This Week's BlogPoll Ballot, Version 1

As always, let me know what you think. As mentioned this weekend, we reach a point in the season where "resume" is supplemented by the context of how those wins (and losses) look now, along with that amorphous notion of "how well they're playing right now."

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Texas Tech	3
2	Texas	1
3	Penn State	--
4	Alabama	2
5	Florida	2
6	Oklahoma State	1
7	Oklahoma	1
8	Southern Cal	1
9	Boise State	2
10	TCU	3
11	Utah	1
12	Georgia	6
13	LSU	1
14	Ohio State	--
15	Missouri	--
16	Ball State	1
17	Michigan State	5
18	West Virginia	5
19	Georgia Tech	7
20	California	6
21	Kansas	5
22	North Carolina	3
23	Brigham Young	2
24	Pittsburgh	2
25	Northwestern	1

Dropped Out: Tulsa (#16), Minnesota (#18), Connecticut (#20), South Florida (#24), Central Michigan (#25).

The Path to CFB Title Game: 8 Teams Left

I was futzing around with the theory below. Please take a look and let me know in what way I need to adjust the parameters...

Only 8 teams have a legitimate chance to make the national title game, and only 2 control their own destiny, though 2 others are close. Here is how things lay out:

Destiny Controlled: If they simply win out, regardless of what anyone else does, they should make the national title game.

1. Texas Tech: Win out, they're in.
2. Alabama: Win out, they're in

Needs help, but not much:
3. Penn State: Win out AND needs EITHER Bama or TX Tech to lose.

(Yes, this presumes that if Texas Tech, Alabama and Penn State all go unbeaten, Penn State would be on the outside looking in. I think we could all agree that is reasonable.)

Needs help, but best shot of all 1-loss teams:
4. Florida: Win out (assumes beating Alabama in SEC CG) plus EITHER Texas Tech OR Penn State loses.

(Yes, this presumes that a 1-loss Florida team that wins the SEC title game over Alabama would be ranked ahead of a 1-loss Big 12 champ -- especially if Alabama goes into it unbeaten.)

Needs substantial help:
5. Texas: Win out;TX Tech loses, but NOT to Okla or Okla St; PLUS a loss by Penn State OR a loss by Alabama before the SEC CG + Florida losing again.

Needs a lot of help, in the form of Texas losing again PLUS:
6.Oklahoma: Win out (incl. beating TX Tech)
7. Oklahoma St: Win out (incl. beating TX Tech)

Needs a ton of help:
8. USC: Win out; needs Penn St to lose; needs TX Tech to lose twice; needs Florida to lose again; needs Bama to lose; and needs BOTH Texas and Oklahoma to lose again.

Sunday 11/02 (Very) Quickie: Guns Up

Wow. Wow. Wow. I'm still blown away by the way Texas Tech put away Texas last night.

The Red Raiders dominated Texas for all but the final quarter. But just when the game seemed to get away from them -- literally in the final minute, when you could see a "Texas being Texas" moment of triumph -- they dominated Texas with one of the awesomest last-minute, game-winning drives you'll ever see (particularly given that it came against a consensus No. 1 team).

BTW: Have you ever seen a two-play turnaround like the one at the end of last night's game? Texas HAD THE GAME WON WITH THAT INT -- which they dropped. Then, Harrell (my new Heisman leader?) hit Crabtree (um, perhaps my newer Heisman leader?) with that sicksicksick TD pass. Matt Hinton summed up that Texas two-step nicely.

Speaking of No. 1, I have no idea -- ZERO -- how ANYONE could possibly NOT put Texas Tech at No. 1 in the polls this week. They are unbeaten, from the nation's best conference, and thoroughly outplayed the consensus No. 1 team in the country. That they would "vault" from 7 to 1 (some of us had them at No. 4 this week...) is hardly a radical thought, given the way they beat the team formerly considered No. 1.

But, really, you are an intellectually bankrupt poll voter if you gave your No. 1 vote to Texas last week, then don't turn around and give it to Texas Tech.

Here's the other dynamic that I find intriguing: Yesterday was the first moment we had a "state your case" game from a non-unbeaten, 1-loss team. Given the way that Florida destroyed another team in the Top 10, I'd argue that Florida is better right now than both Alabama and Penn State, despite that one loss. (In what other match-up this season of two teams both in the Top 10 did one team so thoroughly overwhelm the other?) Then again, plenty of would-be champions had to settle for the "playing better than anyone else right now" label... while still sitting outside the Top 2.

But, really, let me be revisionist: Just how impressive is Alabama's win at Georgia -- outlasting, rather than beating -- now that Florida just obliterated the Bulldogs on a neutral field? And Penn State's status as both unbeaten -- on the strength of a very good win over a good but not great Ohio State team -- and king of the Big Ten (umm...is that supposed to be impressive?) is one step up from Ball State: "We're undefeated, thus we're deserving!" Another year, another looks like another unbeaten Big Ten champ will ride a fluffy schedule to a beat-down in the national title game.

This isn't just about Florida; I'm seriously considering ranking Texas at No. 2, behind Texas Tech. Just as Oklahoma's close loss to Texas allowed them to hug tight behind the Big Three, Texas' close loss to Texas Tech doesn't mean they aren't the 2nd-best team in the country. If Texas played either Alabama or Penn State, I think they would work them over. I feel the same way about Florida.

Does that mean I should rank Texas No. 2 and Florida No. 3, ahead of Alabama and Penn State? At what point does "ranking by resume" turn into "resume, plus enough to know what those wins mean in context of everyone else." I also have been known to favor "how a team is playing at that moment," given that I named Georgia my national champ last season.

I don't want poll-jockeying to take away from that thrilling game last night. I didn't think anything would diminish or impact the high I was riding after the Florida win, but the way Texas Tech dismantled Texas did just that. It's not even that I'm anti-Texas; it's just that how can you not love a scrappy perennial second-tier rival, playing in (and delivering) the greatest game of the program's history, at home in front of an INSANE crowd (kudos to them for that, btw), just giving it to the team everyone presumed would roll through the regular season unbeaten.

The mainstream pundits have now been incredibly wrong twice in the past month or so: (1) USC was unbeatable; (2) Texas was unbeatable. Frankly, it's hard for me to put any stock in what they say anymore.

Here's what we know:

(1) Texas Tech earned itself the week at No. 1 -- with Oklahoma State coming next week, there's no guarantee that holds, but TT deserves to be in the pole/poll position. But given Tech's history, the chances of them running the table are not in their favor. (Personally, I find the Big 12 defense's more suspect than ever, particularly after watching Florida's defense opportunistically suck the life out of a Georgia offense considered one of the nation's best.)

(2) The polls may allow Bama and Penn State to back into 1-2 this week.

(3) I think Bama may have trouble at LSU next week, but they will certainly have trouble with Florida if the Gators and Tide both make the SEC title game and Bama comes in unbeaten.

