This Week's BlogPoll Top 25

LSU, Alabama, then the rest. I'm not much of a fan of a four-team "plus-one" playoff -- try figuring out which four teams are worthy of joining LSU and Bama this year -- but I would love to see an 8- or even 12-team playoff this year (although I don't think anyone besides Alabama could beat LSU).

DanShanoff.com Ballot - Week 14

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU Tigers	--
2	Alabama Crimson Tide	--
3	Houston Cougars	1
4	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	4
5	TCU Horned Frogs	1
6	Boise St. Broncos	1
7	Georgia Bulldogs	-2
8	Arkansas Razorbacks	-5
9	USC Trojans	1
10	Oklahoma Sooners	--
11	Oregon Ducks	--
12	Stanford Cardinal	--
13	Virginia Tech Hokies	-4
14	South Carolina Gamecocks	-1
15	Michigan St. Spartans	-1
16	Michigan Wolverines	--
17	Wisconsin Badgers	2
18	Kansas St. Wildcats	-3
19	Baylor Bears	-1
20	Nebraska Cornhuskers	3
21	Clemson Tigers	-4
22	West Virginia Mountaineers	--
23	Southern Miss. Golden Eagles	--
24	Texas Longhorns	--
25	Cincinnati Bearcats	--
Dropouts: Penn St. Nittany Lions, Auburn Tigers, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Virginia Cavaliers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

11/27 (Bama) Quickie

So here's the dilemma: If you think the national-title game should feature the top 2 teams in the country, your pick should be LSU vs. Alabama, regardless of other context.

If you loathe the idea of a "rematch" -- and I do -- then you would be forced to contrive some sort of cynical false workaround to wedge, say, Oklahoma State ahead of the Crimson Tide.

I think we have no choice but to favor the former -- it is the most intellectually honest.

Is it absurd that LSU has to play Georgia in Atlanta while Alabama gets a free pass to the national title game? Absolutely. But it beats the alternative of leaving one of the top 2 teams out of the NCG.

A few other notes:

*I edged Robert Griffin III past Andrew Luck on my Heisman ballot last week. This week, I push Trent Richardson past both of them. He's as good of a college RB as I've seen since Bo. (Now, is that him or his NFL-sized front line? We'll see next year when he is playing behind a woeful offensive line in the NFL.) Don't get me wrong: Luck is terrific and Griffin is a very close No. 2, for making Baylor relevant as the most spectacular talent in the game (and winning!)

*Congrats to Michigan -- it's been a long time coming. The arrival of Urban Meyer in Columbus is imminent, and while I love Urban, I look forward to rooting against him as part of tOSU.

*CBB: UNC loses in Vegas to UNLV. File that away for your bracket in March -- no team, no matter how invincible they look, is unbeatable when the right circumstances hit.

*NFL Sunday: Adjust your fantasy team and fire up the Red Zone Channel...

-- D.S.

11/24 (Thanksgiving) Quickie

Happy Thanksgiving. And thanks to everyone for your continued support of this blog, along with Quickish (which has a ton of great Thanksgiving recommendations today.)

A great day of sports: Packers-Lions, then Dolphins-Cowboys, then 49ers-Ravens. The rivalry finale of Texas vs. Texas A&M. Whatever touch-football game you've got going on in your front yard. Then, hopefully a feast.

Have a terrific day.

-- D.S.

11/23 (Early Thanksgiving) Quickie

First, of course, a word of thanks:

Thanks to everyone who has made this first year of Quickish so amazing -- mainly, I'm talking about all of you who support the company with your attention, your clicks and your telling all your friends about how awesome it is (and you ARE telling your friends, right?)

It has been an incredible year, and I can't thank you enough for being a part of it. Next year is going to be even better.

Wishing you and your families the happiest of Thanksgivings. Enjoy yourselves.

A few extra thoughts:

*NFL: What a Thanksgiving lineup. The unbeaten defending champs playing at the previously hapless (now playoff-contending) Lions, my favorite NFL tradition. And the Harbaugh Bowl tomorrow night is a perfect fit for a holiday that is so often about reviving sibling rivalries.

*CFB: The end of Texas-Texas A&M. I think it is ridiculous that Texas is cutting off the rivalry just because A&M is bolting the Big 12 for the SEC. Respect that the fans want to see it keep going. Grow up, UT. (Arkansas-LSU is intriguing on paper... right up until LSU gives Arkansas a similar shellacking to the one the Hogs got from Alabama.)

