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

Yup, finally, after 4 weeks of mostly cupcake games or arguably exhibition games, the College Football season "kicks it up a notch"



A bunch of good, hopefully competitive games with possibly the best of them being Alabama vs. Ole Miss.

And when's the last time you could say Ole Miss was in a game with title implications?

Without further ado, we'll jump right into things: Oh, wait...we were 12-0 last week in our picks.

Wait, what? Yeah, 12-0 bitches...that makes us 47-5 on the season.

Tell 'em Sir Paul:



Okay, enough fun stuff time to get down to business and as Casey Kasem always said, "On With The Countdown"...

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 4-0. Arrghh...we hate to put these guys here. Mostly because we want Jameis Winston to lose. And he almost did last week, but when NC State went up by 10 in the 3rd quarter, Winston and his teammates responded. (This Week: vs. Wake Forest, Our Pick: FSU 48, Wake 10)

2) Alabama 4-0. Okay, so maybe the odd couple will work. Saban and Kiffin BFF's, who knew? The Tide is good, though not as good as past teams. But this year, it still may be enough--if they can survive the SEC West gauntlet. (This Week: at Ole Miss, Our Pick: Alabama 24, Ole Miss 23)

3) Oklahoma 4-0. Yes, Oklahoma. They are probably gonna run the table guys. Deal with it. Unless they go bonehead, this will be one of your 4 Playoff teams. And they should be, they are pretty good. (This Week: at TCU. Our Pick: Oklahoma 31, TCU 23)

4) Oregon 4-0. Sorry Ducks, you fall after barely beating Washington St. Yes, we know it was in god-forsaken Pullman, but still. The Mike Leach's aren't that good. If you want to be a title contender, you need to win more convincingly. Deal with it. (This Week: vs. Arizona, Our Pick: Oregon 41, Arizona 33)

5) Auburn 4-0. Right, they beat La. Tech. So what...They struggled early and pulled away late from a team they shouldn't struggle with. But we don't blame them for being uninterested. It gets real for them this week. Les Miles real. (This Week: vs. LSU, Our Pick: Auburn 43, LSU 27)

6) UCLA 4-0. The Bruins finally looked like the team everyone thought they'd be last week at Arizona State. Brett Hundley stepped it up and UCLA just flat ran away from the Sun Devils. Big win. (This Week: vs. Utah, Our Pick: UCLA 37, Utah 21)

7) Texas A&M 5-0. Barely. Not barley. Oh boy, Kenny Hill is the real deal. He rescued the Aggies who nearly lost to Arkansas. In College Station. It wouldn't have shocked us, just surprised us. But that's only the 1st test. (This Week: at Miss. St., Our Pick: UPSET--Miss St. 27, Aggies 23)

8) Notre Dame 4-0. Yes, they get to be #8. For now. But honestly folks, outside a game vs. FSU, there's nothing on the schedule that will trip these guys up. But we could be wrong. (This Week: vs. Stanford, Our Pick: Irish 31, Trees 21)

9) Baylor 4-0. This is a flawed team. You may not have seen it yet. But we don't believe the defense is strong enough to get these guys to the playoff. We could be wrong, but we are pretty confident in this despite Bryce Petty being pretty awesome. (This Week: at Texas, Our Pick: Baylor 43, Texas 21)

10) Ole Miss 4-0. That's right peeps. Ole Miss stays in the #10 slot this week. And their 1st shot at glory in a long, long time. This is a good team, but they've not played anyone but cupcakes. That is about to change in a big way. They'll keep it close on energy alone. (This Week: see #2)

11) Miss. St 4-0. Two Mississippi teams in the Dozen. This may never happen again in our long and proud future. But it's happening this week. Beating LSU in Death Valley..at night. And doing it convincingly...almost. That's big. This week is arguably bigger (This Week: see #7)

12) Georgia 3-1. If you have Todd Gurley, you have a chance to be great every week. The Bulldogs haven't been, but Gurley has been enough to beat just about everyone. We think the defense will get better, but they need to find a quarterback who can throw the ball further than me. (This Week: vs. Vanderbilt, Our Pick: Gurley Men 43, Vandy 17)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:



5) Idaho 0-4. Oh, ye poor Vandal fan. Sure, you've been close in most of your games, but you were manhandled by South Alabama a below average Sun Belt team. But hey, winter is coming. So there is that. (This Week: at Texas St, Our Pick: Texas St. 30, Idaho 20)

4) Troy State 0-5. Hey, smile Trojan man, you nearly beat La. Monroe. That has to be a bright spot...right? Coming off the Georgia massacre, it has to be encouraging. (This Week: at New Mexico St., Our Pick: NM State 33, Troy 28)

3)UMass 0-5. MAC Action...catch the fever! We will hand it to the Minute men. They dropped 42 on Bowling Green last week. But they gave up 47, so yeah, that's another one in the loss column. Tide's have to turn for these guys at some point, maybe this will be their week. (This Week: at Miami, OH, Our Pick: UMass 31, Miami--Oh)

2) Miami, OH 0-5. Yes, we've moved them out of the bottom of the bottom of the barrel...for now. With one of the worst rushing attacks in all of College Football (ranked 102nd), the Redhawks, well, they struggle at times. 2 straight seasons without a win will do that. (This Week: See #3)

1) SMU 0-4. Yes...SMU. They've earned the worst of the worst moniker for one reason. 12 points in 4 games. That's 3 points a game and that is pretty damn bad. Statistically, they are at the bottom of pretty much every list. But then again, that's why they are the worst team in College Football too. (This Week: at East Carolina (yikes!), Our Pick: ECU 70, SMU 3)

Special thanks to the folks at Delta this week because as we finish this weeks column, we're about 30,000 feet over America's heartland headed to Denver for a little R and R and a trip to the Great American Beer Festival.