(4) Penn State, god bless 'em, can simply ride out their cushy schedule, which doesn't feature a league title game, and go unbeaten.

Conclusion: Actually, there is very little BCS mess, contrary to Brent's rabble-rousing. There are 3 teams that should end up with a claim: An unbeaten Penn State, an unbeaten or 1-loss Big 12 champ and an unbeaten or 1-loss SEC champ. Now, deciding between them might be hard (for now), but we're not talking about a particularly messy situation. (Besides, if an SEC or Big 12 team is shut out of the national title game for Penn State, isn't that what the mythical AP championship is for?)

But that's all poll-wonky and looking too far ahead (given last night's Midnight Miracle, obviously). Let's not take away from the truly marvelous game that Texas Tech played -- and its gloriously worthy result.

-- D.S.

CFB Live-Blog and Viewing Guide

Last Update: Oh my god. That ending was BONKERS! TT No.1!

Update: Texas Tech just picked off (now-former) Heisman Trophy leading candidate Colt McCoy to go up 29-13 halfway through the 3rd. Is everyone else enjoying this ass-kicking as much as I am? How can you not love seeing this? (Unless you're a UT fan.)

Brent just said "Here comes BCS chaos." I'm sorry: What's the chaos, at least right now? Why wouldn't you simply replace Texas with Texas Tech at the top of the rankings -- everything else holds the same. Texas Tech is the new Texas: The new No. 1. The new top contender for one of the BCS spots. The new team to beat. Don't discount they're success because the jersey says "Texas Tech" instead of "Texas."

Because given the way that Texas Tech is shellacking Texas, the Red Raiders are obviously -- not just casually -- the better team, if the result holds up. I mean, they are beating the snot out of this Texas team that everyone seemed to think was the best team, by far, in the country. That would make TT better than Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and Missouri, too. Now, TT might not survive the Big 12 gauntlet, but they are proving that at least for this season, they are better than Texas.

Oh, cripes, Brent: Please stop apologizing for Texas getting waxed. "It was the last few weeks... it wore on them!" Oh, please: STFU. They wanted all the credit for taking care of their schedule; they can take the hit for not taking care of their schedule. And Texas Tech is playing wonderfully; this is no fluke.

(Colt McCoy could weather a loss and maintain his spot as Heisman front-runner -- I mean, Tebow lost 4 games last year. But that was contingent on him putting up Heisman-like stats. In this game, he is playing like crap -- with stats to match. Graham Harrell for Heisman front-runner, frankly.)

Update: Hells. Effing. Yes.

Sorry for the lack of updates today, but I've been too immersed watching Florida eviscerate Georgia. If Alabama is No. 2 on the strength of outscoring Georgia in Athens, I think I'll take Florida not just out-scoring Georgia, but shutting UGA's offense down, on a neutral field. Man, was that fun to watch. Total domination from the first minute to the moment early in the 4th that Florida magnanimously took their foot off Georgia's spindly throat.

Meanwhile, so much for Tulsa as a BCS-buster. And so much for Florida State's legitimacy.

And how about the Ending of the Day, from Northwestern, winning at No. 17 Minnesota to ruin the GG's dream season. (The big meme among NU fans is the "what if?" from last week's ridiculous loss at Indiana. If not for that, Northwestern would be 8-1 with a beeline toward the Top 10.)

I need to come down from the Florida win. Got about an hour, then I'm ready to settle in for Texas-Texas Tech.

What I'm Watching...
Noon: Northwestern at Minnesota (ESPN2)
(Tracking: Miami@UVA on GamePlan)
(2:oo: Tulsa@Arkansas, GamePlan -- Tracking)
3:30: Florida-Georgia* (CBS)
(Tracking: Oregon/Cal, FSU/GaTech)
8: Texas at Texas Tech (ABC)

* - My brother-in-law is visiting and will be over to watch the Florida game. He's a "double-down" Florida fan -- grew up in Gainesville AND went to UF -- so my fairweather Florida fandom always feels a little shameful in his presence. (His wife is a Georgia fan, which makes today's game annually awkward for them.)

Saturday 11/01 (Very) Quickie

Very excited for Florida-Georgia. Probably as much as any game since UF-UGA last year. CFB Live-Blog and Viewing Guide coming later this morning.

Anyone go to the Phillies celebration? Must have been fun.

So much for the "new-look Knicks."

Brandon Roy means: Who needs Greg Oden?

Rudy Gay (buzzer-beater last night) is going to have a monster year.

Bosh: 31 and 9? He's headed for 1st-team NBA.

Fantasy Watch: Al Thornton -- 30 and 11 in a Clips loss to Denver.

If the Heat are not good, how bad must the Kings be to lose by 26 to them?

NFL suspends LJ for Week 10: Surprised?

Aaron Rodgers must be doing something right: Extended through '14 with $20M guaranteed.

Tyler Hansbrough's DAD has to weigh in on his injury? Uh-oh.

Jim Mora says he doesn't want Washington job. Did anyone say UW wanted to give it to him?

CFB Weekend Preview and Picks

For the Nth straight week, Texas is involved in the Game of the Week. It is, arguably, the toughest game on UT's schedule -- at Lubbock, where the atmosphere will be...hmm...batshit insane.

But there is a second GOTW that could end up being just as important -- the winner could very well end up with the SEC's claim on a spot in the national-title game. The Florida-Georgia winner controls the SEC East -- and I'd pick either over Alabama in the SEC title game. And a 1-loss SEC champ has probably earned the right to be considered for a national-title game.

Unlike Urban Meyer (or what Meyer claims), I think Georgia's "Gator Stomp" in the end zone ends up motivating the hell out of Florida -- meanwhile, how could Georgia be more motivated than they were a year ago? The math doesn't work. At least that's my theory...

(1) Texas over @(7) Texas Tech - GOTW 1
(2) Alabama over Arkansas St
(4) Oklahoma over Nebraska
(5) USC over Washington -- Blowout Watch
(8) Florida over (6) Georgia - GOTW 2
(9) OK St over Iowa St
(10) Utah over New Mexico
(11) Boise St over @New Mexico St
(13) TCU over @UNLV
(14) Missouri over @Baylor
Georgia Tech over (15) Florida St
(17) Minnesota over Northwestern
(18) Tulsa over Arkansas -- Malzahn's Revenge!
(19) LSU over Tulane
(20) BYU over Colorado St
(21) Michigan St over Wisconsin
Cincy over (23) South Florida -- Locked Thursday
Cal over (24) Oregon
West Virginia over @(25) UConn

Friday 10/31 A.M. Quickie:Halloween, CFB Playoff, CP3, Pats, More

Happy Halloween. No, I'm not going out as Tim Tebow (although my mother-in-law sent my older kid a toddler Tim Tebow jersey for the Florida-Georgia game tomorrow).

A Morning Quickie chat vet sent me a note this morning that one of our finest group debates during the era of the Morning Quickie was over what the best Halloween candy is. Please feel free to weigh in on this very pressing sports-news topic in the Comments.

