Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 8 College Football Games to Watch

Welcome to Week 8 of the college football season. Just so you know I didn’t go absent last week because I was ashamed of my glowing review of Alabama, right before they imploded. It was because it was Grad School Application Time. With one school behind me, I can focus on the Touchdown this week. A good thing too, since the BCS standings made their first appearance of the season. We’ll get to that later, but first, on to the Touchdown:


1) No. 6 LSU at No. 4 Auburn – 3:30 on CBS

How does the old saying go? “It’s better to be lucky than good.” Seriously, I think luck is the only way both of these teams are still undefeated. If it wasn’t for a freshman kicker from Clemson, Stephen Garcia’s inability to hold on to the ball, and Ryan Mallett’s injury, Auburn could very well be 4-3.

As for LSU, well, they really should have lost to UNC, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida. Luck is the only reasonable explanation for those wins. Let’s put it this way, I would never expect any team, be it college, high school, or Pop Warner to be 7-0 with Jordan Jefferson prominently involved in the offense.

Les Miles in either a freaking genius (I refuse to call him the Mad Hatter) or he sacrificed small woodland creatures to some dark overlord, because I do not understand how LSU is winning games. The two headed monster of Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee are the scariest QB duo ever…if you’re a LSU fan.

The LSU game plan will be pretty simple. Run the ball on offense, control the ball and slow the tempo, pray they don’t need their QB’s to win it, and contain the Auburn rushing attack. That’s easier said than done.

I’m so close to buying into Auburn, but then I remember that I’ve seen them play, and it’s not that pretty. Their offensive game plan seems to be “let Cam Newton win it.” The kid isn’t Tim Tebow, yet everyone wants to act like he is. Auburn’s problem was highlighted in the Arkansas game. If a team has a fun and gun, freewheeling offense, Auburn is in trouble. Mallett wouldn’t have made the same mistakes that Wilson did, and Auburn would have most likely lost the shoot-out.

LSU always finds a way to win, even against the odds and conventional wisdom. However, on the road against a hyped up Auburn team? That is too much for even Les Miles to overcome.


2) No. 13 Wisconsin at No. 15 Iowa – 3:30 on ABC

Every year, some conference I don’t particularly care for pops up and makes me love every game. This year, it’s the Big Ten. I was waiting for a team to dismantle Ohio State, but figured I’d have to wait until the Iowa game. Thankfully, along came the Badgers.

Wisconsin is a very intriguing team. They are very balanced offensively with a great offensive line. Wisconsin uses the run to open up the passing game, which they did to great effect against Ohio State. The defense will need to stay solid for Wisconsin to have a chance to win this.

Iowa has one of the best defenses in the country, even though they had a tough time stopping the run against Michigan last week. The problem is that even if Iowa stops the run, Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzien can beat you with his arm. As for offense, Iowa has the best QB in the Big Ten in Ricky Stanzi, but still run the ball at least half the time, keeping defenses honest.

The main advantage Iowa has here is they are playing at home. I think the game is close throughout, but Iowa comes away with a close victory.


3) No. 1 Oklahoma at No. 11 Missouri – 8:00 on ABC

I could use this whole article ripping apart the fact that Oklahoma is number 1, but why would I waste my time when the Oklahoma defense will put up a pitiful performance against some team and get waxed. I’m just not sure this is the game.

Oklahoma has had a tough time against nearly every time they faced. This makes you wonder what’s happening in Norman. We can’t really pin all of Oklahoma’s troubles on the defense. We can pin most of the problems on the defense. Being honest, the defense is going to be the thing that brings Oklahoma down, because the offense is not built to get into a shoot-out.

Having no defense is fine if you’re a team like Arkansas, that is all about throwing the ball around and if you have a strong-armed QB. The problem is the Oklahoma has always been a defensive minded football team that created turnovers and win the field position battle, making it easier for the offense to run up the score. They don’t have that anymore, so Oklahoma is a house of cards waiting to topple over.

Missouri is really a team that came out of nowhere, considering they really haven’t played anyone. They are hard to judge since you really can’t judge a team that plays McNeese State. Even with the paltry schedule, we do know they have a great defense. They get after the QB in a big way. Offensively, expect QB Blaine Garrett to air it out early and often.

The game rests on the shoulders of DeMarco Murray. If he can establish the run game for Oklahoma and do DeMarco Murray type things, then the Missouri defense is effectively neutralized. However, if Missouri stops him, then Landry Jones needs to be able to step up and make things happen. That is not Jones’ strong suit. The Missouri defense contains Murray and beats Oklahoma.


4) No. 16 Nebraska at No. 14 Oklahoma State – 3:30 on ABC

That sad thing about last week was that I had actually bought into Nebraska. I was very nearly on the bandwagon. That was before they put up that stink job against Texas and once again proved that college football is a wacky sport.

The problem Nebraska faces is the fact they have an amazing defense, but they need the offense to stay on the field and score. Taylor Martinez finally got a taste of a Big 12 defense, when he got cuffed around by Texas. When you can’t run and receivers start dropping passes, it’s easy to get frustrated. You have to wonder if Martinez will be affected from his last game or if he can leave it in the past.

Oklahoma State is on the other end of the spectrum. They’re offense is dynamic, with only Oregon ahead of them in most major offensive categories. They use their offense to cover for the fact that their defense is not really that good. Oklahoma State gives up way to many yards to sketchy teams but it gets overlooked because of guys like Brandon Weeden, Justin Blackmon, and Kendall Hunter.

Nebraska is built to beat a team like Oklahoma State. The Nebraska defense should be able to moderately contain the OSU offense while Martinez and the Nebraska offense should be able to take advantage of the porous OSU defense. Nebraska wins on the road.


5) Washington at No. 18 Arizona – 10:15 on ESPN

I guess if Nick Foles was going to get injured for Arizona, now would be the best time. The schedule right now isn’t too daunting, but you can’t sleep on Washington.

While Locker isn’t the second coming of Peyton Manning, he is still one of the better QB’s in the nation, even after the debacle early in the season against Nebraska. Washington lives and dies by Locker, so if they want to win, Locker is going to be the guy to get it done for them. One the other side of the ball, the Washington defense is suspect. They give up too many yards and too many points, yet they have beaten both Oregon State and USC this season.

Offensively, Arizona will have some issues moving the ball with Foles out. Expect Grigsby and Antolin to run the ball to take the pressure off of back-up QB Matt Scott. Arizona has a highly ranked defense, but they have yield points when faced with good teams. Arizona is going to need the defense to contain Locker if they hope to win.

Washington seems to know how to win close games this year. Expect a close one in the desert and expect Locker and Washington to pull the dramatic upset.


6) Georgia Tech at Clemson – 3:30 on ABC

For all you Clemson fans out there (and I’m one of them), aren’t you wondering how Clemson is going to blow this matchup against Georgia Tech? You know it’s going to be close and you know Clemson is going to find a way to lose it. So, botched field goal? Late interception by Parker? Fumble by Ellington? The possibilities are endless.


Extra Point:

Well, the first BCS ranking came out last Sunday. As aghast as I was that Oklahoma was number 1, Kirk Herbstreit calmly explained to me on Sunday night why this wasn’t the biggest travesty since Veronica Mars got cancelled. It’s still early and, as Ohio State and Alabama proved; we’re a long way from done.

However, looking at the rankings, I’m once again drawn to the same question I had earlier in the year. Does a one loss Alabama deserve to be ranked higher or lower than an undefeated TCU or Boise State? Let’s look at this all scientific like.

If you are going to argue in favor of Alabama, the conversation begins and ends with strength of schedule. The Alabama schedule is a freaking mine-field, with games against Penn State, Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, LSU, Miss State, and Auburn. If Alabama makes it through that with one loss, that deserves something.

For TCU, they have Oregon State and Utah. No, seriously, that’s it. I’m not sure if that’s worse or better than the Boise State duo of Oregon State and Virginia Tech. You really can’t fault either team for being in conferences that aren’t that tough, but that doesn’t mean you can reward them either. Last year, Cincinnati, Boise State, and TCU all showed us that schedule strength counts.

Of course, this conversation means nothing if two of the group of Oklahoma, Oregon, Auburn, LSU, and Michigan State win out (with Missouri getting an outside shot). No way the BCS polls have TCU or Boise State ahead of any of those teams if they are undefeated. However, with the BCS, you learn to expect the unexpected.

Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 6 College Football Games to Watch

We’re really at Week 6 already! I’m on edge right now. We are long overdue for something weird to happen. That’s what college football is all about, the weird and unexplained, sort of like the popularity of Jersey Shore. If Alabama lost, now that would qualify, but that isn’t happening any time soon. More on that later, but now, on to the Touchdown.


1) No. 1 Alabama at No. 19 South Carolina – 3:30 on CBS

You know, watching the Alabama/Florida game last weekend, I have to thank God CBS had the intellect to hire Tracy Wolfson as their sideline reporter. If not for her, we might not have the Richardson/Ingram nickname of “Fast and Furious”. Thanks for that contribution Tracy!

Anyway, I’ve asked the question before and I’ll ask it again, is there any defense that can stop the Alabama offense? To be generous, I’ll say Nebraska, and that’s it. Minus my shot at Wolfson, Richardson and Ingram are the most dynamic backfield duo since James Davis and C.J. Spiller.

After you get past the running game, you have to deal with Greg McElroy, who hasn’t lost a game as starting QB since junior high (or so CBS kept telling me, over and over and over again). He has been a tad shaky at times, but he has Ingram to fall back on if he gets in trouble. Just ask Arkansas.

