Resurrection

A few years ago, I resolved to never wager on Notre Dame.  That decision came about as a lesson learned the hard way.  If I bet on them, they would screw the pooch.  If I bet against them, they'd come up golden.  Either way, I came out on the short end, so in the spirit of "it feels so good when you stop", I stopped. The lack of business success heightened the disdain which I long held for Notre Dame.

I have a child who is an alumna of Notre Dame and a number of friends who are alumni of Notre Dame.  One of them is an integral part of a great story there, and that story is told in a new release from renowned sports author Jim Dent entitled Resurrection.  If you're a ND fan, or you have one on your holiday gift list, this is a winner.

It's the story of the renaissance of football at ND.  Their teams were a dud from the mid 50's until the early 60's, as the administration had decided to deemphasize football.  Northwestern decided to discard its coach, the most successful coach the program had employed in generations (it made no sense then, and less than no sense in the aftermath), and Notre Dame snapped him up.  Ara Parseghian presided over the (click to order) Resurrection of Notre Dame football, and this book tells the tale. 

Now, on to business.  I had to have a session with the investment consortium to make sense of this week's offerings, and I think we've authored an unusual and highly enjoyable array of wagering recommendations.  All bulls&#t aside, we're gonna make some money this weekend.

****Cincinnatti -14 ½ @ Syracuse
The Cincinnatti Bearcats are the real thing. They’re sporting a 7-0 record as they head for Syracuse this Saturday (11:00 a.m.) to take on the Orange with their 3-4 record. Cincinnatti is 4-2 ATS. They’re big , they’re very fast and they play like they’re on a mission. The climate controlled dome and the assurance of a fast track appear tailored to the ‘Cats. The spread dipped a ½ point from the open, probably based on the news that starting Cinci QB Tony Pike will be on the shelf with a broken arm. Don’t get excited: the ‘Cats QB last week was their sophomore backup and he was only good enough to steer his team to a 41-10 thumping of Louisville.  11:00 am ESPNU
*** Akron @ Northern Illinois -11
We love the Akron Zips.  This week, we love Coach Jerry Kill's NIU Huskies more.  They're 4-3, and Akron is visiting with an 0-4 road record, 1-6 overall. Northern has been rather schizophrenic this year, playing some tough teams tough while tripping on walkovers, but the Zips should be good medicine.  It won't be a picnic in DeKalb, as Akron has played a fairly notorious slate of opponents, but the guess here is that the Zips are on the verge of pugilistic dementia, not having savored victory since their September 12 date with the mighty Morgan State Bears. 11:00 am ESPN-GP
** Marshall @ Central Florida -4 1/2
The return of Pete's Perfect Pick, ladies and gentlemen.  This is a Sunday night contest, about which my erstwhile associate counsels "Lock yourself up and enjoy a cute little football team and some Sunday night college football.  Central Florida has distinguished itself from the class, and the Herd won't be heard from on this night."  Ya pays yer money and takes yer chances, yes, but the PPP's have a stellar performance history. Sunday, 7:15 pm ESPN
* Hawaii @ Nevada -24
Nevada lost its first three games of the season, 35-0 to Notre Dame, 35-20 to Colorado State, and 31-21 to Missouri.  They've won four straight since then, putting up 63,37, 35 and 70 points along the way.  Hawaii used to be one of my favorite teams to watch, now they're pretty lame.  Boise State pasted 'em 54-9 on the island last week.  Now they're going to fly away from paradise to nasty Nevada to get their pineapples crushed. 3:05 pm

Other games of financial interest this big screen weekend:

• USC visits Oregon +3,
• Michigan State -3 1/2 at Decker-less Minnesota,
• Nebraska -13 1/2 will rebound big big big, and
• Boise State -36 hosting San Jose State and
• Utah -17 hosting Wyoming are going to bring home some happiness.   

Click here for all TV game listings.

"Helluva, helluva, hell of an engineer"

Those words are excerpted from the Georgia Tech fight song.  This is a very cool fight song, as it apparently has nothing to do with imploring the lads to great victory for good ol' GT.  It's a song about drinking, screw the other state school and passing the bias on to the next generation. 


This song is another reason to enjoy the ACC.  That "screw everybody who ain't us" attitude.  It's so...American, before we became PC.  Hit the full screen icon when you play the song to make the words easier to read.  Or squint, your call.