*Urban Meyer to Ohio State? He says no -- or should that be "not yet." This is such an inevitability, as it has been since the day Jim Tressel was fired (or, honestly, since Meyer left Florida last December).

*New MLB labor deal: I'm glad it ensures labor peace for a while. I'm less bullish that it appears to close the kinds of loopholes that allowed small-market teams to compete (namely, through paying at the draft, not via free agency). I'm pro=expanding the playoffs, and I think that it's hard to look at the wild success of the Wild Card and maintain that "less is more" is better. The fact is that the Wild Card is the best competitive addition to the game in its history.

*MLB Awards: Ryan Braun is NL MVP. Make no mistake: If Matt Kemp's team was in the playoffs and Braun's was an also-ran, this MVP result would be flip-flopped. Both are worthy for the award. Braun enjoyed the benefits of having a better team around him -- given the good feelings for the Brewers this season, it's hard for anyone outside of LA to begrudge the pick.

*CBB: It'll be Duke vs. Kansas in the Maui Invitational final, and I'm expecting Duke to romp. They're very good -- I actually think that they are going to throttle Ohio State next Tuesday, and we'll realize that it's Duke and UNC this season, with everyone else (including Kentucky) a step below.

*Broncos cut Kyle Orton: Remember when "genius" John Fox thought Orton was worth being the starting QB for the first five weeks of the season? Let's remember that as people are piling on the compliments for Fox. Orton is a capable QB -- on a contender, he could be helpful. (Why wouldn't the Bears think about adding him?)

Good stuff all day at Quickish -- good stuff all long weekend, actually. So check it out! And happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your feasts.

-- D.S.

11/22 (Crosby) Quickie

Five things to talk about today:

(1) Sidney Crosby's return: The Event of the Year in the NHL, and it more than lived up to the build-up. (How often can you say that? Quite often, actually.) Crosby makes the sport better.

(2) Justin Verlander wins AL MVP: I'm in the camp that appreciates Verlander's sick year but thinks the best everyday position player -- say, Ellsbury -- is inherently more valuable.

(3) Patriots crush the Chiefs: Anyone not see this coming? No? The Pats' season, as usual, is defined entirely by how far they get in the playoffs. (But watching Gronkowski is fun.)

(4) Arizona hires Rich Rodriguez: With the Pac-12's notorious lack of defense, he'll find the sledding easier than he did in the Big Ten. Should be a perennial Pac-12 South contender.

(5) Today: NL MVP. Matt Kemp is a worthy pick, but I'd give my vote to Ryan Braun, and not just because he is the greatest Jewish hitter since Hank Greenberg.

Great stuff on Quickish today (and yesterday, if you didn't pop by), with a bunch of Thanksgiving-themed things already on the site (with more throughout the week). Check it out!

-- D.S.

11/21 (Monday) Quickie

Random thoughts on a Monday morning...

*Jay Cutler out: But...but...he finished the game! Take that haters. Has any team ever been better positioned only to end up falling short?

*The story of the week: Kevin Smith, the injury-prone but talented Lions wash-out who made a Detroit homecoming -- and had the biggest day of any player in the league (and certainly the most unexpected).

*Eagles beat Giants: Definition of "Too little, too late."

*49ers are 9-1: And can clinch the NFC West if they beat the Ravens on Thursday and the Seahawks lose to Washington.

*Dolphins win 3rd straight: As long as they're out of the Luck campaign, they might as well make it fun for their fans with a few Ws.

*Hot Seat: Time for Norv to go.

*Navel-gazing: My fantasy team is in first place, which is rare enough -- let alone this late in the season, with only three weeks left until our playoffs. Here's a bad sign: I'm last among playoff contenders in points scored and points allowed; that suggests an absurd amount of luck that is going to run out soon. On the plus side, I'm starting Tim Tebow at QB. What could go wrong?

*MNF Tonight: Even the Patriots' leaky D can handle Tyler Palko. (Right?)

*Looking ahead to Thursday, one of the best Thanksgivings in years: Unbeaten Packers at playoff-contending Lions in Detroit? Yes, please. And the Harbaugh Brothers sibling battle in Baltimore? Makes me want to abandon my family's dinner to zip in to B-more.

More...

BCS: SEC, SEC, SEC 1-2-3. I hate the rematch, but if LSU and Alabama are definitively the top 2 teams in the country, they deserve the two spots in the title game. To deny Alabama just because of the rematch would be more cynical than the system that put them together.

