Halloween Ambush for Top Ten in NCAA

Sticking to the basic blue print for Halloween upsets and there is nothing better than going with the home dogs. Literally we went with the dogs, the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Thursday and last night the UConn Huskies. Moving into Saturday it gets a bit eerie as we have to take non-canine home dogs with the USC Trojans plus the 7.5 points in Los Angeles on natural grass against the canine toothed Ducks from Oregon who have more than sufficient bite. The other half of the home dogs Saturday duo is the Air Force Academy to dash out the BCS hopes and undefeated season for the #8 ranked Utah Utes.

The home teams that will be ready for ambush are the Oregon State Beavers -2.5 against California and the high powered Cornhuskers from Nebrasksa to completely wipe the artificial turf floor with #7 Missouri.

Watch at least three of the top ten teams fall this weekend and possibly more.

Sticking with the Dogs

The weekend before Halloween funny things happen. Last year the Oregon Ducks put the official dethroning of USC dominance over the Pac-10 on official hiatus as the Ducks assumed not only Pacific Coast gridiron dominance over all teams not named Ohio State but has assaulted the record books this year making a statement that the football national championship will go through Eugene this year. This Halloween as I look down on my faithful Akita/Chow mix, Goober I am all over the dogs. Not only the underdogs as in North Carolina State Wolfpack but tonight the home underdog University of Connecticut Huskies as they host West Virginia getting a hefty 7.5 points.

The rushing attack of UConn led by Jordan Todman and a veteran offensive line plus the preachings of head coach Randy Edsall who is building a winner in East Hartford focused on the running attack. Despite being a lean year for the Huskies so far with a 3-4 record and high hopes of winning the Big East low lighted by last weeks shut out loss against lowly Louisville the Huskies return to the friendly confines of their home field on a Friday night before Halloween against an average West Virginia team fresh off a home loss to Syracuse.

The only highlight of either team is the Mountaineer defense which is 4th best in the country and keeps their team in games. Keeping the Mountaineers in games on the road this year has kept games close in a loss to SEC powerhouse LSU along with middle of the pack MAC squad Marshall. Now it's time to go on the road again for the Mountaineers. So far this year the Mountaineers have proven they don't play very well on the road while UConn has been undefeated at home in 2010. With such great proven results there is no reason to believe the Huskies will not only win the game at home but should cover the touchdown spread in an important conference game in a wide open Big East. With a win this week the Huskies get in the win column in the Big East. A loss all but ends the season. A win tonight and the Huskies are back playing .500 ball in pursuit of another winning season and bowl game. Too much on the line for the Huskies tonight. Too much good karma: home field, Friday night lights, plus the home team is getting points on Halloween. These Huskies will be jacked to prove their worth while the Mountaineers are on the road which has not been favorable for the boys from Morgantown this year certainly not looking like a dominant team on the road which is necessary to cover a touchdown spread.

Running with the Pack

Every now and than the Hacksaw has to take the wife out to buy cosmetics, hair and all sorts of women crap. So I missed getting my posting here but I figure if there is a place that will trust a pick it's when the pick is not covering the spread.

Tom O'Brein left a cushy job at Boston College to run the show in Raleigh, North Carolina. He didn't leave one conference to compete in another he stayed in the ACC and went for a job where he felt he could have a greater chance at winning a national title. At Boston College, O'Brein's teams were undefeated in bowl games going 8-0. He is the veteran coach in this duel with Florida State as Jimbo Fisher is the new guy. The Noles are playing better doing great tonight leading the Wolfpack 14-7 with 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. But this is NC State's home field, they have the athletes and the stability of the O'Brein era.

Take the Wolfpack and 4 points despite early turnovers to win this game.

Monday Night Mirror Images

Tonight the 3-2 Tennessee Titans travel to Jacksonville to take on their AFC South rival 3-2 Jacksonville Jaguars. Both teams have no name defenses. The biggest star on either defense is former Raider free agent signing by the Jaguars, linebacker Kirk Morrison a tackling machine. Both teams have long tenured coaching staffs. Jack Del Rio has been with the Jaguars since 2003 with the message of defense being the staple to the teams success. Jeff Fisher pre-dates the Titans as the last head coach of the Houston Oilers who eventually moved to Nashville from Memphis while originating in Houston where Jeff Fisher was the big kahuna of the powder blue Oilers. Fisher has always emphasized the running game and defense like his counterpart.

Both teams have the runners also with Maurice Jones (Drew) and Chris Johnson. Jones is a battering ram of a back at 5'6" unless he is wearing high heels and weighing in at a bulky 215lbs of all legs which makes for misery for opposing tacklers looking for something to grab ahold of. In a contrast of style Chris Johnson is pure speed that will hit the holes and run right past linebackers and the secondary en route to the end zone.

Both teams also feature much maligned quarterbacks. Vince Young of the Titans never couldn't get his head on straight for a few years while jumping in and out of the starting role while David Garrard a less heralded QB has endured the same path of Young. Ironically both QB's can win with their legs just as much as their arms. Like the running backs both QB's contrast in that Young is a tall fleet footed quarterback that can outrun the defenses while Garrard is a thick legged QB that has the power to run through tackles if need be.

The receiving corps of both teams is just the same. Unheralded wide receivers. The Titans feature much traveled Nate Burelson along with young upstart Kenny Britt. On the other side of the ball it's little known Mike Sims Walker along with Mike Thomas. Virtually no game breakers.


Team wise this is scary its so similar. The Titans are the 5th best rushing team in the league trailing the 3rd best running team in the league the Jaguars. Defensively the Jaguars are 12th best against the run while their Monday night opponent is two slots higher at 10th best. If that isn't similar enough then the pass is ridiculously similar. The Titans has the 29th pass offense and the 26th best defense against the pass while the Jaguars are the 26th best in passing while their defense ranks 29th.


So what are the odds makers looking at when they decided to make the Titans a 3 point favorite. Are the Titans a 9 point favorite on a neutral field. Did the Jaguars not just defeat the reigning AFC champion Colts two weeks ago? This game is too close and too close to make the road team the favorite. Take the Jaguars plus the 3 points and enjoy your winnings.

Road "Beaver" Warriors

Has Oregon State played a game at home all season? I wonder because every time the Beavers are in a big game it's been on the road. Early in the season they played in Dallas basically a home field for TCU and were beaten by 10 in a game much tighter than the score. Since that game TCU has regularly buried their opponents. Against Boise State on the smurf turf in Idaho there Beaver's were the most popular team in the country as the last barrier between Boise State and an undefeated season with the exception of fast rising Nevada. Last week the 2-2 Beavers went on the road and played their third top 10 team this season on the road. This time the Beavers finally slayed the giant despite losing star receiver James Rodgers for the season with an ACL injury. This week is another big game because this is about Oregon State proving they are a top 15 team rather than being just the best 3-2 in the NCAA.

This week is a big road game also. This week the Beavers can get two games over .500 something they have not been able to do so far this year despite high expectation in Corvallis. The test will not be an easy one as the Beavers travel to Seattle to take on the Huskies a team two weeks removed from knocking off undefeated USC and the inconsistent team that took their lumps in a 24-14 loss to Arizona State. As a matter of fact the Huskies are also a team that gave up 56 points at home to Nebraska and also was the only win for a severely porous BYU squad. The formula for whipping Washington is shut down Jake Locker and breeze your way to victory. Nebraska shut him down while Arizona State and BYU found ways to contain him thus rendering the Huskies worthless. The Beavers are so well battle tested they should have no problem causing Locker severe headaches after facing Andy Dalton, Nick Foles, and and Kellen Moore. Locker is just another QB.

