My Top 25 Poll

Since I know that tomorrow's polls will bring frustration and confusion to my senses, I figured I'd go ahead and provide everyone with my thoughts on the Top 25 teams in the country. Most of it is based on what has transpired on the field thus far this season, with the rest based on how good the teams have actually looked to me this year.

1.) Florida
2.) Alabama
3.) Texas
4.) Cincinnati
5.) Houston
6.) Iowa
7.) Michigan
8.) Oklahoma
9.) LSU
10.) TCU
11.) Kansas
12.) Boise State
13.) USC
14.) Ohio State
15.) Missouri
16.) Virginia Tech
17.) Oregon
18.) Auburn
19.) California
20.) Oklahoma State
21.) Miami
22.) Georgia Tech
23.) Penn State
24.) Georgia
25.) South Carolina

I don't envy the pollsters this week because we're in kind of an in-between state of the season where we have enough data to make guesses, but we don't have enough data to really evaluate every team. If I were to put together a poll next week, I'm sure there would be a lot of movement, but that's the point; you're supposed to move teams up and down based on what happened rather than keeping Team A above Team B simply because they started the season that way. I can almost promise you that Penn State (#5 coming into this week) will be ranked ahead of Iowa (unranked coming into this week) in tomorrow's poll. Does that make sense since the Hawkeyes won in Happy Valley? Of course not, but because their respective rankings were what they were prior to the game, it's how things work. Yes, it's a lame system, but you just have to roll with it as a fan. Everything will get worked out by the end of the season, you just have to be patient enough to disregard everything that leads up until then.

I know, easier said than done.

~~ Lank

Friday Night Picks: September 25th

As a new feature on Skip To My Lank, I will attempt to lock down 5 college football lines and 5 NFL lines that seem gamble-able. Is that word? No, but you get the point. I'm not saying take these to the bank, but I am saying that if I were a betting man, I'd throw down on these games. Enough talk, let's dance...

Indiana (+20) at Michigan
Arkansas (+15.5) at Alabama
Bowling Green (+17) vs. Boise State
Oregon State (+2) vs. Arizona
Iowa State (-10) vs. Army

New York Giants (-7) at Tampa Bay
Green Bay (-6.5) at St. Louis
Philadelphia (-9.5) vs. Kansas City
Houston (-4) vs. Jacksonville
Denver (+2.5) at Oakland

Remember to tip your wait staff (or neighborhood blogger) with your winnings. Thanks.

~~ Lank

Can Cal Get Over the Hump?

This weekend's game at Oregon (3:30, ABC regional) will provide a telling story of this year's California Golden Bears squad. Year after year, we get jazzed up about Cal (ok, maybe it's just me), and year after year, they finish 9-3 or 8-4 and a game away from making the Rose Bowl. Cal hasn't made it to Pasadena since 1958 (technically, January 1st, 1959), and would like nothing more than to exorcise that demon this year. With USC losing to Washington last week, traveling to Berkeley next week, and looking vulnerable for the first time in a while, it's not unreasonable to think that the Golden Bears may have their best shot at unseating the Trojans as Pac-10 champions this season.

Wait, I'm pretty sure this sounds familiar. What is it they say about insanity, it's "trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result"? Yeah, this is kinda like that.

I really do feel as if the Bears can get it done this year, though. What looked like a very tough game at Oregon this weekend now looks slightly less so. The Ducks are coming off a three-game stretch in which they've looked...well, disoriented. Despite winning the last two against formidable foes (Purdue and Utah), nobody is comfortable in Eugene right now. QB Jeremiah Masoli looks nothing like the guy who led them down the stretch last year, and new coach Chip Kelly, last year's offensive coordinator, has yet to get his team to play at a high level. If the Ducks are going to upset Cal on Saturday, it's going to take a performance much better than anything they've given this year to do so.

Which brings me back to California. As crazy as it sounds, they don't need their "A game" to win this weekend. Oregon has looked confused on offense and has given up big plays on defense, so simply minimizing turnovers and not giving up any big plays should be enough to give the Bears the victory. That, and giving the ball to the best running back in the country, Jahvid Best, over and over and over again. And then some more. The Cal defense has been stifling this year (3rd quarter against Minnesota notwithstanding), and should befuddle Oregon as well. If the Bears play solid ball and get to 4-0, then they can turn their full attention to the elephant in the Pac-10 room.

USC.

Pete Carroll will have his boys ready to play every game for the rest of this season after an embarrassing performance against Washington (no 3rd or 4th down conversions? Really? It's Washington, for crying out loud); however, there is the possibility that Cal is just better. QB Matt Barkley will only be playing in his 4th game, on the road, against the Bears. Can he be trusted to make plays? USC's biggest strength, its offensive line, will not be as dominant as usual against a terrific Cal front seven. DL Tyson Alualu and LB Mychal Kendricks lead a terrific unit. Cal has every bit the skill position players that USC does, and possibly have a better receiving corps. Damian Williams does his thing for the Trojans, but that's it. WRs Jeremy Ross, Verran Tucker, and Marvin Jones all make plays for the Bears and should test the vaunted USC secondary.

As long as they don't stub their toe in Eugene this weekend while looking ahead to next week, the Bears should be 4-0 and lying in wait for USC in Berkeley next Saturday night. It's certain to be a competitive game played at the highest of athletic levels, but based on what I've seen so far, I give the edge to Cal. Of course, it would be so Cal-ish of the Bears to beat USC and then flame out against Arizona or Oregon State, but I have the feeling that if they get over the USC "hump" you'll see a more focused and loose Bears team for the rest of the year. Which spells trouble for the rest of the Pac-10. Heck, they might even end up in Pasadena for the whole ball of wax (the BCS Championship Game is played at the Rose Bowl this year).

See, that's the problem with trying to trust the Golden Bears; you peg them to go to southern California for the Rose Bowl...and they end up in southern-er California for the Holiday Bowl. Could this year be different?

~~ Lank

EPL Wrap-up: Week 5

I must first start off with an apology. I missed the week 4 wrap-up because of a conflict with the real world.

So to start off let's look at the big game of the week. The Manchester Derby that pitted Man U vs. Man City. Lots of excitement with Man City's undefeated start and questions of how good Man U will be after losing Ronaldo. This game lived up to the billing with even some fisticuffs afterward between hot headed welshman Craig Bellamy and a fan. Man U and Man City battled back and forth for the entire 90 and some extra. Darren Fletcher appeared to put Man U up for the win but then previously mentioned Bellamy put home an equalizer in the 90th. The game is surely over right? Don't think so fast. You forgot that the Red Devils have an true blue english legend on the team. Michael Owen call back days of past to put one home in the 96th. Man U won 4-3 in a thriller.

Chelsea played the hot starting, but since cooling, Totteham. The Blues took care of business easily with Drogba capping of a shut out victory with a 3rd goal for Chelsea. Chelsea wins 3-0 with solid defense and you know they are going to score. Drogba has been one of the most impressive scorers to start this season. Seems he is never missing the back of the net. Game highlights are here.

Arsenal bounced back from the disappointing Man City loss to pound Wigan 4-0. Defender Thomas Vermelean put home the 2 first goals, making that 3 on the season for him. Impressive for a defender. Emmanuel Eboue and Cesc Fabregas put home the time 2 goals making it a solid come back win for the Gunners. Arsenal needed to gain some confidence back after losses to Man U and Man City. If they are going to get back into the top 4 then they will have to keep winning and right the ship.

Liverpool snuck by 1-win West Ham 3-2. A less than impressive effort by the Reds. Fernando Torres put two goals in to lead the Reds to victory. Liverpool has had less than impressive efforts many times this season, but they still find themselves in the top 4 of the table, so I can't bash on them too much.

Top of the Table:

1) Chelsea
2) Man U
3) Liverpool
4) Manchester City
5) Aston Villa

Awards:

Best Team: Chelsea - A very impressive endline to endline win against Tottenham. Scoring 3 goals and not allowing 1 against the #6 team in the league is a good show.

Worst Team: Hull City - This team added a lot of offense in the transfer period (Jozy Altidore and Jan Vennegor of H) but they haven't been able to score and have lost 3 straight.

Biggest Surprise: Burnley - eventually if they keep up the winning they won't be a big surprise, but for this week beating Sunderland 3-1 earns them the spot.

Biggest Disappointment: Sunderland - After having an impressive start they dropped a game to Burnley. Now I have bashed almost everyteam that has dropped a game to Burnley this season and maybe I am mistaken. Maybe its time to start thinking of Burnley as legit....eh, not just yet.

Player of the Week: Michael Owen - Yes, some players scored multiple goals this week. Some had great all around games. But in a BIG game at a BIG moment, Owen came up HUGE. His one goal in the 96th minute gets him the award.

Check in every Friday for a new EPL wrap-up.

--Dirk - International Soccer Correspondent

Dancing With The Stars Recap: Week 1

Ok, that was interesting. Mostly in a good way.

At the behest of my loving mother, Baseball Mom, I decided to watch Dancing With The Stars this season. And by "behest," I mean that had I not watched it, I would have been unable to return home ever again. Ever. Why? Two words: Donny Osmond.

Anyway, I was unable to watch Monday night's episode (in which the male contestants danced) due to my fervent allegiance to the Indianapolis Colts. Yes, the Colts tried to make me collapse, but I still love them. However, I told Baseball Mom to send me text updates (to read after the game) to let me know how things were going. I would try to put them into my own words, but why would I undercut a professional like that? Here's what she had to say:

8:11 pm - "Aaron: cha cha not bad. Two dances tonight. Backstreet Boys are in the house"
8:15 pm - "The two dances are the cha cha and the waltz"
8:21 pm - "Chuck: fox trot awful"
8:23 pm - "Some of his fellow fighters were there"
8:34 pm - "Mark from iron chef cha cha very good"
8:43 pm - "Ashley Hamilton fox trot so so"
8:55 pm - "Donny fox trot HOT!" (shocker there)
9:07 pm - "Louie the skate boarder so so and he has a nice smile. I think Jermaine (Jackson) is sitting with Marie (I think she meant Osmond, but I really don't know that for sure. And, for the record, Louie is a snowboarder)"
9:17 pm - "Michael cha cha too tight and arrogant"
9:30 pm - "Tom cha cha not too bad he danced to wild thing"
9:45 pm - "Donny was so awesome on the second dance!" (another surprise, right?)

To double-check on my mother, I YouTubed a few of the routines later that night and I agree with most of her assessments. So, let's move on to the ladies, shall we?

Tuesday night's episode featured the 8 female contestants: Macy Gray, Joanna Krupa, Melissa Joan Hart, Natalie Coughlin, Debi Mazar, Mya, Kelly Osbourne, and Kathy Ireland. I had never seen the show up to this point, so I didn't really know what to expect. I must admit, however, that I enjoyed the episode. The dancing was entertaining, the structure of the show was well-paced, and the judges were quality. I liked it. There, I said it.

In terms of performance, Joanna, Kelly, and Natalie were terrific. Kelly Osbourne came out and waltzed, which is probably the last thing I'd have expected to happen. She was great, though. Joanna's salsa nearly made me fall in love, but I'm already taken. On the other hand, Macy and Kathy left a lot to be desired. They seemed stiff and really didn't perform so much as they survived. Mya, Melissa, and Debi were solid, but I want to see more from them in the coming weeks. After seeing all of the dances, I was hoping that Wednesday night's elimination episode would lead to Macy Gray and Ashley Hamilton being axed. They weren't good and needed to be let go immediately. Hey, speaking of that episode...

So tonight, I watched the results show. After drawing out the drama for all it was worth, it was revealed that Ashley was the guy chosen to be eliminated (or, I guess, not chosen to advance since it's all based on fan votes). Thus, I was one-for-one in my picks. All I needed was Macy go get the heave-ho and I would be a content (new) viewer for next week's episodes. Following a tribute to Patrick Swayze by the professional dancers, the female who would be eliminated was finally revealed...Macy Gray. Yep, that's right, two-for-two on the evening for Lank. This reminds me of the (only) season of American Idol I watched, when I chose Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis as my favorites from the get-go. The finalists that year? Jordin and Blake. Don't worry, I'll bow later.

All in all, I enjoyed the first week of shows. Yes, it's an insane commitment (two two-hour shows and a one-hour results show), but that lightens up in the coming weeks as the field gets smaller. I look forward to watching the show to see if Clarissa, the Playmaker, and the rest are able to survive the onslaught that is Donny Osmond. You should've seen him on Tuesday night (while the ladies were dancing). He had this look on his face like, "really? You're coming at me with that? I can sleepwalk better than you're dancing right now." I'm telling you, the guy's a killer on the dance floor and has to be the favorite (along with Joanna on the female side) to make the finals.

(Mom, seriously, quit calling me, I promise that I'm being (mostly) genuine in my compliments about him. Only 12% are sarcastic, ok? I love you.)

Check back next week to see the continuation of my expert opinion concerning the goings-on of this season's edition of Dancing With The Stars.

~~ Lank

Come On, Lamar; You Can Do Better

In case you haven't heard, Lamar Odom is marrying Khloe Kardashian this weekend. I'm all for true love and holy matrimony and all that, but I can't say that I support anything about this decision on Lamar's behalf. Why? Well, I've decided to make it easier on you, my valued reader, to follow along in my thought process by separating my points, thus making them easier to digest. Here we go...

1.) It's Khloe Kardashian -- not Kim: Kim Kardashian is a good-looking woman. Yeah, she's kinda trashy and doesn't have much going on upstairs, but at least when she walks down the street, fellas do double-takes. Khloe? Not so much. She's had weight problems, complains about not getting as much attention as her sisters, and just isn't very attractive. Do you really want that forever, Lamar?

2.) You're Lamar Odom: Look, you play for the Lakers, you're a good-looking guy, you just signed a multi-million dollar extension to stay in L.A., and you've never had any legal troubles. Basically, you can have your pick of the litter when it comes to Southern California females. Hugh Hefner has been making a living off of being rich and famous in SoCal for years, at least pretend like you have one-hundredth of his swag.

3.) She used to date Rashad McCants: Nothing against the former Tar Heel, Timberwolve, and King, but he's not exactly an All-Star. As a matter of fact, he's not even signed to a team right now and he's only (almost) 25 years old. You can't go out like that, Lamar. Taking a girl who got cheated on by a guy who isn't even in the League right now? You just won a championship, man; you could do a lot better than a guy who's a sixth man, at best.

4.) You have two children: From all accounts, Lamar, you're a good father. What makes you think that Khloe is the type of woman that you need to help raise your kids? From what I've seen of her (and admittedly, that's not a whole lot) she seems immature, whiny, and needy. Your kids are supposed to be that way, not the woman you choose to raise them with.

5.) The drama potential is too high: The way she handles her self on Keeping Up With the Kardashians leads me to believe she's a drama queen. Lamar, you don't need that. You have a career and a new extension with the Lakers to think about. How are you supposed to concentrate on winning championships when you're wife is complaining about how her sister gets more attention from magazines than she does? Do you think Vanessa Bryant does that?

6.) You've been dating a month: This has nothing to do with you or Khloe in particular, Lamar. This is just a blanket statement to couples everywhere. If you propose after a month, you're asking for trouble. Is a month even long enough to get into an argument? How's that gonna go? A month? Neither of you are even 30 yet, what's the rush? A month? Come on, man. Cook that bird slow; don't throw it in the microwave.

That's all I have for now. I could probably come up with ten more, but the nice guy in me (yeah, he's down there somewhere, I promise) won't allow me to do so. So, Lamar, please take what I've said under advisement and consider your future. I'm not saying she's not wifey material (actually, I am), but I just think you have a few things to work out before throwing the ring on her finger.

Be smart, man; alimony is forever.