Meanwhile, I think in today's SN column, I appropriately labeled this weekend's top college football showdowns as "playoff-ish" -- the winner not only survives, but gets an inside track on the national title game; the loser is out of it.

(Anytime you're talking about the top 2 teams in the Big 12 South and the top 2 teams in the SEC East, all ranked in the Top 8 in the BCS, you're talking about a game of consequence -- even beyond the "every game/every week is a playoff" mantra about college football, which you know I obviously buy into and propagate.)

Meanwhile, I looked at this week's NFL schedule, and it's a dud. Even the "marquee" games -- Pats-Colts and Giants-Cowboys -- aren't nearly what they looked like they'd be in the offseason.

NBA Last Night: The Rockets are so for real. I'm thrilled I was on the "Rockets over Lakers" bandwagon before the season started. Meanwhile, Chris Paul qualifies for the "after-2-games" MVP award (he was also the "after-one-game" MVP award, a good sign for him).

MLB Hot Stove: Who deserves more money -- Manny or Sabathia? Not that it matters: Both will make bank, even in this economy. (But what about a guy like Ryan Dempster? Outside of Wrigley, doesn't he seem less worthy of a big payout?)

More later, including the weekly CFB and NFL picks. Complete SN column here.

-- D.S.

My 4 A.M. Read: Thamel Interviews Tebow

Up at 4:30 this morning with the baby, I cannot tell you how happy I was to have this extensive interview between Tim Tebow and the NYT's outstanding Pete Thamel. (The story on Tebow's Xs and Os prep that came from the interview is here. God, I am so excited for Florida-Georgia this weekend.)

My NYT Play Essay on Naming Your Kid After an Athlete: The Director's Cut

Did you catch my essay in last week's New York Times' PLAY magazine weekly online edition about the decision-making that goes into weighing whether to name your kid after an athlete?

Call it "Project: Tebow." In addition to your compliments, many of you emailed to wonder why it was so short.

The fact is: They wanted 300 words; I gave them something closer to 500. This was, of course, my own fault -- I should have constructed it for 300 words. Believe me: I always appreciate a good edit, and -- if you look at my essays with them listed on the right -- they give them to me.

That said, I wanted to publish the original, longer version in full, for those of you who wanted to read more on it. Mind you, it's not better; it's just longer. Here you go:

"Timothy Tebow Shanoff" has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

In the lead-up to the birth of my son last week, baby names were on the brain – and on the table.

Sports fans are willing to do a lot of irrational things – scream helplessly at the TV, play dress-up in player jerseys. But maybe nothing about this irrationality hits closer to home than the pressure produced when we're naming our children.

It is not like my wife and I were actually going to name our kid after Tim Tebow, our favorite athlete. That would be as ludicrous as naming your kid after, say, Brett Favre. (What was Eric Mangini thinking?)

But for every name put on the table, my instant reaction was usually, "Hmm: Yes, but what athlete will my fellow fans think of first?"

Eli? Great name. But, after this past Super Bowl, I think it will be a wee bit overdone in the greater New York area.

Isiah? If the first thing you thought of was "Isiah Thomas," you will understand why I rejected that name in about 2 seconds.

Nate? Um, you mean like "Newton?"

Noah was a strong contender, though ultimately discarded because my Florida fandom would inevitably lead folks to believe I named him after Gator great Joakim Noah.

So what about Tim? We could do worse. It's a nice name. Tebow is a talented player and, from all accounts, saintly as a person. (I mean, it's not like saddling your kid with an ungainly name like "Peyton," as so many Tennessee fans did back in the 90s.)

For perspective, our first kid is named Gabe. Though it was just a coincidence, it is not without a little pride I connect him to Gabe Kapler. (Could my own son be that rare Jewish Major Leaguer? Probably not: But he can share a name with one!)

Nevertheless, last week, with my wife in labor, we settled on "Jonah." And I think part of that name's appeal for me was that my sports-fan baby-name radar couldn't immediately summon an athlete who shared his name.

(We gave him the middle name Ryan – I couldn't help but think approvingly of Ryan Braun. In the selection process, I will confess it wasn't problematic for me that each of my boys shares a name connection with a Jewish Major Leaguer.)

In the end, "Tim Shanoff" or "Tebow Shanoff" are as fantastical as the idea of my son suiting up for the Gators and winning a Heisman himself. I settled for paying homage by wearing a Tebow T-shirt in the delivery room.

The advice is this: You won't be able to escape the superficial connections between your baby's name and those of star athletes. You can only play your own game – and hope your children make their own name.

Still: During the long nights of Jonah's first week, my sleep-deprived brain couldn't help but hallucinate that "Jonah" is actually an anagram for "J. Noah."

Update: I remain stumped to find any current or notable major-sport athletes named "Jonah." Who am I forgetting? (There is a talented Detroit Tigers farm-system pitcher with promise named Jonah Nickerson. Thanks, Baseball-Reference.com!)

The Best Thing About Last Night's Game

Let me reiterate arguably the most universal takeaway from last night's game:

EVERY sport should try having a close-out championship game that lasts a brisk 75 minutes and finishes before 10 pm.

That was the best part of all. What fan -- regardless of what team you root for or what sport you like -- couldn't appreciate that?

Thursday 10/30 A.M. Quickie:Phillies, Knicks, OKC, Oden, More

Welcome to history, "Game 5.5"

In the history of MLB, the NBA and, without any expertise, the NHL, there is a single instance I can think of where we know a moment by its placement in the series:

"Game 6": The 6th game of the 1986 World Series. When you say "Game 6," most fans know what you're referring to. And that's it. Until now.

I would argue that "Game 5.5" joins that incredibly exclusive group. It is befitting the unprecedented nature of the 2008 World Series, likely to be the least-watched World Series in history.

But "Game 5.5" will live on forever. I love the concept so much that I led today's SN column with it.

(God, wasn't the idea of a championship game that lasted less than 90 minutes and finished before 10 p.m. ET the freaking best? Some enterprising sports-league exec is going to make something big from that.)

Huge congrats to the Philly fans out there. The rest of us give you a hard time, but no fan base is more passionate or, for lack of a better word, real. You deserve it. Please enjoy it. After the 25-year title drought since "Fo, Fo, Fo," you should know better than to not appreciate this moment.

Meanwhile, you'll see in the column: I'm not feeling all that bad about the Rays. Look at what the '91 Braves did after going worst-to-first then losing in the World Series -- they made the playoffs about a gajillion seasons in a row. The Rays still have the most enviable roster in the league -- even if Joe Maddon strangely didn't use ace David Price until it was too late. If there was a gaffe, that was it.

On to the NBA and Part 2 of its Opening Night: Wow, the Knicks are different. First of all, that offense. Second, D'Antoni left both Marbury and Curry benched the entire game. Third, David Lee and Wilson Chandler are going to have very big seasons. Oh, and they won.