South Carolina finally came back down to earth against Auburn. Not only that, Spurrier once again screwed with a QB’s head by pulling Stephen Garcia for the underwhelming Connor Shaw. Garcia is back for this game, but may be a bit shaken, given he can’t seem to hang on to the ball.

Garcia is going to need to have the game of his life to beat the tough Alabama defense and outscore the Alabama offense. Not going to happen, not by a long shot. As always, ROLL TIDE.


2) No. 17 Michigan State at No. 18 Michigan – 3:30 on ABC

I’m starting to get real tired of all this Denard Robinson talk. He hasn’t faced a quality defense all season long. You know, there is a quality QB for Michigan State that no one seems to be talking about.

I would love to make the blanket statement that Kirk Cousins is the best QB in the Big Ten, but that honor really goes to Ricky Stanzi (I refuse to even acknowledge Terrelle Pryor in this conversation). Cousins is one of those QB’s who makes smart plays, doesn’t really hurt you, and knows how to manage a game. Yeah, he throws too many interceptions, but it hasn’t come back to haunt him yet.

Along with Cousins arm, the MSU offense has a dynamic running attack, with both Bell and Baker racking up yards on the ground (both averaging just over 7 yards a carry). MSU is a well balanced offensive team with a solid defense that can cause teams fits.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Michigan has some guy at QB who likes to run the ball. I’ll give Robinson credit, he’s good, but I want to see him pull off runs against Iowa and Ohio State before I crown him the next Vince Young. A win here would help sell me on the whole Shoelaces Robinson era.

This game will come down to defense. Michigan’s defense is poor. They give up way too many points and hope that Robinson will bail them out. That’s fine against the UConn’s and Bowling Green’s of the world, but not in Big 10 conference play. Michigan State pulls off the shocker in Ann Arbor.


3) No. 12 LSU at No. 14 Florida – 7:30 on ESPN

How is LSU still unbeaten? I’m not talking about the last second thriller against Tennessee last week. That was the right call. I mean, I’ve seen LSU play. They are not good. They are the worst Top 25 team in the country, and that includes Miami!

For everyone who thought that Florida would beat Alabama last week, hang your head in shame. If you hadn’t seen Florida play this year, I can see where you went wrong. Florida uses its pure athletic talent to beat teams. Brantley is getting more comfortable with the offense, but he has problems with good defenses. He’ll rely on the weapons around him to move the ball.

LSU has some issues at QB (and that’s putting it mildly). Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee will be splitting time at QB. That’s like trying to decide whether to drink spoiled milk or eat rancid meat. The results will be the same, so it’s all about the journey.

The Jefferson/Lee double-headed monster gets to go up again the best secondary in the SEC. Gee, I wonder how this is going to work out? LSU is going to have to rely on its defense to keep them in this game and hope to fluster Brantley enough to get him to turn the ball over. Florida wins big at home.


4) No. 23 Florida State at No. 13 Miami – 8:00 on ABC

Are you ready for a top of the line ACC rivalry game? While on the surface I might say I’m ready to catch up on Fringe on DVR, this game has potential. I’m not saying the ACC has potential, I’m saying that this match-up will prove close and interesting.

Let’s break this down for you. Neither team is really that good, but they are the class of the ACC. Both QB’s are sketchy, but I trust Christian Ponder more than Jacory Harris (that’s not saying much). FSU has a better running attack, but Miami does a pretty good job stopping the run.

The question you need to ask is, do you trust the FSU defense more than the Miami offense? Jacory Harris has the ability to make amazing plays one down, then completely idiotic plays the next. If you look at last week, Clemson wins that game if they had a competent receiver who Parker could throw to, because Harris kept letting Clemson hang around.

This game comes down to the last second and FSU comes away with the victory.


5) No. 11 Arkansas vs. Texas A&M – 3:30 on ABC (in Arlington, TX)

If you’re a fan of offense, this is your game. This is going to be like that Stanford/Oregon game, lots of points and very little defense.

Not to denigrate Arkansas, but the only reason you’re watching them if for Ryan Mallett. The kid has a cannon arm and isn’t afraid to throw the ball all over the field. They might run the ball to mix things up, but the scoring for Arkansas rests on Mallett’s shoulders.

Texas A&M has one of the best offenses in the country. They would be even better if Jerrod Johnson would learn not to complete so many passes to the other team. Seriously, he has 8 interceptions in the last 2 games. That’s not a stat you want to see from your starting QB.

Expect a few more interceptions from Johnson as Arkansas beats up Texas A&M. It might be close if Johnson only throws to his players.


6) San Jose State at No. 21 Nevada – 10:30 on ESPNU

The main talking point in Boise this week is that the WAC has another ranked team, so maybe the Boise State schedule isn’t as easy as everyone complains about. Well, think again. Nevada is riding the same wave as BSU. I think my old high school team could finish third in this conference.


Extra Point:

I think the main question everyone has right now is “can Alabama be beat?” The answer is yes. However, you have to let me combine teams to do it. Alabama has amazing players on both sides of the ball. They score when the need to and can stop just about any teams offensive schemes.

Alabama is coming to the end of, arguably, the toughest three game stretch in college football this year. The only game they have had a problem with was Arkansas, and the defense stepped up when needed and Ingram carried the offense. The Florida game last weekend was utter humiliation.

The remaining schedule isn’t sunshine and roses, with games at South Carolina, at Tennessee, at LSU, and home against Auburn. Can anyone honestly say that they think any of those teams can beat Alabama? Not only will Alabama win, but I don’t think any of those teams are coming within a touchdown.

So, who can beat them? As I said, let me combine teams and I think I have it. Give me the offensive team of Oregon and the defense of Nebraska and I think we have a winner. Neither of these teams can beat Alabama as is. Nebraska doesn’t have the offense and Oregon doesn’t have the defense. However, Oregon has the offensive firepower to run with any team in the country. Nebraska has the defensive might to give most any offense fits. Put them together and we have a great game.

Right now, if you had me pick my dream National Championship Game, it would be Oregon/Alabama. The only reason is that give me the best opportunity for a good game. If you look at the other top 5 teams, can you say the same thing? Ohio State is a paper tiger, ready to be ripped to shreds by half the teams in the SEC. Boise State and TCU, while good stories, wouldn’t stand much of a chance. No team is as well balanced on both sides of the ball as Alabama, but Oregon has the ability to score at anytime from anywhere and would at least bring out the best in the tide. Until something weird happens, it’s ROLL TIDE all year long.

Trent's Touchdown - Week 5

Welcome to Week 5, where conference foes face off to determine early season conference dominance. Repeat that in your head with Chris Fowler’s voice and you just might have the opening to College Gameday. Does anyone want to read my poorly constructed preview of my Extra Point on transfers or do you want to get on to my breakdown of the games? That’s what I thought. Here’s the Touchdown:

1) No. 9 Stanford at No. 4 Oregon – 8:00 on ABC

With the sanctions imposed on USC, the Pac 10 is a three team race, and this game will put one of the three in the driver’s seat. Of course, I’m going to try and get through this without making a “Mighty Ducks” reference (yet I fail miserably every time I watch Fringe).

Prior to conference play, Oregon had been beating up on teams pretty handily (we’ll forget about that 1st half against Tennessee). They have a very good defense, led by the running of LaMichael James. Defensively, they have been shutting down everybody and giving their offense plenty of time to rack up points. However, they were sloppy last week against Arizona State. They gave up too many points in the first half and the offense couldn’t get going. Oregon cannot afford defense lapses against Stanford or wasted opportunities on offense.

Stanford, on the other hand, has handled all opponents. Those include the UCLA team that beat Texas and a tough Notre Dame team (both games on the road). The high scoring Cardinal offense is led by Andrew Luck, who has been as good as you can get early on. The unheralded defense of Stanford has been able to handle all offenses they have faced with ease.

Basically, these are two high scoring offenses and two stingy defenses. Oregon has a nasty habit of being a bit lazy in the first half of games, almost wanting to play with a degree of difficulty. In order to win, they need to come out fast and not let up. Oregon, and whatever hideous jersey they break out for this game, will win, but it will be close. Remember, Ducks fly together (darn, so close).

2) No. 7 Florida at No. 1 Alabama – 8:00 on CBS

My thoughts on this game kind of parallel the Red River Shootout, you know, if Texas could have beaten UCLA. Anyway, before I start, I want to say that I like Florida, so Gator fans shouldn’t get too upset.

Five weeks into the season and Florida still lacks an identity. From week to week, you’re never really sure about the Gators. You know that the speed and athleticism of Florida will win games against lesser opponents, even if their QB is a little shaky and they lack that swagger of the Tebow era. They are a good team, but they aren’t last year’s Gators.

Alabama finally faced a challenge last week. I thought this was shocking because I never thought Arkansas was that good. I always thought Mallett could never be consistent enough to lead his team to a victory over a clearly superior team. The problem Arkansas had was they couldn’t contain the offense of Alabama all game long.

That will be the story of most games Alabama is in. The offense can be contained by a very good defense, but really can’t be stopped. They are too good at all aspects of offense to really be shut down. Plus, the defense is stingy enough to even let a lackluster performance by McElroy doom Alabama.

Florida will not be able to use their athleticism to beat Alabama, because the Tide have just as much on their side of the ball, if not more. This year isn’t the Gators year. ROLL TIDE! That never gets old (unless you’re an Auburn fan).

