Healthcare Part 1

Healthcare is very important. It's literally critical to the health and wealth of America. We all want good healthcare, and we all want everyone to be able to receive it. I believe the key to understanding the healthcare debate is to determine the consequences that will take place once certain action is implemented.

On the surface, the idea of free healthcare to all American citizens is a great thing. There is no doubt that for anyone to be able to go to the doctor or to the emergency room free of charge is something that is desirable, and I believe all Americans think that ideal is a good thing. The problem with the universal healthcare debate is that for so many people it ends there. That is all they see. Free healthcare for everyone. That is good. End of story.

Unfortunately that is not all there is to it. Healthcare will never be free, at least not until doctors start volunteering and manufacturers of machines donate their inventions, and contractors build hospitals as a charity. There is cost for healthcare, lots of cost, and it has to be paid for somehow. And with the idea universal healthcare comes the reality that tax payers must pay for it.

So how can we reallocate the money we've paid in taxes that are being used for other things to now be used for heathcare? We can't. The fact is that even if we cut government overhead in one area to spend it on healthcare we are really just adding back that overhead because the government will be running it...so all we've done is shifted government employees from one sector to another. The only way to pay for healthcare is to raise taxes, plain and simple. So, that's you're first major consequence of healthcare, higher taxes.

The second major consequence of universal healthcare is the deterioration of service. If every patient is viewed the same and doctors basically become government employees then what is their motivation for providing excellent service? I know there is an ideal that they will be motivated by helping others, and while their motivation will in all likelihood be greater than the government worker at the DMV, the service will decline. Some doctor's view of their jobs will change because of the loss of capitalism in healthcare, and with that their practice of medicine will suffer....and we don't want that. Since everyone can receive healthcare free of charge there will be 30-40% more people in that waiting room. Not just the 10% that don't have healthcare now, but the additional people who have insurance but may not go to the doctor when they have the slightest cold because they don't want to pay higher rates or a deductible. There will be lack of privacy in hospital rooms and long waits for surgeries and treatments. Look at Canada and England's universal healthcare systems: 65% of Americans survive cancer for 5 years after being diagnosed compared to 46% in England and 42% in Canada, 93% of Americans diagnosed with diabetes received treatment within the first six months compared to 15% in England and 43% in Canada, 77% of Americans who are referred to a medical specialist are seen within one month compared to 40% in England and 43% in Canada.

The third major consequence of universal healthcare is losing our access to the best doctors and medical machines in the world. Once the government controls healthcare they will set the wages for doctors. So the doctor that provides great service and does great work will be making the same and the doctor who does just okay work. The foreign doctor who came to America to make $1,000,000 a year will leave because they would rather be in their home country if they are only going to make a certain wage. There is a reason why leaders from around the world come to America for surgeries, it's because we have the best doctors. And the best doctors come here from around the world to make the most money. They will leave America and that combined with having to cover more people and less 'rich people' wanting to become doctors will create such a need for doctors that medical schools will have to lower their admission standards, thereby creating a lesser medical field. When the government sets prices on what they will pay for machines, companies who manufacture those machines will spend far less time creating new ideas for them because the pay is less. Less inventions and technology will be developed because of this. Let's use England and Canada again: there are 71 MRI scanners in America per one million people compared to 14 in England and 18 and Canada.

The fourth major consequence of universal healthcare is having the government control our lives through it. The cost of healthcare will be large, and with a certain budget there will be strict guidelines for doctors to follow in order to keep costs down. One of these guidelines will in all likelihood be that once a person reaches a certain age they should not receive as much attention because they are so close to the end of their life. So the heart-bypass that Grandpa needs will be pushed to the end of the line, Grandma will have to wait on her hip replacement, and after a few days of struggling in the hospital a great Aunt of yours might have the plug pulled by a doctor with orders from Uncle Sam.


JB

Week Thirteen

I'm officially going to give up predicting the national games for 2010. I managed to only get one game out of 8 right...and that was Ohio State over Michigan which was a very easy one to pick. So I'll end it with an above .500 record of 37-34, pretty pathetic picking the games straight up.

The Auburn comeback over Alabama was one of the greatest comebacks I've ever seen considering the circumstances. On the road, national championship, bragging rights, everything on the line and they were getting dominated, really it could have been much worse than 24-0 before they final moved the ball on offense. But you have to really hand it to Nick Fairley, he and Antoine Carter kept them in the game until the second half when Cam Newton took over. That game goes to show how important emotion is, Bama was on fire feeding off the crowd in the first half...but they couldn't sustain it after halftime and the crowd exhaled while Auburn crept back into the game.