Meanwhile, the Lakers were even more dominant than they were against the Blazers on Tuesday; Chris Paul started his MVP campaign -- I'd call him the "after-one-game NBA MVP"; Chris Bosh will benefit more from Jermaine O'Neal than Jermaine O'Neal will from Chris Bosh; Rudy Gay is going to have a big season; Jefferson and Love are instantly the most enjoyable young 1-2 frontcourt combos in the league; man, it's going to be a long season for Wizards fans.

Complete SN column here. More later.

-- D.S.

Quote of the Day: Sam Hinkie on EVsA Random Dribble Down Ball Street?

Sam Hinkie, Rockets VP of Basketball Ops, as told to Rockets.com's Jason Friedman:

“I’m probably pretty boring to watch a game with because I’m all about expected values. I don’t even care if it goes in or not, I’m all about it, ‘Should it go in?’ I can live with randomness. I mean, if it’s a close game in the end, yeah, I’m just like anyone else. But I just want us to play the odds all the time.

“Sometimes it’s even important to live with randomness because too often we all decide whether a play was a good play or bad play only after we’ve watched whether the ball went into the net. I think that can be misleading. Of course any shot that goes in we’ll take, but over time I want our players to continue to make smart decisions over the long term, and to do that you really have to take out whether the shot goes in or not, and you have to focus more on whether it should go in and whether it’s a good shot for our offense. That’s pretty critical, otherwise you end up chasing what you just saw—which might have been pure luck—versus constantly focusing on the future and what you’re most likely to see.

Damn, the Rockets front office is smart. I'm so crazy to pick Houston to win the NBA title?

-- D.S.

(h/t: TrueHoop)

The NBA's Future IS Europe, Ironically

Here's some quality irony: European dollars WILL have a massive impact on the NBA, but not necessarily in recruiting NBA super-stars to play over there...

...How about its billionaires coming HERE? The Nets would make a fine acquisition for any of your run-of-the-mill Russian oligarchs: New York, new arena, LeBron, cash out the wazoo.

David Stern better thank his stars for the salary cap. Oligarch money would make Mark Cuban look like Donald Sterling. (h/t Ziller)

-- D.S.

PS: Basketball Jones is back! In video form! Must-see!

Wednesday 10/29 A.M. Quickie:World Series, Oden, Celts, More

Four-inning playoff games that end before 10 p.m. ET? I think MLB might be on to something.

Meanwhile, who had "Game 1" in the Greg Oden Injury Pool? Yeesh.

More later. Complete column here.

-- D.S.

What Recession? Not In Online Sports Media

Congrats to Tyler and the SB Nation crew for the mid-seven-figure investment that puts former AOL programming honcho Jim Bankoff in charge (and Ted Leonsis, among others, as an investor).

Founded by Daily Kos' Markos Moulitsas, SB Nation is an aggregation of team-specific blogs -- some their market leader, others not.

Meanwhile, congrats to Bleacher Report for snagging a $3.5 million investment in a B-round of financing. (That should help finance those 7,500 contributors cranking out 400 articles a day.)

Aside from being entirely scalable -- though perhaps not without diminishing editorial quality -- BR has some notable distribution deals with mainstream sports sites.

Now, to the both of you, two words: Cash preservation! (Kidding: Just ask Mark Cuban -- this is the time to find your focus and create market share while others hunker down.)

-- D.S.

Absurdly Shallow NBA Season Preview

From today's SN column:

The Celtics and Lakers feel like everyone's pick to play for the NBA title, with most thinking that with a healthy Andrew Bynum, the Lakers will reverse last year's result for its own "Remember the 80s" title. The rivalry is fine, but even 4 months after the Finals, it is lame and predictable.

I'm not just being contrarian as I pick the Rockets to beat the Magic for the NBA title. (Hey: it's like "Remember the 90s!")

The new "Big 3" is Yao, T-Mac and Ron Artest, who won't win MVP (that will be Chris Paul), but certainly will qualify for consideration by being the piece that earns Houston the title in the West. And I love analytics-driven Rockets GM Daryl Morey -- numbers win championships!

In the East, the aging Celtics can't possibly play with the same sense of mission as a year ago. (SO due for a bad injury, right?) Meanwhile, Orlando has a "Big 2" and a "Big-ish 4": The East's best post player (Howard); its best sidekick (Lewis); its best 6th man (Turkoglu); and, now, its top perimeter defender (Pietrus).

There you have it: Rockets over Magic. I just can't bring myself to pick either the Lakers or the Celtics, let alone both. Maybe that contrarian notion is blinding me to the obvious reality, but I actually think that the Rockets can win the West -- and the Magic can win the East.

(The only other thing to point out is that this is one of the most interesting and compelling rookie classes in years: There is Greg Oden. There is Mike Beasley, who was an even better college player -- and NBA prospect -- than Kevin Durant. There is No. 1 overall pick Derrick Rose. There is Spanish import Rudy Fernandez. There is D-League draftee Mike Taylor. And that doesn't even count players like Eric Gordon or Brook Lopez who could instantly contribute.)

Suggest your own Finals picks, award winners, players to watch and storylines to follow for the season through the Comments.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 10/28 A.M. Quickie:Rain Delays, Titans, NBA Preview, More

Look, I don't think anyone wants to see a World Series end in a rain-shortened result.

I think my problem, outlined in the lead of today's SN column, is that Bud Selig -- once again -- simply ignores or defies the rulebook at a whim.

Why didn't the rulebook have a "World Series exemption" already in it? With the weather forecast clear to all, why didn't Selig lay this out beforehand?

Consider: Both teams were playing as if the game would be over after officially registering after 5 innings. Fans certainly didn't know. Why did they play the game past 5 innings at all? (They could have easily called the sopping game before 5 innings, necessitating a full do-over. I guess a shortened "continuation" is more dramatic -- and interesting -- than a full do-over.)

Once again, Bud Selig turns something ordinary into a clusterf---. Now, that said, the situation instantly makes this World Series memorable, historically novel. There's something to be said for that.

Meanwhile, the Titans are 7-0, and I'm kind of rooting for this anonymous, unassuming bunch to break the '72 Dolphins record. Wouldn't that be amazing? Does great D, limited turnovers and a punishing 1-2 running game eventually leave you vulnerable -- or is it actually the most sustainable of any of the ways you can win? (Consider the Titans didn't even hit 100 yards rushing, yet still controlled the game.)

NBA Preview: You can find it in the column, but I'll re-print it later today, so you can go crazy in the Comments with your own NBA predictions. I ended up affirming my allergy to the ubiquitous Lakers-over-Celtics -- I'm taking the Rockets over the Magic.

(What does it say that of tonight's 3 openers, including both the Lakers and the Celtics, I am most intrigued to watch Greg Oden? His battle with Andrew Bynum is the first of many classics, as many have already forecast. Well, at least until Bynum breaks for the East.)