3) No. 22 Penn State at No. 17 Iowa – 8:05 on ESPN

The story of Penn State and Iowa is pretty much the same early in the season. Both teams beat up on lesser opponents before getting smacked down by the only quality opponent they faced. This should be fun.

Let me sum up the Penn State offense in as few words as possible. Those words are “Evan Royster”. PSU is going to lean on him early and often. Against less skilled teams, that just might work. They are going to need Royster too, since Bolden is downright terrifying….if you’re a PSU fan. PSU will also lean on their defense to stop Iowa and try and grind out the game.

Iowa can not only pass the ball effectively, but can run it too. Iowa learned from the Arizona game not to make stupid mistakes early and put yourself in an unwinnable situation, no matter how good you are. They also have one of the best defenses in the Big 10 and can handle one dimensional teams like Penn State. Iowa will focus on shutting down Royster and make Bolden throw the ball to win the game.

If you’re looking for a game with stellar defense and are not a PSU fan, this game is the one for you. Moderately low scoring affair, but Iowa wins by two touchdowns.

4) No. 21 Texas vs. No. 8 Oklahoma - 3:30 on ABC (in Dallas, TX)

The Red River Shootout at number 4?!?! Well, if Texas didn’t douse their drawers against UCLA, this would probably be number 1, but alas, here we are. Of course, the one year I can actually watch this game it doesn’t seem all that exciting.

Anyone who has seen Texas play, or at least seen highlights, knew that it was only a matter of time before they lost a game, and badly. I thought it would be against Texas Tech, and many others thought it would probably be Oklahoma. Not many thought it would be against UCLA.

Little seems to be going right for Texas coming into this game. The loss to UCLA was not a fluke. The Longhorn’s vaunted defense gave up 264 yards rushing. The Bruin’s only attempted 8 passes for 27 yards. Of course, the offense didn’t help with 4 first half turnovers. Anything that could go wrong did go wrong for Texas. Don’t expect these problems to magically disappear this week.

Speaking of problems, Oklahoma has its own problems on defense. They have the worst defense in the Big 12 in yards against. Every game has been close except FSU (who we have established isn’t that good). Seriously, they beat Air Force, Utah State, and Cincinnati by a combined 12 points. That’s not exactly a murderer’s row of teams.

Picking a winner for this game is like trying to figure out which team isn’t going to screw up the most. I personally think the Oklahoma wins it, because Lord knows Texas can’t take advantage of the inept Oklahoma defense.

5) No. 11 Wisconsin at No. 24 Michigan State – 3:30 on ABC

Not to disparage either one of these teams, but this right here is the battle for third place in the Big 10. Neither one of these teams are getting by Iowa or Ohio State (no matter how much I think OSU is overrated).

This game is weird since both teams are pretty evenly matched. Both have good, Big 10 quality QB’s, though I think the edge goes to Tolzien at Wisconsin. I’ll give the edge to Michigan State at RB, as I think their collection is slightly better than Wisconsin. Both have fairly good defensive teams.

If you look at schedule, both faced challenges against underrated, quality teams (Arizona State for Wisconsin and Notre Dame for Michigan State). So, how do you competently choose a winner in this game without flipping a coin?

Michigan State is playing at home, so they have the crowd. Plus, MSU coach Mark Dantonio will be in the coach’s box, taking his first steps to regaining the reins of the team. If that doesn’t fire up a team, I don’t know what will. MSU wins it for their coach, but it’s a close one.


6) Notre Dame at Boston College – 8:00 on ABC

HOLY WAR! If you live in the Boston area, welcome to the prime time game on ABC. Since my internet access at home is not available, I’m left hoping ESPN2 carries the Oregon/Stanford game, or else I’m stuck watching BC try and get out of its way and ND trying to blow the game in the last few minutes. Fun times!


Extra Point:

I was watching the Boise State/Oregon State game last week and glancing at the score-line along the bottom of the screen and noticed the ASU/Oregon score. It then gave me the stats for ASU QB S.Threet. That name sounded so familiar and I just couldn’t place it. I used my iPhone to look it up and realized that he used to be the starting QB for Michigan before he transferred to ASU due to the Rich Rodriguez hiring.

It made me start thinking about all the notable transfers of late, especially among QBs. When did this become common place? I remember when Brock Berlin transferred from Florida to Miami and it was huge. You couldn’t watch a Miami game without someone mentioning it. If you really look at it, I guess it makes sense. There are a number of reasons it happens.

The first is coaching change. Either the new coach has a different system than you play in or the coach who recruited you left and you want to leave too. Both of these happened to Threet, who started at Georgia Tech, then to Michigan, before landing at ASU. Ryan Mallett is another big name that left Michigan after Rodriguez signed on.

The second would be playing time. Robert Marve transferred from Miami to Purdue looking for playing time, which worked out before he got injured. Mitch Mustain left Arkansas after being replaced as starter by the horrible Casey Dick and went to USC. He still rides the pines, watching Matt Barkley throw touchdown passes. I remember when Clemson fans got scared that C.J. Spiller was going to transfer to Florida because he was playing second fiddle to James Davis. Those were bad times.

The third reason would be when you get booted from the team. Cameron Newton was back-up to Tim Tebow before he bought a stolen laptop and was looking for a new place to play, finally ending up at Auburn. Jeremiah Masoli got the boot from Oregon after robbery and drug possession charges were brought against him. He is currently taking snaps for Ole Miss.

So, are all the transfers a good thing or bad thing for college football? With coaching changes, it makes sense. If they system changes on a kid, he should be able to transfer someplace where his skills will be of more use. Playing time is sort of a gray area. Kids should know that they will have to compete for their position. The entitlement these kids feel sometimes doesn’t jive with the real world. As for getting booted off the team, this country has a long history of embracing rehabilitation of our athletes.

For the most part, transfers are a good thing for the sport as long as it doesn’t get taken too far. I don’t want Bob Stoops to be able to call up some freshman QB at Florida and ask him if he wants to play for Oklahoma. On the other hand, I don’t want a player like Robert Marve handcuffed like he was by Miami when he decided that Miami wasn’t right for him. I guess the point is that it’s good for these kids to have an out, but they should think long and hard before actually committing somewhere.

Trent's Touchdown - Week 4

Welcome to Week 4 of the college football season, or as I like to call it, the “Thinning of the Herd” week. For some reason, ABC didn’t want to use that title. Anyway, we will finally get rid of some of the hangers on and also-rans this week. Anyone else notice how the ACC is surprisingly absent and the Big East has one mention? More on that later, let’s get to the Touchdown:

1) No. 24 Oregon State at No. 3 Boise State – 8:00 on ABC

This may be the number 1 game on the Touchdown, but I’m dreading this one. Not because I actually have a rooting interest, but because Boise State fans are lining up to point to this game and say “see, BSU doesn’t have an easy schedule, it’s the Beavers!!!”

If you don’t know about Boise State yet, well, then you don’t know anything about college football. They have an extremely pass happy offense led by Kellen Moore. The thing I like about Moore is that he’s willing to throw to anyone. He also has a fairly competent running attack, which means defenses can’t just defend against the pass.

On the Oregon State side, they are going to run the ball with Jacquizz Rodgers until he passes out, and even then they will probably try and hand off to him. The problem OSU faces it that their young QB is still getting used to the offense and he is facing a very good defense. This does not signal good times.

Oregon State has a horrid defense, giving up way to many yards to a lackluster Louisville team last week. OSU needs to hope that Moore and the rest of the offense get taken out by some bad clams the night before the game to pull this one off. BSU rolls and I develop an eye twitch anytime someone gives me crap about ragging on the Broncos creampuff schedule.

2) No. 1 Alabama at No. 10 Arkansas – 3:30 on CBS

I can’t be the only one that thinks the Arkansas being ranked number 10 is more a result of the fact that there is nowhere else to really put them than the fact that they are that good, right? Right?

Alabama is….well, they’re Alabama. They are loaded on both sides of the ball. Greg McElroy is a very good QB who can spread the ball around and make smart throws. Mark Ingram is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and the best RB in the country. In my opinion, they have the best defense in the country. They are a juggernaut right now and only the most balanced team can keep it close with them.

Arkansas, on the other hand, will pass and pass and pass until the cows come home. Of course, if my QB was Ryan Mallett, I would do the same thing. They are a sound defensive team that can run with a good bulk of the SEC teams. On paper, this seems like it would be a fun matchup to watch.

Even last week, I would have picked this game to be close. Then, I watched the Arkansas/Georgia game. That was a stinker. Georgia shouldn’t have even been in that game, yet they came very close to winning it. Arkansas is just not that good of a team.

Tide rolls, big. If you happen to live in a state in which gambling on sporting events is legal, take Alabama and the points and laugh all the way to the bank. Its games like this that make me wish I was still a degenerate gambler.

3) No. 12 South Carolina at No. 17 Auburn – 7:45 on ESPN

These are two teams where I find it hard to believe that they are ranked so high, but I just can’t muster up the vitriol to argue about it. The sad thing is that South Carolina will probably end up winning the SEC East.

Auburn is in a sticky situation right now. They may have been flying under the radar before, but last weeks game against Clemson showed everyone that they are a very beatable team; they just need a team competent enough to do it. Cam Newton is a good QB, but not as great as everyone wants to believe. He can put up gaudy numbers, but can’t take over a game. Essentially, he’s Tyrod Taylor. The Auburn defense is average, but seems to make stops against Clemson when needed.

South Carolina is a little schizophrenic. They easily outplay Georgia, but let a team like Furman hang around. SC definitely suffers from a little ADD, since the offense really couldn’t get anything going against Furman last week. The SC defense is going to be the key. If they control and contain Newton, it’s going to be a long day for Auburn.