Cheers y'all....

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: 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

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of The Barrel: Rockin The Paradise

You oldies fans will get this:



Heh heh...yeah, they did cheesy stuff like this back around the late 70's and early 80's.

Anyway. The Georgia Bulldogs probably feel like Rocking something after playing 3 Top 10 teams in the month of September. The Dawgs/LSU game this past week, was one of the best we've seen in a long, long time.

Tell 'em Ric:



No marquee matchups this week, but plenty to talk about....so without much further ado:



Last Week: 12-0. Yeah, we're pretty good at this. And no, we don't be the Vegas lines. For the season, 50-3. DEAL WIT DAT!!!!

And as Casey Kasem said so very often, it's on...with the countdown:

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Alabama 4-0. Who better than 'Bama? Nobody in this town. Or any other town. The defense made Old Miss look pretty bad last week, but we suspect they already were bad. The only hurdle left for the Crimson Tide, LSU on Nov. 9th. This Week: vs. Georgia St. (yes, really) Our Pick: Alabama 65, Ga.State 3

2) Oregon 4-0. So, the Ducks are averaging 59 points a game, giving up only 10, but they've yet to actually play anyone who can push them. Don't misunderstand, they're really good. Tell 'em Ric:



However, that won't happen this week. This Week: at Colorado Our Pick: Oregon 59, Colorado 10

3) Clemson 4-0. No worries, you got this, right Tigers? Destiny is in your lap. Win out, you have a shot to beat the Man. If Oregon loses that is. In the meantime, you're clicking on all cylinders. Just don't pull a Clemson anytime soon. This Week: at Syracuse. Our Pick: Clemson 38, Syracuse 27

4) Stanford 4-0. If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? Oh, shit, stop with the Super Bowl media questions. The Cardinal trampled Mike Leach and his Wash. St Cougars in a deluge last week. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor Cougar shall bring them down. This Week: vs. Washington. Our Pick: Stanford 34, Washington 31(tempting, but not picking the upset)

5) Ohio State 5-0. Yay, Braxton Miller is back. Yay, you beat a ranked team. Yeah, sure it was a fellow crappy Big 10 team, but who's counting? A little tougher test is coming. Are you up to the challenge? This Week: at Northwestern. Our Pick Northwestern 37, Ohio St. 33

6) Georgia 3-1. Ok, sure, you've got a loss, but as we said earlier, 3 Top 10 games in 4 weeks makes a man out of ya. This is a good, deep team that if they stay healthy, might have enough to dethrone the Tide. Might. This Week: at Tennessee Our Pick: Georgia 41, Tennessee 23

7) Florida St. 4-0. Yeah, sure they struggled early with BC. But did you see Jameis Winston the last 3 quarters of the game. Nice. The gag is coming for this team. It always does. It's just when. This Week: vs. Maryland. Our Pick: FSU 43, Maryland 23

8) Louisville 4-0. Imagine if these guys played a real schedule. When your toughest game is vs. Kentucky, yeah, you are coasting. But as long as Teddy B is your QB, you'll be in the Top 10. But no, you aren't playing Big Boy football. This Week: at Temple (yikes) Our Pick: Louisville 57, Temple 10

9) LSU 4-1 Consider us fans of Zach Mettenberger. Quite the performance vs. UGA. His o-line gave in when he needed them most late. This is a VERY good and dangerous team though. This Week: at Mississippi St. Our Pick: LSU 37, Miss St. 21

10) Texas A&M 4-1. If we've told you once, we've told you a thousand times. Johnny Manziel is the best heel in the history of College Football. And he seems to be okay with that. But he needs help to win. You can't give up 33 to the Bielema's. Ever. This Week: BYE

11) UCLA 3-0. Rest up Little Jimmy Mora, it's time to come back on the field. You have officially won Los Angeles with the firing of Coach Kiffykins at USC. Take advantage of it. This Week: at Utah. Our Pick: UCLA 41, Utah 31

12) Oklahoma 4-0. Yeah, great, the pundits of College Football say you are awesome because you beat Notre Dame. We say that's a bit premature. Notre Dame's not that good. But you guys do appear to be the class of the Big 12. Revel in it. This Week: vs. TCU. Our Pick: Oklahoma 27, TCU 23



THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:

5) UConn 0-4. 



Okay, well, so maybe not this time. Gone is Paul Pasqualoni, a guy who somehow got the coaching job for no readily apparent reason. However, he did a great job in killing whatever momentum this one-time BCS team had. And it ain't getting better this year. This Week: BYE

4) Temple 0-4 



Yeah, you couldn't beat Idaho. Nothing else needs to be said. This Week: vs. Louisville/See #8 on the other poll.

