A Primal Adventure...

I was recently given a copy of a new book by Mark Batterson that has just come out and I really enjoyed reading it and wanted to share my thoughts. On the cover, the phrase, "A quest for the lost soul of Christianity" is used and I think that captures the heart and the essence of what Batterson is trying to get at. While it seems to be easy to find books that are constantly trying to promote new ideas and truths related to the gospel, it's refreshing to read a book that focuses on pointing us back towards the core truths of the gospel that have never changed and never will change.

If you're unfamiliar with Mark Batterson, I'd encourage you to check out his website and his church's website. He is the pastor of National Community Church in Washington D.C., which is considered to be one of the most innovative and influential churches in the nation. They are reaching thousands of people in our nation's capital and their ideas and methods are being used by other churches around the world. They even have their own coffee house! Mark is also the author of the well known "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" and "Wild Goose Chase."

I won't reveal a great deal about what the book has to say because I encourage you to read it for yourself, but I will say that this book brought a subject to life for me in a way that I'd never seen it before. I'm not interested in Science. I hated it in elementary school, middle school, high school, and DEFINITELY in college. For some reason, I've just never been interested in biology or chemistry or anatomy and I've never had any desire to learn about it. Yet, as I was reading through Primal, he kept bringing up different aspects of science and physics and illustrated the beauty of God's incredible creativity and intelligence in all types of science. I usually have no interest in reading about formulas of physics and different types of cell structure, but I loved the way Batterson was able to explain these details and relate it to the incredible power of God and his heart for us to explore his creation. It reminded me a lot of the "Indescribable" series by Louie Giglio, which focuses on astronomy and God's creation and how we are loved and made by a God who's created millions of galaxies that are still expanding and declaring his greatness.

Honestly, I could go on and on about this book and the stories I took from it, but I just wanted to give a brief mention of it and encourage you to check it out on your own. If you're looking for some great books to read as we head into 2010, I'd recommend putting Primal at the top of the list. It's challenging and it's convicting, but it's definitely part of a life of adventure.

A tiger doesn't change his stripes...

Over the past few weeks, it's been nearly impossible to turn on the radio or TV without getting an update on Tiger Woods. Most recently, I've heard all about how Tiger is taking an "indefinite leave" from the PGA tour and how he's being dropped and re-evaluated by many of his sponsors. It's fascinating to me how quickly the most dominant athlete in the world has fallen from grace and is now dealing with a public image that is spiraling downward. Yet, as I learn more and more about this situation, I continue to ask myself, "Why is anyone surprised at Tiger's lack of character?"

I'll be honest and admit that I've never been a huge Tiger fan. I wouldn't argue with anyone about whether or not he's the best golfer in the world, because there's really no one even close to his ability and consistency. But, I've never been able to pull for him, because there are times when I think he hurts the game of golf as much as he promotes it. He's brought more attention to the game than anyone ever has and he's also introduced the game to people who never would have taken an interest in golf, but he's never seemed to understand the responsibility that comes with the attention that's placed on him.

With Tiger, there's always been an aspect of how he carries himself on the golf course that he's above the rules. Golf is a game where professionalism and sportsmanship are of the utmost importance. It's a gentleman's game and playing with class is not encouraged, it's required. Unfortunately, Tiger acts like he's above all that because he has the most talent and ability. And, even more unfortunately, the media has always seemed to grant him a free pass because they don't want to call out one the most popular and successful athletes we've ever seen. However, it doesn't change the fact that Tiger has left us with plenty of moments where his character is less than desirable over his career.

Is there anyone who throws their club more frequently? Or mutters more profanity after a bad shot? Or slams the club down into the ground after the wind takes a shot in a different direction? Or gets more angry at a gallery when anything distracts him in the slightest? When it would be called childish or unprofessional with most golfers, we use words like "competitive" and "intense" for Tiger. He talks about how he's not perfect and he's trying to improve with his behavior but it's seemed to deteriorate over the past few years. I think Tiger has had a mindset where the rules don't really apply to him because he's so dominant, and that carried over into his personal life. The expectations of being faithful in marriage might seem perfectly reasonable to most of us, but Tiger Woods appears to handle his relationships the same way he handles himself on the course, by his own rules. So while the news and media will continue to scrutinize every step Tiger takes in the next few months, maybe he'll finally be held to a higher standard in how he carries himself on the course as well as off the course.

College Football Pick 'Em! Week Ten

The picks for the week:

#1 Florida vs. Vanderbilt: Florida

#2 Texas vs. UCF: Texas

#3 Alabama vs. #9 LSU: Alabama

#4 Iowa vs. Northwestern: Iowa

#5 Cincinnati vs. UConn: Cincinnati

#6 TCU vs. San Diego State: TCU

#7 Boise State vs. La. Tech: Played Friday night. Boise State won.

#8 Oregon vs. Stanford: Oregon

#10 Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest: Georgia Tech

#11 Penn State vs. #16 Ohio State: Ohio State

#12 USC vs. Arizona State: USC

#13 Pittsburgh vs. Syracuse: Pittsburgh

#14 Utah vs. New Mexico: Utah

#15 Houston vs. Tulsa: Houston

#17 Miami (FL) vs. Virginia: Miami (FL)

#18 Arizona vs. Washington State: Arizona

#19 Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State: Oklahoma State

#20 California vs. Oregon State: California

#21 Wisconsin vs. Indiana: Wisconsin

#22 Notre Dame vs. Navy: Notre Dame

#23 Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina: Played Thursday night. Virginia Tech won.

#24 Oklahoma vs. Nebraska: Oklahoma

College Football Pick 'Em: Week Nine

My picks for the week:
#1 Florida vs. Georgia: I expect Florida to show up pretty angry and for them to handle Georgia comfortably. Herschel Walker's record will fall and the chances of Willie Martinez keeping his job will also continue to fall.
#2 Alabama vs. Idle
#3 Texas vs. #14 Oklahoma State: I like Texas to win this one because of their defense. Everyone talks about Colt McCoy and the Longhorns offense, but their defense is EXTREMELY strong and I don't think Oklahoma State has enough offense to stay with them.
#4 Iowa vs. Indiana: As much as I don't want to pick Iowa, I really don't see them losing to Indiana.
#5 USC vs. #10 Oregon: It's tough to pick against Oregon when they're playing in a night game at home, but I also have a hard time picking against USC in a big game. I feel like Pete Carroll could be the difference in this one in getting a big road win for the Trojans.
#6 TCU vs. UNLV: TCU is finally getting some deserved respect. Great defense & speed is the formula for success for the Horned Frogs and they have emerged as one of the most dominant programs in college football over the past five years.
#7 Boise State vs. San Jose State: I'd like to see a Boise State/TCU BCS game at the end of the season. Boise State will mow down San Jose State this week.
#8 Cincinnati vs. Syracuse: The Bearcats just continue to roll. I see Greg Paulus and Syracuse putting up little resistance this weekend.
#9 LSU vs. Tulane: Should be a good weekend for LSU to pad some stats and score a blowout win against Tulane.
#11 Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt: It's disturbing that Georgia Tech has one of the best offenses in the country, and they seem to be getting better on a weekly basis. Look for them to blow the doors off Vanderbilt (pardon the pun).
#12 Penn State vs. Northwestern: I sure was smart in picking against Penn State last week in a shootout against Michigan, as they killed the Wolverines. I like them to kill Northwestern this week.
#13 Virginia Tech vs. North Carolina: Played Thursday night. So much for thinking Virginia Tech is good.
#15 Pittsburgh vs. Idle
#16 Utah vs. Wyoming: Yet another week of not knowing anything about Utah's opponent. Go Utes!
#17 Ohio State vs. New Mexico State: What the heck is this game doing here? Ohio State wins big and looks stupid for scheduling this game.
#18 Houston vs. Southern Miss: This could be an upset special. Southern Miss has some good athletes on both sides of the ball and could make it difficult on the Cougars offense. I'll take Southern Miss.
#19 Miami (FL) vs. Wake Forest: I think Randy Shannon will be able to re-focus the Hurricanes and have them ready to play against Wake Forest. I like Miami to win.
#20 Arizona vs. Idle
#21 West Virginia vs. South Florida: Played Friday night. South Florida won.
#22 South Carolina vs. Tennessee: This could be a very good game in Knoxville tonight. It's two great defenses and two offenses that have the potential for big plays, but also having the potential to make lots of mistakes. I think I'll take South Carolina, due to Tennessee being down after last week's tough loss to Alabama.
#23 Notre Dame vs. Washington State: If Notre Dame loses another game this season, I think Charlie Weis will probably lose his job. They shouldn't have anything to worry about this week.
#24 California vs. Arizona State: As long as Cal finds ways to get the ball to Jahvid Best, they should be fine against the Sun Devils.
#25 Ole Miss vs. Auburn: The battle of two teams that have been ridiculously overrated at different points during the season. I'll take Ole Miss in this one because I'll say they have a coaching advantage.