~~ Lank

The Weekend That Was: September 19th

USC has issues - I'm not saying this simply because they lost to a worse Washington team. I noticed an offensive ineptitude against Ohio State that I figured would come back to haunt them later in the season...just not against the Huskies. After taking a 10-0 lead, there was no reason for the Trojans to go into complete conservative mode and try to ride out the rest of the game with their defense. If coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates don't open things up soon, they may be facing another conference loss in just two weeks...when they travel to Berkeley to face the on-point California Golden Bears.

I still hate polls - I didn't mean to get repetitive after posting this same thought last week, but this is kinda ridiculous. Florida State, fresh of a 54-28 pantsing of BYU in Provo, is BEHIND BYU in the Coaches' Poll. Luckily, that particular poll doesn't matter, but it's the principle of the thing. How can anyone who votes look at the score of that game and think that the Cougars are better than the Seminoles? Incredible.

Percy Harvin is good - Yeah, he scored for the Vikings in each of their first two games, but as the old adage goes, "you never know what you have until it's gone." The Florida Gators are finding this out the hard way. Though I think they played a good game against Tennessee (I'm in the minority on this one), it's been clear in their first three games that Harvin's gamebreaking ability and unique skill set is greatly missed. Instead of a handoff to Harvin going 65 yards for a score, the Gators must now rely on Tim Tebow even more to create drives on his own. It's good for Florida that Tebow is more than capable of doing so, but you wonder how much of a workload one man can shoulder before things stop working out.

Ryan Mallett was worth the wait - After getting spot duty as Chad Henne's caddy at Michigan in 2007, Mallett transferred to Arkansas after Rich Rodriguez was hired in Ann Arbor and had to sit out the 2008 season as a result. The perfect fit for coach Bobby Petrino's multiple-set, pro-style offense, Mallett leads the nation in passing efficiency and lit up Georgia like a Christmas tree. Yes, the Hogs lost, but it wasn't his fault, throwing for 408 yards and 5 TDs in the 52-41 defeat. Possessing a howitzer for a right arm, look for Mallett to continue to terrorize defenses for the rest of this year and next year before leaving to become a first round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Quit sleeping on Cincinnati - While you were watching Virginia Tech luck out against Nebraska and Florida State blow out BYU, the Bearcats headed to Mars (the Pacific Northwest) and beat a good Oregon State team by double-digits. QB Tony Pike continues to impress, and coach Brian Kelly's team should be able to go on a nice run before facing West Virginia in November. Just don't slip up against Fresno State this week, gentlemen. I'll feel like an idiot.

Tyrod Taylor still isn't good - After being a much balleyhooed recruit, Taylor has failed to impress during his time in Blacksburg. Sure, he was MVP of the ACC title game last year, but he hasn't gotten close to improving his passing skills. With a rocket arm and gifted running ability, Taylor should be better now as a junior. He's not, and that's the reason Virginia Tech will be unable to repeat as ACC champion.

Teams that impressed me - Washington, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Southern Miss, Northern Illinois, Auburn

Teams that disappointed me - USC, Texas, Utah, BYU, Arizona, Northwestern

Games I'm looking forward to this weekend - Ole Miss at South Carolina (Thurs), Indiana at Michigan, North Carolina at Georgia Tech, Arkansas at Alabama, Cal at Oregon, Miami at Virginia Tech, TCU at Clemson, Boise State at Bowling Green, Iowa at Penn State, Washington at Stanford, Texas Tech at Houston

~~ Lank

Lank's Fall TV Schedule

Here we are, starting another season of fall television. I know that you all have your favorites and have already littered the calendar with reminders to watch certain shows. I also know that you're waiting impatiently for me to tell you which shows are worth watching this fall. That's why I'm here. For the people. I'm like the Constitution, just not as old, legit, or American. But almost.

Dancing With The Stars (Mon and Tue, ABC, 8 pm) - Baseball Mom is a HUGE fan of the show and has tried to get me to watch it for as long as I can remember. I have hesitated until now, because they have some interesting cast members. Donny Osmond, Michael Irvin, Mya; I mean, there are some legitimate stories here, and I can honestly say that I'm intrigued. I'm probably going to update the blog with DWTS posts throughout the season to attract girls, but hopefully I'll enjoy the program all season as a viewer as well.

House (Mon, Fox, 8 pm) - One of my favorite shows of all time, the mercurial Dr. House is always a fascinating character to watch. Hugh Laurie's performances are phenomenal week in and week out, and I have to make a concerted effort not to take him for granted he's so good. With House in a mental hospital to begin the season, there are some interesting plot directions that are sure to develop this season.

Modern Family (Wed, ABC, 9 pm) - A new show this year, it's about a bunch of different families that are all interconnected. Getting back to its comedic roots (Home Improvement, Family Matters, et al), ABC hopes to score big with this critically acclaimed series. Ed O'Neill (aka Al Bundy) stars, and I'm sure to watch anything including him (yes, I even tried to watch Big Apple). Plus, it's on a night that I don't watch anything else, so it could become a Lank staple in years to come.

Flash Forward (Thurs, ABC, 8 pm) - Written by David S. Goyer (Blade, The Dark Knight), this show features an interesting plot in which everyone loses consciousness for 2 minutes and 17 seconds and sees flashes of the future -- not all of which are favorable. The limited previews I've seen have looked fantastic, and I'm really hopeful that this idea works as a series. I'll give it every chance to succeed due to its originality.

Trauma (Mon, NBC, 9 pm) - After watching House, I plan on turning the channel to NBC and catching this interesting drama. In between the accidents and the hospital, there are gripping stories to be told, and Trauma will attempt to tell them. This show has "cancel potential" due to the grand scope of the series (there are helicopter crashes and explosions all over the previews), which could be thrown in as a way to distract the viewer from lackluster writing, but I'm willing to give it a shot. The trailers have all looked very good to me.

So there you have it. I'll be watching five shows this fall and am looking forward to becoming huge fans of all of them. There are a bunch of different genres and plot types covered here, but that's one of the things I like about those that I've chosen -- the diversity. I'll let you know how I feel about these shows with posts in the future. But, hopefully you'll take a chance on them as well now that you have the Lank Stamp of Approval and we can watch them together. Stay classy, friends.

~~ Lank

Facebook Etiquette

With "social sites" becoming more and more popular these days, people are worried about what type of "content" is associated with their profile. Basically, they don't want silly pictures or profane comments put on their respective pages. Personally, I don't care what is put on my page because it's either funny or embarrassing; but certainly not incriminating or blackmail-worthy. Thus I've put together a list of things that should NOT be put on a friend's Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace page (you know, if you're sketchy and still have a MySpace page).

1.) Drunk pictures - I don't mean pictures taken while the person is inebriated; I mean pictures taken while the person is obviously inebriated. Yes, they're funny, but you're friend will just end up getting rid of them anyway.

2.) Profane messages - Yeah, it's kind of cool to get a profanity-laced wall post from a friend when their words make a funny story even funnier. But it's just not worth explaining to your mother or uncle how/why it's funny. Remember, old people have Facebook accounts now, too. And, as Will Smith told us, parents just don't understand.

3.) Questions about what that person is doing with their life - Look, I'm sure they're flattered that you decide that a year and a half is long enough to go without talking to them. However, there are much more personal ways of catching up than asking them what they've been up to via a Facebook message. Not only does it ring hollow in the sincerity department, most people take forever to check their inbox. Write an email or (gasp) call them on the phone.

4.) Updates about what you're doing with your life - We realize that you lead a very important life and are super busy and don't have time for phone calls or emails. However, we're not on the edges of our seats, waiting for news about your new cat or your first day of work. Sorry to disappoint you. If it really is that important, you should have my number. If you don't have my number, then we're probably not close enough that I'd care what happened one way or another.

5.) Offers to hang out - Really? You're asking someone to hang out on a social network site? Get your life together.

6.) Responses to offers to hang out - If someone texts you or calls you asking what your plans for the weekend might be, don't write a long excuse for not being able to kick it on their Facebook wall. Not only are you obviously lying by doing so, but it's a public form of rejection, and that's not fun for anybody...unless it's an ex.

7.) Good luck/well wishes - If I needed good luck at my kickball game (which I don't because I'm a kickball champion), I wouldn't exactly be rushing to my Facebook profile to look for it. How impersonal can you get? Aren't well wishes supposed to be from the heart?

8.) Incriminating pictures - Please, please, please "proofread" the photos before you post them. Incrimination doesn't necessarily mean from the cops, it could also mean from a girlfriend. Nobody wants their boo asking them who that girl was in the picture with them. Think about your friend and his tolerance level for nagging the next time you think it'd be funny to put up a picture of him and the girl that was hitting on him all night. Unless of course he owes you money and has "forgotten" to pay you; in that case, post to your heart's content.

9.) Really emotional stuff - We know that you love your boyfriend and he loves you back. However, we don't really need to see it posted on his profile, nor his stuff all over yours. It's like PDA, except it's cyber PDA, which sounds even sketchier. Please, for all of us, keep that between the two of you.

10.) Messages about how busy you are - I know your type of person. Always on the go, always having something to do...most of it self-inflicted. I don't want to hear about how busy you are when you're the one that signed up for 8 church groups, 2 sports teams, and 3 pilates classes. You knew when you took on all that stuff that you'd be stretched thinner than an anorexic teenager, so why are you complaining about it now? Just wondering.

11.) Updates about your travels - We get it; you're in a cool place on vacation, we're not. What about that seems appealing for us to read? Jerk.

12.) Weather-related messages - This is mostly for Facebook status or Twitter updates, but I hate when someone says, "sooo cloudy outside, I want to take a nap." Honestly, I don't care what the weather is if it's in a different city; and if you live where I do, then I'm probably experiencing the same conditions. What about this seems so interesting to report? As a matter of fact, I don't need a cloudy day to take a nap, but you don't see me posting that, do you?

Ok, I think that's all of the ill-advised Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace updates that I have for now. If something strikes me later, I'll be sure to update the list. Feel free to drop in a few of your own in the comments section; I'm sure there are other things that irritate people that I may have overlooked. Stay thirsty, my friends.

~~ Lank

So the Wide Receiver Said to the QB...

In light of the recent revelation that Carolina Panthers WR Steve Smith took an unusual approach to calming down QB Jake Delhomme during Sunday's train wreck against the Eagles, I got to thinking about what some other QB/WR combinations might say to one another during their games in Week 2. After some deep meditation and personal reflection, I think I've got it all figured out. Here's my best guess as to what all 32 quarterbacks and wide receivers could say to one another during their games this week.

Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner and WR Larry Fitzgerald
Warner: I don't believe I've ever been to a stadium that has so many empty seats. Goodness gracious.
Fitzgerald: I know right. I heard they might draft Tebow next year to sell tickets. You know, he's from Jacksonville and all that.

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan and WR Roddy White
Ryan: Dude, Jake just threw another pick. 89's probably gonna punch him out at the half.
White: Nah dude, Steve never beats up his teammates during games; he knows that'll get him in trouble. He saves it for meetings and practices so that nobody cares.

Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco and WR Derrick Mason
Flacco: (laughing) Yo, D, you think Ron Burgundy is here? (laughing even harder)
Mason: I can't believe Keyshawn and Cris Carter tried to call me out, man. They bums. I'ma legend.

Buffalo Bills QB Trent Edwards and WR Terrell Owens
Edwards: I like playing at home, man. I don't mind playing a game or two in Toronto, but we have to stay in Buffalo. It'd suck if they moved us to Canada.
Owens: Wait, Buffalo ain't in Canada?

Carolina Panthers QB Jake Delhomme and WR Steve Smith
Delhomme: (shaking his head) Steve, I'm really sorry again. I didn't mean to throw another interception, I just forgot that we wear white jerseys on the road, too.
Smith: (rising to his feet) Whatever, man; I'ma go sit next to Feeley since he's going in. I still love you as a person, though.

Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler and WR Devin Hester
Cutler: I'm glad Polamalu isn't playing today; that dude's a beast.
Hester: You think he got hurt because he was on the cover of Madden? I do.

Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer and WR Chad Ochocinco
Palmer: Chad, you're not really going to do a Lambeau Leap if you score, right?
Ochocinco: Child, please.

Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn and WR Braylon Edwards
Quinn: Braylon, you've dropped three passes already. What's up with that?
Edwards: Come on, B; you know it's hard to catch passes at this altitude. It's like the ball doesn't come down or somethin'.

Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo and WR Roy Williams
Romo: (nervously) This is crazy; 100,000 people in this stadium? Have you ever seen so many people at a game?
Williams: (calmly) Tony, I played high school ball in Texas, then went to UT. Yes, I've seen this many people at a game. Don't be nervous.

Denver Broncos QB Kyle Orton and WR Brandon Marshall
Orton: We got lucky last week, man. Let's go out there and make sure that we don't need a miracle to beat this Ohio team.
Marshall: Throw me the ball, Kyle. Every down if you can. I gotta set myself up for that contract next year.

Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson
Stafford: I can't believe I'm playing against Brett Favre. That guy is a legend. I always admired him growing up.
Johnson: Even in his prime, dude couldn't overthrow me. Real talk.

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Greg Jennings
Rodgers: I watched "Hard Knocks" this season with these guys. I think they improved a lot from last season, especially defensively.
Jennings: No matter how good that D might be this year, we gon' make 'em kiss the baby today.

Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson
Schaub: Our offense has to set the tone this week, man. Last week was embarrassing.
Johnson: It could be worse, Matt; Jake Delhomme could be throwing to me.

Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning and WR Reggie Wayne
Manning: Reg, great job getting open, buddy. Keep doing it, because I'm not throwing to anybody else until Gonzalez gets back.
Wayne: That's what's up, P. You know I'm gonna be open. I'm always open; even when they triple-cover me.

Jacksonville Jaguars QB David Garrard and WR Torry Holt
Garrard: Hey Torry, keep running that deep crossing route, dude. Arizona can't cover it.
Holt: I know. I played in the same division as them forever; I run crossing routes even when you don't call them because I know I'll be open.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Brodie Croyle and WR Dwayne Bowe
Croyle: Don't let Nnamdi earn that money today, D. Keep challenging him, I'll find you.
Bowe: I'm always open, Brodie. Always. Can't you at least try me deep once? I don't care if Coach Haley keeps telling you to throw screens.

Miami Dolphins QB Chad Pennington and WR Ted Ginn, Jr
Pennington: Freeney won't stay off me, man. I'm looking for you deep, but I don't have time to throw it downfield.
Ginn: It's all good, I just want Coach to call another reverse for me.

Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre and WR Percy Harvin
Favre: Look, Percy, I'm gonna teach this Stafford kid a thing or two about playing quarterback in the NFL.
Harvin: Brett, be cool, dude. Just give it to AD. He's gonna run for 250 if we let him. I'm bein' for real.

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady and WR Randy Moss
Brady: Was that my third touchdown to you today?
Moss: (nods)

New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees and WR Marques Colston
Brees: This Philly blitz is coming from all sides. I don't have enough time to throw the double-moves, so we're gonna go with more 7 routes and slants. Cool?
Colston: Just make sure I get the 7s; I want some of your TDs today, dawg.

New York Giants QB Eli Manning and WR Steve Smith
Manning: This crowd doesn't faze me, Steve. I played in the SEC.
Smith: The SEC's lame, man. I went to SC; we woulda killed all y'all's teams.

New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez and WR Jerrico Cotchery
Sanchez: My bad, J. I keep looking for you, but I can't see a thing out there. Everything's going so fast.
Cotchery: Don't worry about it, dude; that's just Bill Belichick messin' with you. (sarcastically) You'll figure it out.

Oakland Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey
Russell: You know I can throw it 82 yards, right?
Heyward-Bey: Bet you can't overthrow me, man. Bet.

Philadelphia Eagles QB Kevin Kolb and WR DeSean Jackson
Kolb: I just missed you on that deep one, man. I swear I'll get you next time.
Jackson: (to himself, under his breath) Get well soon, Donovan.

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Santonio Holmes
Roethlisberger: Yo, San; why do your eyes always look yellow and half-open?
Holmes: Remember that time I got suspended for substance abuse?