The Beavers might not spank the Huskies. It should be a close game but the Beavers will win by at least 3. These Beavers are too good. The crowd in Seattle should not faze the Beavers. The talent of the projected overall #1 NFL prospect in Jake Locker will not be enough to defeat the Beavers. Last but not least the loss of senior James Rodgers is a major rallying point for these Beavers to win one of the Gipper deal. Who on this Beaver team is about to let up in this game and not give 100%. There will be no sleep walking for the Beavers in Seattle as that would be the only way for this game to go in favor of the Huskies. The Huskies are well coached but the talent level is not there to win the big games and this is too big of a game, much bigger than USC on the road where there were minimal expectation. Now the Huskies need to win to be in the position to get to a bowl game, for Oregon State they are making a run at the Pac-10 title along with a BCS bowl bid which their ranking should be pretty lofty by years end with losses to two of the top 4 teams in the country plus a win over a top 20 team in Arizona.

Take the Beavers -1.5. Locker will be having nightmares about furry little buck tooth animals after this Saturday night.

Must Win in Troy

For the first time in decades the college football focus on USC is not on USC but is focused on the Gamecocks of South Carolina. The USC Trojans in the post Pete Carroll era are an afterthought. The hiring of Lane Kiffin is becoming a joke. Barely post puberty the Head Coach of the Trojans has yet to post a winning record on any level. he lost and lost a lot with the NFL Raiders and in one season at Tennessee was not on the bowl radar. So far this season Kiffin and the Trojans are coming up short of their goal of winning all their games. In the big match-up against former SC offensive coordinator and young phenom Steve Sarkisian it was Sark who held the upper hand over Kiffin. Also an afterthought for the Raiders it was Sarkisian that was Al Davis's first choice for the Raiders and not Kiffin. It would be no surprise except for the inept character judgment of former AD Mike Garret that thought Kiffin was better fit to coach the Trojans than Sarkisian. So all is looking about as bleak as can be in the probation era for SC.

Not as bleak as the record might indicate. Let's face it Steve Sarkisian has the Trojans number. He could coach Washington State to a victory over his former employer. Than last week against a very tough, physical, and explosive Stanford team the Trojans held their own coming up just short in the end of snatching victory from defeat in Palo Alto.

This week it's California. A Cal team that gave up 52 points on the road to Nevada. Now Cal comes into the LA Colleseum. This is a must win for the Trojans, a must win for Kiffin and it's going to be up to the players. Matt Barkley and company need to show what Trojan football is all about. Play great defense it's a staple of SC and should not falter much from the Pete Carroll era although Carroll is a defensive genius who mentored Kiffin along with former NFL defensive coordinator and current SC defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. After giving up 65 points in the last two games it's time for USC to step it up in a must win.

This will be a tight game and in a tight game there will be a winner and there will be a loser. The difference is this is a must win for the Trojans. They have lost the last two games by a total of 7 points. A missed 3rd down conversion by Washington and the Trojans are undefeated heading into Stanford and a bit more careful handling of the ball against Stanford and USC could be undefeated and favored by 9 points in this game. Instead it's just a couple of plays that has determined this minor 2 point spread which the Trojans should be taking out two weeks of frustrations looking to right the wrong.

Take the Trojans and give up the two points.

Thursday Night Smash Mouth

What else can you say about tonight's Kansas State Purple invasion into Lawrence, Kansas to face the 2-3 Jayhawks under first year coach Turner Gill. It's gonna be smash mouth football and the smashing is going to come on the dishing out end from the Wildcats and specifically one 230lb battering ram named Daniel Thomas and the mouth on the receiving end is going to be the 92nd ranked run defense of Kansas.

Last week the Wildcats were humiliated at home by a superior Nebraska team. Taylor Martinez the freshmen phenom ran wild on the K-State defense. Jordan Webb of KU is not Taylor Martinez and even if he was K-State's veteran team and coaching staff would not let this one get past them a second time as the Wildcats have been punished in practice to not let last week's ills occur again and the stars are aligned just right with a hapless KU defense to go along with one of the worst offenses in the nation.

The one plus for KU is they are at home where the frenzied crowd in a rival game can inspire a defense to play beyond their talent level for at least a half of football. The home crowd enthusiasm along with the Kansas State running attack should wear down the Jayhawks in what should be a lopsided victory making the 2.5 point spread something non-existent. The reasons for the line sitting at 2.5 is rival game, home field for the Jayhawks and the beat down K-State endured last week in Manhattan to the hands of one of the top football programs in the country Nebraska.

This week there is no Nebraska. Early on against Nebraska the Wildcats were able to move the ball but the Huskers bend but no break defense stymied the Wildcats early in the 1st quarter on 4th down to stop penetration into the Husker red zone. Once the Huskers got rolling it was downhill as the Wildcats had to play into Nebraska's strength and the Wildcat weakness of passing the ball while Jared Crick and company pinned back their ears and force in-completion after in-completion leading to a lot of second half punts.

This week the foot will be on the other side of the ball kicking behind and it will be the Wildcats kicking rather than being kicked.

Beaver Dynamite

Beaver Dynamite it's been known to clear out rooms for youngsters across the nation but it's also the offensive punch of the Rodger's brothers up in Corvallis, Oregon. These two undersized brothers have proven time and time again against top competition that they can not only compete but are among the best players on the field. They showed up big in losses this year to #5 TCU in Dallas, Texas and than again two weeks ago in another tough road loss against than #3 Boise State on the most intimidating smurf turf known to man. This week the Beaver's continue the gautlet of road battles against #9 Arizona in Tucson.


Arizona has traditionally been a spoiler with lesser talent than there Pac 10 counterparts. Mike Stoops gets the 2nd and 3rd tiered athletes from California and Texas as the cornerstone to his program but these lesser known names are still talented and come up big in the big games. This is Oregon State coming into town, no the Ducks. OSU does not have the swagger of a USC or the rivalry of the better known brother upstate in Tempe. This is Oregon State a team that will fight you tooth and nail and it's just the way the Wildcats pull off upsets at home. Oregon State is a mirror image of Arizona. The Wildcards on offense though will be the Rodger's brothers for Oregon State. These guys will find ways to make big plays and get into the end zone. When the final gun is heard and these teams leave the field, every play will be important and the game will be deciding by inches and not more than a touchdown so take the Beavers +8.


The Beavers also have faced TCU losing by 10 down in Texas and than Boise State on the smurf turf losing by 13. Both games were tigher than the scores and have toughened the Beavers up for big road games. Tucson will be no tougher than Boise, Idaho. This is also a conference game. The Wildcats are expected to compete for the Pac 10 title while the Beavers are expected to be in the 2nd group of teams battling for a bowl game hence there will be a chip on these Beaver's shoulders with something to prove.

Thursday Night's Next Step

Bo Pelini has quickly made his mark as a head coach. He has done what no coach since Tom Osborne has done and that has been to make a believer out of Husker faithful and players. Frank Solich might have led the Cornhuskers to the national title game in 2001 only to get blown out by the University of Miami but he was always in the heavy shadows of Dr. Tom.

This week the Huskers travel to Manhattan, Kansas. Waiting for them will be old man Bill Snyder, his undefeated Wildcats, herculean running back Daniel Thomas and a national audience with some jacked up Wildcat students waiting for Bo Pelini's group. Is this an ambush. It has the makings of an ambush, only problem is this is a very important game for both the Huskers and Pelini. The #6 ranking in the nation means nothing to this group. It's all about proving that Nebraska football is back and losing to an un-ranked Wildcat squad could prove detrimental to these Huskers before they move to the Big Ten.

I expect the Huskers to shut down Thomas or at least limit the top offensive weapon for K-State. Two weeks ago when the Huskers were facing the alleged #1 NFL prospect in Jake Locker and Heisman Trophy candidate the black shirts stymied Locker with a 2-20 passing performance on regional television all but eliminating Locker from Heisman talk despite coming back this past week against USC leading a 4th quarter game winning come from behind drive that might have at least salvaged some of Locker's Husky legacy.