College Football Pick 'Em: Week Eight

After last week's debacle of predicting games, I probably shouldn't even take a shot at this. But, since this isn't for money and this is read by about ten people, who cares?!

#1 Florida vs. Mississippi State: Historically, Florida doesn't play well at Mississippi State and they're going into this game beat up and facing a former coordinator. I think it could be a close game, but the Gators win.
#2 Alabama vs. Tennessee: A battle of defensive gurus in this one. Too bad for Tennessee that most of the playmakers will be wearing crimson helmets. Roll Tide!
#3 Texas vs. Missouri: If Colt McCoy is going to win the Heisman, he needs to have one of those 400 yard, 5 TD games and he might be able to get it against this Mizzou defense. I think the Longhorns win big.
#4 Boise State vs. Hawaii: Boise State looks better and better as Oregon continues to move up in the rankings. I like them to take down the Fighting Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii this week.
#5 Cincinnati vs. Louisville: I wouldn't be surprised if Cincinnati struggled in this game, but I still think they'll get the win.
#6 Iowa vs. Michigan State: At what point will I give Iowa some respect? They are undefeated and they did get a good win on the road last week at Wisconsin, which is a tough place to play. Not this week! Michigan State gets the upset playing in the night game at home!
#7 USC vs. Oregon State: USC should show up ticked off after last year's upset from the Beavers. I think this game could get ugly and the Trojans win big.
#8 TCU vs. #16 BYU: I'm glad College Gameday stepped up and has their set at this game today, because it is the biggest match-up of the weekend. I like TCU to win because their defense is consistently good and I think they have enough speed to make it difficult for the BYU offense.
#9 LSU vs. Auburn: If this game were at Auburn, I'd take the Tigers. (How stupid is it that these two teams play in the some division of a conference and have the SAME name!) But, since it's a night game at LSU, I like the Bayou Bengals to win at home.
#10 Miami (FL) vs. Clemson: Miami hasn't been quite as impressive in their last two games against bad opponents, but I think that's the case of a young team not being as energized to play in games that aren't against marquee names. I think Miami wins this weekend, mainly because Clemson sorta' sucks.
#11 Oregon vs. Washington: Who'd have thought Oregon would be sneaking into the Top 10 after their opening week performance? I think the Ducks keep moving along with a win over UW.
#12 Georgia Tech vs. Virginia: Georgia Tech completes a sweep of the commonwealth teams with a win over the Cavs this week.
#13 Penn State vs. Michigan: I like Michigan in the upset in this game. I think Michigan will be able to turn this game into a shootout, and Penn State won't be able to keep up.
#14 Virginia Tech vs. Idle
#15 Oklahoma State vs. Baylor: Oklahoma State gets the win.
#17 Houston vs. SMU: Houston wins this one, and should be ranked ahead of Oklahoma State.
#18 Utah vs. Air Force: The continued trend of me knowing NOTHING about the teams Utah plays, so I'll take Utah.
#19 Ohio State vs. Minnesota: Same issue as last week with Minnesota, they're not good enough to beat the best teams from the Big 10. Buckeyes roll.
#20 Pittsburgh vs. South Florida: Anytime expectations get moderately high at Pittsburgh, they crumble under the pressure and spotlight. Now that the Panthers are ranked and appear to be good, I think they'll lose to South Florida.
#21 Wisconsin vs. Idle
#22 Arizona vs. UCLA: I'll take Arizona. I like the Stoops brothers coaching that team and I think they come ready to play.
#23 West Virginia vs. UConn: I can't imagine what it will be like in the UConn locker room today - playing without a teammate who was murdered just a few days ago. I think the Huskies will play hard and inspired, but West Virginia will still win the game.
#24 South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt: South Carolina will destroy the Vanderbilt offense and the score will probably not indicate how lopsided this game is.
#25 Kansas vs. Oklahoma: Even with Sam Bradford, I think Oklahoma is better than Kansas. Sooners in the mildest of upsets.

Saturday Tidbits

I should probably have my ability to make college football predictions revoked after this past weekend. I was wrong with a ton of picks and looked rather foolish in making some bold statements about teams that totally let me down. However, I spent a large part of the day watching games and taking it all in and had plenty of random thoughts throughout the day about the teams and players I was watching:

- Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt's Head Coach, looks like he should enjoy sailing near Martha's Vineyard. Bless his heart.
- There were a number of great defensive plays in the Texas/Oklahoma game made by some serious playmakers. It was one of the hardest fought games I've seen this season and I really enjoyed watching it.
- I would say Mark Ingram, the Alabama running back, should be the leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
- I would also say that Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow have yet to do anything that warrants them being in the Heisman discussion, yet they're still in it.
- Jimmy Clausen might be the more valuable to his team than any one player to any other team in the country.
- The hits Sam Bradford has taken this season would concern me if I were an NFL GM because those types of hits don't seem too uncommon.
- The ACC might have the worst divisional alignment I've ever seen (even worse than the Big 12), with the top three teams in the same division.
- I will continue to hate on Iowa because I still think they're overrated and I'm now probably basing it on my own stubborn opinion more than anything else.
- Nick Saban has quickly created a mentality at Alabama where they beat most teams by simply walking out onto the field - similar to FSU and Miami (FL) during the 90's.

- I don't know how to describe what Rennie Curran means to the Georgia defense. To say he's the heart of the defense is an understatement. He's the leader. He's the playmaker. He's often the game-saver. When I get older, I'll tell people, "I went to Georgia in the time of Rennie Curran."

College Football Pick 'Em: Week Seven

I was unable to get my picks posted last week due to some technical difficulties, but I'm back at it this week! On a personal level, the season has been a pretty big disappointment for me as Georgia has shown very little to get excited about and the team has quickly fallen into the dreaded category of "rebuilding." On a broader level, there have been very few teams that have really stood apart as dominant and elite, which should make to an exciting end to the season. And this weekend could features some teams that could emerge as legitimate contenders, or fall into the ever-growing lump of pretenders.