3) Florida International 0-4. Oops. Got them confused with Florida Atlantic last week. Who by the way are just as bad as the Golden Panthers. How did they end up hiring Ron Turner to coach this team? He's been one of CFB's worst coaches for over a decade. Hmmm....This Week: at Southern Miss Our Pick: Southern Miss 1, FIU 0



2) Georgia State 0-4. Poor Trent Miles. Did he see the Panthers schedule before taking the job? Who told these guys it was a good idea to go Division 1 this year? Good news, you almost beat Jacksonville St last week. Bad news. This Week: at Alabama. Our Pick: see #1 above

1) Southern Miss 0-4. Could it be? Could the Golden Eagles get off the schnide this week? Certainly 3 straight weeks of road abuse hasn't helped them. But FIU comes to town. So there's that. And this game, short of FIU vs. Florida Atlantic may be the worst game of the year. This Week: vs. FIU Our Pick: see above

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)

Today in Useless Polls: Your Preseason AP Top 25 College Football Teams

((ht: ap.org))

For those of you who keep track of such things, the perhaps final and for many fans, definitive preseason college football poll is now out a mere 2-weeks before the season kicks off.

And while the SEC crazies and other big college football fanatics live and die by such things, they are essentially meaningless to most. The only thing these polls do is eliminate a large chunk of teams from competing for the final BCS title to ever be called BCS.

The reason we say that: Simple. If you aren't in the top 10, it will take an incredible run of luck and more than a few upsets for you to get there. And....really, in several cases, your team probably isn't as good as they are picked, but because they have a big reputation, they always show up on this list.

Naysaying being what it is and because despite the "Rich get richer and poor get poorer" mentality of College Football, we love to watch. And most of you really do get into things like this.

Think of it as a pre-cursor to our own poll that begins on opening week: We call ours "The Dirty Dozen and the Bottom of the Barrel". Look for it in 2-weeks.

In the meantime, your AP Poll:

1) Alabama (58 1st place votes)
2) Ohio St. (1)
3) Oregon
4) Stanford
5) Georgia (1)
6) South Carolina
7) Texas A&M
8) Clemson
9) Louisville
10) Florida
11) Florida St.
12) LSU
13) Oklahoma St.
14) Notre Dame
15) Texas
16) Oklahoma
17) Michigan
18) Nebraska
19) Boise St
20) TCU
21) UCLA
22) Northwestern
23) Wisconsin
24) USC
25) Oregon St.

Notice any trends?

Some 80's music to celebrate such an 80's poll:

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of The Barrel: Bad Creatures

Eh. How's this for a theme week?



How can you lose? A horrible looking movie starring Debbie Gibson and Tiffany?



Cheesiest stuff ever:



Bwahahahaha!

With this much cheese, how could a college football season ever go on? Especially when it's all but pre-ordained that Alabama is going to win it all again. They finally broke a sweat last week vs. LSU, but then made it look easy driving for the late TD.

Sure, Oregon has put up Video Game numbers but we don't buy the "They Play Defense Too" thing until they play someone good outside the "HIGHLY OVER-RATED" Pac-12.

SHARKTOPUS!



Anyway...

Last Week: 14-0. That's more like it. Though thankfully, we don't pick the Spread. For the season--101-22, much more impressive.

But enough about us: Quoting Dozen favorite Casey Kasem, it's "On With The Countdown"....

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Alabama 9-0. Can anyone beat these guys? Uh...not likely. And no, Johnny Football isn't going to do it either. Saban's monsters just plain overpower everyone. Sure, they struggled to contain LSU, but LSU played their best game of the season, by far. (This Week: vs. Texas A&M. Our Pick: Alabama 31, Texas A&M 21)

2) Oregon 8-0. Ladies and gentlemen, your highest scoring team in College Football. But is it more the piss-poor PAC-12 defenses or is it them? Kenjon Barner had the game of his life vs. USC. The only stunner is the corrupt BCS has them at #3. Lunacy I tell you! (This Week: at Cal. Our Pick: Oregon 54, Cal. 23)

3) Kansas St. 9-0. This is where we find out what they've got. If Collin Klein can't go, then what happens? They've had to be on the past 3 weeks and that won't stop til the season is over. One let-down and it's over. (This Week: at TCU. Our Pick: K-State 31, TCU 27)

4) Georgia 8-1. They were a bit sleepy in the first half vs. a decent Ole Miss team. The second half was total domination. Assuming they don't go back to sleep, they have a date ahead with Alabama. And have a punchers chance there. (This Week: at Auburn. Our Pick: Georgia 43, Auburn 17)

5) Notre Dame 9-0. They should have lost to Pitt. No question about it. We think they are pretty good, but not an "Elite" team. And because they are Notre Dame, if they win out, which they may...they'll be in the BCS Championship game.--sorry Oregon. (This Week: at Boston College. Notre Dame 24, Boston College 3)

6) Ohio State 10-0. Ha! Big F.U to the NCAA here. But even though they haven't lost, they've beaten up on the Big 10, which is AWFUL this year. They don't beat any of the teams ahead of them here other than maybe Notre Dame. (This Week: BYE)

7) Louisville 9-0. Teddy Bridgewater. Best QB none of you have ever heard of. Charlie Strong, best coach. They get to move up because they are still undefeated. Though playing in the wretched Big East is not helping them with everyone else. (This Week: at Syracuse. Our Pick: Louisville 38, Syracuse 21)

8) LSU 7-2. Yes, they got beat last week. But by far, that was the best they've played. The offense wasn't embarrassing and that is a big step. If Zach Mettenberger can continue to improve, they'll be fine. But now, they are just playing for Bowl Game positioning. (This Week: vs Miss. St. Our Pick: LSU 27, Miss. St. 17)

