Turkey Bowl ’08: A look at Thanksgiving Football

There’s not a better time for football than Thanksgiving. Undoubtedly, we will stuff our faces as we visit with our families, but without the ability to resume our post as captain of the armchair, Thanksgiving would lose a lot of its appeal.

This Thanksgiving appears that it will stack up with the best of them. There are tons of headlines taking the field that are sure to entertain. Let’s take a look at the match ups.

NFL

Tennessee (10-1) at Detroit (0-11) (12:30 p.m. ET) – It’s a good thing this one’s getting played early in the day. There’s no doubt that this one could get ugly early. The Lions got rid of one of their key playmakers in Roy Williams for draft picks, but its going to take a lot of luck in those next two drafts to bring this team back from the basement. It also doesn’t help that they have one the best teams in the league (if not the best) coming into their house on this day of thanks. To be completely honest, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Titans build a cushion and let their starters rest most of the second half. What also makes this game a bit lackluster is that a loss wouldn’t kill Tennessee, and a win will have no affect on Detroit’s season.

Seattle (2-9) at Dallas (7-4) (4:15 p.m. ET) – Everybody remembers Romo’s botched hold on a field goal attempt in the last match-up between these two teams back in 2007, but this is a different year, and these are different teams. The Seahawks have been suffering through an abysmal year after being plagued by injuries at most major positions, especially to their receiving core. America’s team is on a two game streak since Romo has been back from a finger injury and, if you ask T.O., the ‘Boys have finally unleashed him. With the addition of Roy Williams running routes opposite Owens, it would appear the Cowboys have too much firepower for Seattle to keep up with. The bottom line is that Dallas can’t afford to be upset at home if they want to have a shot at locking up a wild card spot in the NFC.

Arizona (7-4) at Philly (5-5-1) (8:15 p.m. ET) – Eagles fans have given Donovan McNabb the business since the team drafted him in back in ’99. It’s a daunting task to be a QB in Philly, so it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how McNabb bounces back this week as he returns to the starting lineup after being benched this past Sunday. The Cards come to town looking to seal their first division title since 1975. The Eagles number six ranked D is going to have to step up to stop what looks like it could be an MVP campaign for Kurt Warner.

NCAA

Texas A&M (4-7) at Texas (10-1) (7:00 p.m.) – Everyone might be tired of the words ‘style points’, but that’s exactly what the ‘Horns need to gain in this game if they want to keep their chance of a BCS championship game bid alive. This one should go in their favor as the Aggies bring in the Big 12’s worst rushing attack against the Big 12’s best rushing D. A&M also brings in some controversy at the quarterback position along with a young receiving core who are getting their first look at UT, in Austin no less. All this without mentioning that the guy under center in burnt orange is putting together a Heisman campaign, and the ‘Horns running backs are finally starting to develop. None of this may matter too much in the end. If OU gives OK State the Texas Tech treatment in Stillwater on Saturday, they shouldn’t have a problem overtaking Texas in the BCS, and then it’ll be up to the boys in the SEC to see whether we’ll see the Red River Rivalry again…in Miami.

Sean Taylor Tribute Week: The U

I don't think I remember the first time I saw him play at Miami but I remember why I noticed him. Who is this number 26 that hits harder than a Molotov cocktail? His Name was Sean Taylor and he did everything right on the football field. It was as if Sean was ordained from birth to play safety for some football team.

Taylor had prototype measurements when he was at the "The U" 6'3" 220 pounds. Furthermore, he was not one dimensional as some safety's are, he supported the run with the ferocity of a scorned woman, his pass coverage skills were awesome, he ran with the ball probably the best ever for a safety his size, and he would knock your ever-loving socks off if given the most minute opportunity. This was a man-crush at first sight. It did not help that Taylor adhered to the finest GQ standards with regards to his football wardrobe, rocking the orange visor, black spats, and signature elbow bands and taped fingers. Taylor was simply well put together from the mold which coaches wished their safety whether it be strong or free would come from. All the hoopla aside, what I really liked about Sean Taylor was the pure passion that he displayed when playing the game he loved. He never quit, always played it by his rules, and laid it all on the line time and time again. Moreover, Sean was always at his best in the big games versus FSU, Ohio State, Florida it did not matter Taylor always lit up on the field as much as he lit up fans faces with his awesome play.




Here is a rundown of his prolific college career:

Sean Taylor enrolled at the University of Miami in 2001 and, that year; he was one of just four true freshmen to play for Miami in the 2001 national championship season. He carved a niche for himself in Miami's secondary in nickel and dime defensive schemes. In 2001, Taylor was named "Big East Special Teams Player" of the Week for his performance against the University of Pittsburgh. The 2001 season also proved a hugely successful one for the Hurricanes, with the team winning its fifth national championship since 1983, making them the most successful college football team of the past three decades with more national championships than any other Division I program during this period.

2002 was supposed to be a tough year for Hurricane secondary. Miami lost three starters in the defensive backfield in the 2002 NFL draft, Ed Reed, Phillip Buchannon, and Mike Rumph. Sean stepped up to the challenge and was a second-team All-Big East selection by the league's head coaches in his first season as a starter. He finished third on the team in tackles with 85 (53 solo), broke up 15 passes, intercepted 4 passes, forced 1 fumble, blocked 1 kick, and returned a punt for a touchdown. He led all defensive backs in tackles, interceptions, and passes broken up, and had a career-high 11 tackles (2 solo) and intercepted 2 passes in the Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State University.

2003 was Taylor's final year at Miami; Taylor produced a historic season that culminated with a plethora of honors and awards. He was named a consensus First-Team All-American, the "Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year" and a finalist for the "Jim Thorpe Award" given to the nation's best defensive back. He led the Big East Conference and ranked first nationally in interceptions with 10, tying the record for interceptions in a season with former Hurricane standout Bennie Blades. He finished first in total tackles with 77 (57 solos). He intercepted two passes in Miami's impressive win over the University of Pittsburgh, playing a key role against Pittsburgh star receiver Larry Fitzgerald who was held to two receptions for 13 yards. He returned interceptions for an average of 18.4 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown return at Boston College, a 50-yard scoring return at Florida State University, and a 44-yard scoring return against Rutgers University. His three touchdown returns of interceptions are a Miami single-season record.

Taylor went on to a successful career in the NFL with the Washington Redskins, but I will always remember the college Sean Taylor in that orange visor pumping the crowd up just before he obliterated some tailback, wide receiver or grabbed a pick-six to the zone that helped spur his team to victory. 26 was a man amongst boys and you knew it when you saw him play his game.

RIP SEAN TAYLOR YOU WILL BE MISSED




Sincerely,


ONE OF YOUR TOP FANS

Academinole: Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle

Myron Rolle a starting safety for the Florida States Seminoles has won a prestigious Rhodes scholarship, which will give him the opportunity to attend Oxford University (England) for two years. The award is given annually to 83 recipients in the world from various countries and only 32 North American candidates are chosen to receive the prestigious award. The scholarship will pay for two to three years of tuition, room and board at Oxford. Rolle has said he likely would study medical anthropology at Oxford. Rolle interviewed for the award Saturday in Birmingham, Ala., won it, then hopped a plane to Maryland for the second half of his team's victory over the Maryland Terps.

Rolle is the first BCS conference starter to win a Rhodes scholarship since Stanford tight end Cory Booker in 1992. Booker now is the mayor of Newark, N.J. Rolle, who aspires to be a neurosurgeon and build clinics in his parents' native Bahamas, is also a potential first-round NFL draft pick. He said Sunday that he’d decide with his family whether to delay football. If he plays in the NFL, he'll follow in the footsteps of some well-known athletes who won Rhodes Scholarships: Byron "Whizzer" White: Colorado halfback won in 1939, then went on to become an All-Pro and a Supreme Court justice. Bill Bradley: Princeton star won in 1965. The basketball Hall of Famer later served 18 years in the U.S. Senate and ran for president in 2000.Tom McMillen: Maryland forward won in 1974. After an 11-year NBA career, he was a three-term congressman.