One thing is for sure, Nebraska and Bo Pelini know when the lights are on. Against South Dakota State this past week they won un-impressively 17-3. A win is a win though. This week the Thursday night game is on national television for everyone to watch and Nebraska should unveil a lot of defensive schemes that were non-existent against South Dakota State plus the offense should be ready to execute a more elaborate play book much like what they did in Seattle while hanging 56 on the Huskies. Bo Pelini comes from the coaching hotbed of NCAA football, Ohio the state with ties that has produced national championship coaches of this decade including Jim Tressel, Bob Stoops, Pete Carrol, Les Myles, Nick Saban, and Urban Meyer. It's all about winning the national title. Don't show your playbook to teams you should beat such as South Dakota State but unleash the fury and locker rooms speeches for nationally televised Thursday night games. It's time to perform for Nebraska and they have performed their last three outings in big games vs. Texas in the Big 12 title game last year, against Arizona in the bowl game, and this year on the road against Washington. Time to step up again Huskers in Manhattan, Kansas.

K-State will be tough on Thursday night but they will not win. As a betting man I am not sure if Nebraska will be able to exert their will on the Wildcats but I do know they should be able to win the game handily so teasing the score down from 11.5 to 5.5 is just what the bet doctor has ordered for Thursday night. A good tease for this game is Minnesota +28.5 on Saturday against Wisconsin in the morning.

Dobbs Ready to Right the Shipmen

One of the most interesting match-ups that Bookmaker has missed this week is the match-up between the Navy Midshipmen and the Air Force Falcons. The Book with their geniuses that talk about setting the line set it wrong this week. Maybe I am getting a little bit cocky but after the past two weeks I think I have good reason hitting 8/8 games. I am not betting a whole lot but I am certainly seeing the mistakes the book is making this year and I would love to share this knowledge to help all out there just crush these sports books.

The Air Force Falcons with the nations top ranked rushing attack will take on their brother's in the armed services the boys from the Naval Academy. Usually these games don't interest me but this week it stands out. Air Force has been impressive this season so far while Navy has been lacking. The Falcons crushed departing Mountain West opponents BYU three weeks ago but not sure if that really meant a whole lot. The Cougars were barely able to defeat Washington at home while they were manhandled last week by a down Florida State team. The most impressive of all the Falcon games this year was actually a loss in Norman, Oklahoma to the highly ranked undefeated Oklahoma Sooners. Normally this would be a huge win but so far this season Oklahoma has been less than stellar with close wins over Utah State, the Falcons and the University of Cincinnati a team that is down after losing their head coach, starting QB, and top receiver from a year ago. Still the Sooners were barely able to hold off the Bearcats a team that was beaten handily in Fresno, California by the Fresno State Bulldogs. This past week the Falcons barely got by Wyoming. Now Wyoming is not a bad team but they are certainly not a great team that should lead an odds maker from making the Falcons 10.5 point favorites.

Meanwhile Navy has not looked too stellar this year. As a road favorite against the Maryland Terrapins in their opener the Midshipmen turned the ball over 4 times including late in the game while at the Maryland 1 yard line which could have delivered victory from the eventual jaws of defeat. In week 2 Navy could barely beat Football Bowl Subdivision squad Georgia Southern 13-6. I am assuming the odds makers are only looking at FBS rather than a historically strong FBS team with many championships in the past two decades. This past week the Midshipmen were sluggish in the first half of their game against Louisiana Tech trailing the Bulldogs by 7 at the break before dominating the 2nd half with a vaunted rushing attack. So right now the only difference between this game being a 3-4 point spread with top 20 ranked undefeated Navy team was one great play by Maryland in the 4th quarter to force a turnover one yard away from the unblemished record.

Well that one play is not enough for me to take the 10.5 points Bookmaker is so generously giving out. It's plenty of points for me to take considering this is an armed forced rivalry. It's also enough points considering the Air Force triple option wishbone attack is not going to surprise Naval defenders as it's an offense they face in practice every day. There will also be no slanting defenses by undersized lineman to surprise either squad as both teams are undersized on their lines and play slanted blocking schemes. This game should actually be one heck of a battle as a lot of pride is going to be on the line along with early bragging rights and the inside track to the Commander and Chief Trophy presented to the best armed forces school and the inside track to an automatic bowl berth in the Texas Bowl in Houston. In summary, there is a lot riding on this game.

In a tight game big impact players and home field can be the difference makers. The crowd will be pro-Air Force and the elevation in Colorado Springs will favor the Falcons but the conditioning of the Navy players should be able to offset some of the home field advantage. The difference between winning and losing might very well come down on one of the best quarterbacks to ever play at the Naval Academy since Roger Staubach. And for you young whipper snappers out there that are short on history Staubach won the Heisman Trophy for the Naval Academy back in the 60's before a short stint in the Navy followed up by two Super Bowl rings for the Dallas Cowboys and an induction into the Hall of Fame. Navy's QB Ricky Dobbs is not Roger the Dodger but he can make big plays and big time players make big plays in big games. Dobbs failed against Maryland but this game is his redemption. It's his chance to get his name thrown back into the Heisman talk. It's his chance to lead his team to the Commander and Chief Trophy as a Senior. It's not about covering or putting on a good show in Colorado Springs for Dobbs, it's about winning and when a team is geeked up to win a game and the oddsmakers are giving them ten points it means only one thing. The public doesn't believe enough in the underdog to bet on them unless they are getting a lot of points. In this case bet on the Midshipmen. Bet the Farm because not only will you keep the farm but you can get yourself a couple of nice new angus cows after Dobbs proves he is the best armed services leader in the collegiate ranks today.

The Philly Smokescrean

All along Kevin Kolb was a smoke screen. Kolb put up some nifty numbers in college at the University of Houston in Conference USA but C-USA is hardly The NFL. Kevin Kolb came into the league as a back-up to future Eagle Hall of Fame QB Donovan McNabb. McNabb was the leader in Philly for the most successful run in Eagle history. McNabb incurred a few injuries in the past few years which prompted upper management to look for his successor and when he came along the Eagles quietly picked up their future QB giving him substantially more than market value and naming the future of Philadelphia signal caller's to an unproven youngster out of Houston.

This week the smoke screen was cleared and early in the post McNabb era the heir to the QB position has finally been cleared. Cleared from anti-organizations who preferred to have a clean cut kid taking snaps as opposed to an ex-con. The ex-con and scourge of PETA Michael Vick the former overall #1 draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons has finally been named the starter.

For years Andy Reid loved McNabb. Wanted him so bad as his QB that he passed over fan favorite Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams in the 1999 NFL draft to select McNabb. McNabb proved to be the right selection and five times McNabb led the Eagles deep into the playoffs to the championship game and once to the Super Bowl. Despite the boo birds in Philadelphia McNabb was very successful and the most decorated QB in Eagle history. Move over Randall Cunningham, move over Ron Jaworski, McNabb is the all-time Eagle signal caller.

Now for Andy Reid to send McNabb packing for an unspectacular college player, and unproven professional he would have to be out of his mind to believe in Kolb more than McNabb. Vick tho8ugh is another story. Vick has the great pedigree (no offense PETA). Vick was a top pick. Vick was the first QB to ever lead his team to victory in historical Lambeau Stadium over the Packers in the playoffs. Vick was electrifying on the field. Vick has had very raw skills and bringing him into Philadelphia was not about giving the guy a job it was about grooming him to be the successor of McNabb. If Vick was just supposed to be a bench guy the Eagles would not have ponied up $5 million a year for a bench jockey. The Eagles organization had to play the fans with Kolb. What else were they supposed to do announce, "your 2010 Philadelphia Eagles starting QB ex-convict Michael Vick." Vick is not a blue collar guy in a blue collar town. Vick is a flashy, he's not a role model, he's not even Italian which is both politically correct and would make the hometown fans ecstatic. But much like in 1999 when Reid named McNabb his QB of the future; Andy Reid can groom a quarterback. Vick's got the raw talent and the intangibles to become a great one while Kolb appears to be fitting into his true position of back up QB.