While I was watching Boise State perform the same collapse Alabama did I was thinking how I could justify a close win to Nevada to keep them in contention. I think it could have been easy to do because Nevada creamed Cal, who only lost to Oregon by two points. But Boise State lost, and I was a little bit disappointed. They certainly can't blame it all on the field goal kicker because they got knocked off the ball on both lines of scrimmage the entire second half. But what I find amazing is that all the people who want a playoff so bad also were happy Boise State lost. Boise State is the exact reason why we might eventually get a playoff, and it's ashame people can't understand that. It's the folks like the Ohio State president who can't stand having Boise State around that are going to vote for a playoff if indeed Boise State or TCU can make it to the title game. They will vote for it because they figure if the little guys can get in anyway, let's give ourselves a chance with a 4 or 8 team playoff. It makes too much sense, but we've got Gary Danielson and Craig James filling everyone's mind up with all this 'they don't play the same schedule', which is just a red herring for the real problem...which is the BCS!

The final score of the Egg Bowl might have only been 31-23 but Mississippi State dominated that game. I really believe that getting six wins, beating Florida, and beating Ole Miss to push their heads a little further under water has really allowed the program to take three steps this year instead of just the one I was hoping for. It's been a great year for State. I was 6-2 on my SEC picks this week, so that's 77-18 on the year. Here's my power rankings:

1. Auburn, 12-0 (8-0) - They are the best, there is do doubt about it. It's amazing they have run the table in the SEC with an average defense but they have won in every way imaginable on the road and at home.

2. Arkansas, 10-2 (6-2) - The Hogs are one of the hottest teams in the country right now. This makes me think an 8-team playoff could work...if there was one this is a team I wouldn't want to face.

3. LSU, 10-2 (6-2) - I cannot believe they finished the season with 10 wins. If you say great coaching job by Les Miles then his shortcomings have made you believe he did a good job. He had some of the best talent in the country, this is the record he should have had...but he was lucky to get it.

4. South Carolina, 9-3 (5-3) - They are playing really well right now. Auburn fans might think it's in the bag, but you know the Ole Ball Coach has got some stuff up his sleeve.

5. Alabama, 9-3 (5-3) - Bama falls all the way to #5... got to do it, they lost to the Gamecocks. This still are a great team, and they should cream whatever Big 12 team is thrown their way in the Cotton Bowl.

6. Mississippi State, 8-4 (4-4) - State did a great job this year of playing consistent football and I believe they are in the Top 12 or 15 teams in the country on a neutral field. I'm sure Chizik will get coach of the year, but he's got Cam Newton and Nick Fairley who have won him all his games, Mullen should be SEC Coach of the Year.

7. Florida, 7-5 (4-4) - This year was an absolute disaster from the first game to the last. Everyone should have realized things would go down losing Dan Mullen, Charlie Strong, and Tim Tebow, but this was a surprise.

8. Georgia, 6-6 (3-5) - They made a bowl, congratulations. Starting the day after the bowl game, Mark Richt is officially on the hot seat.

9. Tennessee, 6-6 (3-5) - What a November comeback for the Vols. I know it wasn't against top competition, but they played really well and Derek Dooley should get some votes for coach of the year.

10. Kentucky, 6-6 (2-6) - How do they lose to UT again? I don't know about their program. They've got a bunch of playmakers, they can hang with almost anybody, but they can't get any better than making it to a lower-tier bowl.

11. Ole Miss, 4-8 (1-7) - This was a rebuilding year for Ole Miss, their problem is that they couldn't recognize it. Jerimiah Masoli completely backfired in their face from the first game of the season. Tyrone Nix should be fired.

12. Vanderbilt, 2-10 (1-7) - I'm surprised Robbie Caldwell resigned before the last game. I thought he was doing a decent job. I'm not sure what direction they go from here. I think they need to re-evaluate and hire an athletic director.

My Top 5:

1. Auburn, 12-0
2. Oregon, 11-0
3. TCU, 12-0
4. Stanford, 11-1
5. Wisconsin, 11-1

Wisconsin is a solid team, them and Arkansas might be the hottest teams in the country right now. I think TCU vs. Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl would be a great game, and I hope TCU torches them. I wonder what the Ohio State president would say then, especially since his team lost to Wisconsin. And I hope Ohio State plays Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl and they get torched as well. Should be interesting to see how it all plays out, but it looks like there will be some great BCS games.