Heisman Watch: I'm standing by yesterday's decision to throw my support from Andrew Luck to Robert Griffin III.

NASCAR: I'm not a particularly big racing fan, but I've always liked Tony Stewart -- and I liked him a lot more when he became his own owner. He is, basically, a start-up founder, not unlike an early employee at Google or Facebook or PayPal. Oh, I've figured it out: He's the LinkedIn founder, who made his bones as an exec at PayPal before going out on his own to crush it.

CBB: The season is already off to an awesome start, and I'm ready for things to ramp up for the traditional Thanksgiving games, like the Maui Invitational, which features Duke, Kansas and Memphis (plus Michigan and Georgetown). Oh, and Northwestern won the Charleston Classic. This is the year.

MLB Hot Stove: Are the Red Sox going to hire Bobby Valentine? (Really? Look, at the very least, he'd be a lot of fun to have around.)

-- D.S.

This Week's BlogPoll Top 25 Ballot: SEC

Covered it this morning: I am no fan of an LSU-Alabama rematch, but if you are picking the top two teams and that's who ends up in the top 2, it's a hell of a lot more cynical to deny that than to deal with the notion of a rematch.

DanShanoff.com Ballot - Week 13

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU Tigers	--
2	Alabama Crimson Tide	--
3	Arkansas Razorbacks	2
4	Houston Cougars	5
5	Georgia Bulldogs	6
6	TCU Horned Frogs	4
7	Boise St. Broncos	5
8	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	-5
9	Virginia Tech Hokies	5
10	USC Trojans	10
11	Oregon Ducks	-7
12	Stanford Cardinal	-6
13	South Carolina Gamecocks	--
14	Michigan St. Spartans	1
15	Kansas St. Wildcats	1
16	Michigan Wolverines	5
17	Clemson Tigers	-9
18	Baylor Bears	7
19	Wisconsin Badgers	-2
20	Penn St. Nittany Lions	4
21	Auburn Tigers	--
22	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	--
23	Nebraska Cornhuskers	-4
24	Virginia Cavaliers	--
25	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	--
Dropouts: Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies, Southern Miss. Golden Eagles, West Virginia Mountaineers

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

11/20 (Very) Quickie

Let's reiterate yesterday's point: Gosh, isn't college football awesome?

USC's win at Oregon would have been big enough -- it knocked Oregon out of the national-championship debate just 12 hours after the meme was "Alabama or Oregon?"

(I hate USC and loathe Lane Kiffin, but it's hard not to credit them for a season-making win.)

But Baylor's win over Oklahoma was the sweetest. OU fans have been sitting there since their season-killing loss to Texas Tech talking about how they would ride the BCS madness all the way to the BCS title game, as if it was a foregone conclusion they would beat everyone along the way.

Baylor vivisected the Sooners. Robert Griffin III re-established himself as one of the best (and certainly the most exciting) player in the country, and if I had a Heisman vote, I would give it to Griffin ahead of Luck. Griffin's performance last night was an instant classic.

And so here's where we stand w/r/t the BCS: LSU is in if they win out. Alabama will probably be in if they beat Auburn next week, even without playing in the SEC title game. Arkansas will likely make it if they beat LSU, but there are some funky SEC tie-breaker issues that would actually put Alabama into the SEC title game ahead of Arkansas or LSU if the former beats the latter.

The rest of the country is largely out of the equation. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say LSU throttles Arkansas next week -- this week's upsets are the best bulletin-board material -- and Alabama takes care of business.

In the end, I hate the idea of an LSU-Alabama rematch in the title game. However: Every other big contender had their shot to keep winning and play their way over Alabama. Every one. And even knowing all that, they couldn't get it done, largely against inferior competition.

That is arguably the most compelling thing about college football -- not championship contenders rising to the occasion, but championship contenders stumbling unexpectedly.

If the challenge to voters and fans and the system is to find the best two teams to pit in the national title game, the match-up is LSU vs. Alabama. Yes, even if they played before.

It's not ideal and it speaks to a broken system, but it's certainly less cynical and less flawed than artificially vaulting an inferior team ahead of Alabama, just for the sake of variety or out of pique at the system.

After last week's situation of missing Red Zone Channel, we're back in front of Scott Hanson all day. Should be a typically fun Sunday. Enjoy it, folks.

-- D.S.

11/19 (Iowa State) Quickie

Last night is why I love college football.

I love that expectations -- OK State beating Iowa State was taken as a GIVEN -- can be so obliterated.

I love that an underdog can earn its greatest football win ever, coming back from a deep hole, no less.

I love that it was in front of the home fans, because the rush-the-field after a huge win like that is the best optics in college football. I love that it was on ESPN and was the "only game in town."

And that's all before the mess the BCS has turned into.

But before we dig into the relative merits of 1-loss Alabama verus 1-loss Oregon (I think 1-loss Oklahoma is sunk, even if they beat Oklahoma State), let last night be a reminder:

One of the greatest things about college football is the penchant for the unexpected.

Do I think that LSU will roll over Mississippi, then Arkansas, then Georgia? Yes, but the point is that you never know and that you are crazy to make assumptions about how things will play out. (The only thing we know is that LSU alone controls its own destiny, all the way to a title.)

I remain steadfastly against The Rematch -- either LSU vs. Alabama or LSU vs. Oregon. But at this rate (again: at this rate! I don't even pay attention to my own lessons), that's what we're getting.

*Condolences to the Oklahoma State community.
*Here's to a full recovery and long life for Joe Paterno.
*Jim Boeheim is putting all his chips on his guy.
*CFB Today: After last night, do I really need to pick an Upset Special?

-- D.S.

11/18 (Tebow) Quickie

There's no need for Tebow triumphalism this morning.

Fans and haters alike can agree that the game-winning 95-yard drive he engineered in the final few minutes -- against a playoff-quality Jets D -- was pretty impressive.

Fans and haters alike can agree that the first 55 minutes of the game were pretty ugly. Partly that was Tebow, partly the Broncos' play-calling, partly the Jets' D. (FWIW: Most non-Brady QBs struggle against the Jets.)

Fans and haters alike can agree that Tebow makes the game exciting. He makes it fun. Part of the charm is that whichever side you are on, you can find something in last night.

You can poke holes in his 4-1 record this season, absolutely, but it's really hard to ignore the "4-1" part. (Let's also credit a very good Broncos D, led by jaw-droppingly good rookie Von Miller.)

I'm an unabashed Tebow fan. But this morning, even the haters have to begrudgingly admit that final drive was as stunning as it was fun (even if they lament the torrent of Tebow coverage today).

More:
*The Syracuse scandal feels a lot different than Penn State.
*Kershaw wins NL Cy: Some good news for otherwise depressed Dodgers fans.
*Cubs hire Dale Sveum: The proof is in the playoff appearances.
*CFB This Weekend: Game Day in Houston? In an otherwise weak week, I like it.
*I'm not a NASCAR fan, but I'm in for a finale that sets up as a one-on-one battle for the title.

-- D.S.

11/17 (Message Board) Quickie

The new New York Times report on Penn State is must-read. Here it is. Among the key details: Second Mile files are missing. (Go figure.) The Penn State lawyers never knew. (WTF?)

And this, which is the focus of the headline and the lead of the story, but largely ignored beyond that: It was a message board posting that helped investigators crack the case by leading them to McQueary for his statement of what he saw in 2002.

Consider that for a second: You're a die-hard Penn State fan hanging out on -- say -- the Scout.com "Fight On State" message boards, as you constantly do.

One day, some guy is seemingly trolling the boards by talking about a coach who saw Sandusky raping a kid in the locker room.

The next day, that "troll" is the de facto hero of the case -- the truth-teller whose message-board raving turns out to be THE detail that cracks the case, because investigators took it more seriously than the denizens of the message board, who almost assuredly wanted nothing to do with it.

It is kind of a stunning twist. I wrote about it for Quickish. Check it out here.

More:

*Tebow vs. the Jets tonight: It's going to be the most-watched NFL Network game of all time. That's not saying much, but it sure feels must-see, even if you don't like Tebow or the Jets.

*College Hoops: Undoubtedly, I'm filing away Long Beach State's win at Pitt for next March, where I will refer to it in a way that convinces me to take LBS out of the first round. It's nice to know that my bracket is already on the way to being busted.

*MLB Awards: Hard to argue with Maddon (my favorite MLB manager) and Gibson. NL Cy today -- Kershaw? Hard to argue, but Roy Halladay certainly deserves some consideration.

-- D.S.

For some good context on college football message boards, check out this column by Bryan Curtis from the NYT's old sports magazine Play.