Nice smoke screen Andy Reid. You got your guy and you brought him in at the right time and fans will forget Vick is an ex-con as long as he wins. A win against Jacksonville this weekend will ease the tension in Philadelphia. Even though I absolutely loathe was Michael Vick did to numerous dogs I can say he showed great remorse by giving so charitably to dog farms to rehabilitate the lovable animals he nearly was part of killing. We know Andy Reid is all about winning and winning will cure all but should Vick not win this is Reid's job on the line.

My advice to Michael Vick every touchdown you score whether throwing or passing you donate $5000 to an animal shelter. And every win you get as a starter you donate $10,000 to an animal shelter. It's not going to hurt his pocketbook and it will soothe a lot of rightful feelings people have towards Michael Vick. He may have served his time but he certainly is a role model or a saint. Vick is still on probation in many ways.

Hurricane Crossroads

Thursday night college football is a crossroads for both the University of Pittsburgh and the U. It's a much greater crossroads for the U. After all the University of Miami has a very rich recent history of winning national championships. On the big stage two weeks ago to prove they were back the Hurricanes were led by or not led by quarterback Jacory Harris who was victimized by 4 interceptions from the Buckeye defense. Many viewers of the game would argue that his receivers failed him and in reality they might not have looked back at the right time for the ball but as the field general Harris has to make sure his players are on the right page with him in the huddle. With all the headlines comes all the criticism.

If Miami is going to be considered an elite team they must go into Heinz Field tonight and defeat the Pitt Panthers. This will be no easy task. Pitt has a strong rushing attack led by All-American Deon Lewis, a strong defense, and tough home field advantage. Plus you throw in Thursday night prime time nationally televised game the Panthers and their crowd will be so up for this game. Meanwhile the Canes are considered the better team tonight by oddsmakers who have penciled them in as early 3.5 point favorites although the line has dropped to under a field goal. This means the Canes are the glory team. The Canes have the burners on offense, the big play guys on special teams and the defenders with panther like closing speed ready to pounce on their prey. So the pressure is on Jacory Harris, Randy Shannon, and the entire Hurricane squad. It's either perform tonight come up with a big win, arguably the biggest win for Randy Shannon in his short career as head coach or fall to the depths of under .500 and out of the top 25.

If Miami is going to win this game they must stop Deon Lewis. If the Cane defense can stymie Lewis. No easy task as he will be the best runner the Canes have faced all season including the #2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes who always have a rushing attack but without the talent of a Deon Lewis. The Canes also need to establish their own rushing attack. In their last game running back Damien Berry looked strong at times against Ohio State rushing for 94 yards on only 16 attempts at nearly 6 yards a clip. Berry will be needed to control the game as depending on Harris and the passing game is not wise considering 4 interceptions and numerous dropped passes from his very talented receivers. Miami cannot afford more turnovers on the road if they are going to win this big game.

If the Hurricanes are going to make amends for their performance at Ohio State it starts tonight. The Hurricanes will be nothing more than an afterthought with a loss tonight at Heinz Field and guys like Jacory Harris who appeared so promising last year with big games only to be throttled on the big stage will not be part of a rich and illustrious legacy in South Florida for which is coach Randy Shannon is a frustrated but highly decorated member in Cane history with two national titles. This game is about what Miami can do. If they cannot it could be Pitt that is the team on the rise.

Big Ten's Big Game

Tonight the Iowa Hawkeyes have an opportunity to prove themselves to be the real deal. They have an opportunity to make the rest of the country take notice that the Big Ten is a serious football conference. Forget the lofty rankings of Iowa #9, Wisconsin #12 and Michigan #20. Forget about Ohio State they are a staple in college football having been ranked in the top ten poll since Troy Smith was a junior in college. The rest of the Big Ten needs to prove themselves and tonight's game against Arizona on the road is not really a launching pad for the Iowa program but more of a not stumble block for Iowa.

The Hawkeyes are supposed to win according to the early forecasts which had Iowa as a -1.5 favorite heading into Tucson to face a potential ambush by the Wildcats. Iowa is a more physical team but not so much that they will just run over Arizona. Both teams have experienced strong quarterbacks in Nick Foles and Ricky Stanzi. Both teams possess solid position players and Iowa has a slight edge on the offensive line. Defensively Iowa has the star power but the Wildcats have experience on defense that is every bit as prolific than Iowa with the exception that they play a lot of night games on the West Coast after the bed time for east coast media voters.

On paper this game is as about as evenly matched as two teams could be. The difference is Iowa has the media support and the polls behind them as a top ten team. Arizona has something far more important when it comes to intangibles. They are playing at home. If I were a betting man, which I am I am betting on the Wildcats. So if Iowa is going to solidify their #9 ranking they will have to play over and above their own expectations because the talent is even, the home field is on the Cats side and it's time for Iowa to prove they are worthy of national attention on the gridiron.

Another factor to think about 2009. Iowa defeated the Wildcats 27-17 in Iowa City in a tough physical battle. This time there will be no corn on the menu in Tucson with home cooking in favor of Arizona.

Revenge Game

It's been 7 1/2 long years since that classic duel in the desert for the national championship of college football when Ohio State rained on what could have been a Hurricane dynasty. The Canes were loaded with NFL players from Heisman Trophy winner Ken Dorsey to Super Bowl Champion Jonathan Vilma on defense. The Canes also boasted the late All-Pro Sean Taylor, the highest paid receive in the NFL Andre Johnson, among many others playing on Sundays. The superstar for the Buckeyes was Maurice Clarett who is back in school after doing time in the state penitentiary in Toledo, Ohio. But than let's not forget many of those Buckeyes from Super Bowl winners Will Smith and Michael Doss were also on the Buckeye roster along with many future NFL players also. At the time though nobody saw the Buckeye players as on the same level as the Canes.

During the season of 2002, the norm was for the University of Miami to be stomping their competition while the Buckeyes struggled with the likes of Illinois, Purdue, and Northwestern. Meanwhile the Canes were going into places like Gainesville, Knoxville, and Morgantown and beating the crap out of top competition. The Canes has swagger and why not they had just won 33 straight games including the previous national championship is dominating fashion over Nebraska 37-14. This time the Canes were rolling into Tempe, Arizona as 11.5 point favorites over the Big Ten Champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

The thing about Ohio State was they were not intimidated. They had won all 13 of their games that season and whether they blew a team out like Texas Tech in their opening weekend or squeaked by with the "Holy Buckeye" made famous by Brent Musberger of ABC the fact is they won all 13 of their games. The Buckeyes relied on defense, the running game and most importantly special teams. Andy Groom the Buckeye punter would turn out to be one of the more important players on the field at Sun Devil Stadium in January of 2003 with his field changing punts with the exception of his last punt which was nearly taken back by Roscoe Parrish Miami's speedy receiver.

On this night though all the odds maker points in the world could not help the Canes. All of complaining after wards by Miami All-American tight end and his father an NFL Hall of Fame tight end was enough to stop what the Buckeyes did to the Canes in 2002. Quite literally the Buckeyes beat up the Canes. They beat them up and down the field physically. Miami record setting running back Willis McGahee would be carried off the field as a casualty of Buckeye brutality on this night. Heisman Trophy winner Ken Dorsey would be escorted from the field in overtime as he was savagely beaten by Matt middle linebacker Matt Wilhelm and the Buckeye defense.

This was a night when superstar safety Sean Taylor would intercept a pass in the end zone for the Canes only to be stripped by future inmate Clarett only a freshman in "02. This was a night when Andre Johnson was silenced by the superior play of fellow Sunday player Chris Gamble who starred on both offense and defense. The best catch of the night by Gamble was the one called out of bounds with just over a minute to go in the game and Miami with no time outs. Gamble's catch would have sealed the game but this was before instant replay and the officials missed the call. In the first overtime Ohio State showed why they were champions win or lose on 4th and 14 from the 24 yard line the Holy Buckeye combination of Craig Krentzel and Michael Jenkins produced another miraculous 4th down conversion this time against the star studded Canes not the Purdue Boilermakers.

