The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Truth!

And the truth is, we've hit the College Football Playoff rankings time.

Let's just say, the way overhyped first edition left more than a few observers scratching their collective heads.

Okay, maybe not all of us.

Our point is; that's not going to be how they finish. No way. Too many rivalry games. All the SEC West teams still play one another. And TCU still has to play Kansas State.

A lot of things will change. Trust us. Things in college football always change.



Haha! Enjoy your cheesy 1980's video---

Us, we're moving on. Mostly because there's some bragging to be done here....

11-2 last week. Not bad. We've been pretty consistent this season. Consistently good that is!....Haha!

No, seriously, the 11-2 mark makes us 89-18 on the season and while not perfect, it is pretty damn impressive...

But enough about me. It's time to get "On with the Countdown"...

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 7-0. Still don't like them. Still hope they lose. But not seeing it. Jimbo Fisher is a moron who thinks the SEC and ESPN is ganging up on him. Ha! You really are stupid Jimbo. You don't get it. It's not, nor has it ever been about you. But...they still are the defending champs and as the Nature Boy always says;



And that ain't happening. This Week: at Lousiville, Our Pick: FSU 38, Louisville 31

2) Mississippi State 7-0. Sure, they struggled with a better Kentucky team. But they get credit for surviving the 1st part of their SEC gauntlet. Still have games with Bama and Ole Miss left. Survive that and yeah, you may be the man...This Week: vs. Arkansas, Our Pick: Miss St. 37, Ark. 23

3) Alabama 7-1. Are they back? Did they ever leave? Sure...they coasted after getting a quick lead on Tennessee but nobody can stop Amari Cooper on offense. He and Blake Sims have transformed a once slow motion Tide offense. And that may get them back to the title game. Sigh...This Week: BYE

4) Auburn 7-1. Time to play big boy football there Tigers. You've had a few good breaks this season. The offense has struggled at times. The defense more so. But time to step up. After this week, you still have Georgia and Alabama to deal with. This Week: at Ole Miss, Our Pick: Ole Miss 27, Auburn 23

5) Ole Miss 7-1. Best defense in all the land. And had Bo Wallace not totally brain-farted, the Rebs might still be undefeated. But that's all it takes to change the season. These guys still have a chance to get in the playoff. Win this week and all that's left is the Egg Bowl. This Week: See #4

6) Kansas St. 7-1. The Wildcats are a couple missed field goals from being undefeated. And they are much better than you think. They just quietly go about their business and in the Big 9(12), as long as you play defense you have a shot. They play defense. This Week: vs. Oklahoma St., Our Pick: K-State 38, Okie St. 31

7) Oregon 7-1. The Ducks are still the Ducks and they'll always be loved by the pollsters. And as long as they have Marcus Mariota, they have a chance to beat anyone. But as always--they still suck on defense and tend to lose if under pressure. We'll see if that holds true. This Week: vs. Stanford, Our Pick: Oregon 43, Stanford 31

8) Michigan State 7-1. Your Little 10 champs? Maybe. We should know better after this week. They've scored a ton of points this year, given up a lot too. Beat Ohio State, they are likely to walk away with the title. B1G title that is. This Week: BYE

9) TCU 7-1. The temptation is to rank them higher after Trevonne Boykin and his pals dropped 82 on Texas Tech. And hey, that makes them the #1 in scoring avg this season. But...there are still roadblocks ahead. And if the Froggies don't play better D, they won't get past them. This Week: at West Virginia, Our Pick: West By-Gawd 51, TCU 47---UPSET ALERT!!

10) Notre Dame 7-1. Confession. We are not fans of the Irish. And it sometimes affects our ranking of the boys from South Bend. But...keep in mind, it's mostly because they are usually way overrated. This, to us, is the right place for them. But they could jump if the teams ahead cannibalize themselves. This Week: at Navy, Our Pick: Notre Dame 41, Navy 23

11) Georgia 7-1. Bad news--no Todd Gurley for 2 more weeks. Good news--The Dawgs haven't needed him. The improving defense has helped UGA get the table set to make this a memorable season. But they too always seem to gag under pressure. Can they avoid it this year? This Week: vs. Florida, Our Pick: UGA 23, UF 13

12) Arizona 7-1. Go Rich Rods...A bad, close loss to to Southern Cal is the only blemish for the Wildcats. But props to these guys. They've become relevant again after a long time out of the spotlight. And hey, they beat Oregon. So that counts too. This Week: at UCLA, Our Pick: Fighting Rodriguez's 37, UCLA 30

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5) UConn 1-6. Oh, poor, poor UConn. How many years ago was it you were playing in the Fiesta Bowl game? Amazing how fast fortunes can turn. This is a bad team that is likely to run the table. Except they finish with a Toilet Bowl game vs. SMU. This Week: vs. UCF, Our Pick: UCF 37, UConn 12

4) Georgia State 1-7. Guess the Panthers picked a bad week to play the nations best running team last week. 600 plus yards and 60-plus points later, Ga. Southern walked away with a win. There may be A winnable game on the schedule, but which one? This Week: at Appalachian St., Our Pick: Appy State 37, Ga. State 21

3) Tulsa 1-6. Another team that had a good run in the not so distant past. But hard times have come to their town. And we don't know if things are going to get better either. (Cheesy 80's music references--look them up). This Week: at Memphis, Our Pick: Memphis 31, Tulsa 23

2) Troy 1-7. The Trojans need to just write off this season. It's been ug, ug, ugly and it's not going to get better either...



No, even Trojan Man can save them. This Week: at Ga. Southern, Our Pick: Ga.Southern 51, Trojan Man 27

1) SMU 0-7. Come on man! Mack Brown? Really? Mack can't be that stupid, this is a horrid team. Must have been some sort of dream by the Dallas Morning News. Right? And hey, the Mustangs hit double figures last week (10pts)...so things are looking up. This Week: BYE, Our Pick: BYE 41, SMU 3 Ha!