The young man has a hard choice to make: the NFL millions or the educational opportunity at Oxford. But the great thing is he had used college sports the way it is supposed to be used, as a vehicle to better things. Student athletes across the country should aspire to reach the academic and athletic heights that Mr. Rolle has in their individual collegiate journey. Success is a forgone conclusion for Myron but in his case it may be the neurosurgeon: Dr. Myron Rolle or the Pro Bowl Safety Myron Rolle, I think either outcome will be fine for Rolle who graduated with an undergraduate degree from FSU in 2.5 years. Congratulations to Myron Rolle, for providing a positive story when so many today are based around negative actions of athletes. 6Magazine salutes you

Signing Off: Claude “Cognition” Clayborne A.K.A Triple C

Sean Taylor Week: Sean the Redskin

Coming to the into the league as the 5th overall pick to the Washington Redskins, Sean Taylor was poised to be one of the greats. Standing 6'3" and 230 lbs. with 4.4 40 speed, strength and great instincts you knew Taylor was going to be special, and that he was in his rookie year. Taylor posted 76 tackles, 4 picks, 1 sack, 9 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles in his rookie campaign. As a rookie he earned the nickname "Meast" for being half man/half beast because of his ferocious hits on opponents.



Taylor added to his stellar rookie campaign, finishing with 70 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble returned for a touchdown. In this year he became recognized as one of the hardest hitters in the NFL. Taylor helped the Redskins win a playoff win by intercepting a pass and taking it back to the house for the game winning touchdown.

In 2006, It was Taylor's most inconsistent year, but he still made the Pro Bowl which shows you what kind of ball player he was. He finished 2006 with 111 tackles, 1 interception, 6 passes defensed and 3 forced fumbles.



In 2007, which is sadly his last year he had his best year. He only played in 9 games and posted 42 tackles, 9 passes defensed, and 5 interceptions (which could have been 8, but Sean had a bad game against the Giants where he intercepted 2 Eli Manning passes but dropped 3 others). Taylor was posthumously named to the Pro Bowl in his last season was a Redskin.

I really miss watching him play. I was a huge fan. It is such a joy to watch a great safety play the game. The fun that people experience when they watch the Troy Polamalu, Brian Dawkins, Roy Williams, Bob Sanders, and Ed Reed, is equivalent if not greater watching Sean. He by far had the most physical gifts of the afore mentioned safety's. He had the size of Roy, range of Troy, instincts of Dawkins, ball skills of Ed, and ferciousness of Bob. People said he would be the next Eric Turner and I know he surpassed their expectiations. He will be sorely missed.

I sent an email out to Commissioner Roger Goodell to allow the NFL players to wear their socks and shoes any way the choose just like Sean used to do. I know it would be a great tribute to Sean Taylor and all the players would enjoy it also. If you want to help out contact Goodell to persuade him at Roger.Goodell2@nfl.net, Telephone #: 1-212-450-2000 or (212) 450-2027.

Peace, Love, Sean Taylor,


Richard Boadu

Isn't Slavery Over?

The Emancipation Proclamation was signed January 1, 1863. It still took some time for slaves to be freed, but it happen. Then you had the "institutionalization" which resulted in sharecropping after slavery was over, and that soon ended as well.

It's been said for a long time that athletics was a form of slavery, but no one said it until William C. Rhoden with his great book 40 Million Dollar Slaves. I was a college athlete at one time and I know how it is from the athlete's perspective. When you can't give "them" what they want anymore you are useless.

The sleaziest job in America is not a lawyer or a used car salesman, heck not even an advertiser. It is a college academic adviser. It is their job to keep athletes eligible to play at all cost. I've seen it with my own eyes and friends from other schools tell me that they wanted to be a doctor, or an engineer, lawyer and were instructed by their adviser that it would be "too hard" for them to concentrate on that and play whatever sport they were playing. So they were encouraged to major in a less challenging major. Are you kidding me? It gets worse, because when those kids barely get to play, get hurt, or don't make it professionally, who is there to help them. No one. They don't graduate and no is left to help them. You can give me the argument that it is their responsibility etc, but the enviornment they come from is not the best by any means. They can't know the true reality because they have such great gifts athletically and have been spoon fed for so long it's natural for them to think making the pros is inevitable. They don't mature as they should through college because they don't have too. Once the harsh reality sets in that they will not be the next LeBron James or Devin Hester its hard pill to swallow and no one is there to help. They realize they've been used.

I saw read a very disturbing article the other day. Only 6 FBS football programs make money. I first thought to myself how is this, it can't be. But it is. When you factor in the salaries of everyone from coaches to janitors who clean up after games, the scholarships are actually paid to the schools by the athletic departments, and other miscellaneous expenses. There are 120 FBS football programs, and only 6 make money. I still can't believe it that's why I wrote it again.

So if, only 6 make money what is the point? If taxpayers only knew what they're money was going towards. Now yes I know there are boosters, donors, and alumni that provide money, but alot of programs rely on state tax money, especially the teams that do not profit and are public universities.

What bothers me the most is that these kids are being used, and for what? Take kid from ghetto, he gives his body to your program in hopes of fulfilling a childhood dream and in turn the university pays for his education. While paying for his education, university encourages kid not to pursue an esteemed major. Your teams sucks, and you don't make a bowl game for five straight years. In that time, the AD fires the head coach to bring the winning ways back to the school. New coach and old player don't mesh to well and player sees no more playing time. Don't forget he was encouraged not to pursue an esteemed major. His eligibility is up and his degree is on the way after he finishes taking 9 more hours of coursework that he has to pay for because his scholarship money is gone. This is also known as a huge waste of time, 5 years worth of time, not to mention the mental and emotional damage that has been done to the former "student"/athlete.

Sounds like a sophisticated form of modern day slavery to me.


Peace,


Thomas Black

College Football: Recap Week 13

Georgia Tech beat up on Miami racking up 427 yards against the Canes Thursday night in Atlanta. Miami came into the game ranking sixth in the country in run defense only yielding 107 yards per game. Paul Johnson and his triple option attack gashed the Canes again and again Thursday night. Miami looked helpless against Jonathan Dwyer, who led the Yellow Jackets with 128 yards rushing. This game is proof that the Spread Offense isn’t the only offense putting up huge numbers and Johnson has proved this throughout his career.

Syracuse, who is in the mists of a terrible season put together their best game of the year and beat Notre Dame in the snow Saturday afternoon. The Golden Domers were terrible other than namesake wide receiver Golden Tate. Tate has showed this season that he is one of the better receiving threats in the nation. Tate scored two touchdowns to keep Notre Dame in the game, while his teammates were being pelted with snowballs by a disgusted student section. The victory could not save the job of head coach Greg Robinson, but it may have put Charlie Weiss position at Notre Dame in just as much jeopardy. To make matters worse for Weiss, Notre Dame is almost guaranteed a blowout loss coming next week with a trip to face USC. Syracuse a 19.5 pt underdog waltzed into South Bend and handed Notre Dame their 14th loss in the last two years more than any other two year period in Notre Dame history. It may be time for a change if Notre Dame is to rejoin the elite ranks in college football.

Houston Nutt and Ole Miss went into the Tiger Stadium and dismantled LSU 31-13 Saturday evening in a game that may have announced the emergence of yet another power in the SEC. The Rebels led by quarterback Jevan Sneed who went 16 of 25 and put up 274 yards and 2 tds and threw no interceptions. Sneed continually beat the Tiger secondary with viciously accurate passing throughout the game. Ole Miss is a virtual lock for the Cotton Bowl now as they surpassed the Tigers for second place in the SEC west with their victory in Baton Rough. Hoddy Toddy is now 7-4 under first-year coach Houston Nutt. Ole Miss beat the Tigers for the first time in seven years Saturday and knocked out LSU almost as fast as Tiger quarterback Jarrett Lee in route to the landmark victory. Look for the Rebs to be a much-improved team next year.