This was a night where pass interference calls influenced the game. Both teams were recipients of pass interference calls in overtime. Ohio State wasted little time punching in for a touchdown on 2nd down behind the egg head Krentzel. The game was ultimately determined on the field in the end when it came down to lining up and hitting the other team in the mouth Ohio State did this with endless fury throughout the game and it was a microcosm of the game in the end.

First and goal for the Canes in the 2nd over time from the 1 yard line. Three times the Canes tried to punch it in for 7 to tie the game. Three times the Canes failed getting stuffed by Buckeye defenders. Getting stuffed by the 11.5 point underdogs. On 4th and goal Heisman winner Ken Dorsey meekly let loose of a pass that fell harmlessly to the ground as the Buckeyes were crowned national champions. After the game in the parking lot I was fortunate to speak with the few Cane fans in a sea of scarlett jubilation. Cane fans were not sour about the alleged pass interference which the Winslows called the Buckeyes cheaters but Cane fans were gracious in defeat as they knew their team was beaten up and down the field for four quarters.

So is this a revenge game? Maybe, just maybe that is what Jim Tressell the Ohio State coach is preaching this week. For all the hard work those Buckeyes put into the 2002 season, for all the players on that Ohio State team that would go onto success after wards on and off the field including Super Bowl titles. It has to burn deep in Buckeye pride that the Winslows and the national media had the gall to call those Buckeyes cheaters after the game plan they executed to near perfection in a perfect 14-0 season. It's time to put to rest "The Luckeyes stole the 2002 National Championship" talk.

Columbus Sleepwalking

Thursday night football has not been seen in Columbus, Ohio since late August of 1997. I know I was there when the Buckeyes defeated the University of Wyoming 23-10 on the banks of the Olentangy where hundreds of thousands of rabid Buckeye fans tailgate with the best of them. I have been to a lot of tailgate parties and the Buckeyes are right there at the top. This Thursday is another celebration for Buckeye fans as the season it's the kick off of the 2010 football season with aspirations of a National Championship not tasted in Columbus in 8 years.

This year's opening foe is Marshall. Another second tiered school in a long line of season openers for the Buckeyes where they are expected to win handily. The Buckeyes do win these games handily but they tend to put a scare in their fans early in the year as coach Jim Tressell tell his players to not think ahead to the next game but doesn't usually practice that as he keeps a tight lock on the playbook running just the basics on their out manned foes.

This is an ongoing trend that you can predict. The last time Ohio State faced Marshall early in the year prior to a big out of conference game place kicker Mike Nugent of the NFL needed to save the day with a 55 yard field goal as time expired to give the Bucks a three point victory in 2003. This was just one year removed from winning a national championship and with all the talent the Bucks had returning they found a way to keep it close to the discouragement of Buckeye fans and sports gamblers.

If anything was learned from that 2003 game against Marshall it was re-enforced the last three years. The past three seasons the Buckeyes have opened up with Akron, Miami of Ohio, and Navy. In each game the Buckeyes were huge favorites including 33 point favorites last year against the Midshipmen and were lucky to escape with a 31-28 victory. Granted the Buckeyes had every opportunity to blow the game wide open but coach Tressell never bothered to get too cute with the play book that allowed Navy to get back into the game along with some scarlet and gray sleepwalking as turnovers and failed fourth down conversions put the 1st string back into the game as Tressell did put in second stringers early in the 2nd half. There wasn't much difference in games the previous two seasons as Ohio State's bland playbook and lethargic play kept games close on the scoreboard with Akron 20-2 and Miami of Ohio 28-17. In both instances the Buckeyes were huge favorites.

What can be expected of this year's opener against Marshall. We can expect much of the same as the Bucks will not be showing much offensively or defensively on film much to the dismay of the high powered Miami Hurricanes who visit the Horseshoe on the Olentangy September 11. If the Buckeyes are going to win a national title they need to win all of their games which leaves no room for error. A team like Miami with it's tall, fast receivers, athletic defense and modern day mad bomber in Jacory Harris can pull off the upset in Columbus but they will not be getting any decent scouring reports with what I expect will be a very tight game not indicative of the 28 point spread.

Quack Attack

Still the most exciting football team in America resides in the Pacific Northwest showing off the colors for Philip Knight's alumni and his business. The school as we should all know is the University of Oregon and their high powered running attack led by LaMichael James the incumbent newcomer of the year in the Pacific Ten and also the latest in a slew of naughty Ducks as James will be suspended for the first game of the season for his offseason debauchery. Not only are the Ducks exciting on the field with the ability to score from anywhere on the field they are also exciting off the field.

In his second season Chip Kelly has had to deal with potential Heisman Trophy candidates getting more time out of uniform than in the green and gold with occasional other colors per the interest of Nike. Last year it was LeGarrette Blount who was suspended indefinately after a opening game punch seen on national television that prompted the head coach to re-act early in his head coaching career. Coach Kelly had every right to forgive his star running back in 2009 but set the standard that the inmates were not going to run the asylum and what an asylum in is in the otherwise peaceful hippie town of Eugene, Oregon. This year it was returning Heisman candidate Jeremiah Masoli who stole the off season Duck mug shot with his pleading guilt to robbery and than breaking the camels back for getting caught with weed by a cop in Oregon known for its lush climate ideal for growing marijuana which is ok in the eyes of a lot of qualified medicinal doctors along the Pacific Coastline.

Well last year it was goodbye LaGarrette, hello LaMichael. This year it's so long Jeremiah and hello Darron Thomas. With Thomas the Ducks get a little bit taller at the QB position not that it helps but considering the Ducks offense Thomas can run the ball when needed but who needs to when the Ducks have a slew of running backs, enough to take up Barry Switzer's the old Sooner wishbone offense. Thomas could be the answer to the problems that haunted the Ducks in last year's hard fought loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Masoli was ineffective in the passing game often having problems with the taller Buckeye lineman who appeared to cloud his vision as Masoli was victimized by untimely interceptions and tipped passes the downfall of the short QB. Thomas at 6'3" and mobile has exceptional arm strength that should upgrade the Duck passing game and if he cannot come through early fifth year senior Nate Costa is in the waiting to pick up any opportunities to play with a very talented offensive machine.

If the Ducks are going to contend for the National Title which many experts feel is realistic they will need to step up their defensive efforts. Last year's Rose Bowl Duck squad although talented had a tough time keeping the Buckeye offense off the field as Ohio State was able to sustain long drives which ultimately proved the difference as the Buckeyes won the game. If the Ducks are going to compete against the more prominent teams outside the Pacific Ten they will need to be more efficient on third down defense.

Know one thing for sure, these are not cute little Ducks. There is a $500 fine for killing Ducks in Eugene but you better be ready to defend yourself when you play Oregon. These Ducks are mean, they got teeth and they will do anything necessary to kick the bejeezies out of you. Heck, their own mascot the goofy smiling Duck is a sicko with his sadistic habits of stomping Cougars, Bears, Huskies, Trojans, Wildcats, Beavers, and that gay little Scum Devil that runs around the Pacific Coast. Rest for one second on these Ducks you can expect to be kicked in the ass, have your throat stepped on or a big floppy web toed footprint to be embedded in your back. So don't take these Ducks lightly they are contenders.

Bet with Elvis

Let's not fuck around this season with our sports betting habits. Let's start out with the smartest investment you can make. The hell with buying sports betting insurance from a sports book that is just a bunch of bullshit. Let your money do your talking and the best bet of the season is the NFL future bets. The season is 16 weeks long and by looking at the schedule, considering last year's team and the chemistry of the team you can make a very strong assessment. So this year take half your bi-monthly paycheck and throw it down on one team. This year's team is the Tennessee Titans, they need to win at least eight games and I am going to tell you why this is a sure thing?