9) Florida 8-1. We'd like to place them higher, but the offense just isn't good. At all. They are lacking in so many places on offense we don't have time to list them. But the "D" is impressive and makes them one of the best teams in the land. (This Week: vs. La. Lafayette. Our Pick: UF 27, La. Laf 12--sorry Lovely Bride)

10) Florida St. 8-1. We still can't figure out how they lost to NC State. Yet they did. Aside from that and the Clemson game, nobody in the ACC has made them sweat. Nor will they. (This Week: at Va. Tech. Our Pick: FSU 37, Va.Tech 23)

11) South Carolina 7-2. God bless Steve Spurrier. Okay, well, maybe not. Maybe one day people will explain to him he isn't omniscient, but then he'd run away and hide. But we digress. The season nears an end and they only have one challenge left. And leave it to the 'ol Ball Coach, he's mouthing off about it already. He may regret that. (This Week: vs. Arkansas. Our Pick: S.Carolina 31, Ark. 10)

12) Oregon St. 7-1. We're going to continue to believe in these guys. They may prove us wrong, but so be it. They have been pretty good and are probably the best of the remaining one loss teams. So they get to stay--for now. (This Week: at Stanford. Our Pick: Oregon St. 24, Stanford 17)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:

5) Colorado 1-8. It was fun while it lasted wasn't it Jon Embree. As a head coach, you were a good assistant. Your team is horrible. And that doesn't begin to describe it. Geez, you are giving up 46 points a game. Really? But at least you are scoring. Oh wait, you score 16 a game. Pffffft. (This Week: at Arizona. Our Pick: Arizona 46, Colorado 16)

4) New Mexico St. 1-8. So...you gave up 42 to Auburn, one of the worst offensive teams in NCAA history. Yeah. That's great. Sure, we didn't think you'd beat an SEC team, but Auburn is barely on the SEC radar this season. ---sigh--- (This Week: vs. San Jose St. Our Pick: San Jose St. 40, New Mexico St. 13)

3) Idaho 1-8. Yeah, we know, they beat NM State. But...they got rid of the starting QB and head coach in successive weeks. And really, aside from the win, they've only had one other close game. Don't expect that to change. (This Week: at BYU. Our Pick: BYU 42, Idaho 3)

2) Southern Miss. 0-9. They get elevated because they kept it close vs. UAB. Uh...wait. UAB only had one win before this too? Damn! So are you saying they still suck? Well, yes, we do say that. And so does pretty much everyone else. (This Week: at SMU. Our Pick: SMU 41, Southern Miss 4--hear that Brett Favre?)

1) UMass 0-9. Mercifully, season one in "Big Boy" football is almost over. And it is a good thing. Sadly, they are back to being the lowest scoring team in the NCAA again. In theory, they should have a chance this week. But we are betting they mess it up. (This Week: at Akron. Our Pick: Akron 10, UMass 9)

And so it goes for another week. 3 More left before Championship Saturday and then a month off before the only bowl games that matter are played. We have a pretty good idea now how it will play. It's just a matter of who slips up.

We give you one Final "BAD CREATURE" movie, possibly the Cheesiest of them all! (Starring Debbie Gibson too!!!!!)

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: Accept no Replacements

Never accept anything but the best. Or in the case of the NFL, why worry about quality if you can save a few bucks.

As Mick once said, "You can't always get what you want":



But enough about the pros, we talk about the pure game, College Football. Hey, stop laughing!

There are changes afoot. Some teams are proving to not be quite as good as we once thought. But others seem to be better.

This week, the major meets prisoner #11. Are you listening Notre Dame?



So, we went 12-1 last week. How 'bout them apples? Makes us 37-6 on the season. Maybe now you'll be attention.

With that in mind, we quote the legendary Casey Kasem and say "It's on with the Countdown!"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Alabama 4-0. Okay, okay, I don't want death threats from people in Alabama. They have NO sense of humor regrading their football. None. Which explains Saban. Uh...anyway...As of this moment, they are considered College Football's best. Enjoy the ride. (This Week: vs. Ole Miss Our Pick: Alabama 31, Miss St. 10)

2)Florida State 4-0. Great win for the 'Criminoles--ooh, sorry, hard to escape your past. But seriously...and no, don't call me Shirley, they've proven to be pretty darn good. Barring an implosion, they should run the ACC table. Oh...sorry, that never happens. (This Week: at S.Florida. Our Pick: FSU 31, USF 13)

3) Oregon 4-0. Sorry, still don't buy them as some sort of defensive juggernaut. And until they are, they won't be #1 in our poll. Unless of course the teams ahead of them keep losing. (This Week: at Washington St. Our Pick: Oregon 41, Wash. St. 31)

4) LSU 4-0. Uh...The Lovely Bride won't like this, but they don't appear worthy of where we ranked them previously. To say they looked awful on offense vs. Auburn would be an understatement. But they did win, so there is that. (This Week: vs. Towson St. Our Pick: LSU 47, Towson 3)

5) Georgia 4-0. Now we'll get to see if they are worthy of the lofty status. All the suspended guys are back and the games get at least a little tougher. That being said, they just killed a not-as-awful Vandy team last week. (This Week: vs. Tennessee. Our Pick: Georgia 37, Tennessee 21)