****Clemson @ Miami -5 LOSER 
This was a terrific football game.  When I picked it, I thought this could be a trap, and it was.  Miami is as good as advertised.  Clemson is waaaaay better than we knew.  Clemson has a running back named C.J. Spiller who on Saturday was all world, amassing over 300 yards by himself between rushing, catching and returning kicks.  The two teams traded scores back and forth like a couple of heavyweight fighters.  Clemson forced overtime with a field goal that tied the game with :04 on the clock. On the first play of OT, Miami ran for 19 and it looked great for us, but they crapped and settled for a field goal.  Clemson took its turn and was going backwards; it looked like they'd settle for three themselves when BAM! their kid QB rifled a 3rd down TD pass and our 4 stars vaporized.  I shoulda taken Cincinnatti, who killed Louisville, just like they were supposed to.

***GA Tech -4 @ Virginia   WINNER
GA Tech 34, Virginia 9
GT had the ball for almost 43 minutes, ground out 362 yards via the infantry and simply beat the crap out of Virginia.  Domination for the Ramblin' Wreck of Georgia Tech, and money for the good guys (us!).

**Vanderbilt @ South Carolina -12½ LOSER
I thought the Gamecocks would come out blazing and never look back.  Turns out they were grateful to get off  the field a winner, 14-10.  Vandy has become a be-otch to handicap.

*Iowa PK@ Michigan State WINNER
What a terrific football game, absolutely terrific football game.  They beat the hell out of each other and went to the final minutes with Iowa leading, 3 field goals to 2.  Michigan coach Mark Dantonio amazed the universe when he called the hook and ladder, a play that absolutely nobody was expecting.  Shortly thereafter, Sparty rang up the touchdown and Michigan State lead 13-9 going into the final minute.  Iowa ripped downfield and had four shots at a winning TD.  The last play launched with :02 on the clock, a quick slant that the Hawkeye receiver, Marvin McNutt (a backup) grabbed as he crossed over into the promised land with a Spartan defender (C.J.Rucker, who played an outstanding game) all over him, and all over it was, 15-13 Hawks, who went to 8-0. 

When the dust settled, week 8 sucked for us.  The side plays not published here weren't much better, so it was a rare negative weekend for the STP Investment Group.

I hate when that happens.

Let Us Prey

We are in a must win situation...every week.


****Clemson @ Miami -5

We're going to try to run with the hot hand here and take the 'Canes for a second week in a row on the big stage. It's very surprising that Miami is only giving five points here as a home favorite.  We don't know just how good Miami is, but Clemson is better than their 3-3 record shows, so that may be the answer.  This Saturday, the 'Canes should be good for a six point or better margin.
***GA Tech -4 @ Virginia
There's always a danger of a letdown following a big win, so GA Tech is a little risky on that basis, following their upset win over VA Tech.  Virginia is riding a three game win streak (North Carolina, Indiana and  Maryland).  The thought here is that GA Tech, now sporting a 5-1 record, is seeing potential for a conference title and a New Year's Day game.  That will carry the day.
**Vanderbilt @ South Carolina -12 ½
Vandy has lost three in a row (Mississippi, Army and Georgia) to give them a 2-5 season so far.  South Carolina (5-2, 4-0 at home, 5-1 ATS) played Alabama Roll Tide last week, losing 20-6. It's going to be South Carolina, 37-17.
*Iowa PK@ Michigan State
This is my favorite play of the week.  The oddsmakers will not give the Hawkeyes credit for anything, but they keep on winning, now 7-0.  They're the week #8 win #8 pick.  Michigan State has won its last two games by 24-14 scores (Illinois and Northwestern).  This week will be 24-14 again, but the other way.

We have a gaggle of side bets out this week, too.  The match ups get tastier every week.


Note to the handicapper: never fall in love with a team...

Joe Friday, Col. Potter, Elwood Blues and...Tom Hanks?

Upsets were the norm this weekend, but we did pretty well, hitting on everything except the 3 star game.  Out of our scope: Florida escaped, Nebraska didn't, and the world of Purdue football is all smiles this week after the Boilers pounded Ohio State.  The Hawkeyes are in the driver's seat in the Big Ten, and my preseason pick for the national title, Texas, was lucky that Sam Bradford wasn't around for much of their game against Oklahoma.

I didn't get to see much of the games that we selected, as I was being a social being, so here's a Jack Webb scorecard. 

****Miami -15 ½ @ Central Florida
WINNER

Final score Miami 27, Central Florida 7

The 'Canes didn't let us down as their defense ruled the day.

***Virginia Tech -3 ½ @ Georgia Tech
LOSER

Final score GA Tech 28, VA Tech 23

Heard about it, checked on it, couldn't do anything to change it.  We lost.