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers and WR Vincent Jackson
Rivers: Look, Baltimore brings a lot of pressure, so I might make some changes at the line to get you into slants and crossing routes.
Jackson: What are slants and crossing routes? I just go deep, baby.

San Francisco 49ers QB Shaun Hill and WR Isaac Bruce
Hill: We gotta keep the ball, man. I can't throw another pick like that last one if we're gonna have a chance.
Bruce: I'm so glad I've been giving Michael Crabtree such bad advice; I'll be the go-to option here all season long.

Seattle Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck and WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh
Hasselbeck: Great job, T.J. You're getting open with ease and making it easy on me to keep moving the chains.
Houshmandzadeh: Matt, why are you always looking John Carlson's way in the red zone? I need some TDs, baby.

St. Louis Rams QB Marc Bulger and WR Donnie Avery
Bulger: You think President Obama is here?
Avery: (excitedly) I hope so, dude! I could get an autograph or somethin'.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Byron Leftwich and WR Antonio Bryant
Leftwich: I'm glad we got up to Buffalo before it gets cold. That snow is no joke around here in the winter.
Bryant: I feel you, man. I'm from South Florida; there's only one kind of snow that we like down there.

Tennessee Titans QB Kerry Collins and WR Justin Gage
Collins: Don't worry, Justin; we're just throwing all those screens and dump-offs to set you up for a deep one later.
Gage: Riiiiiiiiiight.

Washington Redskins QB Jason Campbell and WR Santana Moss
Campbell: We gotta beat the Rams, man. They suck.
Moss: Yo, J, you think President Obama is here? I hope he's here; I could get an autograph or somethin'.

~~ Lank

Jay-Z Tried to Make Me Cry

Normally, rappers are regarded in a negative light by the general public and feel-good stories involving them rarely make the news. However, there was one particular episode over the weekend that seems to have gotten its just due; and I, for one, can vouch for the emotion and energy that made it special.

Friday night, Jay-Z put on a concert at Madison Square Garden entitled "Answer The Call". To celebrate the 8-year anniversary of the horrible events of 9/11 (which coincided with is release of "The Blueprint"), Jay-Z donated ALL proceeds from the show to a fund set up for the widows and children of people lost in the attacks on the World Trade Center. The concert was aired live by Fuse and I was lucky enough to see it from start to finish. Hov was at his best, taking songs from all phases of his career and calling upon a host of celebrities from Kanye West, Beyonce, and Diddy to Santigold and John Mayer, to give an absolutely incredible performance.

There were many highlights from the show, but one particularly poignant moment stuck out to me. After a moment of silence for the victims of the 9/11 attacks, and while "Young Forever", a song off of his new album "The Blueprint 3", played in the background, a towers-shaped visual covered the screen that hung down at the back of the stage and scrolled pictures of everyone who died on that sad day.

No, I didn't cry; but I can't say that few hairs on the back of my neck weren't raised. A very touching moment from a native New Yorker who took it upon himself to show his support for his brothers and sisters who were taken from us far too soon eight years ago. Nicely done, Jay; nicely done.

~~ Lank

The Weekend That Was: September 12th

Thanks for playing, Oklahoma State - In last week's TWTW, I told the Cowboys to be careful with Houston. Coming off an emotional, hard-fought victory and welcoming a high-scoring, chip-on-their-shoulder mid-major to town is a recipe for disaster. Oklahoma State showed no signs of life on offense until midway through the second half, and Houston was already in it by then. And by "already in it," I mean "ahead by double-digits. The initimidation factor was out the window and the Cougars took it to the 'Pokes in Stillwater. Oklahoma State is now a non-factor in the national title race (sorry, it's true), and must find an offensive identity. For whatever reason, they've looked out of synch all year despite returning pretty much everyone to the unit. Weird.

I still hate polls - Further proof that the people who vote in the college football polls don't actually watch college football: Houston is unranked in the coaches' poll and behind Oklahoma State in the AP poll. Read the blurb I just wrote and then let that swirl around in your head a little bit.

Florida is good - Yes, it was only Troy; but it was the way they did it. I watched the Gators with Big Brother, a huge Florida fan, and we both agreed early on that they were going through the motions while waiting for the Tennessee game next week. Next thing you know, Florida rips off about 150 points in a row (only a slight exaggeration) and Troy is looking like a JV team. Those boys are explosive.

Great games all over the place - In a week that was expected to be so-so, the slate produced a ton of close games. I was burning up the remote control trying to keep up with them all. UConn-North Carolina, Michigan State-Central Michigan, Ohio State-USC, South Carolina-Georgia, Oklahoma State-Houston, Michigan-Notre Dame; they all went down to the wire and had terrific finishes.

Gus Malzahn is the man - The former Tulsa offensive coordinator was hired at Auburn to revitalize an offense that was downright putrid last year. Umm, check. Auburn beat Mississippi State 3-2 last year. No, seriously, it was 3-2, I watched it. Last weekend? Auburn beat a much-improved Mississippi State team 49-24 while putting up 589 yards of offense. There will be tougher tests to come, but it's safe to say that Malzahn has the Tigers running (literally) in the right direction.

Matt Barkley - The USC freshman QB is getting a lot of love for his "poise" and "maturity" during Saturday's game at Ohio State. Don't get me wrong, I think Barkley will be an absolute stud for the Trojans eventually. But right now, he's merely average. 15/31 for 195 yards and a pick isn't exactly lighting it up. The praise should be heaped on RB Joe McKnight, who made play after play on the last-minute drive to set up backfield mate Stafon Johnson's touchdown plunge. I like Barkley's ability, but his line and running backs are the reason his team is undefeated right now.

Cal is cruising - Yes, I know they get us excited every year before falling on their sword in the fall, but the Golden Bears have shown a killer's mentality to go with their abundance of talent. RB Jahvid Best gets all of the love, and rightfully so, but QB Kevin Riley has been terrific in his first two games and that defense looks downright nasty. October 3rd they host USC. We'll know everything we need to know about the Bears after that one (assuming Oregon doesn't beat them in two weeks).

Tate Forcier is a stud - The freshman Michigan quarterback was superb on Saturday against Notre Dame. Making play after play, Forcier showed that when all of the parts fit together, coach Rich Rodriguez has a truly dynamic offense. I honestly have no idea where Michigan's season goes from here, but I do know that they'll be in good hands for a few years with Forcier at the helm. Gotta hand it to him.

Teams that impressed me - Michigan, Central Michigan (what grit), Houston, Florida, BYU, Bowling Green (2nd straight week for the Falcons), Indiana, UCLA

Teams that disappointed me - Florida State, Michigan State, Florida State, Ohio State (not that they lost to a better team, but because they played so conservatively for no reason), Florida State, North Carolina, Florida State, Stanford (gotta hold that lead, fellas), Florida State, Colorado, Florida State, Tennessee, Florida State

Games I'm looking forward to this weekend - California at Minnesota, East Carolina at North Carolina, Indiana at Akron, Tennessee at Florida, Tulsa at Oklahoma, Florida State at BYU, Cincinnati at Oregon State, Georgia at Arkansas, West Virginia at Auburn, Texas Tech at Texas

~~ Lank

Tip o' the Cap to MTV

I had an idea for this post earlier today at work. I was going to talk about Kanye West's VMA outburst and Serena Williams' verbal attack on the line judge at the U.S. Open. However, something funny happened when I watched the rerun of the VMAs to get the full context of what Kanye did.

I enjoyed the show.

The MTV Video Music Awards used to be one of my favorite entertainment events of the year. If you mention any of the premier moments or performances from a mid-90s to mid-2000s show, I'll be able to recall it in full detail. Plus, I'll probably remember exactly where I was when I watched it for the first time. Lately, though, as MTV has gotten away from playing music videos and has, instead, focused their efforts on promoting their stable of reality TV shows, the VMAs have suffered considerably.**

**(note: MTV assumed that the ratings for the VMAs were in decline because of the quality of the show. In reality (pun intended), the ratings went down because nobody who likes music videos watches MTV anymore. Rather than being bombarded with lame reality shows and promos for lame reality shows, people like myself have chosen to stay away from MTV and go to YouTube to watch videos. The core fan base for MTV these days is teenage to twenty-something females who like "The Hills", "Laguna Beach", and the rest. Those particular fans aren't concerned with the entertainment value of Jay-Z's video for "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)", they're concerned with Heidi and Spencer's breakup or whatever it is that happens on those shows. Thus, the old school video-watching fans don't watch MTV anymore, and the people who do watch MTV don't care about the music videos the network plays. That's a bad combination for a music video award show. Just saying.)

In order to attract viewers back to the show, MTV got desperate. They went hostless in 2007 and moved the show to a casino/hotel in Las Vegas. Last year, they went to a Hollywood studio and put on a broadcast that seemed like a cheap imitation of a stage show being played out in front of a disinterested audience. Seriously, if I had to look at a low point for the VMAs, last year's show is definitely it. Britney Spears won a bunch of awards for a video nobody saw, there were no remarkable performances (regardless of what Kanye West would tell you about his show-closing rendition of "Love Lockdown"), and the atmosphere was pathetic.

Somebody must've figured something out, because they got things right this year. Gone were the weird locales, and the show was moved back "home" to Radio City Music Hall in New York City. MTV is synonymous with NYC, so they need to have the show at Radio City Music Hall or Metropolitan Opera House every single year. No exceptions. Last year's show lacked star power, so MTV made sure that Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Eminem, Taylor Swift, Pink, Lady Gaga, and a host of other musicians that had big years were in attendance. I can't tell you how much this affects the perception of a show's legitimacy. It just does. Finally, MTV nailed several key performances. We got a few more moments in the goody bag of VMA episodes; something that had been sorely lacking in recent years.

This tribue to Michael Jackson was phenomenal. If you don't like it, I don't want to talk to you anymore.

MTV Shows

I'm not a Taylor Swift fan by any stretch of the imagination, but her performance on the subway was a very cool idea.

New Music - More Music Videos

Everybody knows I'm a huge Jay-Z fan, but bringing him out with fellow New Yorker Alicia Keys to close the show with "Empire State of Mind" was simply terrific.

Jay-Z - New Music - More Music Videos

Those are the types of moments and performances that restore the luster to the VMAs and make it a must-see event. Hopefully, MTV has learned from their mistakes and will make shows like this time and time again in the future. If so, I'll gladly spend a late summer evening watching the show.

Which, sadly, is something I couldn't have said for the past few years.

~~ Lank

NFL Preview: League Predictions

Super Bowl XLIV: Indianapolis Colts over Green Bay Packers

MVP: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

Defensive Player of the Year: Ed Reed, S, Baltimore Ravens

Offensive Player of the Year: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Rey Maualuga, LB, Cincinnati Bengals

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Percy Harvin, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Best Coach:
AFC - Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
NFC - Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles

Worst Coach:
AFC - Tom Cable, Oakland Raiders
NFC - Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys

Best New Coach:
AFC - Josh McDaniels, Denver Broncos
NFC - Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams

Worst New Coach:
AFC - Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs
NFC - Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Surprise Team:
AFC - Cincinnati Bengals
NFC - New Orleans Saints

Disappointing Team:
AFC - Baltimore Ravens
NFC - Arizona Cardinals

Best Jerseys:
AFC - Denver Broncos
NFC - Chicago Bears

~~ Lank

NFL Preview: American Football Conference

Before making my predictions, I looked over every team's schedule and depth charts. No matter how talented a team may be, a murderous schedule can derail title hopes more than injuries can. Based on how good/bad I thought each opponent would be, I assigned a win or loss to each game on every team's schedule. Then, I took those standings, assigned seeds to the 6 playoff teams and predicted the playoffs from there. Basically, these predictions are based on a combination of eye test and schedule, rather than me going with my gut. We'll see how things actually shake out, but this is my best guess.

AFC South:
1.) Indianapolis Colts (12-4)
2.) Houston Texans (10-6)
3.) Tennessee Titans (10-6)
4.) Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10)

AFC East:
1.) New England Patriots (12-4)
2.) Buffalo Bills (7-9)
3.) Miami Dolphins (6-10)
4.) New York Jets (5-11)

AFC West:
1.) San Diego Chargers (11-5)
2.) Denver Broncos (8-8)
3.) Kansas City Chiefs (5-11)
4.) Oakland Raiders (3-13)

AFC North:
1.) Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
2.) Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
3.) Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
4.) Cleveland Browns (4-12)

.

Key Games:

San Diego at Pittsburgh, October 4th; Indianapolis at Tennessee, October 11th; New England at Indianapolis, November 15th; Tennessee at Houston, November 23rd; Pittsburgh at Baltimore, November 29th

Wild Card Playoffs:

San Diego over Houston
New England over Tennessee

Divisional Playoffs:

Pittsburgh over San Diego
Indianapolis over New England

Conference Championship:

Indianapolis over Pittsburgh

~~ Lank

NFL Preview: National Football Conference

Before making my predictions, I looked over every team's schedule and depth charts. No matter how talented a team may be, a murderous schedule can derail title hopes more than injuries can. Based on how good/bad I thought each opponent would be, I assigned a win or loss to each game on every team's schedule. Then, I took those standings, assigned seeds to the 6 playoff teams and predicted the playoffs from there. Basically, these predictions are based on a combination of eye test and schedule, rather than me going with my gut. We'll see how things actually shake out, but this is my best guess.

NFC South:
1.) New Orleans Saints (11-5)
2.) Atlanta Falcons (9-7)
3.) Carolina Panthers (8-8)
4.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-14)

NFC East:
1.) New York Giants (11-5)
2.) Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
3.) Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
4.) Washington Redskins (7-9)

NFC West:
1.) Seattle Seahawks (10-6)
2.) Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
3.) San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
4.) St. Louis Rams (3-13)

NFC North:
1.) Green Bay Packers (12-4)
2.) Minnesota Vikings (11-5)
3.) Chicago Bears (8-8)
4.) Detroit Lions (3-13)

.

Key Games:

New York at New Orleans, October 18th; New York at Philadelphia, November 1st; Minnesota at Green Bay, November 1st; New Orleans at Atlanta, December 13th; Green Bay at Chicago, December 13th

Wild Card Playoffs:

Minnesota over Seattle

New Orleans over Philadelphia

Divisional Playoffs:

Green Bay over Minnesota

New Orleans over New York

Conference Championship:

Green Bay over New Orleans

~~ Lank

Allen Iverson Signs...With the Grizzlies?

Apparently, Allen Iverson feels that Memphis is the best destination for him in the twilight of his glorious career. With all due respect to one of my favorite players of the last decade, I politely disagree.

It has nothing to do with Iverson, but a lot to do with the Grizzlies. Their roster now contains four guys who absolutely need the ball in their hands as much as possible to have an impact on the game. Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, Zach Randolph, and, now, Iverson will all be trading possessions in which they get to take the shots or run the plays set up for them. It's going to be a weird, synergy-less, one-on-five-type season in Memphis. I realize that the Grizzlies are, reportedly, the only team to make a solid offer to Iverson, but I was hoping that if he held on a little longer and waited until we got closer to Opening Night in late October, he'd be able to land a solid deal elsewhere.

Miami and Charlotte were two other teams that were reportedly interested, and I think both would have been better fits. Sure, Miami has Dwyane Wade, who likes to dominate the ball and make plays on his own. But the Heat lack another scorer and Wade has shown that he's able to share the ball effectively and pick his spots to take over. Adding Iverson would have been good for Wade, because he'd have a complementary scorer instead of being relied on to score 30 per night. Currently, if Wade scores less than 20, Miami loses. Had they added Iverson, Wade may score 17, but Iverson could pour in 31 and the Heat would be a lot better off. Again, I understand that Memphis had a better offer than Miami (who, supposedly, was only offering $2 million), but I think that situation would have favored Iverson, a guy who doesn't need the money.