So...are ya ready for November? Things are getting ready to change...a lot. Too many teams playing too many teams in the polls. They will cannibalize themselves. Really, they will...just wait and see...

We leave you with New Music Thursday---a very cool song:

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: 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

OSG College Football Crystal Ball Part 2

Eastern Kentucky at #8 Louisville

What does Louisville head coach Charlie Strong think of Eastern Kentucky?

“It’s a solid football team.”

The Colonels did whip Robert Morris 38-6 last week.  Expect EKU to take the six figure check from Louisville and take a whoppin’ themselves

Louisville 55, Eastern Kentucky 3

UAB at #9 LSU

13 years ago the Blazers defeated the Tigers 13-10.  No way in hell that happens again.

LSU 42 , UAB 14

#12 Florida at Miami

Al Golden is yet to have a signature win during his tenure at Miami.  Saturday is the Hurricanes chance to make a statement and provide the benchmark win for Golden.

“It’s obviously a big game, but worrying about anything on the outside is not going to change what happens in between the lines.” Golden said.

A ton of Hurricane recruits will be in Sun Life Stadium too and Golden would like to make an impression on their young minds.

Florida head coach Will Muschamp also wants to leave a mark on South Florida.

“They have players every year, you take Broward and Dade county, those two alone, the number of players that sign out of there every year.” 

So instead of the Seminole War Canoe the two teams played for annually until 1987 the Gators and Hurricanes play to impress high school players.

It will be a close on but the “Canes prevail.

Miami 31, Florida 28

#13 Oklahoma State at Texas-San Antonio

When Mike Gundy was the quarterback for the Oklahoma State Cowboys Larry Coker was his offensive coordinator.

 “I have always enjoyed being around Coach”  Gundy said.  “As a player, I enjoyed his approach to certain plays. He kept the game simple and as a player I really enjoyed that."

“Mike has done a great job there.” UTSA head coach Larry Coker said. “He was a very smart player and tremendously competitive. He was a playmaker when there weren’t plays to be made. He was an outstanding player. He’s very confident and you can see that in their team now.”

Oklahoma State is in San Antonio for two reasons, get a win and impress recruits in Southwest Texas.

“They do a great job at recruiting Texas and I think they want to continue that.” Coker said.

The Cowboys will do both.

Oklahoma State 49, UTSA 6

#14 Notre Dame at #17 Michigan

“It's a great and historic rivalry that we'll be playing this Saturday, so let's get that out of the way right away so we don't have to answer any more questions about this rivalry.”  Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelley said.

Sounds like the Notre Dame head coach is bored with the rivalry with Michigan.

Michigan head coach Brady Hoke understands the whole nation watches this one.

 “….it must have some sort of national appeal.” Hoke said. “ Coaching in a lot of places, and maybe it's just me, but I know that whenever Michigan and Notre Dame was on TV, I was going to be watching it. I know people in Corvallis, Ore., were going to be watching it.”

And those people in Corvallis should see a Michigan win.

Michigan 21, Notre Dame 17

#15 Texas at BYU

I bet you didn’t know this, BYU has a 2-1 edge in the series.  The last time the “Horns played the Cougars in Provo they lost.

“I think it's a unique place.” Texas head coach Mack Brown said. 

Yes it is coach Brown but Longhorn nation should like the result.

Texas 35, BYU 31 

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Game On!

Yes, we're back!!!



You missed us. We know you missed us...



Since of course, we are all College Football fans, but some are new to our site, please allow us to catch you up.

This is what we at OSG Sports call our "College Football Poll". It's not just any poll, it's only what we feel are the 12 Best teams in all the land. And no, we don't believe in Preseason polls. They are complete and utter bullshit.

And by the way, we aren't biased towards teams that are allegedly good because everyone says they are.

With that in mind we will also tell you the 5 Worst teams. Why? Because where there is good, there is bad, where there is happy, there is sad (oops, sorry, went a music riff)

Anyway, without much fanfare...or further ado, we give you Week #1's Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel along with what we think will happen to each team along the way--



The Dirty Dozen:

1) Alabama (1-0) Until proven otherwise, they get to hold this perch. Maybe someone will knock them off it. Maybe they won't. But as the great Ric Flair says:



With that in mind. It ain't happening this week...the Tide have a bye

2) Clemson (1-0) Yes, Clemson. Sorry. Winning week #1 vs. Georgia and the SEC is huge for these guys. Will they choke later--probably. But for now, enjoy the spoils. (This Week: vs. South Carolina St. Our Pick: Clemson 51, SC State 13)

3) Oregon (1-0) Best team Nike can buy--bar none. And they play in the soft Pac-12. Always a good team and we love Marcus Mariota. Good luck keeping up with these guys. (This Week: at Virginia. Our Pick: Oregon 41, Virginia 23)

4) Ohio St. (1-0) Rule #1. Never count on a Big 10 team to start with a tough game. And tOSU lived up to that reputation and struggled a bit with Buffalo. They won't struggle as much this time. (This Week: vs. San Diego St. Our Pick: tOSU 37, SDSU 13)

5) South Carolina (1-0) So Jadeveon Clowney wasn't god-like in his 1st game. Big deal. Even winded, none of the fat-writers want any part of the kid. They'd rather throw stones. He'll be fine and counting his money this time next yr. (This Week: at Georgia. Our Pick: UGA 20, USC 17)

6) Stanford (0-0). Here only because they haven't played yet. They will. And they are a mirror image of Alabama. Almost. We really like coach David Shaw too. (This Week: vs. San Jose St. Our Pick: Stanford 41, SJSU 10)