(I had my office fantasy NBA league draft last night and lucked into the 1st overall pick in a 12-team league. I took Chris Paul.)

Ty Willingham is out at Washington: Lane Kiffin is such an obvious replacement, UW should hire him RIGHT NOW -- let's call him "interim recruiting coordinator" -- and let him focus on recruiting, which is the only thing holding Washington back from returning to its glory days.

Meanwhile, is Phil Fulmer done after this season at Tennessee? He should be, certainly. And if he is, the Vols could go after Steve Spurrier, but why not go for the safer and less drama-queen pick in former Vols assistant David Cutcliffe, who in less than a year has turned Duke into a not-terrible team, perhaps the greatest one-season turnaround job in recent CFB history.

Complete column here. More later.

-- D.S.

Men With Balls By Drew Magary: Out Today

Men With Balls by Drew Magary, the new book (of totally new material) by the Kissing Suzy Kolber co-founder and heartthrob of the Deadspin commenters, is officially out today. Men With Balls is the bawdiest sports book of the year -- and given how hard it is for folks to write bawdy (let alone funny) about sports, one of the all-time funniest books about sports.

As you'd expect from nothing less than a talent like Drew Magary, who established himself at least 2 years ago as the laugh-out-loud funniest sports voice in America, online or off. Senselessly, I have been sitting on my book review for weeks. It's coming later this week, hopefully. Needless to say, Men With Balls is a must-buy and a must-read. Congrats, Drew.

-- D.S.

PS: It's a glorious moment for leading sports bloggers finally coming out with books: College Basketball Prospectus, by Ken "KenPom" Pomeroy and John (ne "Big Ten Wonk") Gasaway, and Free Darko's NBA uber-book both release imminently.)

Monday 10/27 A.M. Quickie:Phillies, Penn State, Westbrook, More

It's like "Pennsylvania Day" in today's SN column: Phillies? Check. Penn State? Check. Brian Westbrook? Check.

But can I first tip my cap to not one but two YouTube moments that are likely to have traction today?

(1) Mike Singletary, because nothing says "coaching debut" like a press conference freak-out.

(2) Patti LaBelle, for one of the worst National Anthems I can remember.

Meanwhile, I'm willing to admit that I was very very wrong about the Phillies' chances against the Rays; I totally discounted their HR power, obviously on display last night. That doesn't mean I'm not still pulling for the Rays or disappointed if Tampa falls short. But, again, it's hard to begrudge Philly sports fans this moment. If it's going to happen, I hope it happens tonight in Philly, rather than in Game 6 or 7 in Florida.

Penn State vs. the BCS: As expected, yesterday's anti-PSU rant triggered a lot of comments. Good comments, actually. And I appreciate you meeting my irrational rantings with (mostly) clear-eyed rebuttals and analysis. Really, my problems can be boiled down to two things:

(1) The notion that poll voters may use some sort of nostalgia for Joe Paterno's age or career to put them in a title game they aren't worthy of being in. If the name on the jersey was, say, "Texas Tech," and the coach was, say, Mike Leach, you wouldn't be seeing this.

(2) Penn State's schedule is not particularly challenging. Even their signature game wasn't that impressive -- sure, beating Ohio State in Columbus is something that Penn State hasn't done since before JoePa was in AARP, but (a) the PSU D shut down -- what? -- a true freshman QB, and (b) the vaunted PSU offense couldn't muster much against the same OSU defense that porously allowed USC to score at will. (Please don't say Oregon State, using the Beavers' win over USC as evidence -- the Pac-10 is terrible this year.)

If "going unbeaten from a BCS conference" is all that it takes to make the national-title game -- without even a hint of judgment from voters -- Texas or Alabama or Georgia or Florida or Oklahoma might as well bolt their leagues and join the ACC for football.

Anyway, as you can see, it's going to be a long 6 weeks. Maybe Penn State will do us all a favor and lose at Iowa next week.

(By the way, I'm not anti-Penn State, per se. I would love to see them win the Big Ten and go to the Rose Bowl. It HAS been a wonderful year for JoePa. It has been great to see them open up the offense. I just don't think they are as BCS title-game worthy as the Big 12 or SEC champs.)

UPDATE: Per your comments in the BlogPoll ballot post below, I have moved Penn State ahead of Texas Tech to No. 3. See? I'm not THAT much of a hater! (And not THAT unwilling to listen.) Mostly, I appreciate the discussion in the Comments of that post.

Wow, just getting to the NFL here? Huge day for Brian Westbrook. Huge day for Joe Flacco. Huge day for Ted Ginn. Huge day for the Giants. Huge day for quality long-snappers who might be out of work right now but looking to hook on with a playoff team. Huge day for the Titans. Are we already at the NFL midseason? Or does next week count as midseason?

Any more ideas for non-conventional (ie, not Lakers and not Celtics) picks for the NBA season?

BTW, love that new Guitar Hero ad with Kobe, Phelps, A-Rod and Tony Hawk. Brilliant.

Complete SN column here. More later.

-- D.S.

This Week's CFB BlogPoll Ballot, Version 1

As ranted earlier today, I refuse to let nostalgia for Joe Paterno impact other nuanced factors at the top of my ballot. As always, let me know where you think I can make this stronger.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Texas	--
2	Alabama	--
3	Texas Tech	5
4	Penn State	1
5	Oklahoma State	--
6	Georgia	7
7	Florida	1
8	Oklahoma	4
9	Southern Cal	2
10	Utah	1
11	Boise State	1
12	LSU	2
13	TCU	1
14	Ohio State	3
15	Missouri	--
16	Tulsa	3
17	Ball State	3
18	Minnesota	4
19	North Carolina	7
20	Connecticut	6
21	Brigham Young	4
22	Michigan State	4
23	West Virginia	3
24	South Florida	8
25	Central Michigan	1

Dropped Out: Kansas (#18), Georgia Tech (#21), Pittsburgh (#23), Boston College (#24), Northwestern (#25).

Sunday 10/26 Quickie: Not Buying Penn St

Now THAT was a surreal World Series game: Latest start ever. That crazy bottom of the 9th. For all the talk about the Phillies' weak RISP, here's the reality: If you get the hit when it counts -- say, the game-winning walk-off infield dribbler with five infielders waiting for it -- who cares what happens the other times when runners are in scoring position? In a short series, the law of averages goes out the window.

Now, how do you feel about Penn State this morning?

If you are a "half-full" person (or Kirk Herbstreit), you give them all the credit in the world for winning in Columbus and stifling the Buckeyes offense.

If you are "half-empty," you are completely unimpressed with the Penn State "HD" offense -- sure, the OSU D is good, but USC didn't seem to have much trouble with it. And as for Penn State's dominating D, perhaps we had overrated Ohio State's "Pryor Offense."

I'm leaning toward half-empty. I think it's time to start the campaign: An unbeaten Penn State won't necessarily be better than a 1-loss Big 12 and a 1-loss SEC champ.