Charlotte also would have been a good bet. Despite trading for Tyson Chandler for reasons unknown, the Bobcats have a solid nucleus with Raymond Felton (assuming he's eventually signed), Boris Diaw, and Gerald Wallace. Their glaring weakness in the past couple seasons has been a clutch scorer on the perimeter. Wallace is terrific, but he's not quite the next-level scoring option that Charlotte desperately needs. Iverson is. Giving him the ball in crunch time is a much better option than giving it to Felton or Wallace, both of whom aren't the scorers that Iverson is, obviously. The Larry Brown angle has been played out, but I honestly think that Iverson would have been much more likely to play hard for Brown than Lionel Hollins, who is the Grizzlies' interim-turned-head coach. I'm not saying Iverson will dog it in Memphis, because he never dogs it when he plays, but there would have been an extra spark in Charlotte.

At the end of the day, I'm just glad Iverson is back in the league. The Detroit situation was a fiasco and he shouldered entirely too much of that blame. The team was terrible and didn't even play well once Iverson "hurt his back" and was unable to finish the season. Rip Hamilton isn't exactly young anymore, either, so looking Iverson as the reason that situation didn't work out is unfair. There's a reason Detroit cleaned house in the offseason; they were bad on a number of levels.

AI is one of my favorite players and I'm looking forward to see him fill it up time and time again this season. I just wish he'd waited for a better situation than forcing a marriage with a team that appears to be going nowhere and won't be able to use his abilities as well as another team could have.

~~ Lank

The National League Wild Card: Who Wants It?

Last week, my roommate asked me who was going to win the National League Wild Card race. I thought for a minute and then said, "the Colorado Rockies." Then I thought a minute more and said, "nah, give me the Giants." Finally, exasperated, I said, "no, I'm gonna go with the Rockies because the Giants can't score and losing all of those 2-1 games will come back to bite them later."

Here we are a little later in the season, and I'm still not quite sure who's going to win it.

As of right now, the Rockies hold a slight lead, but there are roughly 20 games left in the season, and a cold streak at the wrong time could screw things up. They recently had to shut down closer Huston Street for a little while because of an injury to his biceps. Considering he has 33 saves and a sub-3.00 ERA, that's not the type of thing you want to happen at such a crucial time in the season. He's expected back soon, but the Rockies need to hold down the fort until he returns. Starting pitchers Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Marquis have been great for Colorado this season, but any slip-ups from them, and all of a sudden a 3.5-game lead turns into a 1-game lead.

On the other hand, San Francisco has been unable to find any offense recently, which is about how things have gone all season. The Giants feature one of the best rotations in baseball with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Barry Zito, but as good as those guys are, they can't win unless they're given run support. Brad Penny, recently acquired from Boston, has been great in his two starts with San Fran, but he can't do anything for the offense. The Giants are 19-20 in one-run games which goes to show that even when their pitching is great, it doesn't guarantee a win. Such problems have hindered Los Gigantes all season long, and unless they get on a hot streak hitting-wise in September, they'll be enjoying the postseason from the comfort of their own homes. Which is a shame considering a postseason series would be imminently winnable for them should they line up Lincecum, Cain, and Zito against any offense in the league. You've gotta get to the postseason before you can win in the postseason, however, and I just don't see San Francisco getting up the hill.

Lurking relatively far behind are the Florida Marlins and the Atlanta Braves. I only include them in this argument because the numbers require me to, but they're not really threats. Both have been up-and-down all season, and look unable to put together a winning streak that would put a considerable dent in the Rockies' lead. The Marlins are a team loaded with young talent (especially on the mound), but lack the maturity to go on a run in September. The Braves feature a terrific rotation (led by the unrookie-like rookie Tommy Hanson), but cannot put runs across the board often enough to contend. Maybe these teams will challenge in 2010, but not this year.

So, getting back to the original argument, Rockies or Giants? I'm sticking with the Rockies because as we all know, we're getting closer and closer to Rocktober, but don't be surprised if the Giants make the next few weeks very uncomfortable for them. That was quite the diplomatic answer, wasn't it? What's wrong with me?

Screw it; go Rockies.

~~ Lank

U.S. Men Flame Out at U.S. Open

A couple of weeks ago, I wondered if American tennis was positioning itself to improve, overall, in the grand scheme of things. Instead of having guys win smaller hard court tournaments (like Sam Querrey did in LA) or having guys give gutty performances while still ending up on the short end of the stick (like Andy Roddick did at Wimbledon), I am hoping that American tennis players can get it done on the big stage. So, how do I feel now that we've reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open?

Umm, well, uh, I think, hmm, I'm not sure.

On one hand, it's a telling sign that no American man made the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open for the first time in the history of the tournament. That, in and of itself, is quite a sobering statement. However, if we're all being real, our tennis wagon has been hitched to Andy Roddick ever since Andre Agassi retired, so once John Isner knocked him out in the 3rd round, our hopes were dashed. Isner lost in the 4th round to Spaniard Fernando Verdasco and that was that.

However, a lot of movement was made by American men in the early rounds of the U.S. Open. Roddick, Isner, James Blake, Taylor Dent, Jesse Witten, and Sam Querrey all made the 3rd round of the tournament. That's six players in the round of 32, which isn't bad, all things considered. The problem is that only one of those six advanced to the next round, and none of them advanced to the quarterfinals. Is this a good thing? I say yes. Sure, Roddick should have gone further, but Witten, Querrey, and Isner are all young players who may be able to advance further in the future. Dent was lucky to get that far, to be honest, and Blake is a good player who will always be seeded in the 20s, making his trip to the quarters pretty tough. Regardless, bringing back Roddick, Blake, Isner, and Querrey (and maybe Witten who surprised this year but can't yet be counted on for repeated success) next year should net us a quarterfinalist.

Even still, asking for a quarterfinalist isn't what I'm doing here. I want a semifinalist at worst and a champion at best. There's no reason the United States of America shouldn't produce at least two world-class tennis players at any given time. Yes, the troika of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Jim Courier was a fluke and we'll never be able to produce three top players at once. However, having more than a Roddick bullet in the gun wouldn't hurt. Maybe Isner can use his performance in New York as a springboard to bigger and better things. I've been impressed with the progress made by Querrey, and hope that he can eventually make the move from good player to Top 10 player.

Despite the amount of players in the 3rd round, I would call this year's U.S. Open a failure for American players. One guy in the 4th round and no quarterfinalists is a pretty poor showing. Watching the Open is one of my favorite summer pastimes, but I can only imagine how much better it will be when I have a host of American players to root for along the way.

So, is American tennis getting better? Yes, but it's clearly not good enough.

~~ Lank

The Weekend That Was: September 5th

Every week throughout the season, I'll be giving you a few things that stuck out to me in the previous week's slate of college football games. It could be a player, team, incident, or performance that impressed me. It may be a list that is 3 things long or 20 things long. Think of it as a stream-of-consciousness notes on what I saw.

Sam Bradford's injury - Sure, Oklahoma has a pretty good defense and running game. But as we saw Saturday night, not good enough to beat a decent opponent. BYU won the game because Oklahoma was, essentially, running into the line for three downs and then punting in hopes that their defense could hold their slim lead. It worked well for about 27 minutes, but once the Cougars scored the go-ahead touchdown, you knew the ballgame was over. Translation: Bradford needs to come back soon.

BYU isn't as good as you might think - The Cougars deserve credit for finding a way to win Saturday's game against Oklahoma. However, let's have a little perspective here. They won by one point against a team that was missing their Heisman-winning quarterback. Am I supposed to believe that Sam Bradford wasn't going to account for at least two points in the second half? If Bradford finishes the game, we're talking about a (roughly) 27-14 win by the Sooners, in which everyone applauds BYU for playing them tough and showing their mettle. Instead, Bradford didn't finish and everyone has put BYU in the driver's seat for a BCS birth. Really? They won't even go undefeated in the Mountain West. Mark it down.

Oklahoma has problems - Even before Bradford's injury, the receivers weren't getting open and the line wasn't blocking particularly well. If you look, part of the reason Sam Bradford threw for 50 TDs last year was because he had all day to throw and his receivers were tremendous after the catch. Neither of those elements were in play Saturday, and it'll take some time for that to develop. The Sooners, even with Bradford, are very much a work in progress.

Notre Dame-Michigan might actually be watchable now - Last year's game was pretty bad. Neither team could do a whole lot offensively and combined for 8 turnovers. This season, things should be different. Jimmy Clausen looked terrific against Nevada, a solid mid-major squad to be fair, and may be peaking at just the right time for the Irish. Michigan, on the other hand, look a little more in synch against Western Michigan, another solid mid-major, than they did all of last season. Remember, Michigan lost to Toledo last year and Toledo was bad MAC team. The fact that they were able to soundly whip a good MAC team to begin this season shows that improvement has been made. Is it enough to go bowling? Too early to tell; but at least this year's edition of Irish-Wolverines shouldn't put us to sleep.

Navy kept it real (as always) - The Midshipmen almost pulled it off, but didn't quite have enough gas in the tank to beat Ohio State in Columbus. They got down early but made a furious comeback to get within two. Once the two-point conversion attempt was intercepted and returned to the house, putting them down by four, the game was over. But the admiration and appreciation that I have for the Naval Academy and the product they continue to put on the field year in and year out was not over. I don't believe it ever will be. I don't think people realize just how little talent they have to work with every year, yet they produce winning season after winning season against a schedule that features some good teams.

USC should never pass the ball - Not even Knute Rockne loved the forward pass more than me, but the Trojans would be silly to pass the ball with any regularity. Their offensive line should be dominant, and their running backs, led by the electrifying Joe McKnight, should be as well. Starting a true freshman at quarterback and only having one proven receiver (Damian Williams) only enhances my point. Their defense is good enough to keep every game close, and by the time the 4th quarter rolls around, USC will still be running over, through, and around you, and you'll be wondering how your 17-14 deficit is now 38-14. Run, Pete, run.

The Big East is pissed - After losing 10 starters off last year's defense, Cincinnati was supposed to take a step back this year after winning the Big East in 2008. Somebody forgot to tell the Bearcats, though. Coach/wizard Brian Kelly led his team to Piscataway, New Jersey Monday to face a quasi-favorite in the Big East race, Rutgers (who is one of about 5 teams that could legitimately win the conference), and absolutely destroyed them. The offense was in fine form, putting up 47 points, but everyone knew with the return of QB Tony Pike and WR Mardy Gilyard, they'd be able to score. However, the defense was downright stingy, flying to the ball against the run and forcing turnovers against the pass. There will be some missteps for Cincy this year, but if Monday showed us anything, it's that they can't be discounted in the race for the Big East title just because they lost a lot on defense.

Teams that impressed me - Missouri, Notre Dame, Michigan, Tennessee (goodness, Lane), Baylor, Oklahoma State (not because they beat Georgia, but that they showed some resilience in doing it), Bowling Green, North Texas, California, Washington, Navy, Cincinnati, Syracuse

Teams that disappointed me - Virginia, Duke, Oregon, Ball State, Indiana, Illinois (really?), Iowa, NC State, South Carolina, Central Michigan

Games I'm looking forward to this weekend - Notre Dame at Michigan, USC at Ohio State, UCLA at Tennessee, Stanford at Wake Forest, Purdue at Oregon, Syracuse at Penn State, Air Force at Minnesota, Houston at Oklahoma State (be careful, Cowboys)

~~ Lank

Tomahawk Chop to the Gut

They say you're not supposed to react to a situation until you've let the emotions settle and you're being level-headed about your decision-making. Rather than making a rash judgment that could hurt you in the long run, you should collect your thoughts and then proceed from there.

Apologies to whomever "they" might be, but I'm getting ready to speak with pain in my heart.

As everyone knows, I'm a Florida State diehard. For anybody that watched Monday night's game pitting the 'Noles against Miami, you know that's about as bad as it gets in terms of losing a game. Not only did we lose to a bitter in-state rival, we lost on a dropped ball in the endzone with no time remaining on the clock. Oh, and all of this came after we had a lead, but squandered it by letting the Hurricanes march down the field like they were playing a high school team.

To put mildly, tonight's game sucked.

I don't want to hear about how well both teams played. I don't want to hear about how Florida State QB Christian Ponder proved he might be ready to become a playmaker for the offense. I don't want to hear about how our receiving corps played better than anyone could've anticipated. I don't want to hear about how, even though we lost, we showed that we might be ready to play for another ACC Championship. I don't want to hear any of that.

We lost. End of story.

Losing sucks no matter how it comes. Blowouts suck. Close losses suck. Competitive-but-not-quite-in-the-game losses suck. I honestly don't care that we may have "played well". We're not freakin' Wake Forest or North Carolina or Maryland; some ACC basketball school that pretends like they care about football and looks for reasons to believe in their team.

We're Florida State, dammit, and we're supposed to win ballgames. Especially ones in which we score 34 points and give the defense a lead with 5 minutes to go in the 4th quarter.

There are a number of things to complain about: the secondary was godawful; the running game that was supposed to be better wasn't; there was no consistent pass rush to speak of with Everette Brown; and we showed the time management skills of Herman Edwards in the 4th quarter. I mean, it was terrible.

Sure, we'll regroup and beat Jacksonville State on Saturday. Then, I'm confident we'll go out to Provo and play well against a BYU team that everybody thinks is good now since they beat an Oklahoma team without Sam Bradford for a half by one point. Who knows, we might even make a nice little run in the ACC and win 6 or 7 conference games.

However, for one night at the beginning of the season, we gave away a win. A game that we should've won against a big time conference opponent was handed to them in a way that just makes me want to gag. As a matter of fact, I felt sick to my stomach after that game. So yeah, we might play better this season; and we might even win a conference championship.

But that doesn't, and won't, make me feel any better about losing to Miami to start the season.

~~ Lank

Live Blog: A Saturday With Lank

People often ask me how I spend a normal college football Saturday. Ok, I'm lying; only like three people have asked me that in my life. However, I think that my Saturdays are treated a bit differently than most other people's, so I'm going to give you some insight. I'll be live-blogging my activities all day. These will include game-watching, eating, random thoughts that come to me during the afternoon, and most likely, some delirious drivel once we hit the midnight hour. This is going to be fun. I have a nice setup with two TVs in the living room, so I'll try to keep you up to date on which games I'm watching, and how I rotate the games back and forth among the TVs. If I don't, sue me; I don't care. Let's get started...

12:03 pm - Syracuse and Minnesota just kicked off. The thought of Greg Paulus starting is just too enticing to pass up, especially when the only other option is Ohio State and Navy. I have two TVs in my living room, so OSU-Navy is on the small TV.

12:04 pm - Wow, that was a terrible start for the Orange. Their center snaps the ball (literally) 8 feet over Paulus' head and the Gophers recover the loose ball. That was quite an ugly play.

12:05 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Minnesota. Duane Bennett get a handoff and takes it up the right sideline for a 16-yard score. Well, at least Paulus is getting the ball back. On the small TV, Terrelle Pryor is leading the Buckeyes down the field against Navy. My homeboy, Lefty, who attends the Naval Academy, is in Columbus for the game, so hopefully the Midshipmen will get it turned around for him. Not likely, though.

12:08 pm - Nice return my Syracuse kick returner Michael Jones. He takes it all the way back to the Minnesota 16 yard line. Let's see what Paulus does with this field position. Terrelle Pryor throws a touchdown to Dane Sanzenbacher on the small TV, giving the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead.

12:10 pm - Syracuse scores a touchdown...but they were lined up illegally, so it comes back. On the next play, they are unable to get the first down, so the Orange settle for 3. 7-3 Minnesota with 13:01 to go in the 1st quarter.

12:16 pm - Well, apparently no one in the Syracuse-Minnesota game knows how to cover a kickoff. The Gophers return it to Syracuse territory and will begin their drive with a short field. Deep ball from Adam Weber to Eric Decker puts the ball on the Syracuse 10. A Duane Bennett run gets them a few yards. 2nd and goal for the Gophers.