#1 Florida vs. Arkansas: If people could ever shut up about Tim Tebow, we might talk about how the Florida defense is playing at a level that could make them one of the best of all-time. Yes, I just went Kanye West on Tim Tebow? Arkansas is known for putting up points, but they're going against a defensive unit that is full of future NFL players. Florida will pound the ball with their running game and roll to another victory.
#2 Alabama vs. #22 South Carolina: The Tide appear to be improving every week, which is scary for the rest of the SEC west. My only concern with Alabama is that they could peak too early in the season and struggle down the stretch, similar to last season. But, I don't expect them to stumble this week and I think they'll overpower the Gamecocks.
#3 Texas vs. #20 Oklahoma: The game that decides the Big 12 South every season has a lot of questions going into tomorrow. Will Sam Bradford be comfortable with the Sooner offense after missing so much time? Will Texas be able to establish any sort of running game? Which injury will prove most costly for either of these teams? I haven't seen Texas play this season, and I feel like no one has really seen an Oklahoma team led by Sam Bradford. It should be an interesting game in the Cotton Bowl, and I'm going to take the Longhorns because I don't expect Bradford to be comfortable with his receivers yet.
#4 Virginia Tech vs. #19 Georgia Tech: From a personal perspective as a fan, I really don't like Virginia Tech - their fans, their stadium, their players, any of it. From a perspective of trying to figure out the best teams in the country, I really like Virginia Tech. I think they match up well against Georgia Tech and I think their speed on defense will present problems for Georgia Tech's option attack. And, I think they'll be able to control the ball with their own rushing game and keep the Yellow Jacket offense off the field. Hokies get a big ACC win.
#5 Boise State vs. Tulsa: Played Wednesday night. Boise State won 28-21.
#6 USC vs. #25 Notre Dame: Since this game is being hyped up, I'll take USC to win. USC seems to show up in every big game and play well, and it's usually the pushover game where they struggle. The Trojans' defense will get after the Notre Dame offense and I don't expect this game to be a shoot out, which hurts the Irish. Similar to the Ohio State/USC game, I would take Notre Dame if this were a battle of QB's because Jimmy Clausen is better than Matt Barkley. But, I think USC has the advantage at nearly every other position and they'll get the victory.
#7 Ohio State vs. Purdue: As boring as it is to watch Ohio State, they're a model of consistency when it comes to success. They play great defense and control field position and they don't beat themselves, which means they win the games they're supposed to win. Naturally, they'll take care of Purdue.
#8 Cincinnati vs. #21 South Florida: Played Thursday night. Cincy won 34-17.
#9 Miami (FL) vs. Central Florida: Check out the ACC with two teams in the Top 10! The 'Canes will roll against UCF and have a good shot at winning out.
#10 LSU vs. Idle
#11 Iowa vs. Wisconsin: I'm going to keep throwing rocks at the Iowa bandwagon until they lose and then I can scream "I told you so!" This plan works beautifully unless they go undefeated and win the Big 10 and the National Championship. So of course, I'll take Wisconsin to ride the momentum of the home crowd and pull off the upset in Madison. Go Badgers!
#12 TCU vs. Colorado State: TCU should win this game, but they need to be careful about looking ahead to the big game against BYU next weekend. I think the scare against Air Force last weekend will have this team focused and ready to take care of business against Colorado State.
#13 Oregon vs. Idle
#14 Penn State vs. Minnesota: The Penn State defense seems to be really strong, and they still have some playmakers on offense. Minnesota is a good team but they still don't have enough playmakers to beat the best teams in the Big 10 (that's really not saying much). I like the Nittany Lions to win.
#15 Nebraska vs. Texas Tech: For the first time in a long time, the Nebraska defense is probably underrated. They might have the best defensive tackle in the country and they're one broken play away from being undefeated. Their defense has another chance to shine against the high flying offense from Texas Tech, and I think they'll be up to the challenge. Huskers win.
#16 Oklahoma State vs. Missouri: I'll take Missouri in this game. I think Oklahoma State is dealing with the distraction of Dez Bryant (How ridiculous does the Dez Bryant for Heisman talk seem now?) and Missouri is looking to bounce back after their loss to Nebraska. It'll be tough for them to win on the road in Stillwater, but I think Mizzou can do it.
#17 Kansas vs. Colorado: Kansas will win this weekend, but then their season will really start. After Colorado, they play @ Oklahoma & @ Texas Tech. Let's see where they're ranked then.
#18 Brigham Young vs. San Diego State: BYU could probably look ahead to next week and still beat San Diego State. They'll win this weekend and then move on to next week against TCU.
#23 Houston vs. Tulane: Uhhh....Tulane is BAD and they give up a lot of points. I'm wondering if Houston can score 100.
#24 Utah vs. UNLV: I like Utah to win this because I know nothing about UNLV and I'll go ahead and assume Utah is better.

College Football Pick 'Em! Week Five

The college football season is flying by! We're already in week five and October tends to be the month of HUGE conference showdowns. I struggled with my predictions of the big games last weekend, but I've held my own for the season with a record of 72-11. We've got some marquee names playing against each other today and it should be a fun day of games, so let's see how my predictions work out!

#1 Florida: Idle

#2 Texas: Idle

#3 Alabama vs. Kentucky: In the SEC west, there's Alabama and then there's everyone else. I think they've been the most complete team in the conference this season and I expect them to handle Kentucky easily. And Kentucky is AWFUL this season.

#4 LSU vs. #18 Georgia: I can't figure out these two teams. I think LSU is woefully overrated and Georgia is woefully inconsistent. When I think about the match-ups in this game, I feel like Georgia has an advantage, but that doesn't mean much. LSU has some holes on the defensive line, and Georgia should be able to establish the running game. And Georgia is weak in the secondary, but LSU hasn't done too much with the vertical passing game. And for the same reason that I usually pick every week, I'll take the Dawgs because I think Mark Richt is a better coach than Les Miles.

#5 Boise State vs. UC Davis: Boise State will continue to win and move up the rankings and it'll be interesting to see where they are when the BCS standings are released. UC Davis will be just another small bump on the road as Boise motors ahead.

#6 Virginia Tech vs. Duke: People were down on Virginia Tech after their opening loss against Alabama, but I think that's more of an indication of how good Alabama is than anything else. The Hokies are tough on defense and special teams, and they're starting to develop some playmakers on offense. No chance of a letdown this week against Duke.

#7 USC vs. #24 California: I think everyone jumped off the Cal bandwagon like it was about to explode. Not me! The loss to Oregon didn't surprise me, but I was surprised with the way they lost. If California can complete some big passes and open up running lanes for Jahvid Best, I think they have a great chance to win this game. I expect the Bears to play a little more relaxed coming off a loss and their crowd should be wild. USC just seems down this year and I think losing Stafon Johnson will really hurt. Bears in the upset!

#8 Oklahoma vs. #17 Miami (FL): Oklahoma comes into this game without their starting quarterback and their best receiver, but I'm still taking the Sooners. I don't think Miami has played against a defensive unit like Oklahoma's this season, and I think the Sooners will frustrate Jacory Harris all game. I expect this to be a low-scoring battle, but Oklahoma's defense will shut down the Canes and get a huge road win in Miami.

#9 Ohio State vs. Indiana: Indiana played tough against Michigan last week, but I don't expect the same close game this weekend against the Buckeyes. Ohio State will play great defense and not make mistakes and win comfortably.

#10 Cincinnati vs. Miami (OH): As I look at the schedule for the Bearcats, this is a team that'll be favored in the rest of their games this season. It's a long way to go, but Cincinnati certainly has a chance at going undefeated. It'll be interesting to see how they handle the pressure as they continue to win games and move up the rankings. If you can't tell, I think they'll beat Miami (OH).

#11 TCU vs. SMU: TCU continues to establish themselves as one of the best defensive teams in the country and they're showing it again this season. The Horned Frogs will take care of business against SMU and march towards their showdown against BYU on October 24th.

#12 Houston vs. UTEP: I love how half of Houston's schedule is against other teams from the state of Texas. The Cougars will beat UTEP and continue to put up points and maybe Case Keenum deserves some Heisman consideration.

#13 Iowa vs. Arkansas State: I'll go ahead and say right now I think Iowa is overrated. I don't consider beating Penn State last week to be a huge accomplishment because Penn State was even MORE overrated. I'll take the Hawkeyes to beat Arkansas State, but it wouldn't surprise me if this game ends up being close.

#14 Oklahoma State vs. Idle

#15 Penn State vs. Illinois: The Nittany Lions should come out angry after their loss last week and strangle the Illinois offense. However, Ron Zook has so much talent on this Illinois team that you always worry about playing them just because of their potential. I'll take Penn State because the Fighting Illini never seem to pull it all together.

#16 Oregon vs. Washington State: Too much was made of Oregon's opening loss against Boise State. They're still a good team and they'll have a solid year, even if they don't bring back LeGarrette Blount. They'll win this game because Washington State is one of the worst teams in any of the major conferences in football.

#19 Kansas vs. Idle

#20 BYU vs. Utah State: Played Friday night

#21 Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt: Ole Miss is finally ranked where they deserve to be. All the players spent the past week talking about how they're glad the pressure is off and now they can get back to working hard and just playing football, which is RIDICULOUS! If you want to become great, you have to learn how to handle expectations and Houston Nutt needs to change the mindset of his players. I like Ole Miss to win this game but I expect them to be a big disappointment this season.

#22 Michigan vs. Michigan State: This could be the most exciting game of the weekend. I expect both teams to put up tons of points, but I expect the Wolverines to make the most plays and get the win.

#23 Nebraska vs. Idle

#25 Georgia Tech vs. Mississippi State: Georgia Tech got a strong win against North Carolina last week and I expect them to build on that momentum against Miss. State. Hopefully, this will be the only win against the Bulldogs for Georgia Tech this season.

