College Football Week 5 Preview

The SEC highlighted the action in Week 4 and Alabama looked great behind the HB Mark Ingram as they pressured Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett and escaped a tough road battle with a win. While QB Cam Newton continued to impress as Auburn downed South Carolina. The Tide remain on top and after this weekend, it looks like it will take a great game to down them.

Looking at the top 5 games I highlighted, I went 5-0 and now am at 16-4 on the year after four weeks. Oklahoma needed everything in the tank to outlast a late effort by Cincinnati. The Bearcats dug too deep of a hole and showed signs that they might have a down year after two great years. West Virginia suffered a similar fate as Cincy as they could not do enough to trip up LSU, who did not play very sharp at times.

Before the SEC doubleheader is addressed, the play of Boise State against Oregon State showed the country that the Broncos could show up and play with the "big boys". They used a lot of their toolkit against the Beavers and silenced the Rodgers brothers. Boise State will need to play consistent and they might be there waiting if enough top teams fall along the way.

Getting to the SEC doubleheader, Alabama and Auburn both looked strong against Arkansas and South Carolina, respectively. The Tide used their defense and Ingram to wear out the Razorbacks. There were multiple opportunities for Mallett to win it for Arkansas, but he felt short each time. Auburn's Newton, on the other hand, found the right holes in the Gamecocks to overtake the effort by USC freshman HB Marcus Lattimore.


Now on to Week 5 with a bunch of big games.

Games featuring top 25 teams/some that might be interesting:

Thursday, September 30
Texas A&M at Oklahoma State: This is a better than average Thursday night showdown. Both have capable offenses especially the Cowboys. QB Brandon Weeden to WR Justin Blackmon could be said a couple times.

Saturday, October 2
Washington at No. 18 USC: Washington has played USC close the last couple years even upsetting them once. USC is playing for pride this year and might fall into a trap at home.


And of course, the top 5 games to watch this week.

Top 5:

5) No. 22 Penn State at No. 17 Iowa: This one sets up to be an old school Big Ten matchup. Iowa has the edge playing at home and features more experience around the board. Those factors will be the difference as the Nittany Lions will make a couple costly mistakes. PREDICTION: IOWA

4) No. 11 Wisconsin at No. 24 Michigan State: This one will feature bruising running and could feature a lot of lead changes. Ultimately, Wisconsin's line and wear down style of offense will catch up with the Spartans. PREDICTION: WISCONSIN

3) No. 8 Oklahoma vs No. 21 Texas: A week ago, I would have said this would be a big top ten battle. However, Texas fell to UCLA and fell in the polls. Nonetheless, a win by the Longhorns would even things out with Oklahoma in the record columns. For that reason, the Sooners have more to lose especially considering they still have their other top rival, Oklahoma State, down the road. This one has one sided in the last decade with Oklahoma owning things followed by Texas owning things. In this one, Texas lacks the experience and playmakers Oklahoma has and that will be the difference and what will close for three quarters. PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA

2) No. 7 Florida at No. 1 Alabama: Florida won in 2008. Alabama won in 2009. The two are top title contenders again and the winner will take a big step in gaining a shot at another title. The Gators have struggled at times on offense this year. That could ultimately play the biggest factor in this SEC grudge match. HB Mark Ingram has looked great since coming back from an offseason injury. He will set the pace and the defense will again rise up at the right moments in what could be a close one. PREDICTION: ALABAMA

1) No. 9 Stanford at No. 4 Oregon: The big game of the week features two potent Pac-10 offenses. This one has shootout written all over it. QB Andrew Luck is starting to emerge as a top player in the country and will be against another pair in QB Darren Thomas and HB LaMichael James. One or all three could be invited to New York City in December for a chance at the Heisman Trophy. You don't want to miss a minute of this one! With all that said, Stanford gets the ball last and comes up short. PREDICTION: OREGON

Another pair of big games highlight the action as the top teams will slowly begin to fall out of the title picture.

NFL Week 4 Power Rankings

After the Saints struggled this past week, a new team is at #1. A few other movements among the top 10. Teams like Dallas and Minnesota finally picked up wins while the Buccaneers finally suffered a loss.

Here is how the rankings stack up for Week 4:

Week 4
Rank (Last week)
1)(5) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0): 3 wins and 3 great defensive efforts. They just might go 4-0 before Big Ben returns.
2)(4) Indianapolis Colts (2-1): Their defense is still figuring things out, but that guy QB Peyton Manning is still a field general.
3)(6) Baltimore Ravens (2-1): They needed a lot of WR Anquan Boldin to survive the Browns.
4)(1) New Orleans Saints (2-1): They now know the Falcons are for real.
5)(2) Green Bay Packers (2-1): Too many costly mistakes against too good of team.
6)(7) New York Jets (2-1): Another nice divisional victory has to have them walking around on top of the world.
7)(10) Atlanta Falcons (2-1): A victory over the Saints says that they are to be feared in the division and the NFC.
8)(14) Chicago Bears (3-0): They were pressuring the Packers into mistakes and are making a claim at being a contender in 2010.
9)(3) Houston Texans (2-1): A humbling loss puts this team back about where they have been in the past.
10)(8) New England Patriots (2-1): Their defense should worry many fans.
11)(9) Miami Dolphins (2-1): They had a few chances, but could not make the big plays in the 4th quarter.
12)(11) Cincinnati Bengals (2-1): This potentially great offense has flickered at best.
13)(15) Tennessee Titans (2-1): They were all over the Giants in all phases.
14)(16) Philadelphia Eagles (2-1): They got a nice tune up before QB Donovan McNabb comes back to town.
15)(20) Kansas City Chiefs (3-0): They continue to make surprising plays and get by.
16)(17) Minnesota Vikings (1-2): They enter the bye with the confidence of a win.
17)(18) Dallas Cowboys (1-2): A crucial victory against their in state rival of sorts.
18)(21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1): As expected, they had a tough go against the Steelers and the schedule does not really let up.
19)(12) San Diego Chargers (1-2): Their slow start this year looks a bit worse than usual.
20)(26) Seattle Seahawks (2-1): A couple big returns stunned the Chargers.
21)(25) Arizona Cardinals (2-1): They still have a good shot to the win division after a gift victory.
22)(13) Washington Redskins (1-2): They gave the Rams a lot of opportunities and paid for them.
23)(19) New York Giants (1-2): They continued to make foolish mistakes and cause penalties and turnovers.
24)(23) Denver Broncos (1-2): Yet another rough loss to the Colts.
25)(24) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2): It was like they didn't show up and let QB Mike Vick just waltz around the field.
26)(29) St. Louis Rams (1-2): Getting that first win against a division rival is that much sweeter.
27)(27) Oakland Raiders (1-2): Costly missed kicks kept them from an easy win.
28)(22) San Francisco 49ers (0-3): This team is continuing to underachieve based on many observers' standards.
29)(28) Detroit Lions (0-3): They are still some time away from being relevant after another bad loss.
30)(30) Carolina Panthers (0-3): New quarterback, same stagnant offense.
31)(31) Cleveland Browns (0-3): Another close game, yet another loss though.
32)(32) Buffalo Bills (0-3): More problems continue and now QB Trent Edwards has been saved from those problems.

As Week 4 starts, 3 teams remain unbeaten and 5 sit without a win. There are surprises all around the league early on so far. A big top 5 matchup of the Steelers against the Ravens highlights Week 4.

College Football Week 5 Power Rankings

The fourth week was highlighted by a top 10 matchup and the top 5 is still standing with a few movements; most notably Texas.

TOP 25 (Entering Week 5)
Rank(last week)
1)(1) Alabama: vs #7 Florida
2)(2) Ohio State: at Illinois
3)(3) Boise State: at New Mexico State
4)(4) TCU: at Colorado State
5)(7) Oregon: vs #17 Stanford
6)(7) Nebraska: IDLE
7)(9) Florida: at #1 Alabama
8)(8) Oklahoma: vs #21 Texas
9)(14) Auburn: vs Louisiana-Monroe
10)(11) Wisconsin: at #24 Michigan State
11)(12) LSU: vs Tennessee
12)(13) Utah: IDLE
13)(10) Arkansas: IDLE
14)(16) Arizona: IDLE
15)(17) Iowa: vs #22 Penn State
16)(18) Miami (FL): at Clemson
17)(19) Stanford: at #5 Oregon
18)(20) Michigan: at Indiana
19)(15) South Carolina: IDLE
20)(21) USC: vs Washington
21)(7) Texas: vs #8 Oklahoma
22)(23) Penn State: at #15 Iowa
23)(25) Florida State: at Virginia
24)(NR) Michigan State: vs #10 Wisconsin
25)(NR) North Carolina State: vs Virginia Tech

Dropped out: West Virginia, Oregon State

The next best 5 for Week 5:

West Virginia: IDLE
Oregon State: IDLE
Air Force: IDLE
Nevada: at UNLV
Oklahoma State: vs Texas A&M

Health Care Reform gets its 6 month check-up

March 23, 2010: The Affordable Care Act was signed into law after months of debates, votes, and conversations/battles.

It now six months later and a good time to assess the bill once again as it still remains a hotly debated topic. It is fodder for political ads and campaigns for this year's elections. Candidates are running against it while very few of those who voted it are running on it. September and the six month mark the beginning of some of the initial parts of the bill taking effect. That is where Drew Altmire comes in as he takes a closer look at health care reform after six months of it being enacted.

Below is his commentary:

Six months after its enactment, there are two totally different stories to tell about the health-reform law. The public remains split on the law largely along traditional partisan lines. Confusion and misperception are rampant, with more than a third of seniors still thinking the law contains "death panels" (it does not). Yet beneath the political battle lies a success story of early implementation: The federal government that many regard as sluggish and ineffective has turned major elements of the legislation into reality right on schedule.

Since the bill's passage, the Department of Health and Human Services has set up a program to help people with preexisting health conditions get coverage through state or federal high-risk pools; established a program to help employers provide health insurance to early retirees; issued rebates to help pay drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries stuck in the "doughnut hole"; provided tax credits to small businesses to provide insurance coverage; and created a consumer-friendly Web site, http://HealthCare.gov, that rivals anything coming out of Silicon Valley (where our organization is based).

Several popular provisions take effect Thursday. They include allowing adult children up to age 26 to be on their parents' insurance; banning lifetime benefits caps and loosening annual limits on insurance coverage payouts; prohibiting insurance companies from kicking people off of their policies when they get sick; and requiring that newly purchased insurance policies cover preventive services at no cost to patients.

Still, our monthly polling finds the public split on the law, with 49 percent in favor vs. 40 percent against in September and the rest undecided. Public sentiment about health reform has shifted within a narrow band since the spring, with slightly more in favor in some months and slightly more against in others. For many who oppose it, the law reflects deeper discontent. When we asked people who said they were angry about the law why they were angry, the vast majority reported that, more than being upset with the law itself, they were angry about the general direction in Washington. Meanwhile, with a few notable exceptions -- such as requiring that people have insurance -- the law's major provisions appear to be very popular with the public.

The provisions that will touch the most people -- an expansion of Medicaid, new insurance marketplaces in every state, tax subsidies for working people without insurance, guaranteed access to insurance and the hotly debated requirement that almost everybody purchase coverage -- do not come until 2014. And eventually, real-world experience with these changes will trump political argument when the public renders its verdict on the law.

Consider what happened when a Republican-controlled Congress created the Medicare drug benefit in 2004. Three times as many seniors opposed the law as favored it, and many liberals criticized the legislation as a first step toward privatization of Medicare, just as some conservatives call current health reform a government takeover. Within three years, though, supporters of Medicare Part D outnumbered detractors as it became clear the program was working well and helping seniors afford their medicines. The new health-reform law represents a much bigger change than the Medicare drug benefit was and may work out differently, especially if Republicans succeed in their efforts to block full implementation. But if the reform continues on pace, as happened with Part D, the law's fate will be determined not by the early political debate but by how people believe the law is working for them and their families and friends once its major elements are implemented.

At the six-month mark, the politics of health reform remain as ugly as ever, but implementation of the law's benefits and changes has been a success story so far. There is a lot of heavy lifting still to come.


As Altmire presents it, this will continue to be a feeling out process and it begins to affect individuals, companies, and the health industries; more will certainly unfold in more definite terms. For now, it looks like it the more people, they more they might learn they like it especially those who start to see the benefits starting today.

Does a group need a leader to be powerful?

Often whether it be politics, business, or most settings where multiple groups function; there is usually a leader-based structure. Businesses and corporations have CEOs. School groups elect presidents or chairs. Committees in Congress all have heads and both Democrats and Republican have chairs and leaders in Congress, at the national level, and at the state level.

That is why at times it is asked: Does the Tea Party need a leader to fulfill "their mission"? Do they need a leader to affective campaign for candidates and lobby amongst both parties especially the Republicans to get their issues and their voices heard?

That is where a recent Washington Post article comes into the equation.

Since its early days in late 2008, the Tea Party has largely been based on grassroots energy and the mobilizing energy allowed the group to build a voice that has injected itself in the political discourse and has been a growing x-factor in multiple primaries this year. However, as this group has grown; conservative-leaning interest groups have taken noticed and have provided extra energy and millions of dollars. Those dollars have provided pushes for multiple Tea Party-backed candidates and enabled several upset victories slating more conservative candidates in general election races this fall. But, through it all; they have embraced a regional system where there are multiple leaders of different state and region Tea Parties. Their desire for that structure is based in the belief of small government and allowing everyone to have a voice; or a protection of their freedom of speech.

Despite successes, many wonder what could be different if they had a main leader. Would they be able to generate better campaign strategies? Would they increase primary victories and subsequently, potentially general election victories.

A lack of a leader and a goal are weaknesses that can be contributed to counteracting much of the strength of the grass roots organization the Tea Party enjoys. The Tea Party was planning to hold its own convention, but changed its mind due to some disagreements with the Tennessee-based group planning the Las Vegas gathering.

Something also thrown in the shuffle is the way the group lobbies against what "the establishment" represents, but still needs to raise funds that often come through channels linked to "the establishment". They must "grin and bare it" almost if they truly want to be able to take the grass roots energy and back that up with the money needed to win large scale elections. Hence, they must question if their ideologies have to be put aside in order to take the next step.

Of the major national tea party groups, Tea Party Patriots most closely resembles a grass-roots organization. The nonprofit group does not run a political action committee and does not endorse candidates. At least 2,800 local groups are affiliated with it, but Tea Party Patriots does not tell them what to do or whom to vote for.

The movement is based more getting conservatives out to vote and not necessarily always advocated for a candidate. The Tea Party has been able to allow outside groups to do the damage to candidates they oppose while letting their preferred candidates try to file in the gaps.

The money that is raised will certainly be put towards a final push for candidates in November. But, there is a sense amongst many in the Tea Party that they must "pace" themselves in order to maintain their stability after November. They will have two more years before President Obama is up for reelection and if they truly want to "take their country back"; they will need to monitor resources in order to relevant in two years.

Thus, as the campaigns speed up as November nears; more than some wonder how effective the group is without a leader. So far, the Tea Party has succeeded under a fractional leadership style with multiple "patriots" guiding the way. Grassroots movements sometimes just need the right mix of energy. Plus, outsider groups' money does not hurt when it comes to negating the lack of a strong leader at the helm.

College Football Week 4 Preview

After three weeks, it looks like Alabama and Ohio State are positioning themselves for a possible showdown in January. Others are also showing quite skill and look to be ready if one or both squads fall. Chief among them is uprising Pac-10 Stanford and non-automatic bid conference teams Boise State and TCU. Until further notice, chalk is looking good early.

Turning to the top 5 games I highlighted, I went 4-1 and now am at 11-4 on the year. Auburn and Clemson traditionally have a heated non-conference rivalry between tiger teams. QB Cam Newton's coming out party continued as he led his team to another victory. Similar excitement was witnessed in Lansing as Michigan State continued their luck against the Fighting Irish in a quarterback duel filled with injuries. Notre Dame showed a lot in defeat and might be on the run to reclaiming some of their glory.

Florida and Texas, two recent national title game participants, continued their quest for answers with new quarterbacks and youth. After two weeks of struggles, they got back in the groove against rivals in their conferences. The "main event" of the week was a nailbiter late as Arizona QB Nick Foles showed that he might the best quarterback in a quarterback heavy conference. He was aided by a great defensive effort from his defense.


Now on to Week 4 with a bunch of big games.

Games featuring top 25 teams/some that might be interesting:

Thursday, September 23
No. 19 Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh: These former Big East rivals are looking to position themselves to be a top national team. Both have shown signs in the last couple years. They have sparks on offense and one should not expect the best defensive game.

Friday, September 24
No. 4 TCU at SMU: SMU had a breakout year last year and could be a decent test for TCU. If TCU struggles here, it could provide an early blip if they want to play for the national title in January.

Saturday, September 25
North Carolina State at Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech's offense is fast and furious and the NC State Wolfpack have the potential to score a lot too. The option run by Tech is exciting to watch and this ACC battle could be interesting.

No. 16 Stanford at Notre Dame: Notre Dame is coming off a tough loss while Stanford led by QB Andrew Luck looks very hot on offense. After the duel in Lansing, Notre Dame will need to duplicate that to possibly knock off Stanford.


And of course, the top 5 games to watch this week.

Top 5:

5) No. 8 Oklahoma at Cincinnati: The Sooners could be poised to reclaim the Big 12 throne now that QB Colt McCoy no longer roams the Texas sidelines. Cincy is looking to replace their quarterback and maintain top status in the Big East without coach Brian Kelly. This one has the potential to be close largely due to the fact that Oklahoma is playing on the road. Top teams face one or two road tests a year and this might be one of those for QB Landry Jones and the rest of the team. However, they will make a couple key plays late to secure the win. PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA

4) No. 22 West Virginia at No. 15 LSU: West Virginia is battling for a chance to go to a BCS bowl game on behalf of the Big East and face possibly one of their biggest challenges in the last few years. Baton Rouge at night is one of the toughest places to play and LSU looked geared up and ready to spread it out and play tough SEC defense. West Virginia does possess a spread option offense that could keep LSU stars like CB Patrick Peterson on their toes at times. Unless West Virginia sets the tone early, it could be a long one. But, it should be somewhat close in the end. PREDICTION: LSU

3) No. 3 Boise State at No. 24 Oregon State: Boise State has been looking to make a statement on the national stage the last few years. They upset Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl a few years back and have knocked off a few top teams along the way. However, they still are asked to prove themselves. Going to Oregon State is another step on the way to respect. The Beavers have the Rodgers brothers who pose problems for defenses and the environment will be hostile. The Broncos possess a balanced squad that can score and stop teams. Expect a statement. PREDICTION: BOISE STATE

2) No. 12 South Carolina at No. 17 Auburn: The undercard matchup in the SEC doubleheader. Auburn under QB Cam Newton looks dangerous at times while Steve Spurrier has provided a spark for the Gamecocks led by a talented quarterback-running back tandem. This one could be a grinder for 30 and come down to a drive or two in the 4th. Newton's athleticism could provide the difference in the end. PREDICTION: AUBURN

1) No.1 Alabama at No. 10 Arkansas: This top ten battle is amplified by the fact that it is a SEC conference battle. Alabama's path to a repeat could face one of its toughest obstacles this week. QB Ryan Mallett is talented enough to dice apart this very good Alabama defense. That battle could decide the game. If Arkansas can slow a Alabama offense that features Heisman Trophy winner, HB Mark Ingram; they could spring the upset even though they are at home. The Tide makes one extra play in the end on defense to win it. PREDICTION: ALABAMA

As the season nears the end of the first month and the BCS rankings are a couple weeks away, some top teams will be on guard for an early trip up that could cost them. Alabama has the most to lose this weekend.

NFL Week 3 Power Rankings

Some shake up in the top 10 again with the top 2 still intact. A few surprising 2-0 teams and a few surprising 0-2 teams.

Here is how the rankings stack up for Week 3:

Week 3
Rank (Last week)
1)(1) New Orleans Saints (2-0): It was not pretty, but they showed enough poise to hold off the 49ers when it counted.
2)(2) Green Bay Packers (2-0): They took advantage of a bad Bills team all day.
3)(7) Houston Texans (2-0): They needed some luck at the end and a bit of skill to remain unbeaten.
4)(5) Indianapolis Colts (1-1): They took out their Week frustrations all night against the Giants.
5)(8) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0): Their defense is back to form and could be a bad sign for the league once their offense is back intact.
6)(3) Baltimore Ravens (1-1): They might have run out of steam after their Monday night win or a few bad calls could have contributed to the loss as well.
7)(11) New York Jets (1-1): They showed that they can regain focus after a tough loss and make a divisional statement.
8)(4) New England Patriots (1-1): A big letdown by QB Tom Brady and the offense in the second half cost them a winnable game.
9)(14) Miami Dolphins (2-0): They have two tough division games ahead that can establish the AFC East front runner.
10)(13) Atlanta Falcons (1-1): That type of play on offense could spring them the NFC South crown.
11)(15) Cincinnati Bengals (1-1): The AFC North is still in sight again after a tough division victory.
12)(12) San Diego Chargers (1-1): Beating up the Jaguars should help after their Week 1 upset.
13)(16) Washington Redskins (1-1): They had the Texans beat and let them off the hook.
14)(23) Chicago Bears (2-0): This team is starting to show potential for a balanced attack on both sides of the ball.
15)(9) Tennessee Titans (1-1): They ran into a tough Steelers defense and HB Chris Johnson got shut down.
16)(18) Philadelphia Eagles (1-1): QB Mike Vick will be depended on to keep defenses confused.
17)(6) Minnesota Vikings (0-2): They continue to miss a big play guy like WR Sidney Rice.
18)(10) Dallas Cowboys (0-2): Another dud of a performance for a team that is supposed to compete for a Super Bowl.
19)(17) New York Giants (1-1): They looked even sloppier this week.
20)(24) Kansas City Chiefs (2-0): They have a good chance to get to 3-0 against a shaky 49ers team.
21)(29) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0): Might be the biggest surprise at 2-0. Tough test against Steelers this week.
22)(21) San Francisco 49ers (0-2): Keeping the defending champions close should build confidence.
23)(25) Denver Broncos (1-1): They are still a bit of enigma in terms of their talent.
24)(19) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1): Their defense was sliced apart by the Chargers.
25)(20) Arizona Cardinals (1-1): They are starting to wish they had a solid quarterback.
26)(22) Seattle Seahawks (1-1): A big letdown after their opener.
27)(28) Oakland Raiders (1-1): It was not the greatest win, but it still counts.
28)(27) Detroit Lions (0-2): Another close ending resulting in a loss.
29)(30) St. Louis Rams (0-2): They have come close to being 2-0.
30)(26) Carolina Panthers (0-2): A change at quarterback couldn't hurt.
31)(31) Cleveland Browns (0-2): They keep games close, but lack the talent to seal the deal.
32)(32) Buffalo Bills (0-2): They are scrambling for answers at multiple areas.

Some good games ahead this week including a 2-0 Steelers vs a 2-0 Buccaneers. 8 teams are undefeated and 8 teams are still to win.

U.S. Senator gives voters a piece of his mind on way out

Most times it is the voters that are the ones that can express their blunt opinions. Politicians might believe many things, but for their political future; they must walk a tightrope that involves being politically correct. They are not able to return the verbal favor to voters. However, when one is voted out of office; they are clear of that fence and can truly speak their minds. Utah Republicans told Senator Bob Bennett, with a well above 90% conservative record over three terms in the U.S. Senate, that he had overstayed his stay in the U.S. Senate from one of the more conservative states. His TARP vote in 2008 likely was one of the biggest factors in his dismissal by the Republican voters at their state convention.

Now with his term slowly drawing to end over the next few weeks, Bennett is coming back at the public and their limited understanding of the political arena and nuances of being in Congress.

As Jordan Fabian from the Hill reported:


The public has "no understanding" of what Congress does and has unrealistic expectations of its members, outgoing GOP Sen. Bob Bennett (Utah) said recently.

In a wide-ranging interview with NBC News posted Monday, Bennett, whom Utah Republicans declined to renominate in May, knocked down the image of the Senate as the world's greatest debating body and said that most work is done in committee and behind closed doors. He also suggested that much of the business senators deal with is not of interest to them.

"They [members of the public] have no understanding of what we do. They expect that we spend most of our time on the Senate floor debating," he said. "The image of Webster and Calhoun and Clay changing the course of the republic with a brilliant speech is still in their minds. Particularly since the advent of television in the chamber, Senate speeches are more and more irrelevant."

Bennett said that floor speeches are meant to create "snippets to show up in the nightly news that we hope will change the attitude of the people," not influence colleagues.

Since his defeat, Bennett has given a series of interviews in which he directed criticism at the upper chamber and his own party.

Bennett reiterated Monday that he believes the GOP uses slogans too heavily and does not have a coherent set of ideas to lay out to voters in the November midterm elections. The senator has also taken aim at GOP right-wing elements who largely opposed his reelection bid.

The third-term senator relayed a story about a supporter of Mike Lee, the Tea Party-backed candidate who defeated him in the primary. The supporter reportedly said at the Utah Republican convention that he could see Lee giving influential speeches on the Senate floor about the Constitution.

That notion is laughable, Bennett said, "because he’s going to spend his time sitting in that chair listening to lobbyists and constituents and staffers telling him the details of legislation, much of which he doesn’t care about, but that he’s going to have to — at least when constituents are around — demonstrate some kind of interest in, rather than standing on the floor like an ancient prophet declaring the beauties of the Constitution and discovering that he had influenced nobody."

But the Utah senator said that energy on the right wing will likely benefit the Republicans. He said that his message was "wrong" in this electoral climate and Democrats underestimate the impact it could have on the midterms.

"I think it’s going to win back the House and could easily win back the Senate," he said.

Bennett praised several past and present senators from both parties with whom he was close and whom he respected.

He named his Banking Committee colleague, Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), with whom he drafted a bipartisan healthcare bill. He also said he had a "very close, personal relationship" with now-Vice President Joe Biden and called Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) a "worthy opponent."

The only current GOP senator Bennett praised was Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R). The Kentuckian, he says, "understands exactly what has happened to the Senate, the changes that have occurred from [former Senate GOP leader Bob] Dole to McConnell."

Bennett said that the hardest thing to accomplish in Congress today is "building a consensus ... because by the time you get [a bill] to the floor, substance is pretty well out of the equation and they’re now playing politics."

Even though he has described the current political environment as divisive, Bennett said that today's politics are not as bitter as they were in the 1970s.

"No. Because I’m old enough to remember Vietnam," he said. "I'm old enough to remember the bitterness. Well, the bitterness of Watergate."

College Football Week 4 Power Rankings

The third week did not provide any major fireworks and the top teams remain pretty much intact.

TOP 25 (Entering Week 4)
Rank(last week)
1)(1) Alabama: at #10 Arkansas
2)(2) Ohio State: vs Eastern Michigan
3)(3) Boise State: vs #24 Oregon State
4)(4) TCU: at Southern Methodist
5)(7) Oregon: at Arizona State
6)(7) Nebraska: vs South Dakota State
7)(6) Texas: vs UCLA
8)(9) Oklahoma: at Cincinnati
9)(10) Florida: vs Kentucky
10)(12) Arkansas: vs #1 Alabama
11)(11) Wisconsin: vs Austin Peay
12)(13) LSU: vs #22 West Virginia
13)(14) Utah: vs San Jose State
14)(16) Auburn: vs #15 South Carolina
15)(17) South Carolina: at #14 Auburn
16)(24) Arizona: vs California
17)(8) Iowa: vs Ball State
18)(15) Miami (FL): at Pittsburgh
19)(19) Stanford: at Notre Dame
20)(20) Michigan: vs Bowling Green
21)(18) USC: at Washington State
22)(21) West Virginia: at #12 LSU
23)(22) Penn State: vs Temple
24)(25) Oregon State: at #3 Boise State
25)(23) Florida State: vs Wake Forest

Dropped out: None

The next best 5 for Week 4:

Pittsburgh: vs #18 Miami (FL)
Michigan State: vs Northern Colorado
Georgia Tech: vs North Carolina State
Air Force: at Wyoming
Fresno State: at Mississippi

NFL Week 2 Preview

Week provided excitement from game 1 to game 16. The Saints held off the Vikings to celebrate a win alongside celebrating their Super Bowl win once last time. While the Chiefs ended the first week stunning the Chargers with a late defensive stop and some great special teams. In between, some teams like the Jets looked flat while others like the Texans amazed us with their play.

In the four featured games, the Saints did not look especially great on offense, but the way they started the 1st and 3rd quarters were enough to hold off the Vikings, who were a few plays away from ruining the Saints' night. While on Sunday afternoon, the Texans got one of their wins and it came against divisional tormentor, the Colts. HB Arian Foster made a huge statement racking up over 200 yards on the ground and gives the team a ton of confidence for 2010. And on Sunday night, the Cowboys looked pretty bad. Followed by Monday night's even worse offensive effort by the Jets. The Cowboys in all likelihood should have beat the Redskins if it were not for either a risky play before halftime or a hold on the final play, which would have resulted in the game winning touchdown. But, the Jets' bravado and ego took a big hit by losing to the Ravens, the more complete team. Baltimore was patient enough on offense to find the holes in the Jets' otherwise tough defense. All four losers will certainly look to use week 2 to redeem themselves. Besides the Chargers, the 49ers were probably the other team that looked pretty bad getting spanked by the Seahawks to start the year.

I ended up going 2-2 among those games. I went 9-3 in the other games bringing my record to 11-5; a good start.

Now to turn to Week 2's slate of games.

TOP 4 OF THE WEEK

New England Patriots at New York Jets: This rivalry has reached a different level since Rex Ryan has become head coach of the Jets. The two squads split last year's series with the Patriots winning the division again. However, the Jets ended going further. This one will feel personal. The key matchup will be QB Tom Brady and WR Randy Moss against the Jets' blitzing defensive front seven and CB Darrelle Revis in the secondary. Brady has had a tendency to find holes in defenses over the years with screens and slants patterns where someone like WR Wes Welker thrives. For the sake of this battle, the Jets struggled on offense last week and will be hard pressed to slow down New England's offense the way they were able to contain Baltimore's to a degree. The Jets' lose another close one. PREDICTION: Patriots

Sunday Night: New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts: Its the rematch of four years ago between the brothers Manning. Peyton bested Eli last time and things expect to be close again. Both did not look especially great to start the year as the Giants got a defacto win while the Texans for one of the very few times beat the Colts in a key division game. The lights will be bright as both quarterbacks should rebound for less than stellar performances. The Giants' offense seems to lack a certain punch while the Colts need to get HB Joseph Addai more involved. Peyton again gets the better of Eli. PREDICTION: Colts

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals: The two competed in physical battles last year with the Bengals surprising the Ravens in both. The Ravens were able to weather the Jets' defense while Cincinnati's offense looked exposed. It was definitely not clicking as planned. The Ravens' offense should be able to open up a little more against a defense that will probably try to blitz like New York, but doesn't have the same mix of talent. A Ravens victory put a little distance early between two of the top contenders AFC North and possibly the AFC. In a physical one again, the Ravens edge out another one. PREDICTION: Ravens

Monday Night: New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers: The Saints opened up their title defense with a big win over the Vikings while the 49ers looked like garbage and unprepared. Not that the Saints played especially well either. They largely won on a big play to start each half. The game is in San Francisco and gives the 49ers a little boost. Since it is a prime time game, expect Mike Singletary to have his squad ready to play better. However, the Saints have one too many weapons and make timely big plays. That will be the difference here with a couple trick plays and one or two bombs by QB Drew Brees. PREDICTION: Saints


THE REST

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans: The Steelers shocked some with their win over the Falcons with a big play by HB Rashad Mendenhall in overtime. The Titans and especially HB Chris Johnson looked to be in mid season form like the way they ended 2009. This might become a ground and pound type of game where Mendenhall and Johnson will battle for yards and points. The passing games of both will be slow and steady. Tennessee will go from playing Oakland's porous defense to playing a stacked Pittsburgh defense. Some questioned whether Pittsburgh could maintain high play without QB Ben Roethlisberger, but their defense might have been not acknowledged enough. A late play that leads to a turnover by Pittsburgh's defense might seal another victory. PREDICTION: Steelers

Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings: Miami was lucky to escape their battle with Buffalo with a win while Minnesota might miss WR Sidney Rice more than some thought as they struggled in a loss. There is a great deal of pressure on the Vikings, but the Dolphins know they can't trip up early if they want to keep pace with the Patriots and Jets. The Vikings' defense will likely have the first half as their offense will likely try to figure out the Dolphins' defense early. However, QB Bret Favre rarely have back to back bad games even at this point in his career. He used his unorthodox play late to win. PREDICTION: Vikings

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons: The Cardinals barely escaped against St. Louis while the Falcons barely lost to Pittsburgh. The Falcons' offense did not look like it was on cylinders, but facing Arizona might solve that. They often say this is a quarterback league and there is a big gap between the two starting ones in this game. QB Matt Ryan to WR Roddy White was probably the brightest spot in the Week 1 loss and expect them to shine again while QB Derek Anderson has not developed a rapport with star WR Larry Fitzgerald yet. The Falcons' balanced attack will be too much. PREDICTION: Falcons

Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns: In possibility the biggest shocker of Week 1, the Chiefs beat the Chargers largely great special teams and key running plays. They will likely have some similar success against the Browns' defense. They have their own pretty good return game led by KR/PR Josh Cribbs. QB Jake Delhomme managed the game fairly well last week in a loss. He will need to manage the game again if they are to get in the win column. However, this young Kansas City team might be better than some expected coming into the year. PREDICTION: Chiefs

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys: Chicago is 1-0 and Dallas is 0-1, but very likely their records could be swapped. A controversial play late allowed a Lions' touchdown to not count and allow the Bears to escape. While the Cowboys were leading going into the half, but QB Tony Romo decided to throw a risky pass that got picked off and returned by CB DeAngelo Hall and returned for a touchdown. Momentum is key especially in division games and Dallas lost theirs and gave away to Washington. The Cowboys will be under pressure to avoid an 0-2 start with Super Bowl expectations with the big game being hosted by the city of Dallas this year. The Chicago offense exploded and might be able to uncover holes in Dallas' secondary that LB DeMarcus Ware can't cover up. Cowboys will play desperate and escape a late Chicago rally. PREDICTION: Cowboys

Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions: Philadelphia's season took a quick twist in the second half of their first game with the injury to QB Kevin Kolb and entry of QB Mike Vick. Vick nearly orchestrated a comeback victory. While the Lions almost started the year with a win and seem to be a better balanced team that is not going to be an easy win for the Eagles. A close first half begins to turn into a two touchdown victory for the Eagles under the dynamic play of Vick. PREDICTION: Eagles

Buffalo Bills at Green Bay Packers: The Bills did enough to almost win last week, but playing Green Bay will be a greater challenge. QB Aaron Rodgers should have a big game and get all his weapons involved. They will depend more on the pass now that HB Ryan Grant is lost for the year. This game would be a great chance for them to test out replacement backs. PREDICTION: Packers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers: This one will be a contest with young quarterbacks, who are not polished. The Panthers looked really bad in defeat while the Bucs did enough to win. QB Josh Freeman is better at managing the ball and turnovers by either QB Matt Moore or QB Jimmy Clausen for the Panthers will turn the ball over and that will be enough again for a Bucs win in what should be a close divisional battle. PREDICTION: Buccaneers

Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos: Seattle might have had one of the best overall games last week as they dominated San Francisco. Denver loss a heartbreaker to Jacksonville in a back and forth battle. QB Kyle Orton played especially well and might have found a star in the making in WR Brandon Lloyd. The two will need to get going early to set the same pace and tone as last week. WR Mike Williams was given a second NFL live in Seattle and he might be a breakout star in their offense with what seems like a healthy QB Matt Hasselback. Denver's experience in a close one last week will pay off as this one will be tight late with a late score by Orton. PREDICTION: Broncos

St. Louis Rams at Oakland Raiders: The Rams lost a close division game with Arizona while Oakland look lost at best to start the year. QB Sam Bradford showed a good mix of caution and potential that will pay off as the year continues. Oakland will probably play better, but St. Louis should be able to hold off any Oakland late charge once they get the lead. Rams in a mild upset. PREDICTION: Rams

Houston Texans at Washington Redskins: Both teams provided shocking wins. The Texans must be on a confidence high after beating the Colts while the Redskins won barely their own division rival. QB Donovan McNabb played well enough, but if he enters a duel with QB Matt Schaub; he might not have enough talent to match Schaub's corp led by WR Andre Johnson. HB Arian Foster burst on the scene and was the driving force for the Texans last week. He might be the x-factor in this one. PREDICTION: Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars at San Diego Chargers: San Diego might be about to begin another rough start to a year. They came out flat against Kansas City while HB Maurice Jones-Drew did enough to carry the Jaguars to win over Denver. QB Phillip Rivers will due enough to rebound, but it will be close based off their play of a week ago. PREDICTION: Chargers

The excitement of Week 1 should carry over led by a sibling battle and headlined by an AFC East showdown between the Patriots and Jets.

Polls Reveal Positive Signs for Both Parties

2010 has been building as a rough election year for Democrats. Republicans are not exactly hitting public opinion "home runs" either. However, a new New York Times/CBS News poll might provide some better news for both parties.

The poll shows that despite the negativity directed at Democrats, voters view Republicans even more negatively. That can provide a spot of hope with seven weeks to go for Democrats to manage their losses. Tapping into voters' opinions and having those opinions translate into votes will be part of the mission for Democrats.

The bright spots for Democrats:

They are seen as having better ideas for solving the country’s problems. The public steadfastly supports the president’s proposal to let tax cuts expire for the wealthiest Americans. And far more people still blame Wall Street and the Bush administration than blame Mr. Obama for the country’s economic problems.

The bright spots for Republicans:

Voters are remarkably open to change, even if they are not sure where Republicans will lead them. Most Americans, including one-third of those in the coalition that elected Mr. Obama, now say he does not have a clear plan to solve the nation’s problems or create jobs. Democrats remain highly vulnerable on the economy.

Congress never generates great approval numbers and the negatives are higher for Republicans in this regard as well with 63% disapproving of Democrats, but 73% disapprove of Republicans. However, despite those numbers and others; Democrats have not been able to turn the higher negative opinion for Republican into guaranteed votes for them in November. "Blind faith" might be the biggest thing working against Democrats as some are probably going to vote against their own best interest and opinions only because they want to try something else. Voters can be fickle. They might be the ficklest right now than they have ever been.

In years when times are less than good, the incumbents pay regardless of if problems are a result of their errors or oppression of the opposing party.

Working against the Democrats as well is the fact that most have a negative view of the direction of the country. Something very similar to 1994 when Republicans regained Congress. Additionally, Congress usually generates bad poll numbers; but representatives are even getting bad marks among their constituents.

Driving much of the negativity is the stagnant and slowly improving economy. The economy has not been this bad in roughly seven decades. Hence, there is a greater concern among voters of their futures as they deal with a tough recession.

Moving forward, the results of this poll show voters not sold on Republicans and not too sure about the Tea Party. In politics, more than half the battle is molding a message and Democrats can certainly do some of that with this poll. For most of this cycle, the negative comments have been about Democrats; however voters are still saying more negative things about Republicans.

If this poll means anything, it means that the election predictions and "anointing" of a Democratic "bloodbath" might need to be drawn back at least just a bit as voters' opinions are reflecting some different views than some pundits are saying.

College Football Week 3 Preview

The excitement of Week 1 carried over into Week 2 with multiple matchups featuring ranked teams going against each other. The only down side was none really contained the type of drama and down to the end finishes one might have expected from at least a couple of them. The top teams are starting to prove themselves and that includes Alabama and Ohio State, who sit at the top of college football for now.

Both Florida and Texas had early struggles again before turning it around in the second half. In one of the bigger shockers of the weekends, Virginia Tech coming off a loss against Boise State fell at home to James Madison. The Hokies are now wondering what is wrong as they must get back on track before conference play commences. Also, Kansas going off a rough opening game surprised a ranked Georgia Tech team with consistent scoring. And, Oregon and TCU were very impressive and have great outside chances of making the top 2 in the polls if teams ahead of them stumble.

In terms of my top 5 game picks, I went 3-2 and now stand at 7-3 after two weeks. At South Bend, Michigan QB Denard Robinson proved that his first game was only a warm up as he turned it up against the Irish and contributed over 250 yards on the ground alone and over 500 overall. He put the team on his shoulders late after Notre Dame took the lead and won the game with less than a minute to go in the game. Not aiding the Irish was the fact that their starting QB Dayne Crist went out in the first half and by the time he game back in; there was not enough time to build a lead or put the game out of the reach of Robinson. The matchup's ending certainly rivaled their game last year and adds another chapter in their long rivalry. Georgia and South Carolina locked up in a traditional hard nosed battle. Anytime Georgia tried to establish some consistency, South Carolina's defense stood up. They used enough offense behind the running game of HB Marcus Lattimore. Georgia might have a tough year ahead in the SEC if their start is a sign of things to come.

For Penn State, it was a long night for the team and QB Rob Bolden. The Crimson Tide handled the Nittany Lions by running them down and playing great defense. They didn't have to blow out Penn State and nearly shut them out. The defending champions have looked very good after two weeks and should be set up well for a run in the SEC and they should be getting HB Mark Ingram back in time for that. They way that both Florida State and Oklahoma played in week 1, one would have thought this one would have favored Florida State and been much closer. In a battle of two good quarterbacks, Oklahoma QB Landry Jones was a lot better than Florida State QB Christian Ponder as Jones passed for nearly 400 yards in a rout of what looked like a very good Seminoles team. The confidence that Florida State had might be gone and the confidence that Oklahoma was lacking might be in their pocket. And, in my big game of the week, QB Tyrelle Pryor of Ohio State performed better and made no mistakes unlike QB Jacory Harris of Miami (FL). Harris turned the ball over a couple times including a late turnover that prevented almost any Hurricanes comeback.

Now on to Week 3 with a bunch of big games.

Games featuring top 25 teams/some that might be interesting:

Friday, September 17: California at Nevada: This one could be interesting to see how Nevada plays against a Pac-10 school. The Wolfpack could be a wildcard team throughout 2010.

Saturday, September 18

Ohio at No. 2 Ohio State: This will be one of those games for QB Tyrelle Pryor to make a Heisman argument with a lot of stats.

No. 12 Arkansas at Georgia: Arkansas is looking very good while Georgia is struggling on offense.

Massachusetts at No. 20 Michigan: How will QB Denard Robinson's third game go? Will Michigan be able to handle their growing pressure to perform?

Maryland at No. 21 West Virginia: West Virginia has not looked especially great and could be on upset alert if not careful.

Kent State at No. 22 Penn State: The Nittany Lions return home and should perform better than last week.

Georgia Tech at North Carolina: Both have had their share of interesting game results. The Yellow Jackets might open it up against a still undermanned Tar Heels team.

Connecticut at Temple: This one will be close and the Owls could pull off a big victory at home.

East Carolina at Virginia Tech: Can't imagine the Hokies starting 0-3. But East Carolina is not a push over.

No. 1 Alabama at Duke: HB Mark Ingram should be back this week, which means this could get ugly.

Air Force at No. 7 Oklahoma: Air Force has had a good start and if Oklahoma plays more like they did in week 1 as opposed to last week; then the Sooners might end up in trouble.

No. 8 Nebraska at Washington: This is a battle between two very good quarterbacks, but Nebraska has a lot more weapons and a better defense.

Arizona State at No. 11 Wisconsin: The Badgers have been their effective selves and should run their way to another victory.

No. 18 USC at Minnesota: Can USC finally show they have a defense? If not, this one becomes closer than it should be.

Brigham Young at Florida State: Florida State and QB Christian Ponder will look to rebound at home against a BYU team not as good as a year ago.

Baylor at No. 4 TCU: TCU looks to make a statement against a Big 12 school. Their defense has not dropped off at all.

Louisville at No. 25 Oregon State: The Badgers should have a field day.

Portland State at No. 5 Oregon: Will this one become a 60 point blowout? Would not be surprised.

Furman at No. 13 South Carolina: This South Carolina team might have the makings of a SEC title game run.

Mississippi State at No. 15 LSU: LSU must be careful at home against a Bulldogs team that can capitalize on any silly mistakes by the Tigers.

No. 3 Boise State at Wyoming: Boise State will need to continue to show that they deserve in the national title game conversation.

No. 14 Utah at New Mexico: Utah has looked better than expected thus far.

No. 23 Houston at UCLA: This is one of those intriguing non conference game matchups with not a lot on the line.

Wake Forest at No. 19 Stanford: Wake Forest has put up a lot of points so far. They might be on the other end of a blowout this week.


And of course, the top 5 games to watch this week.

Top 5
5) Clemson at No. 16 Auburn: These two "Tigers" will play heated and it should be close going into the fourth quarter. That is when QB Cameron Newton for Auburn will turn it up and run and pass his way down the field for an Auburn victory. A defensive or special teams play might be something to watch for especially from Clemson. PREDICTION: AUBURN

4) Notre Dame at Michigan State: The Fighting Irish must turn their attention from Michigan to Michigan State. The Spartans have shown some balance that they have not had in recent years and because of that they will give Notre Dame a lot of headaches. QB Dayne Crist should be healthy and if he plays a full game, they should be poised to pick up a win. I feel that this one ends similarly for the Irish; a late stunner against a team from the state of Michigan. PREDICTION: MICHIGAN STATE

3) No. 10 Florida at Tennessee: Florida and Tennessee used to play in competitive games. That did not occur very much while QB Tim Tebow was in Gainesville. This year will be a return to that. Tennessee's defense bottled up Oregon for about a quarter. They do that again this week against Florida; they might allow themselves a two touchdown lead by halftime. Florida needs to get their running game going and if they can do that; they might open it up in the second half. Close game early, but Florida separates down the stretch. PREDICTION: FLORIDA

2) No. 6 Texas at Texas Tech: Most recall what happened two years ago in Lubbock. Texas will certainly be looking to avenge that loss there. Texas has yet to establish consistency on offense and must be leery of a very capable Texas Tech team. They have a potent passing game that could find holes in the Texas defense. This one is close and turns on a turnover or two. PREDICTION: TEXAS

1) No. 9 Iowa at No. 24 Arizona: This is the only ranked matchup of the week. It gives us a great Big Ten vs. Pac-10 matchup. Both have good quarterbacks who can do some damage and both teams possess very good defenses. For that reason, the quarterback that gauges the other defense better will put his team in position to win. This has the makings of a field goal late type of game. PREDICTION: IOWA

Not too sure how much excitement might come out of Week 3, but you never know when a couple big upsets might occur.

NFL Week 2 Power Rankings

It only took one week for a new number 1 after the Colts were run over by the Texans. The Saints survived their top 5 battle with the Vikings and claim the top spot until proven otherwise.

Here is how the rankings stack up for Week 2:

Week 2
Rank (Last week)
1)(2) New Orleans Saints (1-0): Their offense did not look great at times, but did enough along with the defense to stifle the Vikings.
2)(3) Green Bay Packers (1-0): They looked very strong until they knocked out QB Kevin Kolb and had to adapt to QB Mike Vick.
3(4) Baltimore Ravens (1-0): They did enough to silence the brass Jets team and took the victory and should have more success against lesser defenses.
4(6) New England Patriots (1-0): For all the talking the Jets did this offseason, the Patriots look to be the better squad with an offense that can put a lot of points up.
5)(1) Indianapolis Colts (0-1): They struggled stopping the run, but should correct that problem as the season progresses. This team always finds a way to win when it matters.
6)(5) Minnesota Vikings (0-1): They found a way to slow down a very good Saints' offense and minus a couple drives; this team would be 1-0 and not 0-1.
7)(13) Houston Texans (1-0): They ran over the Colts, but now the bullseye is on them and how will they handle that pressure?
8)(11) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0): They were written off with QB Dennis Dixon at the helm, but their defense carried them to a win.
9)(14) Tennessee Titans (1-0): HB Chris Johnson gets to see if he can run around and over a tough Steelers' defense.
10)(7) Dallas Cowboys (0-1): Another week, more questions about their offensive ineffectiveness.
11)(8) New York Jets (0-1): Their defense can not play 60 minutes. Their offensive has no passing nor running game.
12)(10) San Diego Chargers (0-1): They might not cruise to the division crown after all and certainly miss WR Vincent Jackson.
13)(12) Atlanta Falcons (0-1): They could not convert one or more plays that might have allowed them to win.
14)(15) Miami Dolphins (1-0): They barely won against a bad Bills team. They need to step it up when they face tougher teams.
15)(9) Cincinnati Bengals (0-1): Some might wonder if they didn't realize the season started before halftime. A bad start for a team with big aspirations.
16)(20) Washington Redskins (1-0): Their win came from one big defensive play and their confidence will be high against the Texans, the other Texas team.
17)(17) New York Giants (1-0): They were victorious, but were very sloppy which involved QB Eli Manning not looking sharp.
18)(18) Philadelphia Eagles (0-1): Having QB Kevin Kolb go down with a concussion might be a blessing in disguise.
19)(23) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0): They might be capable of finishing out games this year.
20)(21) Arizona Cardinals (1-0): They barely escaped against the Rams and there might be a few bumps in the road this year.
21)(16) San Francisco 49ers (0-1): They got a rude awakening against the Seahawks and Mike Singletary will rally the troops around the loss, but it won't be easy.
22)(25) Seattle Seahawks (1-0): Pete Carroll certainly made a splash in his first week back and it came against a divisional foe.
23)(24) Chicago Bears (1-0): They barely survived a controversial not score for the Lions. They will take it.
24)(27) Kansas City Chiefs (1-0): Talk about making an impact. Their special teams might be dangerous this year along with some new plays on both sides of the ball.
25)(19) Denver Broncos (0-1): Not the way the Broncos wanted to start 2010.
26)(22) Carolina Panthers (0-1): QB Matt Moore was not very good and questions around how long he will continue to start will certainly only intensify.
27)(28) Detroit Lions (0-1): Not only did they fall short with a not catch by WR Calvin Johnson, but look to be without QB Matthew Stafford for at least one week.
28)(26) Oakland Raiders (0-1): Some thought the Raiders would be improved, but that looked like the same Raiders on Sunday.
29)(30) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0): Not a great performance, but when the other team was worse; that leads to a win.
30)(31) St. Louis Rams (0-1): They looked more aggressive and were very close to getting a win against the Cardinals and draw another favorable opponent this week.
31)(29) Cleveland Browns (0-1): Their offense struggled and QB Jake Delhomme looked bad physically and in his play.
32)(32) Buffalo Bills (0-1): They came close to beating the Dolphins, but not many positives to take away besides the score of the game.

The Steelers and Titans feature a top 10 matchup this week along with the Patriots facing the Jets, who are right outside of the top 10.

College Football Week 3 Power Rankings

The second week provided much of the same as the first week as multiple top teams clashed with Alabama and Ohio State emerging still as the top two teams

TOP 25 (Entering Week 3)
Rank(last week)
1)(1) Alabama: at Duke
2)(2) Ohio State: vs Ohio
3)(3) Boise State: at Wyoming
4)(4) TCU: vs Baylor
5)(7) Oregon: vs Portland State
6)(5) Texas: at Texas Tech
7)(6) Nebraska: at Washington
8)(9) Iowa: at #24 Arizona
9)(10) Oklahoma: vs Air Force
10)(8) Florida: at Tennessee
11)(12) Wisconsin: vs Arizona State
12)(15) Arkansas: at Georgia
13)(18) LSU: vs Mississippi State
14)(20) Utah: at New Mexico
15)(11) Miami (FL): IDLE
16)(19) Auburn: vs Clemson
17)(NR) South Carolina: vs Furman
18)(21) USC: at Minnesota
19)(24) Stanford: vs Wake Forest
20)(NR) Michigan: vs Massachusetts
21)(23) West Virginia: vs Maryland
22)(17) Penn State: vs Kent State
23)(16) Florida State: vs Brigham Young
24)(NR) Arizona: vs #8 Iowa
25)(NR) Oregon State: vs Louisville

Dropped out: Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Georgia, and Pittsburgh

The next best 5 for Week 3:

Houston: at UCLA
Pittsburgh:
Georgia: vs #12 Arkansas
Georgia Tech: at North Carolina
Fresno State: at Utah State

Not as much top 25 action this week, but #9 Iowa goes to #24 Arizona in what should be a good one. And some other top 25 teams could be on upset alert.

NFL Week 1 Power Rankings and Preview

After roughly seven months, important NFL action is about to finally commence. The New Orleans Saints enter as defending champions and the Indianapolis Colts look to buck the trend of teams losing in the Super Bowl and struggling the following year. And the two conference runner-ups, the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC and the New York Jets in the AFC, also enter with high expectations. Not to mention, the Dallas Cowboys are looking to be the first team to host a Super Bowl and play in the game.

Before we get to the slate of games, time to unveil the first set of power rankings.

Week 1
1) Indianapolis Colts: They still have Peyton Manning at the helm and should win at least 12 games again. The health of key players besides Manning will ultimately determine if they can get back to the Super Bowl
2) New Orleans Saints: They are the defending champions and defeated QBs Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, and Peyton Manning to achieve that. They have almost the same team back and should contend again.
3) Green Bay Packers: It might be time to start talking about QB Aaron Rodgers as one of the best quarterbacks playing today. They look to have a dynamic offense and dangerous defense; both featuring players on the rise.
4) Baltimore Ravens: A team once known for its defense now has an offense that might be better. QB Joe Flacco and HB Ray Rice are starting to peak as young players and now Flacco has WRs Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
5) Minnesota Vikings: QB Brett Favre returns and as does hopes for another Super Bowl run. Not having WR Sidney Rice for at least half the year and WR Percy Harvin's trouble staying on the field lately might hurt their chances.
6) New England Patriots: It is hard to discount this team again this year as QB Tom Brady looks ready to make another run to the postseason and gets a surprise: the early return of his favorite weapon, WR Wes Welker. Their defense will be tested though.
7) Dallas Cowboys: They did not look especially sharp this preseason, but will get their prize addition, WR Dez Bryant, finally on the field. The pressure will high again and anything short of the Super Bowl might mean some changes.
8) New York Jets: They have shutdown CB Darrelle Revis back and will depend on their defense greatly if they are to match or exceed the expectations set by coach Rex Ryan. Look to '00 Ravens and '02 Bucs for examples of such defenses/offenses.
9) Cincinnati Bengals: Their defense was much better last year as they won the AFC North and add WR Terrell Owens, who still warrants attention, and will open the field up for WR Chad Ochocinco.
10) San Diego Chargers: They are one of trendy picks in recent years, but will probably take a step back without key players like WR Vincent Jackson and OT Marcus McNeil. QB Phillip Rivers will be asked to do a lot more than in the past.
11) Pittsburgh Steelers: Call it a bit of stretch, but this team might not do as bad as some expect during the first four games without QB Ben Roethlisberger. SS Troy Polamulu is back and the defense will again be a strength.
12) Atlanta Falcons: QB Matt Ryan should have a similar breakout year like fellow young QB Joe Flacco. This offense has a couple deep threats, a good run game, and have TE Tony Gonzalez for clutch plays. They might find themselves being able to challenge the Saints.
13) Houston Texans: Their offense was very good without a running game. HB Arian Foster has impressed many in the preseason and might give them a balanced attack to go with a defense on the rise. They look to have the potential to make their first postseason. Unseating the Colts in the division is another story.
14) Tennessee Titans: HB Chris Johnson will be as dynamic as last year, but this team will have QB Vince Young at the helm for all 16 games and that might mean a continuation of the late success they had in going 6-2 after a rough first half.
15) Miami Dolphins: The talk in the AFC East is all about the Jets and Patriots. This team has some young talent and not to mention adding WR Brandon Marshall give this team a great chance to succeed.
16) San Francisco 49ers: The retirement of QB Kurt Warner from the Cardinals has opened up the division and this team looks to be the team in the best position to claim the NFC West crown. Their defense should carry them while their offense develops.
17) New York Giants: Their defense collapses completely in December. They should be better under new Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell. Also QB Eli Manning helped develop multiple young WRs,who should be better this year.
18) Philadelphia Eagles: QB Kevin Kolb is still a work in progress and it is to be expected that the team will take a bit of a step back without QB Donovan McNabb at the helm. QB Mike Vick could be a wildcard on offense.
19) Denver Broncos: QB Kyle Orton is not a flashy quarterback, but is a highly capable one. Their defense will suffer a bit without DE/LB Elvis Dumervil, but QB Tim Tebow could be an interesting weapon on offense that gives them an extra dimension on goal line and 3rd and short plays.
20) Washington Redskins: Getting QB Donovan McNabb will improve their offense as their new OTs. TE Chris Cooley could have a big year. And even though DT Albert Haynesworth has been a major storyline; the defense should still be stout.
21) Arizona Cardinals: Losing QB Kurt Warner will cause a drop off, but there are still big time players like WR Larry Fitzgerald and enough weapons to keep them in games.
22) Carolina Panthers: QB Matt Moore will be on a short leash with QB Jimmy Clausen waiting in the wings. The duel running backs, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, will be asked to carry much of the load for this team.
23) Jacksonville Jaguars: HB Maurice Jones-Drew should be solid. The questions surround defensive pressure and if QB David Garrard can stabilize the passing game.
24) Chicago Bears: Not too sure how QB Jay Cutler will adjust to the Mike Martz offense. If he throws half as many picks as last year, they might be a team that sneaks up on teams.
25) Seattle Seahawks: Pete Carroll has taken over at the helm and made a bunch of changes. QB Matt Hasselback looks healthy for now and have a handful of nice young guys.
26) Oakland Raiders: They took small steps late last year and during the offseason at improving the team. They might make a run at .500 this year after so many years of futility.
27) Kansas City Chiefs: They have a nice young nucleus after multiple drafts including 2010. Plus add in some veteran leaders like LB Mike Vrabel and the new coaching additions and this team might be a surprise team in the AFC West and around the NFL.
28) Detroit Lions: They have a nice young offense and an improved front line on defense. They might actually win more than 4 games this year if everyone is healthy.
29) Cleveland Browns: They have a more established quarterback starting, but still have several holes including that quarterback at times.
30) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: QB Josh Freeman should continue to develop and they should display more consistency on both sides of the ball while still struggling.
31) St. Louis Rams: QB Sam Bradford showed good signs of things to come in the last couple preseason games and have a chance to win game 1 and inspire confidence this year.
32) Buffalo Bills: HB C.J. Spiller will certainly add something to their offense, but the rest of the team will struggle especially on offense.

Now to turn to Week 1's slate of games.

TOP 4 OF THE WEEK

Thursday Night Kickoff Game
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints: The Saints open up the Superdome for another season and the excitement would be high to being with. However, the team is unfurling their championship banner and celebrating their Super Bowl win one last time. The team they draw is the team they beat to get to the Super Bowl. And that guy Brett Favre is back for the Vikings. This has the potential to echo that 30-30 game last January. WR Sidney Rice will be out for the first two months and Favre will need to lean on HB Adrian Peterson and clutch passes. Favre had possibly his best year at age 40 last year and will have that stress on his mind. QB Drew Brees leads one of the most dangerous offenses and time well tell if the defense can put on an echo from a year ago. Regardless of how high the score is; it will be close. Field goal kick separation. PREDICTION: SAINTS

Sunday Night: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins: The Cowboys are coming off their first playoff win in over a decade and the Redskins begin the Mike Shanahan/Donovan McNabb era. This rivalry has been close despite the Cowboys having more overall success against the rest of the NFL. QB Tony Romo again will be under the radar to perform as he tests out his new weapon, rookie WR Dez Bryant. Expect a similar low scoring close game based on Washington getting used to some new plays and Dallas' less than dynamic offense so far. A big play could make the difference from defense or special teams. PREDICTION: COWBOYS

Monday Night: Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets: Rex Ryan goes up against the team that he helped craft on defense. LB Ray Lewis is not happy with Ryan and the Jets' bravado entering the season. The Jets' defense will ultimately decide the winner. If they can keep the Ravens out of the endzone, it will open the door for the Jets to score enough to win. That has to be the strategy because the Jets have to be kidding themselves if they think their offense is viable. Their run game will struggle and Baltimore's improved offense should fine the holes that CB Darrelle Revis cannot cover. PREDICTION: RAVENS

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans: There haven't been too many more lopsided series like this one. The Colts hold a 15-1 edge in the series. However, the Texans got one of those wins two years ago and came close twice last year to getting the better of their division rivals. The Colts are coming off a Super Bowl loss, but doubt that will impact this game at all. QB Peyton Manning should be able to use a full arsenal of receivers to outduel QB Matt Schaub and his strong arm and top target, WR Andre Johnson. The wildcard could be HB Arian Foster. He has gathered some hype as a breakout star and the Colts have struggled with the run in the past. However, Manning gets the Colts on pace for another strong year and torment the Texans once more. PREDICTION: COLTS


THE REST

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills: This could be a hard-nosed AFC East battle. The Dolphins' offense with WR Brandon Marshall has the potential to take a step forward with a nice young quarterback in Chad Henne at the helm for the whole year. HB C.J. Spiller might provide some excitement for Bills' fans, but their offense does not look any better than last year when scoring a touchdown seemed like a stretch. PREDICTION: DOLPHINS

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears: Both teams looked improved from last year as young guys like QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson on offense and a fierce defensive line have the Lions looking like a serious team while the Bears have a pass rusher in DE Julius Peppers and a new offense for QB Jay Cutler to run under the guidance of Mike Martz as Offensive Coordinator. Cutler has a couple nice young receivers, who could begin to display their talent this week. This as the makings of a back and forth battle with some lead changes. The Bears get the last score. PREDICTION: BEARS

Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans: Oakland, good luck slowing down HB Chris Johnson. He should cross the century mark and if QB Vince Young can protect the ball; this should not be that close. However, the Raiders could show signs if they are going to turn the ship around this year. PREDICTION: TITANS

Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots: Both teams feature defensive question marks that accompany strong offenses. The Bengals made strides last year and will be pressed to duplicate that success while the Patriots have struggled on defense the last two years after having be their strength. WR Wes Welker's return could be a wildcard depending on how much he plays and how effective he is. He looked good in the preseason so that should be a strong indicator. QB Tom Brady is still a top quarterback and that guy WR Randy Moss is still a top receiver. Both are edges for the Pats over their contemporaries on the Bengals. PREDICTION: PATRIOTS

Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers: Game 1 under QB Dennis Dixon. The Steelers will be tested on offense, but many are forgetting the defense is back to full strength and could be a difference maker. QB Matt Ryan might be poised to elevate his game in year 3 for the Falcons. He definitely has the quarterback edge over Dixon, but the rest of the team matchups are more important. The Steelers have also been strong at home in recent seasons. PREDICTION: STEELERS

Carolina Panthers at New York Giants: These ended their seasons last year as the Panthers embarrassed the Giants as Old Giants Stadium was being closed. It should be a different type of game this time around as the Giants' defense should be a lot better. QB Eli Manning has his core receivers back for a second year to mature them while QB Matt Moore has some questions around him including his job security. PREDICTION: GIANTS

Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: This is a battle between two of the worse 5 teams. Both showed some signs of getting a little better during the month of December last year. I would say the play of the quarterback for the sake of its position will probably be a large factor. If one commits more turnovers than the other, it would be correlate to that quarterback being on the losing team. Should be interesting to see if KR/PR Josh Cribbs can break some big plays like last year. PREDICTION: BUCCANEERS

Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars: Both teams underachieved last year especially the Broncos, who started 6-0 and missed the playoffs. Not too sure how much he will play, but backup QB Tim Tebow will return to Florida and the area he is from for his first official NFL game. This should be a close game decided late in the 4th quarter with a deep pass. PREDICTION: BRONCOS

Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles: Almost ironic that the team that let go of one legend quarterback plays another that let go of the best quarterback in their franchise history. QB Aaron Rodgers has panned out so far; the same might be said of QB Kevin Kolb, but not yet. The Packers are dangerous on both sides of the ball, but expect the Eagles' defense to be about as strong as usual and give the Packers' offense a few headaches. Eagles keep it closer than expected, but Packers have too many tools. PREDICTION: PACKERS

Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams: QB Sam Bradford starts his official NFL career against QB Derek Anderson trying to reclaim some consistency at the position with a new team. The Cardinals are in transition as they adjust to life without QB Kurt Warner and WR Anquan Boldin, who was a redzone machine when healthy. The shaky play by both quarterbacks will keep this one knotted up to the end. It could be sloppy at times. The Rams are very capable of equaling their win total of 2009 in Week 1. PREDICTION: CARDINALS

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks: The 49ers have a lot of buzz and if they are to win the NFC West it might as well start with the team that dominated the division in the mid part of the 2000s. Pete Carroll has reshaped the Seahawks this offseason and has put nice pieces around QB Matt Hasselbeck, who is a solid quarterback when healthy. The 49ers defense led by LB Patrick Willis could be the x-factor in terms of how difficult they make it for the Seattle offense. A statement game of sorts for both. PREDICTION: 49ers

Monday Night: San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs: San Diego kicks off another season on Monday night and they get an underdog in their division again. The Chargers barely survived last year's opener against the Raiders and something says this year will be a close one again as the Chargers adjust to a couple holdouts and some changes. QB Phillip Rivers is a solid quarterback, but not perfect. The Chiefs have been adding some nice young players through early draft picks and their special teams might be dangerous again like it was when they had KR/PR Dante Hall. The Chargers, though, have enough talent to outlast mistakes and a couple surprises from the Cheifs at home. PREDICTION: CHARGERS

Week 1 is finally here and there should be some exciting games and none more than possibly opening night when the Saints open their championship defense.

College Football: Week 2 Preview

The most excitement from week 1 came from the last game of the week as QB Kellen Moore rose his Heisman stock and his team's stock for a BCS championship game appearance with a 4th quarter comeback against Virginia Tech in what many would say was virtually a home game for the Hokies despite it being played in Maryland. Most top squad held their ground while the three teams mentioned last week (Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma) showed some signs of being a little rusty and going through a feeling out process with new players starting.

On opening night, Ohio State and Miami (FL) both looked very good on both sides of the ball against inferior talent as they prepare for a collision this week. While USC won, but their defense looked horrible. Against better teams, that might come back to bite them. As stated, Florida had some early trouble against Miami (OH); Texas did not look especially great against Rice; and Oklahoma barely got by Utah State. Teams that did not struggle at all were Iowa and Florida State. And Oregon might have had the most dominant opening game. Both Notre Dame and Michigan looked very good with some new pieces in place and their match this week is a must watch.

In terms of my top 5 game picks, I went 4-1 to start to season and it took an overtime game to keep me from 5-0. Illinois did enough to slow Missouri down and entered half time with a lead, but the second half was dominated by Missouri as they scored 20 unanswered points and shut down the Illini leading the way for their victory. In a thrilling game on opening night, Pittsburgh overcame an 11 point deficit in the 4th quarter to the game and force overtime after Utah played very good defense for the first 3 quarters. In overtime, one big mistake by Pittsburgh QB Tino Sunseri led to an interception and set up the game winning field goal for the Utes a couple plays later. Utah's win was a statement that they are not to be slept on. A lot of credit has to go out to North Carolina this week as they might have come up short against LSU, but considering they were undermanned; they almost escaped with a big win. LSU slowly piled up a big lead at half time before North Carolina QB T.J. Yates led a 4th comeback that fell ultimately short at the end as LSU won by less than a touchdown. The results puts a spotlight on both for different reasons.

TCU utilized the possession game to outlast Oregon State in what was a close battle. TCU QB Andy Dalton depended more on his legs at times as he struggled through the air while the Badgers could not keep the Horned Frogs off the field and thus leaving a star like HB Jacquizz Rodgers on the sideline more than Oregon State would have preferred. TCU's defense late was similar to the level we saw last year. And in the main event, as mentioned, Boise State led by QB Kellen Moore got the final laugh in a game that had both teams with all the momentum. Boise jumped out to 17-0 lead going into the second quarter before Virginia Tech dominated most of the 2nd and 3rd quarters and led late until that final score by Moore to WR Austin Pettis and shook up the BCS again. It will take a full season depending on how much each wins to know what Boise State's potential BCS fate will be. Regardless, Boise stunned most in attendance and many watching at home and showed that they can play with the big boys.

Now on to Week 2 with a bunch of big games.

Games featuring top 25 teams/some that might be interesting:

Thursday, September 9
No. 21 Auburn at Mississippi State: A bit of an intriguing matchup in the SEC early in the season. Auburn rebounded last year in the SEC, but must beware of a Bulldogs team at home.

Friday, September 10
No. 23 West Virginia at Marshall: An instate rivalry that could be closer because of its intensity and bragging rights.

Saturday, September 11
San Jose State at No. 11 Wisconsin: Nothing too fancy, but a solid running attack and solid defense from Wisconsin in this one.

No. 15 Georgia Tech at Kansas: Kansas did not look very good last week and might be overmatched against the spread offense of Georgia Tech.

South Florida at No. 8 Florida: Florida looked sloppy and should correct errors they made this week or else worries and doubts might begin to start in Gainesville.

Idaho at No. 6 Nebraska: This one could get ugly if Nebraska is clicking.

James Madison at No. 13 Virginia Tech: It should be interesting to see how Virginia Tech responds after losing to Boise State. This should be a game to get their mojo back.

Iowa State at No. 9 Iowa: Not much of a game here. Iowa might flirt with a shut out with a balanced attack on both sides.

UNLV at No. 20 Utah: Utah can back up their overtime victory with a blowout win. Or will they have a let down?

Tennessee Tech at No. 4 TCU: This one should not be as challenging for TCU this week and could turn into a rout by halftime.

Wyoming at No. 5 Texas: Texas was not especially great against Rice and must beware of coming out too slow again cause Wyoming could find a way to make this one a game.

No. 7 Oregon at Tennessee: Can Tennessee's defense restrain Oregon's offense enough to keep this one close? The success of the Vols' defense will dictate if Tennessee can spring the upset or least keep this one to a 3 score differential.

Louisiana-Monroe at No. 14 Arkansas: Arkansas can continue to take steps to show they might challenge in the SEC.

No. 19 LSU at Vanderbilt: LSU goes on the road a week after surviving a late scare against the Tar Heels. Vanderbilt might be upset-minded.

Virginia at No. 16 USC: USC should win, but how will their defense perform against an offense not as pass oriented as Hawaii's is.

No. 25 Stanford at UCLA: Stanford is among the top teams in the conference and have one of the better quarterbacks; both the team and quarterback look to show up an instate rival.


And of course, the top 5 games to watch this week.

Top 5
5) Michigan at Notre Dame: These two most years have compelling matchups. This year is not different. The two enter unranked again, but the winner could find themselves in the top 25 next week after a second solid win and performance. Michigan QB Denard Robinson has been exciting to watch after just one game and will keep the Irish defense on their heels. Last year, Notre Dame came up short at the end. I can almost see another close game with a late score to seal the game. Notre Dame avenges last year lost, but struggles slowing Robinson down completely. PREDICTION: NOTRE DAME

4) No. 22 Georgia at No. 24 South Carolina: An early hard-nosed battle between border rivals. This game was largely impacted by the ruling of Georgia WR A.J. Green's lengthy suspension. He is a game-changer and allows the Gamecock defense to zero in on other players not as dynamic. South Carolina did look pretty good in their opening game, but Georgia finds a way to score late and use enough defense to escape. PREDICTION: GEORGIA

3) No. 18 Penn State at No. 1 Alabama: Joe Paterno leads his Nittany Lions down to Tuscaloosa against the top team in the land, who will still be without their Heisman trophy winning running back. Joe Pa's young freshman QB Rob Bolden seems to have some poise, but it will be a tough environment. HB Trent Richardson for the Tide will give Penn State some headaches with his speed and power. Penn State keeps it close early before talent starts to separate the teams before halftime. PREDICTION: ALABAMA

2) No. 17 Florida State at No. 10 Oklahoma: Oklahoma was a bit rusty against Utah State while Florida State opened the season looking explosive on offense. Oklahoma is home and that should play a bit of factor in them being able to play more consistent this week. For most of the game, QB Christian Ponder from Florida State and QB Landry Jones from Oklahoma might enter a duel, but the running game of Oklahoma will separate the two teams later in the game. As a side story, Florida State's Defensive Coordinator is the brother of Oklahoma Head Coach, Bob Stoops. The Sooners reclaim their swagger. PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA

1) No. 12 Miami (FL) at No. 2 Ohio State: This week's featured game takes place in Columbus, OH. The two quarterbacks, Jacory Harris (Miami) and Tyrelle Pryor (Ohio State), know each other off the field and could make for an interesting rivalry between the two on and off the field during the game. Pryor's athleticism will the Hurricanes' defense on their toes. Harris will have to show he can have poise especially in the red zone, where he struggled at times last year. Jim Tressel's Ohio State success has been predicated on opportunities. Miami must protect the ball if they hope to stun the Buckeyes on the road. Harris will make one or two costly mistakes like he did at times last year. PREDICTION: OHIO STATE

This is the first big weekend of the year with a few big impact games. Should be interesting to see who performs and who struggles.

College Football Week 2 Power Rankings

The first week of college football had few surprises, some sloppy play by a couple top teams, and a nailbiter to finish the weekend out with Boise State over Virginia Tech. Time for this week's rankings.

TOP 25 (Entering Week 2)
1) Alabama (last:1) vs. #17 Penn State
2) Ohio State (last:2) vs. #11 Miami (FL)
3) Boise State (last:3) IDLE
4) TCU (last:6) vs. Tennessee Tech
5) Texas (last:4) vs. Wyoming
6) Nebraska (last:8) vs. Idaho
7) Oregon (last:11) at Tennessee
8) Florida (last:5) vs. USF
9) Iowa (last:9) vs. Iowa State
10) Oklahoma (last:7) vs. #16 Florida State
11) Miami (FL) (last: 12) at #2 Ohio State
12) Wisconsin (last: 13) vs. San Jose State
13) Virginia Tech (last:10) vs. James Madison
14) Georgia Tech (last: 15) at Kansas
15) Arkansas (last:19) at. LA-Monroe
16) Florida State (last: 18) at #10 Oklahoma
17) Penn State (last: 17) at #1 Alabama
18) LSU (last: 21) at Vanderbilt
19) Auburn (last: 22) at Mississippi State
20) Utah (last: NR) vs. UNLV
21) USC (last: 20) vs. Virginia
22) Georgia (last: 23) at South Carolina
23) West Virginia (last: NR) at Marshall
24) Stanford (last: NR) at UCLA
25) Pittsburgh (last: 14) vs New Hampshire

Dropped out: Oregon State, North Carolina, and Cincinnati

The next best 5 for Week 2:
Oregon State: IDLE
Houston: vs. UTEP
South Carolina: vs. #22 Georgia
Michigan: at Notre Dame
Notre Dame: vs. Michigan

College Football: Week 1 Preview

After nearly 8 months, college football is back. Alabama enters as the defending national champion and have the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in HB Mark Ingram. They are still a top 5 team and have a great chance at repeating this year. But they will have a lot of competition from some usual suspects. Ohio State with QB Tyrelle Pryor has the Buckeyes poised to make another title run. Ingram and Pryor could also be two top contenders for the Heisman this year. Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma might have graduated potentially the great quarterbacks in each of their schools, but all three will be top teams in 2010. They have experienced coaches and teams looking to show that they are still top programs if not national championship contenders. And, less we forget about the small (yet mighty) Boise State. They open with Virginia Tech; showing they are willing to leave the Blue Turf and face top talent. They survive the Hokies at FedEx Field on Labor Day; they might make a serious run at a bid for the national championship game as they are ranked in the top 5.

So, like last year, it is time to lay out the top games and other intriguing matchups for this week.

Games featuring top 25 teams/some that might be interesting:

Thursday, September 2
Marshall at No. 2 Ohio State: QB Tyrelle Pryor is due for a big year and we might get a highlight of his and the Buckeyes' success in this game.

Florida A&M at No. 13 Miami (FL): The "U" came back onto the scene last year and this might be a statement game for them to let the college football world that last year was only the beginning of the rebound for one of the nation's best programs. QB Jacory Harris will look to start the 2010 year strong.

Southern Miss at South Carolina: Coach Steve Spurrier has done a good job at South Carolina, but they are expecting more than .500. Spurrier has an outstanding 19-1 opening game record.

No. 14 USC at Hawaii: The next two years will be challenging for Trojan players, but they will use that time to make a statement to the rest of the college football universe. These players were not part of the team when the penalties took place and will have an "us vs the world" mentality for much of the year.

Saturday, September 4
Miami (OH) at No. 4 Florida: The post-Tim Tebow era begins and the start of the John Brantley era starts Saturday in Gainesville. He is a more traditional quarterback and has a lot of talent. Many will be surprised as he emerges from Tebow's shadow.

Youngstown State at No. 19 Penn State: Joe Pa is still at the helm and the team still looks to be talented enough to challenge for a Big Ten title.

Samford at No. 20 Florida State: Florida State has been Bobby Bowden's program for over three decades. The Jimbo Fisher commences against Samford. The team looks to be talented enough to try to regain form in the ACC. Will take much of the year for Fisher to show that he can do what his predecessor did a lot of: winning.

Eastern Illinois at No. 9 Iowa: Iowa was one of the best teams a year ago and look to be that again. They were 10-0 before they lost their quarterback, Ricky Stanzi. Stanzi is back and healthy and they might make another run at an undefeated season, the Big Ten title, and possibly a national championship game appearance.

Louisiana-Lafayette at No. 23 Georgia: WR A.J. Green is one of the best receivers in the country and he will play a big part in Georgia challenging Florida in the SEC East.

South Carolina State at No. 16 Georgia Tech: Coach Paul Johnson for Georgia Tech instituted a tough offense to slow down a year ago. HB Josh Nesbitt is a threat at back and receiver and the option is always in play for the Yellow Jackets. When they are running on all cylinders they are a tricky team to figure out.

Weber State at Boston College: This is on my radar for one reason: LB Mark Herzlich. If anyone recalls, Herzlich missed last season due to cancer treatment. He is back and the Golden Eagles could win the ACC this year. But more importantly it shows that anything is possible with faith and determination.

No. 5 Texas vs. Rice* (at Reliant Stadium): QB Garrett Gilbert got unexpected experience in last year's BCS national championship game against Alabama. QB Colt McCoy went down early and played fairly well for 1. not expecting to play and 2. the fact he was playing a team as good as Alabama defensively. Because of that, I do not expect much of a drop off for the Longhorns this year and Gilbert will prove that from game one.

New Mexico at No. 11 Oregon: USC's fall from grace has opened the door wide open in the Pac-10 and Oregon might be the best team in that conference. They no longer have a troubled quarterback or running back from a year ago. They have a balanced team and might finally cash in on a lot of process over the last three years.

Coastal Carolina at No. 25 West Virginia: West Virginia still remains a contender to win the Big East and potentially play spoiler for some teams. They definitely are not as good as they were under Rich Rodriquez and it could be a make or break year for Bill Stewart.

Purdue at Notre Dame: Charlie Weis is out and Brian Kelly is in. Can Kelly change over a decade and a half of struggles for the most part? How much will the losses of QB Jimmy Clausen and WR Golden Tate affect the offense? They open with Purdue, whom they have been able to beat in a recent years. But Kelly and the Fighting Irish will be on the radar again this year largely based on their name recognition and polarizing love/hate sentiment they draw.

Connecticut at Michigan: Rich Rodriquez was the man at West Virginia. Big East titles. BCS bowl games. But his tenure at Michigan has been less than stellar finishing below .500 both years and not playing in a bowl game. That does not fly well at Michigan. And things might get worse as he has to open at the Big House with Connecticut. Connecticut might not be on the level of Ohio State, per say, but they have been on the up in recent years and could make a run in the Big East. It would not be too shocking for the Huskies to stun the Wolverines. It would not be like Appalachian State, but an upset nonetheless.

San Jose State at No. 1 Alabama: The title defense begins with San Jose State and without Heisman Trophy HB Mark Ingram in the backfield. Ingram will be out for at least this game if not part of the first month. But the Tide should roll over the Aztecs.

Utah State at No. 7 Oklahoma: QB Landry Jones was able to get a lot of playing time while QB Sam Bradford was out last year. Bradford is now in the NFL and Jones will keep the Sooner offense moving strong ahead. The Big 12 looks to be another Texas or Oklahoma year and these first games get a sneak peak of how good these teams are.

Western Kentucky at No. 8 Nebraska: Nebraska is headed to the Big Ten next year and is looking to go out with a bang. Do not be surprised if they win the Big 12 North and then challenge whomever emerges from the annual Texas-Oklahoma game as the winner. Bo Pollini has built up a program that lost some of its luster into a serious team.

Tennessee Tech at No. 17 Arkansas: The SEC is a tough conference to maneuver, but with QB Ryan Mallet; the Razorbacks will be in the thick of the conversation.

Arkansas State at No. 22 Auburn: Auburn has had to play second fiddle to in state rival, Alabama, for the last few years. But Gene Chizik has the Tigers back to form and could be in the SEC heat of things this year after signs they showed last year.

Washington at BYU: QB Jake Locker returned for another year and he will be a major part of if the Huskies can contender in the Pac-10. BYU has been a top 25 in the last couple years, but they lose QB Max Hall and their play will most likely highlight that lost. Could be one of the closer and better games of the first weekend with so many lopsided matchups.

Texas State at Houston: QB Case Keenum was one of the best candidates last year and had himself on Heisman short lists and the Cougars as potential BCS busters. They fell apart down the stretch a bit, but should be a team to watch again this year.

Cincinnati at Fresno State: A new era begins in Cincinnati under Butch Jones. The Bearcats lost a few key players, but remain a team to watch in the Big East. Fresno State is usually an interesting team in recent years. As a Rutgers' alum, it also pits the two teams whom Rutgers lost to on Labor Day/opening weekend the last two years.

No. 12 Wisconsin at UNLV: HB John Clay is an underrated running back and should display his talent against the Rebels. The Badgers are also a top team in the Big Ten and will battle at the end of the season for the conference crown.


Top 5
5) 9/4: Illinois vs. Missouri (at the Edward Jones Dome): These two have been entangled in a renewed rivalry in recent years. The two have swapped victories in recent years with Missouri winning last year. Missouri took a small step back since they lost QB Chase Daniel, but Illinois has been in a slow freefall after a great 9-3 campaign a couple years ago. I expected a good game a year ago, but Missouri blew out Illinois. It should be closer, but not sure if like the thriller of a couple years ago. Two unheralded programs looking for recognition. Missouri looks to have the better team again this year. PICK: MISSOURI

4) 9/2: No. 15 Pittsburgh at Utah: HB Dion Lewis burst onto the scene last year as a freshman. He will counted on this year to carry the offense and Pitt is a heavy favorite to win the Big East after the last few years of rebuilding the program to prominence. Utah has been of the best teams not in a BCS power conference. They look to be a bit down from recent years, but are not a walk in the park for the Panthers. Utah has not had a lot of success against top teams minus Alabama in the Sugar Bowl a couple years ago. Hosting the Panthers can make this matchup a little closer. But, Pittsburgh has enough of a bang to hold off the Utes. PICK: PITTSBURGH

3) 9/4: No. 21 LSU vs. No. 18 North Carolina (at the Georgia Dome): An already tough game just got tougher for the Tar Heels, who will be without 12 starters. The game is at a neutral site, so they have that going for them, but LSU is a traditional powerhouse in the powerhouse conference. The Tigers will ask a lot from QB Jordan Jefferson this year and if they weren't already favored; they should be now. Never count out a football team dealing with adversity because many times they respond better than expected. However, LSU is simply good enough where it will be tough to overcome all those losses for North Carolina. PICK: LSU

2) 9/4: No. 24 Oregon State vs. No. 6 TCU (at Cowboys Stadium): TCU the last couple years as elevated to serious contender status among non-BCS conference schools. They have a stellar defense and a quarterback in Andrew Dalton with poise. They look to make a statement against another top 25 school in Oregon State featuring the two Rodgers brothers, who have explosive play potential. Jacquizz, at running back, and James, at receiver, must both be accounted for. TCU is still looking for respect and a victory against Oregon State opens the way for another run at a perfect regular season. Oregon State, in their own right, sees a wide open Pac-10 and are about ready to get over the hump and have fallen just short of Rose Bowl in recent years. PICK: TCU

1) 9/6: No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech (at FedEx Field): Most would say that this is the game of the week. It features two top 10 teams. The game is on Monday night. It features a top team from the ACC and a team, whom many believe to be the best school not in a BCS conference. Boise State has a very favorable schedule after this one if they were to win and are ranked in the top 3, which gives them a great chance to possibly play for the BCS national championship. The Broncos have beaten Oklahoma, a very good TCU team, and Oregon. They feature QB Kellen Moore who threw 39 touchdowns and 3 interceptions a year ago. Not too shabby. Plus he is a legit Heisman contender. This one looks to be a defensive battle despite Moore and the Boise State offense and HB Ryan Williams in the Virgina Tech's backfield. The two teams might feature top 10 defenses to go with their top 10 rankings. QB Tyrod Taylor could be a wildcard as his play might dictate how the Hokies play. He has Mike Vick potential, the last truly good quarterback they have had. This one is a true tough call. I think a trick play might be a difference maker in the second half. The location is neutral, but favors Virginia Tech. But Boise State has had enough of being taken lightly and will not be fazed. PICK: BOISE STATE

There are only a few really exciting games, but college football is back and that is excitement enough.