baby?

Yeah...



NOTE---He used to be the "Most Interesting Man in the World"...circa late 1970's...

Anyway....

It appears the state of Mississippi is the place to be in College Football this season. At least the past two weeks. Mississippi was perhaps one of the most "un-loved" football states in the world...until this year.

We don't know if someone there sold their soul to the devil for this success...



If you don't get this reference---The movie is called Crossroads from 1986, look it up, it will then make sense..

Moving on--one of the things that makes us laugh in Sports is the "If the playoff happened today?" question.



Mostly because we have far too long left to go in the season. A lot will happen. Teams will lose. And there will be doubts about who should be in the playoffs. Yet Sports talking heads keep telling us the teams each week will be THAT team. Lots will change...

Count on it...

But enough of that, you are here for our poll and our picks. Of course you are, we are very good at such things, better than given credit for.

And did we add, modest? That's because we were 11-3 last week. Yeah...And that makes us 67-13 on the season, which is pretty damn good.

But enough of that, as our pal Casey Kasem once said "On with the Countdown"...

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida St. 6-0. Yes. We still have these clowns at #1. No, they haven't been pretty. They've won, but barely. And no, they really haven't played anyone of significance. But they are the defending national champs. And their only remaining test comes this week. (Aside from the Winston shenanigans) This Week: vs. Notre Dame, Our Pick: FSU 41, ND 37

2) Mississippi St. 6-0. Okay, we know everyone has these guys at #1, they've beaten overrated Texas A&M and Auburn in consecutive weeks. They are solid. Dak Prescott is the new Tebow...blah, blah, blah. And yeah, they'll stay here a couple weeks. But won't finish here. This Week: BYE

3) Ole Miss 6-0. The Rebs have not been pretty but they've won. The defense is good. Really good. The offense is good enough. But they are in the SEC west and we don't think they'll run the table. But we could be wrong. This Week: vs. Tennessee, Our Pick: Ole Miss 28, Tennessee 21

4) Notre Dame 6-0. Yeah...sigh...they are 6-0. Everett Golson has been clutch and they are Notre Dame. But they're also undefeated, which is enough to get them into this slot. For now. We don't believe the Irish are as good as advertised. A few "pundits" are picking them to win this week. We aren't among them. This Week: See #1

5) Baylor 6-0. Does anyone believe this is a title contending team? Sure, they can outscore you. And that goes a long way. But they can't stop anyone. If not for some odd decisions by Gary Patterson last week, the Bears would have lost. Really, they would have. But they survived and have only Little 9 (Big12) games left. This Week: at West Va., Our Pick: West By-Gawd 47, Baylor 46. UPSET!!

6) Auburn 5-1. Okay, count us among those surprised the Tigers lost last week. But they've been struggled the past couple of weeks, the offense not as good as advertised. Nick Marshall has been good, not great. And there are some tests left. This Week: BYE

7) Alabama 5-1. So the fighting Sabans have come back to earth. A loss to Ole Miss and they were lucky to escape last week vs. Arkansas. The offense has been less than consistent though the defense is still pretty good. And they are Alabama. This Week: at Texas A&M. Our Pick: Bama 31, A and M 21

8) Oregon 5-1. The Duckies got their hiccup out of the way early. Injuries on the O-Line have hurt, but they are getting healthy again. And they have Marcus Mariota, which is enough most weeks to win. The hard part of the schedule is over. This Week: vs. Washington, Our Pick: Oregon 48, Wash. 21

9) Michigan St. 5-1. The best team in the B1G, we think. But that's not saying much. Outside the loos at Oregon, they haven't been challenged much. And won't be for a couple more weeks. Enjoy the ride for now. This Week: at Indiana, Our Pick: Mich.St. 41, Indiana 23

10) Oklahoma 5-1. The Sooners almost let an outgunned Texas team come back and beat them. Which alone is enough to raise questions. Outside the loss to TCU, they've dominated the Little 9 (Big12). That won't change...for now. This Week: vs. Kansas St., Our Pick: OU 37, K-State 33

11) Georgia 5-1. Ok, raise your hand if you thought the 'Dawgs would crush Mizzou, in Mizzou? Without their best player. Nick Chubb is a beast, the defense is improving. But unless the figure out how to throw deep, they'll get beat again. Just don't know by who. This Week: at Arkansas, Our Pick: UGA 34, Ark 31

12) Ohio St. 4-1. Wait! What! A second B1G (Big10) team in the dozen. Yeah, we know, but there was a full-on-eclipse this month too. And Hawaii is gonna get hit by a 3rd hurricane this year. But hey, the Buckaroos have played well, scoring a ton of points. They haven't missed much. And the schedule, while cupcake city, is manageable. This Week: vs. Rutgers. Our Pick: tOSU 27, Rutgers 23

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



Somehow, UMass won a game last week. Sure, it was only Kent State, but they managed to figure out how not to lose it, which for them is a marked improvement. So they escape this list...at least for a week.

5) Appalachian State 1-5. If not for the fact they played Campbell, they'd be winless. And sure, they've been close to winning. But that doesn't count. The move to FCS has not been kind, but if they're lucky, they might get off this list. This Week: at Troy, Our Pick: Troy 33, App St. 31

4) Miami, OH 1-6. They're back. Sure, they finally broke a 21-game losing streak a couple weeks ago vs. UMass. Which bought them one week. The Redhawks followed that with a resounding loss...to Akron. MAC action baby! This Week: at Northern Illinois, Our Pick: N.Ill 43, Miami OH 21

3) Kent State 0-6. We give you the FCS's worst running team. 68-yards a game. The defense and passing attack isn't much better. But they play in the MAC, so anything could happen. This Week: vs. Army. Our Pick: Army 37, Kent 21

2) Idaho 0-6. Another team that does pretty much nothing well. Which is why they are ranked here. They did...briefly scare Ga.Southern....briefly. This Week: vs. New Mexico St, Our Pick: NM State 31, Idaho 21

1) SMU 0-5. Lucky for them, the BYE has no defense, otherwise they'd have lost on the off week too. The only thing to look ahead to, they scored 24 the last time out vs. a ranked team. Sure they gave up 45, but ya gotta start somewhere. This Week: vs. Cincinnati, Our Pick: Cincy 54, SMU 10

And there you go. It should be a good week to watch some football. So watch away...and we'll leave you with one of our favorite new groups, St. Paul and the Broken Bones

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Well, last weekend sure was interesting...



More interesting than a Gomer Pyle clip, that's for sure...

Yeah, you might say there were a few "Upset" games last week in College Football and, well, you wouldn't be wrong.

If nothing else, the past week of College Football action proves that the alleged "committee" that is going to pick the 4 playoff teams, has a tough task ahead of them because quite honestly, there are a lot of really good teams, but not really any great ones...



What wasn't so awesome last week--our picks. Yeah, sure, we went 9-5 moving us to 56-10 on the season, which, well...actually is pretty awesome, but we hate to admit we missed 5 games. Though we did pick Mississippi State to beat Texas A&M...and we were right.

So with that in mind, this weeks poll looks almost nothing like last weeks. Yay! Easily the game of the week coming up is Auburn and Mississippi State. That, should be fun to watch.

With that in mind, in the words of the immortal Casey Kasem, let's get "On With the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 5-0. Yeah, we know. They haven't been amazing this season. And we aren't sold that this is your best team in all the land. But they are defending champs.

Tell 'em Naitch--



And he's right because there is a good chance the Noles run the table. (This Week: at Syracuse, Our Pick: FSU 45, Cuse 31)

2) Auburn 5-0. Is this your best team in all the land? Maybe. But, they also have the misfortune of playing in the SEC West which IS the best division in all the land. And unfortunately, they have a large part of that schedule left. Time to step it up. (This Week: at Miss St., Our Pick: Auburn 28, Miss St. 23)

3) Mississippi St. 5-0. Yes, a Mississippi team at #3. And it's not the one that beat 'Bama. It's the better one that beat LSU and Texas A&M. Yes, they've been one of the best stories in College Football this year. But with one of College Football's worst pass defenses can they keep it up? We don't think so. (This Week: See above)

4) Ole Miss 5-0. I know. 2 Mississippi teams in the top 4. Go figure. We're pretty sure this is a sign of the Zombie Apocalypse. But this is a very good team that beat Alabama. A VERY GOOD defensive team. They may be the Mississippi team that survives or not. (This Week: at Texas A&M, Our Pick: Ole Miss 27, Aggies 21)

5) Baylor 5-0. We don't love the Bears as much as some other pollsters do. But they're undefeated in the the Big 9 (12), so they get top billing. They've lit up scoreboards and the defense has done well, but they really haven't played anyone of note either. That changes now. (This Week: vs. TCU, Our Pick: TCU 31, Baylor 30 UPSET ALERT!!)

