The Crystal Ball...

Another week of predictions is upon us. Before we get to it, a few thoughts on some lingering topics...

Dallas Cowboys. What a circus. Having lived in Dallas for over a year now, I can safely conclude that the Cowboys are the anti Patriots. That's not to say the Cowboys aren't talented. They are, in fact, loaded. But what a carnival this team is: Pacman Jones and his alleged drinking problem. T.O.'s penchant for crying. Jerry Jones and his stretched face. Romo's finger. Jessica Simpson's skybox dances. And now WR Roy Williams. Tell me this isn't the opposite of Patriots, Inc., where everything is run like Microsoft and handled in house.

Boston Red Sox. As much as I hate to say it, this team is in dire straits. (In fact, this is one of the few predictions the Crystal Ball had correct last week.) Starting pitching has deserted them. And they are really missing the middle-of-the-lineup pop of Manny Ramirez. It pains me to see this team flailing away, waiting for the big hit that just won't come. Face it, folks. Manny's the difference and now he's gone.

Now to the college gridiron, where many good games await. The Crystal Ball's Spidey sense foresees a weekend of upsets that will roil the rankings. For the Ball's sake, here's hoping for a better week than the last one...

Thursday quick hits:

Florida State at North Carolina State. NC State has a history of playing the Seminoles tough, especially in Raleigh. But the matchups just don't favor the Wolfpack this time. Florida State is just too fast on defense. 'Noles win.

UPSET ALERT: Brigham Young at Texas Christian. A game with lots of Mountain West Conference ramifications. TCU plays well at home and I don't trust BYU on the road (They struggled against Washington and Utah State.) The Cougars are playing with the highest stakes in the balance (undefeated season, BCS berth). That pressure will begin to seep into their play this week, especially late. Humiliated at Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago, TCU is spoiling for redemption. I think they get it. The Horned Frogs pull the upset and dash BYU's big bowl hopes.

Saturday:

Georgia Tech at Clemson. Game One of the Post Bowden Era does not bode well for Clemson. Georgia Tech's strength is its defensive line and Clemson's weakness is its offensive line. The Yellow Jackets will win this one in the trenches.

Texas Tech at Texas A&M. The Aggies are a team desperate for a win, but Tech just has too much offensive talent to be denied. Following a scare against Nebraska, Tech stays focused and routs A&M.

UPSET ALERT: North Carolina at Virginia. After a putrid opening to the season punctuated by that big loss to USC, Virginia has turned it around. In fact, they have now become tough to beat at home. UNC is coming off of a big win against Notre Dame and recently got news that the team's top deep threat, WR Brandon Tate, is out for the year. I think Virginia is hungry and UNC is still thinking about the Irish and what to do without Tate. Virginia springs the upset.

UPSET ALERT: Ole Miss at Alabama. Everything points to the Crimson Tide. They're at home, rested and ranked No. 2 in the nation, while Ole Miss is coming off of a loss to South Carolina. Call it a hunch, but I think Alabama's still got a little ways to go before coach Nick Saban brings them to the promised land. If Ole Miss can beat Florida, they can win in Tuscaloosa. The Rebels pull a major upset and shake up the polls.

Michigan at Penn State. If there were ever a game to pity Michigan, this would be it. Michigan is struggling, while Penn State is playing lights-out football. Add that to the fact that the teams will be playing before a jacked up, clad-in-white Nittany Lions' crowd. I foresee a rout of epic proportions coming for Michigan and its fans. Penn State wins big.

NEAR UPSET ALERT: Baylor at Oklahoma State. College football giveth and college football taketh away. Poor Oklahoma State. Sandwiched between nationally-televised showdowns with Missouri and Texas sits this game against Baylor. No matter what the coaches do, the Cowboys are going to come out flat. The Bears are getting better with every game, especially on offense. Oklahoma State, I think is too talented to be upset here. But if the Cowboys ride into this game with a light heart, they will lose. Cowboys win, but I would not be shocked to see Baylor sneak up on them.

LSU at South Carolina. The Tigers lost big at Florida last week. Now, here come the Gamecocks, who are playing at home and have won four in a row. If you look hard at LSU's schedule, they really haven't beaten anyone. South Carolina, meanwhile, is a couple of fumbles away from being undefeated. I think this is one of those "wheat-from-the-chaff" games. Wheat: South Carolina. Chaff: LSU. Gamecocks win.

Virginia Tech at Boston College. Ah, my alma mater playing in prime time against the team I love to hate: the Hokies. Alas, if only the matchups were better for the Eagles. The Hokies will roll big time if they create turnovers and wreak havoc on B.C.'s special teams (a very real possibility given that the Eagles have weak kickers). B.C.'s strength is its defensive front seven, which will prevent Tech from running the ball with any sustained success. The Eagles have a chance if the defense plays well and QB Chris Crane keeps interceptions to a minimum. We'll find out on Saturday. No pick.

Big games:

UPSET ALERT: Ohio State at Michigan State. The Buckeyes will focus on stopping Spartan RB Javon Ringer and they may well do so. But Ringer and Michigan State will make more plays on offense than Ohio State. You heard it here first: It'll be darned close, but the Buckeyes go down in East Lansing.

Kansas at Oklahoma. If only we could have seen this showdown last year, when both Kansas and Oklahoma were ranked in the Top 5. I'm a believer in Kansas QB Todd Reesing, who might make things interesting. But the Sooners have too much talent and too much to prove to lose at home. Oklahoma wins.

Vanderbilt at Georgia. The Commodores have had a good ride, but I fear for their defense. Bulldogs RB Knowshon Moreno is due for a big game. What better time than against a Vanderbilt defense that is vulnerable against the run? Moreno and Georgia QB Matthew Stafford provide too much firepower for the Commodores to handle. Bulldogs win.

Biggest game:

Missouri at Texas. Oh Mizzou. There may be bigger upsets on paper. But, in my estimation, Missouri's loss to Oklahoma State was an absolute shocker. Let's be clear: The Cowboys are very good. But until last week, Missouri's offense looked darned near unstoppable.

In upsetting the Tigers, the Cowboys laid out a blueprint for stopping Missouri's juggernaut spread offense: Harass the receivers to disrupt their timing. Shut down the run. And force the Tigers into unmanageable third-and-long situations. Oklahoma used a similar strategy to beat Missouri twice last year. Texas will likely try the same thing.

Against Oklahoma, the Longhorns showed they are the real deal. The team is stacked on offense and defense (and special teams, for that matter). They can move the ball, shut down opposing offenses in key spots and hatch game plans that work. Missouri QB Chase Daniel won't quit until the final whistle, but the karma, talent and game plan will be with Texas. Longhorns win.