Your Home of the Oregon ILLINI. Oskee Wa Wa!

Miss the weekly action of college b-ball match-ups? Join in the fun for our group this year in Ronler College Pick Off. Cnn/SI has a good game this year. You basically pick the winners of 20 games / week. That's it. No points. No spread. Action goes for 14 weeks. We missed week 1 already. For every win you get 1 point and so on up to a perfect week of 20 points. Here are the rest of the rules: http://games.si.cnn.com/tour/rules.asp?game_id=71

Illinois over Carolina tonight 68-64 in Chapel Hill. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we won a close game as opposed to have lost one. But, it was an ugly victory for a more senior ILLINI squad. Sure, we're a young team after having lost Head and Williams to the NBA. We need to develop the chemistry, especially on team defense. That wins championships. But, to be up 64-50 with 8 minutes to go only to hold on in a squeaker down the wire is nothing to hang your hat on if take pride in your game.

Here is what I saw:

1) Illinois had close to 20 turnovers tonight.
2) We gave up 30 of their first 35 points in the paint.
3) We didn't protect the rock on the road - treat it like a treasure next time.
4) Less than stellar shooting down the stretch when the pressure was highest. We tightened-up and allowed a young Carolina squad to build confidence and momentum. Those guys are young but very talented.
5) Our offense sets were not crisp and lacked energy.
6) Our defensive play was better in the 2nd half but still mediocre at best, even then.
7) There were some positives like freshmen Jamar Smith and his 2 big 3-point shots in the 2nd half.
8) I also liked the play of the freak (Brian Randle) on both ends of the court. He finished with 11 points.
9) McBride looked good at times with 12 points coming mostly from the deep-ball.
10) Dee is working his way back after a broken foot this summer. He still needs to work on getting his legs back underneath him especially on the 3-ball.

At least we landed a top-ten prospect in our recruiting efforts for 2007 in Eric Gordon. This guy is good and was coveted by other schools like Duke and Notre Dame. 6'3" point guard who averaged 26 points / game as a sophomore in Indiana. Finally, some good recruiting news on the sports front.

ILLINOIS won the South Padre Invitational on Saturday by pasting Rutgers 77-57. Yes! B-Ball season is here and my step has returned. Life is good. I don't have to worry about football for 9 more months. Augustine dominated and McBride / Brown combined for 21 more points as the ILLINI rolled in South Padre. It's a long season but 5-0 is a good start. We get Carolina in NC on Tuesday at 6pm on ESPN. Bring on those nasty tarheels. We got game!

This is the LAST PICK EM update of the year. And congratulations to the Photonic Cowboy on his 1-point victory over Triton Mike. This time it's for real. Lunch?

If it weren't for the prevent defense Stanford played against Notre Dame, we would be taking Mr. Old is New to lunch. Wow, what a season finale on this 13th week of PICK EM. Long live rivalry weekends. Illinois is your South Padre Invitational Champion this year after beating Rutgers 77-57. Bring on Carolina.

Don't forget that Ronler Bowl Mania 2005 is back. Games are announced on 12/6 with the first kick-off on 12/20. 28 games in 14 days. Happy Holidays.

http://games.espn.go.com/bowlmania/frontpage

Here we go:

1) Notre Dame over Stanford in a great game. The Cardinal would just not go away all night. Brady Quinn was amazing with over 400 yards passing and 3 TDs. Walker had almost 200 yds rushing compared to the 12 total rushing yards for Stanford. I can hear the Oregon nation crying in their microbrews tonight. No BCS for the DUCKS this year. You gotta hate the prevent defense if you are a PAC-10 fan. Then again, the PAC-10 really doesn't play defense so they can't complain too much. Still - a great 38-31 victory for Notre Dame and a $13M payday for the Golden Domers. How does Stanford lose to CAL and UC DAVIS and then take Notre Dame to the very brink?

2) Fresno State's special teams cost them tonight in Reno. Wow, this was a shocker. The Wolfpack came to play and the BULLDOGS didn't after the SC letdown. This one cost me 9 points. I haven't won both 9 and 10 point games since week 8. Ugh! These last three weeks have been murder on my points.