**Central Michigan -6 ½ @ Western Michigan
WINNER

Central Michigan 34, Western Michigan 23
The big question at CMU is how high will Dan LeFevour go in the NFL draft.

*Florida Atlantic +2 @ North Texas
WINNER

Florida Atlantic 44, North Texas 40

I couldn't figure out where to find the Florida Atlantic/North Texas score as I frantically pounded the Blackberry at the party Saturday night.  It's the Sun Belt Conference.

 

Jack Webb:  just the facts.

Waldo Introduced Me to the Nicholas Brothers

This is week 7 of the college football season.  I thought that it would be clever to open with a little explanantion of why the number 7 is considered lucky.  Sifting through a ton of information, I found one explanation that seems possible and a hundred that are bullshit.  The good explanation is that 7 is the perfect number, the sum of the the 3 sided triangle and the 4 sided square.  If that is the best explanation, you need only imagine the quality of the rest of the offerings. 

Seven wins at craps.  Maybe that's the best reason.

Let's win some for ourselves.

****Miami -15 ½ @ Central Florida
Saturday night in Orlando, Randy Shannon and George O’Leary will square off at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando.   Contender vs. Offender.   Star Alum vs. Where’s He From?    This is not the teaser for a world championship wrestling bout.   Randy Shannon is the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes. Randy went to school at Miami, where he played linebacker, and his Hurricanes have been on a roll.   George O’Leary, head coach at Central Florida, is the chap who coached Notre Dame for a few minutes until somebody over at USB decided to actually read his resume. He didn’t go to school where he claimed, as the institution didn’t exist.   Shortly following the disovery, George's employment as a football coach in South Bend came to an uncomfortable conclusion.  Just as well.  George O’Leary has been reborn in Orlando and has had a big hand in the development of the UCF football program, including the construction of the unusually named Bright House Networks Stadium, named for the dominant cable network in the Orlando and Tampa areas. Now that you’ve digested all that ancillary information, the wager here is that the Hurricanes will not lose their focus this week and will drill UCF. The ‘Canes defense will need to answer the call again this week, and since their resume has not been altered, we have no reason to expect anything less. 
6:30 p.m. CSTV
***Virginia Tech -3 ½ @ Georgia Tech
My favorite alphabattle of the day, the battle of the Techs, VA vs. GA.  The reasoning here is simple, though I hope not simplistic:  the only team to beat the Virginia Tech Hokies so far this year is... Alabama. Georgia Tech is no group of banana slugs, as a matter of fact, they are mui bien.  VaTech is mas,  at least 4 points mas will be mui bien for us.             
5:00 p.m. ESPN2
**Central Michigan -6 ½ @ Western Michigan
How good is Central Michigan?  The biggest feather in their collective cap this season is a win over Michigan State.  Western Michigan, on the other hand, hasn't beaten anyone of that caliber yet.  I'm betting that I can still make that statement come Sunday. By the way, Western Michigan's home field is Waldo Stadium.  Where's Waldo?  Kalamazoo.                 
2:30 p.m. ESPN Game Plan
*Florida Atlantic +2 @ North Texas
Answer:  Boca Raton.
Question: Where is Florida Atlantic University?
Answer: Because of their opponents and Howard Schnellenberger. 
Question: Why would you bet on an 0-4 team? 
Howard is a pretty darn good football coach.  The Owls of FAU have played (and lost to) Nebraska and South Carolina, as well as Wyoming.  They're 0-4, but they're playing some high quality competition.  North Texas has one big name on it's list so far, guess who...Alabama, to whom North Texas lost 53-7.  North Texas, by the way, calls its team the Mean Green Eagles.  Really.    
 6:00 p.m. ESPN Game Plan
     

So, the where's Waldo/Kalamazoo thing sent me off to look for an old (very, very old) song called Kalamazoo.   I found a video of a pretty sucky performance, but I also found a gem I found along the way, and that is a dance number that Fred Astaire called the greatest dance sequence ever filmed.  The music is Cab Calloway (think Blues Brothers, that guy), and the dancers are the incredible Nicholas Brothers.  Take a couple of minutes aside, hit the full screen icon and watch these two go.  They are fabulous, and this was filmed over a hundred years ago, in 1943 to be precise.  Watch these guys go!