The Falcons are 9-2. Matt Ryan is 19-1 career at home. They look really good. I don't see them losing more than one game down the stretch.

JB

College Football - Week 13

I'm putting this week's preview out today because I wasn't going to post anything else with Thanksgiving this week, and so this can sit as the latest post for a few days.

This is a huge week in college football, perhaps the best. It's Rivalry Week...a bittersweet week. It's so great but yet we know the college football season is coming to an end. All across the country there are great games.

Two 2-9 teams that are tanking will be playing with Wake Forest at Vanderbilt. These two programs were having banner years a few years ago but it's all fallen apart. I picked Vandy before the year in this game and I'm going to stick with them. At home, the worst team in the SEC needs to beat the worst team in the ACC.

Georgia has got to beat Georgia Tech. This has been a terrible season for both teams but especially UGA. If they lose this game there will be no bowl game and that would be the first time they haven't made a bowl since 1996, Ray Goff's last season in Athens. GA Tech is only 6-5 and they have had plenty of attrition on defense. I think the Dawgs use their two weeks of preparation and home field to their advantage and win the game.

The odds-makers seem to be favoring all the home teams in the rivalry games this weekend, and so even Florida State is getting the benefit of the doubt hosting Florida. Both of these teams have been very inconsistent. I'm pretty sure the last time FSU won this game was 2003, when Zook was the coach for Florida. But this year is the year to stick it to the Gators...they are not good. Mississippi State and South Carolina took advantage of it but Georgia didn't. I think being at home, and with plenty of motivation Florida State will win the game by a field goal.

South Carolina at Clemson. I don't even know what they call this game. Two schools whose fan base always wants to win so bad but they stick to 6-8 wins a year. The Gamecocks have broken loose from that a little this year and they could get their 9th win in this game. I was a little unsure about how USC would perform in the last two weeks knowing they just want to win the SEC Championship but they stomped Troy, although Troy basically played dead in that game. Clemson proved they can run play with the SEC when they took Auburn to overtime on the road but they haven't been very consistent this year. In no way would I be surprised if Clemson won this game but I'm going to pick South Carolina to pull it out, maybe by a field goal.

So I'm picking the SEC to go 3-1 over the ACC this week. If it's any less than that it would be embarrassing.

In the same way that this year is everyone's turn to beat Florida, this is the year to get Tennessee. Vandy was able to stay in the game last week, but Kentucky is better than that and they have got to win this game even if it is in Knoxville. After 25 years of dominance, when is this going to end? Kentucky is not that bad of a program, especially the last 5 years. Hartline is a senior, Cobb is such a great athlete. I think this is going to be a great game and I'm going to stick with my preseason pick...Kentucky wins the game and keeps UT out of a bowl game.

How great is the SEC West? The Top 5 teams in the West went 14-1 vs. the East. Outside of playing each other, the Top 5 teams in the West are 38-1. All 5 top teams are ranked in the Top 25 and the Top 4 are all ranked in the Top 12. LSU, Alabama, and Arkansas have a combined 5 loses and they all have been out of contention for the division title for two weeks! This weekend would be great just based on the above 5 games but then there's the following three including games pitting my SEC #1 at #3 and SEC #2 at #4. It doesn't get much better than that.

The Egg Bowl is going to be huge this year, just like it was last year. The game won't have any impact on who's going to a bowl although State's bowl positioning will be affected. If Ole Miss wins, they will have taken the air out of MSU's great season and that will help them on the recruiting trail just like it did for State last year. But if State can win they will possibly get to a New Year's Day bowl game and be able to stuff Ole Miss down to the bottom of the SEC and have won the Egg Bowl trophy two years in a row. The road team hasn't won this game since 2003 but I think that changes this year. State played great against Arkansas and Ole Miss' defense is very poor. Mississippi State 31 Ole Miss 21

LSU at Arkansas could be a play-in for a BCS game. A lot will depend on how the Iron Bowl turns out, but this game looks like a heavy weight fight between two great teams. Arkansas is playing great football right now, and LSU has been good and lucky all year. In the last 3 years LSU only beat Arkansas last year, and that took overtime. This game is always great no matter what. Arkansas is one of the toughest home teams in the SEC, even in Little Rock, and with the way they are playing I think they will pull this game out and throw a wrench into the BCS and bowl game scenarios. Arkansas 34 LSU 30