7) Texas A&M (1-0) Ok, really, do you care what Johnny Football does when he's not playing football? Us either. Well, unless it's fun enough to drive traffic to our website. Yeah, we admit it. He will play again this week. And will look ahead to Alabama. (This Week: vs. Sam Houston St. Our Pick: Johnny Football 43, Sam Houston 17)

8) Lousiville (1-0) Oh, you Teddy Bridgewater. 5 TD's to start the year? And the pro scouts have commenced the drooling. Even if the writers don't pay attention. Expect the roll to continue. (This Week: vs. Eastern KY. Our Pick: Teddy Bridgewater 49, EKU 10)

9) Florida St. (1-0) Has there been anyone this year who's burst on the scene better the Jameis Winston? He's already won the Miss Congeniality award as a freshman. Just kidding. Seriously, if he's consistent at all, watch out. (This Week: BYE)

10) LSU (1-0) Alrighty, so Les hires Cam to coach Zach and the O. And they score points on opening night vs. TCU. Good sign. Right? We'll reserve judgement until the Tigers visit Athens. In the meantime. (This Week: vs. UAB. Our Pick: LSU 47, UAB 3)

11) Washington (1-0) Woo Hoo! Huskiemania rules! Well...maybe. But pounding a probably overrated Boise State in Seattle isn't a bad start either. They have a punchers chance this year with Oregon and Stanford coming to them. (This Week: BYE)

12) UCLA (1-0). So, it appears our pal Jim Mora may have found his calling in College. Good for him we say, as an NFL head coach, he was a great college coach. We always like to see people find their true calling. (This Week: BYE)


THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:




5) Oregon St. (0-1) Sorry guys, you deserve this. You lost to Eastern Washington, an FCS team. It doesn't matter whether they were good or not. You were supposed to be a Top 25 team...and you obviously are not. And that's the Bottom Line--Cause Stone Cold said so~(This Week: vs. Hawaii. Our Pick: Oregon St. 37, Hawaii 35)

4) San Diego St. (0-1) You too, SDSU shall join the FCS loser bandwagon after getting drubbed by Eastern Illinois. Yes, Eastern Illionis. 4 INT returns for TD's will do that to ya. Cause after all--that's the Bottom Line, cause Stone Cold says so. (This Week: see Ohio State)

3) Akron (0-1). So, you didn't lose to an FCS team, though you appear to play like one after getting drubbed by UCF. Tiny Terry Bowden hasn't exactly recaptured his Auburn success...or any other success as the Zips are Zip for their last 10 games. Again...after all--that's the bottom line--Cause Stone Cold says so...(This Week: vs. James Madison. Our Pick: James Madison 31, Dolly Madison...uh..Akron 21)

2) Florida International (0-1). No, you didn't lose to an FCS team either, but your coach, Carl "The Bear" Pellini called for a stop the clock downing of the ball on a 4th down play. Early candidate for bonehead of the year. Say it with me everyone--That's the bottom line--cause Stone Cold says so. (This Week: vs. UCF. Our Pick: UCF 41, FIU 7)

1) Southern Miss (0-1) Last years champ returns. Uh...yeah. About Texas State. Well, yeah...um...weren't you supposed to beat them? Nah...you didn't. Ah...sorry, our bad. You get to keep your throne for another week.



(This Week: Ha! at Nebraska. Our Pick: Nebraska 127, Southern Miss 12)

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Weird Science

So....we hit the month of November and things are becoming clear cut for everyone.

Right?



Okay, so unless you are Alabama, you are probably wondering to yourself--"How weird would it be if we lost to LSU?"



We were wondering the same thing....BEFORE the season. Now, not so much. Although, we suppose if you are a Oregon, Notre Dame, Kansas State or...well, pretty much a fan of any other school you might be hoping something strange happens.



And no...Bill Paxton won't save you.

If only he'd save us from our recent spate of poor luck. Last week: 8-4, putting the overall count at...87-22.

But we digress...and as Casey always says at this point in our show--"On with the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Alabama 8-0. So, the question is...can anyone beat 'Bama? And Magic 8 Ball says--"Probably Not". We really thought LSU had a shot. But we thought Zach Mettenberger was more talented than Jordan Jefferson too. He isn't. This will however be 'Bama's toughest test, it's never easy to win in Baton Rouge...especially at night. (This Week: at LSU. Our Pick: Alabama 23, LSU 10)

2) Oregon 8-0. No BCS fans, this isn't your 4th best team. They are a worthy #2 and you can't state a case otherwise. And hey, we were close, we picked them to go for 112 vs. Colorado last week--they scored 70. (This Week: at USC. Our Pick: Oregon 41, USC 33)

3) Notre Dame 8-0. We can't believe this either. But yet here they are. And thanks to Everett Golson, they get better every week. BCS fans should be nervous, ND has an awful schedule and could easily end up 12-0 and end the SEC run. (This Week: vs. Pitt. Our Pick: ND 31, Pitt 13) 

4) Kansas State 8-0. They just keep winning. And Collin Klein just keeps tightening his grip on the Heisman. Thankfully, for them, they play in the Little 12. We think they'll run the table...but then again, we haven't be real prescient lately either. (This Week: vs. Okie State. Our Pick: K-State 47, Okie State 37)

5) LSU 7-1. Against our better judgement..and agreeing with the BCS for once. The Tigers clock in at #5 in our poll. They've just plain sucked on offense which leads many to believe they'll fold against Alabama. But don't bet against the Death Valley atmosphere. Especially in front of a National TV Audience. Really want to...no...can't....(This Week: See #1)

6) Florida St. 8-1. They've bounced back well from their idiotic loss to NC State. And we are a little reluctant to believe in them. Mostly because they are an ACC team. And ACC teams lose games for no apparent reason. The only way they don't get a BCS bid is they choke...oh wait. (This Week: BYE)