6) South Carolina 4-0. Well, Connor Shaw made me eat my words, he was pretty damn impressive last week as the 'Cocks creamed the Missouri Tigers. (yeah, I know, juvenile) Everything is being geared towards the Georgia game next week. (This Week: at Kentucky. Our Pick: S.Carolina 38, Kentucky 13)

7) West Virginia 3-0. They didn't exactly crush Maryland, who showed signs of life--for once. But Geno Smith continues to be the man and our pick for the Heisman. Unless they lose, which we suppose, could happen. (This Week: at Baylor. Our Pick: West Virginia 51, Baylor 48)

8) Stanford 3-0. Long live the tree. They got a week off after brushing aside USC, which is a good thing. No crazy good stars here, just a good, well coached team. But we don't see them finishing in the 12, but then again, we've been known to be wrong. (This Week: at Washington. Our Pick: Stanford 31, Washington 27)

9) Kansas State 4-0. They are getting lots of national love for beating an overrated Oklahoma team. Which doesn't discount the fact they beat them in Norman. But still. Colin Klein is a great running QB and the team is solid and deep. And as long as Bill Snyder coaches....(This Week: BYE)

10) Florida 4-0. Yes, that's right, they are back. Sort of. They've played well enough to win, but outside of Kentucky, they haven't blown anyone away either. This may soon change as the schedule gets tougher. Much tougher. (This Week: BYE)

11) Notre Dame 4-0. We aren't sure we've ever had the Irish in the Dozen. Congratulations Notre Dame, you may become relevant again. Your defense seems to be top notch (thanks Manti Te'o). But you better pick it up on offense or it won't last. (This Week: BYE)

12) USC 3-1. Yes, we're putting a one loss team in here. The other alleged undefeated mega-powers are less than convincing, they are just kings of cupcakes. USC will be tough as long as Matt Barkley stays healthy and Coach Kiffykins head doesn't explode. (This Week: BYE)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:

Oh Colorado, you tempt us so. We don't like to move teams out of here unless they truly earn it and since you won this past week, But you did beat the fighting Mike Leach's in a nail biter, so you can now leave the island.

5) Kentucky 1-3. Yes, we know, they've won a game. But it was against Kent State. They haven't been competitive against anyone else. Pity poor Joker Phillips. We love the idea of a coach named Joker, but this Joker may soon be pulled from the deck. (This Week: vs. S.Carolina. Our Pick: see #6)

4) Arkansas 1-3. Haha! Just to prove we aren't total SEC homers, here's 2 teams in the bottom five. And they appear to deserve the honor. If you can't run and can't stop anyone, you can't win. Think about that one John L. Smith. (This Week: at Texas A&M. Our Pick: TAMU 34, Arkansas 24)

3) Idaho 0-4. Oh, poor Idaho. They had a chance to beat Wyoming. And yet they didn't. Which is why they are here. You know, if you are being outscored by 20 pts a game, you probably won't win much. And that is Idaho in a nutshell. (This Week: at North Carolina. Our Pick: UNC 40, Idaho 10)

2) Memphis 0-4. You know your team sucks when Duke blows you out. And that is what happened to the toothless Tigers. And their best RB just left the team. Wah! Wah! Wah!. There's always basketball season on the horizon. (This Week: Bye 41, Memphis 3)

1) UMass 0-4. Congrats to the Minutemen. They've reached double figures in scoring the last two weeks. But they've been out scored 90-29 in those two games. Which is why you land in polls like this. So....(This Week: vs. Ohio. Our Pick: Ohio 90, UMass 29)

And so wraps up Week #4. After this week it gets serious, with several top teams playing each other. And the cupcakes playing each other too.

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Free Falling

Well, as always, the field for this years BCS Championship has quickly narrowed. Going into last week, we still had 4 undefeated teams (5-counting Houston), now we only have 2 (3-counting Houston).

Things are quickly heading towards a shorter number of contenders, though if they lose, yeah, as always it will get really confusing.

Among the highlight's of today's clip, the guys tie someone to a tree. Only the Tree wasn't fast enough to keep up...(Oh...a Stanford joke!)



Last Week wasn't so special for us: 12-2, but it continued our successful run. Overall: 110-20. Damn I'm good.

Count us down Casey:



The Dirty Dozen:


1) LSU 10-0. Taking care of business. That's all they need to do at this point. Nothing crazy, just win and you are in. The Arkansas game should be fun to watch. This Week: at Ole Miss. Our Pick: LSU 31, Ole Miss 3.

2) Oklahoma State 10-0. Yes, they are on a roll. No, they won't beat LSU should they play. The offense is something else. Brandon Weeden should be on everyone's Heisman list. This Week: at Iowa St. Our Pick: Okie St. 45, Iowa St. 23.

3) Alabama 9-1. We still don't think they should be eligible for an LSU rematch. But we suspect we are in the minority here. Hopefully the matchup with my alma mater, Georgia Southern will count against them. This Week: vs. Georgia Southern. Our Pick: Alabama 43, Ga.Southern 14. ((**Note**--We know it is against the rules to pick against alma mater, but really....))

4) Oregon 9-1. Ok. We didn't see that coming. Realistically, we thought they had a shot vs. Stanford, but didn't think it would be a blow out. But they did. They've gotten healthy and they are still really, really fast. This Week: vs. USC. Our Pick: Oregon 41, USC 38. 