This year's Iron Bowl is the game of the year. Fortunately, some of the Cam Newton talk has died down in the last week or so. Auburn is coming off a bye which I think will have given their coaches time to develop a good game plan and the players time to heal and distance themselves from the distractions. Alabama should be coming in on fire and healthy, Richardson hasn't played since the LSU game and I think he'll be fresh. The game is in Tuscaloosa and the Tide haven't lost there since ULM beat them in 2007. Bama is favored in this one but I just don't see them stopping Cam Newton. Auburn only won by 3 points in Starkville and Lexington but since the Arkansas game this team has gotten really tough, and they creamed Ole Miss in Oxford. Auburn 31 Alabama 24

There are some good games nationally this week so I'll pick a few more than usual.
Arizona over Oregon - Arizona has scored a lot of points this year and they have a good defense. They've had two weeks to prepare for Oregon as well.
Texas over Texas A&M
Boise State over Nevada
Pittsburgh over West Virginia
Penn State over Michigan State
Ohio State over Michigan
Oklahoma State over Oklahoma
N.C. State over Maryland


JB

Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients: Baby back ribs, BBQ sauce, light brown sugar, Jack Daniels, salt and pepper.

Cook Time: 4 hours

Take however many racks of ribs you want and break them in half. Put them in a large pot, salt and pepper a little bit and cover with water. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Take the ribs out of the pot, rinse them off and put them on a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Put a generous amount of light brown sugar in a bowl. Pour some Jack Daniels over the brown sugar and stir it around. The brown sugar will turn dark and clump together. Take this and rub it all over both sides of the ribs. Cover with the aluminum foil and cook it in the oven for 2 and a half hours.

Fire up the grill and bring it to medium heat. Put the ribs on and baste with your favorite BBQ sauce. Do this about 3 times on the top and bottom of the ribs, and let them be on the grill for about 30-45 minutes...make sure not to burn them.

They should look delicious at this point, and after 4 hours you should be pretty hungry. Enjoy.

JB

Week Twelve

College football is a great sport and one of the reasons is because you never know how things are going to turn out. That's mostly because there is so much based on emotions and they vary from week to week. Ole Miss layed an egg against Tennessee last week and they fight LSU in Baton Rouge to the wire. Mississippi State got demolished last week at Alabama and they played a very hot Arkansas team to 2 overtimes. Who knows what will happen, I don't. That MSU was a very entertaining game and even though State lost I'm not to broken up about it. The combined record of the 4 teams State has lost to is 39-5.

I went 6-0 on my SEC picks and 1-2 on the national ones. I'm 71-16 this year in the SEC and 36-26 on the others. Here's my power rankings:

1. Auburn, 11-0 (7-0) - Next week's game has Auburn heading into Tuscaloosa in the same position Alabama came into Auburn last year...Heisman candidate and everything.

2. LSU, 10-1 (6-1) - They survived again. Next week at Arkansas could be for the right to play in a BCS bowl.

3. Alabama, 9-2 (5-2) - The Iron Bowl is going to be huge. Trent Richardson will have had 3 weeks to rest and they should be at full strength.

4. Arkansas, 9-2 (5-2) - If Knile Davis had been a part of this offense at the beginning of the season like he is now, would the Hogs be 11-0 or 10-1?

5. South Carolina, 8-3 (5-3) - Impressive spanking of Troy. The key next week is beating rival Clemson without anyone getting hurt.

6. Mississippi State, 7-4 (3-4) - I thought State played a great game vs. Arkansas it just didn't end with a W. Got to regroup for a pivitol game at Ole Miss with bowl positioning, recruiting implications, and bragging rights on the line.

7. Florida, 7-4 (4-4) - I thought there was a chance they could struggle with App. State but they didn't. I might be pulling against them next week at Florida State becuase it will have an effect of MSU's bowl position.

8. Georgia, 5-6 (3-5) - This hasn't been a good year for UGA but a win vs. GA Tech next week would go a long way towards healing the wounds. A loss and the entire fanbase is going to jump off a cliff.

9. Kentucky, 6-5 (2-5) - The Wildcats had this week off to prepare for Tennessee. This has got to be the year they break the 25-game losing streak.