Scheduling: The Titans got off to a horrible start in 2009 losing their first 6 games before ownership came through with forcing the hand of Head Coach Jeff Fisher to pull the aging Kerry Collins in favor of the franchise Quarterback selected in 2006 with the 2nd overall selection Vince Young. Vince showed he was back to his old form as a rookie in 2006 when he led the Titans to the playoffs before being supplanted in 2008 by Collins. The season starts out against Oakland, the doormat of the NFL despite that old prune Al Davis claiming otherwise as he likened himself with George Steinbrenner as the two elite owners in all of sports. Playing the Raiders at home in week one Titan season bettors should realize they are either going to lose the bet right away if they cannot beat the Raider or they will be one game closer to a season ending payday. Remember half those monthly earnings on the Titans to win 8 or more this season. After the Raider the Titans gets two of their next three at home.

In week two the Titans face the Ben Roethlisberger-less Steelers. Say as much as you want about Big Ben being a soiled diaper on the ass of society but Ben has earned two Super Bowl rings before his 28th birthday and the win over the Cardinals in February of 2009 was all about Big Ben imposing his will to win his second Lombardi Trophy. The Steelers will be a better team to face early in the season as they will open up with either Dennis Dixon or the ever immobile Byron Leftwich who is a sandwich waiting for the speedy athletic front four of the Titans to devour. The Steelers will also be without their leading receiver of last year Santonio Holmes and debut a new running back in Rashad Mendenhall.

Week three could be the toughest game of the early season for the Titans as they have to travel to New York to face the Giants. Hopefully the time the Titans reach the new Meadowlands they should be 2-0 with a winning attitude that is ready to take down the Giants on the road.

Week #4 the ailing Denver Broncos pay a visit to the Music City. Right now the Broncos pose very little threat with Kyle Orton under center and a defense riddled by season ending pre-season injuries most notable their top pass rusher outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil. The only Elvis in the house in Nashville on October 3rd will be the legion of Elvis impersonators in the stands.

The game is not played on paper so strictly looking at the schedule is not enough to predict a minimum of 8 wins for the Titans. The two key ingredients to winning a Super Bowl is a vaunted rushing attack and solid defense.

No team in the NFL is better suited to run the ball than the Tennessee Titans. First off is the hogs up front. Despite not having any household names on the offensive line the Titans return four of the five guys up front with only Leroy Harris as a newcomer for an offensive line that paved the way for 2,000 yard rusher Chris Johnson. If an offensive line is judged on how many yards their running backs gain then this unit gets an A plus. Making this unit even more impressive is the history of Titan football. The Titans have been one of the top rushing teams in the NFL for the past decade. These guys come in and learn how to run block from day one.

Now the man who needs no introduction the fastest man in the NFL and the most recent member of the 2,000 yard club and friendly contract extension; Chris Johnson might have a mouthful of gold teeth but there is nothing tacking about his running style. He will run right by you with that extra gear the scares the league’s fastest defensive backs. Johnson is a game changer. He can score from anywhere on the field and with a guy like that he is worth winning at least one road game the Titans shouldn’t win.

While Johnson is not running the ball Vince Young will be passing the ball but if he decides to pull the ball down he has great speed that can get away from lineman and has the size to run over defensive backs and he can take his choice with the linebackers of run around them or run over them. Granted the Titans do not want to see VY get physical with a linebacker so chances are if he cannot outrun them he will take the easy way out of bounds but not until picking up positive yardage.

On defense the Titans much like their offensive line do not have a lot of name players but what they do have is a lot of speed and athleticism which will cause nightmares for opposing offenses that will not be able to tire down the Titans and their depth especially on the line. For years the Titans have been among the league leaders against the run and that is not about to change this season and with the pass rushers this will help the defensive backfield that has been improving to not have to cover their man as long as most d-backs in the league. Also like the offensive lineman are taught from day one in Nashville how to run block and be physical the Titan defense is taught how to defend the run which they do better than average and are often at the top of the league in this category and after 16 seasons there is no reason for coach Jeff Fisher to alienate this plan.

Prediction for the Titans this season will be at least 11 wins as they will fly past the magic number of 8 in late November.

Sports Betting: It's Fantastic

Sportsbetting it is allowed in Nevada along with Oregon and Delaware. The NFL does not want sports betting allowed anywhere but Nevada. Obviously Nevada is too well established to care about the NFL's opinion of sports betting, specifically football. Fact is whether betting $5 or $5000 on a football game it makes the game more interesting.

I am not a big sports bettor but putting a $20 spot on last week's PGA Championship for Tiger Woods to win at 13-1 made the event very entertaining for me. I lost but if I had a chance I would do it again. I don't like to lose but the entertainment value was priceless.

In football my greatest bet was my first legal bet in 1988 in Las Vegas. The University of Southern California was led by future NFL Quarterback Rodney Peete. The Trojans were undefeated opening up the season with a big east coast victory over Boston College, and followed that up with 4 more victories including wins over college football powerhouse #3 Oklahoma where they thoroughly whipped the Sooners and an impressive whipping of #18 Oregon by the scores of 23-7 and 42-14.

Meanwhile the Huskies looked lackluster in a 35-31 win at home against west coast patsy San Jose State and were beaten at home by SC's rival UCLA in Seattle. The oddsmakers were all over the Trojans making them a 13.5 point opening line favorite. By the time I got off a small 20 seat jet from Santa Barbara in the city of sin the Trojans were up to 15 points in most casinos and by the time I placed my bet at Barbary Coast the curernt site of Bill's Gambling Hall and Taven just across the street from Ceasar's Palace I had 14.5 points with the Huskies.

The game opened slowly with USC putting up the only score of the first quarter taking a 7-0 lead. The second quarter starter out bad for Husky bettors with USC cashing in with another touchdow to increase their lead to 14-0 and it appeared to be off to the races for the Trojans as they were driving for a third score when an untimely turnover gave the Huskies the ball deep in their own territory but kept the Trojans from blowing the game wide open. The Huskies were able to cut into the Trojan lead converting the turnover into a touchdown scoring drive led by Husky QB Cary Conklin making the score 14-7 heading into half time.

The second half started out much like the first half with the Trojans driving but not able to convert in Husky territory for any points. The Huskies seemed to have new life as they warded off the Trojans and opened up the scoring in the 2nd half to tie the game at 14-14. It was now an even game the 19th ranked Huskies despite being a 15 point underdog was knotted up in the second half with the #3 ranked Trojans. The Trojans would score again in the 3rd quarter to take a 7 point lead at 21-14 heading into the decisive and final quarter.

At plus 14.5 points I was feeling really good and would start to feel great as the Huskies answered the Trojans early in the final quarter to make it 21 apiece. With under 8 minutes remaining USC satisfied their hungry fans with putting another touchdown on the board and a 7 point lead. Still I was winning the bet by 7.5 points and would need a complete meltdown against SC in the latter half of the quarter. Highly unlikely and certainly not improbable. What would happen next would make this an ESPN classic.

USC would stop the Huskies on their ensuing drive and woudl take over the ball with under 6 minutes remaining. Behind Peete the Trojans would drive towards mid-field but an inspired Husky defense would put the clamps down forcing a punt by SC. Faced with a long field un-heralded but also future NFL back-up QB Conklin would miraculously pull of 3rd down and 4th down conversions before scoring what appeared to be a tying touchdown in the final seconds of the game to make the score 28-27. Back in 1988 thre were no overtimes in college football and Head Coach Don James called on his Huskies to go for the win rather than settle for the chip shot extra point for a tie. Luckily for SC future NFL All-Pro and Chicago Bear Mark Carrier would make the game saving play in the end zone tipping a Conklin pass and preserving the SC victory.