Columbus Was Lost, & Cougars: Football, Old Friend and Ultimate

If Columbus, in whose honor this ersatz holiday is named, discovered this place that we call America,  how much did Amerigo Vespucci pay for naming rights, and who got the cash?  Schools, banks and the government are closed today as we honor the Wrong Way Corrigan of the fifteenth century.  That would be 2 out of 3 good things, the closings, as the banks can't lose money today and the government can't spend it.  Apparently, Columbus actually discovered the Bahamas (I think he should have stayed and built a resort) and he didn't get a name credit there, either.  For the record, Columbus did not discover Ohio State, the school or the, um, the state, either.

****New Mexico Lobos @ Wyoming Cowboys –10  WINNER
Laramie, Wyoming was hit with 6 inches of snow on Friday night.  It was 25 degrees at game time and the snow was removed from the turf, but the pines behind the end zone were covered in white stuff.  It was gorgeous, even in the "Little HD" in which the Mountain network  broadcast this game.  Little HD means that the picture resolution was nice, but the screen wasn't full wide.  Seems like big sky country deserves big screen coverage.  New Mexico was close at the half, but the Cowboys kept pounding right to the end, sealing the deal with an end zone interception in the last minute.  Final score Wyoming 37, New Mexico 13.
***BYU –17 @ UNLV WINNER
BYU's Cougars ran, ran some more, and just plain ran over UNLV, 59-21 the final score. It was 24-7 at the half, and when UNLV scored to narrow the gap, there was a bit of concern about the spread.  Then BYU buckled down and UNLV showed it was simply no match, as the Cougars put up over 600 total yards of offense. 
**Alabama –6.5 @ Mississippi WINNER
'Bamas defense was relentless, simply relentless.  When Ole' Miss quarterback Jevon Kearse went back to pass, they were there.  When Kearse threw, they were there.  When the Rebs ran, the Tide converged.  This was a Roll Tide, final 22-3.  Have you noticed the sideline officials wearing the spherized SEC logo that makes them look kind of like big teletubbies?
* Auburn –2.5 @ Arkansas LOSER
I checked in just before halftime to witness the Razorbacks beating the hell out of the Tigers, 27-3 at halftime. It was a bad week for Tigers and for second thoughts.  Final score Arkansas 44, Auburn 23.  Tigers, shmigers.

Week 7, fabulous match ups are coming up.

Not so fabulous are some of the new fall TV shows.  Animation genius Seth McFarlane, he of the 10 year, $135 million contract with Fox, has delivered a major dud with "The Cleveland Show".  I watched twice, no more.  There is absolutely no redeeming entertainment value in this show, nor does McFarlane's incisive humor come through. Another dud: the new Kelsey Grammar offering, "Hank" was canceled from my watchlist after about ten minutes in episode one.  Bad character, bad premise, bad supporting cast...it's even worse than his last show, the one in which he played a TV newscaster.  Bet he wishes he had held on to "Frasier" a little longer. Finally, the one joke wonder "Cougar Town" took an episode and a half to make clear that it's not worth any more time.  I never liked "Friends" alumna Courtney Cox that much, and the premise of this show is very, very thin.  Just like Courtney.  Now, this season's Desperate Housewives, that's worth some time.  There's new characters, old characters have come back, the housewives are trampier and more conniving... and the plotlines are goofier than ever.

Also, Eva Longoria, aka Gabrielle Solis, is the ultimate cougar. 

Pathos in Detroit, and Why Are We Mad at the Moon?

I'm not a big fan of theirs, but watching the Detroit Tigers slip sliding away through the month of September and finally succumbing on Tuesday night in Minnesota was just plain depressing.  They were destined to fail, imbued with the aura of the city whose name has become synonomous with failure in the USA. 

This past Tuesday, it was grim, watching manager Jim Leyland make no decisions and do nothing to avert the impending meltdown, leaving the reliever out on the mound well beyond the failsafe point, ulitmately adding another entry to The Big Book of Detroit Failures.

Away from Detroit we go, back to that which gives us happiness.  Football...and winning.