12:21 pm - Wow, two touchdowns at once. Troy Stoudermire catches a touchdown pass on 3rd and goal for Minnesota to give the Gophers a 14-3 lead. On the small TV, Ricky Dobbs takes the handoff for Navy and scores it. Don't look now, but Navy responded to Ohio State's touchdown with one of their own. Get it, Middies.

12:24 pm - Greg Paulus completes his first pass of his career, a short dump-off to the tight end. On the following play, Paulus again completes a pass to the tight end after scrambling under pressure, but is unable to get the first down.

12:27 pm - With 5:30 left in the first quarter, Navy is still tied with Ohio State. The Buckeyes are driving again, though, so this may not last.

12:30 pm - After a few big running plays, Ohio State is now down to the Navy 11 yard line. I don't think this tie is going to remain for much longer.

12:31 pm - On the big TV, the Gophers run a bit of the Wildcat formation. They put Stoudermire (who caught the last TD) at quarterback and put MarQueis Gray, a true freshman quarterback from Indianapolis, at slot receiver. Not much of a gain there, but an interesting look nonetheless.

12:32 pm - I haven't heard a single line of dialogue between the commentators doing the OSU-Navy game. It's on the small TV, which is muted, but I can already tell you that I don't like Bob Greise being in the booth with Dave Pasch and Chris Spielman. Pasch and Spielman are both average, and Greise needs a better group around him. I remember the days when he and Keith Jackson used to be a fantastic duo and seeing him now with these two is sort of depressing.

12:34 pm - The Gophers drive stalls and they punt back to Syracuse. If Paulus can find a rhythm and get another score, it might be game on. If not, Minnesota may run away with this thing. WHOA! Paulus tries a deep throw across his body and it's just about picked off. His receiver did a terrific job of breaking up the play or else it would've been Gopher ball.

12:35 pm - Delone Carter runs for a decent gain for the Orange, so Paulus now faces another 3rd and short. He needs to convert this.

12:36 pm - Paulus hands off to Carter, who drives the pile forward for the first down. This should settle the Orange a bit and allow them to try a few things on offense to open up the game. On the small TV, Ohio State punches through a field goal, giving the Buckeyes a 10-7 lead. Come on, Navy, respond with another touchdown. I wonder if Lefty will respond to a text message. Let's find out...

12:38 pm - I'm hungry. I need to find something to eat, but I don't have any desire to get up right now. Maybe I'll throw a couple chicken patties in the oven and let them be my lunch. Hmmm.

12:39 pm - Greg Paulus makes a great run to get a first down...but it's negated by a holding penalty. Now, instead of it being a first down, it's 3rd and 13. This isn't good for the 'Cuse.

12:40 pm - Syracuse tries to throw a screen pass, but their receiver tips it in the air and Minnesota drops the sure interception. Another punt for Rob Long, the Orange punter. Touchback, Minnesota.

12:45 pm - A quick three-and-out from the Gophers means that Paulus is getting the ball back.

12:47 pm - Interesting. The Syracuse offense has now implemented a few "Stallion" plays, which is their term for the Wildcat look. With some considerable gains, they are into Gopher territory already.

12:48 pm - That was fun. Paulus fakes a reverse and launches one deep to Mike Williams. He was covered and couldn't make the catch, but it was good to see the Orange take a shot. A screen pass on the next play gives Syracuse a first down. Don't look now, but the Orange are on the move.

12:50 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Syracuse. What a beautiful play by Paulus. He pump fakes the out route, then tosses it deep to Mike Williams, who ran a double move. 29-yard touchdown pass. Nicely done.

12:52 pm - Big Brother texts me to let me know that East Carolina, his alma mater, is already up 17-0 on Appalchian State. Nice. And you wonder why I don't support the big boys playing 1-AA teams. On the small TV, Navy's drive ended and they had to punt it back to the Buckeyes. Maybe they'll get a stop here and try again for the lead later.

12:54 pm - I'm kinda grumpy. My ESPN.com scoreboard isn't refreshing like it should. In addition to the two TVs, I have TV listings and a full D1-A scoreboard open in my other browser tabs to keep an eye on EVERYTHING that happens today. Without the scoreboard, I'm essentially relying on reading the Bottom Line during the games, and we all know that isn't happening.

12:56 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Buckeyes. Terrelle Pryor runs it in, giving Ohio State a 17-7 lead. Don't give up hope yet, Lefty; I'm sure your boys have a comeback in them.

12:57 pm - Ok, the chicken patties are now in the oven. I had a moment where both games went to commercial, and that's always a sign that you're meant to get food. In about 20 minutes, I'll be eating a nice lunch of chicken patties and Chee-tos. Yes, this is how I live on Saturdays. It's not as bad as you think.

12:58 pm - This is one of the reasons I think you have to be judicious in your use of the Wildcat package. Minnesota tried to get cute and run it with Stoudermire and Gray, but unfortunately, Adam Weber, their starting QB, has no rhythm upon his re-entry into the game. As hot as he was early, I don't quite see the sense in taking him out. You were up 14-3 with all of the momentum, but now you're struggling to even get a first down.

1:00 pm - Just as I was saying that, Weber throws an interception. I hate to say "I told you so," but it just doesn't make any sense what the Gophers' staff has chosen to do on offense since their first two drives. Syracuse ball at their own 30 yard line.

1:02 pm - In an in-game update, studio host Wendi Nix completely misses her cue and then tells everyone that Ohio State has gone up "14-0" on Navy. Considering my small TV, which is showing the OSU game, tells me 17-7, I have no idea what Wendi is talking about. Remember, it's week one for the broadcasters, too.

1:09 pm - Don't judge me, but I've turned the big TV over to the U.S. Open to watch some of the Federer-Hewitt match. I've rotated the Minnesota-Syracuse game over to the small TV to keep an eye on it.

1:10 pm - Minnesota tries a risky move, going for it on 4th down with a sneak by Weber on the Syracuse 40. He doesn't get it, but the play is under further review after Minnesota coach Tim Brewster nearly had a heart attack arguing the spot. The review upholds the call on the field, and Syracuse takes over.

1:12 pm - Federer wins the third set 7-5, which gives him a 2-1 set lead going into the fourth. Hewitt has challenged him today, so we'll see if he can pull out some magic in the last two sets. My guess is not a chance.

1:15 pm - Another good deep ball thrown by Paulus, but this one is just outside the outreached hands of his receiver. A few inches shorter and the Orange would've been in business. He seems to be settling in now, though, and is showing much more rhythm in the pocket.

1:17 pm - Ryan Liechtenstein puts through his 2nd field goal of the game, and the Orange have cut the Minnesota lead to a single point, 14-13. Minnesota desperately needs a quality drive, as all of the momentum is now with Syracuse.

1:19 pm - Elsewhere, Federer has gone up 2 games to love on Hewitt in the 4th set, and Ohio State knocks home a field goal to give them a 20-7 lead on Navy. On the small TV, featuring Ohio State and Navy since Syracuse-Minnesota is at a commercial, Rece Davis is showing America the man cave where the ESPN studio guys watch their games. Mine is sort of like that, except I have much less TVs and the ones I do have aren't as nice as theirs. Other than that, though, we're pretty much doing the same thing right now.

1:24 pm - For the first time all day, I turn it to the Big Ten Network. Penn State is assaulting Akron, so there's not much fun watching this one, but everything else in commerical, so I had no choice. Because it's a premium channel, I can only get it on the big TV, so the chances of me coming back to this later are very slim. For the record, Penn State is up 24-0 and driving into Zips territory with 36 seconds left.

1:26 pm - Darryl Clark rears back and throws a dart to Graham Zug for the touchdown. With the extra point, it's 31-0 Nittany Lions, and I'm off to another channel. Let's see what Federer is up to.

1:28 pm - Greg Paulus is heating up, ladies and gents. A nice, quick throw to his slot receiver gives the Orange a first down at the Syracuse 44 yard line. A holding penalty on the next play takes the Orange back to their 34, but then Paulus hits Mike Williams for an 18-yard gain. This is a functional offense we're seeing from Syracuse, something you couldn't have said for the past four years.

1:32 pm - Williams takes a screen pass and heads down to the Minnesota 17 yard line. Paulus now is 12/17 for 128 yards and a touchdown. Not bad.

1:33 pm - Delone Carter bulls his way into the end zone for a Syracuse TOUCHDOWN. The Lichtenstein extra point makes it a 20-14 Orange lead. Remember, they were down 14-3 in the first quarter. Wow.

1:37 pm - With both games at the half and Federer dominating, I'm going to take a lunch break. Catch up with you in a few.

2:06 pm - Alright, I'm back. While I was at lunch, Federer closed out Hewitt, Jesse Witten, a young American, was putting Novak Djokovic on the ropes, and Wendi Nix was wearing some glasses during the studio show that gave me a Van Halen "Hot for Teacher" vibe. And in no way do I mean that as a bad thing.

2:08 pm - Syracuse and Minnesota both have to punt on their first possessions of the half, so we're still at 20-14 there. On the little TV, Ohio State and Navy remain at 20-7 Buckeyes late in the 3rd quarter. The Midshipmen are playing tough, but they just can't seem to break off any big runs. They have a nice drive going now though, so maybe they won't need a big play to score. We'll see.

2:10 pm - Instead of showing the conclusion of the riveting Witten-Djokovic match, CBS is showing Melanie Oudin, the teenage American, against Russian heartthrob Maria Sharapova. I have nothing against either of these ladies, but I'm not really interested.

2:11 pm - Donovan McNabb joins Pam Ward and Ray Bentley in the booth. I like Donovan; he's a smart guy who articulates his point well. Maybe he can stay in the booth for a while.

2:12 pm - TOUCHDOWN Navy. Lefty is probably going nuts right now. Great pass from Ricky Dobbs to Marcus Curry. Considering that drive started on Navy's 1 yard line, that was an amazing series for the Midshipmen. 99 yards on that Ohio State defense? Amazing.

2:15 pm - Donovan McNabb is killing it in the booth. Ray Bentley asked him about Vick, and he was very open with his response. Now, he's dissecting the culture change under new coach Doug Marrone and the effect of Greg Paulus' maturity on the offense. He's terrific.

2:17 pm - Baseball Mom just sent me a text to tell me that "if you would have been that Oregon player (LeGarrette Blount) I would have personally gone out and gotten you." She's not kidding, either. Had I done something that stupid on the field, I'm pretty sure I would've seen her charging me 5 minutes later.

2:18 pm - Crap. Donovan is leaving the booth. Well, it was fun while it lasted. Meanwhile, Minnesota has scored a field goal and now trails 20-17.

2:22 pm - Goodness. Ohio State's kicker just rocked a 52-yard field goal. 23-14 Buckeyes according to the small TV.

2:26 pm - Some interesting scores from the early games. Iowa trails Northern Iowa 13-10 in the 3rd quarter. Tennessee is drubbing Western Kentucky 28-0 in the 3rd, but QB Jonathan Crompton is looking uncharacteristically sharp. West Virginia is leading Liberty, but only by a count of 23-13.

2:30 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Ohio State. After forcing a Navy fumble, Ohio State starts with a short field. A couple of plays later, Daniel Herron scores from six yards out for the Buckeyes. The extra point is blocked, but Ohio State's lead is up to 29-14.

2:38 pm - I hate to beat a dead horse, but I'm convinced that Minnesota's desire to go with the Wildcat formation a couple times in the first half killed their momentum. Yes, they had short fields early, but they were converting with no problem. Now, Adam Weber is completely out of rhythm and hasn't been able to rediscover his touch. If the Gophers don't score now, they may be in trouble. They're only down 3, but Syracuse has all the momentum as we close out the 3rd quarter. I have the feeling that the Orange will score again, so Minnesota must keep pace.

2:40 pm - Wait, Sonic is offering a BLT on a buttery croissant and a side of tots for only $2.99? Is that really happening? Wow, I may have to eat at Sonic 5 times this week. Recession, people.

2:43 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Navy. You knew the Middies weren't giving up man. That's just not in their makeup. Dobbs finds Curry again for an 85 yard touchdown. All of a sudden, it's only an 8-point deficit and Navy has life. This is fun.

2:45 pm - Minnesota connects on a deep ball as Weber hits Eric Decker for a 53-yard completion down to the Syracuse 20. Like I said, scoring here is key for them, so that's a good way to jumpstart the drive.

2:48 pm - Just as I say that, Weber is sacked from the blindside and loses the ball. Syracuse hops on it, and after a review to make sure it was actually a fumble, the Orange have the ball at their own 32 yard line.

2:50 pm - Baseball Mom texts me to tell me that I should give a shoutout to East Carolina. I have to remind her that they're playing App State, and beating a JV team doesn't warrant acknowledgement in my post. Sorry, Mom. Love you.

2:51 pm - Syracuse is forced to punt it back to the Gophers after Paulus steps up nicely in the pocket on 3rd and 9, delivering a great ball to his tight end...who drops it. The Orange fans must remember that they still don't have much talent.

2:52 pm - Wow, this commercial is legit. An Army commercial that shows Douglas MacArthur, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and George Washington is just fine by me. Go America.

2:54 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Navy. After Pryor throws a tipped interception, Ricky Dobbs runs it up the middle for a long touchdown. 29-27 Ohio State, with Navy's 2-point conversion pending. Wow.

2:55 pm - OH NO!!! Ricky Dobbs attempts to throw for the 2-point conversion but is intercepted by the Buckeyes. They return the interception for a score, giving them 2 points and a 4-point lead, 31-27. Wow, that just sucks. Now Navy will need another touchdown to win, as opposed to a field goal. Ouch.

2:57 pm - Here's a little tip for all of you college football-watching novices. It's almost 3:00, which means we're about a half hour from the next wave of games starting. Now is the time when you check the TV listings to set up your gameplan for the 3:30 start times. Me, I'm going to put Nevada-Notre Dame on the big TV, because I think it's going to be closer than people think. On the small TV will be Baylor-Wake Forest, which I'm getting instead of Georgia-Oklahoma State. No, I don't want to talk about it. I will have the USC-San Jose State game on flashback to make sure that I get a good idea of what freshman QB Matt Barkley can do for the Trojans. I won't miss any of the UGA-Okie State game, because I'll have the ESPN.com GameCast pulled up as one of my computer windows. This should be interesting.

3:01 pm - Ohio State is running out the clock on Navy (sad), and Minnesota just missed the potentially game-tying field goal. Syracuse remains up 20-17 and gets the ball back with 8:54 left in the 4th on their own 30.

3:09 pm - After a fumble call is overturned, Syracuse retains possession and Paulus hits Mike Williams with a 20-yard completion. The Orange are now in the Gopher territory, looking to put this one away.

3:11 pm - I'll admit, I've been impressed with Greg Paulus today. I figured it'd take him a game or two to get up to speed, but he's made throw after throw after throw on target today. If not for a handful of drops, his completion percentage would by through the roof. Let's see if he can cap off his day with another scoring drive.

3:14 pm - Ok, I lied. I'm changing up my 3:30 lineup after remembering that Missouri and Illinois are playing on ESPN. I turned it over to the Big Ten Network because they're showing the conclusion of the Iowa-Northern Iowa game, which is surprisingly close. With 7 seconds to go, Northern Iowa lined up for the game-winning field goal from 40 yards out. Iowa blocks the field goal attempt and will now hang on for the 17-16 lead.

3:17 pm - WHOA! Apparently, the block occurred behind the line of scrimmage, and since the kick took place on 1st down and Northern Iowa recovered the block, they'll retain possession at the spot of the recovery (roughly the 25 yard line) with 1 second to go. This is crazy. I didn't know that rule existed.

3:20 pm - As the confusion in Iowa City is sorted out on the big TV, Minnesota is driving on the small TV. With a few completions, they're down to the Syracuse 25 yard line with 2 minutes to go in the 4th.