Wisconsin needed overtime to beat Cal Poly of the Football Championship Subdivision, in Madison Saturday. Cal Poly’s kicker Andrew Gardner missed three extra points during regulation to give the Badgers a chance to take the game to overtime. This is a low point for a once promising season for Wisconsin. The loss would have probably been the biggest upset since Appalachian State beat Michigan at the Big House last year. Poly parlayed the usage of its Wing- T offense to roll up 276 yards rushing in the game. This is yet another instance of an unconventional offense piling up huge numbers on the ground similar to Georgia Tech running the option or Nevada running the Pistol formation. Hats off to Cal Poly in proving that you can never overlook an opponent and proving that Wisconsin has fallen very far in a short amount of time.

Utah behind the arm of Brian Johnson (303 yards passing and 4 tds) and a good defense beat up on BYU in the annual “Holy War” game in Salt Lake City. Utah clinched an undefeated season going 12-0 with the victory. Furthermore, the Utes guaranteed themselves a spot in the BCS, while simultaneously clinching the Mountain West Conference title outright. The victory was also was the first in three tries for the Utes to beat BYU. Now all that the Utah is waiting for is their destination in January. 6Mag pointed out that Johnson was the most underrated quarterback in the country earlier this season, and you have to agree after his performance Saturday. Hats off to the Utes for crashing the BCS in style.

Last but not least Oklahoma beat the “Coal Tar Stuffing” out of Texas Tech in Norman Saturday night. Oklahoma set the pace by getting Demarco Murray going early (125 rushing yards and 2 tds) as Oklahoma scored 35 second quarter points to take a 42-7 advantage at halftime. Oklahoma is averaging 46 point in the first half of games since the loss to Texas in October. Oklahoma played a nearly perfect game in front of the largest crowd ever (85,000 +) at Gaylord Family-Memorial Stadium. Oklahoma displayed a balanced offense, passing for 326 yards and rushing for 230 yards in the game. The defense, played as if their lives depended on it, held the Red Raiders to 21 points and limited Michael Crabtree to 6 receptions for only 62 yards. Sam Bradford may have taken over the lead for Heisman with a 304 yard 4 touchdown performance. Graham Harrell did reach a milestone in the game passing Ty Detmer for second all time on the NCAA all time passing list. Harrell who has thrown for 15,120 yards in his career still needs nearly 2,000 yards to break the record set by Hawaii’s Timmy Chang (17,072). Oklahoma may still have a chance to sneak into the national title game if they can beat Oklahoma State in convincing fashion. This scenario would have OU jump Texas in the BCS ratings which will determine the Big 12 South winner if there is a three-way tie amongst Tech, Texas, and Oklahoma. The Sooners should not have any problem with this given their Florida-like resurgence after their loss in Dallas earlier this year. Look out for the Sooners next week as they try to prove to the country that they belong in the Orange Bowl.

Sincerely,



Cal Poly Clayborne

NFL Week 12 Recap

The only headline in the Bengals vs. Steelers is that Ocho Cinco was deactivated. The game was boring and of course the Steelers won 27-10. So, when is Marvin Lewis going to be deactivated.

Donovan McNabb was benched? Smart move Andy, and what did his replacement Kevin Kolb do? Not much better throwing 10/23 and 2 interceptions. Well let me take that back he was apart of history, because he is the person who threw Ed Reed's record setting interception return of 108yards. The Ravens defense is scarier than ever to be honest and Joe Flacco is in a race with Matt Ryan and Chris Johnson to win rookie of the year. Oh yah, Ravens win the bird battle, 36-7.

Ha! Let me say I told you so. Cleveland Browns management is stupid. Hey let's bench Derek Anderson for Brady Quinn, when Derek Anderson is not the problem. Our offensive line that played so well a year ago has been replaced by lazy aliens. Braylon Edwards is reverting back to the old Braylon Edwards. Our defense is ranked 27th in the league in yards allowed per game. Yah, lets blame it on Anderson. Brady Quinn plays one good game against a sub par Champ Bailey free Denver defense and he is annointed King of Cleveland and Lebron is demoted to Prince. HAHAHA, Brady stunk it up and got benched. I'm not a Brady hater, I love 'em actually, but the way they dealt with Derek Anderson was not cool. Karma is a fat girl and she is not nice at all. Browns lose 16-6 to the lowly Houston Texans.

Detroit had a 17 point lead against the Buccanneers. Wait, let me rephrase that. The Bucs spotted the Lions 17 points to work on the come from behind game, because they will need in the tough NFC South. It turned out pretty well for the Bucs. They won the game 38-20.

Better to lose now than in the Super Bowl. Just ask the Patriots. Titans got their rear ends handed to them by the Jett Favre and the New York Bretts in a 34-13 loss. The Jets DT Kris Jenkins is back to his dominating form that he had while in Carolina and he cannot be stopped. A Jets vs. Giants Super Bowl is not far off at all.

Who does Matt Cassell think he is? Tom Brady. Next thing we know where gonna see him in beantown running around with some super model. I mean two straight 400 yard passing games. He realized he had Randy Moss on his team. The Pats aren't far off, and they might have cracked the code to stopping the Miami Dolphins Wildcat formation as they defeated the Fins 48-28.

Tony Romo 22/39, 300+ yards passing, 3TDs and no interceptions...thats all that needs to be said. Cowboys defeat the Niners 35-22.

Damn you Matt Ryan! I wanted to see Vick in a Falcons jersey again. Welp, oh well. The Dirty Birds handed the Panters only their 3rd loss of the year. Impressive.

San Diego played such a great game. Phillip Rivers threw 2TDs and no interceptions. But they gave Peyton Manning too much time, as he drove his team down the field and the best kicker of all time, Adam Vinatieri, kicked a 47 yard field goal in his sleep for the win.


Sincerely,


Riverboat Ricky

JIMMYS Week 13 of Football

Here are the JIMMYS for this past weeks football action.
College JIMMYS

Brian Johnson, QB Utah

Johnson balled out throwing 30 for 36 and 4TDs as the Utes won the Holy War over a top 25 ranked BYU team.
Travis Lewis, LB Oklahoma

The true Freshman from San Antonio stood up the Red Raiders challenge and won. Lewis had 13 tackles, one forced fumble and an interception.


NFL JIMMYS

Matt Cassell, QB Patriots

All Matt Cassell needs is a super model and he'll be Tom Brady. For the second straight week Cassell threw for 400 yards. Cassell went 30 for 43 for 415 yards and 3TDs in a victory of the Bill Parcells rejuvenated Miami Dolphins.

Terrell Owens, WR Cowboys

I wonder what Cris Carter and Keyshawn Johnson will have to say on the set of Monday Night Countdown after T.O.'s performance. Will they give him his props? Well if they don't 6Magazine will. Good work, T.O. What a difference a quarterback makes. T.O. shagged 7 balls for 213 yards and 1TD. That is a 30.4 reception average...disgusting!
Ed Reed, FS Ravens

With all the pub given to that guy who plays for the Steelers and being on a team with Pro Bowl defenders at every position its easy to forget bout the Best Free Saftey in the game. Well, not this week. Reed posted 2 interceptions and returned one for 108 yards which is an NFL record.
Leodis McKelvin, CB Bills

The rookie showed his naked ascot, which he has been doing all year long, but did such an exceptional job of it we had to reward him with a JIMMY. McKelvin picked off 2 Tyler Thigpen passes yesterday and took one back 64 yards to the house.

Eric Bassey #41 of the St. Louis Rams Interview

Great Interview with Eric Bassey, FS for the St. Louis Rams. Check it out and enjoy.