7) Georgia 7-1. Bravo UGA for finding their cojones last week. The question is: Will you keep holding onto them?. Any team with Jarvis Jones has a chance, but Aaron Murray needs to play a full game vs. a Top 10 team. Their slim BCS hopes ride with 'Bama winning this week. (This Week: vs. Ole Miss. Our Pick: UGA 37, Ole Miss 23)

8) Florida 7-1. They get to stay 'cause this defense alone beats most teams. The problem is when tested, the offense has...well...got issues. But, the Gator fans are back, even if they now have lost 2 straight to Georgia. (This Week: vs. Missouri. Our Pick: UF 23, Mizzou 10)

9) Louisville 8-0. We told you when he took the job, Charlie Strong was gonna be a great Head Coach. He's proving it. Unfortunately, he's gonna be in the SEC next season. Teddie Bridgewater is one of the best QB's nobody has heard of. Unfortunately he plays in the Big East...which is like playing in the UFL. (This Week: vs. Temple. Our Pick: Louisville 31, Temple 21)

11) South Carolina 7-2. Hate to see what happened to star RB Marcus Lattimore last week. Class kid who is apparently universally liked. But good kids like that will be successful. Kenny Miles and Mike Davis are pretty good backups. They'll be fine. (This Week: vs. Arkansas. Our Pick: S.Carolina 31, Ark. 17)

12) Clemson 7-1. We are pretty sure a fight between Dabo Swinney and Steve Spurrier will break out at the end of the month. They REALLY don't seem to like each other. If Clemson manages to win, they likely will end up 11-1. But they lost to FSU and that...will keep them in a MINOR bowl game. (This Week: at Duke. Our Pick: Clemson 47, Duke 31)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:

5) Colorado 1-7. Welcome back....the dreams were your ticket out...Welcome Back, welcome back, welcome back. How do you play in alleged "Power Conference" and be the worst defensive team in all the land? Yeah. We don't know either. Enjoy your last month as coach Jon Embree. (This Week: vs. Stanford. Our Pick: Stanford 81, Colorado 12)

4) New Mexico St. 1-7. Oh boyeee...they play an SEC team this week. So they're gonna get wiped out. Oh..wait, who do they play? Auburn? Oh, they aren't an SEC team, at least not this year. It's quite possible this could be a low scoring game. Haha! Yeah, so we understate things. (This Week: at Auburn. Our Pick: Auburn 3, N.Mexico St. 2)

3) Idaho 1-7. Whadda ya say we vote they change their nickname to "The Potatoes"? That sounds more fitting, doesn't it? Good thing New Mexico St is in their conference. Hmmm...oh wait. They are in the Bottom of the Barrel too. (This Week: vs. San Jose St. Our Pick: SJSU 48, Idaho 7 French Fries)

2) UMass 0-8. Explain again who it was up there that thought D-1 football was a good idea? If it weren't for the 34 pt explosion in the Ohio loss, they'd be averaging less than 10 a game. Sorry, that won't cut it in Big Boy football. (This Week: at Northern Illinois. Our Pick: NIU 50, UMass 10)

1) Southern Miss 0-8. We've been telling you for weeks that Ellis Johnson is in over his head. This should be this bad a team. And yet they are. How does anyone lose to Rice...by 24 points. We've said for weeks, the next coach here is Brett Favre. That's looking more likely, every day. (This Week: vs. UAB. Our Pick: UAB 13, S. Miss 12)

Okay, we have to go now, as much as we like doing this, the dog is pestering me for dinner and I got plans tonight.

So, enjoy your football....

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Eastbound and Down

No, we aren't talking about the T.V Show starring Danny McBride. Though it is pretty damn funny.



We're actually talking about the  Burt Reynolds "Bandit" and Jerry Reed's "Snowman" version mostly because the College Football season is lining up for a sprint to the finish line.

And making it all the way to Atlanta, they'll win the prize.



Really, at this point the only serious question is; "Who is going to beat Alabama?" Anybody?



But we digress---

There were no incredible surprises last week as the field narrows and the contenders separate themselves from the pack. Florida makes their move but will be tested and Oregon keeps dominating--and falling in the stupid BCS.

But enough playing of videos and on to the business at hand. Last weeks picks were 14-1 (That's more like it!). Overall, it puts the slate at 79-18. And yes, you can say it, we're pretty damn good at this.

Even though I keep babbling, I need to stick with the script and to steal Casey Kasem's catch phrase: "Let's get on with the Countdown".

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Alabama 7-0. Okay. This is starting to border on the unfair. And no, speculative football pundits, Mississippi State isn't going to beat them. LSU is the only team with a chance and that chance gets worse every week. (This Week: vs. Miss. St. Our Pick: Alabama 27, Miss St. 14)

2) Oregon 7-0. We see no reason to drop them right now. Yes, they still have a few tests left. But until they falter, they get to stay here. The offense is typical Oregon, but the story has been the "D", which has played better. Still don't know if they can knock heads with a top level SEC team, but the potential is at least there. (This Week: vs. Colorado. Our Pick: Oregon 57, Colorado 10)

3) Kansas State 7-0. They get to move up by virtue of overpowering the Big 12. Collin Klein is a beast and does what is needed to for the win. The defense, unlike the rest of the Big 12 is stout. But the next test is in front of them. (This Week: vs. Texas Tech. Our Pick: K-State 37, Texas Tech 31)

4) Florida 7-0. Props to Coach Boom for remaking this team in his image. But they do have flaws and we aren't totally sold. The offense...is not good. The defense though, outstanding. The message here is simple though. Win this week and you'll be in Atlanta in December. (This Week: vs. Georgia. Our Pick: Florida 24, Georgia 23)