3) For the 2nd straight year, Iowa State folds with destiny in their control on the last game of the season and loses the chance to represent the BIG-12 North in the Championship game next weekend. Of course, maybe they were smart when you consider Colorado has to play TEXAS. Speaking of the BUFFS, they tried their best to avoid the contest with the Longhorns with their 30-3 blowout loss at home to Nebraska.

4) VA TECH rolled today - looking good after the Miami loss. The other top-schools struggled this weekend including Texas and LSU who both had battles against their opposition on Friday. But the Hokies will take on FSU next weekend in Jacksonville. I don't see the Noles avoiding 4 - straight losses as they go to a no-name bowl this year. Then again, Marcus Vick hasn't exactly been stellar since that blowout loss to the CANES a few weeks ago (8 turnovers and only 2TD's in that stretch).

5) Speaking of the Noles, Florida romped today in the SWAMP all over Bowden's Boys. FSU is really struggling these days on offense and defense. Florida didn't exactly look sharp all night but made the big plays on defense and special teams to put this one away early in the 2nd half. Urban wins against Georgia, Tennessee, and FSU but won't be playing in the SEC title game next weekend in Atlanta. Instead, we get LSU and Georgia.

6) Speaking of the DAWGS, Georgia outlasted the Jackets in a defensive battle all night. A late pick with 1 minute to go by Georgia as Tech was driving for the tie score sealed the deal. Ball had 3 TO's tonight against the DAWGS from Athens. This conference knows defense. Should be a great SEC Championship game next weekend.

7) Miami held on to beat a tough Virginia squad tonight in the Orange Bowl. Good win for the CANES aginst the CAVS after losing to the Jackets last weekend in a game they should have won. Virginia is now 0-14 in the state of Florida. That loss cost the CANES a shot at Bowden in the ACC Title game.

8) Tennessee won a ball game today against those mighty Wildcats of Kentucky. What a disappointing season for Fulmer's hilltoppers. At 5-6 they won't go bowling this season for the first time in a long time. With all of that talent on both sides of the ball, this has to be the biggest disappointment of the season. They went 2-5 down the stretch. That LSU victory seems so long ago now.

9) NC State survived Maryland today in a typical ACC battle. Both squads brought the defense. Maryland goes home and will miss bowl action for 2 years in a row. Too bad they play in the ACC. The TERPS would be going bowling as a PAC-10 rep.

10) Grambling State won the Bayou Classic on NBC over Southern U. Even though they lost, Southern won the half-time show and remains undefeated in that venue.

My Top - 10:

1) USC
2) Texas
3) Penn State
4) LSU
5) Ohio State
6) Notre Dame
7) Virginia Tech
8) Auburn
9) Oregon
10) Georgia

My BCS Match-Ups (the way they should be):

Rose = SC and TEXAS
Sugar = WV and LSU
Orange = Penn State vs. Va. Tech
Fiesta = Ohio State vs. Notre Dame

Heisman Leaders: BUSH, Young, Quinn, Leinart

Wichita State wasn't supposed to be tough. Tell that to the ILLINI faithful today who saw the good guys win 5-54 on the last play of the game. Wow. We get Rutgers on Saturday for the Championship of the South Padre Island Invitational. Next week we travel to Chapel Hill to take on the Mighty Tarheels in a rematch of the National Title Game last year. Bring it on. Hoops are back for the 2005-2006 campaign. Yes!

First action is December 20th "Wyndham New Orleans Bowl". Good Luck. Search for 'Ronler' to find our group and you know the password.

OK, to be honest I'm really only focusing on the BCS games right now. The other games are all about the match-ups, fan support, and TV ratings. Come to think of it, same for the BCS. But seriously, 3 of the 4 BCS games are pretty much locked-up based on what we know today. Here's my 'crystal-ball' view of how things might shake out come January. Remember, it ain't suppose to be fair:

1) USC will play TEXAS in Pasadena for the Title. Period. The HORNS will NOT lose to the AGGIES of A&M. The Trojans will not lose to UCLA. But, who wins - TEXAS or SC? My pick will come later. This will be a great game - maybe the best BCS TITLE game ever (in it's 8-year history).