Meanwhile I was holing a ticket for $2750 to win $2500 on the Huskies. UW was too good of a team to be getting more than two touchdowns and darn near pulled out the victory. I would celebrate that night at Ceasar's Palace by putting a $550 to win $500 on the over 6.5 in game one of the World Series between the heavily favored Oakland A's and gimply Kirk Gibson. Three innings before Gibby hit his infamous walk off home run to win game 1 the A's had takena 4-3 lead on the Dodgers sealing my victory and another $500 win. After resting up that night and before getting on my plane an angel gave me an inside tip while talking on the payphone. Again technology is great as cell phones were not in style in 1988. My angel told me to take the hard luck Cleveland Browns at home -2.5 against a beat up NY Jets team. The Browns had just come off a championship game vs. Elway the year before and were loaded but had yet to hit their stride. That October 16,1988 day in Cleveland they hit their stride defeating the Jets 19-3 and covering my 2.5 points. That was a sweet $1100 ticket I was holding right there and than.

All in all that weekend in Vegas I walked out with $4000 in winnning but was netting barely over $3000 after the airfare expense, hotel expense, drinks, food, etc. I might have won but as always one way or another Vegas always gets their cut and it was a healthy cut into my winnings.

As for the NFL and the naysayers. I couldn't have had such a great memory of college football without having placed a few dollars on what I remember as the greatest game ever and one of my greatest weekends in sports some 22 years ago. Now does it seem fair that the NFL should have all the fun and prohibit us from such fond memories?

Is He Back

No name need be said when it comes to the NFL in August. For years the talk over the summer is will he come back. Will he play with the Pack, the Jets or the Vikes? Where he plays the team is better. Granted the Packers and Jets replaced the legend with viable replacements. As a matter of fact an All-Pro replaced the Hall of Famer in Green Bay. Even with All-Pro credentials the QB position is big on mental play and age works in the favor of the quarterback.

The QB needs to read defenses and make split second decisions. This does not require a 4.5 second 40 yard time or a 38 inch vertical leap. Slit second decisions require experience and recognizing the defense that is being thrown at you or the habits of a Defensive back that the quarterback can use to take advantage of the defense and put some points on the board.

At the age of 40, a grandfather, he is the key to the Minnesota Vikings success. The Vikings have talent throughout their roster on both offense and defense. The offense is spearheaded by Adrian Petersen, one of the best running backs in the NFL behind a talented and physical line. Petersen can run through you, around you and eventually away from defenders. He is the big play guy on offense. But the man under center is the one recognizing defenses and calling the plays. Recognizing a pass defense can open up more big runs for AP all day long. This is why grandpa is so necessary for the Vikings success.

Viking receivers in 2009 were all-world. It's not like Sidney Rice just got good. He got great in 2009 behind the arm of grandpa. Percy Harvin just a rookie was fortunate to have grandpa throwing passes to him as opposed to a unestablished Tavaris Jackson or Shea Rosenfels.

The defense relies on the QB also. When a defense is getting tired the QB has been around and knows that holding onto the ball for a couple of first downs is necessary to give the defense a rest and knows enough to take what he can get to get more snaps.

So before the detractors say grandpa needs to hang it up they cannot underestimate grandpa's value to the Vikings. Sure grandpa is beat up, his body has taken 18 years of speeding linebackers hitting him from the blindside. For 290 plus straight games grandpa has been knocked down by big behemoth men who have piled on him in an attempt to break grandpa down. But grandpa is a tough old bird. He is hurting but he also loves football and with a chance to win one more Super Bowl ring with a serious contender is just too much of a tease for grandpa to ride off in the sunset just yet. It's time for football and grandpa is lacing up his spikes as week speak getting ready for one more year on the gridiron and we should all be so lucky to witness more of grandpa in action.

How Athletic are Pro Wrestlers

How great are pro wrestlers as athletes, you know the WWE entertainment guys that are part of scripted fights. For years we have heard the likes of the Rock claim he is the most electrifying athlete on the face of the earth. We laughed at these so-called athletes for their brash rants. For every poorly spoken super athlete that the WWE has produced including former Atlanta Falcon Defensive Lineman Bill Goldberg an amazing physical specimen they have also produced guys like Dusty Rhodes and Playboy Buddy Rose to specimens of what you would assume to be science fiction if you didn't see them live as they would boast about how they were the world's greatest athletes with their amazing physiques that all the women in the world would swoon over.

Well lets take a look at some of the great athletes that have come through professional wrestling and Andre the Giant the 8th wonder of the world would not constitute a great athlete despite his defeating the human punching bag Chuck Wepner in the freak match of the 70's. Don't short change the Giant, he may not have been an athlete but he did get into the ring with a heavyweight boxer who fought the great Muhammed Ali.

The "Four Horsemen" of the old NWA featured Arn Anderson, the late steroid crazed suicidal freak Chris "The Canadian" Crippler Benoit who took not only his own life but the lives of all his family members and "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair who used to get into the ridiculous verbal spats with the human Michelin Man Dusty Rhodes over who could get the most women. None could be considered world class athletes but Flair was not only a state wrestling champ in Minnesota but would go on to earn a football scholarship in the late 60's at the University of Minnesota. So one would wonder how great could Ric Flair be in today's octagon in his prime? The popular answer would be he would get his ass kicked but I beg to differ. Case in point current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar earned honors in the state of Minnesota as a wrestling champ before heading off to the University of Minnesota to play football. Had the UFC been around in the 70's the Nature Boy very well could have traded in his gaudy purple robe along with the foreign object he hid in his trunks for Octagon fame. You may not agree but we will never know. One thing for sure Ric Flair was Brock Lesnar's predecessor in Minnesota state championship wrestling, Big 10 football, and pro wrestling and MMA was not around in Flair's prime. Was Flair crazy enough to get into the octagon, just take a look to the left.

Alongside the Nature Boy in the early 90's another "Four Horseman" came into the NWA with a gaudy resume as Steve "Mongo" McMichael earned all-American honors at the University of Texas as a Defensive Tackle and was recently inducted into the NCAA college football Hall of Fame. Even more impressive McMichael was key member of the Chicago Bears teams that won a Super Bowl in 1985 and earned Pro Bowl Honors in 1987 and 1988 in the NFL.

Going back way deep into the professional wrestling archives is former Bronco, Dolphin, Oiler and Jet Wahoo McDaniel. Hall of Fame and Super Bowl winning quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs Len Dawson claimed the hardest hit he ever took in his football career was by one Indian linebacker named Wahoo McDaniel. As a matter of fact Hall of Famers Broadway Joe Namath and Larry Czonka both commented on Wahoo McDaniel in their autobiographies about how hard Wahoo could hit. Wahoo's career is highlighted by numerous spectacles including 23 tackles against the Broncos while with the Jets, two knocked out policeman while playing with the Dolphins and as a 44 year old man taking down steroid freak Super Star Billy Graham in an arm wrestling match. If you don't think Wahoo was a great athlete than let me know where your name is in the opinions of Hall of Fame football players and have y8ou ever made 23 tackles in a pee wee game let alone a professional football game.

One has to wonder how far Terry Bollea’s athletic career might have progressed had he taken up football or real wrestling after all he was a Hulk of a man as a 6’4” 300 lb muscle bound stud known to most of us as Hulk Hogan. Or Canadian born Larry Shreeve could he have been an MMA star as he was a 7th degree grand master in karate and judo by the age of 17 before Montreal promoter Jack Britton discovered the impoverished native of Windsor just across the river from Detroit teaching his martial arts to anyone that would pay him. Shreeve like Bollea would take the paychecks earned in pro wrestling and take on the identity of Abdullah the Butcher. Could Larry or Abdullah have been a MMA star? Who knows but one thing is for sure he was a mixed martial artist combining both judo and karate to his resume in the late 50's and through out the 60's. Then there is modern day Dwayne Johnson a member of the great University of Miami tradition where he played football alongside future Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and went onto star in the modern day walking tall and wrestle under the name of “The Rock”.