5) Notre Dame 7-0. Another team we aren't totally sold on. The offense needs work, but when your "D" is this good, you can get by. This is going to be a good year for them no matter how the next 5-games play out. (This Week: at Oklahoma. Our Pick: Oklahoma 27, Notre Dame 21)

6) Oregon St. 6-0. Bravo to the Beavers for persevering without star QB Sean Mannion who has been hurt. He comes back this week. They've been stout on both sides, though they've struggled a bit running the ball. If they take care of business, it will make the Oregon game special this year. (This Week: at Washington. Our Pick: Oregon St. 31, Washington 23)

7) Oklahoma 5-1. It hasn't been an outstanding season for the Sooners, but the last 3-weeks, they've been pretty darn good. From Landry Jones to the "D", all seem to have picked it up during that time. Win this week, they are sitting pretty. (This Week: vs. Notre Dame. Our Pick: See #5)

8) LSU 7-1. Such a disappointment. Yet, they still have some control over their destiny. Zach Mettenberger hasn't been much better than Jordan Jefferson and that unfortunately has been this teams undoing. (This Week: BYE)

9) USC 6-1. Another team that is very hard to figure out. They sleep walked through the past few weeks, but still have a shot at affecting the BCS before it's over. They've been good, not great. (This Week: at Arizona. Our Pick: USC 34, Arizona 21)

10) Miss. St. 7-0. The best SEC team nobody has heard of. Though if you look at the schedule, they really haven't been tested. Tyler Russell has been very good as has LaDarius Perkins. The schedule gets much, much tougher from here. (This Week: at Alabama. Our Pick: See #1)

11) Texas Tech 6-1. Tommy Tuberville has done wonders with this team. We saw them in person last season and they were awful against Oklahoma State. But Seth Doege may be a Heisman contender. He's made them a threat in any game they play. The rest of the team is very balanced. (This Week: at Kansas State. Our Pick: See #3)

12) Georgia 6-1. Another VERY disappointing team that seems to lay down whenever they are pushed. But...they are talking the talk this week, we just wonder if they can walk it. What Shawn Williams said is true, they are soft, very soft. But with the talent here, if they ever decide to play hard, they can be scary. They have a SHOT against Florida this week. (This Week: vs. Florida. Our Pick: See #4--but we aren't real confident in it)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:

5) Auburn 1-6. No, having a week off doesn't get you off the island here boys. Oh, wait....you lost to Vanderbilt. Never mind. Your stuck. This is just a REALLY bad offensive team and an average defensive team. And all the 5-star recruits in the world won't save you from bad coaching--which appears to be a big part of the problem. (This Week: vs. Texas A&M. Our Pick: Texas A&M 31, Auburn 13)

4) New Mexico St. 1-6. It's always good to see the state of New Mexico still representing in the competition for worst college football team. It just warms our hearts--mmmkay. And as an added bonus, they host the highest scoring team in the land this week. Enjoy! (This week: vs. Louisiana Tech. Our Pick: La.Tech 112, New Mexico St. 17)

3) Idaho 1-7. If it weren't for a win over NM State, they'd be winless. Which is also the only game they've played that's been close. If you are losing by an average of 42-16, you might have a problem. Which is why Jason Gesser is handed the keys after the Vandals fired Robb Akey. Good luck Jason, you'll need it. (This Week: vs. San Jose St. Our Pick: San Jose St. 42, Idaho 16)

2) Southern Miss. 0-7. You know you aren't good when your quarterbacks mom is arrested for picking a fight with fans who criticized her son. It's not all his fault. This is just a really bad team. We'll keep saying it: Ellis Johnson won't be here long. Brett Favre will move from High School coaching to this job. (This Week: at Rice. Our Pick: Rice 10, S.Miss 7)

1) UMass 0-7. All hail the king! This is a bad football team. Or at least an amazingly overmatched one. The don't do anything particularly well and with the exception of the Ohio game haven't really challenged anyone. We don't see anyone overtaking them. (This Week: at Vanderbilt. Our Pick: Really? Vanderbilt 43, UMass 10)


And so it goes. There are two really, really interesting games here (Florida/Georgia and Oklahoma/Notre Dame) that we were a bit hesitant to pick. So tune in on Saturday, we think you'll see some great football.

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of The Barrel: The Big 80's edition

We'd like to start this weeks column by thanking Sports Illustrated writer Andy Staples for getting us on an 80's TV Show Theme song riff today.

What better way to start a College Football weekly countdown?

Right?



Haha! The greatest TV theme song ever!

The field keeps narrowing and the leaders are separating themselves from the pack. We were sad to see our fav, Geno Smith tank against Texas Tech and surprised to see LSU step up when they needed to.

Since YouTube seems to be phasing out their Dirty Dozen movie clips, we will regale you with a musical interlude--featuring "The Dirty Dozen Brass Band"--enjoy!



So...we didn't rebound very well from last weeks debacle. We went 9-4, making the overall a still healthy 65-17. Though we aren't happy about the trend here.