College Football Pick 'Em! Week Four

I'll be quick this week with my picks. Lots of tough games and I'm really not certain on many of these. Here it goes:

#1 Florida vs. Kentucky: Florida

#2 Texas vs. UTEP: Texas

#3 Alabama vs. Arkansas: Alabama

#4 Ole Miss vs. South Carolina: Played Thursday.

#5 Penn State vs. Iowa: Penn State

#6 California vs. Oregon: California

#7 LSU vs. Mississippi State: LSU

#8 Boise State vs. Bowling Green: Boise State

#9 Miami (FL) vs. #11 Virginia Tech: Miami (FL)

#10 Oklahoma vs. Idle

#12 USC vs. Washington State: USC

#13 Ohio State vs. Illinois: Ohio State

#14 Cincinnati vs. Fresno State: Cincinnati

#15 TCU vs. Clemson: TCU

#16 Oklahoma State vs. Grambling State: Oklahoma State

#17 Houston vs. Texas Tech: Houston

#18 Florida State vs. South Florida: Florida State

#19 BYU vs. Colorado State: BYU

#20 Kansas vs. Southern Miss.: Kansas

#21 Georgia vs. Arizona State: Georgia

#22 North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech

#23 Michigan vs. Indiana: Michigan

#24 Washington vs. Stanford: Stanford

#25 Nebraska vs. LA-Lafayette: Nebraska

A Bucket List

I saw someone post a list of random crazy things to do and it reminded me of this list I saw on ESPN a few years ago. I saved the list and I consider it my bucket list of sporting events that I'd love to attend before I die. They are in no particular order and the ones in red are the ones I've already attended.

1. Summer Olympics

2. World Cup (every four years in a different country).

3. Winter Olympics

4. The World Series

5. NCAA Basketball subregional

6. Spring training

7. NFL conference championship

8. The Masters

9. Wimbledon

10. Tour de France

11. Premier League Soccer game.

12. Rose Bowl

13. NBA Finals

14. College World Series

15. Red Sox-Yankees game

16. Baseball Hall of Fame induction (July, Cooperstown, N.Y.)

17. Michigan-Ohio State football game

18. The F.A. Cup (fall-spring, England)

19. Duke-North Carolina basketball game

20. The Stanley Cup playoffs

21. British Open (July, Great Britain)

22. Cubs game in Wrigley bleachers

23. A football game at Notre Dame

24. ACC basketball tournament

25. A soccer game at Maracana Stadium (various dates, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

27. Tailgating in the SEC

28. U.S. Open golf tournament

29. A game at Rucker Park (anytime, Harlem).

30. U.S. Open tennis (late August, New York)

31. Bayou Classic (November, New Orleans).

32. Kentucky Derby (May, Churchill Downs, Ky.).

33. The Indy 500 (Memorial Day weekend, Indianapolis).

34. The All-Africa Amputee Football Tournament (Sierra Leone). The first tournament featured African war victims, six one-legged players and a single one-armed goalkeeper to a side. If you need any more information than that to pique your interest, you might as well hand in your human race membership card.

35. MLB Opening Day (April, various cities).

36. Boston Marathon (April, Boston).

37. Frozen Four (April, various cities).

38. Auburn-Alabama football game (November, Tuscaloosa or Auburn, Ala.).

40. Town ball in Minnesota (summer, towns throughout Minnesota). Town ball (baseball played by amateurs for their local town teams) is the last pure sport in America. You know the diamond in "Field of Dreams"? There are at least a dozen such fields in Minnesota where the local teams play a couple of nights a week each summer.

41. The Iditarod (February, Anchorage to Nome, Alaska). Think it's tough playing football in Green Bay in December? Try this 1,150-mile race, held each year to commemorate a dogsled run to bring diphtheria medicine to a snowbound village. Temperatures have plunged to 130 degrees below zero (with the wind chill) and the dogs frequently need coats and booties. Before it's done, you'll need the diphtheria medicine.

43. Baseball All-Star Game (July, rotating cities).

44. Il Palio horse race (July and August, Siena, Italy). Picture what the Kentucky Derby would look like if it were held at Mardi Gras during the Renaissance and you get a small idea of what this race is like. Just be sure to bring sunscreen and plenty of liquids.

45. Play Pebble Beach (year-round, Pebble Beach, Calif.).

46. Daytona 500 (February, Daytona, Fla.).

47. Running of the Bulls (July, Pamplona, Spain).

48. Triple Crown Surfing (November-December North Shore, Oahu). Incredible athletes braving 25-foot waves, sun and sand, gorgeous, tanned people in swimsuits, vans selling shrimp lunches … geez, why isn't this event higher on the list?

49. Lady Vols game (winter, Knoxville, Tenn.).

52. Indiana high school basketball tournament (March, Indiana).

53. Golden Gloves tournament (regional).

54. Green Bay Packers game in the snow (December, Green Bay).

56. All Blacks rugby game (various dates, New Zealand).

57. World Figure Skating Championships (annual, around the world).

58. Dubai World Cup (late March in Dubai). The world's richest horse race ($6 million top prize and total purse of more than $20 million in a place where gambling is illegal) is a big draw, as are the well-lubricated ex-pats competing for the best-dressed prize.

60. National Veterans Wheelchair Games (summer, Milwaukee). Tired of athletes who are insulted by $30 million contracts? Then get inspired by these veterans still competing despite their paralyzing wounds.

61. Maui Invitational (November, Maui, Hawaii).

62. Midnight Madness (October, all over the country).

63. A Big 5 Game at the Palestra (winter, Philadelphia). The site of the first Final Four, this 80-year-old gym is the Wrigley Field of college hoops.

70. Prefontaine Classic (June, Eugene, Ore.). Held in American track's version of Fenway Park, the Pre is a delicious honor to the legendary runner and Eugene much deserves its distinction as Track Town, USA.

71. The USTA boys tennis championship (August, Kalamazoo, Mich.).

74. Field of Dreams Ghost Sundays (select days in summer, Dyersville, Iowa). If they hold it, you should come, because the only thing missing from these games at the "Field of Dreams" site is Kevin Costner's hair.

76. Beach volleyball (summer, various cities).

77. Swimming championships in Australia (various dates, Australia).

78. The Dakar Rally (January, southern Europe and North Africa). You know those ridiculous SUV commercials that show people driving their vehicles under ridiculous scenarios? Well, those vehicles actually make sense in this race over thousands of miles under the harshest desert conditions.

79. Rickwood Classic (summer, Birmingham, Ala.). Birmingham proved that if you save it, they will come as well. When the minor league Barons moved out, the city carefully preserved the historic field where Willie Mays got his start in the Negro Leagues. The Barons play once a year here in the annual Rickwood Classic, and if you squint, you can practically see Mays running down a fly ball.

81. Henley Regatta (July, Oxfordshire, England). You want history? They've been holding this crew race since 1839, when Queen Victoria had been on the throne less than two years and readers were eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist."

85. A Raiders game in the Black Hole (fall, Oakland, Calif.).

86. Iowa-Iowa State wrestling match (winter, Iowa).

87. The Ironman (June, Hawaii).

88. "Monday Night Football" (September-December, various NFL cities).

89. Women's College World Series (June, Oklahoma City).

91. Little League game (spring, early summer, everywhere).

92. A Permian High School football game (fall, Odessa, Texas).

93. Pakistan-India cricket (occasional meetings).

94. Hot dog eating championship (July 4, Coney Island).

99. The Baja 500 (June, Baja Peninsula).

100. A Harlem Globetrotters game (many dates, many cities).

101. Driving the Ring (daily, western Germany). There is no speed limit on Germany's autobahn and there is nothing quite like doing 100 mph only to have a family in a station wagon honking at you to pull over and let them pass. But if the autobahn isn't fast enough for you, try out the 14-mile, 170-turn Nurburgring. The former Grand Prix course was closed to Formula One racing for decades before returning this year (too dangerous) but it's open to the public to drive at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour. Just promise one thing: That you won't attempt this until you've accomplished the previous 100.