If a Coach or Harris pollster is voting Penn State into the BCS national-title game mainly out of nostalgia for the career of Joe Paterno, it is the WORST REASON IN THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT a pretty lousy, intellectually bankrupt reason to put a team in the title game.

They're either one of the 2 best teams in the country (which I find dubious) or not. Take your feelings for JoePa out of it.

I love the Penn State resurgence story this season. But you shouldn't necessarily put them in the national title game for it. Meanwhile, give them the "Ohio State" award for going unbeaten through a less-than-daunting Big Ten schedule. (This year's Ohio State at least played USC. And lost. But they played 'em.)

Penn State's schedule is fractionally as difficult as the best of the Big 12 or SEC. Look at Texas: The Longhorns will play a harder schedule in any 2 of the past 3 weeks (pick any 2!) -- let alone next week at Texas Tech -- than Penn State's entire season combined.

I'm impressed with Penn State going into a hostile Columbus and coming out with a win, to be sure. But it wasn't entirely impressive.

/rant

It won't surprise you, then, what my preliminary BlogPoll Top 10 looks like:

1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Texas Tech
4. Penn State
5. Oklahoma State
6. Georgia
7. Florida
8. Oklahoma
9. USC
10. Utah

I am sure I will flip-flop Penn State and Texas Tech, but I think that winning in Lawrence was almost as impressive as winning in Columbus. (For the doubters about TX Tech's defense, Kansas' offense is much better than Ohio State's.)

Here's the thing: I can leave Texas Tech there this week, because as of next Saturday night, when they host Texas, either they lose and drop out of the Top 10 or win and climb to No. 1. Regardless, Penn State moves back up to No. 3 anyway -- assuming they "survive" yet another "toughie" Big Ten game (at Iowa).

Every other BCS contender has to run through a gauntlet of brutal games. All Penn State had to do was beat an overrated, offensively anemic Ohio State in Columbus -- and they barely did that. Yup: That sure is BCS title-game worthy.

Still more than a month to go in the season, and it's already getting political. Hey, with this system, that's how it should be.

Saturday 10/25 (Very) Quickie: CFB Mania!

Late-Afternoon Update: That is what you call "surviving" by Texas. Give Texas credit for gritting it out against an Oklahoma State team much better than most had ranked (I had them at No. 4).

Here's what I know: This week, I will rank Oklahoma State ahead of Oklahoma. Both have 1 loss, both lost to Texas. Oklahoma was run out of the building on a neutral field. Oklahoma State was about 60 seconds shy of winning in Austin. Of all teams with 1 loss, Oklahoma State has the "best" loss. Does that make them the highest-ranked of any 1-loss team? Hmm...

Meanwhile, if Georgia can get out of Baton Rouge, Florida-Georgia next week is going to be epic.

Early-Afternoon Update: I'm willing to stipulate that Big 12 offenses are awesome, but can we at least agree that it is partially because Big 12 defenses are a joke? I'd like to see Big 12 offenses against a very good SEC defense. (Oh, we did: In 2003, when LSU shut down Oklahoma.)

Meanwhile, the AP poll is officially over. I love how ESPN is (entirely appropriately) referring to teams based on their BCS ranking. The AP poll is basically the BlogPoll with a couple more decades of history -- but a lot less transparency. Otherwise, effectively the same.

For those of you not watching Florida on GamePlan but following the scoring via the crawl or in-game updates, it IS that much of an ass-kicking. Pay attention, poll-voters.

Today's Viewing Schedule (with updates and commentary throughout the day):

12:30: Kentucky at Florida (GamePlan)
Tracking: Texas Tech at Kansas (ESPN)
3:30: Oklahoma St at Texas (ABC)
P-i-P: Georgia at LSU (CBS)
8:00: Penn St at Ohio St (ABC)
Tracking: Alabama at Tennessee (ESPN)

And I'll be flipping back and forth tonight with World Series Game 3 (if it's not rained out). You can not care about either the Rays (really?!) or the Phillies, but how can you ignore the ageless Jamie Moyer?

This is likely the oldest player you will ever see play a meaningful role -- let alone be the starting pitcher -- in a World Series. And if he isn't the oldest you've ever seen, it's the oldest you ever will see again. I'm rooting for the Rays, but I'm very sympathetic to Moyer.

More: Did Isiah Thomas try to kill himself? He OD'ed on sleeping pills, but I wouldn't use the "S" word without more evidence. I would, however, not be surprised if he bungled the cap on how many pills he was supposed to take. (Here's to a full and healthy recovery!)

I will never get over the double-standard between steroids in MLB (scandal!!!!1!!!111!!) and steroids in the NFL, which is basically ubiquitous to the point where fans and media (and, oh, Congress) don't really care all that much. It's like: Well, how else are they supposed to jack folks up? Anyway, there's a new report in today's NY Times about 8 more NFL players busted for PEDs. I'm sure it will be as ignored as all the others.

-- D.S.

CFB Weekend Preview and Picks: More UT

There will, by necessity, be some BCS shake-ups this weekend. In the Top 10 alone: (1) Either Texas or Oklahoma State will suffer their first loss. (2) Either Ohio State or Penn State will be effectively eliminated from national-title consideration. (3) Same with the loser of LSU and Georgia. (4) Unbeaten Texas Tech has a very tough road game at Kansas. (5) It's a moment for both USC and Florida to move up, in human polls and the BCS.

(1) Texas over (6) Oklahoma St - GOTW
(2) Alabama over @Tennessee
(9) Ohio State over (3) Penn St - GOTW2!
(4) Oklahoma over @Kansas St
(5) USC over @Arizona
(13) LSU over (7) Georgia
(23) Kansas over (8) Texas Tech
(10) Florida over Kentucky
(12) Boise St over @San Jose St
(14) TCU over Wyoming
(15) Missouri over Colorado
(16) South Florida over @Louisville
(17) Pitt over Rutgers
(18) Georgia Tech over Virginia
(19) Tulsa over Central Florida
(20) Ball St over E. Michigan
(21) BYU over UNLV
(22) Northwestern over @Indiana
(24) Minnesota over @Purdue
(25) Florida St over VA Tech

Other Games of Note:
Cincinnati over UConn
UNC over BC
Wisconsin over Illinois
Miami over Wake Forest
Michigan over Michigan St
Notre Dame over Washington

Friday 10/24 A.M. Quickie:Rays, RISP, CFB, NFL, NBA, More

I'm still holding out for Tim Tebow showing up at the bris today... too much to ask?

I'm not particularly triumphant about the Rays' first-ever World Series win in today's SN column. Mainly because I know that weak RISP percentages usually find the mean, although the whole "regress to the mean" theory works a lot better with a sample size larger than the 5 remaining games of this World Series.

Meanwhile, what will be the more important dynamic of the World Series: RISP or Rain? The Phillies can't convert with runners in scoring position; rain might create havoc -- or at least no off-days -- with the World Series schedule. (I'll take it; compare that to the ludicrously endless NBA playoff schedule.)

