College football Saturday was nothing but exciting. Notre Dame gets its hat handed to them. I was talking to a friend of mine that does a sports radio show in Vegas. He picked Notre Dame and I told him that I felt Notre Dame was walking into a buzz saw with Michigan. Just a gut feeling I had and knowing how Michigan plays up in the BIG games. If the game was close I felt it would tilt the Irish's way. Having played against Michigan I just felt  Notre Dame had no idea what they were getting into.

Florida and Tennessee comes down to the final minute in a game that means everything to the SEC East. Tennessee had to keep fighting all game long to try to put distance between them and Florida but Florida is a better team in the second season of the Urbanization of Florida football. A team that is stacked with talent that the gator nation can expect great things in years to come. Be patient and give this guy a few years to create the consistency.

USC and Nebraska, did not see the game, but an outcome that was expected. The rub may be losing their running back. While John David Booty, like I said before, is a better QB than is brother Josh, do we really need to hear how he rode his bike to school or how his dad was fired from Evangel? Well at least the talking heads told a quarter of the story. But who really cares. Just let them play ball and talk about that.

LUS and Auburn a slug fest from the get go. I still say the LSU has the best defense in the nation and Jamarcus Russell is the best QB in college football. Auburn has a good team and many in the LSU nation and any other SEC team hate Tommy Tuberville. I believe he is one of the best coaches and recruiting coaches in college football and any school would be happy to have him. Cocky yes, great coach yes. The only sad part about this game was the non calls and the bad calls by the officials. There were some interference on plays that should have been called. One on Jessie Daniels of LSU and the other I believe on Irons of Auburn in the end zone against the LSU freshman receiver. Both blatant interference that should have been called. But the three biggest plays in the game which I think decided the game was the interference call against Auburn on Early Doucet that was overturned, the completed pass on Hester that was overturned into an incomplete pass and Jamarcus Russell's decision not to throw the ball with 20 some seconds left and took the almost sack in the fourth. If he would have thrown it away then LSU would have had more time and may have won the game. A great game and I only hope everyone can talk about how these young men left everything on the field on that day.

It seems the prodigal son Reggie Bush and his family may have done the unthinkable taken gifts, cash and tickets from some agents that wanted desperately to sign the former USC running back as a client. Are we surprised that this happens? No. Every year someone asks for or gets some sort of graft from someone an agent, booster, or some well meaning "friend of" the program. Is it wrong yes? Do the rules need to be addressed and maybe updated a little? Sure. No player or family should ever receive any sort of inducement. It's really enough that a player gets an opportunity to get a free education that most of students would kill for. I don't know what it cost to go to USC but I am sure Mr. Bush had a freebee on his hands. Maybe the NCAA should address the rules as this.

If any family member, player receives any type of gift from any agent, booster, friend of the program, other athlete or alien then that individual will have to "date" Star Jones. I think this will stop all this nonsense.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

The race for the Heisman is on and why not mention the quarterback at USC. John David Booty. The last time I remember the national media mention anyone with three names was Lee Harvey Oswald, or John Wilkes Booth, coincidence? I think not!!! But seriously he has started in two college games against teams of no major consequence. Is he a better QB then his brother Josh that played at LSU but quickly got into the Nick Saban dog house for his play against UAB and his decision to go against Saban and the coaches on a play call that resulted in an interception and a loss to UAB in Death Valley. I think John David is smarter than Josh and a better QB but it is way too early for the media to be fantasying about this. But that's what they do and it is USC and the national media is collectively given USC and coach Pete all the oral satisfaction they can.

Since the table has been set for the Heisman you can see who is on the list. But what is important is who is not on the list. Collectively, everyone says that the best QB in college football is Jamarcus Russell of LSU. Yes he is an "also mentioned" but not in the top 10. Which makes me wonder how anyone can take this seriously? They all say the best QB in college football and better than most pros playing but not in the top ten. Makes you wonder huh?

Okay so who are the odds on favorite? Well since they already played their hand its Troy Smith with Ohio State. Will he win? Well to do that he has to play flawless ball. The thing holding him back is the buckeyes schedule. Its okay but they are playing Penn that is a good year away form contending, Michigan and Michigan State will be the tests. The trip up is Iowa. I predict Ohio State will be 10-2 at the end of the season and Troy Smith will be on the outside looking in.

A quick rundown of the others Adrian Peterson, no. OU is not that good but consistent and still rebuilding but has many weaknesses and he just won't make it unless he rushes for over 2,000 yards in spite of everything else around him.

No receiver will win. Irons form Auburn his test is this Saturday when LSU comes to town. If he has a big game his stock will jump sharply.

The best bet is.... Brady Quinn. No flash is the drawback just a well coached QB. If Notre Dame runs the table, and they could, he has to be the odds on favorite to win. A steady performer with a coach that knows how to build QB for the pros.

It appears that the national media has a love affair with the Pac 10. The Pac 10 has one team of any consideration and that is USC the team that won a national championship in 2004. Yes only in 2004. They did not win in 2003 since the trophy and rings are in Baton Rouge. Since the 2003 season the media pundits that vote moaned and groaned until they got the BCS to change the system in favor of their sacred son USC. Is USC a good team? Yes they are but they use USC to try to legitimize the rest of the PAC 10 and frankly the PAC10 is not that good and never has been. A mid level conference with one very well coached team that has been on a recruiting high for the past 6 years.

Then the media since the Vols beat Cal figure Cal was legit and so the Vols have to be far better than they figured in the pre-season polling. Maybe the Vols are better than the initial ranking but are they a top 15 team this season? We won't know the answer to that until they play someone of substance. Then Auburn is the greatest team in the SEC, don't believe me ask any talking head. The way they tell it Auburn is the best team in the SEC will win the SEC West outright and the SEC championship and will be playing USC in the national championship game this year.  Now these are the same talking heads that last year kept repeating that USC was going to three-peat. Well how sweet. I predicted a Texas victory when the paring was made. I predicted a Wisconsin win over Auburn and an LSU win over Miami. The media got none of it correct.

Who will win this week with Nebraska USC? I think Nebraska can pull it out. It's a developing program that is 100% better than last year in depth, talent and understanding of the system. I do not expect a blow out but a close, fairly close, game unless Nebraska makes some bonehead coverage errors. If that happens it's a hole hard to get out of.

The Auburn LSU game is probably the game of the week long with Notre Dame Michigan. Who wins? I feel LSU will beat Auburn and it may be ugly. Why? Because LSU has the best defense in the nation bar none. The players understand the system better this year. They have the best d-backs in college football and I believe the best line-backing group with solid performers on the d-line that are only getting better with each game. LSU offensively will have a game plan that will keep Auburn on their heels all game long. You can bet on a running back by committee. With fresh legs and Jacob Hester the bowling ball running back that can catch the ball out of the back field and Alley Broussard about 90% being put in the game that is a punishing gamer when he has the ball. Auburn has to not only worry about the running back by committee they have to cover probably the best group of receivers in the nation and try to get into the head of Jamarcus Russell who at the end of the year will probably make himself eligible for the NFL and be at top three draft prospect. I don't see Auburn rich in talent as people say. Are they good? YES. Are they at the caliber of LSU right now? NO.

Notre Dame. What a difference a coaching change can make. A new program with a new attitude. Lat year's game against USC Notre dame was robbed on the slight of hand touchdown that USC did not make in the final seconds of the game. Bad call which only helps solidify the how many across the country really feel about USC. So will Notre Dame beat Michigan? I believe that Notre Dame is a legitimate contender for the national championship and has the better coached team. But Michigan has penciled this game and they always step up to this type of challenge. Notre Dame will have to play flawless football to win which I think they can. The PSU game was not what most people think it was since Penn is a year away from being a contender. Notre Dame by 5...

A response to Ex-Buckeye Clarett indicted on new charges

Exactly why does the main stream sports media continue to talk about an ego driving, fifteen minutes of fame is up, tired story such as Maurice Clarett? While it may make some people feel good about themselves to see a loser as Clarett continue the self-inflicted punishment parade why should the rest of the world suffer because he is just an idiot as he keeps proving to the world and his parents. We should be talking about real issues in sports such as why would the Arizona Cardinals draft the over-rated, media hyped, Matt Leinart and pay him the salary he demanded? Or why the Saints draft Reggie Bush when they would have been better off with the other USC back White who frankly is more durable. But then again they already have The Deuce. I guess the all mighty Benson is looking at ticket sales and not building a quality team... the Saints keep marching in.

Another tired story is the Owens media circus in Dallas. So what, he has not practiced and some media Minnie might's are trying to "create" a story between Owens and Parcels. If Parcels had something, anything, to say does anybody really believe he would not say it. He is about as sullen and soft spoken and a freight train and that includes both Owens and Parcels. Parcels cares about winning. Owens cares about winning. I believe enough ink has been wasted on the non story.

The big match up this weekend in college football the Ohio State Buckeyes v the Texas Longhorns... NOT. Why? Because the media, no matter who wins or loses will continue to hype each team so they can keep a perspective bowl bid. That's not to say they do not deserve it, just saying that it's early in the season and TV wants to sell ad space and make money as it should. But the big game's are those teams that are fighting for respect, any recognition, so they will get a mention on the major outlets that helps recruiting or a nationally televised game. Who are these teams? Pick any mid-major or a team that is ranked 80 or below. Let's take Pitt and Cincy to mid-majors fighting for recognition. While Pitt gets more ink ,for Cincy it's a game of some respectability. Or let's take UL-Lafayette v Texas A & M. A team UL-Lafayette beat 10-years ago got the Ragin Cajuns some pub but it was quickly squandered by an inept coach and university administration that at the time that never understood the fundamentals of college football. Which is to earn money for their respective universities? So if Cincy and ULL  win they get their fifteen minutes of fame and some solid recruiting buzz. Texas and Ohio State won't suffer either way.

That's my story....