College Football Pick 'Em! Week Three

Another weekend in college football, and a few teams are starting to play a conference game. I held my own with my picks last week with a record of 20-2 (missed Notre Dame, and all but said Houston would beat OK. State but didn't call it outright), so we'll see if I can keep it rolling this weekend. I don't think I'll be watching any of these games on Saturday, but I'll go ahead and make my predictions!

#1 Florida vs. Tennessee: I almost feel bad for the Vols. I think Florida is the better team in every aspect of the game and this probably won't even be respectable. It reminds me of one of the classic quotes from Tommy Boy when Michelle says, "your mothers will cry when they see what I've done to you!"

#2 Texas vs. Texas Tech: This appears to be the first big stage for Colt McCoy to show himself as the leading Heisman Trophy candidate this season. I think McCoy and the Longhorns will put up big numbers and win comfortably.

#3 USC @ Washington: At one point in the past week, I heard someone ask if Matt Barkley might win the Heisman! Are you kidding me? Let's have that conversation in 2011. This week, USC will go without Barkley at quarterback and they're playing against the former USC offensive and defensive coordinators. I think the Trojans will win, but it could be close.

#4 Alabama vs. North Texas: It's only week three, but the Tide appear to be banged up on the offensive side of the ball. Mark Ingram and Julio Jones are both struggling with injuries, but it shouldn't matter against North Texas. Alabama wins behind their powerful defense.

#5 Penn State vs. Temple: The Nittany Lions appear to have one of the most laughable non-conference schedules in college football. They'll kill Temple and prove nothing in victory.

#6 Ole Miss vs. SE Louisiana: Unfortunately, Ole' Miss' non-conference schedule is even more pathetic than Penn State's! The Rebels win this game and just pray no one gets hurt.

#7 BYU vs. Florida State: To me, this might be the most intriguing game of the weekend. Two weeks ago, a Florida State receiver dropped a game winning touchdown pass against Miami and now everyone is talking about how Miami is back and the Noles are falling apart. I don't know which team feels more pressure going into this game in Provo, UT. For FSU, they need a good win against a quality opponent and they need to build some momentum as they head into conference play. For BYU, the Cougars need to impress voters in these non-conference games if they hope to run the table and possibly contend for the national championship. Both teams have talent, but I'm going to take BYU because of coaching and the home-field/altitude advantage.

#8 California @ Minnesota: Everyone should jump on the Jahvid Best bandwagon while there is still room! Best and the Bears will roll into Minnesota and take care of business with a victory.

#9 LSU vs. LA-Lafayette: This game makes me laugh because I think the LA-Lafayette players are probably big LSU football fans. I bet they'll pull for the Tigers in every other game this season and they'd probably like to take pictures of the stadium as they're coming onto the field. Sadly, I doubt LSU will show any mercy.

#10 Boise State @ Fresno State: It could be a good game tonight but I think Boise State will continue their march to the BCS with a win.

#11 Ohio State @ Toledo: Now that we've seen the Browns and Bengals play, it appears Ohio State and the Cincinnati Bearcats are the two best football teams in the state. Ohio State played tough against USC last Saturday and I think they'll get back to their winning ways against Toledo.

#12 Oklahoma vs. Tulsa: For anyone who doesn't follow football closely, you might look at this game and think it's a pushover for Oklahoma. Nope! Tulsa has one of the best offenses in the country and they've won 21 games over the past two seasons. However, even without Sam Bradford, I'm still a believer of the Oklahoma defense and I think they'll lead the Sooners to a victory.

#13 Virginia Tech vs. #19 Nebraska: Nebraska was able to put up some points against Florida Altantic and Arkansas State, but I don't think it'll be so easy in Lane Stadium. I think Tyrod Taylor will make some big plays and the defense will feed off the energy of the crowd and the Hokies will get a good win at home.

#14 Georgia Tech @ #20 Miami (FL): Played Thursday night. The Miami defense made the Georgia Tech offense look absolutely terrible.

#15 TCU vs. Texas State: I don't know anything about Texas State, but I know they're not winning this game.

#16 Oklahoma State vs. Rice: How 'bout them Cowboys! I felt like they wouldn't show up against Houston and they didn't let me down! I think they'll get things turned around this week and beat Rice now that all the hype has worn off. Oh, and Dez Bryant is still overrated.

#17 Cincinnati @ Oregon State: A really interesting game in Corvallis this weekend. I'll take Cincinnati because I think they're too strong offensively for the Beavers, but it will be a hostile environment and Oregon State is a good football team.

#18 Utah @ Oregon: Utah will have their hands full in this one as Autzen Stadium is one of the toughest places to play in the country. But, I think Oregon is a team in turmoil and Utah has too much talent for the Ducks to get the upset.

#22 Kansas vs. Duke: Last week, we had UConn vs. UNC. Now, we get Duke vs. Kansas! If only these were basketball games! The Jayhawks will win this, but Duke is a team headed in the right direction under David Cutcliffe.

#23 Georgia @ Arkansas: As I look at the Georgia schedule, the Tennessee Tech game is the only one I can look at as a certain victory for the Dawgs. The Georgia defense just doesn't appear to be very good, and it's tough to win games in the SEC without a good defensive unit. I'll take Georgia because there's something about the way Mark Richt gets his guys focused in road games, but I'm not optimistic about the Dawgs.

#24 North Carolina vs. East Carolina: North Carolina needs to find some offense to go along with the stout defense Butch Davis has put together. The Heels will win this game and maybe develop some offensive rhythm.

#25 Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan: If I were a Michigan fan, I'd be worried about a let-down after the big win over Notre Dame. Fortunately, the Wolverines could have a let-down and they'll still beat Eastern Michigan.

Career Day

While I try and keep this blog focused on general topics like sports and food, I wanted to take a chance to give an update on my own life. After the fourth of July, my wife and I decided to relocate to the West Palm Beach area and stay in my grandparents' condo on the beach and look for work in this area. We didn't really have any expectations, but we figured we'd be able to get part-time work and enjoy the opportunity to live at the beach for a couple months.

Now, we are beginning to see God's purpose and plan for bringing us to this area and we're excited about what he's doing in our lives. When we moved to West Palm Beach, we knew it would be difficult leaving our wonderful church in Orlando but we were trusting in God to provide us a new church home. We were fortunate to meet some wonderful people at First Baptist Orlando and we were nervous about being able to meet other young couples in an area that's known for older people who live here seasonally. However, we've gotten to know some awesome Godly couples over the past few weeks and it's been a great encouragement to know we're building relationships with quality people. And, not only has God provided us a church in Christ Fellowship, he's used the church to provide me employment for the next year!

Christ Fellowship is a church in the West Palm Beach area with over 20,000 attenders at four regional campuses and an online campus. In a church this massive, they are fortunate to have many resources and talented people, but there is also a great responsibility to make sure attenders aren't overwhelmed by such a mega-church atmosphere. One of the keys to being able to shrink down a church this big is by placing a heavy emphasis on small/community groups for enabling people to build personal relationships and experience spiritual growth together. In a way that only God could bring everything together, I have been blessed with an incredible opportunity to spend the next year working in the LifeGroups ministry at Christ Fellowship and I will get to experience what it's like to lead community group ministry at a large church. I'm excited to see how God is going to use me to be a support to this ministry and I'm even more excited to see how God uses this experience to reveal more of himself to me. Nicole and I are looking forward to the next year and we are ready to see what God has for us at Christ Fellowship and the Palm Beach area!

College Football Pick 'Em! Week Two

I held my own in the first week of picks with a record of 16-2 (missed the OU/BYU game & UGA/OK. State game). Here are my picks for this week's Top 25 games!

#1 Florida vs. Troy: I love the fact that Troy isn't afraid to schedule games against the best teams in the country every year. Sadly, that doesn't change the fact that Florida is going to kill them.

#2 Texas vs. Wyoming: Interesting game for the Longhorns. They'll be travelling to Wyoming and it will probably be a crazy atmosphere. Still, I like Texas to win comfortably.

#3 USC vs. #8 Ohio State: Everyone seems to be making this out to be a battle of the QB's, and I would like Ohio State if that were the case. As for everyone else on the field, I think USC is stronger and I like them to get a big win in the Horseshoe.

#4 Alabama vs. Florida-International: The Tide will roll and I'll continue to be jealous of their style of play.