And before we can quote Casey Kasem and say "On with the Countdown"---we give you this:



The Dirty Dozen:

1) Alabama 6-0. Talk about being on a roll. They just manhandled Missouri last week in a rainstorm. From Eddie Lacy's opening TD run to LaMichael Fannings suplex of Mizzou RB Russell Hansbrough, it was never close. Don't expect that to change. (This Week: at Tennessee. Our Pick: Alabama 31, Tennessee 20)

2) Oregon 5-0. Sorry Florida fans, even though the BCS says you should be here, we don't. Oregon is the team nobody wants to play--because they play like a 4x100 Relay team. But there are still questions. They have a couple of tests left, we'll see what happens. (This Week: at Arizona St. Our Pick: Oregon 43, Az. State 31)

3) Florida 6-0. Congrats Gator fans, you are back. For now. Jeff Driskell played the game of his life last week. But it was against Vanderbilt. It will be much tougher this week. Oh...and there's S.Carolina and Georgia back-to-back ahead. (This Week: vs. S.Carolina. Our Pick: Florida 17, S.Carolina 16)

4) Kansas State 6-0. Another hearty congratulations to Bill Snyder and his Wildcats. 6-0, leading the Big 12 and beating everyone they play handily. Collin Klein continues to amaze and the team is much more balanced then they have been. (This Week: at West Virginia. Our Pick: K-State 47, WVU 41)

5) LSU 6-1. The death march towards Alabama continues. Props to Lester and his charges for quieting some critics after folding vs. Florida. Zach Mettenberger is still shaky, but he managed to keep them in the conversation. (This Week: at Texas A&M. Our Pick: LSU 24, Texas A&M 21)

6) Notre Dame 6-0. They got lucky vs. Stanford. Theoretically, they could still be playing OT with the Tree. But they got the call and answered the phone. We still think they will not stay undefeated this year...but we've been known to be wrong. (This Week: vs. BYU. Our Pick: Notre Dame 27, BYU 14)

7) Oklahoma 4-1. Welcome back to the conversation. They put the absolute Smack-down on Texas last week. Everything clicked and made up for a questionable start to the season. Now's where we find out if they can run with the big boys. (This Week: vs. Kansas. Our Pick: Oklahoma 47, Kansas 21)

8) South Carolina 6-1. Question: Is the weight of the past two weeks catching up with them? They've got a tough, physical game coming up after the pounding at LSU. Can they survive? Can anyone ask Steve Spurrier about it? Questions....(This Week: at Florida. Our Pick See #3)

9) Oregon State 5-0. Impressive. They lose star QB Sean Mannion and Cody Vaz steps in and throws for 332 yards and 3-TD's. Well played Beavers, well played. These guys could run the table. The showdown with Oregon looms as a season maker. (This Week: vs. Utah. Our Pick: Oregon St. 37, Utah 16)

10) Ohio State 7-0. We'll give them a week of acknowledgement for being 7-0. Somehow they outlasted...Indiana last week. And they don't really have a challenge left on the schedule. Props to Urban for the job here, though the defense is a bit shaky. (Please don't get me fired Ms. Fickell). (This Week: vs. Purdue. Our Pick: tOSU 38, Purdue 28)

11) USC 5-1. They still appear to be hungover from the loss a month ago. They are winning, but not easily. This is a REALLY talented team that we think may end up being underachievers. (This Week: vs. Colorado. Our Pick: USC 100, Colorado 10)

12) Georgia 5-1. Time to find out whether these guys are going to roll over or not. Every year they fold when playing a top team and not this week, but next week will be the determiner as to whether they have a good season or not. (This Week: at Kentucky. Our Pick: Georgia 47, Kentucky 10)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL: 

5) Kansas 1-5. Welcome home Charlie Weis. You can't blame a crappy team on the student newspaper. Right now, it's your fault. And we don't think you'll pull out of this flat spin either. You aren't a good head coach. Never were. But yet you are still employed. Yes, we are being harsh. (This Week: at Oklahoma. Our Pick--See #7 in Dirty Dozen)

4) Auburn 1-5. Attention Auburn fans, you are inching ever-so-close to the Number #1 spot here. You are a BAD football team. And it isn't because of the talent. On paper, you should beat 80% of all the teams you play--just by showing up. Yet you aren't. Wonder why? (This Week: at Vanderbilt. Our Pick: Vandy 27, Auburn 20)

3) Eastern Michigan 0-6. What would a Bottom of the Barrel be without a directional Michigan school? Sorry guys, you lost to Toledo last week which was a good accomplishment. But you still play in arguably the worst conference in Divison 1, the MAC. Though Conference USA would challenge you there. (This Week: vs. Army. Our Pick: Army 24, E. Michigan 21)

2) Southern Miss. 0-6. Well, on the good side, you took UCF to overtime. So there is a bright spot. But...if that's all you can hang your hat on, you haven't had a good season. But...there are a couple potential winnable games remaining. (This Week: vs. Marshall. Our Pick: Marshall 40, S. Miss 21)

1) UMass 0-6. Positive note---you didn't lose last week. Negative note---you were off. We admire your chutzpah for playing in Division 1, but...you are just a punching bag now. Yes, we'll give you credit for pushing conference leader Ohio...so there is that. (This Week: vs. Bowling Green. Our Pick: Bowling Green 37, UMass 14)


And...we leave you with this, two of our favorite TV Theme Songs from the 80's---Enjoy!

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Oops

You know, sometimes it's good to be humbled, to be reminded that you aren't nearly as smart as you think you are.

And last weeks column and predictions reminded me of just that.



Just when we think that teams have moved forward and will no longer choke when put under pressure, we're proven wrong.

But that's part of the game kids.

In this clip, we find out what happens when a TV Network decides a sequel would be cool. Even if it was 20-years after the original. And the same actors look a LOT older.



So....last weeks tally: 9-6 (Worst WEEK EVER) Overall: 56-13, still pretty good.