I think Spurrier whips SC into shape, they concentrate on this game and pull out a victory and they climb even higher in the polls, making me once again wonder how they got so high.

4) No. 22 West Virginia at No. 15 LSU – 9:00 on ESPN2

Let me ask Mountaineer fans and Tiger fans a question. Do you feel confident about your teams ability to actually do anything this season? Yeah, I thought not.

I said it in first week and I’ll say it again today, Jordan Jefferson is not viable option at QB if you want a top tier program. Basically, LSU is going to run the ball until WVU stops them. Considering WVU has a good run defense, that might happen sooner than LSU wants. This means that to win Jefferson is going to have to step up and make plays. That’s not a very comfortable role for Jefferson to play.

As for WVU, you would think they have everything in their favor. They have one of the best QB’s in the Big East (that’s not saying much) and one of the more dynamic running backs in the country. They also have a very good defense. However, they got taken to OT by Marshall. Yes, 0-3 Marshall. It’s like WVU doesn’t want to win sometimes.

WVU has a very good chance at winning the Big East, but have you seen the Big East? Winning the Big East is not exactly something to brag about. LSU wins this with defense and makes me hope this is the last week I have to write about a Big East team, unless I’m mocking them.

5) No. 16 Stanford at Notre Dame – 3:30 on NBC

Notre Dame fans must be going crazy. I mean, this year’s ND team is making me have flashbacks to last year’s ND team, with last minute losses. Just once the luck of the Irish needs to pop up, right?

Notre Dame has the same old song and dance. Good QB, good offense, and poor defense. Does ND have issues recruiting defensive stars or does the defensive coaching just suck? Dayne Crist seems to be doing everything to throw that team on his back and get a victory. That ND defense needs to step up though, especially this week against Stanford.

Stanford has one of the more exciting offenses in the country led by one of the more underrated QB’s in the country. Andrew Luck has been forced to become the man this year after Toby Gerhart graduated last year and he has been cruising. Plus, the Stanford defense has been downright nasty, especially against the pass.

Expect a Stanford win, but also expect Notre Dame to keep to keep it close just to terrorize the fan base.

6) No. 8 Oklahoma at Cincinnati – 6:00 on ESPN2

Last year, this game would have been epic, with Tony Pike against a potentially healthy Sam Bradford. Instead, we get Landry Jones against Zach Collaros. Plus, Cincinnati is going nowhere this year. It’s like the college football Gods are laughing at us.

Extra Point:

I’d like to say that the ACC and Big East are having down years, but this has become a recurring theme. I knew the ACC was in trouble when everyone was touting FSU as the team to beat. What has FSU done in the past couple of years but dwell in mediocrity? And don’t even get me started about how Christian Ponder reminds me of Drew Weatherford.

The problem is that the ACC is so pathetic that FSU might actually be the team to beat. Look how Virginia Tech imploded on themselves. I knew Tyrod Taylor wasn’t a good QB, but this is getting ridiculous. I just know that some random team, like North Carolina State, is going to back-door their way into the ACC Championship Game, kind of like how Clemson did last year.

As much as I want to not throw up, I need to bring up the Big East. Last year, the Big East was moderately entertaining, with Cincinnati, Pitt, and WVU all battling it out for the Big East crown. You knew the winner was going to get shellacked in a BCS Bowl Game, but it was fun pretending they had a shot.

This year, WVU will probably limp to the championship with a couple of conference losses and end up 2 touchdown underdogs to someone like Texas. You put a mid-tier major conference team in the Big East, like Michigan or Auburn, and they run the table.

I guess my whole point here is why are we giving teams and the ACC and Big East a free pass when it comes to strength of schedule and strength of conference when everyone, including me, is giving Boise State (and to a lesser extent TCU) a hard time about those things? We should give them all a tough time about strength of conference.

The reason teams in the ACC and the Big East are getting in the rankings is the elitist attitude we all have toward those teams. While teams like Virginia Tech have to prove that they are not that good (thank you James Madison), Boise State has to prove that they are that good. On one hand, we make excuses for teams in the ACC, but on the other hand are quick to dismiss teams like Boise State and TCU. It just doesn’t seem right, but I guess that’s just the nature of the beast.

Trent's Touchdown - Week 3

Here we are at Week 3 of the college football season and the stories around the nation sound more like an old episode of Law & Order instead of a sport played by college kids. Whether players are breaking the law or breaking NCAA rules, there seems to be some sort of issue here. More on this later, now, let’s get to the Touchdown:

1) No. 8 Nebraska at Washington – 3:30 on ABC

I haven’t had a chance this year to write about my man-love for Jake Locker. Thank God for this non-conference game.

Nebraska has probably one of the best defenses in college football. They know how to hit, know how to intercept the ball, and know how to pressure the QB. Last year, they made the best QB’s in the Big 12 look nothing better than ordinary. The offense of Nebraska is centered on running the ball and pass when you have to. If they are facing a defense that is good against the run, they will be in trouble. That would put their freshman QB in passing situations and that doesn’t equal sunshine and puppies.

Washington, on the other hand, is all about the offense. Locker is, arguably, the best QB in college football right now. It’s not just his throwing ability or running ability, but his ability to read defenses. Against Syracuse, he used quick slants to counter the pass rush which lead to the win. While Nebraska has a tough defense, Locker should be able to make adjustments to counter whatever it is they do.

Washington pulls the upset and I try and get my hands on a Heisman ballot to vote for my man Jake.

2) Clemson at No. 16 Auburn – 7:00 on ESPN

Yeah, yeah, I know I only picked this game so high because I’m a huge Clemson fan. So sue me.

Clemson comes into this game after two wins against marshmallow teams trying to find an identity. While Kyle Parker may be a star, he is still a freshman QB with a MLB contract in his back pocket and no named stars around him. He doesn’t have Jacoby Ford or CJ Spiller to fall back on anymore. Expect the Tigers to attack with the running game of Ellington and Harper and give Parker short 3rd down distances. The Clemson defense, on the other hand, needs to stop Cam Newton from doing his thing.

Cam Newton’s thing, is leading the Auburn offense, both through the air and on the ground. The Auburn offense is a bit streaky though and relies on the tough defense for long stretches of time to keep them in games. We could easily be talking about a 1-1 Auburn team if that defense didn’t come up huge time and again against Mississippi State last week.

Expect Clemson to keep it interesting for the whole game, but Auburn’s defense comes up with the stops they need to keep the victory.

3) No. 9 Iowa at No. 24 Arizona – 10:30 on ESPN

Looks like Iowa fans may finally be able to put away the defibrillator. I think the Heart Attack Kids from last year are long gone.

Iowa is more well-rounded this year than last year. Last year, it was all about the defense controlling the game and letting Ricky Stanzi control the offense flow of the game. It’s slightly different this year. The defense is still top notch, but Stanzi has flourished and is now an underrated QB who can hurt you through the air if you pay too much attention to the Iowa running attack.

Arizona’s offense is squarely centered on Nick Foles’ pass happy attitude. Running the ball will be next to impossible against the Iowa defense, so expect Foles to air it out early and often. The Arizona defense, which is very underrated, may be able to keep the clamps on Iowa. The Arizona defense is going to have to be near perfect to give the Wildcats a shot at winning this game.

Defense keeps this game close, but Iowa wins it with offensive balance.

4) No. 6 Texas at Texas Tech – 8:00 on ABC

Before this game, I might queue up “Rock ‘n Roll Train” by AC/DC on my iPod and try a relive the epic Texas/Texas Tech clash of two years ago. Too bad Colt McCoy is in the NFL and Graham Harrell is working the drive thru at McDonalds.

I feel weird about this, but I’m predicting the same thing I did two years ago, Texas Tech wins it. Before you all flip out at me, I’ll explain.

Texas Tech is led by senior gunslinger Taylor Potts, probably the best QB in the Big 12. The running game is mostly for show, so expect Potts to air it out all night long. The frenzied crowd in Lubbock will get the defense going. Plus, Tommy Tuberville has brought a new attitude to Texas Tech, while keeping the high powered offensive schemes.

Texas, on the other hand, is in the middle of growing pains. Texas QB Garrett Gilbert gets his first taste of a hostile Big 12 environment. He’s been average so far this season and relied way too much on the running game. If the running attack gets contained, Texas will be in trouble. While the Texas defense is good, there are holes that Potts should be able to exploit.

It’ll be close, but Potts leads the Red Raiders to a slim victory (man, I hate picking against Mack Brown).

5) No. 10 Florida at Tennessee – 3:30 on CBS

Hey, we’re that “Florida just isn’t that good” bandwagon, because I want to jump on. The SEC East may actually be interesting this year.

Florida has problems. If it’s not their QB being a little overwhelmed, it’s one of their WR’s getting arrested for stalking. Since John Brantley is still getting used to the offense, Florida relies on the running attack to take the pressure off. They need Brantley to get up to speed fast, as the stretch of tough games is coming up. This should be good seasoning for him.

Tennessee has a fairly well balanced offensive attack, but does the same as Florida, using the running game to take the pressure off their inexperienced QB. The Tennessee defense is pretty surprising too, keeping the high powered Oregon offense in check for the first half of last week’s game. The problem with Tennessee is they are young and inexperienced and they get frustrated easy. They absolutely buckled against Oregon last week in the second half.

Florida is just too good and too athletic to lose to a Tennessee team that has trouble closing. All you Florida haters are going to have to wait for the Alabama game for the Gators to get shellacked.