2) Some SEC school will play some BIG EAST school in the Sugar Bowl (Atlanta, GA). Right now, most have LSU taking on WV. This would be a good match-up. But so would Georgia, or Auburn instead of the Bayou Bengals.

3) Some ACC squad will take on Penn State in the Orange Bowl. There is an outside shot that Joe Pa Pa will go to the desert of Tempe instead. Wouldn't it be interesting to see Bowden vs. Paterno in the Orange Bowl. Realistically, I got to think it will be VA TECH vs. Penn State in Miami.

4) Then there is the Fiesta Bowl. This one is wide-open right now. I think three schools are all in the mix, unless Notre Dame loses to Stanford. Then it clears up considerably. Right now, Notre Dame is in against either Ohio State or Oregon. Who has the better case? Let's look a little deeper at their schedules.

OREGON - (10-1): Their only loss at home to USC back in October. But, who have they beaten and where? Does this team have a signature win this year? Beating Fresno State at home is probably the closest thing that comes to mind. Maybe beating ASU in Tempe, but the Sun Devils are not the same team now as back in September. Back to my question - the answer in my opinion is NO. DUCKS go to San Diego in the Holiday Bowl.

OHIO STATE - (9-2): Yes, two losses but the close loss to TEXAS is probably a better loss than the DUCKS' loss to USC. The BUCKS could have beaten the HORNS in the big Horse Shoe. Their only other loss was on the road, at night, against Joe Pa in Happy Valley. What a tough place to play. And it was a close game throughout. But, do the BUCKS have a signature win this year? Answer = YES (they just beat Michigan in Ann Arbor in probably the greatest rivalry match-up we have today). Therefore, I say bring on Notre Dame and let's have the BUCKS take on the IRISH in the Fiesta Bowl.

Great job on holding onto the lead for the last week. It was probably the most competitive PICK EM ever. 7 contestants all had a chance to win on Saturday, but there is only room for 1 Ronler Champion. Thanks for playing. See you in BOWL PICK-EM and right back here next season.

In the meantime - Paul gets a free lunch on us ($1.00 / head should cover the tab for his share) which would should do before the end of the year.

Congratulations to Mr. Photonic Cowboy. The only Ronler contestant to break the 500-point barrier (Trton Mike was close). One day Paul will be able to explain to the rest of us what that really means. In any event, he survived all 12 weeks of the most competitive PICK EM EVER to be the Ronler Champion. A truly noble accomplishment. Many tried, but he prevailed. Kudos to Triton Mike for another great week.

We owe Paul P. a lunch. Pick your restaurant. And on to BOWL PICK EM! 28 games in ~ 14 days - what could be better for the holidays? Thanks for playing this year. See you next year. Same place. Can't wait for opening weekend 2006. I'll have the brats sizzling on the grille.

Looking back on the season, this had to be the BEST PICK EM ever. Everybody who played each and every week was at least in the 90% of the national rankings. Very impressive. We had several leaders and lead changes this year. The TOP 7 were in it right down to the last game between Stanford and Cal. Wow, very cool.

On a personal note, and I'm sure we can all say the same thing, there were many chances and several missed opportunities. For me, the biggest mistake I made was in WEEK 1 where I lost 7 points because of a mistake by ESPN in the Alabama State / South Carolina State match-up. I ended up taking the road team in this one - Ugh! There were other less than stellar moments as well. My 28 - point WEEK 11 didn't help much either. But we all have sob stories.

OK - here we go in the final edition of Ronler PICK EM for 2005:

1) Congrats to Penn State and Joe Pa - your BIG - 10 CHAMPS this year. What a campaign. Is Michael Robinson worthy of the Heisman? Is Joe Pa the Coach of the Year? No matter what - it should be the ACC vs. Penn State in the Orange Bowl after the LIONS beat-up on the SPARTY today in East Lansing. The final score wasn't indicative of the lop-sided nature in this one. Penn State was the better team and the better team won today. And to think that they were 1 second away from a perfect season which ended in Ann Arbor last month. We could see Bowden versus Paterno in Miami if Bobby can beat Miami in the ACC Title Game. That would be cool. Nobody has more BCS games than Bowden (5), but they are only 1-4 in those games. Or we could see the LIONS in the desert against Notre Dame. Wow!

2) Ohio State over Michigan in the BIG HOUSE. It took the last drive of the game to do it, but Troy Smith and Senator Tressel did it on the road. Not an easy place to play much less win. The BUCKS really did dominate the game despite sloppy play, turnovers, and bad special teams. This was not a characteristic Tressel performance - but it didn't matter in the end. This was probably the game of the day. Not sure where this leaves Ohio State or Michigan in the Bowl picture. The BUCKS may end up in the Orange against FSU or Va. Tech. We'll have to stay tuned.

3) Illinois ended a very disappointing season at 2-9 against the CATS of NW. I'm glad this season is over. The CATS had 38 points and 38 first downs. Ugh! It can't get much worse next year. At least my ILLINI beat SD State in basketball on Friday. YES.

4) These teams all won today and looked very impressive in the process: Va Tech, Auburn, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Oregon. They should all go to good bowl games. Actually, you can make a good case for the DUCKS in the BCS despite the sole loss to a strong SC squad. My money is on Notre Dame. Oregon is a good team, even without Clemmens. But, they play in a very weak power conference: The PAC - 10. This conference ranks no higher than 4th of the top 6 BCS conferences, maybe just above the BIG-EAST at #5, in my opinion. How would Oregon have faired in the SEC, the ACC, or the BIG - 10? They just didn't have any impressive wins this year - in my book. Still - a great win today over the BEAVS. Congrats on another winning season in Eugene.

5) How did Texas Tech beat Oklahoma? Last minute heroics. Those Red Raiders are dangerous. Never say die with that offense. How many comeback wins do they have up their sleeves? Can you say controversy? Hello Cotton Bowl Texas Tech!

6) IN 2OT, Utah beat BYU and will keep the COUGS from being Bowl eligible. Not a bad first season for the new ball coach in Provo.

7) Speaking of COUGS, the Huskies actually 'coug'd' today's game at home against the real Cougars from Pullman. Up 22-19 with only 2 minutes to go they gave up a big pass play which went 45 yards for the TD. Ouch. Glad I only had 1 point on Washington.

8) In the grand-daddy of all rivalry games, Harvard came back against Yale late in the game. 3OT thriller and 5 in a row over the big Y guys. I think this one dates back 122 years or something like that. OK - who cares? Actually, Lafayette beat Lehigh today 23-19 in their 141st meeting. OK - that's a rivalry.

9) Oh the Cardinal. Tedford has never lost to the Cardinal as the CAL coach. What was I thinking by taking Stanford? Ugh! This was the game of the day as far as deciding PICK EM. Turns out it wasn't that close.

10) In one of the biggest upsets of the year, GT beat Miami in the Orange Bowl. Wow - what a shocker! The Jackets had 7 sacks against Wright tonight! Most considered Miami to be the hottest team in the country right now after beating VA TECH in Blacksburg two weeks ago. What happened? Georgia Tech really put the brakes on that powerful CANE offense. Nothing worse than going down in your own backyard.

11) SC over Fresno - great late game. BUSH had over 500 total yards, almost 300 yards rushing. He was everything to the Trojans last night and offered up another great example of why he's your Heisman winner this year. Any doubts now? I don't think Vince Young can do anything about it next weekend against A&M either. How many TD runs of > 20 yards does this guy have this year anyway? Reggie also plays for the 2-time defending national champs and on a team with 33 straight wins, 43 of their last 44.
What is the best rivalry game of modern times??

Ohi State vs. Michigan
Auburn and Alabama
Cal and Stanford
Carolina and Duke
Vols and Vandy
Texas and A&M
Oklahoma and Nebraska
USC and UCLA
Utah and BYU
Clemson and South Carolina
Harvard / Yale
Lehigh and Lafayette
Many others.....what's your favorite - drop me a line.

How will the BIG BCS BOWLS shake-out this year? Here's how I see them:

ROSE = USC and TEXAS
Orange = Ohio State and Va. Tech.
Fiesta = Notre Dame and Penn State
Sugar = LSU and West Virginia

My TOP - 10:

1) SC
2) Texas
3) LSU
4) Penn State
5) Notre Dame
6) Ohio State
7) Va. Tech.
8) Auburn
9) Georgia
10) Oregon

My Heisman Leaders:

1) BUSH (Mr. President, Mr. General Secretary, Mr. Czar, Mr. Priminester, ....) - your winner
2) Young - a close 2nd.
3) Leinart - distant 3rd
4) Quinn - an even more distant 4th
5) Robinson

Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy these games in Week 13:

Pitt @ WV
Texas @ A&M
Arkansas @ LSU
Zona @ Zona State
Nebraksa @ Colorado
Notre Dame @ Stanford
Georgia @ Georgia Tech
Oklahoma State@ Oklahoma
FSU @ Florida

90-65 over South Dakota State. We had 20 turnovers which isn't good. That will have to improve. But, when you consider that we really only return 2 of 5 starters this year from last year's Championship-game team, not bad. We have a lot of youth starting this year. A win is a win, especially early in the season. Bring on Texas Pan American.

Cute little link to the funny side of Thanksgiving. Turn up the volume. Turn down the lights. Break out the funk!

I like how they cover the greatest game played. Awesome pictures from around the country of the best action on Saturday.

Where is your favorite team going? Who's in and who's out? These teams need to pick it up over the next two weeks in order to have a shot:

Maryland, NC, NC STATE, Sparty, A&M, Memphis, Utah, and Tennessee. Wow - some pretty big names in this list.

Well Well Well - it looks like there are 7 of us in the middle of things with ONE more week to go in PICK EM 2005. Wow! What a year. It's been close from start to finish. Did you expect anything else? Bring on Week 12. Let's crown a champ already.

What can I say? Thank you Texas Tech. I mean what the hell? Come on. You suck, I mean are not very good on the road late in the year in the BIG 12 conference. Can you say overrated? Play some defense once in a while.

3 games really hurt me today: Florida, FSU, and ASU. Combined, they cost me 11 points on top of the 16 I lost with TT and UW.

What happened in Clemson, SC today? I was back and forth on this one all week. Same for SC and Florida. I guess I was wrong on both. Next time I'll go with the home teams. Thank you for LSU. Those Tigers are tough. More later. Congratulations to Triton Mike - well done Mr. Warddrip. You da man! (This week). But it looks like its Patriacca's world and we're all chasing him in the last week of the season. Hmmmm...

I should have taken UCLA and more points. Ugh! Drew Olsen threw for 510 yards today. Ugh Ugh!

Give me Liberty or give me death or give me USC/TEXAS in Pasadena.

It was Showdown Saturday in the SEC. We are blessed.

Here we go:

1) I don't think the SEC knows how to use instant replay. Perhaps they should rename it to 'go fry something in oil' replay, or 'wait for the barbecue to finish' replay. If you watched the Bama / LSU game today you know what I mean.

About the game, LSU took control in the 2nd-half and never looked back. JeMarcus Russell for President. Neither team had 300 yards. Neither team had 20 first downs. Neither team had a 100-yard rusher. BAMA is great on defense but struggles on offense. Their perfect season comes to an end in Tuscaloosa. Where does this leave LSU? In the SEC West driver's seat. Geaux Bayou Bengals. Remember when TN beat LSU?

2) More SEC coverage. Yes, the old ball coach out-coached the youngster (Mr. Meyer) in Columbia this afternoon. Kudos to Spurrier and 5 consecutive SEC wins after starting out 2-3. Wow. First time since 1939 that SC beat Florida. This conference knows how to play defense. Their offenses are NOT that bad either. What was it like for Spurrier to beat Florida today? Like your mother - in - law forgot your address. It was big.

3) This just in, Notre Dame, SC, Ohio State, and Texas are good. All rolled today in their games against Navy, CAL, and Kansas, respectively. More later. Coach Mangino - it is about the BCS and you are not in the race. It took 19 minutes for Texas to score 40 points. Oh my gosh. SC is 42 of its last 43. Not bad either. One 3000 - yard passer, two 1000-yard rushers, and two 1000-yard receivers. The men of Troy are not bad. That's 42 in a row by ND over NAVY. BTW, who wins the BIG - 10 this year? I like the LIONS.

4) Alvarez loses his last game at Camp Randall has head coach of the Badgers. What? Yes, Barry lost today against a game Iowa team. I guess they just wanted it more in the driving rains in Madison. Too bad. This coach really turned their program around. Where does it go without him? Who knows? Hopefully in the toilet. I'm sick of hearing about the Baaaaaaadgers. Good riddens Barry! He did take the Badgers to 3 Rose Bowl wins in 16 years and a bunch of other bowl-game appearances. Yeah - pretty good.

5) BYU is bowl eligible after beating the Cowboys of Wyoming today. Very impressive under the new head coach. Good to see the Cougars back in the Mountain West.

6) Georgia / Auburn - SEC football. 31-30. Enough said - almost. What a game. What a conference. Every yard is precious here. Are you kidding me! 4th and 10 for Auburn. 65 yards later - TD TIGERS. What a game. What a country. What a conference. What a team. Yes, I love SEC football and you know it. We can all learn something from how they play the game in the deep SOUTH. I love the tigers of Auburn. I'm a tiger fan. Kenny Irons (RB Auburn - 167 yards tonight) is a freak. No, he's just awesome. No one tackler can bring this guy down. If you didn't see this game you missed the game of the year in the SEC. This one was close throughout the contest. Yes, it was better than TN/LSU. Thank you AUBURN.

7) ILLINOIS lost today at Purdue 37-3. Basketball season starts on the 18th.

8) Nebraska becomes bowl eligible after beating mighty Kansas State. What else can I say. Whoopie! Will they go to a bowl and where?

9) Is that right? Did Washington whip - up on Zona in the desert tonight (38-14)? Hmmm...didn't the cats beat UCLA last weekend in Tucson? It's college football. Doesn't always make sense.

10) Gotta love Bobby Bowden's wife (Ann). When asked whom she supported today in the Clemson / FSU game she said the following, "I love my husband. I love my son, Tommy. But I stand by my man. He's the most important person in my life." And, some Joe named Chris Bostic won $1M today by throwing a ball through a hoop from 25 yards. Until today, he made $10/hour has a landscaper. Yikes. BTW, that's three conference losses for the NOLES since joining the ACC in 1992. Where's the D Bobby? Where'd it go man? You can't stop my mama. Next up Florida and then likely Miami. Could it be 4 losses in a row for the NOLES?

Mirek's Top 10:

1) SC
2) Texas
3) Miami
4) LSU
5) Notre Dame
6) Penn State
7) Ohio State
8) Va. Tech
9) Auburn
10) UCLA

My Heisman Leaders:

1) BUSH
2) YOUNG
3) LEINART
4) QUINN

What I'm looking forward to in WEEK 12:

Va. Tech / Virginia
Ohio State / Michigan
Utah / BYU
Bama / Auburn
Penn State / Sparty
Oregon State / Oregon
Clemson / SC
Northwester / Illinois

I mean come on! I strongly despise these guys (OK, I hate them). What gives? The NCAA will allow us to keep our names (ILLINI and Fighting ILLNI) but we are still on the 'list' of banned schools which are prohibited from hosting NCAA postseason events.

Not that this really matters much. At least we still get to keep our good name.

The NCAA governing body still claims that the Chief is a 'hostile and abusive' image of American Indians. Bite me - this goes back to 1926. Can you say tradition? Hey Bernie (Bernard Franklin of the NCAA), get a frickin' life man!

It was looking good until Miami went into Blacksburg and pulled the upset of the year, at least for the BCS conferences (in my opinion). Are you kidding me? How does VA TECH lose at home, at night, under the lights, to a Miami team without Moss and Wright? They were 80-20 picks tonight against the CANES at home. Ugh! That was my 10-point game. I was feeling good after most everyone else had 10 points on FSU (not so fast). What a crazy week 10, only 28.3 as the average (worst of the year). This is a great game. Did anybody get their 10-point game this week? Congrats to Freiley and his 41 points. Here we go:

1) The BIG GAME of the day, VA TECH and MIAMI in Blacksburg. Nobody goes in there at night, under the lights, against that Hokie defense and puts a beat-down on the Hokies. Ugh - what could have been. It was an ugly performance for VA TECH in every way. They looked like boys out there against the men from Miami. Kudos to the Canes. They did what I thought was impossible. What a Nightmare for VICK and the HOKIES. Enter Sandman was the highlight tonight at LANE Stadium. Give credit to Kyle Wright - his signature game of the season. How many turnovers did VICK have tonight? Ugh! Total Miami domination in every way. They just wanted it more. Where do the Hokies go from here? Great win for Coker - his signature win.