3:21 pm - Ok, I think I'm gonna go with Illinois-Missouri on the big TV, Nevada-Notre Dame on the small TV, Wake-Baylor as the flashback game on the small TV, and USC-San Jose State as the flashback on the big TV. Got all that? Ok, good, I thought you did.

3:23 pm - WOW!! After getting a second chance to upset the Hawkeyes, Northern Iowa AGAIN has their field goal attempt blocked. This time, Iowa dives on it, even though time had run out, and get off the field with a 17-16 victory. Unbelievable. What a crazy ending. Iowa dodged a bullet and probably has no business being ranked next week. They will, because pollsters only look at wins and losses, but you're crazy if you think a Top 25 team would win by 1 point at home against a D1-AA team. Back to Minnesota-Syracuse on the big TV. Sharapova-Oudin is now on the small TV until 3:30.

3:28 pm - Minnesota is unable to punch it into the end zone, so they settle for the game-tying field goal with 57 seconds left. Depending on the kickoff return, Paulus will have roughly 50 seconds to break the 20-20 tie. Welcome to college football, Greg.

3:30 pm - Melanie Oudin, after losing the first set 3-6 to Maria Sharapova, has taken a 5-1 lead in set #2. Good match so far. Unfortunately for them, I'm not watching anymore.

3:32 pm - This drive is a bad one for Syracuse. After a short gain on a pass to Mike Williams, Paulus is sacked to end regulation. Overtime, ladies and gents. Try to contain your excitement.

3:34 pm - Since we're headed to overtime, this gives me an opportunity to give me two cents on the college overtime system. I think it's great in theory, but we need to move things back to the 40 yard line to start. I like that both teams get a chance to one-up each other, but putting them at the 25 yard line to begin with is too easy. Move it back to the 40, and make them go for two immediately; don't wait until the 3rd overtime. Ok, I feel better now.

3:36 pm - Wow, great run by Delone Carter. He seemed to be stopped at the line of scrimmage, but broke a couple tackles and ends up down at the 10 yard line. In case you didn't notice, Syracuse has the ball first.

3:38 pm - That should do it. Greg Paulus was under pressure and scrambled, then threw the ball up for grabs in the end zone. Minnesota picked it off and now only needs a field goal to win. They're essentially in field goal range to start with, but should run a few plays to get it closer. Paulus' first mistake of his career was a huge one.

3:41 pm - I just watched Iowa block two field goals to save a game, so I'm not going to give this one to the Gophers yet. But I'm pretty sure you can call this one as good as over. It's a short field goal in a dome. Stranger things have happened, though. Syracuse is doing their best to ice the kicker; we'll see if it works.

3:43 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Baylor. That didn't take long. Robert Griffin leads the Bears down the field on their first drive of the season and draws first blood against Wake Forest. 7-0 Baylor.

3:44 pm - Minnesota's field goal is good, giving them the win over Syracuse. Paulus played well up until his very last throw, and the Orange defense was great as well. It's clear to anyone who watched that Syracuse is going to be better this year than they were last year. Progress is being made, but it's a rebuilding project. Good win for the Gophers. Going on the road and getting a victory to start the year is never a bad thing, and they showed some mettle in coming back after blowing a big lead.

3:56 pm - Well, my browser is acting up so I have no idea what's going on in the Georgia-Oklahoma State game. Great. Thank, ESPN, for giving me Western Michigan-Michigan as my mirror game as opposed to OSU-UGA. What a crock. Elsewhere, Baylor is driving on Wake Forest again. Notre Dame put up 7 quick points against Nevada. And USC hasn't been able to get it going against San Jose State just yet.

3:59 pm - Georgia is leading 7-0 after Joe Cox completed his first touchdown pass of the season. Richard Samuel rushed for 31 yards on the drive and Cox threw for 33, showing remarkable balance for the Bulldogs. How do I know this? I've resorted to using my phone internet as a stats update device for that game. Yeah, I know; I'm desperate.

4:01 pm - Oh, I forgot to mention earlier that Missouri has taken a 3-0 lead on Illinois. Blaine Gabbert looked sharp in his first drive as the Tigers' starting quarterback. Arrelious Been is in the locker room with an injury, which is bad news for Illinois. If QB Juice Williams doesn't have his best target available, that changes everything for the Illini offense.

4:05 pm - Matt Barkley looks rattled, and USC just got off a bad punt, giving SJSU the ball at the Trojan 35 yard line. Let's see if the Spartans can get a few points on the board. Baylor added a field goal to make it 10-0 against Wake Forest.

4:08 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Missouri. Blaine Gabbert showed off his rocket right arm throwing a bullet to Wes Kemp for the touchdown. The safety took a bad angle on the throw and as it zoomed right by his ear, Kemp was able to take it in for the score. 10-0 Tigers.

4:09 pm - San Jose State does nothing with its field position, but converts on 4th down as Kyle Reed throws a dart to Kevin Jurovich to pick up the first down. That was impressive.

4:11 pm - The scene here at Skip To My Lank headquarters is quite crazy. I'm turning channels on both TVs at the same time, updating the blog, and hitting the 'refresh' button on my phone browser. Add in the fact that I get text messages and phone calls from time to time, and I'm completely overwhelmed right now. I'm not in midseason form yet, either.

4:15 pm - As San Jose State kicks a field goal to take a 3-0 lead on USC, Dirk calls me to give me some hypotheticals concerning possession rules after turnovers are committed during overtime. See, that's why I'm here. Just in case you wonder what happens when the intercepting team fumbles on the return, and the intercepted team recovers, give me a call and I'll explain it to you.

4:17 pm - USC fumbles after a completed pass, giving San Jose State the ball yet again.

4:20 pm - San Jose State is unable to do anything with the possession and punts back to USC. Trivia question during the Wake Forest-Baylor game: What movie is shown each fall on the Wake Forest campus? My guess: "Brian's Song".

4:22 pm - Illinois scores a field goal to make it 10-3 Missouri. USC still looks impotent on offense against San Jose State. Oklahoma State is on the move against Georgia, trailing 7-0. Notre Dame has added a touchdown against Nevada to make it 14-0 Irish.

4:24 pm - Answer to the trivia question: "Brian's Song". Thank you, thank you.

4:32 pm - Notre Dame is pouring it on against Nevada, now leading 21-0. Remember how I said that one was gonna be closer than people thought? Yeah, never mind. Wake Forest scored a touchdown to close the gap to 3 points against Baylor. San Jose State QB Kyle Reed got his bell rung, so he's out for the time being, which a deathwish against the Trojans for the Spartans. Backups aren't going to win that game for you; just a thought.

4:33 pm - My roommate's old laptop has gone batty on me, so I had to move to the desktop in his room for the time being. Luckily, I only have to tilt my body a little bit to see the TVs in the living room, so I'm not completely shut out. I'll go back to the laptop in about 10 minutes. Gotta let it breathe for a minute or two.

4:35 pm - Is there anything Baylor QB Robert Griffin can't do? He runs, he throws, he punts? Yeah, on 4th and 3, Griffin just pooch-punted a ball down to the Wake Forest 5 yard line. Nice form, too. This guy's a freak. In case you hadn't heard, he went to the U.S. Olympic team trials in the 400m hurdles. Crazy.

4:38 pm - Missouri extends their lead to 13-3. I must admit, I'm impressed with the Tigers. I figured they'd lose a bit of their offensive punch after losing Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, and Dave Christensen. However, they've looked relatively smooth today against a good Illinois defense and are putting points up on the board. Tip of the cap to coach Gary Pinkel and his staff.

4:40 pm - Uh oh. Melanie Oudin was up 3-1 on Maria Sharapova in the 3rd set but Sharapova just broke her in the 6th game to tie it at 3 games apiece. Sharapova is now serving for the lead. Come on, Melanie, stay strong, girl. Do it for Uncle Sam.

4:41 pm - This is why I need a commentating job ASAP. Missouri LB Will Weatherspoon has a family member wearing a shirt that lists "Spoon's Hit List" and includes a group of quarterbacks. One of the quarterbacks on the list is Nebraska QB Zac Lee. ESPN's commentators, Ron Franklin and Ed Cunningham, apparently don't know who Nebraska's starting quarterback is, because they make a joke about 'Spoon's family member meaning "Zac Robinson" the quarterback at Oklahoma State. Little do they know, the joke is on them because the girl got it right and the "experts" at ESPN have no idea who one of the starting quarterbacks in a conference they broadcast games for is. Ridiculous.

4:47 pm - USC is finally getting things going now. Rather than let their freshman QB throw, they are choosing to run, run, and run some more. Stafon Johnson adds his second touchdown of the game to give the Trojans a 14-3 lead. With Reed out, San Jose State cannot move the ball and has turned it over some as well. Not that we expected them to win, but they're going south in a hurry after starting the game admirably.

4:49 pm - Melanie Oudin breaks Sharapova right back and is now serving for a 5-3 lead in the final set. She just hit one into the net, so they're at deuce, but she's been taking it right at Sharapova all match long and looks to have what it takes to win right now. I hope I didn't just jinx her.

4:51 pm - Oops. Sharapova wins the game and is now tied at 4 and serving. My bad, Melanie.

4:52 pm - With 11 seconds to go in the first half, Baylor misses a 45-yard field goal attempt. The score is still 10-7 Bears at the half. Even though this game has more points than Georgia-Oklahoma State, I'd still rather be watching the Pokes and Dawgs. Speaking of which, Oklahoma State is in Georgia territory, but has yet to put up any points all half. They have 2 minutes and 32 seconds to score in the first half from the Bulldog 46.

4:54 pm - Ok, it's getting ugly in LA now. The Trojans have tacked on another one, as RB Allen Bradford scores from 44 yards out. This one is now curtains, and I believe I'll watch the entire Illinois-Missouri game from here on out, unless there is a stoppage in time.

4:55 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Notre Dame. What a beatdown. The small TV was changed to the Irish game once Baylor went to half, and I got it over there just in time to see Notre Dame score. 28-0 after the extra point with just under two minutes to go in the half.

4:57 pm - On the big TV, Missouri audaciously goes for it on 4th down from the Illinois 33. Blaine Gabbert completes the pass to Danario Alexander for a Tiger first down. I'm telling you, Gabbert looks good.

4:58 pm - I'm back on the laptop in the man cave now, so things are back to normal. Contorting my body to see the TVs was getting old.

4:59 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Oklahoma State. Zac Robinson finds stud WR Dez Bryant for a 46-yard touchdown. With 2:14 to go in the first half, the Cowboys and Bulldogs are now tied at 7. This could get fun in the second half.

5:01 pm - Missouri adds on a field goal just before the half to make it 16-3. Meanwhile, Melanie Oudin just broke Sharapova AGAIN, giving her a 6-5 lead in the 3rd set. She'll be serving for the match, but the way this thing is going, I'm not even sure if that's a good thing. The tennis match has been moved to the big TV because the only games on right now are USC-San Jose State and Michigan-Western Michigan. The Wolverines are dump-trucking Western Michigan 31-0, so that's no fun, and you already know how the USC game is going.

5:06 pm - Match point for Oudin. This is exciting. She's been taking to Sharapova all match long, and now is thisclose to getting the victory. Come on, girl; close it out.

5:07 pm - Unbelievable. Showing the poise of someone much older than her 17 years, Oudin wins the final set 7-5. She takes the match and advances to the 4th round to face Nadia Petrova. I like this. She's an American girl who built her entire season around making a run at the Open, and now she's doing it. Good for her. I think it's awesome that she gets the chance to beat another Russian next round, too. Beating Russians is never a bad thing in any sport. Never gets old, either.

5:10 pm - Tennessee scored 63 points in Lane Kiffin's debut today. That'll play.

5:11 pm - Oklahoma State kicks a field goal to take a 10-7 lead into the half. They struggled offensively to start things off, but maybe they'll relax in the second half now that they have a lead despite playing so poorly.

5:13 pm - Wow, this sucks. Baylor-Wake Forest, Notre Dame-Nevada, USC-San Jose State, Missouri-Illinois, and the U.S. Open are all at commercial or the half. Despite being rotating 5 events on my two TVs, I have only the blowout in Ann Arbor to watch. Great.

5:17 pm - Talk about a change of momentum. After getting the ball to start the half, Wake Forest turned it over. Then, on their first play from scrimmage, Baylor runs a sweet half option/half shovel pass play and takes it to the barn. 17-7 Bears in the blink of an eye.

5:21 pm - Wendi Nix still has that "Hot for Teacher" thing going on. I'm a fan. I wonder how that came about. Maybe she forgot her contact solution at home today? Whatever it was, I'm not complaining that it happened.

5:22 pm - Ok, CBS, let's go. I know you have a bunch of bills to pay, but there's no reason to take 5 minutes of commercials for no reason. Roddick/Isner are warming up, but Sam Querrey is in a battle with Robin Soderling and Tommy Haas is playing Fernando Verdasco. Goodness.

5:23 pm - Apparently, they heard me, because we're now watching Verdasco-Haas on the big TV. Thanks, CBS; you're too kind.

5:29 pm - I'm using this down time to catch up on scores that I may have missed. East Carolina held on to beat App State 29-24, which is kinda sloppy. Air Force hung 72 on Nicholls State, a school record. That's impressive. Meanwhile, on their first drive out of the half, Missouri is walking right down the field on Illinois.

5:30 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Missouri. Blaine Gabbert to Jerrell Jackson for the score. This is a beatdown and I'm on the Gabbert bandwagon now. Dude looks good. No homo.

5:32 pm - Remember how I said that Oklahoma State should be able to relax after the half? Yeah, Perrish Cox just returned the opening kickoff of the half 74 yards down to the Georgia 24 yard line. That'll help the Cowboys relax if they weren't already.

5:34 pm - This Haas/Verdasco match is good, but I want to see Andy Roddick and John Isner. CBS is giving us immediate updates on it, but I didn't turn it here to see Verdasco and Haas. After splitting the first two sets, they're in a tiebreaker in the 3rd set, so it's clearly a good match. I'd just rather watch the two Americans go after each other, especially when one is my favorite tennis player. Call me crazy.

5:37 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Notre Dame. Jimmy Clausen launches one to Michael Floyd for an 88-yard score. 35-0 Irish, and I'm looking more and more like an idiot. With them play so well on offense, and Michigan also putting up points by the bushel, get ready for the hype machine to be revving up in anticipation of their game next week in Ann Arbor.

5:39 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Baylor. Robert Griffin threw a screen to Ernest Smith, who then threw it to Lanear Sampson for a 33-yard touchdown. Nice play drawn up by coach Art Briles to catch the Deacons napping.

5:42 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Oklahoma State. After the long kickoff return, the Cowboys punch it in with a 2-yard Zac Robinson run. Boldly, the Cowboys went for it on 4th and 1 from the Georgia 3 yard line. That's setting a tone. I like it.

5:46 pm - Ok, here we go. Isner/Roddick is now the feature match on CBS. These are two hard-hitters who will have problems breaking one another. I give the edge to Roddick because he's more mobile than the 6'9" Isner. That's what I'm hoping for, at least.

5:51 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Missouri. Gabbert throws a strike to Jared Perry, who does the rest and runs it in for the score. This a whitewashing now as the Tigers lead 30-3.

5:53 pm - Sometime as I was perusing other games, Wake punched in a touchdown to cut the Baylor lead to 24-14. The Bears are on the attack again, though, so it remains to be seen if they can get any closer than 10.

5:59 pm - CBS's coverage has ended for the evening, so now I'm over to the Tennis Channel to watch Roddick/Isner. This complicates things because the Tennis Channel is only available on a digital cable channel, so I can only watch it on the big TV. The small TV is going to keep me locked into football for the time being. Can I rotate 3 or 4 games on one TV successfully? We're about to find out.

6:01 pm - Missouri is up 30-3, Notre Dame is up 35-0, and USC is up 42-3. Maybe I won't need to rotate so many games after all. Watching Baylor-Wake Forest seems to be my only option at this point. That game is still 24-14 Bears, by the way. For the record, Roddick and Isner are tied at 5 games apiece in the first set.