5) Oklahoma 8-1. If only they didn't lose vs. Texas Tech. And if they weren't so beat up. They are good enough to beat most, but can they end the season by beating Okie State? This Week: at Baylor. Our Pick: Baylor 37, Oklahoma 35 (UPSET)


6) Clemson 9-1. They haven't been as dominant the past couple weeks and barely squeaked by a tough Wake Forest team. And yes, Sammy Watkins is dinged up and Tajh Boyd hasn't been as strong the past couple of weeks either. This Week: at NC State. Our Pick: Clemson 37, NC State 23.


7) Arkanas 9-1. Another very good team who may have a say in the BCS Championship. They aren't dominant, but they are capable of beating LSU if they are on. Tyler Wilson is a really, really good QB and that is often enough to win in the SEC. This Week: vs. Mississippi State. Our Pick: Arkansas 38, Miss St. 10.

8) Houston 10-0. Unfortunately, they aren't allowed to be at the big boy table come January, but you can make an argument they should be there. Case Keenum and his Cougars can score with anyone. The only issue is could they stop a major conference offense. Arguably a copy of 2007's Hawaii team. This Week: vs. SMU. Our Pick: Houston 51, SMU 31.


9) Boise St. 9-1. We so want them to be legit. They always look like they should be...and then something stupid happens. This time...again...a missed field goal. Come on man! This Week: at San Diego St. Our Pick: Boise St. 35, SDSU 27.


10) Stanford 9-1. Proof that talent can't always beat speed. Or if that talent doesn't have speed, then you may lose. And yes, we know they are pretty beaten up too. But they wouldn't have beaten Oregon even if they were healthy. This Week: vs. California. Our Pick: Stanford 31, Cal 21. 


11) Kansas St. 8-2. They definitely play some fun games. And they are pretty tough, or at least resilient. Colin Klein is a pretty good QB, though he struggles a bit throwing the ball. Props to Bill Snyder for getting the most out of his team. This Week: at Texas. Our Pick: Texas 27, K-State 25.


12) Va. Tech 8-2. Logan Thomas is really big. And becoming a pretty good QB. We still aren't sure how good this team is yet, though winning at Ga.Tech last week is a good accomplishment. This Week: vs. North Carolina. Our Pick: Va. Tech 31, N.Carolina 17.

The Bottom of the Barrel:

Wow! New Mexico actually won a game. That's amazing! They don't get a pass off this list though.


5) New Mexico 1-9. The only possible explanation here is that UNLV must be horrible. We'd argue their coach should be fired for this. But hey, D.R Holbrook threw for 274 yards and a TD. Good for the Lobos. This Week: at Wyoming. Our Pick: Wyoming 34, New Mexico 14.

4) UNLV 2-7. You are here by virtue of losing to New Mexico. And no, there is NO excuse. 61 total passing yards? Really? Come on man! This Week: at Air Force. Our Pick: Air Force 31, UNLV 14.

3) Indiana 1-9. You are really giving the Big 10 a bad name. You gave up 34 points to a horrible offense in Ohio State. You really, really need to be better than this, we just don't think you are capable of it. This Week: at Michigan St. Our Pick: Michigan St. 43, Indiana 0.


2) Memphis 2-8. Yes, we know, you beat Tulane. But you are still a horrible football program. And helloooo...you want to go to a BCS conference, then you need to field a BCS level team, not a Sun-Belt level one. This Week: vs. Marshall. Our Pick: Marshall 28, Memphis 12.

1) Florida Atlantic 0-9. Congratulations. You are the new worst team in College Football. And it doesn't appear to be close. If only the BCS would hand out a "Toilet Bowl" award...it would be immediately Fed-Ex'd to Boca Raton. This Week: at Troy. Our Pick: Troy 38, FAU 13.

And that is that. Enjoy your accompaniment.

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: One Tough Week

Wow. We were prepared to talk at length about this years game of the century otherwise known as LSU's victory over Alabama.

But we can't.

This weeks best and worst of college football has to be tempered by a mention of what is happening at Penn State. It has dominated both News and Sports coverage this week and will for the next several weeks. It's bound to have an effect on this weeks Penn St./Nebraska game and despite the Nittany Lions 8-1 record, it likely will impact them the rest of the season.

But, we have to move on because there truly is more to talk about this week.

In this week's clip, the unit has some hurdles to overcome...and they do:



Last week: 12-1, but we do that a lot. Overall: 98-18

So let's enjoy a little more from Casey Kasem as we move on to the countdown:



 The Dirty Dozen:

1) LSU 9-0. Ladies and gentlemen your best team in the land. For now. Their path is almost all clear, though the tussle with Arkansas at the end of the year is not a gimme. And they'll need to be better on offense too. But there isn't much more you can say. This Week: vs. Western Kentucky. Our Pick: LSU 43, WKU 3

2)  Stanford 9-0. We don't understand why they aren't getting love from the voters. But we think they are the 2nd best team in the country. For now. We'll find out if they are a contender or pretender this week. This Week: vs. Oregon. Our Pick: Stanford 37, Oregon 32

3) Oklahoma St. 9-0. They were lucky to escape vs. K-State. Very lucky. They are impressive on offense, we still think the defense will bite them in the ass before the season ends. But there is an increasingly good chance they run the table too. This Week: at Texas Tech (I will be here working). Our Pick: Okie St. 47, Texas Tech 23. 