****New Mexico Lobos @ Wyoming Cowboys –10

Our big play of the week is on the Wyoming Cowboys, hosting New Mexico in Laramie, Wyoming, one thousand, two hundred seventy six miles from the Big Tire on I-94 in Motor City. It’s homecoming at War Memorial Stadium, and they’ve schedul

ed a cupcake. New Mexico is 0-5 coming in, 0-6 heading out. The Cowboys are a soft 3-2, but that puts them light years ahead of the Lobos. 11:00 a.m. MTN

***BYU –17 @ UNLV

In a battle of the initials, BYU visits UNLV, two thousand fifteen miles from you know where, sporting a 4-1 record against pretty good competition. They are 2-2-1 ATS, so there’s no hint there. UNLV, 2-3 against a tad lesser schedule is 1-3 ATS. The key indicator is last week, when the Rebels played in-state rival U of Nevada and crapped out, 63-28. BYU is a big step up in class, making the 17 point spread look pretty attractive. 7:00 p.m.MTN

**Alabama –6.5 @ Mississippi

Roll Tide! They made us some cash last week, and they’re going to do it again this week. ‘Bama is 5-0, coming off a “W” over Kentucky last Saturday and looking stronger as the season moves forward. The Tide is also 4-1 ATS. Mississippi (seven hundred sixty seven miles from Motown) is no slouch, 3-1, but they’ve played a lesser schedule. If there’s one game you want to make sure to catch this Saturday, this looks to be it. Speed, speed and more speed will be on display, 2:30 p.m. CBS

* Auburn –2.5 @ Arkansas

We started this pick on the other side, liking Arkansas (eight hundred ninety four miles away from the Foreclosure Capital, that's a pinpoint map of Detroit foreclosure filings at the right) and the points. ‘Twas the studious

wagermeister Two Gun who waxed poetic about one of his favorite sleeper teams, the Auburn Tigers (TIGERS??!!). The Tigers are 5-0, and they’re 4-0 ATS. The Arkansas Razorbacks are 2-2, coming off a big 47-19 win over the Texas A&M Aggies. Their 2 losses are to Georgia and Alabama. They are 1-2 ATS.  11:00 a.m. ESPN

It takes 6 wins to become bowl eligible.  Five or seven wins means you avoid an invitation to the Motor City Bowl.

Finally, click here to read about NASA bombing the moon tomorrow.

Miami Woman Beats Father; Son & Mercury Collide, & Who Promoted the Guitar Player?

Two Gun Pete has been walking around humming the sounds of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, so here's a video blast from the long ago past.  In this performance from the Ed Sullivan Show about 83 years ago, the band isn't sporting it cheesy navy blue Union Army field uniforms.  These are the  super cheesy dress version. Look closely at his right arm and you'll notice that the guitar player is a Master Sergeant.


**** Penn State -6 1/2 @ Illinois WINNER
I plugged in to this game with 8 1/2 minutes to go in Q4.  It has been a little hectic here; an explanation is imminent.  At this point in the game, we have the Joes up 28-10 and the Zooks are getting pretty harshly ripped by the announcers.  I have no passionate negativity toward Illinois, but I confess to having less than a warm and fuzzy for Coach Zook.  He just isn't a sweet embraceable you kinda guy.  That wouldn't matter if the Illini were successful, but that ain't happening...5 1/2 minutes to go and Juice just fumbled.  I feel sorry for the lad.  He should be playing another position, a la Demetrius Jones, the failed ND QB cum successful Cincinnatti linebacker.  PSU just scored again, 35-10 and it's getting unpleasant in Champaign.  Juice scored a TD near the end to make it 35-17, and there was Joe Paterno, the dean of 'em all, giving Juice some encouragement as they walk off.  What a classy guy...and his team finally covered.

*** Alabama -17 @ Kentucky WINNER

I wish I could tell you that I watched every second of this, or even that I did regular check ups, but I didn't.  I have a good excuse, though.  Early in the second half, my son called with a problem.  He had a car accident, so I had to go.  Happily, we were sagacious in absentia, and the immutable laws of arithmetic prevailed, 18 being > 17, for a three star winner.

**   Mississippi -9 1/2 @ Vanderbilt  WINNER
Ole Miss just ground Vandy away, slow and steady, didn't embarass them, just put 'em away, 23-7.  Vandy had a couple of red zone collapses that contributed to their downfall.  Mississippi may have had one eye on next week's foe :  Alabama.  A soft showing like this from Mississippi next week and 'Bama will give 'em a black eye, maybe two.
 
*  Oklahoma -7.5 @ Miami  LOSER
Once again, we join this game in blogress.  Twelve minutes left, the home team is up by four (that puts us behind by 11.5, or two unanswered big scores), Dr. Nic is whooping it up in the stands, and the Sooners look like they miss Sam Bradford.   I'm worried here.  The Four Star Family Feud is currently tilted mui muchas in favor of la Cubanina del Norte, which is Cubanese for "TwoGun's daughter".

The final score:   Miami 21, Oklahoma 20.  There it is, printed out in big type to congratulate you, Nicci.  As for us, perfection has eluded us once again. 