6) No. 18 USC at Minnesota – 3:30 on ESPN

Who’s more pathetic, USC for barely scrapping by Virginia or Minnesota for losing to South Dakota? Plus, USC just had a past star player (what was his name again?) return his Heisman Trophy. I have to say USC. If you’re a Minnesota fan, you’ve come to expect low expectations.

Extra Point:

Last week, while watching the first half of the Oregon/Tennessee game, I was starting to think my statement of “it’s the system, not the QB”, in regards to the Oregon/Masoli issue, was going to make me look as bad as all those times I picked Clemson to beat Georgia Tech. It started me wondering if Oregon fans, if Oregon lost, would think that what happened to Masoli was too harsh.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not supporting Masoli or any other rule breaker, but at what point to we stop supporting a player? It’s easy when a player pulls a Will Cordero and beats his wife. However, I become a fan of Najeh Davenport when I heard he got arrested for….improper use of a laundry basket. So, how many Duck fans were willing to cut ties with Masoli when he got nabbed for burglary and drug possession charges?

I think Georgia fans have a legitimate gripe about A.J. Green’s four game suspension for selling a jersey to a person classified as an agent. He probably got a couple of bucks, it’s not like he got a Cadillac. But again, it’s all about degrees. Where does the line get drawn?

You definitely need a zero tolerance policy or you’re setting a dangerous precedent. If schools don’t treat every infraction the same, they are opening themselves up for accusations of bias, not just on the basis of star power, but on race as well.

The recent Reggie Bush debacle has started to get people thinking about the college system as a whole. Do college athletes deserve a cut of the millions of dollars everyone makes on them? Does the college owe them any more than an education and a three year audition for the NFL? These are questions that need to be answered if schools want to find a way to curb the rash of abuses by players on the field.

Trent's Touchdown - Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 or, as ABC is calling it, “Monster Saturday” in college football. Remember when teams like Alabama would schedule teams like Slippery Rock for their non-conference games? Those days are now gone, but more on that later. Now, on to the Touchdown.

1) No. 12 Miami at No. 2 Ohio State – 3:40 on ESPN

When I look at this game, both teams have the same issue. It’s an issue the fan bases and the casual observer may have missed in all the hoopla. Neither team has a solid QB that you can count on.

For Ohio State, everyone is pointing to the fact that Terrelle Pryor put up gaudy numbers in the blowout victory against Marshall last week. Guess what, it was against Marshall! It’s not like he was lighting up Alabama.

For Miami, Jacoby Harris needs to be mentioned in the Heisman race because he threw three touchdown passes in the first 19 minutes against Florida A&M. If he does this against Ohio State, I’ll sit up and pay attention.

Both QB’s are at the points in their college careers where they are suppose to be coming into their own and living up to the hype, yet they have done nothing to prove it. So, let’s toss the offensive numbers out the window on this one and focus on what really matters.

Defense will win this game. So, who has the better defense? Again, since the competition was so pitiful last week, we need to go with what we know. We know that Ohio State always has a high-end defense and Miami will have issues stopping some of the more high powered teams in the ACC. Defensive edge goes to Ohio State, and Ohio State will win this game.

2) No. 17 Florida State at No. 10 Oklahoma – 3:30 on ABC

Sadly, I could pretty much cut and paste what I wrote about the Miami/Ohio State game in here, and just change some names. The only reason I don’t is because that would be lazy of me and because Oklahoma almost blew it against Utah State. Yes, Utah State.

Oklahoma actually has a very good team. The weak link is Landry Jones and I think everyone realizes that. Expect Oklahoma to run DeMarco Murray early and often and try and create some time for Jones to throw to Ryan Broyles. On defense, they need to tighten up but still create turnovers.

Last week, FSU had no problems raking up points on Samford. It’s hard to evaluate a team after they rolled over a team I’m sure me and 10 friends could score on. FSU imposed their will and did everything they wanted to do offensively. That is not something they can do to Oklahoma.

I’m not sold on FSU. I don’t think Christian Ponder is that good of a leader. Plus, the game is in Oklahoma. Oklahoma doesn’t lose at home. I go with Oklahoma, but expect another late game interception to ice it for the Sooners.

3) No. 18 Penn State at No. 1 Alabama – 7:00 on ESPN

This game got a lot more interesting when we learned that Mark Ingram was probably going to sit out while still recovering from knee surgery. Couple that with the suspension for Marcell Dareus and we have ourselves a game. Well, in the words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friend.

Penn State is going to have issues. The Penn State offense is going to live and die by the run. They have a freshman QB starting his second college game in one of the harshest environments in college football against the best team in the country. I think it’s safe to say Evan Royster is going to be running the ball a lot.

Penn State will need their defense to step up, but Alabama has one of the more steady QB’s in the country and a trio of running backs who can pick up the slack for Ingram. Alabama’s defense is going to absolutely punish Royster, forcing PSU into throwing on third down and Robert Bolden is going to get rattled.

I think PSU keeps it interesting early due to defense, but Alabama will put it away sometime in the third quarter. ROLL TIDE!

4) No. 7 Oregon at Tennessee – 7:00 on ESPN2

Am I the only one who thinks that last week’s thrashing of New Mexico by Oregon was Chip Kelly’s big old middle finger to Jeremiah Masoli? I mean, it was the ultimate “it’s the system, not the player” statement a coach can make. He even did it with LaMichael James serving a one game suspension.

Oregon, as proven, has no problems moving the ball offensively. Anything Oregon wanted to do, they did. Their backup running back scored 5 touchdowns. Their punt returner ran back 2 punts for touchdowns. Their QB makes Duck fans say “Jeremiah Who?” It was all good fun if you were a Ducks fan.

Tennessee, as well, was able to beat up on lesser talent, but did so more with defense, scoring a defense touchdown and recording a safety. Offensively, they lost their best receiver to a broken bone in his hand and the number two receiver is slowed by an ankle injury. You know what that means? Freshman trying to catch passes. Good times. But hey, if you’re a Tennessee fan, you have one bright spot. Jonathan Crompton graduated, so he can’t hurt you anymore.

Anyway, expect Oregon to attempt to demolish Tennessee, if only to prove they don’t need Masoli and can win convincingly on the road.

5) No. 22 Georgia at No. 24 South Carolina – 12:00 on ESPN2

This is one of those games that could easily slip through the cracks if you aren’t paying attention. In years past, this game was to decide who would finish second to Florida in the SEC East. I still think that, but without Tebow, its possible Florida could lose focus and slip.

When it comes to Georgia, I think Coach Mark Richt said it best. To paraphrase, he basically said that he was going to get all excited his offense, led by a freshman QB, rolled all over Louisiana-Lafayette. At lease someone has some perspective. Georgia is getting a lot of players back from suspension (except A.J. Green) so this will be the first game where they all get to gel around the new QB.

South Carolina has a talented defense, but finally has what looks to be a high powered offense. As a Clemson fan, these guys scare me. While they have eligibility issues on the offensive line, they have an underrated QB and dynamic, but young, position players.

Except South Carolina to try and control the tempo of the game and try and rack up points early and often. I think Georgia has the talent to win, but I don’t think they will win. South Carolina wins it, but it’s close.

6) Michigan at Notre Dame – 3:30 on NBC

I may rag on both of these teams a lot (ND more than Michigan), but this one will actually be fun. Young teams and fans can get excited about. I’m not expecting anything this year from either of them, but they will both be fun to watch this year. Seriously, one QB has the nickname “Shoelace” because he plays football with his shoelaces untied and the other has a name that makes me think he’s going to be joining the cast of Gossip Girl. Good times.

Extra Point:

The first two weeks of this season have been jam packed with really good non-conference games. There used to be a time when the first few weeks of the college football season were a dead zone, where it was almost an extra hard practice game instead of a real matchup. This has all changed now.

Teams are starting to realize that a strong non-conference schedule is nearly essential to making a run at a National Championship. Thanks to the BCS, strength of schedule does have a very real weight in rankings, both computer and human. A team is going to be looked on more favorably if they beat Virginia Tech than if you beat The Citadel and the team is in the Big Ten.

The drawback is obviously that not only do teams have tougher opponents, but they are facing them when most vulnerable, at the beginning of the season. In the beginning of season, teams are lack the cohesion and unity that comes with multiple games together. Sometimes, this is the first real action a player has seen in the college game. It falls on the coaches to keep the errors to a minimum and truly gives a picture of how good a team really is.

I think a prime example is Virginia Tech last week. They looked absolutely abysmal in the first quarter and the last 2 minutes of last week’s showdown with Boise State. If this game gets played in the middle of the year, I think the results would probably be different. However, Boise State proved to be the better teams since they kept their errors to a minimum and won the game.

I, for one, love the new tougher schedules. It means better games for me to watch. It also means I don’t have to find interesting things to write about when I put a Texas/Jacksonville State game at number 3 on the Touchdown.

Trent's Touchdown - Week 1

Labor Day weekend means the start of good things. You get the start of the Vermont State Fair, you start seeing Sam Adams Octoberfest hit the shelves, and you get the start of the college football season. With the start of the season, you also get the start of the Touchdown. With the start of the Touchdown, you get bashing of Oklahoma, Ohio State, and the BCS system as a whole, but more on that later. Now, on to the Touchdown (all games on Saturday unless otherwise noted).