4) Boise St. 9-0. Ok. I know you SEC nuts are saying "How can you put these guys over Alabama?". Easy. Alabama lost their game last week. And that is a factor. We also think head-to-head, Boise would have a shot at beating the Tide. (Yes, I said it--and it is true). They are big, fast, physical and smart. This Week: vs. TCU. Our Pick: Boise St. 37, TCU 27. 

5) Alabama 8-1. They were exposed last week. They don't have a lot of weakness's but they do have them. Sorry SEC nuts, they don't deserve a rematch unless the 3 teams ahead of them in this poll lose before seasons end. And that, we don't think, will happen. This Week: at. Mississippi St. Our Pick: Alabama 23, Miss.St. 16 

6) Oklahoma 8-1. They get to stay, but man, the injuries are piling up. It will, we believe, keep them out of a BCS game because they won't beat Okie St. in the season ender. Without Dominique Whaley and Ryan Broyles, someone is going to have to step up to help QB Landry Jones. Who will it be? This Week: BYE 

7) Oregon 8-1. We get to find out who the best team in the Pac-12 is this week. We don't think it is the Ducks. They are very good, but not as good as last year. Though they are getting healthy. So they've got that going for them. This Week: See #2. 

8) Arkansas 8-1. They've struggled a bit, but keep winning. They also are the only team that could keep LSU from winning it all this year. It's only because the offense is scary and dangerous. This Week: vs. Tennessee. Our Pick: Arkansas 31, Tennessee 21. 

9) Clemson 8-1. How did they lose to Ga.Tech? We don't get that either. It's hard to excuse that. Mostly because it wasn't very close. If they play 10 times, Clemson would win 8 of them. But...to quote legendary sportscaster Gil Tyree, "It is what it is". This Week: vs. Wake Forest. Our Pick: Clemson 31, Wake Forest 23. 

10) Houston 9-0. Yes, we know this somewhat contradicts our "Undefeated team" rule. Though nobody seriously thinks they are one of the top 3 teams in the land. This is a good spot for them right now. Case Keenum just keeps lighting things up. The question is "Is he a system QB or that good?" And nobody really knows right now. This Week: at Tulane. Our Pick: Houston 56, Tulane 17. 

11) Virginia Tech 8-1. This is a tough one. There aren't a lot of options to fill out this poll and we don't think Tech is a serious contender for anything other than a mid-level bowl. But...they are 8-1 so they get to be here right now. This Week: at Ga.Tech. Our Pick: Va.Tech 31, Ga.Tech 27. 

12) Kansas St. 7-2. They get to be here by virtue of their valiant effort last week. They maybe should have won the game at Okie St. But they didn't. We just couldn't think of anyone else worthy of this spot. Penn State isn't. Georgia isn't. Michigan State isn't. So the Wildcats get it. This Week: vs. Texas A&M. Our Pick: K-State 38, Texas A&M 31 

The Bottom of the Barrel:  

5) Colorado 1-9. The good: The season is almost over. The bad: They've been giving up 40+ a game and the season isn't over. Needless to say, the move to the Pac-12, hasn't exactly gone over gangbusters or anything. This Week: vs. Arizona. Our Pick: Arizona 40, Colorado 23.  

4) Indiana 1-9. Let's just say this hasn't been a banner year for football in the Hoosier state. There isn't much we can say here. They did score 20 vs. Ohio State...but they gave up 38 to a pretty bad offensive team. So they've got that going for them. This Week: BYE. Our Pick: Bye 43, Indiana 20.  
3) Akron 1-8. Zippy says "What?". Zippy plays "What?". There is a restaurant in Cincinnati called "Zips". And we can tell you from our 2 years there that they make a pretty tasty hamburger. Akron's version of the Zips, would probably lose the burger. This Week: vs. Kent St. Our Pick: Kent St. 27, Akron 10.


2) Florida Atlantic 0-8. At least the season is almost over. We pity poor Howard Schnellenberger, though most thought he retired like 10-years ago. Everything that could go wrong this season....did. Unfortunately, it isn't over. Though the thought of the mercy rule has been discussed. This Week: at Florida International. Our Pick: FIU 41, FAU 13. 

1) New Mexico 0-9. Oh...Mexico....Where is James Taylor when you need him? On the good side though, they scored last week, making it 2 TD's in the past 4 weeks. So they've got that going for them. This Week: vs. UNLV. Our Pick: UNLV 31, New Mexico 10. 


So, we end another week. Enjoy your football:

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Who are you?

Well. Anybody following college football who hasn't heard about "The" game on Saturday? You know it  is a big week if the 4-letter word (espn) is spending an "All-Day" look at the week leading up to it. I mean heck, Erin Andrews asking Les Miles about how much coffee he drinks during the day...Priceless. Oh...and my week is now complete knowing Nick Saban is a fan of Michael Jackson music.

Yes, it is Alabama vs. LSU. Game of the Century. The de facto National Title game. The be all/end all of this season in college football. The one where the SEC school wins.

It should settle the question over one of this years BCS teams. (We won't get started on that, we are currently reading "Death to the BCS" and it makes us angry). And strangely the farther we go, the number of undefeated teams seems to be dropping.

So with that in mind...we give our favorite Dozen clip...theat of General Incognito. (No, not Richie).



Last Week: 11-2. Not bad. Didn't see the Minnesota win coming though. Overall: 86-17. We are on a roll...and yes, I'm counting the Georgia win, because I called it.