#5 Oklahoma State vs. Houston: I think this is a game that might be closer than people think. Oklahoma State is coming off a big win against Georgia and they could overlook the Cougars. Houston has the ability to put a ton of points on the scoreboard, but I don't have enough guts to call an upset. I'll still take the Cowboys.

#6 Ole Miss - Idle

#7 Penn State vs. Syracuse: Greg Paulus looked pretty good against the Minnesota defense last week, but I don't think he'll look so good this week. Penn State always has a great pass rush and they have much more speed than Minnesota. This game could get ugly for the Orange.

#9 Brigham Young vs. Tulane: Brigham Young pulled off the huge upset last week against Oklahoma. Now, can they march toward a perfect season and the BCS? I don't expect Tulane to get in their way.

#10 California vs. Eastern Washington: I'm going to continue to talk about him because no one else really is: Jahvid Best will deserve to be considered for the Heisman! California will win big and Best will put up more good numbers against E. Washington.

#11 LSU vs. Vanderbilt: I wouldn't be surprised if this game is close. Vanderbilt is known for playing with discipline and I don't know if LSU has found a killer instinct yet. I think LSU wins because they have more playmakers, but Vandy will put up a fight.

#12 Boise State vs. Miami (OH): I'd be more excited about this game if it was the other Miami team. Boise State wins big.

#13 Oklahoma vs. Idaho State: Even without Sam Bradford, the Sooners should win this game by no less than three touchdowns.

#14 Virginia Tech vs. Marshall: Virginia Tech might have been the most impressive team that lost last week. Their defense will be very strong, but they need Tyrod Taylor to step up. The Hokies will beat Marshall comfortably.

#15 Georgia Tech vs. Clemson: Ga. Tech defeated Clemson on Thursday night. And what a game it was!

#16 TCU vs. Virginia: This is an ugly beginning to the season for UVA. An opening loss to William & Mary and I expect them to lose to TCU. The Horned Frogs are nasty!

#17 Utah vs. San Jose State: San Jose State hung with Southern Cal. for about a quarter last week. I expect the same thing this week before Utah pulls away.

#18 Notre Dame vs. Michigan: I look at this game and have no idea who's going to win. I think Notre Dame has more talent, so I'll pick the Irish (with no confidence whatsoever)

#19 North Carolina vs. UConn: This matchup makes me wish it was basketball season. I like the Heels to get a good win on the road in Connecticut.

#20 Miami (FL) - Idle

#21 Georgia vs. South Carolina: I'm starting to think Logan Gray might be the starting quarterback for Georgia by the end of the season. Joe Cox struggled with the flu last week and now he's talking about an injured shoulder - bad news! I think the Dawgs will win this one only because their offense is not quite as bad as South Carolina's.

#22 Nebraska vs. Arkansas State: I'll take Nebraska by 40.

#23 Cincinnati vs. SE Missouri State: I wonder if the Bearcats will get tougher competition in this game than they did last week against Rutgers. Either way, they win by a ton.

#24 Kansas vs. UTEP: The Jayhawks have a cast of characters on offense who must all be getting their P.H.D's because they've been there FOREVER. Kansas wins this one.

#25 Missouri vs. Bowling Green: Missouri looked AWESOME last week against Illinois but they need to avoid a letdown in this game. I think they'll be focused and take care of business against Bowling Green.

College Football Pick 'Em!

I'm probably going to regret this, but I'm going to go through all the college football games featuring Top 25 teams and predict the winner. This week should be relatively easy because most teams schedule push-overs for their opener, but I'll try and keep this going throughout the year. Here we go!

#1 Florida vs. Charleston Southern: Florida wins huge in this game and it's a pathetic scheduling move by Urban Meyer and Co.

#2 Texas vs. Louisiana Monroe: Colt McCoy begins his heisman campaign in a Longhorns rout.

#3 Oklahoma vs. # 20 Brigham Young: I give Bob Stoops credit for scheduling non-conference games like this. Oklahoma proves they're nasty on defense this year and they'll shut down the BYU offense.

#4 USC vs. San Jose State: USC will roll in this one, but their biggest key is avoiding any injuries before heading to Ohio State next week.

#5 Alabama vs. #7 Virginia Tech: The primetime game of the weekend in the Georgia Dome. I like Alabama to win a low-scoring defensive battle. If I don't pick Alabama, I'm worried Terrence Cody would eat me.

#6 Ohio State vs. Navy: Interesting scheduling decision for Ohio State. The Buckeyes will win this one, but it could have lingering effects against USC.

#8 Mississippi vs. Memphis: Ole' Miss and Memphis always seem to play each other close, but it's time for Ole' Miss to live up to the hype. I like Ole' Miss to win big.

#9 Oklahoma State vs. #13 Georgia: Part of me is really worried about this game, but I like the Dawgs to pull off the upset in Stillwater. I think Georgia will be able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and keep the explosive Cowboys' offense off the field.

#10 Penn State vs. Akron: Penn State should win comfortably.

#11 LSU vs. Washington: LSU should be more consistent this year with Jordan Jefferson at quarterback. The Huskies might hang around for a half, but LSU will have too much talent and depth.

#12 California vs. Maryland: California is looking for payback in this game and I expect them to get it. Jahvid Best could be a dark-horse heisman candidate for the Bears.

#14 Boise State vs. #16 Oregon: Played Thursday night.

#15 Georgia Tech vs. Jacksonville State: If Georgia Tech doesn't win, there should be an investigation.

#18 Florida State vs. Miami (FL): I'll take the 'Canes in the upset! Miami has a ton of talent and Florida State always seems to be dealing with distractions.

#19 Utah vs. Utah State: Played Thursday night.

#21 North Carolina vs. Citadel: UNC gets off to a good start in a season where I think they have a shot at winning the ACC.

#22 Iowa vs. Northern Iowa: Iowa wins, and no one cares.

#23 Notre Dame vs. Nevada: Round one of Murderer's Row for the Irish! I think they'llsqueak by Nevada.

#24 Nebraska vs. Florida Atlantic: Should be an interesting year for Nebraska. They have some talent and the Big 12 North is wide open. They'll beat Florida Atlantic.

#25 Kansas vs. Northern Colorado: The only question this game is how quickly Kansas will get to 50 points.

A Fresh Season

I haven't eaten at many new restaurants lately. My wife and I have tried to be really good about saving money and cooking at home and it's been fun, but it's been tough not getting to try new restaurants. And when we have gone out to eat, the past few times have been to places we know and like, so there's not too much exploration there. So when I get a chance to try somewhere new, I really get excited and hopeful about it; and the most recent location delivered! I had heard many good things about Seasons 52 and I'd seen locations all over the country, but I finally had lunch there this past week.

For anyone who is unfamiliar with Seasons 52, it's a contemporary (slightly) upscale restaurant that focuses on using seasonal ingredients to create healthy meals. The menu changes seasonally and they also have different weekly specials, which explains why the name is Seasons 52. They try to create entrees that are nutritious and balanced and less than 475 calories while bringing out the best flavor of the fresh seasonal ingredients. I'd looked at the menu before and it always seemed like a good place to try, so I was definitely excited when someone offered to take me there for lunch. Of course, when you get an upscale restaurant that uses fresh ingredients, it can tend to get rather expensive; but the lunch menu appeared to be very reasonable. Most entree items seemed to be in the $8-$15 range and they offered plenty of variety and unique combinations.

Always the food adventurist, I decided to go out on a limb and try something new, a buffalo burger. The Oak-Fired Western Buffalo Burger was topped with guacamole, spicy chili sour cream, and roasted red pepper salsa on a whole wheat bun with a side salad. It was delicious! Since I'd never ordered buffalo, I went with the waiter's recommendation of having it cooked to medium, which was good because it is a very lean cut of meat. I really liked the flavor of the meat with the combination of guacamole, sour cream, and salsa and the whole wheat bun brought it all together (and provided some good nutrition). The salad was fresh and had some sunflower kernels tossed in, which I really enjoyed. It wasn't a huge burger, but the fiber from the bun and the salad helps to make it a more filling dish than it appears to be. Not to mention, the presentation on the plate was very contemporary and cool looking.