2) FSU loses at home to NC STATE. Remember, that Chuck Amato of NC STATE coached for Bobby Bowden at FSU for 17 years. No big surprise here. FSU is hurting on offense these days, and their QB is a rookie. I should have put fewer points on FSU, or even some points on NC STATE. Yikes!

3) Penn State is for real. They stomped all over the Baaaaaadgers today in Happy Valley (35-14). How good is Penn State? They are BCS bound unless they stumble. Remember, they were only seconds away from a victory in Ann Arbor of Michigan a few weeks ago (and 10-0). Instead it's 9-1. Oh Joe Pa, way to go. It was senior day in Happy Valley. Michael Robinson led the way. The LIONS are back and they are for real. Hello BCS. But watchout for SPARTY!

4) ILLINOIS and Ohio State. It looked good only down 13-0 at the half. We lost 40-2. What can I say? The BUCKS keep the 2nd oldest trophy in college football - the ILLIBUCK tortoise. Ugh! Every week I watch my team play I ask myself how slow can we be? How weak can we be? How stupid can we be? How out of position can we be? What the heck? At least I have tickets for the SE Missour State game at Assembly Hall on 12/28.

5) So much for the BRUINS of UCLA (52-14 loss against Arizona). Ouch! I guess they can still play the spoiler on December 3rd against the Trojans. They've been playing on borrowed time for several weeks. I doubt it. SC is whipping - up on Stanford tonight. Sure looks like the two best teams in the country are Texas and SC. Both need to start making plans for January 4th.

6) Speaking of TEXAS, 62-0 over Baylor today. Enough said. This just could be the year of the Longhorns in Pasadena. Make your reservations now LONGHORN fans, you're going to the Rose Bowl. Who wins right now, TEXAS or SC?

7) The wild and wacky BIG -10 continues. Northwestern over Iowa in Evanston after recovering a on-side kick. Purdue over Michigan State in West Lafayette. Remember, Sparty beat Notre Dame a few months ago. What a Jeckyl and Hyde team.

8) Brady LEAF and the DUCKS beat CAL BEARS in the monsoon at Autzen. Wow - what a great game! I saw Noah on the sidelines at halftime working on the 2nd arc. Enough of the rain already.

9) How far has Tennessee fallen? Is that true, 4 losses in a row for the first time in like forever? Rumors are starting swirl in Knoxville about the future of Fulmer. This team has too much talent, especially on D not to have more wins right now. Will they be bowl eligible this year? I don't think they can afford another loss. Notre Dame is going bowling, and probably to the BCS if they win out. Penn State and Notre Dame in the Fiesta? Maybe....I don't see the IRISH losing again this year.

10) BYU is 5-4. Holy Cow! Where did they come from? They only need 1 more win to become bowl eligible. Not bad, after starting off 1-3. Nice recovery. The last two games are tough (@ Wyoming and at home against Utah). I see 1 more win in their future. The COUGS may just go bowling this year.

Bonus) Red Raiders opened -up a can on A&M tonight. No big surprise. Florida struggled to be Vandy tonight and got some help from the stripes in the process. Kansas beats Nebraska since before I was born. Holy Cow!

Mirek's Top 10:

1) SC
2) Texas
3) Miami
4) Penn State
5) BAMA
6) Notre Dame
7) LSU
8) Ohio State
9) Georgia
10) Va. Tech.

Heisman Frontrunners:

1) Bush, 2) Young, 3) Leinart, 4) Quinn, and 5) Williams

Here's what I'm looking forward to next weekend:

Spurrier and the COCKS (SC) at home against Florida
BYU @ Wyoming
SC @ CAL
Bama hosting LSU
Auburn @ Georgia