With that in mind, let's have Casey warm us up:



The Dirty Dozen:


1) LSU 8-0. They've been here almost from the beginning. And we'll find out if they are worthy this week. Everyone is back, including the "Honey Badger" and they'll need him. They've been solid, they've been efficient, but can they win in Tuscaloosa? This Week: at Alabama. Our Pick: LSU 23, Alabama 21


2) Alabama 8-0. A typical Nick Saban/Alabama team. They will live and die with Trent Richardson. And that isn't a bad thing. We just aren't convinced A.J McCarron can win the game and we think that is what LSU is going to make him have to do. This Week: See Above.


3) Stanford 8-0. Yes, they struggled last week with USC, but that wasn't a surprise, the Trojans are pretty good and were at home. But just looking at Andrew Luck, you knew that Stanford would eventually win, he never seemed to sweat it. This Week: at Oregon St. Our Pick: Stanford 38, Oregon St. 14


4) Oklahoma St. 8-0. Apparently, I'm one of the few people not totally sold on this team. Oh well. That is your problem. Sure, the Fighting Gundy's can outscore almost anyone, but despite what some "Experts" say, they don't play good defense. This Week: vs. Kansas State. Our Pick: Okie St. 45, K-State 23


5) Boise St. 7-0. Keep playing the B-T-O song "Taking Care of Business" in the locker room. And hope that Georgia keeps winning. Before this ends, we think they will again make the BCS question the "One loss vs. Undefeated" question. Because they will be undefeated and the LSU/Bama winner will be too. And they'll be the only ones. This Week: at UNLV. Our Pick: Boise St. 43, UNLV 10.


6) Oklahoma 7-1. Still smarting from losing the Texas Tech game. They are, along with Okie State, the prototypical Big 12 team. Great offense...sometimes questionable defense. And that is why they won't win the national title. This Week: vs. Texas A&M. Our Pick: Oklahoma 43, Texas A&M 31


7) Clemson 8-1. We knew they'd lose a questionable game. It was just a matter of time. And quite honestly, they play like a Big 12 team, not an ACC team. And yes, we know they won't even make their conference championship game now. This Week: BYE


8) Oregon 7-1. They just have never seemed like a "Powerhouse" team, but the writers and pollsters love them. Sure, they are better than most of the Pac-12, but we think Stanford will handle them next week easily. This Week: at Washington. Our Pick: Oregon 45, Washington 35


9) Arkansas 7-1. They plain got lucky last week vs. Vandy. They should have lost. And it isn't the 1st time, they've gotten lucky. They are here by virtue of their record and that they are in the SEC. They'll do what they need to and probably won't lose again until the end of the season. This Week: vs. South Carolina. Our Pick: Arkansas 43, South Carolina 28. 


10) Nebraska 7-1. A typical Nebraska team. Great runners, crappy passers and stout on defense. Got to see them in person last week. Great stadium and atmosphere. They handled Mich. St, but we knew that would happen. This Week: vs. Northwestern. Our Pick: Nebraska 33, Northwestern 17.


11) Penn St. 8-1. Consider this a reward for the Joe Pa's for overachieving. They don't score much, but they don't give up much either. That will get them only so far. The finish this year will be tough, we don't think they'll stay here. This Week: BYE.


12) Houston 8-0. Could they soon be a Big East team. Yes, we think so. They certainly are dominating Conference USA, but the Big East isn't much better, they just have a BCS bid available. The Cougars are your #1 scoring and passing team in the country. This Week: at UAB. Our Pick: Houston 61, UAB 12.


The Bottom of the Barrel: 


**Special Note**--Congrats to Minnesota for beating Iowa. You are free from this list...this week.

5) Colorado 1-8. Sigh....A once proud football school that has fallen to the dregs of Division 1. There really just isn't anything good to say here. Okay, so they are a decent passing team. Which is probably because they've been blown out by everyone and are playing from behind. This Week: vs. USC. Our Pick: USC 43, Colorado 21.


4) Akron 1-7. Well, they almost won last week. Question: LeBron James is threatening to get his "Boys" from home to play Kevin Durant's team in Flag Football. If James takes players from Akron, Durant has nothing to worry about. Just sayin'. This Week: at. Miami (OH). Our Pick: Miami (OH) 37, Akron 21. 


3) Indiana 1-8. Thank god they don't play Minnesota this year. Sorry. Had to go there. They just dismissed their best receiver. They are 1-8. They haven't been competitive...except when they beat 1-AA, SC State and narrow losses to UVA and North Texas. Good thing College Hoops have started. This Week: at Ohio St. Our Pick: Ohio St. 37, Indiana 10. 


2) Florida Atlantic 0-7. On the good side, they didn't lose last week. But then again, they had a BYE. It's been a long, long year in Boca Raton...even with scraps in Florida, they should be better than this. But are they? This Week: vs. Arkansas State. Our Pick: Ark. St. 43, FAU 3. 


1) New Mexico 0-8. They've scored 0 points combined in their last 2 games. They haven't "Officially" given up, but it sure seems like it. Though we will add, they've sucked for the past 3 seasons, this isn't much different. Maybe they should drop to 1-AA. Oh wait, they lost to a mediocre 1-AA team too. This Week: at San Diego St. Our Pick: San Diego St. 38, New Mexico 0. 


And so it goes: