Midday update: A hot mess

In short, yikes.

The ACC is in turmoil, with the BC, Florida State and Miami games. Maryland atop the ACC Atlantic? Really?

The Big East is sorting itself out. Pitt goes deep into OT for a win over Notre Dame. West Virginia wins. South Florida is sure to drop in the polls.

The SEC East becomes of interest with the Florida blowout over Georgia. And you've gotta wonder about Tommy Tuberville's future.

Big 10? Forget about Northwestern, and Michigan State lost the statistics game but pulled out a win.

Tulsa is sure to drop from the rankings with the loss to Arkansas, while Chase Daniel isn't doing himself or Missouri any favors with a close one against Baylor.

But the biggies are to come. Looking forward to tomorrow night's BCS update.

Trick or treating gone wild...

Non Football Thought:

I think we're going to need some more candy next year...

By 8:30 p.m., our candy bowl was empty. By 8:45 p.m., I had handed out the last of the Nutri-Grain bars in our pantry and was about to move onto bottled water.

Final tally: About 100 kids, with about 50 or 60 more turned away. We knew our Dallas neighborhood would be active on Halloween. We didn't know it would be a sugary version of Lollapalooza or the NYC Marathon. As Steve Irwin of Animal Planet -- God rest his soul -- would say: Crikey!

Enjoy the weekend everyone! May your backyards be less full of leaves than mine.

Texas over Tech; Florida over Georgia.

On the tube

In the season's home stretch and just weeks away from rivalry weekend, then conference championships and bowl selection weekend. Woohoo!!!! This week, we've got some broccoli games and some nice, sweet chocolate cake.

First, big heaping helpings of vegetables:
Northwestern at Minnesota (11 a.m., ESPN2): Will determine bowl selection.
West Virginia at UConn (11 a.m., ESPN Gameplan): The Big East is a mess, no question. This one will (hopefully) provide some distance for one of these teams at the top.
Miami at Virginia (11 a.m., ESPN Gameplan): One of those "Who's going to show up?" games.
Tulsa at Arkansas (1 p.m., ESPN Gameplan): The Golden Hurricane is easily the Conference USA favorite, and they could score some national ranking points by knocking off an SEC team. A weak one, but still the SEC.
Pitt at Notre Dame (1:30 p.m., NBC): Another Big East decider.
Clemson at Boston College (2:30 p.m., ESPNU): With some luck, BC could back its way into the ACC Championship game.

Now for something sweeter:
Florida at Georgia (2:30 p.m., CBS): Yum. The Gators would like to provide some payback for last year's rush-the-field moment.
Florida State-Georgia Tech (2:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN/Gameplan): Georgia Tech challenging for ACC Coastal title would have been laughable four months ago.
Oregon at Cal (2:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN Gameplan): Pure entertainment, with a good chance to muddy up the Pac 10 waters.
Texas at Texas Tech (7 p.m., ABC): Will the Longhorns have a game the rest of the season that isn't considered "Most Critical Game Ever"?

Or, if you prefer cupcakes:
Air Force at Army (11 a.m., ESPNU): Pity poor Army.
Wisconsin at Michigan State (11 a.m., ESPN): Spartans hope to toss off past seasons' collapse demons.
Kansas State at Kansas (11:30 a.m., FSN): Jayhawks need a win.
Washington at USC (5:30 p.m., FSN): Yikes.
Tennessee at South Carolina (6 p.m., ESPN2): Disappointment meets disappointment.
Nebraska at Oklahoma (7 p.m., ESPN): Rebuilding Nebraska meets a must-win Oklahoma.
Arizona State at Oregon State (9:15 p.m., FSN): I'm convinced that the Sun Devils are better than their record says, while the Beavers are worse than theirs does.

The Crystal Ball...

The Crystal Ball has had a rough go of it as of late. Chalk it up to too many espressos at the dairy bar. Good games abound this week, including yet another blockbuster involving the Texas Longhorns. Let's get to it:

West Virginia at Connecticut. The Huskies will be motivated as they are probably thinking about last year (QB Pat White and the rest of the Mountaineers embarrassed UConn in Morgantown 66-21). But the Mountaineers are prone to turnovers and Connecticut is good at creating them. UConn will hang tough and have some success with RB Donald Brown, a future NFLer. But if the Mountaineers can keep turnovers to a minimum, West Virginia will win on the shoulders of its talented spread offense.

Tulsa at Arkansas. Here's a chance for the Golden Hurricane to showcase its prolific offense against an SEC team. Arkansas will have the home crowd on their side and keep things close for a while, but Tulsa is too talented offensively and has too much to prove to lose. Tulsa wins.

Pittsburgh at Notre Dame. Pitt hopes to pick up the pieces from a bad loss to Rutgers, while the Irish are playing confident football. If Rutgers QB Mike Teel can throw for six scores against Pitt's defense, Irish QB Jimmy Clausen can, too. I foresee a Notre Dame win, with Irish coach Charlie Weis utilizing playaction frequently -- a strategy used by Rutgers to great effect.

Florida State at Georgia Tech. At last, Tech coach Paul Johnson's triple option offense faces off against a speedy elite defense in Florida State's. I think both offenses will struggle. But Florida State's will be able move the ball at key moments, while Tech won't. Tech will hang tough at home, but the Seminoles will pull out the victory. (Of course, if the 'Noles turn the ball over frequently, something that's not out of the question, then all bets are off.)

Iowa at Illinois. The Illini are the Big Ten's version of Jekyll and Hyde. One week, they look like BCS material. The next, they are conference doormat material. This game could go either way. But since the Hawkeyes are playing well right now and Illinois isn't, I think Iowa has the advantage. Hawkeyes win a close one.

Nebraska at Oklahoma. On paper, this one looks like a complete blowout, and it may well be. But my Spidey sense tells me that Nebraska will be fired up for this rivalry game and play perhaps their best game of the season. Remember, the Huskers came within a nail's length of upsetting Texas Tech in Lubbock earlier this season when no one gave them a chance. Oklahoma is too talented to be denied, but the Huskers will make a game of it.

Oregon at California. Here's a solid Pac-10 matchup that most of America won't see. Oregon played well last week against Arizona State, but the Golden Bears are tough to beat at home. If Cal QB Nate Longshore can avoid tossing any interceptions, I see the Bears coming out with a hard-fought win.

Big Game:

Florida vs Georgia (in Jacksonville). Last year, this game launched the 2008 Heisman campaign of Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno and set the Bulldogs upon the trajectory to greatness. That game, a Bulldog victory, featured a memorable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when the entire Georgia team ran out onto the field following a score. Both teams remain in the national championship hunt and have lots to prove, but you can bet Florida still keeps memories of last year's celebration. Gator QB Tim Tebow was hurt last year. He isn't now. I like Georgia's offense to keep things close, but a fired-up Tebow and a slightly better Florida D will prove the difference. Gators win.

Biggest Game:

Texas at Texas Tech. Texas continues its remarkable run of titanic Big 12 showdowns. They face arguably their toughest test Saturday: Playing on the road against a talented and highly-motivated Red Raiders squad.

Tech made a believer out of me last week when they put up 63 points against Kansas and shut down the Jayhawks' very good QB Todd Reesing. On the other side, we all know what Texas can do. And they are certainly battle tested, having beaten a murderer's row of Oklahoma, Missouri and Oklahoma State in consecutive weeks.

Like many showdowns, this game will come down to defense: Who can shut down who when it matters most? That question is particularly relevant to Tech, which for years has been unable to match good offense with good D. My Spidey sense tells me both defenses will step up to create a lower-scoring game than anyone expects. Tech's defense has looked solid as of late, while Texas has shown success in containing spread offenses. Tech will have some luck throwing to WR Michael Crabtree. But in the end, this game will come down to Texas QB Colt McCoy making plays with both his arm and his legs. Texas wins a competitive game.

The Series That No One Watched...

A time out from regular programming for this quick baseball aside...

Congratulations are in order for the Phillies, who after years of suffering, have beaten the Rays and finally won a World Series. I thought the starting pitching of the Rays would be the difference... In the end, it was Philadelphia that showcased both pitching and timely hitting.

Anyway, whatever. Go Red Sox.

The Agony Meter (Express Edition)

Apologies for not carving out more blog time this week. It's been busy for many of us. Here's a look at the current (read: sorry) states of our alma maters... There's plenty of agony to spread around...

Heaping doses of agony: Boston College

B.C.'s national ranking. Dreams of a Bowl Championship Series berth. All of it pretty much went poof Saturday in the Eagles' 45-24 drubbing at the hands of North Carolina. Turnovers and big plays on defense were again the culprit. The Eagles still have an outside shot at making it to the Big Time. But after Saturday's performance, that looks unlikely.

Major agony: Arizona State

Was it only a year ago that the Sun Devils were playing Oregon on national television with national championship ramifications in the balance? It seems eons ago. This year's game was not nearly as dramatic (a 54-20 shellacking doled out by Oregon). The good news here is that Arizona State has gotten all of its tough Pac-10 games out of the way. Here's hoping ASU can put together a bowl run.

Merely lots of agony: Southern Methodist

The Mustangs took a step backward in their 34-7 loss to Navy. Until the team improves its defense and begins converting on third down consistently, the Mustangs will continue to have a rough go of it.

Quick hits:

Is the NBA season beginning already? It seems like only yesterday that the Celtics hoisted the trophy.

How about Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard? With his clutch homers, he reminds of Big Papi circa 2004.

Every now and then, we as sports fans are presented with those "pass the torch" moments. I think we saw one Monday when the Titans battered the Colts and QB Peyton Manning.

I'm curious to see how the Red Sox and Yankees approach the off season. There are lots of big names floating out there in the free agent pool (C.C. Sabathia, Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixeira, to name a few). Who will land where? Which bloated contract will the Yanks pick up this year? And how will Sox GM Theo Epstein handle the conundrum of venerable but fading catcher Jason Varitek?

On the tube: Weekday edition

It's late, I know. Mr. Kim and I were a little busy today.

About ready to flip on tonight's useless game, Houston at Marshall (ESPN2, started at 7 p.m.). The most interesting thing about this Conference USA game is the source of Marshall's name, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall.

Thursday has a bit more impact, with South Florida at Cincinnati (6:30 p.m., ESPN). Could mean big things for the mess that is the Big East leaderboard.

Finally, Friday's game is all tricks, no treats, with Wofford at Appalachian State (7 p.m., ESPN2). Yeah, Wofford. Nothing says fearsome like a Terrier.

What's not on (yet) that should be
Nothing much to bemoan, unless you count the thumping that Missouri will be providing Baylor (2 p.m.). And you thought I was going to say Colorado at Texas A&M (1 p.m.), didn't you!

Scoping out the BCS

Very little movement at the top of the ranks, but lots of shuffling in the ACC and the Big East. Those conferences, plus Texas and Alabama, will have to answer some serious questions in November.

This is going to be a mess in the home stretch, but at least Ohio State’s hopes for another chance to lose in a big bowl are close to being dashed.

On to the picks...

Top 2: Texas, Alabama

Conference champs/leaders:
Big 12: [Texas]
Big 10: Penn State
SEC: [Alabama]
ACC: Impossible to figure out. Florida State?
Big East: Tough to say. West Virginia? But South Florida and UConn are ahead in the polls.
Pac 10: USC

Non-automatic conference in Top 12: Utah

No. 3, 4: Oklahoma

Eight automatic bids. Looking at the two at-large spots are Georgia, Florida, Boise State, Ohio State and TCU. Barring collapses of Texas and/or Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Mizzou can't get in. Hand bids to Georgia and Boise State.

If they were played today:
(Automatic placements are not labeled; guessed placements are marked as such.)
BCS Championship: Texas-Alabama. Same matchup three weeks in a row, same outcome: Texas wins.
Orange Bowl: Florida State-West Virginia (guess). The murkiest of BCS bowls. Both of these teams are improving, but their BCS hopes are hanging on by a thread. Need to win out. Oh -- FSU takes this one.
Sugar Bowl: Georgia (guess)-Boise State (guess). Sticking with this pick. And Georgia still wins.
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma (guess)-Utah (guess). Wouldn’t want a Boise-OK rematch. Here, Sooners should roll.
Rose Bowl: USC-Penn State. These two play up and down to their competition. But JoePa gets the W.

What we learned on television...

...The Crystal Ball is broken. At 4-5, the Ball had its worst week of predictions by far. Two big upsets did not materialize, while several other prognostications also were wrong. I take pride in these predictions, so my apologies. (On the bright side, we did predict a few games down to a tee: Auburn at West Virginia, Baylor at Nebraska, Oklahoma State at Texas. I also don't begrudge picking Ohio State over Penn State.)

Anyway, a few thoughts about Saturday...

Texas Tech has finally earned its stripes in my view. They hadn't done anything up to now. But their blowout at Kansas demonstrates that they are, indeed, a team to be reckoned with. I dunno if Tech has the horses to beat Texas on Saturday, but the Red Raiders have gained my respect. Similarly, Oklahoma State, even though they lost to Texas, again showed they are worthy of their high ranking. (An aside: Despite their two losses, Missouri ain't half bad either, as their 58-0 pasting of Colorado showed.)

I'm disappointed in the way Arizona played against USC. Sure, the Wildcats kept things close (a 17-10 loss). But the Wildcats offense didn't offer any new looks or show the same dynamism and grit that Oregon State displayed in its upset of USC earlier this season. Arizona's defense played well, as it alwas does against USC, and gave its offense plenty of chances. But the offense failed to capitalize time and time again.

It will be interesting to see how the Penn State offense responds for the remainder of the season. The Nittany Lions' coaching staff changed quarterbacks late in the Ohio State game --- a curious move given that, heading into the game, Penn State's offense was among the nation's most prolific. But on Saturday, Penn State's Spread HD offense looked stuck in the mud.

Trying to predict the ACC is like trying to read tea leaves. Just when you think you've figured things out, it all blows up. Either every team is good or the entire conference is mediocre (I believe it's the latter.) A television executive's worst nightmare: Duke versus Maryland in the football championship game.

TCU still has designs on getting to the Bowl Championship Series. But if I were the Frogs, I would temper that enthusiasm. That 35-10 loss to Oklahoma earlier this year is a BCS killer.

It's scary to think how good Notre Dame might be in two years. This team is so young and so talented and QB Jimmy Clausen is starting to get his sea legs. Beat them now when you have the chance.

Overrated: Utah, BYU, Florida State, South Florida

Underrated: West Virginia, Virginia, Florida, Notre Dame, North Carolina

Fine Nine: Texas, Penn State, Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, Oklahoma State, USC, Texas Tech, Georgia