What is less believable: That the Pats aren't annoyed with Tom Brady or that NFL teams don't actively offer bounties on opposing players?

CFB This Weekend: At least 4 games with BCS implications. Weekly preview and picks coming later this morning.

I want to salute blog reader Jason Schoming: He is leading BOTH Daily Quickie Reader picks games -- NFL and CFB. That is a hell of a double. In his honor, I will pick Ohio State to beat his beloved Penn State, thereby ensuring that Penn State wins via Quickie jinx.

I'm working on my NBA preview ("Shallowest. Preview. Ever.") for next week's season start. Any clever ideas for Finals predictions? I can't stand the thought of picking the Lakers and Celtics, like basically everyone else. How about the Rockets winning the West? Maybe the Hornets? And how about the Magic winning the East? Maybe the Pistons? Would love the input.

I have never been a fan of Lute Olson or Arizona. Can't say I'm sorry to see him go, although he WAS that program. Without an innovative pick for coach, the program will slide into irrelevancy.

Former Zona wunderkind assistant Josh Pastner has always kind of annoyed me (for no good reason, really -- he's sort of a Theo Epstein/Jon Daniel/Andrew Friedman of college hoops), but hiring the thirtysomething longtime Olson assistant (now a Calipari assistant at Memphis -- that's not a sketchy place to learn or anything) would inject the program with energy -- and much-needed youth.

More later. Complete SN column here.

-- D.S.

Should You Name Your Kid After Athletes?

So why didn't we name him "Tim Tebow Shanoff?" The must-read is here.

(That said: I continue to extend an open invitation to Tebow to attend the bris tomorrow. Will I let him do the circumcizing? Well, let's just say that if he is willing to make the effort to attend, I wouldn't rule it out.)

Thursday 10/23 A.M. Quickie:Phillies, Hamels, Utley, McCoy, Magic

OK, so maybe it won't be the Rays in 5. But it's not like they haven't been stifled in Game 1 of a championship series before. The last time it happened, they scored 31 runs in the next 3 games.

Still: As I lead in today's SN column, that was an impressive display by Cole Hamels, who is the new Josh Beckett -- untouchable in the postseason. And by Brad Lidge, who probably deserves NL Cy. And by Chase Utley, who -- for all the MVP hype for Rollins ('07) and Howard ('08) -- is the real MVP of this offense. And by Jason Bartlett, who even Philly fans can cheer, given that he swiped them (and the rest of the country) a free taco.

Meanwhile, looking ahead to Saturday, Texas-Oklahoma State is the headliner (yes, Penn St and Ohio St fans, with your game thisclose behind). But the real news is Colt McCoy confirming that he'll return to Texas for the '09 season, which should scare the hell out of people. If he's this good in the offense now, how much better will Texas be next year?

It seems unthinkable, but when McCoy's career is over, he will likely be considered even better than Vince Young. Not bad, considering Vince Young is one of the Top 3 college football players of the last decade (Young... Bush... Tebow -- go ahead and retch now).

What would McCoy need to top Young? Not just a national title -- how about two of them? And a Heisman -- or two. Two national titles and two Heismans? Yup, that would do it. (Yes, I recognize this projection is fantastical. Then again, I was perfectly willing to argue that there was no way Tim Tebow would win another Heisman after last season. And he won't.)

Wow, that was a bit of a digression...

I'll dig into the start of the NBA season next week, but am I that wrong to think that the Magic can push the Celtics to contend in the East? Dwight Howard is unstoppable (except at the FT line, of course); Rashard Lewis is a near-perfect complement; and Mickael Pietrus is a defensive stopper. There's something about central Florida this year, isn't there?

More coming later. Complete SN column here.

-- D.S.

Why Can't Us? Almost Makes Me Root Philly

If you've been tracking "Why Can't Us?" over the past (less-than-a) week, it basically reached its apex today. (It doesn't hurt that Deadspin impresario AJ Daulerio is a Philly guy.)

Alas, any second now, it will be overexposed -- oh, you can bet it'll make the Fox broadcast -- and over, just like that. But let's all enjoy it now; it is rare to be able to smell a meme in full bloom.

It is a brilliant, bottom-up slogan. It almost makes me root for the Phillies. Almost. Go Rays.

Nate Silver Is the MVP of 2008

Nate Silver has pulled off an unprecedented "double" this year:

In his role as guru of the PECOTA performance projection system at Baseball Prospectus, he correctly predicted the Rays' rise this season. Arguably, he sparked the bandwagon.

In his role as founder and lead voice of politics blog FiveThirtyEight.com, he has become the breakout star of political polling punditry - it's in my heavy rotation.

Here is a must-read New York magazine story that puts it all together about Silver.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 10/22 A.M. Quickie:Rays in 5, Favre Scandal, NBA Rooks, More

Rays in 5. And, unless you're from Philly, I cannot imagine that you can't root for the Rays. This is one of the great turnaround stories in sports history -- on the cusp of the superlative "greatest."

Here is a reality of the sports-media dynamic nearing the end of 2008: You cannot ignore a story and pretend it isn't there. There are too many outlets. Fans are too informed. It erodes credibility.

If the Favre story came from some random source with no track record, we could dismiss it as some no-account attempt to link-bait one's way to some short-term page views.

Jay Glazer is arguably the most intrepid NFL "info guy" on the beat today -- he wouldn't put his rep on the line with a claim like "1,000 percent" certainty of his story if he wasn't...certain.

And it's not like Brett Favre has a history of straight talk -- he talks, to be sure, but he ensures it is almost always with Favre-friendly folks.

(Here's a question: What will Peter King do when it turns out that Favre lied to him to his face -- or, at least, through a text message? Will he still have blinding, journo-undercutting fealty?)

Regardless: It's a story. (And now it's also a story about a story, what political campaigns and media call "process stories" -- inside baseball, rather than the game itself.)

Meanwhile, if you can set aside the presumption that Greg Oden has NBA Rookie of the Year locked up, the three leading candidates were on display last night: Derrick Rose (30 pts); OJ Mayo (28 pts); Mike Beasley (19 pts). I still say Kevin Love is the best rookie.

(Oh, and nothing will hurt the start of the NBA season quicker than a knee injury to its No. 1 star, Kobe. Presumably, he'll be fine. But it's a reminder.)

I ask a fair question in today's column: What's the bigger game -- Texas vs. Oklahoma State or Penn State vs. Ohio State? I default to the former (two unbeatens, with the winner worthy of the No. 1 ranking both in the polls and the BCS?), but I'm willing to entertain that it's the latter: If Penn State wins, they have a near-lock on the BCS title game; if they lose, the BCS dream is over. And Ohio State is playing better than they have all season -- and the game is in Columbus. If Penn State wins, they will boost their cred -- and, playing in the weak Big Ten, they'll need it.