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Alabama 5-0. No debate here. Even if Nick Saban doesn't agree, everyone else does. So that's all that matters. They are coming off a bye week, but play Mizzou without James Franklin. They won't break a sweat. (This Week: at Missouri. Our Pick: Alabama 41, Mizzou 10)

2) Oregon 6-0. Guess we don't have much of an argument for keeping them out of this slot any more. ---sigh--. We still think they are the best of the West Coast. Which doesn't win you a title. (This Week: BYE)

3) South Carolina 6-0. Can't really debate this either. They just ran over Georgia last week. Coach Thin Skin put his wrinkly neck out last week and it paid off. All the attention was off his team. And that was quite honestly, a genius move. (This Week: at LSU. Our Pick: S.Carolina 17, LSU 13)

4) West Virginia 5-0. The Pinball Wizard tour continues. They play little defense in Morgantown, but when you score 50-plus a game, you don't have to. Geno Smith wasn't spectacular vs. Texas, but he didn't have to be. (This Week: at Texas Tech. Our Pick: WVA 43, Texas Tech 31)

5) Florida 5-0. Boom! Betcha didn't see this coming Florida fans. Okay. Honestly, nobody really saw this coming. But yet here they are. They've done just enough to win. And really that's all that matters. While beating LSU was great, the next 3 weeks will define their season. (This Week: at Vanderbilt. Our Pick: Florida 24, Vandy 21)

6) Notre Dame 5-0. Really didn't see this coming. And we're starting to worry our Notre Dame friends are going to starting saying how great they are again too. It looks like even though Brian Kelly is a bit of a douche, he's got another good team. (This Week: vs. Stanford. Our Pick: Notre Dame 27, Stanford 21)

7) Kansas St. 5-0. They just keep winning. And may be the best of the Big 12/10. The test comes in about 10 days. But right now, they are cruising. Colin Klein keeps producing and the defense is stout. At least on a Big 12/10 level. (This Week: at Iowa St. Our Pick: Kansas St. 34, Iowa St. 31)

8) Oregon St. 4-0. Because they are still undefeated they get this. However...they lose Sean Mannion and that may be there death knell. But we'll give them credit right now and if they don't stay here, we can live with that. (This Week: at BYU. Our Pick: BYU 31, Oregon St. 13--UPSET)

9) Florida State 5-1. We knew it would happen. We didn't know when, but we knew it. At some point, they were going to choke and lose a game they shouldn't. There's no excuse as to what happened vs. NC State. None. (This Week: vs. Boston College. Our Pick: FSU 44, BC 10)

10) LSU 5-1. Really? 6 Points vs. Florida. And then you make excuses about conditioning? Come on Les, your team is better than that. Right? You know you're making me look bad, I really thought you guys could win it all. Now we don't think you'll win the SEC. (This Week: See #3)

11) Ohio St. 6-0. Alright. Maybe coaching does count for something. Yes, they aren't eligible for a bowl game. But it doesn't matter. They are winning. And for the most part convincingly. And won't be pushed the rest of this season. (This Week: at Indiana. Our Pick: Ohio St. 41, Indiana 23)

12) Georgia 5-1. OK. Don't make me regret this Bulldogs. As much as we respect and love Mark Richt, we are starting to wonder about his teams balls. Yes, their cojones. They seem to fold at every big challenge. Maybe it's true, you have to be a dick to win. (This Week: BYE)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:

We can't believe we are reporting this, but both Memphis...and Idaho won this past week. Memphis was #1 and Idaho #3 in our poll. Go figure.

5) Auburn 1-4. Welcome home Gene Chizik. You are proving out to be exactly what we thought you were. There was a reason Iowa St fired you. But that doesn't excuse Jay Jacobs or pretty much anyone at Auburn for (a) Hiring you...and (b) Giving you a bizarre and idiotic contract extension after Cam Newton won you a title. ---sigh--- (This Week: at Ole Miss. Our Pick: Ole Miss 27, Auburn 16)

4) Kansas 1-4. Speaking of bizarre coaching hires.....Yes Charlie Weis, it's all the student newspaper's fault. That is why K-State annihilated you. It has nothing to do with how bad your team is or you are as a coach. And yes, your team has been here before too. (This Week: vs. Oklahoma State. Our Pick: Okie St. 40 man points, Kansas 17 Charlie Weis belt loops)

3) Southern Miss. 0-5. Still happy about having your own team Ellis Johnson? You sure? We said it last week and will say it again. Brett Favre for coach in 2013. You heard it here first. (This Week: at UCF. Our Pick: UCF 37, S.Miss 20)

2) Tulane 0-5. According to ESPN, they rank 109th or worse in at least 4 major categories. Out of 129 or so teams. That alone will put you here. You can't win being outscored on average 42-9. Plain and simple. (This Week: vs. SMU. Our Pick: SMU 42, Tulane 9)

1) UMass 0-6. Looks like the Minutemen and Green Wave will battle it out all year for the "Worst of the Worst". They just can't buy a win. Or any luck. Their only show will be vs. Akron next month. (This Week: BYE)

So enjoy another week and know that we're nearly half way home. Things will continue to shake out, but unless Alabama mails one in, it may already be over. 

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Can't Touch This!

Only in the world of College Football is it Headline News when Alabama coach Nick Saban says: "There's too much scoring".



And while as a coach, he's probably not wrong, from a fan and TV viewers perspective...he's certifiably insane.

Okay, even without saying that...he's still insane.

Crap...I hope the state of Alabama doesn't attempt to blow up the palatial OSG HQ digs for that one.

Anyway, in lieu of the defenseless teams in College Football, we continue our march to the top of College Football prognostications. (And yes, we know how to use big words...you've been warned)

In this week's clip, since the Game of the Week as decreed by ESPN is Georgia at South Carolina, we give you a clip that expresses South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier's thoughts on local newspaper columnist Ron Morris. Unfortunately, Spurrier also thinks Stephen Garcia was the best QB in NFL history. (So...Spurrier is a bit delusional---damn, I guess I won't get to cover S.Carolina football now).



Anyway, fortifying our claim as a great prognosticator--Last Week: 10-1, Overall: 47-7. Holla!