6:05 pm - Shoutout to my laptop. This thing has made a comeback similar to BYU against SMU in the 1980 Holiday Bowl (Google it). After struggling for a while an hour or so ago, this thing has been humming like a sewing machine ever since I let it sleep for a minute or two. It reminds me of me in that regard.

6:07 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Illinois. Mikel Leshoure runs it in from a couple yards out. The extra point is no good, so even when the Illini do something right, they do another thing wrong. 30-9 in the Arch Rivalry. Elsewhere, Georgia has added a field goal to cut Oklahoma State's lead to 17-10. The Cowboys are on the prowl again, so we'll see how long this lead lasts at 7.

6:09 pm - I think I'm hungry again. During the Wake Forest-Baylor game, they cut to a camera shot of some barbeque being made at the concession stands. That looked fantastic. I'd take a whole plate of that right now. Alas.

6:13 pm - Isner just went ahead of Roddick 4-2 in the first set tiebreak. He won both points that Roddick served. Very impressive.

6:14 pm - According to my TV listings, the only games coming on at 7 (phase 3 of a Saturday) are Oklahoma-BYU on ESPN and La Tech-Auburn on ESPNU. I'll check out most of the first game obviously, but the second game is intriguing since Auburn is installing their new offense. I want to see if coordinator Gus Malzahn can put up points on the board in game one. Yes, I know Florida is also on, but I'm not much one to watch massacres.

6:16 pm - Isner takes the first set from Roddick, 7-6 (7-3). Come on, Andy; get it together.

6:18 pm - Back on ESPN on the big TV, and Missouri is on the move yet again. TOUCHDOWN, Missouri. Blaine Gabbert strolls in on an 8-yard quarterback draw. This guy has looked great today. He hasn't forced any passes, he's made some good runs, and he's led them to 37 points in his debut. Nice job, Blaine. 37-9 Tigers with just under 9 minutes left in the game.

6:21 pm - Baylor QB Robert Griffin fumbles in Bears territory, putting Wake Forest in a great position to tighten things up. With just over 5 minutes left in the game, the Deacs trail 24-14, but could be in business after the turnover.

6:25 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Wake Forest. Andrew Parker catches a 5-yard strike from Riley Skinner. The extra point cuts the Baylor lead to 24-21 with just 3:57 remaining in the game. No, this still doesn't make up for me missing Oklahoma State-Georgia.

6:32 pm - Georgia just fumbled the ball on their own 36, giving the Cowboys a great scoring opportunity. With just under 9 minutes left, a touchdown here would push the lead to 14, which would obviously be huge.

6:34 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Oklahoma State. Zac Robinson once again hooks up with Dez Bryant for a 12-yard touchdown. 24-10 Oklahoma State. That'd 3 TDs total for Robinson, and 2 receiving for Bryant. Big players make big plays in big games.

6:37 pm - Questionable call by Art Briles. Leading 24-21 with 1:23 to go, he tried a pass play on 3rd down even though Wake has no timeouts left. Simply running it into the line would've left Wake with about 45 seconds left to score. Now, Wake has a minute and 20 seconds. We'll see if this comes back to bite Baylor.

6:39 pm - Uh oh. Isner just broke Roddick to take a 4-2 lead in the second set. He'll now serve to take a big lead in the match. Going up two sets to none on Roddick would be bad news for Andy.

6:40 pm - That'll wrap things up in Winston-Salem. Riley Skinner is unable to complete a desperation pass on 4th down, and Baylor will take over with 26 seconds to go. Isner takes a 5-2 lead on Roddick in the second set, so it'll take a heroic effort from Roddick to pull himself out of this hole. Color me stunned.

6:45 pm - Well, all it took was the Baylor-Wake Forest game to end early for me to watch Oklahoma State-Georgia. ABC has switched the coverage down to Stillwater, and I'll gladly watch the last 5 minutes. It's still weird hearing Matt Millen call games. After the ineptitude his Detroit Lions showed the last few years, I'm not sure if I can trust him on football-related matters.

6:48 pm - Isner closes out the set by winning 6-3, and now he's up two sets to none on Roddick. I'm not giving up on Andy yet, because tennis is a sport of momentum, but it's clear that Isner is in the driver's seat right now.

6:49 pm - I'm trying to decide what I'm going to do about dinner. I'm like 99% sure that I'm going to grab a couple hot dogs at this place down the street, but I don't know when. I should probably go early in the BYU-Oklahoma game so that I don't miss too much of it. However, I'm not entirely hungry right now, so I may have to wait longer. Halftime of that game is probably an hour and a half away, so that's too long. I'll probably suck it up and go while the games are being played. I'll let you know how that goes for me.

6:51 pm - It's time to turn out the lights on Georgia. With 3:32 to go, they face a 4th and 5 at midfield. The pass is tipped up and intercepted, thus ending the Bulldogs' rally. If they're going to compete in the SEC, Georgia needs to sharpen up their offense a little bit. I don't care how good their D is, you can't win games by only scoring 10 points. It's not like Oklahoma State's defense is going to be confused with the '85 Chicago Bears any time soon, yet Georgia couldn't manage anything for the final 3.5 quarters. On the other hand, it's a great win for Oklahoma State. Though they looked a little rattled early, they showed some resilience and capitalized on every opportunity. That's what contenders do. We won't know much more about the Pokes until Texas comes to town, but you have to feel good about your team if you're head coach Mike Gundy right now.

7:00 pm - It's all over in Stillwater. Cowboys 24, Bulldogs 10. I'm now heading over to ESPN for the Oklahoma-BYU game taking place at the Cowboys Spaceship in Dallas. Brad Nessler is calling the game, which is music to my ears, literally. He's my favorite play-by-play guy and even though he's without longtime partner Bob Greise this year, I think he'll do well with Todd Blackledge at his side.

7:03 pm - Isner has Roddick's number. They're at deuce in game 3 of the second set, but Andy has been unable to get anything easy against Isner. He wins the game to go up 2-1, but has no margin for error the rest of this match. Let's see what he's made of.

7:10 pm - The Sooners come out looking a little sluggish and are forced to punt. Replacing 4 offensive linemen is never easy, so look for Oklahoma to need a few series to get things going. Sam Bradford was surrounded by talent on the line and at receiver last year, but it'll be up to him to make plays for the new guys this year.

7:12 pm - No such sluggishness for the Cougars. QB Max Hall has come out looking sharp, taking BYU into Oklahoma territory already.

7:15 pm - BYU is on the move. Bryan Kariya rushes for a first down at the Oklahoma 29 yard line. If the Cougars can get some early momentum, they're plucky enough to make it an interesting night for the Sooners. Roddick holds serve against Isner, taking a 3-2 lead in the third set. Eventually, he'll have to break Isner, because he's shown no ability to take a tiebreak against him. Isner is dictating pace and making Roddick chase his shots all around the court.

7:18 pm - Huge error by BYU. Rather than netting a 41-yard field goal, they are called for a delay of game penalty and miss the next kick. Instead of being up 3-0, they are still scoreless and have given some momentum back to Oklahoma.

7:24 pm - Ok, let's say this again: huge error by BYU. McKay Jacobson muffed the punt, and now the Sooners have the ball at the BYU 35. A bad idea to try and field the wayward punt, and it's probably going to cost the Cougars big time.

7:27 pm - WOW. What a point between Isner and Roddick. Facing break point, Roddick was run all over the court by Isner but hit shot after shot to finally break through and break Isner. He's now up 5-3 and is serving. If he's going to get back into the match, he'll have to ride this wave of momentum and hope to rattle the less-experienced Isner.

7:30 - Roddick closes out the set with a 6-3 win. He's now down two sets to one, but has more momentum than at any point before in the match. If he can get the fourth set, I like his chances in 5. However, if he can't capitalize on this run and allows Isner to dictate the pace again this set, he'll be out in 4. Let's see what happens.

7:31 pm - Facing a crucial 3rd and 12, Oklahoma converts down to the 9 yard line.

7:32 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Oklahoma. Bradford throws a dart to Ryan Broyles, giving the Sooners the first score of the evening. Extra point is good, and it's 7-0 OU.

7:41 pm - BYU makes another mistake as Max Hall throws an interception right to Oklahoma LB Ryan Reynolds. The return takes the ball to the BYU 30 yard line, and OU is back in business.

7:43 pm - And just like that, OU is out of business. DeMarco Murray made a good run, but was stripped of the ball by BYU defender Andrew Rich. The Cougars must deal with starting at their own 5 yard line, but it's better than being down 14-0.

7:44 pm - I'm off to get dinner. I forgot that the U.S. men's soccer team plays tonight in a World Cup qualifier at 8 o'clock, so I gotta go and get back before then. Wish me luck on my journey.

8:00 pm - I'm back. I'm getting ready to eat, but I just wanted you to know that I made it in time. Mission accomplished. Hopefully, the Sams will follow my lead.

8:17 pm - Alright, that was delicious. Hot dogs are underrated, man. So good.

8:18 pm - Lots going on right now. BYU fumbled in the end zone and allowed Oklahoma to get a touchback. Andy Roddick and John Isner are at 5-5 in the 4th set. Virginia Tech and Alabama just kicked off. The U.S. men's soccer team is trying to take down El Salvador in Utah. I have no idea what kind of rhythm I'm going to get into, but I'm interested to find out. Right now, tennis is on the big TV and BYU-Oklahoma is on the small TV. Soccer is on the big TV flashback, and Alabama-VT is on the small TV flashback.

8:20 pm - Roddick FINALLY breaks Isner. He's up 6-5 in the 4th set and will be serving to tie the match at two sets apiece. Oh, and Indiana State just went up 7-3 on Louisville midway through the first quarter. Go Trees.

8:22 pm - TOUCHDOWN, BYU. Andrew George catches a 5-yard strike from Max Hall to give the Cougars their first score of the game. 7-7 in Dallas. Meanwhile, Roddick closes out Isner in the 4th set. 2-2 going into the 5th. Color me excited.

8:27 pm - Isner doesn't look quite right. He's walking around with a slight limp and looks tired. His shots don't have the same zip that they did early on. Over 2 hours carrying around a 6'9" frame will do that to you.

8:29 pm - Oklahoma has moved into BYU territory with 20 seconds left in the first half. They're not quite in field goal range, though, so they'll need another play or two to score.

8:33 pm - Oh. My. Goodness. Sam Bradford, attempting to make a play before the half ends, landed on his shoulder while being knocked down. He stayed down for a while and had to be helped off the field. It looks like a broken collar bone to me the way it occurred, but hopefully I'm way off. That's just not good. The Sooners added a field goal to take a 10-7 lead with 2 seconds to go, but obviously that's of less importance than Bradford's injury to Sooner Nation.

8:34 pm - Willie P just texted me to tell me that if I'm watching soccer on a football Saturday, he's spending my inheritance this week. Oops. I hope you guys can keep a secret.

8:37 pm - Virginia Tech-Alabama is now on the small TV and the Tide lead 3-0. Don't ask me how it happened, I'm not sure. I was too busy watching Oklahoma's season go straight down the tubes.

8:38 pm - Great catch by Darius Hanks of Alabama. He bailed out QB Greg McElroy who looked to have overthrown the open receiver. A diving grab by Hanks gives the Tide a 35-yard gain down to the Virginia Tech 17 yard line.

8:42 pm - Alabama makes a field goal to take a 6-0 lead over VT. Isner and Roddick are tied at 2 games apiece in the 5th set. El Salvador just knocked in a header to take a 1-0 lead over the Americans. Crap.

8:43 pm - Just like that, things have changed in Atlanta. Virginia Tech returned the ensuing kickoff all the way to the house. 7-6 Hokies. Special teams are big in a game like this where scoring is expected to be low. If you can steal 7 points like that, it's a huge deal.

8:45 pm - Isner is cramping up, and has summoned the trainer to help him out. Supposedly, the trainer whipped him up an elixir with coconut butter in it or something. I'm not really sure what that means, but that's what they told me on TV.

8:52 pm - GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! The U.S. ties the game on a header by Clint Dempsey. Great send-in by Landon Donovan on the free kick, and Dempsey put it through with a diving header. Great play, Sams.

8:52 pm - In the Alabama-VT game, special teams show their head again as Virginia Tech muffs a punt. The Tide take over inside the VT 15 yard line with 3:15 to go in the 1st quarter.

8:54 pm - Alabama converts the turnover into a field goal, their 3rd of the game. 9-7 Tide, but if they don't start scoring touchdowns instead of field goals, they're going to regret it later.

9:01 pm - Roddick wins his game to tie the set at 5-5. Remember, this is the U.S. Open, so tiebreaks occur in the final set. We're on pace to see that right now. Elsewhere, Virginia Tech trails Alabama 9-7 at the end of the first quarter.

9:02 pm - Landry Jones is now leading the Sooner offense as Sam Bradford is on the sideline with his arm in a sling. Not good. I really hope it's just a sprain, but it's not looking promising.

9:03 pm - Crap, I missed another American goal. We've gone up 2-1 on El Salvador at the half. That's relieving; I was worried about how we'd respond after giving up the early score. Now I know.

9:05 pm - After double-faulting the point before, Isner rips an ace past Roddick to go up 6-5 in the final set. Either he'll win 7-5 or we'll go to a tiebreak to decide this match. You guys already know what I'm hoping for.

9:08 pm - Roddick holds serve and we head to a tiebreak for the match. This has been one incredible match. I'm thrilled that I got to see it, quite honestly.

9:09 pm - After doing some research, I see that Jozy Altidore scored the second goal for the U.S. in extra time. Good for him, he's having a very good summer so far.

9:11 pm - Both men hold serve, and we're at 2-1 Roddick in the tiebreak. Isner gets the next two serves, so this could tell us a lot about the outcome.

9:12 pm - Isner holds serve on his breaks and gets a 3-2 lead. Serve now back to Roddick for the next two. Goodness gracious this is intense.

9:14 pm - Isner steals a point and now leads 4-3. He'll get the next two serves to take a 6-3 lead.

9:16 pm - Isner plays beautifully and scores off both serves. He leads 6-3 with two serves going to Roddick. Even if he gets them both, he'll have to break Isner to win. Isner is in the driver's seat.

9:17 pm - Roddick scores both points and now trails 5-6. Isner will serve for the match. Crazy.

9:17 pm - ISNER WINS!!! What a match. He doesn't get the ace, but gets Roddick to hit one into the net. Obviously, Roddick is disappointed and storms off the court after congratulating Isner. This is the biggest win of John Isner's young career, as he's moved into the 4th round of the U.S. Open after beating the highest-ranked American in the tournament. Fabulous match. Thanks, fellas, for putting on such a good show. Wow. I'm breathless.

9:20 pm - The funny thing about this is that the Oudin-Sharapova and Roddick-Isner matches went WAY over on time, so they have just ended the day session in New York. Yes, that's right, the day session. So there are two more matches to be played tonight at Arthur Ashe Stadium. I hope everybody brought their coffee; we're going late into the evening tonight.

9:25 pm - Okay, after the tennis interlude, we're back to football on both TVs. Oklahoma-BYU is on the big TV and Alabama-Virginia Tech is on the small TV. Oklahoma still leads 10-7 despite losing Sam Bradford, and Virginia Tech leads 10-7 after tacking on a field goal.

9:27 pm - I'm bummed out right now. I went into my room to feed my fish and I noticed that another one of my fish has died. That makes four out of the six that I bought back in April. I have a disease that's permeating the tank and no matter what I do, it always comes back. I change the water regularly, I bought some solution for the water, but no matter what, it creeps back in. R.I.P. Bootsy, keep it real on the other side.

9:34 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Alabama. After working their way down the field methodically, the Tide gave it to RB Roy Upchurch for a 19-yard scamper. The extra point makes it 16-10 Tide with 3 minutes to go in the first half.