More to come later. Complete SN column here. Root Rays.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 10/21 A.M. Quickie:Pats, Rays, 49ers, McCoy, Blazers, Tiger

I'm going to stop mocking the Pats now. As I lead in today's SN column: Who needs Brady? It's like the karmic rebound for Boston sports fans from Sunday's ALCS disappointment.

Meanwhile, how is everyone outside of Philly not on the Rays bandwagon? The David Price bandwagon? The Joe Maddon bandwagon? The Tampa-as-hot-sports-town bandwagon?

Growing up a massive die-hard Bears fan, I -- like every other Bears fan -- idolized Mike Singletary. It's hard to view his elevation to head coach of the 49ers with any kind of objectivity.

One more reason Tim Tebow rules: He is taking his Heisman voting responsibility more seriously than 90 percent of the 900 or so media hacks who get to vote. His new guy: Colt McCoy. Good choice.

Does the collapse of EliteXC spell the bubble bursting for MMA? Hardly. But the bubble will burst for fly-by-night UFC wannabes.

The Blazers are so easy to like -- they are sort of like the Rays of the NBA. That's not a perfect analogy, but it's not totally out of line. (SN previewed the Blazers today, which is why I was thinking of them.)

I'm no golfer, but I'd be willing to play 18 if Tiger was caddying.

Derek Jeter is dating Minka Kelly? Of course he is.

I never really weighed in on the Lou Holtz "Hitler" thing. It was absurdly out of line, and my problem with folks who invoke Hitler or Nazis (whether on-air, like Holtz, or online, like Hill) is that they lack a baseline sensitivity to the utter stupidity of what they're saying. I would have suspended Holtz for at least a weekend on the face of his own comment; in the context of the suspension given to Hill, it seems even more ludicrous he wasn't suspended.

Complete SN column here. More later.

-- D.S.

Monday 10/20 A.M. Quickie:Rays, BCS, Cowboys, Favre, Titans, More

Some things just re-affirm your faith in...well, everything. The Rays beating back the Sox surge to win Game 7 and the AL pennant is one of those moments.

The question, as I lay out in my SN column today, is whether this is a revolution or a blip?

The Red Sox -- from sheer payroll by itself, let alone its expert front-office management -- will always be a contender. But the Rays did it on a fraction of the budget, with a surplus of young talent. If the Rays offered the Sox a roster swap -- straight up, team-for-team -- is there any doubt the Sox would take it?

They looked the defending champ -- arguably the best elimination-game team in MLB history -- in the eye and Boston blinked. I thought we were in the middle of the Red Sox Dynasty.

This might be the beginning of the Reign of the Rays.

Meanwhile, BCS BCS BCS. You know who was No. 2 in the first BCS poll a year ago? South Florida. Things will change. Texas and Alabama "control their own destiny," but things inevitably happen.

Well, perhaps not to Texas, which looks like an absolute juggernaut, even in the tough Big 12 (which isn't quite the monster it looked like a few weeks ago).

But Alabama still has a hell of a row to hoe, including the SEC title game (if they get that far). Penn State is sitting pretty -- IF they can win at Ohio State (no gimme), although it's hard to stomach another Big Ten champ making the BCS, given how mediocre the league is.

USC will cruise to 11-1, but its strength of schedule will continue to haunt it. And if Penn State beats Ohio State - or if Ohio State loses to anyone else -- that single signature USC win suddenly doesn't look so impressive.

There is a crack of light for Florida, although I'm certain it won't play out this smoothly: Beat Georgia. Win the rest of the regular-season games. Beat Alabama in the SEC title game. Not easy, but a 12-1 SEC champ should be more than enough (unless both Texas and Penn State both go undefeated -- even then, you wonder whether a 1-loss SEC champ is worse than an unbeaten Big Ten champ).

It's a rare Monday when the NFL is relegated behind two other stories. But here we are: The Cowboys are a mess. The Titans should have silenced all doubters (although beating KC isn't exactly beating, say, the Giants). I really want an enterprising blogger to find all the YouTube clips from Draft day where the Titans were mocked for drafting Johnson.

And Brett Favre is accused of helping the Lions prep for their Week 2 game against the Packers, which is so farcically predictable that it HAS to have some truth to it. It's so petty, so narcisisstic -- thus, so Favre. It's not against the rules, per se, but so against the spirit of competition; it's not like the Lions signed a Packers castoff who helped his new team scheme his old team.

Anyway, it's a fun Monday. They're all fun. Complete SN column here. More later.

-- D.S.

New BlogPoll Top 25 Ballot: Texas, Bama 1-2

With the first BCS poll coming out today, all that matters is Who's No. 1 and Who's No. 2 (and, by extension, who's close enough to take advantage if 1 and/or 2 stumble). I have Texas and Alabama, and I don't expect the BCS to be any different. Of course, there's a ton of game to play. Ballot here. Thoughts? Comments? Feedback?:

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Texas	--
2	Alabama	--
3	Penn State	--
4	Oklahoma	1
5	Oklahoma State	1
6	Florida	--
7	Southern Cal	3
8	Texas Tech	--
9	Utah	--
10	LSU	2
11	Ohio State	4
12	Boise State	2
13	Georgia	2
14	TCU	7
15	Missouri	2
16	South Florida	2
17	Brigham Young	10
18	Kansas	2
19	Tulsa	4
20	Ball State	2
21	Georgia Tech	5
22	Minnesota	3
23	Pittsburgh	3
24	Boston College	2
25	Northwestern	1

Dropped Out: Michigan State (#17), Vanderbilt (#19), Wake Forest (#20), North Carolina (#24).

Sunday 10/19 (Very) Quickie

Yes, I'm now extremely nervous about the Rays. There's not much more to say, except in a one-game, winner-take-all (regardless of location), it would be silly to pick against the defending champs on a 2-game win streak, who haven't lost an elimination game in forever.

Yes, Texas should be the unquestioned No. 1 team in the country -- and No. 1 in the first BCS, released today.

(No. 2? Alabama. On the outside looking in at No. 3: Penn State, but don't feel bad for them -- they will ride that weak Big Ten schedule all the way to the BCS title game.)

Oklahoma had the 2nd-biggest CFB win of the day -- but top teams at home SHOULD win decisively. That's why Penn State's early struggles with Michigan were so startling -- or Alabama's limp finish vs. Ole Miss was equally so.

Even though Ohio State romped Michigan State in East Lansing, I'm not sure I'm sold on OSU -- their Game of the Year is next week at home vs. Penn State, with the Rose Bowl (perhaps more) on the line. It will certainly (and finally) legitimize Penn State's national-title candidacy.

Next week features four huge games, that will make-or-break several contenders' seasons: Oklahoma St at Texas; Penn State at Ohio State; Texas Tech at Kansas; Georgia at LSU. Wow.

NBA Preseason Injury Watch: Deron Williams' ankle.

More later.

-- D.S.