6) TCU 4-0. This is probably your best team in the Big 9(12). They played extremely well against Oklahoma. It wasn't a total shock the Horned Frogs won. And we think Gary Patterson is and has been one of CFB's best coaches for a long time. (This Week: see Above)

7) Notre Dame 5-0. Another good, but we aren't sure if they are great team. Yes, we know, they beat Stanford, which is great for them. But really, outside of that, we haven't been impressed. But the schedule is VERY favorable. We may see them again in the playoff whether they are worthy or not. (This Week: vs. North Carolina, Our Pick: Notre Dame 37, UNC 17) 

8) Alabama 4-1. Our first 1 loss team. We haven't been on the bandwagon this year, because while very good, this mixed marriage of Saban and Kiffykins has question marks attached. Though admittedly, Kiffy's offense has been pretty good. They are still better than most. Period. (This Week: at Arkansas, Our Pick: Bama 34, Arkansas 21)

9) Arizona 5-0. Yes folks, that Rich Rod guy can coach. This isn't a flashy or crazy good team, but they are winning. They figured out how to beat Oregon...at Oregon. Not easy. The schedule gets a bit easier and it IS possible they run the table, though the #112 ranked pass defense needs to improve. (This Week: vs. USC, Our Pick: Arizona 41, USC 37)

10) Oklahoma 4-1. Let's see, Sooner coach Bob Stoops has been mouthing about the SEC. And he's been talking up his conference. And then his team goes and gets beat by a good not great TCU. Sound familiar? But they are Oklahoma so they get pollster love. (This Week: vs. Texas, Our Pick: Oklahoma 37, Texas 21)

11) Michigan St. 4-1. Is Sparty the best of the B1G? Maybe. Are the Spartans a playoff team? We aren't convinced. They've been very good against crappy competition, they got beat by an ok Oregon team and pushed by a decent Nebraska. No challenges ahead until they play Ohio State. (This Week: at Purdue, Our Pick: Sparty 43, Purdue 10)

12) Georgia 4-1. Yeah, sure, we're playing semi-homer here. But any team with Todd Gurley has a chance to win no matter who they play. Sure, I have a better arm than the QB and despite a questionable defense, Huston Mason may be what keeps the 'Dawgs from a title shot. (This Week: at Missouri, Our Pick: Gurley Men 37, Mizzou 31)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



**ED NOTE**---Congrats to the Miami (OH) Redhawks for winning their first game after 31 straight losses. And they came back from a 41-14 deficit to do it. Impressive boys. You have escaped the island. Now win a few and stay off it....

5) Kent State 0-5. They've come close, but thus far, no, they haven't been able to beat anyone. The Golden Flashes can't run the ball, but otherwise they aren't embarrassingly bad. And with a game vs. UMass approaching, they may bet off the schnide. (This Week: vs. UMass, Our Pick: Kent St. 38, UMass 28)

4) Idaho 0-5. Yup, the Vandals managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when they threw an interception late in their loss to Texas State while driving for a potential game winning score. But that is par as they say. (This Week: heh-heh at Ga.Southern, Our Pick: Ga. Southern 47, Idaho 14)

3) Troy 0-5. Poor Larry Blankney. He's retiring after leading the Trojans to huge success over the past 25-years. And then this years version ends up being a stinker. They had a chance last week to beat La.Monroe, but lost on a late Field Goal. (This Week: vs. New Mexico St., Our Pick: NM State 37, Troy 33)

2) SMU 0-5. The good news...the Ponies scored double figures vs. East Carolina, tallying 24 points. The bad--they gave up 45 and still lost badly. Props to them for doubling their point production for the year. (This Week: BYE)

1) UMass 0-5. Oh boy. They've had two chances to win and blown both of them. How do you get a 41-14 lead over Miami (OH) and lose 42-41? That is really, really hard to do. Yet they did it and will remain at the bottom until they can prove something...anything to us. (This Week: see #5)

Because we said so:

CFB: The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: No Cupcakes!

We always cringe the first two weeks of the College Football season knowing full well that most of the "Power of 5" schools and quite often other D-1 schools play teams that have no chance of beating them, but are just in it for the paycheck.

Not because we're afraid someone might get hurt, but because it's an insult to the fans. It's like going to see the 4th exhibition game of the NFL preseason. You pay full price and get half the product.



But anyway...

Rosie

We start the season 12-1 because, well, we're just that good. But really it's not hard to say pick Alabama to beat Florida Atlantic or FSU to beat Citadel.

I'm pretty sure even Rosie our Lab/Terrier pup
could have picked those games:

And no, there's no truth to the rumor that this photo was taken shortly after she'd eaten a cupcake either...

But we digress...

There are some better games on the slate this week as most of the better teams begin the heart of their conference schedules....

We should note the shadow looming over several teams, including FSU, which is now facing a federal investigation over the way the handled the investigation of defending Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston after some pretty serious allegations a couple years ago.

But, alas, we forgot to post our introductory video last week, so without further ado...



And to quote the late Casey Kasem, "It's time to get 'On With the Countdown'"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

Tell 'em Naitch--



1) FSU 2-0. So yeah, they took care of the Citadel and apparently survived with all their knees intact. Though they didn't light 'em up either. It's time to get serious this week...we think. Okay maybe. (This Week: vs. Clemson. Our Pick: FSU 43, Clemson 30)

2) Oregon 2-0. They pulled away from a solid, but slow Michigan State last week. Marcus Mariotta again flashed some sick athletic skill and the Ducks survived a physical team. Their reward? A cupcake. (This Week: vs. Wyoming. Our Pick: Oregon 41, Wyoming 20)

3) Auburn 2-0. So the Tigers should have a full stomach after eating cupcakes last week right? Will it slow them down? Not likely. A rare out of conference away game may help them sweat it out, but not much. (This Week: at Kansas St. Our Pick: Auburn 50, K-State 30)

4) Alabama 2-0. No, sorry, the Tide don't get to roll up the poll just because they shutout FAU, they're supposed to do that. And it would have been 63-0 if they finished the game. You know it would've. Anyway, Coach Kiffykins and the Great Satan seem to have settled on a QB...for now. They made the right decision. (This Week: vs. Southern Miss. Our Pick: Bama 48, S.Miss 10)

5) Texas A&M 2-0. "Trill" Hill? Really? Are you sure about copywriting that name? We're willing to bet nobody else thought of or was interested in stealing it from you. But then again, we aren't very hip, so we could be wrong. We digress. No reason stats won't get padded this week. Hope they have room for another "Cupcake". (This Week: vs. Rice. Our Pick: Aggies 57, Rice 7)

6) Georgia 1-0. No, Dawg fans, you don't get to climb in our poll because you were off last week. Though props for not slating a cupcake instead. Guess it's about time to find out if you've got any substance. And hey, a win this week, and you are the KINGS of South Carolina. Just watch out for that Spurrier guy, he's tricky. (This Week: vs. S.Carolina. Our Pick: UGA 28, SC 21)

7) Oklahoma 2-0. Sorry, we aren't buying "Big Game" Bob's hype yet. His team IS better than they've been the past couple years and yes, are probably the team to beat in the Little Nine (Big 12). But it's been all about the cupcakes to get started. A little better test this week though. (This Week: vs. Tennessee. Our Pick: Oklahoma 34, Vols 31)

8) The Pat Haden's. 2-0. Yes, we're making fun of USC. Why on God's Green Earth would the Sark have called the AD to come down to the field and fight his fight? Could he not reach his mom? Suffice to say though, Sarkasian has done well and seems to have Trojan Man back on track. (This Week: at Boston College. Our Pick: USC 30, BC 20)

9) LSU 2-0. After fattening up on a cupcake last week, Les and his boys square of with Lousiana-Monroe, a dangerous team that nearly won the SEC West a couple of years ago (think about it). But the practice time has helped youngster Leonard Fournette to already learn that he loves him some him. (This Week: vs. La.Monroe. Our Pick: LSU 34, Monroe 21)

10) Notre Dame 2-0. Welcome back Irish fans. Though you too have had a cupcake schedule, it looks like Everett Golston put his one year exile to good use. You aren't deep or good enough to win it all, but you won't run the table or stay here long either. (This Week: vs. Purdue. Our Pick: Notre Dame 37, Purr-done 10)

11) Baylor 2-0. Another team that will wow the pollsters but won't be around for your Final Four. Not gonna happen. We're thinking we may rename this team Oregon Lite. Think about it. It fits....(This Week: at Buffalo. Our Pick: Baylor 41, Buffalo 28)

12) Arizona St. 2-0. Okay. We will bite. Sure, they've gone cupcake too. But this is an up and coming program in the Pac 12. Really...they are. (This Week: at Colorado. Our Pick: ASU 37, Colorado 20)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5) SMU 0-2. Not a good week for The Mustangs. They've been outscored 88-6 in their 1st two games and their Coach walked away mid-week. Enjoy your fall. (This Week: BYE. Our Pick: BYE 44, SMU 3)

4) Florida Atlantic 0-2. Lucky for them, the Alabama game was called off in the 4th quarter. Yes, they've been outscored 96-7 this year. And it doesn't appear that it will get better. Good thing campus isn't far from the beach. (This Week: vs. Tulsa. Our Pick: Tulsa 23, FAU 3.5)

3) Vanderbilt 0-2. Welcome back Commode-dores. It's been awhile. Congrats Derrick Mason, you're making James Franklin appear to be the greatest coach in NCAA history. 10-points in 2 games? Really. You know you are in the SEC, right? (This Week: vs. UMass. Our Pick: Vandy 10, UMass 5)

2) UMass 0-2. Well, the Minutemen had a chance. They led Colorado in the 3rd quarter. And then they remembered who they are. God love ya, we wouldn't have this list if it weren't for you guys. (This Week: See #3)

1) Miami (OH) 0-2. One day the Redhawks will win again. Right? Surely they can't go 2-straight seasons without a win. And they do play in the MAC, so there's a chance. Right? Okay, maybe not. (This Week: at Michigan. Our Pick: Michigan 43, Miami OH 10)

So goes another week in the house of fun. Think you can do better? Let us know. Maybe we'll let you author the column for a week....

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Familiar Stranger (Conference Final Week)

A little obscure, but a fitting start when trying to (a) summarize possibly the craziest college football week ever (this year) and what we can only hope is the end to an endless debate.

By now, if you follow college football at all, you know what happened in the Auburn/Alabama game. It's never happened before and may never happen again...



That overshadowed such bizarre occurrences such as Brady Hoke going for the 2-point conversion and not getting it as Michigan loses to Ohio State, Georgia beating Georgia Tech in Overtime and Family Guy killing off Brian...



Ouch!

But that's enough depression.

This week is Championship Saturday--for the most part and our final picks and poll of the year. And really, because we are just not very modest, we must boast of our greatness.

Last week, we were 9-4. But we're okay with that because Southern Miss and Hawaii actually won and lifted themselves out of Bottom of the Barrel obscurity. The total for the year: 151-25.



But enough of that. As the great Casey Kasem once said, it's "On with the countdown"...

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 12-0. So. We were right all along. This is your best team until proven otherwise. Or until Willie Meggs hands down an indictment. Ooooh...yeah, I said it. In all seriousness and Brother's Jon impending voice of doom taken into account, there's nobody better. They are deep, fast, physical and play defense. 'Nuff Said. This Week: ACC Championships vs. Duke. Our Pick: FSU 43, Duke 17

2) Ohio State 12-0. Yeah, I'm a little torn. But unlike most College Football fans in the south, I don't believe the SEC is the schizz this year. And as much as tOSU lucked out a few times, the fact is, they haven't lost. They'll face their toughest test to date this week. This Week: Big 10 Championship. Our Pick: tOSU 23, Mich. St. 21

3) Auburn 11-1. Ask any self-respecting Auburn fan if they thought they'd be here this season. The answer is no. But yet they are. The Tigers are young and will get better. Which should make you nervous. Luck is an awesome thing, but at some point that luck runs out. This Week: SEC Championship. Our Pick: Missouri 41, Auburn 37

4) Missouri 11-1. Bravo to Gary Pinkel and his charges. Possibly the most underrated team out there. Great job staying the course after James Franklin's injury. They've done everything asked of them this year and if not for Pinkel's brain fart vs. S.Carolina, this is your BCS title team. This Week: SEC Championships. Our Pick: see above

5) Alabama 11-1. Can't say the Tide didn't go out without a fight, but geez, the Great Saban made a couple of what in retrospect could be called "odd" decisions. We've said all along this is not his best or most talented team and turns out we were right. This Week: Bowl Game

6) Oklahoma State 11-1. Wait a minute, did someone ask if Mike Gundy was a Van Gundy brother. Oh...sorry, I heard that wrong. My bad. Though it would be funny if he were a short, overweight, balding guy with a Ron Jeremy mustache. Ha! This Week: vs. Oklahoma. Our Pick: Okie St. 31, Oklahoma 23.

7) Stanford 10-2. So, 10 wins and a spot in the Pac-12 title game. And the season was a bit of a disappointment. Wow! Talk about your expectations. But really, we bit too. We thought they were Alabama east. A bad loss to Utah and a loss to USC cost them dearly. This Week: PAC-12 Championships. Our Pick: Arizona St. 37, Stanford 27 UPSET!

8) Michigan St. 11-1. It didn't start pretty for Sparty, but low and behold, they have a say in the BCS title matchup. Something tells us every CFB fan south of Kentucky and east of Texas will be pulling for them to beat Ohio State. And they'll come close. This Week: Big 10 Championship. Our Pick: see #2

9) Arizona St. 10-2. Talk about flying under the radar. Nobody thought these guys were serious beginning the year. But the wayward traveller Todd Graham may actually know what he's doing. Go figure. This Week: Pac-12 Championship. Our Pick: see #7

10) Northern Illinois 12-0. Cinderella, meet the rest of the world. Those of us in the know, yeah, we've known how good you are. Yeah, we're talking about you Jordan Lynch. 321 yds rushing last week. For a QB. 22 passing TD's, 20 running. Your best player in america. Right here guys. This Week: MAC Championships. Our Pick: N.Illinois 47, Bowling Green 31

11) Oregon 10-2. Geez, talk about limping home. Losers 2 of the final three and barely escaping Oregon State. Guys, everyone thought you were better than that. But they may have been wrong. Still, too much talent to dismiss. But hey, there's always next year again. This Week; Bowl Game

12) Duke 10-2. They get the nod because really, who out there actually thought the Blue Devils would be in the ACC title game? Anyone? If this doesn't prove David Cutcliffe is a miracle worker, nothing will. And he's one of the nicest coaches we've ever met too. This Week: See #1

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



And so winds up the last of our dreaded poll. The worst of the worst. The teams who everyone wants to play. Well, sort of.

Special shout out to Southern Miss and Hawaii for their big wins last week. We wish you nothing but success and hope you never end up here again....

5) Florida 4-8. This was just sad guys. Yeah, sure, we know you had injuries, but so did everyone else. Your biggest injury may have been coaching your offense. Though it may take years to recover from the poor recruiting on that side of the ball. Karma is a bit of a bitch...ain't she...

4) Florida International 1-11. It's over now. You can stop watching. This team was every bit as bad as you'd think they'd be and that in no way shape or form is a compliment. They averaged 9.8 points a game. Really. They did. We didn't know Ron Turner was the coach until later in the year, but that explains a lot of this. Good luck in 2018.

3) Idaho 1-11. No potatoes for you! It's hard to look past a game where you gave up 80. Sure, it was FSU, but still. Have some pride. Somehow you beat Temple, but never threatened anyone else. Pity poor Paul Petrino, the likeable Petrino brother. Maybe he's not cut out for this head coach thing. Or maybe he inherited some crappy talent. Only time will tell.

2) Georgia St. 0-12. So, Panther fan, how are you enjoying life in FCS level football? Yeah, thought so. Most teams wait until they have some lower level success before moving up to the big time, but not these guys. And, well, they paid the price. Trent Miles is a good coach and we expect respectability here, it just may take a couple years.

1) Miami (OH) 0-12. Congratulations Red Hawks fan. You win the 2013 B.O.B trophy. Your own toilet bowl. But hey, at least you found a new head coach, Chuck Martin, former O.C at Notre Dame. So what if the Irish offense hasn't been that great the past few years, at least the credentials sound good on paper. Let's see if you can defend your title in 2014.

So the season, as we know it, comes to an end. It was a good, if somewhat uneventful season and we say that knowing full well what happened last week.

This will be the final year of ours and your favorite College Football thing--the BCS, next year the playoff begins. We'll be back. And we'll be ready to roll. We hope you are too....

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: I Thought Turkey's Could Fly

If you have no idea about this or what it is....look up WKRP in Cincinnati, a TV show from the early 1980's. If you do that, the above video will be very funny.

Kinda like those of us who actually bought into the Baylor Bears...or the Oregon Ducks. By now you know Baylor blew their BCS opportunity after getting hammered by Oklahoma State last week. That overshadowed flashy media darlings Oregon, who coming off a loss to Stanford decided that it wasn't worth showing up to play Arizona.

But enough of that. It's Thanksgiving. Rivalry week. The week you get to talk trash and say mean things about other teams.

((Note--I said plenty about my Georgia Southern Eagles over the past few days. I stopped laughing on Tuesday))



And we aren't laughing about this week. The week where all of College Football will be focusing on the state of Alabama. (More in a minute)

Last Week: Okay, we struggled. A little. 13-2. That makes us 142-21 on the season.



Yeah....

So, in the immortal words of Casey Kasem, it's "On with the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 11-0. As long as or until Jameis Winston is a free man, FSU is #1 in our book. They have crushed...everyone they've played. And young Mr. Winston, should he get in trouble, won't BE in trouble until after Thanksgiving. Or what's commonly known as AFTER the Florida game. This Week: at Florida. Our Pick: FSU 48, Florida 10

2) Alabama 11-0. Hmmmm....now we get to find out if they are REALLY the big dog or not. And yes, we know the past history. We just aren't convinced of this years version. Because much like Ohio State, the schedule, well, hasn't been impressive. This Week: at Auburn. Our Pick: Alabama 41, Auburn 37

3) Ohio St. 11-0. Yes, they talk lots of crazy talk about Michigan. Heck, Urbane Meyer even banned Sports Writers from wearing dark blue to practice. And yes, it's as childish as it sounded. Nothing seems to make the Buckeye's sphincters tighter than saying Michigan it appears. Lucky for them the Wolverines aren't very good. This Week: at Michigan. Our Pick: Ohio St 38, Michigan 23

4) Missouri 10-1 Well, they bounced back. The Tigers could easily be 11-0 and in the BCS title talk, but they gagged vs. South Carolina. They still may pay heavily for that. Still, this is a well balanced, strong team that we think will be good for many years to come. This Week: vs. Texas A&M. Our Pick: Mizzou 43, Johnny Football's 34

5) Auburn 10-1. Talk about being on a roll. The week off most certainly will help the Tigers, who are still catching their breath after the Georgia win 2 weeks ago. We do think they have a punchers chance this week since the Iron Bowl is at their place. Though we do think this is the week where luck runs out. This Week: See #2

6) Oklahoma St. 10-1. Yay for the Fighting Gundy's. He may be a man and he may be 46 now, but this also arguably may be his best, but not most talented team. They totally dominated Baylor last week. In every way. Gotta make it last another week. This Week: vs. Oklahoma. Our Pick: Okie St. 31, OU 23

7) Clemson 10-1. Say this for Clemson. They are resilient. They started oh, so well and aside from totally laying an egg vs. Florida State, they've won everything else. Though some of the games have been too close for comfort. This Week: at South Carolina. Our Pick: South Carolina 33, Clemson 27.

8) South Carolina 10-2. Again, they haven't been impressive, but they keep winning. If not for the narrow escape at Missouri and UCF, they'd be 8-4 and not even in this conversation. But instead, they still have a shot at the SEC title. We'll see if that actually happens. This Week: See #9

9) Northern Illinois 11-0. Undefeated. Yes, they are undefeated. So they get to be in OUR poll. And they have the guy who SHOULD win the Heisman, Jordan Lynch (he won't). They still may sneak into the BCS, which would be VERY interesting. This Week: vs. W.Michigan. Our Pick: N.Illinois 47, W.Michigan 23

10) Fresno St. 10-0. The Bulldogs have their own worthy Heisman contender in Derek Carr. 39 passing TD's this season. Yes please. However, they won't get a BCS shot unless Northern Illinois loses. Which is unfortunate. You really should watch them play. This Week: at San Jose St. Our Pick: Fresno St. 43, San Jose St. 27.

11) Stanford 9-2. So, they got beat by USC 2 weeks ago. Not a bad loss. At least not as bad as the Utah loss. Still, don't underestimate the Tree. They could beat a lot of teams ranked above or near them. But we'll never find out. At least not this season. This Week: vs. Notre Dame. Our Pick: Stanford 33, Notre Dame 21

12) Michigan St. 10-1. Finally another Big 10 team steps up to the plate. The Spartans got off to a rough start, though the defense never waned. If not for a hiccup with Notre Dame, they'd be in a different group too. And facing off with Ohio State in the conference title game, still gives them a shot. This Week: vs. Minnesota. Our Pick: Michigan St. 27, Minnesota 10

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL



5) Florida 4-7. Yeah, we could have gone the easy route with some winless teams. But why? Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha! You lost to my alma mater. You will never live this down. EVER! The Tebow seems like he graced you with his presence decades ago now, doesn't he? So sorry. This Week: see above #1

4) Hawaii 0-10. Give them credit, they didn't quit. Losing to Wyoming last week in OT is not embarrasing.



But poor Norm Chow, once the most respected offensive coach in all of College Football. Now he's overseeing this. Wah, wah, wah! This Week: vs. Army. Our Pick: Army 34, Hawaii 28

3) Georgia State 0-11. Again, nice effort. If not for a missed 2-pt conversion, the Panthers may have escaped our little list. But alas, Arkansas State escaped with the victory. This Week: vs South Alabama. Our Pick: Ga.State 31, S.Alabama 21 UPSET!!

2) Miami (OH). oh and 11. Thank god it ends on Friday. No, not the world silly, the Redhawks season. One that to them probably seems like it started in 2003. They did reach double figures 5 times this season. So there is that. This Week: at Ball St. Our Pick: Ball St. 44, Miami (OH) 7

1) Southern Miss. 0-11. Oh, wither the poor Golden Eagles. Another season, no wins. Maybe a win in 2014? The odds are in your favor. We think. Things certainly can't get much worse. Can they? This Week: vs. UAB. Our Pick: UAB 20, S.Miss 13

And so we come to the end of another season. Yes, there will be a final poll and conference title picks--but that will be it. And then there will be the bowl games.

Enjoy your turkey, enjoy your football and enjoy your holiday travel. We'll see you next week....

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: I Want You to Want Me

Yeah, kinda gave that away in the headline, didn't I?

Oh well, that doesn't matter. What does matter, we're two weeks away from Conference Championship weekend.

And what follows that?

The coaching carousel…oh wait, that's a different column.



Now imagine you are Auburn…and you have another week to wait. Before you play Alabama. With a chance to ruin their season. And make the BCS the hot mess it should always be….

Tell 'em Naitch:



But really, truly, it's been a strange but true season where only the strong survive (no, I'm not posting an REO Speedwagon song here)

Got that Stanford?

Anyway, another great week for us. Yes, that's right 15-0 baby! I picked the USC upset, look it up. Overall, that makes us 128-19 on the season.

But enough about us, as Casey Kasem always said, "On with the countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 10-0. No, Jameis Winston isn't going to be suspended before the season ends. Yes, FSU isn't going to lose the rest of the season. That includes the ACC title game. Yes, they are the best team in CFB this year. Such is life. This Week: FSU 57, Idaho 3

2) Alabama 10-0. They aren't always pretty, but pretty much they always win. Beating Miss State was an unexpected struggle. The question is are they already looking ahead to the Iron Bowl? And are they really the "Best Team"?



Tell 'em Naitch. This Week: vs. Chattagnooga (really?) Our Pick: Alabama 48, UTC 10

3) Baylor 9-0. Yes, we are believers. Call them outliers, not a "Name" program, whatever you want, we love teams that aren't supposed to be in the Top 5, being in the Top 5. If you haven't seen these guys play, and you are a football fanatic, you really should watch. This Week: at Oklahoma St. Our Pick: Baylor 47, Okie St. 30

4) Ohio St. 10-0. Best band, 4th best team. Life. We've said it before, the big 10 is killing you. We've seen some OSU fans whining about Baylor's schedule? Really? This Week: vs. Indiana Our Pick: tOSU 53, Indiana 21

5) Oregon 9-1. We're guessing the Ducks sent a nice thank you gift to Ed Orgeron after this past week. Pac 12 Title hopes--re-energized. We don't think the Ducks will get higher than this though and if one of the one loss teams runs the table and wins their conference, they'll be bypassed. This Week: at Arizona. Our Pick: Oregon 51, Arizona 28

6) Missouri 9-1. Now we find out if you belong. Two games. One the road, one at home. Win them and you go to Atlanta. Lose one...or both. And it's Outback Bowl time for you. James Franklin is back can he carry you over the finish line? This Week: at Ole Miss. Our Pick: Mizzou 33, Ole Miss 23

7) Auburn 10-1. Yes, Tiger fans, you are a MUCH improved team. But miracle or not, you did not deserve to win vs. Georgia. You can't give up 21 4th quarter points to anyone and be a title contender. Sorry. Harvey-Clemons knocks that pass down, this is a different conversation. But better days are ahead, so enjoy the ride. This Week: BYE (resting up for 'Bama)

8) Clemson 9-1. So, it appears, somewhere, you guys found your Mojo. Or at least Tajh Boyd did. Except he's kinda beat up now after destroying Georgia Tech. Good thing the next game is a practice game. This Week: vs. Citadel. Our Pick: Clemson 41, Citadel 9

9) Fresno St. 9-0. Okay, this is our poll. No 2 Loss teams allowed. Plus we can have our personal favorites. Ha! This is looking an awful lot like an undefeated team ya know. Derek Carr has thrown for 32 TD passes already. And has 2 games left. Top that! This Week: vs. New Mexico. Our Pick: Fresno St. 37, New Mexico 17

10) Northern Illinois 10-0. Keeping with our theme of undefeated here. The Huskies just keep on rollin'. Sure they are only 16th in the BCS, but you try going undefeated unless you are Alabama or Florida State….Plus we love us some Jordan Lynch. 21 Passing TD's, 14 Running. Top that Derek Carr. This Week: at Toledo. Our Pick: NIU 41, Toledo 31

11) UCF 8-1. So the Knights are 8-1 and play in the AAC (the aack!) But hey, they're dominating it. And are on the list of teams that should've beaten South Carolina (talking bout you Mizzou).  We're pretty sure Georgie isn't going to let them cough up a hairball here (haha!). This Week: vs. Rutgers. Our Pick: UCF 33, Rutgers 21

12) Duke 8-2. So we lied about the 2 loss thing. Is Duke this good? No, probably not. But they aren't bad either. And are getting no love. Coach Cut is one of the nicest guys in the biz and obviously is a pretty darn good coach. They could win 10 by seasons end. Wow! This Week: at Wake Forest. Our Pick: Duke 31, Wake 21

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5. UConn 0-9. I'll bet the folks in Storrs will be really happy when the season ends. If it feels like it dragged on forever, it's because it has. Really, we can't add anything else to their misery. Nor do we want to. This Week: at Temple (yikes). Our Pick: Temple 17, UConn16

4, Hawaii 0-10. So, good thing the weather is nice there in Hawaii. The football sure isn't. bwahahaha! Thank you very much, we'll be here all week. Try the veal. Oh, where have you gone Norm Chow, where have you gone? You were an up and comer not so long ago. ---sigh--- This Week: at Wyoming Our Pick: Wyoming 41, Hawaii 33

3) Georgia St. 0-10. Say this for the Panthers, they haven't quit fighting. They just keep losing. We keep saying it. You need FCS talent to play in the FCS. The Panthers were a bad FBS team, that doesn't translate into success. This Week: at Arkansas State. Our Pick: Ark State 45, GaState 30

2) Miami (OH). 0-10. We finally realized the OH stands for "Oh, gawd they are awful." And if it weren't for Southern Miss, this is your "Worst Team in College Football". Bar none. Really, the Redhawks don't do anything well. Certainly, they haven't added to the MAC-action. This Week: vs. Buffalo. Our Pick: Buffalo 47, Miami (O)

1) Southern Miss 0-10. Poor, poor Southern Miss. We approach another holiday season and they still haven't won a game. That makes the 3rd, since they haven't won dating back to late December…of 2011. Which ironically was a bowl game. This Week: vs. Middle Tennessee. Our Pick: MTSU 44, S. Miss 12

SPECIAL MENTION: Florida 4-6. This is the worst Gator team in, well, a couple decades. They can't throw, they can't run, they can't score and well, they've lost 5 in a row. This week they play our Alma Mater (Ga. Southern) a team the Gators should easily beat by 30 or more. There within lies the challenge. To win by 30, that would mean Florida would have to score at least 30. And maybe we are wrong, but we don't see that happening. This Week: vs. Ga. Southern. Our Pick: UF 17, Ga.Southern 10.

((NOTE---To my Florida friends. (Yes, I grew up in Florida), if you lose to us. You WILL NOT ever hear the end of it. I do not expect to beat you. Nor should we beat you. For your sake, that needs to be what happens. Consider yourselves warned))

Tell 'em Mick:

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Duck, Duck, Goose

Dear Oregon Fans,

Please stop comparing yourselves to SEC schools. While yes, you can beat a good majority of them, you still can't hang with the Alabama's...or apparently Stanford's of the world.

Signed,

The BCS

Yeah, so that happened. For the second year in a row, Stanford takes care of the Oregon national championship dream.

And in the process, narrowed down our field.

Tell 'em Naitch--



So last week wasn't one of our best. Still we went 8-3 picking games, making the grand total: 113-19. Think about it.

But enough self-promoting drivel, time as Casey Kasem always says to "Get on with the countdown"....

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida St. 9-0. Yes, we know about Jameis Winston being tied to a 2012 sexual assault case. No, it doesn't change anything in 2013. This is your best team. We'd take 'em over Alabama. Really, we would.
This Week: vs. Syracuse. Haha! Our Pick: FSU 57, Syracuse 12

2) Alabama 9-0. Nicely done gentlemen. A good win vs. a game, but undermanned LSU team. You have done well to get here. Your only remaining test should be Auburn. Who oustide 'Bama will be happy to see them in the BCS title game again? Anyone?



This Week: at Mississippi St. Our Pick: Alabama 31, Miss St. 13

3) Ohio St. 9-0. Congratulations on your big promotion. Yes, Buckeye fan, you are now one slip away from BCS title land. Where you'll summarily get your ass handed to you by the best team you'll have played in two years. But that argument is for another day. This Week: at Illinois. Our Pick: tOSU 51, Illinois 10

4) Baylor 9-0. We aren't so sure this isn't your #3 team, but for the sake of argument right now, we'll keep the Bears here. Mighty Oklahoma and Bob Stoops hung with them. For about a quarter. Don't expect anyone else to keep up either. This Week: vs. Texas Tech. Our Pick: Baylor 49, T-Tech 20

5) Stanford 8-1. Well done gentlemen. A nice win over Oregon. Again. Now if we could only explain the Utah loss and, well, you'd be on top of the world.



But we digress. This Week: at USC. Our Pick: USC 37, Stanford 31 UPSET ALERT!!

6) Auburn 9-1. Oh boy. Where do we start? Okay, raise your hand if you thought the Tigers would be this good, this fast. Yeah....thought so. Believe it or not folks, though they may not make the BCS title game, this is the team will have a big say in who will. This Week: vs. Georgia. Our Pick: Auburn 27, Georgia 23

7) Oregon 8-1. So, is it now safe to say, much like pulling a Clemson, you can pull an "Oregon" and lose a game later in your season that cost you a title shot? Yes? We can? Alright, great, we'll keep that one in our vernacular. This Week: vs. Utah. Our Pick: Oregon 37, Utah 31

8) Missouri 9-1. So Tiger fan, how much is that South Carolina gag job hurting you? Answer: A Lot. Though to your credit, you've rebounded from that well. Win this week...it's Atlanta and the SEC title game for you. This Week: BYE

9) Clemson 9-1. Finally, you got your bye week. After 9 long weeks. A chance to catch your breath and watch the rest of the world zoom right on by. If FSU wins this week, it's Chick-Fil-A city for you at the end of the year Baby! This Week: vs. Ga.Tech. Our Pick: Clemson 38, Ga.Tech 33

10) Fresno State 9-0. Yes, that's right. We put an undefeated team in the World's GREATEST poll. Mostly because, well, it's our poll. And we don't have to answer to anyone else. This Week: BYE

11) Northern Illinois 9-0. World, meet Jordan Lynch. Jordan Lynch, meet world. This game is being played as we write this. Sorry, the delay couldn't be avoided. Really, I shouldn't be writing this tonight. But anyway, I owe it to you, all 10 of you who read this. Enough. This Week: vs. Ball St. Our Pick: NIU 37, Ball St. 33

12) UCF 7-1. No, we don't know how the Knights are two weeks behind everyone else. But it doesn't matter. This is one of the better teams, you've never seen play. Big Blake Bortles, another pretty darn good QB and one you've never heard of. This Week: at Temple. Our Pick: UCF 41, Temple 20

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5) UMass 1-8. They're back! The Minutemen got a reprieve earlier this season after beating Miami (OH), but 3 straight losses bring them back to the promised land. We don't think they'll escape this time.



But they are here. This Week: vs. Akron. Our Pick: Akron 37, UMass 13

4) FIU 1-8. Wha, wha, wha! But hey, at least Carl Pellini wasn't your coach. But you have Ron Turner? Wha? Really? Okay, maybe you do have it pretty bad. This Week: at UTEP. Our Pick: UTEP 23, FIU 21

3) Georgia State 0-9. It's been a tough year for Trent Miles and his boys. We hate to put them on the list, they've played hard all season. But they haven't always played well. And there's the whole Oh-fer thing. This Week: vs. La-Lafayette. Our Pick: LaLaf 40, Ga.State 17

2) Miami, OH 0-9. More MAC action on a Wednesday? Wha? Is there some sort of deadline conspiracy thing going here? Who plays college football on Wednesday night? Come on man! This Week: at Kent St. Our Pick: Kent St. 30, Miami (OH) 12

1) Southern Miss 0-9. We are giving lots of thought on just giving them the "All-Time" Barrel Champ belt. (need to make one--stat). They play Florida Atlantic this week and even without Carl Pellini, FAU is actually the favorite. That's just sad. This Week: FAU 3 Pellini's, Southern Miss 2

Ponder this: (No, not you Sam...or Christian)

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Cruel to be Kind

Yeah, this is one of our all-time favorites...and it fits this week:



Oh you Nick Lowe....

Yeah, it was a tough week for some: We're talking about you Missouri. Blew a chance to essentially clinch the SEC East by gagging in the 4th quarter vs. South Carolina.

But that's on you. We figured you would at some point. And you did us all a favor by eliminating another undefeated team from the equation, so that's not such a bad thing.



Oh, geez, now we've done it, we've introduced Nic Cage into the equation. Chaos can only follow...

But a look back--Last week: 14-2, back on track, 94-16 for the season. Pretty damn good, eh!



But enough Nic Cage, it's time as Casey Kasem always said...to get "On with the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 7-0. Yep, we did it. Brother Jon is going to laugh...or cry here, but you can make a case for this being the best team in all the land. There is always the specter of the ACC choke, but we don't think Jameis Winston will allow it. This Week: vs. Miami, Our Pick: FSU 37, Miami 20

2) Oregon 8-0. Winning against easy competition--check. Winning against obnoxious competition---yep. Beating a good UCLA team, yep, check that too. No reason to think anything will change, though we still wonder how they'll hold up against a physical team. Guess we'll find out. This Week: at Stanford. Our Pick: Oregon 41, Stanford 27

3) Alabama 8-0. Sorry, to be king, you have pass a series of tests. And Crimson Tiders, you haven't been tested this year other than vs. Johnny Football. And if he had even a lick of defense, Texas A&M would have beaten you. We'll find out what'cha got next week. This Week: BYE

4) Baylor 7-0. Can we just say that if Texas dumps Mack Brown, Art Briles should be the man to lord over Austin. But then again, why leave Baylor, they're pretty damn good. Admittedly, they resemble Oregon teams of the past few years, but so what? This Week: vs. Oklahoma, Our Pick: Baylor 43. Oklahoma 31

5) Ohio State 8-0. Okay, we admit it. The whitewashing of Penn State was impressive. But it was Penn State, not Alabama, not Oregon nor any other Top 5 team. It's not gonna help you to face Purdue and Illinois the next 2 weeks. This Week: at Purdue. Our Pick: tOSU 48, Purdue 10

6) Stanford 7-1. So your season is now pretty much on the line Cardinal. Still can't figure out how you lost to Utah, but you did. Here's your chance to redeem that. Are you up to the task? This Week: See #2

7) Clemson 7-1. Another disappointing team. We really thought more of these guys. Yeah, sure, they followed up the FSU embarrassment with a win over Maryland, but it wasn't exactly impressive either. This Week: at Virginia, Our Pick: Clemson 43, Virginia 17

8) Miami 7-0. Yeah, sorry, we aren't buying you as returning to your "U" days of lore. You've beaten up on mostly Little Sisters of the Poor and were lucky to escape Wake Forest. Yeah, not impressed. Sorry. This Week: see #1

9) Auburn 7-1. Looks like they are back. You can easily make the argument Gus Malzahn for coach of the year. Especially if the Tigers keep winning. Couple of tests lay ahead though and Nick Marshall is a bit dinged up. That might be a problem. This Week: at Arkansas, Our Pick: Auburn 37, Ark.23

10) Northern Illinois 8-0. Yes, that's right. Best team you've never heard of. And Jordan Lynch is the best college QB you've never heard of. 18 TD passes, 8 TD runs. Beat that? Yeah, didn't think so. This Week: vs. UMass, Our Pick: Northern Illinois 47, UMass 7

11) Missouri 7-1. That was an ugly loss last week and may be the end of the run here. Though James Franklin's possible return could change some things. We'll give you guys another week. Prove you belong. This Week: vs. Tennessee, Our Pick: Missouri 33, Tennessee 21

12) Fresno St 7-0. Yes, that's right. We're take a Mountain West team to round out the dozen. Why not? We don't think Oklahoma is that good, LSU and Texas A&M have lost twice. Not to say they won't return, but we'll give Fresno the love here. This Week: vs. Nevada, Our Pick: Fresno St. 44, Nevada 29

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5) Umass 1-7.



Yes, yes you are. Nothing else needs to be said. Prove us wrong. This Week: See #10

4) UConn 1-7. Not sure what the Huskies and UMass say about football in the Northeast, we'll leave that to your imagination. But man, we hope those two teams never play. At least not on TV. This Week: vs. Louisville (ouch), Our Pick: Louisville 53, UConn 10

3) Georgia State 0-8. Sorry guys. Close ain't gonna cut it. You haven't beaten anyone. And we're pretty sure you aren't going to beat anyone left on your schedule.



Truth---This Week: vs. W.Kentucky, Our Pick: WKY 37, Ga.State 21

2) Miami (OH) 0-8. No, the OH, doesn't mean "owe", it means "zero" as in that many wins. You aren't getting out of the basement here guys. Ain't happening. Your top 2 running backs, a combined "zero" TD's. Sensing a trend here. This Week: vs Bowling Green (Nov 5), Our Pick: Bowling Green 37, Miami 0

1) Southern Miss 0-8. It was a nice gesture by the student body to hold a support rally for you. Really, it was. They have to be as confused as we are, didn't this used to be a pretty good, "Mid-Major" program? Really, it couldn't have been that long ago, could it? This Week: at Marshall, Our Pick: Marshall 42, Southern Miss 12

Yes, New Mexico State finally won a game. So they get the week off---our list that is...

Maybe they just wanted some cake---ENJOY!

The Dirty Dozen and The Bottom of the Barrel: The Overrated Edition

Uh..yeah, so there's that.

Anyone else notice that the 1st week of the "BCS" poll and there's always a slew of upsets? Not that we are throwing conspiracy theories out or anything.

And really, you could apply this chant to pretty much anyone in the SEC this season (Yeah, I said it!--Prove I'm wrong)



Clemson, slaughtered, UCLA, barely a whimper, Texas A&M, bye-bye. Oh, and don't forget Louisville....sigh...

It was a tough week to pick games, but this is a marathon not just a one week thing. Keeping that in mind...here's the tally so far. 10-6 Yikes!!  But 80-14 on the season...



Ha!

As Casey Kasem always said, "Let's get on with the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Oregon 7-0. Kinda would like to see Nick Aliotti (sp?) and Mike Leach square off after last weeks aerial circus in Oregon. But seriously now. And no, don't call me Shirley...



In all seriousness. Ha! The Ducks do face their toughest stretch of the season get through the next 2 weeks...This Week : vs. UCLA, Our Pick: Oregon 47, UCLA 31

2) Florida State 6-0. Yes, really. They embarrassed Clemson. Though admittedly, Clemson kinda made that a little easier. Is there any doubting Famous Jameis now? The ACC is there for the taking. And this time a BCS berth too. This Week: vs. NC State, Our Pick: FSU 41, NC State 20

3) Alabama 7-0. Oh how the mighty have fallen. And don't blame them, the other guys have accomplished more this year. Really. Look it up. Beating Arkie 52-0, not a great accomplishment these days. This Week: vs. Tennessee. Our Pick: Alabama 37, Tennessee 16

4) Mizzou! 7-0. Admit it. How many of you picked them to be here at this point of the season. Stop lying bitches! We aren't sure they'll stay, but for now Gary Pinkel and Maty Mauk, enjoy the ride. This Week: vs South Carolina. Our Pick: Mizzou 27, SC 23

5) Ohio St. 7-0.



No, sorry, you don't. It's not all your fault, your Big 10 brethren are killing you. Even the ones you don't play. But like all good things in CFB, run the table and you get an invite to the dance. The Bucks more than likely will do just that. This Week: vs. Penn St. Our Pick: tOSU 33, Penn St. 31

6) Baylor 6-0. My new favorite team...this year. Come on' man, 64 ppg this year, how can you not love that? And they only give up 16. But they haven't been tested either. That's about to change. This Week: vs. Kansas, Our Pick: Baylor 64, Oklahoma 16

7) Miami 7-0. Dodged a bullet last week 'Canes, didn't ya? It is such an ACC thing to do, almost lose a game you shouldn't. Squeaking by a weak North Carolina team isn't a Top 10 type thing. But anyway. This Week: vs. Wake Forest, Our Pick: Miami 37, Wake 10

8) Texas Tech 7-0. Oh you crazy Kliff Kingsbury, the Big Schools gonna come calling. Very, very soon. Will you stay at the alma mater? You've done a nice job in Lubbock so far. Even if Lubbock is the middle of nowhere. This Week: at Oklahoma. Our Pick: UPSET!! Oklahoma 27, Texas Tech 26

9) Clemson 6-1. Wah, wah, wah....we knew the Tigers would lay an egg at some point, we just didn't think it would be in their biggest game of the season. But there's time to make up for it. Sorta....This Week: at Maryland. Our Pick: Clemson 48, Maryland 13

10) Stanford 6-1. Nice recovery vs. UCLA. We had you way overrated it appears....---sigh---but once again, there is plenty of time to make up for it. But'cha gotta start now. This Week: at Oregon St., Our Pick: Stanford 37, Oregon St. 33

11) Auburn 6-1. Your welcome Mrs. Nelson. We now know the answer as to who was the "real" coach of this team when they won the 2010 title. And no, it wasn't the Chizik. Great start for the Tigers and Nick Marshall is proving to be the real deal. Of course he torched a crappy Aggie D, so take it with a grain of salt. This Week: vs. Florida Atlantic. Our Pick: Auburn 52, FAU 10

12) UCF 5-1. Yes, UCF! Bitches! So they really don't warrant this, but they proved Louisville a fraud and nearly beat South Carolina (should have). Plus we were raised nearby in Longwood, so we love the Orlando area. This Week: vs. UConn. Our Pick: UCF 31, UConn 10

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5) UConn 0-6. Oh, the horror. Oh and six and a new coach and little to no chance of pulling out of your tailspin. We feel so bad for you. Well, okay, maybe not. Expect the pain to continue. This Week: See #12

4) Western Michigan 0-8. Well, on the good side, only 4 more agonizing games. On the bad, you get to lose 4 more times. So you've got that to look forward to, which is nice. Hey, at least you are averagin 13 a game. Oh, yeah, you are giving up 37. So there's that too. This Week: at UMass (ew!), Our Pick: UMass 13, W.Michigan 12

3) Miami (OH) 0-7. Oh, you mighty Redhawk or Chicken Hawk or Chicken Pot Pie or whatever you call yourselves these days. You lost to Akron. And you average 10 points a game. Yeah, it's going to be a long year. But hey, basketball's around the corner! This Week: at Ohio, Our Pick: Ohio 47, Chicken Hawks 10

2) New Mexico St. 0-7. We still can't past you giving up 66 to New Mexico 3 weeks ago. How does that happen? Ever? Even if you lose? Well, anyway, now's your chance to escape, you play an FCS team just starting in FBS. Oh, wait, they've won 5 games. That's 5 more than you. This Week: vs. Abilene Christian. Our Pick: Abilene 41, NMSt 10

1) Southern Mississippi 0-6. 18 straight losses. Wah, way! Hey, maybe you can hire Brett Favre? Heck, anyone would be an improvement. It's just hard to believe this was a powerhouse program less than a decade ago. Never would have though it. This Week: vs. North Texas. Our Pick: N.Texas 43, S.Miss 21

Don't know why, but this just popped into my head. Enjoy your Football Weekend:

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of The Barrel: Meet D-Day

So, this is sort of another "Big Week" in the College Football world and it doesn't involve Alabama or Oregon.

Meet our players

Okay, so actually the story of the week involves 2 ACC teams, Clemson and Florida St. The winner, well, they are in a prime position to make a BCS run...unless they do what ACC teams have often done in the past...

It will make sense at about the :24 mark

But enough of that. Last week was not kind to us as we appear to have gotten a bit too overconfident this season. That or the law of averages has caught up.

11-3 on the week, but some REALLY close calls. Makes yours/our total 70-8 on the season. Trust us, we know what we are doing.

So as Casey Kasem always says now it's, "On with the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN: (Time to Shock the World)

1) Oregon 6-0. Yes, we did it. We bumped them to the top of the pile. They passed the Washington test with Flying colors, take care of UCLA and Stanford and they'll run the table. And how can you not be a fan of Marcus Mariota anyway? (This Week: vs. Washington St. Our Pick: Oregon 57, Wash St. 14)

2) Alabama 6-0. Sorry Nick, we had to do it. The SEC is again kinda top heavy. And you don't play anyone until LSU. You might get your title back then, but not until. Sure you've made it look easy so far, but really, other than The Johnny Football's, you haven't played anyone. (This Week: at Arkansas. Our Pick: Alabama 38, Ark 13)

3) Clemson 6-0. So far you've passed every test. Thanks Tajh Boyd. But the big one is here. Now. In front of millions and millions world wide. Clemson. FSU. Gameday. Prime Time T.V. Tell 'em Ric

This Week: vs. FSU. Our Pick: Clemson 41, FSU 37

4) Florida St. 5-0. See above. Somebody is going home unhappy and out of the Top 5. 