The Dirty Dozen:

1) Alabama 5-0. So the Tide struggled...sort of vs. Ole Miss. And Saban insists the team isn't as good as we think. We don't totally disagree, but who better than Kanyon. Oh...sorry, old wrestling reference. Good thing the Tide is off so they can lick their wounds. Ha!. (This Week: BYE)

2) Florida State 5-0. Yeah, so they didn't put pinball numbers up against South Florida. But they won. And outside the season ender vs. Florida, they aren't going to pushed real hard. Ok...maybe at Va. Tech. On second thought....(This Week: at NC State. Our Pick: FSU 37, NC State 21)

3) Oregon 5-0. So. ESPN says DeAnthony Thomas is the fastest guy in football. Maybe so, but there are 10-15 guys on SEC teams nearly as fast. Still, they are the best of the "Track Meet" teams...or to be more specific, "Teams Nick Saban Hates". (This Week: vs. Washington. Our Pick: Oregon 43, Washington 26)

4) LSU 5-0. What happened to these guys? Does Lester really hate offense? Is Zach Mettenberger really Jordan Jefferson? We thought more of this team. We were wrong. (Don't tell anyone). The next few weeks are not going to be fun unless something changes here. (This Week: at Florida. Our Pick: LSU 17, Florida 16)

5) Georgia 5-0. We covered these guys for 10-years and still can't figure them out. But then again, they have the same issue their ownselves. How funny would it be if Mark Richt wore a Ron Morris mask during the game? (This Week: at South Carolina. Our Pick: Georgia 20, S.Carolina 19)

6) S.Carolina 5-0. So...Steve Spurrier is paranoid and has a thin skin. I'm shocked. We wish our friends in the South Carolina media luck, because if they lose, they won't be able to ask Spurrier about it. Or maybe they will, just to see if his head explodes. But seriously, Spurrier is taking the attention away from his team, which is pretty good on their own. (This Week: vs. Georgia. Our Pick: See #5)

7) West Virginia 4-0. Okay. So the Mountaineers aren't going to be NCAA Champs. Unless you are playing video games. But they are fun to watch. And Geno Smith is good. Really good. Even if Nick Saban thinks they are pure evil and ruining his game--ok Alabama, I made that up. (This Week: at Texas. Our Pick: W.Virginia 41, Texas 31)

8) Florida 4-0. Welcome back Gator fans. Please enjoy your stay, because it isn't going to last. But props to Coach Boom for making progress in G-Ville. They haven't dominated anyone--no, Kentucky doesn't count. And the schedule gets a LOT harder now. (This Week: vs. LSU. Our Pick: See #4)

9) Kansas St. 4-0. All they do is win. Well, as long as Bill Snyder is the head coach anyway. No, they aren't a "Dominant team", but no such thing exists in the Big 12/10. And Collin Klein wins pretty well too. (This Week: vs. Kansas. Our Pick: K-State 36, Kansas 17)

10) Notre Dame 4-0. Ok Notre Dame fans. We tip our hats. You are 4-0 right now. You've beaten 2 overrated Big 10/12 teams. And beaten them convincingly. Plus we like Manti Te'o. He's really good. Brian Kelly...not so much. (This Week: vs. Miami. Our Pick: Notre Dame 27, Miami 23)

11) Oregon State 3-0. Congratulations Beaver fans, you've made it on our list. Sean Mannion is a pretty good QB and you've handled everyone that you've had to. You'll win the rescheduled game vs. Nicholls St. too. And that will get you to a bowl. But...it's been smoke and mirrors. Much like Dracula, you can't actually see yourself in a mirror. Ooooohhhh. Burn....( This Week: vs. Washington St. Our Pick: Oregon St. 53, Wash. St. 37)

12) TCU 4-0. Yes...TCU. They could win the Big 12. Seriously. They could. Casey Paschall gets better every week (*note--he got pulled over for DUI Wednesday--we take back what we said) and so does the defense. Gary Patterson is the best coach nobody outside the business knows. (This Week: vs. Iowa St. Our Pick: TCU 24, Iowa St. 14)

The Bottom of the Barrel: 

5) Tulane 0-4. Hello Green Wave fans. How's the season been going so far? What? You've only scored 32 points....all season? And given up 173? Really? But you play in Conference USA. Oh wait, Memphis does too? Never mind. (This Week: vs. La. Lafayette. Our Pick: La. Lafayette 47, Tulane 8)

4) Southern Miss. 0-4. Note to Ellis Johnson. Sometimes good assistants don't make good head coaches. Geez, this was a good team as recently as last year. Weren't they? Oh wait! They play in Conference USA too. Well, that explains everything. With Brett Favre coaching HS Football is it only a matter of time before he takes over the alma mater. (You heard it here 1st!). (This Week: vs. Boise St. Our Pick: Boise State 37, S. Miss 21)

3) Idaho 0-5. Sometimes bad puns are too easy. So we'll try not to make any here. But hey, look at it this way, they only gave up 66 to North Carolina last week and they don't play them again. So there's that. (This Week: vs. New Mexico St. Our Pick: NM State 3, Idaho 2)

2) Memphis 0-4. So...they didn't lose this week, which will keep them out of the #1 position. What's that? They didn't play? Oh...come on, everyone beats BYE week, don't they? Oh...wait, they play in Conference USA, CFB's worst conference, right? (This Week: vs. Rice. Our Pick: Rice 21, Memphis 17)

1) UMass 0-5. Lookie here. They almost beat Ohio. And doubled their total point output for the year. Good for them. It still doesn't get them out of the basement though. At least not yet. And thank the football gods they play in the MAC. And are the only MAC team here. (This Week: at W.Michigan. Our Pick: W.Michigan 31, UMass 21)

So, things are getting fun now. Enjoy your week, there are far more fun games to watch now that the cupcake season is over.