A Golden Thread, A History Lesson, and a Chanticleer

Today, a golden thread binds our selections...

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California Golden Bears -14 @ Minnesota Golden Gophers

The hippies have long since left Berkely, now they call it "Cal", and a lot of good football players make war weekly where their parents used to get high. It's a feel good all the way around, yes? So far this season, Cal, 2-0, has soundly thrashed Maryland 52-13 and E Washington 59-7. Minnesota squeaked by Syracuse in OT in Week 1 and then bested the Air Force 20-13 to open the new stadium in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Did you know that the mosquito is the state bird of Minnesota? After Cal recovers from the shock they will experience at the first sight of the hideous Minnesota uniforms they will give the Golden Gophers a proper beatdown.

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Iowa State -3 @ Kent State Golden Flashes

Iowa State is fresh off a thorough whipping at the hands of interstate rival Iowa and they will be looking to redeem themselves. Kent State's Golden Flashes beat the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (no, I did not make that up, click here for edification ) and then took a sound beating at the hands of Boston College last week. Did you know Kent State famous alumni include comedy blob Drew Carey, actor Michael Keaton , ex-pitcher and current White Sox broadcaster Steve Stone and the late NY Yankee catcher Thurman Munson, how 'bout that, and... for a younger generation that never learned about it, here's a cover version of Neil Young's "Ohio" (click) , a song that channels the campus unrest and the tragedy that occurred at Kent State in 1970. I am presenting an unremarkable cover version of the song instead of the original performers because this particular one is accompanied by a proper photo montage. You can easily find the CSN&Y recording if you want to experience the rage of the original music. Back now to football and the current day.

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Buffalo @ Central Florida Golden Knights -4

Cue the horns in 3...2...1 Here is this week's PPP, Pete's Perfect Pick, the favorite play of my erstwhile partner, Two Gun Pete. Both teams come to this game with 1-1 records so far. The Buffalo Bulls beat UTEP on the road by 6, then got thumped at home by Pitt 54-27. The Golden Knights of Central Florida (did you know that CFla is located in Orlando and has 52,000 students) beat mighty Samford (thinking...thinking...thinking...if you guessed "Birmingham, AL", you are correct!) by 4 at home, then lost by 7 to So Miss on the road. The thought process ( I purposefully avoided using the word "logic") is that Buffalo will lumber into sticky Florida and wear down over the course of the game. One thing about Buffalo--they're no Samford, but then who else is?

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Cincinnatti +1 1/2 @ Oregon State

The golden thread apparently ends here; 'tis a sadness! In this matchup, as Two Gun is wont to say, "the wrong team is the favorite". Cinci traveled to Nobody Ever Shed a Tear for Dear Old Rutgers and whipped the State University of New Jersey 47-15 to start the season, then came home and annihilated the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (more bird mascots, though they are no Chanticleers), 70-3. The host team Oregon State Beavers beat the CementMen of Portland State 34-7 in Week 1 (they are actually the Vikings, but they should be the Portland CementMen) and traveled to Viva Las Vegas to beat UNLV 23-21 in Week 2. The Beavers will be stepping up in class this week. Something extra to watch here is former Morgan Park High School athlete Demetrius Jones, whom Charlie Weis previously exhibited at the Golden Dome (ha! GOLDEN THREAD PRESERVED!!!) as a quarterback, now working as a linebacker for WKRP in Cincinatti.

Speaking of WKRP resurrects the age old question: Jennifer or Bailey? Discuss.