11/16 (K) Quickie

*903 for Coach K: Best men's college basketball coach of all time. (And I say that as someone who is a Duke-hater.)

*Kentucky is going to be good: Then again, Calipari-era Kentucky always has the talent to be elite -- the real question is: Can they win the national title? Calipari's system is brilliant, but only to the extent that it ensures he always has the talent to be "Final Four" good. Betting they'll fall short when it matters most in April.

*Side note: I must have been reading too many tweets last night about Anthony Davis' unibrow, because last night I actually had a dream that during halftime, he had the middle plucked or waxed. I found myself feeling disappointed about that.

*Penn State update: Unclear why Mike McQueary didn't say all this stuff from the leaked email a week ago. Meanwhile, watch Jon Stewart's take on the Costas/Sandusky interview. It kind of sums up what we all were thinking.

*MLB Awards: Justin Verlander wins AL MVP Cy. One of the most dominating seasons by a starting pitcher in recent memory. I said this midseason: He is on my short list of players I'd really like to see in person.

*John Fox can mock Tim Tebow all he wants (and he kinda did, all while basking in largely undeserved credit for finally letting his coordinators create an offense that plays to Tebow's strengths and masks his weaknesses), but Broncos-Jets tomorrow night is going to get everyone's attention -- it's going to be the highest-rated Thursday night game ever.

More later. Give Quickish a try today! (And tell a friend!)

-- D.S.

11/14 (Monday) Quickie

So, yes: Tebow. Two passes completed. Two TDs (one rushing, one passing). One win. Lots and lots (and lots) of discussion about him by the media this week in advance of a Thursday night game against the Jets.

I'll only say this: Today's game was exactly what I have been asking for for a year -- an offense that accentuates Tebow's unique strengths and skills. Complemented by a very solid Broncos D, it turns out that is more than enough to beat a Chiefs team that isn't what it was a few weeks ago, but is certainly no pushover at home in KC. Thursday night will be fun.

More NFL notes:
*Two words: John. Skelton.
*I'm OK with Mike Smith's decision to go for it on 4th-and-short in OT.
(I'd trust the short-yardage run game vs. the Saints D over defense vs. Saints O.)
*The Eagles' implosion is way more interesting than if they had won this season.
*What the hell happened to the Lions? (Can't just be Stafford's busted finger.)
*Ah, welcome back, Good Tony Romo.
*I admire that the Colts have just given up.
*Bet the Redskins wish they had decided in Week 1 to start tanking.
*Who had the Seahawks over the Ravens? (Anyone? Anyone? No.)

CFB: So it's pretty simple -- if LSU and Oklahoma State win out, then they will play for the national title. I think there's a chance OK State could lose to Oklahoma, but not with the same enthusiasm I had a few weeks ago (or the same certainty I had about Oregon and Stanford).

But if Oklahoma State loses, it's a toss-up between an Alabama rematch, an Oregon rematch and an Oklahoma shot that overlooks OU's worst-of-the-bunch loss (at home to Texas Tech) and its overrated slate of wins. All of them have their problems.

This week's BlogPoll Top 25 ballot:

DanShanoff.com Ballot - Week 12

Rank	Team	Delta
1	LSU Tigers	--
2	Alabama Crimson Tide	--
3	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	1
4	Oregon Ducks	2
5	Arkansas Razorbacks	2
6	Stanford Cardinal	-3
7	Oklahoma Sooners	1
8	Clemson Tigers	1
9	Houston Cougars	1
10	TCU Horned Frogs	--
11	Georgia Bulldogs	3
12	Boise St. Broncos	-7
13	South Carolina Gamecocks	--
14	Virginia Tech Hokies	-3
15	Michigan St. Spartans	4
16	Kansas St. Wildcats	--
17	Wisconsin Badgers	-5
18	Texas A&M Aggies	-1
19	Nebraska Cornhuskers	3
20	USC Trojans	-4
21	Michigan Wolverines	2
22	Southern Miss. Golden Eagles	-2
23	West Virginia Mountaineers	--
24	Penn St. Nittany Lions	--
25	Baylor Bears	--
Dropouts: Texas Longhorns, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Auburn Tigers, Cincinnati Bearcats

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

On Sunday, I had my first experience without Red Zone Channel since before Week 1 -- before I discovered it for myself. In fact, my hotel had me watching Colts-Jaguars, what I called the exact opposite of Red Zone Channel. I'm never being away from home on a fall Sunday again.

-- D.S.