Now, if the meal had been finished with the buffalo and salad, I

wouldn't have been disappointed, but we weren't done! After the entrees, the waiter brought out a beautiful dessert platter with a variety of mini-indulgences (small desserts in big shot glasses) we could choose from. I was torn between the Rocky Road or the Pecan Pie with Vanilla Mousse, but I eventually decided to go with the chocolate. The chocolate was creamy, the cake in the bottom of the glass was moist, and as one of the people I was with said, "This is just enough." Mini-desserts are a great option for getting the taste of something sweet without feeling the gluttony of ordering a massive dessert at a crazy price.

So what's my review of Seasons 52? I give it 52 thumbs up! The location was great (we had a table overlooking the InterCoastal Waterway), the service was EXCELLENT, the food was tasty and healthy, and the lunch prices were reasonable. It is a step up from the Applebee's and Chili's of the world and it appears to be a restaurant with a very unique and cool approach in designing their menu. While it may not be a restaurant for everyone, it's certainly a place I'd enjoy going back to.

The Big Three

The college football season is finally upon us! The anticipation of finding out where College Gameday will set up camp, the hope of watching the performance that defines a Heisman Trophy campaign, the upset of the year, the breakout team no one expected to be great, it's all here! Now, I'll confess I'm not one of the total diehards who lives for the beginning of college football. I AM a passionate college football fan and I try to keep up with what's going on around the country, but this isn't my favorite sport. Come talk to me in October for the beginning of college basketball or March for the beginning of the NCAA Tournament and I'll tell you all about why basketball is my favorite sport, but it doesn't mean I don't get excited about some college football!

Today, I want to look at three college football games I'm interested in this weekend. Two of these games are receiving a great deal of national attention and they feature possible Heisman trophy candidates and BCS bowl contenders. However, one game features two unranked teams who have no big stars, no big name coaches, and no expectations for making a BCS game in January. The games I'm most intrigued by are: Oregon vs. Boise State, Georgia vs. Oklahoma State, Minnesota vs. Syracuse. Let's take a look at the match-ups.

No. 16 Oregon vs. No. 14 Boise State

Boise, ID, Thursday, 10:15 PM Eastern (ESPN)

It's rare that we get to see a team play it's biggest game of the season in their opening game, but that's the case for Boise State. The Broncos are a popular pick to go undefeated and serve as the BCS-buster this season, but they face a tough task in their first game against the Oregon Ducks. I wonder if Boise State will feel any pressure playing in front of their home crowd at night in such a big game, or if they'll be able to feed off the crowd energy and enthusiasm. In redshirt sophomore quarterback, Kellen Moore, Boise State has a leader who has already played in big games and shown he can lead his team to victory, so we'll see how the rest of his teammates perform. And doesn't it seem like Oregon is a program that never really gets the respect they deserve going into a season? People rarely talk about the Ducks, but they consistently contend for Pac-10 titles and finish in the top 10-20 in the rankings every year. Mike Bellotti built a solid program in Eugene, but now we'll see if Chip Kelly, the new Oregon head coach, can continue that success. Also, I'll tune in to this game just to see what uniforms Oregon breaks out to start the season.

No. 13 Georgia vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State

Stillwater, OK, Saturday, 3:30 PM Eastern (ABC)

Whenever you get a game with Oklahoma State, there's the potential for a shoot-out. The Cowboys feature a three-headed monster on the offensive side of the ball in Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter, and Dez Bryant; and coach Mike Gundy has shown plenty of offensive creativity in being able to put points on the board. After all, HE'S A MAN! HE'S 40! However, the Cowboys will be going up a Georgia defensive unit that is expected to be much improved from last season. The Bulldogs feature one of the premiere tandems of defensive tackles in the country in Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens, and Rennie Curran is being talked about as one of the best linebackers in college football. Will the Cowboys offensive line be able to protect Zac Robinson and give him time to find Dez Bryant? Or will the Bulldogs defensive line control the line of scrimmage and create blitzing opportunities for the linebackers and safeties? Another thing I'm interested to see in this game is whether or not Dez Bryant is really worth all the hype. He has great overall statistics, but he had a tendency to disappear in the big games for the Cowboys last season. In their four games against Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, & Texas Tech, Bryant never had 100 yards receiving and didn't record a touchdown in three of the four games. If Bryant is going to truly emerge as a Heisman Trophy candidate, he'll need to shine in the games where everyone is watching.

Minnesota vs. Syracuse

Syracuse, NY, Saturday, 12:00 PM Eastern (ESPN2)

I don't think I've ever been interested in a Minnesota football game in my life and they aren't really the reason I'm interested in this game. The Gophers were a feel-good story last year until they fell apart down the stretch and lost six straight games, but the program appears to be headed in the right direction; but does anyone outside the state of Minnesota actually care? Now, I'm not sure people around the country cared about Syracuse football (I know I didn't) until a couple weeks ago when they named Greg Paulus their starting quarterback. For those who don't know, Paulus spent the last four years playing basketball for Duke and he has been away from football since his senior year in high school. After graduating from Duke this past spring, Paulus pursued the possibility of joining a football program (Syracuse, because it's his hometown) and seeing if he could contribute as a quarterback for a season. I thought it would a good story and Greg might get to play in a couple games, but he's been named the starter and the team captain! The work ethic and commitment Paulus has displayed has been remarkable and I really hope he has a great season for the Orange. Unfortunately, he had trouble dealing with injuries in his four year career at Duke and he probably will not have a great deal of talent around him in Syracuse, so it could be a bumpy road for the little guy with the lion's heart.

Slick Rick

Although the beginning of college football is only a week away, we can't seem to get away from stories about the college basketball coaches in the state of Kentucky. In the past week, we've seen current Kentucky coach, John Calipari, be stripped of wins; former Kentucky coach, Billy Gillispie, get arrested for a DUI; and Louisville coach, Rick Pitino, give one whale of a press conference about his current legal situation. Pitino is currently involved in an investigation in an alleged extortion attempt against him by a woman who claims she was raped by Pitino on two different occassions.

Now, I don't intend to provide the entire story involving Pitino and the woman who is claiming she was raped by him, because I don't think I could get all the information out before college basketball season starts. However, the basic elements of the story are: Karen Sypher claims to have been raped by Pitino six years ago, Sypher claims Pitino paid one of the members of his staff to marry her in order to keep her quiet, Sypher claims Pitino paid her $3,000 to pay for an abortion after Pitino impregnanted her, Sypher tried to extort Pitino out of $10 million in order to keep quiet about his sexual encounters with her. And Karen Sypher is now being charged with extortion by the FBI and none of her claims against Pitino have been seen as credibile, so it doesn't appear any charges will be brought against him. Still, Pitino has admitted that he did have a sexual encounter with the woman in a Louisville restaurant, but he claims the encounter was consensual for both parties. Following this craziness?!

So the issue I want to get to is the decision of Rick Pitino to call a press conference on Wednesday about all these events and stories. Basically, it ended up being a six minute rant showing how Rick has gone off the deep end. Despite being discouraged by the University of Louisville and his lawyers, he came and out and talked about the hell his wife has been through in the past seven months while a woman tried to extort him during the tournament. Yes, it clearly must have bothered her that her cheating husband was being extorted during some basketball games. Also, he talks about how we need to get away from this story about his personal life and get onto more important things, like the economy and basketball. Sure Rick, people are losing their jobs all over the country but let's make sure we think about Louisville's chances without Terrence Williams and Earl Clark this year! (<-which aren't good, by the way). Pitino also mentions that he was told by the university, the authorities, and his attorney to keep quiet because it's an ongoing investigation, but he's tired of being quiet and he's decided to talk. So Rick, you're not following the advice of your own employer, attorneys, and the prosecutors of the case? Smart move!

There are a number of other ridiculous comments ("a long laundry list of people who passed away today") Pitino makes during his press conference, but I'll post the video here (courtesy of ESPN) so you can see it yourself. It's quite obvious to see that the situation at Louisville has turned into an absolute trainwreck for the university and for Rick Pitino. And although Pitino asks people to ignore the reports and stories that come out from now on, how can we turn away when people are having meltdowns like this?!