Back to Gary Puckett, I confess that when I hear one of his songs, I feel like I've witnessed some kind of inappropriate conjugation.  That creepshow sex theme that ran throughout his songs... ick!  While searching video clips, I found one of Gary Puckett appearing on the Ralph Emery show on the now defunct Nashville Network.  Ralph, who could singlehandedly suck the energy out of even the most upbeat situation, was sporting a Van dyke beard that made him look really pervy, and Gary Puckett, who was as country as Philadelphia, was chatting with Shotgun Red, a puppet who was Ralph's co-host.  The puppet and Ralph tried unsuccessfully to cleverly banter back and forth and the energy level was plunging, and then the thought occurred to me of the puppeteer under Ralph's desk, double ick...it all meshed in a Gary Puckett/Ralph Emery pervalicious stew, sort of. 

Back to normality and the real world: (Tuesday) Happy Birthday, Tyler!

Ebo Walker...and Those Damned Dogs Kept Barking the Whole Time

Warm up the big screen, chill down the Dr. Pepper and tell Aunt Sally she'll have to take the bus.  We have a lot of football watching to do this Saturday.  There's a lot of exciting stuff happening.  Quoth Briscoe Darling "just hang onta somethin'!"

**** Penn State -6 1/2 @ Illinois

Joe Paterno's team hasn't covered a spread yet this season. Why does Penn State merit 4 stars now, you may ask. The answer lies deep within the darkest regions of a 167 year old man's heart: from the loss to Iowa, Joe is as angry as a man can get. Vein popping, vision blurring, ancient Italian curse throwing angry. Threatening the livelihood of the coaching staff angry. Spitting (more than usual) tirade angry. He may be telling the scribes about character building, about marathons vs. sprints, all that bull, but I believe that the dean of college football coaches has been wounded, and that this week his team will be ready to destroy whomever is so unfortunate as to cross its path. Drum roll, please, and... enter the Illini. Already on the road to perdition and reeling from a shutout thrashing at the hands of Ohio State, the Illini will be at home with 70,000 orange clad loonies loudly urging them on and head coach Ron Zook seeking an escape from his own personal hell. Great game coming, 2:30 on ABC. Penn State by 10.

***  Alabama -17 @ Kentucky

Here comes the Crimson Tide!  They're 4-0 and picking up steam. Kentucky is 2-1 and heading for an at-home-behind-whuppin'.  That's Ricky Craven at the right winning by an eyelash in the old Tide (no relation) car, posted here just 'cause Two Gun misses Ricky.    11:30 a.m. on ESPN 360  Alabama 40, Kentucky 16.
** Mississippi -9 1/2 @ Vanderbilt
Ole Miss comes visiting with a 3-0 record. They've blasted Breathe for Me Elvis Memphis and Southeastern La and lost last week 16-10 to South Carolina's Gamecocks. Vanderbilt, part of last year's much celebrated and ultimately mythical renaissance of the smart kid schools (reference the '09 version of Northwestern) is 2-2 and muddling along. The danger here is that Mississippi looks past Vandy to the following Saturday's matchup with 'Bama. Since this is a conference game, and since the SEC big boys all need to flex their muscles to impress the pollsters, and since the SEC is populated with a number of coaches who just love to annihilate everybody who ain't them, and since the Rebs are surely plenty upset at last week's loss, I think we're good. 6:00 p.m. ESPNU Miss 38, Vandy 13.
* Oklahoma -7.5 @ Miami
This is the #8 team @ the #17 team.  Dr. Nic, it is indeed a sadness, as your pater familius has deigned the 'Canes the lesser of two rivals.  It's this week's Pete's Perfect Pick, too, adding insult to the injury.  Oklahoma has outscored its opponents 109 - 0 over the past two weeks, sans Sam Bradford.  Two Gun promises that it will be the boys who posted the zeros (OK's defense) that rules the day.  Miami's gonna be grumpy, having been drubbed by VaTech last week.  Come Sunday, they'll be grumpier.  In the words of Keith Jackson, Whoa Nellie we've got a ding dong dillie of battle shaping up here tonite! 7:00 p.m. ABC  Oklahoma 17, Miami 7.


That's Week 5. Don't miss the battle of California: USC @ Cal Bears, ditto the Whoa Nellie. Excuse me now, as I must go outside and choke my neighbor's dogs.


Off topic: I just finished the latest Dan Brown book "The Lost Symbol".  If you liked "The DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons", you're going to like this one too.  A lot.