1) No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech – 8:00 on ESPN on 9/6 (in Landover, MD)

Seeing the hype around Boise State is amazing. They are to college football what Gonzaga was to college basketball multiplied by 100 since every game matters in college football. However, before we start touting Boise State, we need to remember that their schedule is cream puff, with the only real challenges coming from VT and Oregon State, so if they go undefeated, it’s not some sort of miracle.

Most of the reason for the hype is the fact that Boise State is returning all but one starter from last year and the offense is completely intact. Kellen Moore was one of the best QB’s in the country last year and looks to pick up where he left off. The defense for Boise State is also very sound, as they lead the WAC in points allowed last year.

For Virginia Tech, well, all is not as rosy. VT lost seven starters on a defense that is going to be tasked with stopping one of the best offenses in the country. Beamer Ball has always been focused around defense and special teams, so I’m not going to worry too much about this. The question mark is on offense. I still don’t trust Tyrod Taylor. He reminds me too much of Terrelle Pryor, and that’s not a compliment. VT will try and soften up the Boise State defense with healthy doses of the run, then go to the air when they start anticipating the run.

VT’s problem is they can’t get into a shoot-out, since they can’t win that way, they don’t have the offense for that. They need to slow down the game and grind it out. Last year, Boise State showed they could stop high powered offenses (TCU) and find ways to win close games (again, TCU). I think Boise State wins this, and the hype just gets bigger.

2) No. 24 Oregon State vs. No. 6 TCU – 7:45 on ESPN (in Arlington, TX)

So, TCU is finally getting a little respect in the rankings. Don’t expect any respect from me, though, as this is the only game against a ranked opponent. If you are a non BCS conference water carrier, you better be rooting for Boise State, because TCU isn’t the ticket to the National Championship.

Anyway, the TCU game plan this year is a lot like last year, put up an offensive barrage and hope the defense comes up with one or two stops. If TCU has any problems, it’ll be on defense, as they lost most of their best defensive players from last year. On offense, they may have lost their leading rusher, but QB Andy Dalton is the key. Expect him to put up gaudy numbers both passing and rushing all year long.

As for Oregon State, they need to break in a new QB, so expect to hear the name Jacquizz Rodgers a lot. They have a good chuck of players coming back on both sides of the ball, so you might see them take a run at the Pac 10 championship. The problem is that this is pretty much the same team that underperformed against ranked teams, beat up on teams they should beat, and somehow wormed their way into position to with the Pac 10, only to douse their drawers against Oregon.

All that said, as much as I don’t buy into the TCU hype, I think they can outscore Oregon State to win this one. I don’t see a defensive struggle in this one.

3) No. 21 LSU vs. No. 18 North Carolina – 8:00 on ESPN (in Atlanta, GA)

You know, this game was a lot more interesting before the UNC issues surfaced. Basically, some star UNC players are being investigated for academic misconduct and improper contact with agents.

It’s kind of hard to give a run down on UNC if I don’t know who’s playing, but I’ll give it a try. Offensively, you can expect UNC to run the ball, since Ryan Houston and Shaun Draughn should play and are effective at moving the ball. As WR Greg Little may not play, QB T.J. Yates will have to rely on a pair of sophomore receivers as his primary targets. UNC is a sound defense team, returning nine starters, but uncertainty of who will be eligible makes pinning down their strengths tough.

LSU, on the other hand, pretty much knows what’s going on, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. They know they are going to have spotty, inconsistent offense and will need their defense to bail them out all year long. As you can probably tell, I’m not a fan of QB Jordan Jefferson. I do not trust him to lead a premier team in the SEC. That said, Jefferson has all the tools around him to run a successful offense, but it’s up to him to step up and prove he’s capable.

Due to issues surrounding UNC, I think that LSU pulls it off, but does it with defense.

4) No. 14 USC at Hawaii – 11:00 on ESPN on 9/2

The most talked about team in the off-season was USC, and none of the talk was good. It was learned that Reggie Bush received improper benefits, they got slapped with a two-year bowl ban, and they got saddled with Lane Kiffin as a coach. If that’s not a whirlwind of crap, I don’t know what is.

Since USC won’t be going to a bowl this year, they are playing for pride. Pride, you know, that thing they didn’t play with last year. Matt Barkley comes back as QB, which makes me wonder why the Aaron Corp era hasn’t begun yet. Let’s just cut the crap and ask the question we all want an answer to. If you are USC fan, are you excited about anything at all this season? The first person who answers “Matt Barkley’s hair” gets slapped.

The problem with Hawaii is the same problem any one year wonder team has a few years later, everyone remembers the name and expects something worthwhile. Here’s a tip, you’re not going to see anything worthwhile unless you’re rooting for the opponent. Sorry Hawaii fans. Actually, I expect a better Hawaii team this year, considering their starting QB had a year of on the job training last season and still finished a respectable 6-7. Expect bowl eligibility this year!

As for this game, USC will pretty much waltz to victory, with everyone saying “See, Barkley really is good this year.” I know I’ll get the last laugh once the Pac 10 schedule starts up.

5) Miami (OH) at No. 4 Florida – 12:00 on ESPN

Is it me, or does it seem strange that Florida is starting a season without Tim Tebow? I’m actually looking forward to seeing how Florida does with John Brantley at QB. Thankfully for Brantley, he gets an opponent like Miami (OH) to ease his way into the season.

It’s a good thing for Florida too, since they are still transitioning for lost stars to the Draft and injuries to starters on both sides of the ball. Inconsistency may plague Florida early and they’ll need some of their big name freshman recruits to step up and live up to the hype. This first game will be a good practice to get some real game experience.

You should get to see a lot of Florida players in this game, as I expect them to get up big in a hurry. See this game as the first step in the post Tim Tebow era.

6) Purdue at Notre Dame – 3:30 on NBC

Good old Notre Dame. I had a lot of fun last year picking on them. This game should be actually entertaining, with veteran QB Robert Marve (transfer from Miami) leading Purdue against Notre Dame and new coach Brian Kelly. If that doesn’t get you going, Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist has a name that sounds like a character from TV show about vampires, so you can probably talk your girlfriend or wife into watching.

Extra Point:

The other day at work, a co-worker of mine told me that he wanted to see Boise State beat Virginia Tech and go undefeated and win the National Championship. His reasoning, it would blow up the BCS system and force a playoff.

His point was that if Boise State won it all, it would irk the major teams in the country, seeing Boise State roll over unranked opponents all year and slide past whoever they face in the National Championship Game. Is an undefeated Boise State better than a two loss Alabama team? In the BCS setting, we wouldn’t see that match-up, so we wouldn’t know. This would prompt the major college teams to call for a playoff, so a team like Boise State would have to prove their worth, and not just slip past one high ranked opponent who they favorably match up against.

My counter-argument was that a Boise State National Championship would validate all the BCS water carriers. Proponents of the BCS have always stated that the system does not discriminate against non-BCS affiliated schools. A BCS Championship for one of those teams would a major win for BCS lovers. Plus, it would have the added benefit of getting Congress off their backs. I believe that a Boise State Championship would strengthen the BCS, not kill it.

Of course, Boise State still needs to go out on the field and prove that they can do it. Will they go undefeated or will they be crushed by their own expectations? I’ve seen strange things happen during a college football season, but Boise State in the National Championship Game would probably top them all.

Johnny Damon: Villain or Businessman?

Well, the Johnny Damon saga has ended here in Boston. He is staying with the Tigers. I, for one, am glad. Not for the fact that he’s staying with Detroit, but for the fact that I don’t need to hear about it anymore. The absolute foolishness of “Red Sox Nation” is absolutely staggering; it sometimes makes me ashamed to be a Red Sox fan. Let’s look at this step by step, shall we?

First, you had the announcement of the possible trade (or waiver claim as the case may be). You had the requisite shock and awe by the fan base. This, of course, it not to be confused with the giddiness of Yankee fans by the whiff of desperation they detected coming from Boston with this announcement. Red Sox fans truly didn’t know what to think. They had spent the last 5 seasons tearing him down for his supposed betrayal and were now close to having him rejoin the team. It’s a sticky situation.

During the 48 hour period in which Damon had been mulling over his options, Red Sox fans we’re trying to reconcile their feelings. I heard a few people say that he would be “just what the Sox are looking for.” So maybe he wasn’t the traitorous scumbag everyone was making him out to be, maybe he was the sparkplug for another pennant run. “Red Sox Nation” was close to lining up to buy their Damon jerseys and planning a Duck Boat parade through downtown that would mess with my commute.

Finally, word came out that Damon would not be coming to Boston. It was like someone took away Keith Olbermann’s meds, with amount of inane vitriol that spewed forth. He was once again the traitor he always was. The fans started thanking God, since he would have been horrible for this team. All was now right with the world.

Seriously? The swing from hatred, to rationalization, back to hatred in this 48 hour period was truly astounding. I never understood the hatred. His move to the Yankees was not done as a middle finger to Red Sox fans. It was done for the money!

I can’t believe how many people took that as a personal affront. It’s not like he came over to your house, punched your mom in the face, took a crap on your bed, and poured sugar in your gas tank on the way out of town. He went to a competitor who was offering more money for his services. If you leave your job for another job at a competing company for more money, are you a villainous traitor who deserves to rot in hell for all eternity? No!

Baseball is a business. Like any right minded employee, Damon wanted to earn the maximum amount of money his skill set would bring. I cannot fault the guy for that. We need to stop treating our favorite teams as members of the family and realize that it is a game played by a group of guys who are only playing there because that is where they could receive the most amount of money. Treating it as anything else just leads to heartbreak. Well, for me, it leads to a headache, since I need to hear a person make stupid, idiotic comments about how Player X is villainous monster who likes to drink the blood of children because he decided to play for other team.