Savory Snack

I wanted to take some time to introduce a wonderful new snack food I tried a few weeks ago, Alexia Onion Strips. I'd seen the commercials for the onion strips, and my wife and I had wanted to try them because it seemed interesting that the company prided itself on being able to put "real onions in their onion strips." So a couple weeks ago, during one of our many trips to Publix, we decided to give the onion strips a try as an afternoon snack. What a good decision that turned out to be! These things taste awesome!

First, they're not kidding about having real onions in their product. In the ingredients, it says they use spanish onions and there is no other mention of artificial onion flavoring or anything like that. You can really taste a difference in the real onions versus some onion flavoring, like you might get in a bag of Funyuns. However, the thing that puts the Alexia Onion Strips over the top for me, even more so than the real onions, is the crunchy outside surrounding the onion. It's like biting into a great tasting onion ring. The batter is seasoned and crispy and it doesn't flake apart as soon as you take a bite of it. If you're a fan of onion rings, this could quickly become an addictive snack for you, like it has for me.

Now, a couple issues with this product you might want to consider. One - this isn't exactly a healthy treat. The company advertises their products as being 100% All Natural (which means virtually nothing) and they boast about having no trans fat, which also isn't very relevant. The fact is, a serving size (which is very small) has 150 calories, and it offers no nutritional value. And with a food like this, it's very easy to eat the whole bag before you know it, and then you've downed almost 700 calories. Ouch! The other issue with these onion strips is that they aren't easy on the bank account. They usually cost about $3.50 and there's only 4.5 servings in an entire bag, so it's not best value. However, the Alexia website will occassionally give away some promotional coupons and sometimes they are BOGO at Publix, which makes it a much better deal.

Personally, Alexia has made me a believer. I've tried the Waffle Fry Snacks and haven't had as much success, but I am a HUGE fan of the Onion Strips and I'm looking forward to trying out some of the frozen products. So if you go to the grocery story and pick up a bag of these onion strips and become addicted, don't say I didn't warn you! (and send me a bag!)

Keys to Success: AL East

As we come to the end of this series about the contenders in baseball, we head to the division with the best winning percentage in the league, the American League East. This division seems to get the most coverage every year by the major media outlets, and it probably should since a team from the AL East has played in four of the last six World Series. It's the division with the two most recognized teams in baseball, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, and one of the most exciting young teams in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays. And as we head towards the postseason, this looks like another year where a team from the AL East could be headed for the World Series.

New York Yankees: When the Yankees spent so much money on free agents in the offseason, many people speculated about how the organization was continuing to throw money at big name players without really addressing their problems. Well, it looks like it worked this time. The offseason signings of C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira have worked out brilliantly and the Yankees seem to be pulling away from everyone else in the American League East. As everyone around baseball knows, a World Series championship is the only standard of success for the Yankees, but this team certainly appears to have all the tools to accomplish that goal.

If I had a vote for the American League MVP award, it would go to Mark Teixeira. People can talk bad about his decision to take the money and play in New York, but Big Tex can flat out play. He's hitting .288 with 33 home runs and 93 RBI's, and he's probably going to win another gold glove at first base. He's been a consistent performer for this team and he's just what they needed, someone to come in and produce on the offensive and defensive end and lead by hustling on the field. Derek Jeter is the unquestioned leader of this team, but the addition of Teixeira has been key in taking the spotlight away from Alex Rodriguez and keeping distractions at a minimum. If Teixeira can continue his outstanding play in the postseason, the Yankees have a great chance at making it to another World Series. He has so much protection in that potent lineup that pitchers are forced to deal with him, or take their chances with the other dangerous hitters sitting behind him. He's done a great job of dealing with the pressure that comes with playing in New York during the regular season; let's see how he handles the postseason.

When I look at this team, the only potential weakness I see would be the starting pitching. C.C. Sabathia has been very good, with a 15-7 record and a 3.59 ERA, but the other starting pitchers haven't been quite as strong. A.J. Burnett and Joba Chamberlain have struggled at various times

during the season, and Andy Pettitte has provided consistency but nothing overwhelming. When the Yankees get to the playoffs, they'll need at least one of those three to step up and deliver a string of quality starts. Their offense will score runs, but probably not in the same way they have in the regular season, and quality pitching will become even more important. The starting pitchers need to be able to go deep into games and protect the bullpen, which will make Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera even more effective. And an effective Mariano Rivera usually means playoff success for the Yankees.

Boston Red Sox: Lately, all we hear about the Red Sox is how many problems they have. It says something about the standard of excellence you've set when everyone is criticizing your team and you're 18 games over .500 and have the fifth best record in baseball. However, this is certainly a different team in Boston than what we've become accustomed to seeing over the past few years and they don't appear to be nearly as dominant and playoff ready. They still have time to get some of their problems sorted out, but after losing two convincing series to the Yankees in the past three weeks, the folks in Fenway have reason to be concerned.

The biggest problem I see with this team is the depth of the pitching staff. After a rocky start to the season, Jon Lester has been great and I think he's become the anchor of that staff. And Josh Beckett has been very good, even though he got rocked by the Yankees this past weekend. But after those two guys, the Red Sox can't seem to find anyone to step up as a starter. Everyone thought the signing of John Smoltz would be a great fit in Boston, and it turned out to be a disaster. The signing of Brad Penny seemed questionable, and it hasn't turned out well either. Daisuke Matsuzaka has been rendered useless due to injury. Tim Wakefield was pitching wonderfully until an injury sidelined him for the past month. And Clay Buchholz shows signs of becoming a great pitcher, but can't seem to put it all together yet. So when people express concern about the Red Sox and their chances this season, it's because starting pitching is the one area where you can least afford to be struggling. Bad starting pitching gets you behind early in games, which takes you out of your gameplan, and it also eats into your bullpen, which makes those pitchers much less effective when they can't be brought in for particular situations or against certain batters. Still, the thing that makes this Boston team so dangerous is the fact that all of these guys have been here before. If they can create some momentum and get their starting pitching headed in the right direction, it seems like the Red Sox can take it to another level once they get to the postseason.

Tampa Bay Rays: I love how many of the early projections for this season had the Rays winning the World Series. For some reason, people think that if a young team has a great year and they don't lose many pieces from that team, then they'll be even better the next season; which, for the Rays, meant winning the whole thing. If everything were that simple. This is a team that caught everyone by surprise last year and they quickly became the feel good story in baseball. The unorthodox coaching methods of Joe Maddon and their incredible display of power and speed made them an exciting team to watch and an easy team to pull for. However, all the attention they received last season created enormous expectations for this season, and they're a team that will no longer sneak up on anyone.

Let's be honest, the Rays have had a good year. They have a 68-56 record, they had five players on the All-Star team (including the MVP), and they're only three games behind Boston for the Wild Card spot. But, by their own standards, they'd probably say they've underachieved. Their record on the road has been terrible at 26-35, and they're the one contending American League team with a losing record against left-handed pitching. After being quite lucky last season in not having to deal with major injuries, they've been forced to move players around this year and deal with season ending injuries. And, in my opinion, the bullpen hasn't been anywhere near as good as it was last year. Grant Balfour was much better last season as an 8th inning guy, and they were able to use J.P. Howell in particular situations before turning the game over to Troy Percival in the 9th. This season, Balfour has been marginally effective and Troy Percival has been awful, which meant moving J.P. Howell to the closer's role (where he's done very well) and leaving a void in their group of middle relievers. I think Chad Bradford and Dan Wheeler could be key pieces in strengthening the Rays bullpen, and that improvement in the bullpen could be the key to getting them back to the playoffs.

Prediction: I think the Rays will run out of magic and struggle against all the quality teams on the remainder of their schedule. I like the Red Sox to win the Wild Card, and we'll see what happens from there. If they get to play the Angels in the ALDS, it will be interesting to see if Los Angeles can get over the mental hump of beating Boston in the playoffs. And the Yankees are running away with this division. They'll win the American League East and I think they'll win the American League.

Recap: According to me, the American League playoff teams will be New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago. In the National league, we'll have Philadelphia, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Colorado. Certainly some proud franchises in both leagues! I'm taking the Yankees to be the representative from the American League and I'm going to take the Cardinals in the National League (but Philadelphia wouldn't surprise me at all). We'll see how good or how ridiculous my predictions look in a few weeks, and it should be an exciting end to the season. Feel free to leave your own predictions or offer any opinions about my own picks.