Friday Night Lights

Tis the time. It's Friday night and hundreds of high school football games are being played right now. I can't capture all the blue-chippers highlights. But here are some of the top college and pro players old high school highlight reels.

PERCY HARVIN



REGGIE BUSH



JOE McKNIGHT



DEMARCO MURRAY



NOEL DEVINE



GRAIG COOPER

Playoff Push, Let's talk the 6-4 club

The cool thing to do in the NFL as of late is to have a 6-4 record. Why, I have no clue at all. 8 teams in the NFL have this record. Of these 8, 4 of them would not make the playoffs.

The Broncos, Ravens, Colts, Patriots, and Dolphins are holding it down for the 6-4 club in the AFC and the Falcons, Cowboys, and Redskins are representing for the NFC. There are 7 weeks left in the season and this looks to be one of the more memorable playoff pushes in recent years.

Who's In?

AFC

Broncos are playing well. Their run game sucks, in part because of the multiple injuries suffered at the position. Jay Cutler looks to be turning the curve as Coach Mike Shanahan is putting the ball in his hands more in crucial situations. Their next six games are against 4 teams with records of .500 or less.

The Colts were highly criticized early in the year for well, not playing like they have for the past 6 seasons. It's not the fans fault the Colts played out of their minds for such a long time and we got spoiled. The Colts weren't slacking, they were out of sink and injuries played a huge part on that. Regardless of what he says, Peyton Manning wasn't the same, Bob Sanders was out, and Marvin Harrison was not fully recovered mentally from his injury. The 4 of the Colts last 6 games are against losing teams. Look for the Colts to be in the playoffs as the team no one wants to face in the first round.

NFC

The Redskins next six games split evenly between winning and losing teams. They are the toughest to call in this 6-4 club. Jason Campbell is having a career year as in Clinton Portis. The Redskins are a strong team this year and whoever is playing them needs to watch out.

Who's Out

AFC

The Dolphins are playing out of their minds. They went 1-15 last year to only be in the playoff push with seemingly the same roster from last year. That is what the Tuna does for you, whether he is in the front office or on the sidelines. Unfortunately, the AFC is too thick this year, especially their division the AFC East. The Fins won't make it this year, but watch out for them next year to make serious noise.

The Ravens have 4 of their next 6 games against winning teams. Joe Flacco has reached the 10 game mark, and its shown by his poor performances of late. The ten game mark is where most rookies start to fade in performance because they are used to 10-13 game seasons in college and not the full 16 of an NFL season. The Ravens are also battling injuries with starting CB and FS, Chris McAlister and Dawan Landry out for the year as well as 3rd wideout Demetrius Williams. The Ravens are a no go for the 2008 playoffs. Sowy Chawy.

As much as I hate to say it, I am a huge fan of Randy Moss, but the Pats will not make the playoffs. The AFC is too tough, let alone the AFC East. If they were in the NFC North, it would be on and poppin' but the Patriots play in a strong conference and division. Nothing futhermore needs to be said about this as I am tearing up right now. Randy! You will get your ring baby. I know you will.

NFC

The Cowboys are the last of the 6-4 teams for me to touch on tonight. The Boys will not make the playoffs. The Redskins need to thank the Cowboys because the Skins aren't great. It's not so much the Redskins are that good, it's just that the Cowboys have dealt with too much this season and they face 4 winning teams in their next 6 games. Tony Romo's injury was a huge difference and anyone that tells you otherwise needs to be considered unpatriotic. They just lost Felix Jones for the year. Thankfully, the real Jason Garrett came back, because an imposter was in his place when Marion Barber was consistently getting the ball less than 20 times a game. All of the Owens and Pacman drama to boot. The Boys were a true dissapointment because they should have won the Super Bowl this year.

Tech vs. OU: Bigger than Elvis

Texas Tech has never had this much on the line. Oklahoma has been in this position before, yet in recent years has faulted in big games. USC, Boise State, West Virginia ring a resounding bell for Sooner fans and football faithful alike. 

There is so much on the line in this one Saturday the LINE might actually break. Oklahoma is seeking to prove to the country that they are a legitimate threat for championships again and Tech on the other hand is trying to pull off a mid-season run not seen since, ironically, the Red October stretch by the 2000 Oklahoma team. There are so many storylines and plots and sub-plots in this one. The pupil versus the teacher, as former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Mike Leach faces his old boss Bob Stoops. The no-name Red Raider defense versus the best offense in the country if you let team scoring dictate who is better. Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree versus the Oklahoma defense which has been excellent at times and novice at others. Furthermore, two of the best quarterbacks ever to suit it up for their particular schools, Sam Bradford and Graham Harrell, will face one another with conference title, national title and Heisman implications on the line. To the winner of this showdown goes the spoils, with the winner having the national championship game in his grasp and the loser going to the Cotton Bowl or even the Alamo bowl(If Tech loses they may get lucky and get an at-large bid to a BCS bowl). 

So you can see what is on the line in this one, if the line is still there before kickoff at 7:00 pm central time on Saturday. I think that Oklahoma has something to prove as they lost their two best offensive players in last year’s Tech win in Lubbock. Sam Bradford was knocked out early last year with a concussion and DeMarco Murray dislocated a kneecap in the waning moments as Tech walked away with an upset victory and cranked that Crabtree all night in celebration. This year OU’s two fallen stars from last year will look to make a huge impact and have revenge in the national spotlight. Look for turnovers to be the key as most know that defense will be little to no factor in this one. Whatever team can cause a few turnovers will be able to walk away with a victory Saturday night. Expect a ton of points to be scored at least 90 by both teams, as I expect Oklahoma’s home field advantage to be the difference as OU finds revenge and makes itself a national player once again and throws yet another monkey wrench into the BCS. Oklahoma 53 Tech 49 in a barn burner.

Guns Down, 

Sooner CJ

P.S. Crabtree is still going to “Get it On” in a major way Saturday even in a losing effort.

The President Has Spoken

Even though there is no real playoff system in college football right now we are in the midsts of a playoff. I believe in my heart of hearts that the national champion will be one of four teams that happen to all play each other in the next few weeks. The winner of the Florida/Alabama will play the winner of the Texas Tech/Oklahoma game for the national title. I think this is a simple concept that you should take in real slow and let digest for a while, before making a rush to judgment. I feel as though all four of these teams will not be upset for the rest of the year. Meaning besides the big games within this mini-playoff there are no threats to these four teams to be upset. What this means is that they are in a pseudo playoff to reach the national title game. It looks something like this:

Alabama vs. Florida to take on the winner of Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma

The Big 12 South winner will beat the challenger from the Big 12 North Division, the Missouri Tigers, easily. Therefore, this is a winner take all bracket that should be just as revered as the Final Four or the NFC/AFC championships. I think that this year's national champion will have to be an offensive juggernaut and Alabama is not that, so even though you win championships with defense, offenses like those at Tech, Florida and Oklahoma are crazy, ignorant, stupid good, thus eliminating the Crimson Tide. Florida, thus by my Darwinian projection will make it to Miami. Oklahoma vs Texas Tech is trickier than the SEC venue. Oklahoma is at home which is a clear advantage for OU. Oklahoma has only lost 2 home games since Bob Stoops became head coach 10 years ago. Texas Tech is 0-5 against OU in Norman those years. Tech is really going to have to put up some points in order to win this one as Oklahoma is tops in the country in scoring and Tech is 3^rd overall in team scoring. I believe that Oklahoma wins this game and also beats Missouri to face a BIG COLD GLASS of REALITY that is the FLORIDA GATORS. I think that Florida dominates the Sooners or the Dolphins, whoever shows up at Pro Player Stadium that night to walk away with the national championship.

Your Welcome,

NegroDamus

P.S. 6 magazine shall in no way, shape, or form stand behind this prediction if it does not come to fruition. Matter of fact if it does not happen we probably will sue you for slander and provide some fake documents and pictures of you cheating with your wife to win the case got that? good, Dammit!

NFL Week 11 Wrap Up

Jets vs. Patriots game was the most exciting of the week. Why in the world did Ty Law back off Moss at the end of the game. He had been in bump in run coverage all game long doing a great job holding Moss to 2 catches for 10 yards up until Moss made a great catch on 4th and 1 to take the game into overtime.

The NFL really needs to reformat their Overtime system. I mean, the Jets marched right down the field kicked a field goal for the win. The Pats didn't even get to touch the ball. If colleges can play 6 overtimes past midnight, party after the game, and get all their homework done on Sunday then the NFL can play a true Overtime and not this Sudden Death mess.

The Falcons were brought down to earth by the Broncos in a 24-20 loss at home for the dirty birds. Matt Ryan still shows he is in the lead for the rookie of the year award throwing 20 for 33 and 250 yards. The Falcons ran the ball very well and controlled the ball 7 minutes longer than the Broncos and had more yards of total offense. I can only put my finger on a dropped pass in the end zone by Roddy White and a bad throw by Matt Ryan that resulted in a Dre Bly interception.

Does anyone realize the Carolina Panthers are 8-2? Also, will the Lions go 0-16, I hope not.

Chiefs vs. Saints was actually better than I thought it would be. Tyler Thigpen is balling too by the way.

At this point I think it is safe to say the Giants are going back to the Super Bowl.

I love Bill Parcells. Look at what he has done to the Dolphins. Thank you for rejuvenating Ted Ginn Jr. I was afraid he was going to go into exile, which is what happened when your drafted by the Raiders or Dolphins, well not anymore for the Dolphins at least. I used to ask myself all the time, how in the world is Anthony Gonzales outperforming Ted Ginn Jr. in the pros. Now Ginn is alive and making the big plays we thought he would. It is sad, but my heart still belongs to the Raiders. We'll be back guys, I know we will.

The Bears were in the Super Bowl two years ago, what gives? Charles Woodson needs to go to the Pro Bowl. This is his third year in Green Bay, his first he stole 8 balls, last year 5, and this year he already has 5 and 2 of those 5 have been returned for touchdowns.

Indy only beat the Texans by 6 points they get no love from me. Steve Slaton of the Texans does. Can someone please tell me why he was the 10th running back selected in the draft this year and the only running back outperforming him is Chris Johnson of the Titans who was the 5th running back selected. Yo scout, step your games up.

I am not wasting my time on the 49ers or the Rams. Sorry, I just won't do it, unless Henry Ellard, Jim Everrett, Steve Young, and Jerry Rice are on the field I won't do it until these teams re-establish their winning ways.

Kurt Warner has found a time machine of some sort I'm assuming. He's playing like its 1999!( Now I want to listen to that song) It's sad that the Cardinals line can have great pass protection but lousy run blocking. It makes no sense, thier passing game is their bread and butter so the defenses should be off the line of scrimmage and leave running lanes open. I don't know what the deal is, but the Edge is getting a raw deal, because Hightower should not be starting at all.

The Titans are still the most disrespected 10-0 team to ever walk the face of this earth. If Kerry Collins were Vince Young, I'm almost positive we'd be hearing MVP talk.

What's wrong with the Chargers man? Cromartie? Tomlinson? Rivers? These guys are too explosive not to be getting the job done. If Troy Polamalu and Hines Ward were locked inside Heinz Field and had to fight to the death to continue thier football careers, who would win?

Romo is back and he makes a difference. Give the man his respect please. The man who is really back is the real Jason Garrett. The Cowboys Head Coach in waiting pounded the ball to Marion Barber all game long as Barber rushed 24 times for 114 yards and one touchdown. He look DeAngelo Hall has a smile on his face, the football gods lifted his 7 year sentence play for the Oakland Raiders. Hall was so geeked that he intercepted a pass from Tony Romo in celebration of his exile.

Holla at cha boy,

Rajean Pierre Louis



PS. ESPN's Trent Dilfer and Tim Hasselback must go on ESPN. Really, they need to leave now. I want Michael Irvin and Sean Salisbury back. I know they got hated on by people, but these two gentlemen knew their stuff.

Antonio Cromartie: Lessons in Adversity

Antonio Cromartie is not just another rags-to-riches story about a promising football player born into a family living in poverty. Cromartie is THE STORY about a young man who has faced adversity most will never know and still has flourished to become one of the brightest young cornerbacks in the NFL.

Pain and strife seem to follow Cromartie in every aspect of his life. The events that have occurred in Cromartie’s life have dictated the path of his journey immensely. Cromartie attended a private Christian school in Tallahassee for his first few years of high school. However, when the family got behind on bills and Cromartie’s tuition was part of the problem, he opted to withdraw to benefit his family. Antonio, if you know anything about his story, has consistently made decisions to benefit his family even if they were not necessarily beneficial to him. Cromartie eventually enrolled at perennial power Lincoln High, a public school in Tallahassee. Cromartie was a huge success at Lincoln being named the 2002 Gatorade National Defensive Player of the Year. Cromartie then signed a letter of intent with Bobby Bowden at Florida State and his childhood dream of being a Nole had been fulfilled. However, because of problems with aggression and constant fighting, Cromartie did not start his freshman or sophomore years at the school. Antonio was even kicked out of a track meet for punching another runner in the face. Things quickly turned around for The Cro in 2004 when he was named an All-ACC selection. However, another family problem would lead to another hard decision, for Antonio, one that would end his college career prematurely. Cromartie had planned to return to Florida State for the 2006 season, but days before his team played in the 2006 Orange Bowl, he got a phone call from his mom, Cassandra, informing him that she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer. With his mom facing a life-threatening illness, and a young son at home, Cromartie decided it was best for his family if he were to leave Florida State and make himself available for the 2006 NFL Draft.

The Problems would not stop there for Cromartie. Cromartie served primarily as a nickel back in his rookie year and at time showed flashes of brilliance and other times he showed the fact he was a rookie. The Cro’s second season proved why many say he is the best athlete ever to come out of Florida State. This is impressive since he played the same position for the Seminoles that was occupied by Deion Sanders whom many consider the best cornerback in the history of the NFL. Cromartie made a huge splash in his second year leading the NFL with 10 interceptions and being named to the Pro-Bowl. Dealing with adversity has been a mainstay in Cromartie’s life but you would be shocked to know that the night before he set the all time NFL record for longest play ever, his mother was kidnapped at gunpoint from her Florida home. Cromartie carried the weight of his family all his life and while he was returning the missed field goal against the Minnesota Vikings to break the record you would never know he was carrying more than the pigskin across the goal line he was carrying the burden that he has his whole life.



Things would look up though for Cromartie his mother made it to safety before the sun rose and Willie Colston, her estranged ex-husband was in jail. A Tallahassee jury would eventually acquit Colston, but his mother was safe and that is all that matters to Cromartie.

People make mistakes and even though some would argue that these actions are an extension of his volatile past, maybe they are a product of what this man has gone through in his short time on earth. Some of his wounds are self-inflicted and some are out of his control, but Cromartie has matured immensely as he is the father of five children. The Cro has endured so much to reach his status as one of the top 5 corners in the league, bar none. You cannot judge this man by any means because you have not walked a mile in his shoes and you probably could not fit them if you tried. Cromartie has made something out of nothing his whole life and continued to strive to be better in every aspect of his life. This mindset should be a goal for all individuals, no matter what your situation may be.

Cromartie is not on pace to reach his mark of 10 interceptions he put up last year but there are signs that he is becoming a more well rounded corner. He has already reached 45 tackles this year and the season is only about 60 percent over, this may not be a high total but The Cro only posted 39 in his pro bowl season last year. The statistics lead you to believe that teams are throwing away from The Cro and even though he does not see as many balls as he did last year he has stepped up his run support, which is very important with the absence of Shawn Merriman from the Charger defense. Cromartie is a Champ Bailey level corner, look for his numbers to once again rival the top corners in the league when the Chargers defense reaches full strength next season. You can say what you want about Antonio but up until now you probably did not know how loyal he is to his family and what he has been through. Antonio Cromartie is more than a football player, he is someone who picked himself up from-the-bootstraps, made sure his family was ok, and made something of himself. Can you say that for yourself? A word to the wise don’t throw Cromartie’s way if you’re an opposing offensive coordinator in the NFL and don’t think for a second that Cromartie won't make a mountain out of a mole hill if given the opportunity.



Peace,


Claude Lina Clayborne Jr.

Get an Alarm Clock: The Colts Ain’t Dead

The first thing you may notice about the Indianapolis Colts this year is that they don’t have the offensive shine people have become accustomed to. What people don’t seem to be noticing is that the Colts have yet to be totally healthy as a team. And they’re still finding ways to win.

With their superstar quarterback enduring two knee surgeries, one coming just weeks before the regular season opener, the season started out shaky at best. What people also have failed to mention was how that impacted the team. Part of what makes the Colts so effective is their ability to stretch defenses with the threat of play action. Peyton’s knee issues led to him not being able to stretch and reach his backs on handoffs, and instead forced him to resort to pitching on every running play. This made it pretty easy for defenses to key on either the run or the pass. As Peyton’s knee gets stronger he’s been putting up better and better numbers and leading his team more true to form.

The Colts have also seen a rotation on the O-line that has featured multiple rookies and some guys that have never played a down in the league, leading to a lack of time in the pocket for Peyton. On top of that an ankle/knee injury put safety Bob Sanders on the bench for most of the season thus far, and anyone who has seen him play knows that he must be a direct descendent of King Leonidas of Sparta. He is the definitive leader of the young, and largely unknown, defense. Without his leadership the Colts D doesn’t perform on nearly the same level, as was evident with his presence this past Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Also, while it may appear that Marvin Harrison is on the back end of his career, the Colts have seen second year receiver Anthony Gonzalez fill in on big plays. I wouldn’t worry about the Colts from a receiver standpoint, especially when they sill have Bruce, I mean Reggie Wayne lined up on the other side. The fact remains that he may be the best receiver in the league.

While the Colts are obviously not going to win their division this year, the first time since its inception, their schedule is pretty soft the rest of the way. It shouldn’t take much for them to chop up a wild card spot, get healthy in the meantime, and make some noise in the playoffs. And, since I’m still not sold on the Tennessee Titans and Kerry Collins as savior/MVP, don’t think the Colts can’t make a deep run into January, and possibly all the way to Tampa.

The close games they’ve endured so far makes them that much scarier when it’s really going to count.

Peace,

Jay Dee

Simply Joey

One man's trash is another man's treasure. This is the case with the Pittsburgh Steelers letting go of Mr. Joey Porter two years ago. The Steelers are known for letting players go before their tank is empty, especially with linebackers. Jason Gildon and Greg Lloyd sound familiar. If those Steeler greats were let go then Joey Porter's early dismissal in Terrible Towel Town was just a matter of time.

Pittsburgh was right and wrong. They would be just fine without Joey, but they were wrong in letting him go because his skills were diminishing. In fact, Joey is at his peak now. He leads the NFL in sacks with 12. Porter also leads the league in mental infiltrations, also known as getting in people's heads. Victims this year include, Matt Cassell, Brandon Marshall, and Matt Jones. All have fielding verbal bullets from Porter that have all inevitably gotten into their heads.

You would think that with the Tuna in town all this tough talk from Joey wouldn't fly, but Coach Parcells is about results. Joey is doing just that and is in fact on pace to break the sack record of 22.5 set by Michael Strahan in 2001. Alot of Joey's resurgence has been the loss of Jason Taylor. Taylor's departure allowed Porter to move to the weakside linebacker spot allowing him to avoid Tight End's helping block on passing downs.

The Dolphins are 5-4 and making a huge playoff push. They play the lowly Oakland Raiders who are two games away from being kicked out of the NFL and being picked up on a 10 day contract with the CFL. The Raiders have given up 27 sacks in nine games. Can anyone say hat trick for Mr. Porter? I can.

Peace,

Ricky Writer

Glory Days: FSU Seminoles

This is a tribute to the glory days at FSU. The days when the War Chant meant a bloody death for the competition and Chief Osceola’s flaming spear burning at midfield was the visual proof that FSU was going to dominate time and time again. Enjoy the videos and take care

PASTOR CLAYBORNE

Deion Sanders



Warrick Dunn



Peter Warrick



Charlie Ward



FSU Tradition

Big 12 South Gang Wars

I advise anyone traveling through Big 12 South country to take a detour right now. There are shootouts left and right and people are getting caught in the crossfires. Graham Harrell and Sam Bradford are picking people off left and right. Zac Robinson and Colt McCoy are running up on folks with their backs turned in man to man. The defenses are doing their best but with offenses so potent they have no choice but to lay down and surrender. And please don't get the Baylor Bears twisted, because they have a freshman quarterback in Robert Griffin who is better than Terrelle Pryor up in Columbus. The Big 12 South is straight gangsta this year, so if you are going to rome through these parts, take cover and don't bring your loved ones.

The biggest benefitter of these gang wars is the Florida Gators. Let's say that OU was in the North Division, Tech was in the Conferece USA, OK State was in the Big 1o, and Texas was still in the Big 12 South and none of these teams met one another. If this were the case you could possibly have all undefeated teams with the SEC really on the outside looking in. This is the worst year to have a good year in the Big 12. The round robin play has elimnated teams left and right and Texas Tech truly does stand on top of the conference and nation with its wins over Texas and OK State. But who is to say that Tech doesn't lose to OU and OU doesn't lose in its finale against OK State. This outcome would be the best for Texas Tech who would have one loss and the deciding tie breaker over Texas because of head to head play.

The craziest thing would be a three way tie and that would happen if OU beats Tech and OK State in these next three weeks. The deciding factor would be the BCS rank would benefit the team that lost the earliest which would be OU in early October to Texas.

Call me a homer, but I would like to see an OU vs. Texas rematch for the national championship. Texas tricked off the dope by losing to Tech, because Alabama is going to lose as Penn State has lost last week. I truly have to pray for a miracle to see it happen. But this is college football "where wild happens". Don't be surprised if the Gators stumble against Florida State and Bama loses to Florida. Enough SEC talk.

Bottom line the Big 12 South is the most gangster conference this year. SEC please admit it you all have had a down year, but we all know you will be back, but the Big 12 South holds the crown this year.

BCS Beef

A few things became clear this college football weekend. Penn State is as good as dead after scratching and clawing to lose at home to Iowa this week. This loss gives the top one loss teams in the BCS (Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, USC) a new lease on life.

Texas Tech, after a great home stand versus Texas and OSU, is a bona-fide threat to win the National Championship. Graham Harrell and the Techies are simply nasty on offense and having Michael Crabtree to pitch the ball to does not hurt. The Red Raider defense is pretty stout too, holding teams in the gangster laden Big 12 South below their usual outputs. Oklahoma State, on the other hand, is good but not ready for top-tier warfare. OSU was tabbed as a team that was a year away at the beginning of this year and this seems to be the case, even thought they have performed admirably this year.

Seemingly every team in the ACC still has a chance to make it to the conference championship game, including the David Cutcliffe led Duke Blue Devils. There is a three-way logjam at the top of both divisions. UNC, Miami, and Virginia Tech are tied atop the Coastal Division and Wake Forest, Maryland and FSU are tied for the lead in the Atlantic Division.

Utah, Boise State and Ball State, even without Dante Love, are digging in to make a push for multiple BCS Buster action. Utah's only threat this year is their annual in-state battle with BYU. Conversely, Boise State only has to beat Fresno State at home in thier last game to reach perfection. Ball State looks to be the only lock to go undefeated among the three as they face cupcakes in Miami (OH), Central Michigan and Western Michigan in order enters their name in the BCS conversation.

Speaking of Utah, quarterback Brian Johnson has broken most of the records that Alex Smith set at Utah. The then-rising Urban Meyer recruited Johnson, a Baytown, Texas native, to Utah. He's a four-year starter, but those four years were loaded with injuries, including a season where he suffered an ACL tear last year. Johnson has bounced back from the injury to lead the Utes to the brink of an undefeated season and is in my opinion one of the most overlooked quarterbacks in the country.

Lastly, Florida and Alabama have guaranteed themselves a spot in Atlanta for the SEC championship. Both locked up their divisions this week as Florida blasted the Vanderbilt Family of Brains and Braun Bubbas by 35 and Alabama used one of its nine lives with the help of former walk-on Rashad Johnson's three interceptions, one for a touchdown and another in OT, to beat LSU in Death Valley. The SEC championship will be a good game and I still believe that Florida is the hottest team in the country and both teams have their fate as far as the SEC and BCS firmly in their hands. Lastly, after watching Washington and Syracuse stink it up all season, whom do you think would win between the two?

Sincerely,


Cataract Clayborne

JIMMY AWARDS - Week 11

Here are the JIMMY Awards for the 11th week of football.

College JIMMYS

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech QB

I'm not sure if this kid has been to NYC, but I'm willing to bet he'll be there this December for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Harrell went 40 for 50 for 456 yards and 6TDs as the Red Raiders got one inch closer to Big 12 South supremacy by defeating the 9th ranked OSU Cowboys.

Rashad Jones, FS Alabama

Jones had LSU coach Les Miles rethinking his decision to boot former QB Ryan Perrilloux off the team, because Jones picked off 3 passes, one for a touchdown and one in OT to help the Tide win the game.

NFL JIMMYS

Adrian Peterson, RB Minnesota Vikings

AD rushed 30 times for 192 yards and the game winning touchdown as the Vikes defeated the Packers 28 to 27.

Julius Peppers, DE Carolina Panthers

Pep has been off the radar for a while, but he is still the same. 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles sound familar. Yep. He did it this weekend as the Panthers defeated the Raiders 17 to 6.

NFL Week 10 Shakedown

Young guns and wiley vets shine in NFL Week 10. The Falcons are for real make no mistake about it. At 6-3 with a great division win yesterday over the Saints and currently tied for 2nd in their division. Unless this global warming thing goes extra bad and causes the dirty birds to have a meltdown the Falcons will be in the playoffs.

Their defense shut down the best quarterback in the NFL this year in Drew Brees. The defense intercepted three Brees' passes, which was the most he had thrown all year long. His counterpart, rookie QB Matt Ryan, went 16 for 23 for 248 yards and 2TDs.

Although Matt Ryan is have a great rookie year, the team MVP is Michael Turner who is 3rd in the NFL in rushing. He helps the Falcons control the ball which is complimented by a great Falcons defense, especially the secondary.

Tennessee Titans are 9-0 and they’ve done it with great defense and an explosive rushing attack. That is until they ran into the Chicago Bears who don’t have a shabby defense themselves. Da’ Bears held the Titans to 20 yards rushing on 29 carries. The passing game of the Titans has been criticized all year long. Yesterday, they showed that they can make plays when their hand is forced. For the Bears to force the Titans to throw that might not have been the wisest decision because they rank 30th in pass defense in the NFL. Kerry Collins exploited that weakness by throwing 30 for 41 for 289 yards and 2TDs and most importantly no interceptions as the Titans won in Chicago 21-14. Tom Jackson of ESPN said it best, when he said that Mr. Collins should be considered for MVP. He’s played flawless all year long.

The Cleveland vs. Denver game was the most exciting game all week long. Too bad it comes on NFL network and I have stupid Time Warner Cable in Austin. Anyone living in Austin do not get Time Warner cable it sucks. Either way Brady Quinn and Jay Cutler got busy slanging the rock all over the field. Quinn went 23/35 for 239 yards and 2TDs in the debut as a starter. This was a game where the team who had the ball last should have won, but that was not the case. Kellen Winslow had a great game and a bad game all in one game. Aside from the sick numbers he put up grabbing 10 catches for 111 yards and 2TDs, he also had a fumble, offensive pass interference penalty, and drop a pass that would have kept the Browns final drive going. Either way, it was a great game and someone had to lose. But don't believe the Broncos' 5-4 record, because they should be 3-6 Kellen Brown doesn't drop this pass and the week 2 Ed Hochuli debacle against the Chargers.

Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Jeremy Shockey the Giants don’t need you. Maybe I should be telling this to Plaxico Burress instead. Bottom line is the Giants have just as much respect at this point in the season as they did last year, which isn’t a lot. Most teams aren’t considered underrated at 8-1 but you don’t really hear anyone buzzing about the Giants, but with the 2nd best record in the NFL where are the damn killer bees. However, 4 of the Giants 8 wins are against teams with losing records and their next 7 games are all against teams with winning records.

You can’t say Eli outplayed Donovan last night because their stats were virtually the same, but Eli made plays when his team needed him to defeat the Eagles 36-31.

The Baltimore Ravens are 6-3 with a Rookie running QB in Joe Flacco and rookie head coach in John Harbaugh running the show. Although they may run the show, everyone in their right mind knows who holds the team together and that is Mr. Ray Lewis. In his 13th year and at 33 years of age, you really can’t tell Lewis’ age. He is doing his usual damage with 63 tackles so far, but he is wreaking havoc in the passing game with 9 passes defense which leads all NFL linebackers. He showed off those pass defense skills against the Texans yesterday leading the defense to intercept four Sage Rosenfels passes, being responsible for two of them. The Ravens have positioned themselves quite nicely for a playoff berth and a crash course meeting in Week 14 with the Pittsburgh Steelers at home which will most likely be for the AFC North Division Title.

Cal-USC Preview

USC defeated Cal last season, and has won four straight in the series since a loss at Berkley in 2003. The Trojans have also won 42 of their last 43 games at their home, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Every year it seems that that USC-Cal matchup is over hyped as USC has been dominant lately and should again reign supreme this year. The Trojans have, besides their nationally televised upset loss at Oregon State, played like a national title contender this season. Before getting caught up in any national title hype, though, it needs to first win the Pac-10 outright.

The Trojans, who are ranked 7th in the country look to win their sixth straight game on Saturday when they host No. 21. USC. Troy has won a share of the last six Pac-10 titles, and owns a half-game lead of the Pac-10 over the Golden Bears and Oregon State. The Beavers upset the then No. 1 Trojans 27-21 on Sept. 25, and USC has been taking out its frustration from that loss on each foe ever since. In last Saturday's 56-0 win over Washington, USC had 18 first downs and 325 yards of total offense in the first half, compared to two first downs and 35 yards for the Huskies. That is what you call complete domination.

With the victory, the Trojans improved to 24-0 in November games since Pete Carroll was hired as coach in 2001. The Bears have won four of five, and are coming off a win over Oregon last week. Nate Longshore passed for 136 yards and a touchdown in place of Kevin Riley, who suffered a concussion on a vicious hit late in the first quarter. California coach Jeff Tedford said Riley might be healthy enough to play this week, but has yet to name a starter. Longshore started for the Bears in 2006 and 2007 and has two career starts against the Trojans, as both were losses.

Carroll's defense is tops in the NCAA in total defense (211 yards per game), scoring defense (7.1 points per game) and opponent passer rating (82.3). This is the type of defense that should not be bet against under any circumstances. Furthermore, Cal has a history of not showing up against USC, in their annual clash in recent memory. Cal has a good mixture of talent and any offense coached by Jeff Tedford has a chance to win a game. However, look for the superior talent and speed of the USC defense to dominate this game and continue USC’s attempt to crash the BCS party. Trojans 48 Cal 27

Thanks, Claudious Minimus

BCS Ouija Board

The BCS mayhem that unfolds every year is upon America once again. Seemingly every year, in this crazy system that we call the BCS, there is more controversy that Dwight K. Schrute at a Battle Star Galactaca convention. Here is a simple rundown of how the teams left with a legitimate shot can get to the national title game and what has to happen to make it to the Orange Bowl on January 8, 2009.

Alabama is currently ranked number one in all national polls and the BCS ratings. Their road to Miami is simple win out and they are in. The major tests left for the Crimson Tide are this week's game at LSU, and the Iron Bowl on November 29 with Auburn, a team they have not beaten since 2001. If Nick Saban and the Tide can win both of these games, they would face arguably the hottest team in the nation Florida led by speed merchants Jeff Demps and Percy Harvin. The bottom line is Alabama has beat all comers this year and play better on the road than they do at home, however their biggest tests are yet to come. Auburn is less of a threat in a down year for the Tigers, but it is one of the biggest rivalries in the country and Tommy Tubberville could solidify his job position with a victory over the Tide. Six Mag gives the Tide a 75% chance to reach the title game based on their great ground game and stiff defense.

Texas Tech fresh off an upset of, the former # 1 ranked team Texas, is primed and ready to make a run at the school's first national title. What stands in the way of the pass-happy Techsters is a rugged season ending schedule. The Crabtrees' face Oklahoma State on the 8th and then get a bye week before heading to Norman to face the always good Sooners who have national title hopes as well. Afterwards they face a dangerous Baylor team that is playing as good as they have since their glory days in the 80's. Afterwards if they win those contests, they would most likely face Missouri for the Big 12 title and Missouri would love nothing more than to ruin the hopes of a team looking for its first at a national title ever. Tech has a chance behind their smooth field general, quarterback Graham Harrell, and All-Milky Way wide receiver Michael Crabtree. The key to Tech having a chance to reach the title game involves the critical bye week between facing both powers from Oklahoma. If they beat the Cowboys, they have two weeks to try to configure a plan to beat Oklahoma in Norman a feat that has only happened twice this century. Six Mag is giving Tech 45% chance to make the title game and the bye week gives Mike Leach the perfect situation to beat the odds and make it to Miami in January.

Penn State is sitting pretty in the polls but really, in my opinion, need both Alabama and Texas Tech to slip up in order to make it to the Orange Bowl. Historically, Penn State has had trouble making it to the championship game with undefeated teams. Does 1994 ring a bell? It has become clear that the Big Ten cannot compete with the talent from the other major conferences. The Big Ten is viewed publically as a slow weak conference and Ohio State's recent failure in big games only bolsters this perception, which has a direct impact when voters decide the top 25 (rankings). Furthermore, with its weak schedule, Penn State is likely to get jumped by a one loss SEC team such as Florida or even potential one loss contender from the Big 12 such as Texas. It all depends on how the last few games of the season shake out. If Penn State is the only undefeated team in the nation at the end of the season, it will be hard to argue that they don’t deserve a shot but the peripheral issues that surround the Big Ten and BCS may leave the Lions out in the Cold come January. Penn State faces no real tests before the end of the season, the only real threats are Iowa, which is surging as of late, and a tough nosed Michigan State team. Penn State losing either game would be a monumental upset. Six mag gives the Paterno's a 50/50 shot at making it to Miami.

Texas road to the BCS is a little more complicated. There is a very real possibility that if a Big 12 team represents their conference in the national title game, they could not be conference champions, similar to Nebraska in the Rose Bowl in January 2002. Texas could reach the championship by being the Big 12 conference champion, this means that Tech would have to lose twice and the Longhorns would run the table to beat Missouri again and possibly, depending who loses ahead of them or falls behind them, make it to Miami. This is the most realistic shot for the Longhorns as the Big 12 championship would give them another game for fans to see and boost their BCS rating. If Tech runs the table, they are in the championship game. However, if Tech was to lose the Big 12 title game to Missouri and Florida tops Alabama in the Sec Championship game, there is a chance the Horns could slip into the back jumping Penn State to make it to Miami. These are all long shot scenarios but Texas is still very much in the thick of things regarding the National Championship race. Give the horns a 40% chance to reach salvation

Florida is without a doubt the hottest team in the country. They have been swashbuckling a path of terror not seen in SEC country since Sherman's March. Florida's average margin of victory since the September loss to Ole Miss is 42 points against good competition. LSU was #4 and Georgia #6 when they played and the Gators beat them both by 30 plus points. Florida is still very much in control of their national title hopes. They are the hottest team in the country and still face a very good Florida State team and the winner from the SEC West, which is presumably Alabama. It is safe to say if Florida wins out they will be hard to keep out of the BCS championship picture. Furthermore, if Texas Tech falters, then the Gators have a really good chance of jumping the teams ahead of them and possibly winning their second National Title in three years. The key here is if Florida keeps blasting the competition, as they have been doing, expect them to make up enough ground to make the short trip from Gainesville to Miami. Here is where the margin of victory is supposedly not taken into account but is the main reason the Gators have such a good chance to finish in the top two in the BCS after what looked like a disastrous loss to Mississippi earlier in the year.

Oklahoma really is playing a waiting game in how the BCS plays out. Even though the Sooners have only lost one game, losing a late lead to Texas, they really are one of the more disadvantaged teams left as a legitimate contender to make it to Pro Player Stadium on the 8th. Oklahoma needs to beat Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M to reach the title game. Texas A&M from time to time gives OU fits and even though the Aggies are down this year they have a good quarterback in Jerrod Johnson and decent talent around him. Oklahoma does not need to overlook this week's game if they are to have any chance. Oklahoma could find its way to Miami if Texas loses again and it would really help the Sooners if Florida lost in the regular season and beat Alabama in the SEC Championship game. Moreover, all this would have to happen with OU running the table and winning their conference championship game themselves. OU still has a chance but are going to need a lot of help from others in order to stamp its ticket to Miami. The Sooner's have about a 25% chance to reach the Orange Bowl.

USC is once again the victim to an unforeseen loss to a Pac-10 opponent, Oregon State, which was the case last year for the Trojans as well (Stanford). Besides these random losses to the bottom tier of the Pac-10, nobody else has touched the Trojans in recent years. Their biggest obstacle is themselves. This year, however, it would take a small miracle for the Trojans to make it to the big game. The Pac-10 is down this year, and this has left the perception across the nation that USC is the proverbial "Big Fish in a Small Pond." Furthermore, the one team to beat the Trojans, Oregon State, was pummeled 45-14 by Penn State just two weeks prior to upsetting USC. Based on this clear head-to-head comparison, I don't think the voters would give USC a shot over any other one-loss team in the country. Pete Carroll has been defensive about this recently calling for a change to the system. The truth is why does any team with one loss deserve to be shut out of the championship game? Especially a team with the experience and pedigree that USC has? If there was a playoff system in place, nobody and I repeat nobody would want USC on their side of the bracket! With the current system, if USC somehow made it to the championship game it would be a miracle. The Trojans could make the trip to Miami but only under the slimmest of margins Six Mag is giving Troy a 5% chance to play for all the marbles.

It is going to be very entertaining to see how the BCS turns out this year. There are a myriad of scenarios that could or could not play themselves out. The only thing for sure is that the game is going to be played on Jan. 8. No team mentioned in this article should count their eggs before they have hatched, sit back and relax and see if the BCS can once again give everyone in the country a reason to wonder what a playoff would be like.

Sincerely, Call My Secretary Clayborne