The Fringe Finale: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

So last night was the finale of the best show on TV that is returning next year. Seriously, I’m calling it now. Fringe is the worthy successor of Lost. Long live the new king. The Duchess and I double-dipped on the two part finale last night and I’m going to bullet point out the good, the bad, and the ugly (mostly because I’m too lazy to write out a full review).

The Good:

- Broyles’ getting pissed: Over the last two seasons, we’ve always been able to rely on one thing, that Agent Broyles will stay calm, cool, and collected. The only time I actually remember him showing emotion was when he kissed Nina Sharp and when he was drinking with Peter when they thought Olivia was dead. But holy shit, when he thought Massive Dynamic was behind the device that would kill Peter and bring down destruction on the universe, he brought down the thunder. His screaming match with Nina was utter greatness.

- “I have thought of a hundred reasons... why you should come back. To--to fight the shapeshifters, to take care of Walter, to--to save the world. But in the end... you have to come back. Because you belong with me.”: This is the quote from Olivia just before she and Peter kissed. After this whole will they/won’t they bullshit from the Castle finale, it’s good to see a show actually give us characters who actually act like they are in the real world. Plus, this is the moment most Fringe fans have been waiting to happen for 2 years and it was magnificently pulled off.

- Sally Clark’s fuck you moment: I may have had my issues with the other Cortexiphan kids in this episode, but when Sally looked down at her dead lover and then down the barrel of the gun that shot the bullet, she went full on fire-starter and laid waste to the area. Too bad the douchebag lived.

- William Bell doing stuff: As much as I loved last year’s finale, the big reveal of Leonard Nimoy as William Bell was kind of a let down because he was old and feeble and didn’t do anything. However, in this episode, he’s running around, shooting guns, and ultimately sacrificing himself so the trio can get back to there own universe. Well played Nimoy, well played.

- Olivia vs. Olivia: Find me one person who watched this episode and saw the Olivia/Olivia conversation and fight scene and didn’t think it was a complete win. From the spare key moment to the hair coloring, I was thoroughly enthralled. It was good to see them both disarm, and then beat the shit out of each other. I want to see these two go for round 2 sometime in season 3.

The Bad:

- The alternate reality differences: Don’t get me wrong, I love the alternate reality. I revel in the small differences (like Olivia’s hair color). But won’t I don’t understand is that you have these major differences (like Zeppelin’s and weaponry and Red Lantern and electronic ID cards) but the small stuff is the same. Remember the episode that explained how Peter was taken by Walter in the alternate reality? Well, Peter had the same room, in the same house, had the same parents, was the same age, and had the same disease that the real Peter had. Seriously? We have Richard Nixon on a coin and I’m supposed to believe that little details are the same? In this episode, it was Olivia and Charlie being partners in the government agency with Broyles as their boss, among other things.

- Alter-Olivia crossing over: I like the twist, but I would have liked it better if it wasn’t cliché and plain as day from the moment she and Broyles got the call from the Walternate. This is really on the one thing that ruins the episode for me. I like big, shocking moments, but don’t telegraph it. This isn’t Smallville dammit.

- The technological disparity: My issue here isn’t between the two worlds, but only in the alternate reality. Basically, they have all this tech that is so advanced, yet their only weapon against holes in the universe to amber? Are you serious? And their one solution is to kill Peter buy using some massive machine. Well, were the hell did the machine come from? If they built it so only Peter could use it, but not have them build another power source for someone else?

- Talking about the episode: I started talking to Seamus this morning about the episode and I was having issues properly explaining the alternates vs. the normals. It gets confusing and gives me a headache when I’m referring to Alter-Olivia and real Olivia and the normal universe and the alternate universe. We need names for this stuff. I think the government should work on this rather than other ways to raise my taxes.

The Ugly:

- The Death of James Heath: Let’s just say that good ole James doesn’t make it over to the alternate reality in a recognizable form. Ugh. At least I didn’t have to deal with him being annoying anymore.

So, all in all I really enjoyed it. There were some moments that weren’t great, but they were outweighed by the awesomeness of other moments. Bring on season 3!

Teabag This!

Forgive me while I shed this blog’s non-political stance for one time and make a semi-political statement. If you come here for sports, TV information, and other related entertainment, know that this is a one time thing and I will return with more of my ramblings in the near future.

On this Tax Day, I would feel remiss if I did not mention that yesterday in Boston the Tea Party and Sarah Palin made an appearance. Thousands attended the rally and it spoke to a large cross-section of the community. You would be hard pressed to find any right-thinking American who did not believe we were over-taxed and that the Government is being reckless with our tax dollars. As a good idea spirals into a movement, we are slowly becoming aware of the fact that vitriol and hate will be used to dismiss and diminish any enemy of Big Government.

I’m going to lay off the media and focus on the liberal on the street. The one who reads Daily Kos, sees MSNBC as “middle of the road”, and refers to Pat Leahy as “my personal hero”. I’ve come to expect a certain level of intolerance from this person. I know that all arguments will begin with insults that hit below the belt and just keep going from there. It’s probably the reason I say out of political discussions, the fact that you cannot reason with the unreasonable. The one insult I heard multiple times yesterday is the one I cannot stand – “tea-bagger”.

This insult just irks me. I see two main problems with it. One, if you are a liberal using this term, you are already starting out with an insult. The only people who will listen to you at this point are the people who already agree with you. Conservatives and independents are going to be turned off to your message as you cannot form a cohesive message without descending into vulgarity. You need to swing people to your point of view, not cackle to a bunch of like-minded individuals.

Two, by using the term, you are also degrading one of the seminal moments in our nation’s history. Are the men who boarded those three ships in Boston Harbor in 1773 also “tea-baggers”? How about Mohandas Gandhi who invoked the Boston Tea Party in his fight against salt tax? Is he a “tea-bagger”?

If the Tea Party is so disagreeable to you, why not agree against the main points of the Tea Party movement? Argue against lower taxes, smaller government, and less government spending. The name calling only makes you sound bitter and angry.

Dane Cook, Fringe, and Other Thoughts

It’s been way too long, I know. Hopefully, some random thoughts will make up for it.

I was rewatching Jim Gaffigan’s Hot Pockets bit on YouTube the other day and wondered if anyone has ever had a heart attack while watching a comedian and laughing hard? Maybe even hyperventilated or pulled a muscle? Imagine the cred a comedian would get if this happened. The government would probably have to put up warning signs or something. Thankfully, Dane Cook would never have to worry about that.

Speaking of Cook, have we all finally come to the consensus that Dane Cook is not funny? How about that fact that he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever? My basic thought is that he wants to be an iconoclast, but really just comes off as a douche bag on speed. I remember everyone saying how funny he was then I watched one of his specials. I just thought he was loud and annoying.

Of course, Cook is your stereotypical Boston tool. It seems like they are all over the place. Seriously, when the Jersey Shore spinoff Wicked Summer hits MTV, you’ll see what I mean. You think it’s just coincidence that the spin-off takes place in Boston? Expect lots of Red Sox hats, horrible accents, and goof-bags thinking they are the best thing since sliced bread.

Speaking of the best thing since sliced bread, I still have yet to figure out if my favorite show on TV is Fringe or FlashForward. I cannot include Lost because Lost is not a TV show, it’s an experience. I mean, that Richard Alpert episode was probably one of the best hours of TV I have ever seen. Back to the Fringe/FlashForward debate, it just makes my brain hurt when I think about it and they are on back-to-back. You put Lost on at 10 PM on Thursday and I guarantee my head would explode.

Speaking of experiences, I recently read this article. Does it make me a bastard to laugh about a fight between a guy and his quadruple amputee girlfriend? This is seriously the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. I was talking to my buddy D.B. about it and we have an amazing idea. We want to stage this fight. This would be the main event, with two undercards. One would be Jose Canceso against a Kangaroo and the second would be Mike Tyson against a swarm of bees. So, if anyone knows how to contact Canceso and Tyson and knows someone who has a well-trained swarm of bees and a kangaroo, get in touch with me. And before you start thinking I’m some kind of monster, can you honesty say that you wouldn’t watch this? Yeah, I thought so.

Winter Olympics Week 1 Recap

The first week of the Winter Olympics has been pretty fun, as long as you weren’t part of the crew that worked on the Opening Ceremony. It had everything you would want in a first week. You had prime athlete’s elevating their game to win medals, also-rans wilting under the pressure, questionable judging, and lots of lost sleep. So, let’s do a little run-down of the first full week of the Winter Games.

Snowboarding:

I’m getting this out of the way first. Shaun White deserved the gold medal he won. No question in my mind. The tricks, the air, the technical ability were all much better than everyone else. However, I have a problem with the judging.

For every boarder, the judges were knocking off points for the smallest little things, but when it came to White, they became simpering fan-girls who could only see him through rose colored glasses. I think White could have fallen and they still would have scored him in the 40’s.

As for the snowboard cross, only one thing disappointed me about the Lindsey Jacobellis debacle. I didn’t get to see it live. I like to make fun of people’s failures in real-time. It’s more fun that way. Thankfully, since she imploded, I don’t have to see her anymore. Seriously, have you seen that girl? She looks like a guy in a bad platinum blonde wig most of the time.

Luge:

While it was tragic that the luger from Georgia died on a test run, I was getting tired of NBC beating the story into the ground. Every time they would head out to the track, they would tell us once again that a luger had died.

