Your Home of the Oregon ILLINI. Oskee Wa Wa!

Wow, what a weekend of CFB! When the chill hits the air for the first time of the season. When the sun is a little lower in the late-summer sky. When it's Auburn / LSU. It's a SHOWDOWN SATURDAY. I love this game. There is none better. I'm spent tonight. Cupcakes are behind us. Conference play is here, in full swing.

No tribe update this week. Good news is we didn't lose. Bad news is that we will (@ Penn State next week). I mean, we have NO CHANGE in Happy Valley. Why even travel? Save the MATER some $$$ .... and some pride. We're going to get whacked like a dirty rug in my grandma's paws. It won't be pretty. Early prediction: 99-2 (Penn State will run like the wind).

AROUND THE NATION: But, as for WEEK 4 - wow, what a SATURDAY. How about those PANTERS from Pitt? That was a typical backyard- brawl. HAWKEYES just didn't have enough in the tank to take down Wannstedt's crew at home. As for AUBURN / LSU, it's the BAYOU BENGALS' conference to lose. Jarrett Lee emerged tonight as the clear LSU frontrunner for QB. As if this team needed another shining star. Firs time in 9 years the road team wins this battle.

LSU isn't good. To quote Tony, they're GRRRRRRRRRRREAT! More talent and depth than you will ever know. LES MILES might just have the best job in America. I'm sure Pete Carrol woul disagree. Same for Florida. Another SEC school that plays hammer-down on defense and runs you into the ground on offense and speical teams.

We also learned that Carolina and FSU are NOT for real, just yet. TARHEELS let this one get away today at home with VT (up 14 points mid-way through 3rd) And, it's one thing to beat 1-AA teams, but quite another in ACC play. Bobby, you can't turn it over 6 times. Ugh! 11 turnovers, 21 penalties, and just 3 points at home against WAKE in last two games. VERY bad. How about MIAMI (Fl)? Big road win in College Station tonight in front of the 12th man. And fear Mizzou, Daniel had 20 - straight completions in another rout today (Buffalo). And, oh those DUCKS - losing today at home to Boise State. PAC-9 (minus USC) isn't that good this year. Georgia showed us tonight just how great the gap is between the SEC and PAC-10. I'm not sure the DAWGS are even the best in the SEC right now.

Quick shout out to the BIG-10 today. Javon Ringer of SPARTY is a stud. He has 90% of the TDs this year for Michigan State. Penn State continues to look unbeatable to me. We'll learn more when they face Wisconsin later this year. As for the Badgers (off week), they're resting after a hard-fought victory against Fresno. Conference stock is on the rise. Folks, the tide is coming out. You've been warned.

My NEW TOP-10:

1) USC - Didn't play. Doesn't matter.
2) Oklahoma - See #1
3) Mizzou - Another offensive masterpiece. They lead the nation at 597 yds / game.
4) Georgia - BIG WIN in the desert against the DEVILS. Leave no doubt. Dawgs 4 real.
5) LSU - Huge. BIG WIN. Best of year so far? @ Jordan Hare. Nough said.
6) Florida - Dismantled, disrobed, destroyed, dissected; a mediocre VOLS team @ Rocky Top.
7) Bama - See #6. Same on the road at Arkansas. This just in. SEC is good.
8) Texas - 52 to 10 (RICE) isn't bad.
9) Penn State - 45 to 3 over TEMPLE. Expect more of the same against the CHIEF next week.
10) Auburn / WISC - Despite a home SEC loss to LSU in the final minute. Badgers are good.

BCS Conference Rankings:

1) Come on? Have to ask? SEC. Brutal conference from top to bottom.
2) BIG-12. Gap is closing with #1. But, they're not there - yet. Show some 'D'!
3) BIG-10. Up a spot this week. 6 for 8 today, despite an IOWA road loss - very close.
4) PAC-10. What's up here? Only 2 wins this weekend. Yes, COUGS over Vikings is one of 'em.
5) ACC. Getting better. WAKE is the class of the conference. VT and Miami are playing well.
6) BIG EAST. I can't say anything more here. More work to do guys.

FINAL NOTE: What impressed me today? So many things. SEC is frickin' stout, top to bottom. 8 of their teams are TOP-30 defensive clubs. 5 of their teams in the in the AP TOP-10. I love watching the caliber of their play, from top to bottom. I only wish I went to Auburn, or Bama, or Florida, or Tennessee, or LSU, or Georgia. These clubs are well - oiled machines. Even Vandy is 4-0 and likely to make a bowl appearance for the first time since 1982. Wow! The Commodores are 2-0 in the SEC.