9:38 pm - Oklahoma seems content to run the ball with their dynamic running duo, Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray. Their defense has stepped up since Bradford went down, so this plan may work. However, it's easy for people to stack up the line of scrimmage, so they'll need to try something else in the following weeks.

9:40 pm - U.S. forward Charlie Davies goes down with an injury. It looks bad, possibly rendering him unable to play Wednesday against Trinidad & Tobago in another qualifying match. That wouldn't be good. Stuart Holden is on to take his place.

9:42 pm - I don't mean to be Donny Downer here, but Tyrod Taylor isn't that good. The Virginia Tech QB has been hyped from day one, but the results just aren't there. He threw two (yes, 2) touchdown passes all of last season. I understand that Alabama has a good defense, but Taylor has done absolutely nothing this half. If he's supposed to be your game-changer, shouldn't he at least be able to make one play to help your chances? I don't get it.

9:45 pm - After thinking it over, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops decides to settle for a field goal attempt rather than go for it on 4th and goal. Good decision. The field goal is good and OU leads 13-7. BYU has looked lost on offense in the second half, but they'll need to find a way to get a touchdown in the last 11:47 of the game in order to put the pressure back on Oklahoma.

9:52 pm - Sometimes, all it takes is a little pressure to see how a team will perform. Facing an important drive, the BYU Cougars have put together a nice stretch here to get down to the Sooner 35 yard line. They must convert this to points, though, or else it's all for naught.

9:54 pm - Halftime in Atlanta. Virginia Tech leads 17-16 at the half. A pretty entertaining game thus far. Freshman RB Ryan Williams, replacing Darren Evans, got his first touchdown of his career with just over a minute to go in the half.

9:56 pm - BYU is now knocking on the door with a 2nd and goal. Just under 5 minutes to go in Dallas.

9:57 pm - Oklahoma is called for defensive pass interference in the end zone, so BYU will get the ball at the 2 yard line and a first down. Here's your game, people.

10:00 pm - TOUCHDOWN, BYU. Max Hall finds a wide open receiver in the back of the end zone, giving BYU a 14-13 lead with just over 3 minutes to go. Remember, Bradford is out, so OU will have to rely on the arm of Landry Jones to win the game. Chances of this happening: I say 18%.

10:02 pm - The United States soccer team refused to clear the ball out of the box in extra time at the end of the second half, so I just yelled at the top of my lungs for them to clear it out. They did. Ballgame over. 3 points for the Yanks.

10:03 pm - Ok, now the Sooners-Cougars game is moved to the big TV so that I can watch the drive of the game in sterling HD. On the small TV, I'm kicking off with Maryland and California. Cal owes the Terps one from last year, so look for them to come out strong.

10:07 pm - I just saw that William & Mary beat Virginia 26-14 today. Al Groh, your seat is a little warmer now.

10:09 pm - Landry Jones is 3/7 for 24 yards tonight. That's all you need to know about Oklahoma's chances in this game.

10:11 pm - Jones is trying to make me look like an idiot. He throws a nice pass to his tight end, who takes it down to the BYU 33.

10:14 pm - WOW. With a 3rd and 9 from the 33, Oklahoma gets called for a false start. Now it's 3rd and 14 from the 38, putting them out of field goal range.

10:16 pm - Timeout Oklahoma. 4th and 14 at the BYU 38 yard line with 1:28 to go. Here's your ballgame.

10:18 pm - Insanity in Dallas. Oklahoma tries a field goal from 54 yards out and miss left and short. BYU takes over with 1:23 to go and Oklahoma only has one timeout. Turn out the lights, the party's over.

10:22 pm - TOUCHDOWN, CAL. Jahvid Best with a 73-yard scamper, showcasing his breakaway speed. It only took him two carries to score this year. That guy's good.

10:27 pm - Maryland turns the ball over with a fumble, and now Cal has the ball on Maryland's 23 yard line. A strike from Kevin Riley to Marvin Jones puts it at the 3. It may be Jahvid Best time again.

10:28 pm - Jahvid Best indeed. He gets the handoff from Riley, leaps from the 4-yard line and lands in the end zone for a California touchdown. It's under review, but it'll stand. 13-0 Cal, extra point pending.

10:30 pm - The touchdown stands and Cal tacks on the extra point. 14-0. I told you they'd come out strong. I hope you believed me.

10:32 pm - Maryland is on the move. Responding to the most recent Cal score, the Terps are down on the Cal 19 already. Chris Turner has settled the offense by completing a handful of passes and getting moderate gains.

10:35 pm - Cal is called for a penalty after stopping Maryland on 3rd down, so it's 1st and goal Terps at the California 3 yard line.

10:37 pm - Maryland scores, but is called for an ineligible receiver downfield. They're moved back five yards and now have 3rd and goal from the 8.

10:38 pm - Cal tips away the Turner pass, so Maryland must settle for a field goal attempt. By the way, Maryland-Cal is on the small TV and Virginia Tech-Alabama is on the big TV. Tennis is on the big TV flashback and Washington-LSU is on the small TV flashback. I know you were wondering, so I figured I'd clear that up.

10:39 pm - FUMBLE!!! Roy Upchurch gets a nice gain through the VT defense, but is stripped and loses control. The Hokies recover on their own 11 yard line. 5 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter.

10:41 pm - After a first down run by Tyrod Taylor, Josh Oglesby rushes for 7 yards and, all of a sudden, VT is on the move.

10:43 pm - A long pass play gets Washington down to the LSU 20 yard line. Don't hurt 'em, Huskies.

10:45 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Washington. Jake Locker throws a strike to James Johnson for a 17 yard touchdown. With the extra point, the Huskies lead 7-0. Wow, that's a surprise.

10:50 pm - Jordan Jefferson, LSU's quarterback, gets a nice gain through the Husky defense to respond to the Washington score. Charles Scott follows that up with a good gain, and LSU is already down to the UW 35 yard line.

10:57 pm - Yes, I just turned it to the Buffalo-UTEP game. Everything else is at commercial, and I wanted to check this one off my list. Just starting the second half, Buffalo leads 16-7.

10:59 pm - Back on the small TV, Maryland has driven down to the Cal 25 yard line. They keep knocking on the door, but they need touchdowns if they're gonna have a chance to win. On the big TV, Virginia Tech got the ball back, but was unable to do anything with it. They'll punt it back to Alabama, which has been a recurring motif this evening.

11:01 pm - Maryland kicks a field goal to cut the deficit to 8 points. Buffalo punches in another touchdown and leads 23-7 in El Paso. LSU is unable to get a touchdown on 3rd and goal, and must now settle for a field goal attempt.

11:03 pm - LSU converts the field goal, so they trail Washington 7-3. They look a little sluggish, which is to be expected when you travel across the country to play a team worse than you in week one.

11:04 pm - Greg McElroy, Alabama's QB, launches a deep ball to Marquis Maze to set up a Mark Ingram TOUCHDOWN run. The Tide have outgained the Hokies all game, but now the scoreboard is finally in their favor as well. The two-point conversion is good and the Tide now lead 24-17. Momentum has swung, ladies and gentlemen, and the Hokies must do something to stem the tide. Yes, pun intended.

11:07 pm - TOUCHDOWN, LSU. After tipping Jake Locker's pass, LB Jake Cutrera picks it off and takes it to the barn. 10-7 Tigers in the flash of an eye. Impressive play by Cutrera.

11:08 pm - Cal connects on a deep ball to Verran Tucker and now has a 2nd and goal opportunity.

11:10 pm - After a penalty and a couple of incompletions, Cal must settle for a field goal attempt. Field goal good, 17-6 Golden Bears.

11:11 pm - A turnover gives Alabama the ball back in Virginia Tech territory. Mark Ingram rushes up the middle for a big gain and it's 1st and goal Tide on the Hokie 4 yard line.

11:15 pm - Greg McElroy's 3rd down pass is incomplete and Leigh Tiffin converts a field goal for the Tide. 27-17 Alabama.

11:17 pm - Chris Turner is sacked by Cal's defense and fumbles. The Golden Bears recover and are in business near midfield. I would try to say something witty about the goings-on in the games, but I've been blogging for nearly 12 hours and can't even see straight. Don't worry, I feel a second win coming on.

11:18 pm - Virginia Tech gets another great kickoff return and Alabama commits a personal foul on top of that. The Hokies are starting on the Tide 32. They need points bad, real bad, Michael Jackson.

11:19 pm - Ryan Williams breaks loose and runs the ball down to the 2 yard line. The replay looks as if Williams actually got in the end zone, so this thing is under review. My guess is that Virginia Tech has a touchdown.

11:22 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Virginia Tech. Told ya. 27-24 Alabama. Meanwhile, Cal has just converted a crucial 3rd down and has 1st down at the Maryland 16 yard line.

11:24 pm - A strike from Riley to Marvin Jones gives Cal another first down, this time at the Maryland 3. 1st and goal, Bears.

11:25 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Cal. Kevin Riley beautifully eludes an oncoming pass-rusher and throws a touchdown pass to his tight end. Extra point good. 24-6 California.

11:26 pm - Mark Ingram gets another big gain for Alabama. He takes it into Virginia Tech territory and steals back some of the momentum from the Hokies. 8:42 remaining in the game.

11:29 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Alabama. McElroy throws a dump pass to Mark Ingram, who takes it 20 yards to the house. Extra point is good and the Tide lead 34-24. What an offensive explosion here in the second half. I'm impressed.

11:31 pm - Washington kicks a field goal to tie the game at 10 against LSU. With the Cal and Alabama games taking up my TV space, I'm not entirely sure what happened. Keepin' it real.

11:33 pm - 473-163. That's how bad Alabama has outgained Virginia Tech tonight. For those not keeping score at home, that's almost a 3-1 ratio. It's surprising that this game is as close as it is.

11:34 pm - Alabama sacks Tyrod Taylor and now the Hokies are punting out of their own end zone with just over 5 minutes to go. What I'm trying to tell you is, this one is over.

11:35 pm - Jahvid Best gets a screen pass and takes it into Maryland territory. He's fast.

11:36 pm - TOUCHDOWN, Cal. Nyan Boateng got loose in the secondary and caught a 39-yard pass from Kevin Riley on a beautifully-thrown ball. Extra point good. 31-6 Cal with 25 seconds left in the first half. Wow.

11:42 pm - Cal takes their lead to the half and Virginia Tech is unable to do anything with their possession. I'm off to drop off my boys at the bar; I'll be back in a few.

11:59 pm - I'm back just in time to see LSU take the lead against Washington on a 45-yard TD reception. The Tigers now lead 17-10 with 1:15 to go in the first half.

12:01 am - James Blake is getting ready to go down two sets to zero against Tommy Robredo of Spain, so I'm probably not going back there for a while. Cal is still at the half and LSU is heading that way, so I'm looking for something to do. Crap, the UTEP-Buffalo game is at a commercial. Yes, I was just disappointed that Buffalo and UTEP were on a commercial.

12:03 am - Cal returns the opening kickoff back to midfield, so it looks like they're gonna pick up right where they left off. Mark Jones and Bob Davie are having an interesting conversation about the defensive coordinators' responsibilities at LSU and Washington. Yawn.

12:05 am - Jahvid Best (ho hum) carries for 40 yards down to the Maryland 14 yard line. That'll give him 131 yards on the game...and we just started the first half.

12:06 am - TOUCHDOWN, Cal. Shane Vereen gives Best a breather and scores on a touchdown run of his own. He showed a nice burst there and also a little power, burrowing into the endzone. Extra point good. 38-6 Cal and we're barely a minute into the second half.

12:08 am - Jake Locker completes a deep ball to Devin Aguilar, who then takes it down to the LSU 20 yard line. I commend coach Steve Sarkisian for not choosing to kneel the ball and go into the half only down 7. He's attacking the LSU defense until the last second ticks off the clock. 17 seconds to go.

12:09 am - UTEP tacks on a field goal to cut the Buffalo lead down to 23-17. With just under 6 minutes to go, the Miners will need a quick stop to get a chance to win the ballgame. Buffalo should try to keep it on the ground if they can, trying to milk the clock.

12:11 am - Washington is unable to get into the endzone, but they kick a field goal as time expires, cutting the LSU lead to four. 17-13 Tigers at the half. Back to Buffalo-UTEP on the big TV; Cal-Maryland remaining on the small TV. I can't get the Miners-Bulls game on the little TV, so the decision was basically made for me.

12:17 am - TOUCHDOWN, Cal. Kevin Riley throws a bomb to Marvin Jones, who comes down with the 40-yard score. Riley has been on fire tonight, as have the Golden Bears. 45-6 Cal, with 9:35 to go in the 3rd quarter. Blowout city.

12:19 am - I just saw that Albert Pujols hit a pinch-hit walkoff home run for St. Louis tonight. That guy is good. Just thought I'd tell you that.

12:20 am - UTEP forces a punt and now has 2:29 to score a touchdown. They don't have any timeouts, so QB Trevor Vittatoe needs to take them 80 yards in a hurry. His first pass is a strike to Adams for a gain of 9. Short gains equal big gains eventually. Remember that.

12:21 am - Another pass to Adams for a first down. The clock will stop as they move the chains, but the Miners need to be ready to go as soon as the clock starts again. Vittatoe to Adams again. This time up to the UTEP 44 yard line. Gain of 8. Clock at 1:38 and moving.

12:22 am - Incomplete pass stops the clock for UTEP. 1:32 to go. 3rd and 2. First down, Miners. Vittatoe keeps taking what the defense gives him and is now close to midfield. Impressive drive so far.

12:23 am - UTEP to the Buffalo 43 yard line after a 9-yard completion. Only a minute to go, though. Vittatoe's next pass is incomplete, so the clock stops at 52 seconds.

12:24 am - TOUCHDOWN, Maryland. Da'Rel Scott gets loose and scores on a long TD run. The extra point is up and good, so the Terps are now down 45-13. The UTEP incompletion is under review, so the Miners are taking this time to catch their breath and set up the last part of this potentially game-winning drive.

12:26 am - Incompletion is upheld. On 3rd and 2, Vittatoe hits his receiver for another first down. The Bulls are back on their heels, but UTEP is only at the Buffalo 38 yard line. Remember, they need a touchdown.

12:27 am - Vittatoe to Adams yet again. This one for 12 yards down to the Buffalo 26. His next pass is a short one that's caught, so the Miners must down the ball to stop the clock. They'll now face a 3rd and long with 19 seconds to go. Ball on, roughly, the Buffalo 24 yard line.

12:28 am - Officially, at the 21 yard line. TOUCHDOWN, UTEP. Wow. Vittatoe reached back and launched one to James Thomas for the score. But wait, there's a holding a call and a personal foul penalty on the same play. So now the Miners will be moved back 25 yards to the 42 yard line. With only 14 seconds left, UTEP needs a miracle now. That's unreal.

12:31 am - Pass incomplete by Vittatoe. With 7 seconds to go, UTEP will need a hail mary of sorts to win the game. Buffalo is playing with 4 men on the line and 7 men way back. Pass broken up; game over. Buffalo wins 23-17. What a finish. I'm glad I turned it over here. And you people wonder why I watch the mid-majors play, too. THAT was an exciting game.

12:33 am - Cal goes back to the big TV and LSU-Washington (though at the half) is moved to the small TV. These are the times at night when I start thinking back on the day and pick out the best and worst moments. A time for reflection, if you will. After all of the insanity of the day, we're down to two games only. Weird.

12:39 am - Cal is on the move again. The 3rd quarter comes to a close as the Bears enter Maryland territory. 45-13 Cal.

12:43 am - Alright folks, I hate to do this to you, but I'm signing off. I have to go pick up some friends from the bar and it'll be a while before I get back. If games are still being played, I'll blog some more. Regardless, it's been a busy, but fun, day and I appreciate your readership. Stay thirsty, my friends.

~~ Lank