What was even worse was when Bob Costas told us that they would not show the clip of his death. I mean, we had all seen it by then. I had seen it earlier that day on NBC Nightly News. Doing this was like drinking a 12 pack of beer and then saying you’re not going to drink that night. The cat’s already out of the bag on this one.

On a lighter note, I still giggle every time I see a clip of doubles luge. Yes, I have the mentality of a 3rd grader.

Skiing:

Did you know that Lindsey Vonn has an injury? I guess her leg is injured or something. You would think they would bring this up.

Watching the skiing coverage is like watching an episode of House. They continually brought up the Vonn injury, like her leg is going to fall off at any minute. Based on the coverage, it seems like it would be noteworthy if she was healthy.

Anyway, I’ll be rooting for Julia Mancuso. Her child like enthusiasm warms my heart and I always like the underdog. Plus, I think she’s the only one that hasn’t nearly wiped out on the course.

Figure Skating:

Earlier when I was thinking about it, I was glad that, so far, the figure skating has been without controversy. I mean, the gold medals have been awarded to the best performers. Then Elvis Stojko rained on my parade.

Elvis Stojko, former Olympic skater who was better left on the trash heap of Olympic history, wrote an article today basically saying that Plushenko was robbed and figure skating was dead. Obviously, Elvis was watching something completely different than the rest of us.

Evan Lysacek absolutely killed on Thursday night. He was pretty much flawless in his routine. He didn’t throw a quad jump, but he did pair together his jumps well and did them throughout the routine.

Plushenko, on the other hand, looked like a wounded duck through most of his jumps (somehow landing them cleanly though). He did throw in two quads, to his credit. His footwork, minus what Stojko says, was pretty basic. We had plenty of time to study it, too, since Plushenko didn’t throw a jump at all in the last minute of his routine.

See, I listened to Dick Button and concentrated on Plushenko’s feet and not his crazy arm movements that make it look like he’s doing something. While Stojko was probably distracted by something shiny, he missed the fact that a 10 year old could have pulled off Plushenko’s movements.

Stojko needs to remember that figure skating isn’t just about who can make the biggest jump, but who can consistently hit all the elements. NBC was more than happy to point out (thank you Scott Hamilton) that Lysacek’s jump combos nearly had that same difficulty level, points wise, as Plushenko’s quads.

Anyway, enough picking on a guy who couldn’t quite get it done in the Olympics. At least there was no controversy in the pair’s figure skating this year.

Curling:

I was watching curling the other day and the Duchess walks in and sits down. She looks to grab the remote to change the channel and suddenly becomes enthralled by the action. Before you know it, she’s screaming at the USA Captain because she can’t make a simple hit.

I think she’s searching online for places we can go curling. Once again I’m shown I picked the perfect wife.

Why I Love The Olympics

There are a few things I look forward to in this world. New Doctor Who episodes, the release of the Sam Adams Oktoberfest, the start of the college football season, and the Olympics. The Olympics are two weeks of pure enjoyment for the sports fan inside me. There are so many reasons it grabs my enjoyment.

First and foremost is the patriotism that flows forth during the Olympics. I can forget things I'm not thrilled with, like the horrible economy and our idiot President. For two weeks, it's all USA, USA, USA! I may not know who these people are but I'm pulling for them to beat up on opponents from places like Finland. I may have to bust out a mini American flag and wave it around from my couch.

Then, we get to the part that it's two straight weeks of great sports. Normally, if it's not football, baseball, or soccer, it can pretty much be The Jay Leno Show, because I'm not watching it. Maybe it’s the drama, but all of a sudden, I think the Nordic Combined is the best sport known to man.

I can honestly say that outside of the Olympics, I don't watch curling. Hell, I go out of my way to actively avoid it. However, just today requested a day off of work to watch the US/Russia women's curling match (2/19, 12 noon, USA Network). Plus, I need to know how heavy the curling stone is and how big this sport is in Canada.

I think one of my favorite parts is NBC. I mean, besides Chuck, I don't even think about watching NBC. I even cringe when I want to watch a Notre Dame game or a Sunday Night NFL Game, because the sports on the network must be directed by a drunken monkey. However, they know how to put on the Olympics.

The one thing that makes NBC great is Bob Costas. Yes, Bob is past his prime and can't quiet catch up to the fastball anymore but his interviews are top notch. He blows the door off the creepiness factor when he interviews attractive female athletes. When the three USA fencers swept the medals in Beijing, I think I saw one of the top TV moments of all time. I felt the need to take a shower after watching it. I can't wait for Lindsey Vonn to win a medal. It's going to be great.

Last, but not least, is the drama. NBC always amps up the sap to make you root for some Bulgarian alpine skier who's sister lost her foot in a thrasher accident but still works 60 hours a week to support his dream. It makes you want to root for the guy, even if he has no chance of bring home the gold.

To balance this out, there is always some punk who thinks they are entitled to a medal when the Olympic Gods smack them down (to my utter pleasure). In 2006, during the final run of the Women's Snowboard Cross, American Lindsey Jacobellis was coasting her way to a gold medal when on the second to last jump, she decided to showboat and pull a method grab, only to completely douche the landing and wipe out. This allowed the woman behind her to easily coast past her as Jacobellis was floundering like a fish out of water trying to get up. Jacobellis finally got and finished in second.

We all learned an important lesson, after we finished laughing. Don't screw with the God's of fate. Play the sport with pride and integrity and you can be remembered for all time as an Olympic champion. If you become egotistical and showboat, you can end up like Jacobellis and be a laughing stock. That is why the Olympics are great; they are mostly played with pride and integrity. Well, unless you're a client of BALCO, but that's a different story.

New and Premiering in 2010

Well, the first non-college football entry in ages is a yearly tradition. That's right, the annual New and Premiering entry. As a side note, Lost will not be on this list, mostly because this final season will not be TV show, but an event. With no BSG or Lost to choose from, the number one will be tough to pick. Anyway, enough about my inability to create a simple list and let's get to the countdown.

5) Southland - 1/12 on TNT at 10PM

This is more of a F You to NBC than my wanting to actually watch this show. I normally stay away from your average cop drama, if only to stave off becoming my parents for another year. However, I've heard nothing but good things about this show.

Critical acclaim is something that NBC seems to shy away from, considering they canned it even before it got to premiere and gave the 10PM time slot EVERY NIGHT to Jay Leno. If I had time, effort, and an actual following, I would have lead a campaign to ensure that Southland actually beat Leno in the ratings. It would be a noble goal.

4) Leverage - 1/13 on TNT at 10PM

This American version of Hustle probably would have been higher except for the fact that they replaced Gina Bellman's Sophie with Jeri Ryan's Tara. That's like replacing Sam Adams with Budweiser, sure, it's still beer, but which would you prefer? Thankfully, it's only a temporary switch while Bellman spits out a kid.

This pretty much going to follow the same formula as all the proceeding shows. Someone gets hosed by a company, businessman, politician, or local crime lord. Said victim gets in contact with Nate and his band of do-gooders and they take care of it, getting the victim back his money and turning a tidy profit. It's a winner of a formula and they should keep riding it. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to bog us down with plot or overall story arcs, that's not your bread and butter.

3) Human Target - 1/17 on FOX at 8PM

You know what? Screw all the "comic book background" on this. I have two reasons to watch this. One, it has the trifecta of guns, ass-kicking, and humor. Two, ever since Keen Eddie, I will support anything with Mark Valley in it (plus, high marks for his marriage to Anna Torv).

After seeing the first commercial for this show, I knew I wanted to watch it. Not only was he throwing himself in front of bullets meant for Tricia Helfer, but he looked like he was possessed with some sort of death wish. Just your classic "I don't give a shit" attitude. I can't wait.

2) Caprica - 1/22 on Syfy at 9PM

How can anything be bad that has Eric Stoltz in it? If they made a "Pulp Fiction" sequel that featured his drug dealer character, I would be first in line to watch. Anyway, this is the much anticipated Battlestar Galactica prequel that shows us the beginnings of the Cylons (which makes no sense, since they have been around for thousands of years, but I'm sure they'll explain that).

When I went to visit Seamus last year for SBSA 2009 (I'll explain later), he popped in the pilot for Caprica, since Syfy was nice enough to release the pilot on DVD back in June. I enjoyed it, it was good. A little cerebral, but overall a good watch. It definitely needed some time to mature, but it has a lot of potential.

1) 24 - 1/17 on FOX at 9PM

Jack Bauer is back again to save us from terrorist who want to do us harm. God knows our President won't do it. This time, Jack and the newly minted CTU are taking up in New York, if only because it makes more since than Los Angeles.

The last time we saw Jack, he was dying from a deadly pathogen that was to be released by an evil Jon Voight (being almost as evil as Coach Bud Kilmer from "Varsity Blues"). Obviously, the experimental treatment worked and Jack is right as rain. I give a thumbs up to the return of Agent Renee Walker, Jack's potential love interest and lump of clay which he can mold into a female version of himself. I give a big old thumbs down to Jack's new partner, the excruciating Freddie Prinze Jr. The only role he was ever good in was his role as the idiot brother in "House of Yes" and that's because he got to play to this strengths, as an idiot.

Even Freddie can't dull my enthusiasm for the new season. However, my enthusiasm will dull quickly if they keep recycling the "mole in CTU" storyline. It was classic with Nina Myers (because we all thought Tony was the bad guy). After seven seasons, it just gets old. I would forgive the rehash of this if you gave me a half hour in some episode where we see the terrorist doing there thing and we get the split screen of Jack on the crapper with the New York Times. Seriously, everybody poops.