5) Ohio St. 6-0. Again, another team that may run the table because their conference isn't that good. Though the SEC is MUCH stronger than the piss poor Big 10. (Yeah, we said it). Prove us wrong. (This Week: vs. Iowa. Our Pick: tOSU 37, Iowa 21)

6) UCLA 5-0. We're telling you. This is our surprise team of the year. They are much better than us on the East Coast think. West Coast too for that matter. Though there is the matter of the next two weeks. Win those, and you could be looking at another undefeated team. (This Week: at Stanford. Our Pick: UCLA 31, Stanford 28)

7) LSU 6-1. That's a good team you got there Les. And we're pulling for you if for no other reason than you are our favorite press conference head coach of all-time. And funniest. Nothing funny about pounding out a win vs. Florida last week though. Hammer and nail be damned. (This Week: at Ole Miss. Our Pick: LSU 28, Ole Miss 23)

8) Texas A&M 5-1. A good test ahead for the Johnny Football's. They've been racking up big numbers while giving up the same (32 ppg). That is going to have to stop. (This Week: vs. Auburn. Our Pick: Aggies 37, Auburn 17)

9) Miami 5-0. Return of the "U"!!! Something's gone right down in South Florida. The U is on a roll. Though admittedly, beating FAU, Savannah St., S.Florida and Ga. Tech isn't anything to write home about. Outside a date with FSU, the table is set for a strong finish too. (This Week: at N.Carolina. Our Pick: Miami 37, UNC 21)

10) South Carolina 5-1. Come on sportswriter turds. Back off Jadeveon Clowney. What did you expect? For him to jump out of a telephone book and destroy people single-handedly? He's a 21-year old kid with a world of athletic potential. Key phrase "Kid". (This Week: at Tennessee. Our Pick: S.Carolina 31, Tennessee 23)

11) Louisville 6-0. We almost dropped them out of this poll. Realistically, they wouldn't beat any of the teams ranked ahead of them. Arguably anyone in the Top 20, but that's another story for another day. (This Week: vs. UCF. Our Pick: Louisville 34, UCF 31)

12) Baylor 5-0. Yup, they were tested last week. Squeezed by K-State in Manhattan, a good win. We still like them to win the Big 12 too. Mark our words! (This Week: vs. Iowa St. Our Pick: Baylor 63, Iowa St. 18)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:

5) UConn 0-5. Hey, basketball season is just around the corner. Oh, wait? This is the football team. Yikes! Good thing they are playing in the powerhouse AAC. Oh, wait. Everyone sucks in the AAC. Yeah...see that now too. Oh well. (This Week: at Cincinnati. Our Pick: Cincy 35, UConn 21)

4) W. Michigan 0-7. Wow. 0-7 to start the season? Zoinks...and you play in the MAC. Surely you can win a game there? Oh, well, maybe not. Though you still have 2 directional Michigan schools to play, so there's that. (This Week: vs. Ball St. Our Pick: Ball St. 41, W.Michigan 10)

3) New Mexico St. 0-7. Holy Crap! You gave up 66 points to New Mexico? How does that happen? Oh, wait, you are a perennial Bottom of the Barrel team. That's how. Two words. NEW COACH. That is all. (This Week: at Rice. Our Pick: Rice 66, NMST 14)

2) Miami (OH) 0-6. We were all set to drop NM State here until we realized you lost to UMass last week. And as bad as New Mexico is, they aren't UMass bad. No excuse for losing to them. None. Okay, maybe if you hold this position it's okay. (This Week: vs. Akron. Our Pick: Miami 9, Akron 8)

1) Southern Mississippi 0-6. Aw, geez guys. You've had to simmer with the though of losing to FIU for 2 weeks. How's that eating at ya? The good news, after this week, only 6 more games left. The bad news, you may not win any of those games. (This Week: at E.Carolina. Our Pick: ECU 41, S.Mississippi 21)

After writing the Bottom list here, for some reason this was the 1st thought that popped into our head. Goodnight everyone!

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: The G Force Edition

Any of you geeks out there remember this?



Now imagine that you are the Alabama Crimson Tide...or Marcus Mariota and the Oregon Beavers...

Sportswriters across the land are hoping both can save the world and give them the game they drool over: Oregon vs. Alabama for the BCS Glass.

Will it happen?



Maybe it will....maybe it won't.

In the meantime, the field is beginning to settle, the undefeated teams are pulling away and separating themselves.

But is there REALLY a dominant team this year?

We don't think so.



Keeping that in mind, we will remind you of one constant. We are damn good at picking games...



Last week: So we leveled off 9-2 on the week, 59-5 on the season. Pretty good, isn't it...

But enough of that. As Casey Kasem always says, "On with the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Alabama 5-0. Ha-Ha. Yeah, great, you beat Ga. State. Congratulations. But you have problems Slick Nick. Apparently you have/had an assistant paying players. Yeah...uh, that's not good. The NCAA generally frowns on it. But no fear, you have no near term challengers. This Week: vs. at Kentucky. Our Pick: Alabama 44, Kentucky 13

2) Oregon 5-0. Ha-Ha. Colorado had the lead on you...for about 30 seconds. We picked you to score 59, you scored 57....missed it by __that much. A bigger test this week on the road and Gameday in the house. This Week: at Washington. Our Pick: Oregon 37, Washington 31

3) Clemson 5-0. Barely broke a sweat against the 'Cuse...in New York no less. Well done. The meat of your schedule is ahead. Don't pull a Clemson on us. You could spoil the BCS party if you don't. This Week: vs. Boston College. Our Pick: Clemson 41, BC 23

4) Stanford 5-0. Congrats. You survived Washington. Though we'd love to see David Shaw and Coach Sark in the squared circle.



This Week: vs. Utah. Our Pick: Stanford 33, Utah 27

5) Ohio State 6-0. Congrats guys, you won the toughest game on your schedule last week. Unless you monumentally choke, you are going to run the table. But you may have the worst schedule in the entire BCS. Admit it. The Big 10 is awful this year. This Week: BYE

6) Florida St. 5-0 Wow! Two ACC teams in the top 6? How does that happen? Jameis Winston happened. That's how. We love watching him play. And the 'Noles next square off with Clemson. In 2 weeks. This Week: BYE

7) Georgia 4-1. Will the last healthy guy please turn out the lights? The best of the one loss teams has lost it's Top 4 WR's, Top 2 RB's and a handful of defensive starters. But they've held on. Allegedly the schedule gets easier, but Dawg fans are probably asking when? This Week: vs. Missouri, Our Pick: UGA 31, Mizzou 27

8) LSU 5-1  Okay, can someone please explain how a Les Miles team is scoring 45 a game? Cam? Zach? Answers please. It's time to find out if the Tigers will be running with the big boys at the end of the season. This Week: vs. Florida, Our Pick: LSU 31, UF 17

9) UCLA 4-0. Foks, this is your sleeper team. Though the schedule doesn't get easier. We really like what our pal Jimmy Mora Jr has done here. Brett Hundley is awesome. Need we say more. This Week: vs Cal. Our Pick: UCLA 33, Cal 23

10) Texas A&M 4-1. We continually profess our love for Johnny Football. He is the Tim Tebow of his era. Only the heel version.



No major challenges ahead. Until late November. This Week: at Ole Miss. Our Pick: Aggies 43, Ole Miss 30

11) Oklahoma 5-0. Okay Bob Stoops. Yes, you are underrated. But will you please stop whining about the SEC? You still have to win your own conference. Which is no guarantee. This Week: at Texas. Oklahoma 34, Texas 21

12) Baylor 4-0. Ok. University of Texas. You are delusional if you don't try to hire Art Briles from Baylor. He is a genius. Pure and simple. Put this team and Oregon on the field together and we might see someone score 100. And it would be fun to watch. This Week: at Kansas St. Our Pick: Baylor 70, K-State 16 (look it up)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5) New Mexico State 0-6. Yikes. You lost to former Bottom member New Mexico 66-17? Really? How does that happen? Oh, wait, you are being outscored by 33 points a game on average. That explains it. This Week: vs. Rice. Our Pick: Rice 33, New Mexico St 0

4) Hawaii 0-5. Norm! Yes, Mr. Chow. We're talking to you. What happened? This used to be a proud team. And now this? How does that happen? Inquiring minds want to know. This Week: at UNLV. Our Pick: UNLV 40, Hawaii 20

3) UMass 0-5. So, yeah, that whole Fight Club thing from a couple weeks ago has served you guys well, hasn't it Charley Molnar? Dude. Either you can't coach, or...well. Where you stand right now tells everyone all they need to know. 7 points a game. ---sigh---This Week: vs. Miami (OH) Our Pick (do we have to?) Miami 8, UMass 7

2) Georgia St. 0-5. Yes, the mighty Saban is a kind and generous soul. 45-3. Consider yourselves lucky that you walked away relatively healthy Trent Miles and team. But your season isn't over. Don't forget. This Week: vs. Troy St. Our Pick: Troy St. 38, Ga. State 13

1) Southern Miss 0-5. Oh, Golden Eagles, how we pity you so. 17 straight losses, 4 turnovers as you go down vs. a horrible FIU team. If you could see us, we'd be shaking our collective heads. Where's Brett Favre when you need him? This Week: at East Carolina. Our Pick: ECU 47, S.Miss 13