The next big leap for pro wrestlers is Bobby Lashley currently an undefeated Strike Force heavyweight who is laying waste to the competition. It’s only a matter of time before former WWE star Lashley gets a shot at the title. Lashley was a three time NAIA wrestling champion and was training for the Olympics before getting injured while working at a bank that was being robbed. Colorful path to say the least and should Lashley get his shot at the title versus Fedor Emilienanko and defeat the former champion pro wrestlers need to start receiving their due as great athletes. These are just a few examples of great athletes in the world of professional wrestling that are not just great entertainers but recognizable and legitimate athletes.

Don't disrespect Pro Wrestling as the last time the UFC heavyweight champ was leaving the ring after getting knockout artist Shane Carwin to submit he was accompanied by a former NFL defensive lineman and a Hurricane Defensive lineman that both earned fame in professional wrestling.

Tiger not dead yet at PGA

Through four holes Tiger is -2 on today's front nine. He is 8 shots off the lead but only 5 shots from 2nd place so why should we have hope?

Tiger has won 14 majors through out his career including the US Open at Torrey Pines with a severely injured leg including fracture and torn ligament. Tiger is tough and can overcome the 15 players ahead of him at this point.

We should believe because anything can happen on the shores of Lake Michigan if the winds start to kick up the scores could start to balloon in the afternoon for the leaders.

The last time the PGA was held at Whistling Straights in 2004 Vigay Singh was -12 through three rounds and ended up with a winning score of -8 as the final round was by far the toughest of the tournament as the leaders came back to the pack.

Nick Watney, he has been playing unbelievable and I do mean unbelievable with his horrific game off the tee and his irons have miraculously saved him. Only once did Watney hit a fairway on the back nine yet ended up -2 for the back nine on Saturday, this isn't normal for a major and the law of averages will catch up to Watney. If he continues to miss fairways he could be looking at another non-70 round on Sunday but 80 is more possible than 60's.

Through Saturday Tiger has played the front nine at +5. His back nine has been terrific playing at -8. If Tiger can continue to play Tiger-like golf on the front nine with birdies on three of the first four holes he could have the greatest story in golf since Tin Cup because it would be a Hollywood finish if he can pull out a miraculous but not impossible victory at Whistling Straights. It's still possible.

Whistling Straights Tiger proofed

The PGA tour wants to hold onto the last of Jack Nicklaus's records and the last one standing for Tiger Woods is the majors. Nicklaus has 16 to Tiger's 14. Jack won his final major at the 1986 Master's at the age of 46. Tiger is 34 and only needs three to surpass the great Nicklaus. To be the best you have to beat the best and Tiger has his work cut out for him and so does the PGA. The PGA has for years attempted to Tiger proof the course by adjusting tees spots, making the courses tougher, higher roughs, etc. Tiger has adjusted. His game set up to compete for major titles is to play par golf the first two rounds and than make a run for the leader board on Saturday and Sunday. The PGA's job is to present the toughest obstacle available.

The PGA has been torched a couple of times by Tiger. He burned them at Augusta with his record setting performance at Augusta in 1997 and in 2002 at Pebble Beach for the US Open when he was the only player under par with a record setting -15. The PGA trying to make the courses tougher has made it easier for Tiger who's game is set up for the most adverse and difficult situation. It seems the PGA has caught on. This year's majors have features record setting low scores including this year's PGA Championship with nine players at -9 or better. The last time a major was played at Whistling Straights in Sheyboygan, Wisconsin not a single player finished better than -8.

So how do you Tiger proof a course? You have to do the unpredictable and the unpredictable is to make the course easier for the field. While Tiger sticks to his game plan the field has to be more aggressive if they want to win thus playing against Tiger. the course has been made easier. Nick Watney who has been anywhere but the fairway in the first three rounds sits atop the leader board at -13. Minus 13!!!! And he is hitting barely over 50% of the fairways!

Now heading into the final round it should be expected that the hole placements will be as tough as ever which will keep the scores low but at nine strokes behind the leader with Watney still out on the course making up 9 strokes on the leader can be done but making at least 5 strokes on the 8 other players at -9 or better will be a task for the best Tiger Woods has to offer.

Whistling Straights is Tiger's For The Taking

Here comes Tiger. Just when you thought you could stick a fork in Tiger after posting a +18 in Akron last week he is back on the prowl. That’s golf one minute you are extremely humbled and well the next week if you’re Tiger Woods you always have a shot and at 5 strokes behind the leader Matt Kuchar after two completed rounds at Whistling Straights he is well within striking distance.

Tiger is tied for 21st place; Twenty golfers between him and the 15th major of his career. The key is five strokes as 17 of the twenty golfers ahead of him have never posted a win at one of the majors. Saturday’s and Sunday’s the course begins to play tougher and nowhere is it tougher than this week at Whistling Straights as the winds start to pick up howling off Lake Michigan and the rains have subsided allowing for the course to harden and the ball is not sticking into the green but rolling off the back and who better to face these conditions than the most mentally hardened golfer on the face of the earth, Tiger Woods. Five strokes is nothing as shooting par in round three will probably cut half of the field out on Saturday in Tiger’s pursuit of the final pairing for Sunday.

Right now the 13-1 bet on Tiger Woods, the highest odds for Tiger in a major since he was in his teens is looking very solid. After all he got all of his bad shots out of his system in Akron last week. Also once Tiger was out of contention last week at Firestone Country Club his playing partner on Sunday Anthony Kim defended Tiger’s ballooning Sunday score as many spectators assumed Tiger was mailing it in and giving up. Not at all this is Tiger Woods, world’s greatest golfer. Tiger was testing out the arsenal of shots he has in his bag. He wasn’t thinking about Firestone or its 18th hole monster. Only thing on Tiger’s mind was this week and the man’s game is put together to win majors, not rubber tire sponsorships. If you noticed Tiger’s ballooned scores were more a product of lack of concentration on the greens last week than the shots he took envisioning what he would need to do this week.

Tiger is right where he wants to be. When has Tiger ever taken a lot of chances in rounds one or two? So far 75% of his scores have been par; only 4 bogeys and 7 birdies. Two of the bogeys were on his first seven holes of the tournament. Since then he has played five under. So he is gaining momentum. Tiger knows that most players will shoot themselves out of the majors with the tighter fairways, longer roughs and harder, faster greens. Your Firestone Country Club games does not equate to what Major planners have in mind as the game is so much different.

If all goes according to plan for Tiger who reads like a book in majors with his course management he will take his chances today but he will take the most calculated chances. He will rely on some of those shots he tested at Firestone last week and apply them to Whistling Straights. Of the 20 players ahead of Tiger half of them will shoot themselves off the leader board due to major inexperience. The leader Kuchar who has been brilliant so far with a 67 and 69 in the first two rounds will start to feel the pressure of being a leader at a major and play tighter today and be lucky to score an even par 71 bringing him back to the pack if not relinquishing his lead. Kuchar has played in 20 majors and missed the cut 13 times with his best finish a 6th and this year’s US Open. Back one stroke is Nick Watney who is more formidable with two top ten finishes in the major this year at the Masters and British Open’s with 7th place finishes. Both players will be facing the toughest conditions of the tournament in the last group of the day on Saturday. By the end of the day looking at the leader board only Jim Furyk might be far enough ahead of Tiger as he is currently 3 strokes ahead of Tiger and does have the experience of winning a major to deal with the tough afternoon conditions and post a score that could stretch the lead on Tiger.

By tomorrow I expect Tiger will be in one of the final 5 groups of the day. It’s tough to make predictions in golf because of the changes in weather can severely alter the outcome of a tournament but no other player is more equipped to deal with adverse conditions than Tiger Woods and with only 5 strokes separating him at the half way point of the year’s final major he is a probably the most serious threat on the board and at 13-1 the best bet to win this year’s PGA. This will make Corey Pavin's decision to put Tiger on the Ryder Cup team all the easier and save face for Jim Gray.