10. Tennessee, 5-6 (2-5) - Tyler Brey has lead them from the abyess to the brink of bowl eligibility. Huge game next week vs. Kentucky.

11. Ole Miss, 4-7 (1-6) - This year has not gone well for the Rebs but they still almost beat LSU...it's amazing how they can play them so well but State cannot beat them.

12. Vanderbilt, 2-9 (1-7) - I read a few articles last week that questioned Vandy's commitment to the football program. I believe they don't have much of it and if that's the case then they might as well keep Robbie Caldwell...but if they are going to let him go then they need to show more of an effort to support football from a University standpoint.

My Top 5:

1. Auburn, 11-0
2. Oregon, 10-0/Boise State, 10-0
4. TCU, 11-0
5. LSU, 10-1

I was throughly impressed by Boise State beating Fresno State 51-0. Beating a team like Fresno that bad tells me you are a good team...and holding them to no points is amazing. So to prevent myself from being prisoner of the moment I looked at their schedules and the final scores to see who I though should be ranked higher, Oregon or Boise. Oregon's best win was at home vs. Stanford (10-1, would be my #6 team) - very impressive win. Boise's best win is the virtual road game vs. Virginia Tech (9-2, ranked #13 in the AP) - slightly impressive? The rest of both their schedules is pretty unimpressive. Oregon has played better teams, scoring over 50 points on almost all of them and giving up 20-30 points. Boise State has played lesser competition and scored over 50 points on almost all of them and giving up 0-15 points. So it looks like they are pretty even except for the win over Stanford is better then VA Tech, but Boise did beat Oregon in '08 and '09 so I'm just going to have to call it a dead heat for #2 in my book.

JB

Thoughts on the NFL II

I am probably more interested in the NFL right now than I have been in four or five years. And that is surprising because Mississippi State is 7-4. I'm still not interested enough to watch games around the league but I've got greater anticipation when the Falcons are about to play. The birds are enjoying quite a start to the season at 7-2 and maybe people around the country are starting to take notice. If Matt Ryan and Roddy White (MVP candidate) can stay healthy I think they can get home field advantage throughout...their remaining schedule is pretty weak.

The last time I gave some thoughts on the NFL (after week 4) I said I thought the Steelers were the favorite to win the Superbowl. They are still in contention at 6-3 but I don't know if they are the favorite anymore. Really, I don't think anyone is the favorite like it was last year with the Saints and Colts. I would say there is nine teams in contention for the Superbowl right now: Jets, Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, Colts, Saints, Falcons, Giants, and Eagles.

To me there is no doubt the most dangerous team in the NFL is the Eagles. Who knows what Micheal Vick could do you? That is what I loved about Vick when he played for the Falcons from '02-'04. He was like Cam Newton is for Auburn right now, but you could replace Newton's physicality with Vick's pure speed. But 3rd and short or even 3rd and long he could break a run that turned the game around. It's too bad he wasn't focused because just as he was becoming a better player his attitude changed and he became a thug in '05 and '06 and his game and the Falcons record dropped off. But right now he is the player we all knew he could be if he put his mind to it. I'm glad the Falcons have Matt Ryan though, no ill feelings towards Vick...but if he beats Atlanta in the playoffs I will not be happy about it.

JB

College Football - Week 12

There seems to be a huge sentiment among the 'experts' in college football that Auburn will lose to Alabama next week and Boise State will play Oregon in the BCS Title Game. I'm glad people are opening up to the possibility of Boise playing for the title but I think this has more to do with people preparing for Auburn's demise. With all the speculation around Cam Newton there is no doubt that most people think he is guilty of the allegations. While people are saying the right thing, innocent until proven guilty, they know deep down which way they are leaning. So, I think a lot of people will be rooting for Alabama in the Iron Bowl because they don't want to see a possible tainted Champion. As far as the possibility of Auburn losing but still making it, I don't think so. Because of what I just said, if Auburn loses to Bama they are going to drop faster than a led zeppelin and probably land 6th or 7th in the polls...too far down to make it back.

I'm 1-0 already this week, Bama beat Georgia State. I also can't lose with Georgia, Auburn, and Kentucky because they are finally taking their bye week.

One would think South Carolina will get to enjoy Senior Day with an easy victory over Troy but I'm not sure it will be a route. Troy only lost at Oklahoma State, who is now #10 in the BCS, by 3 points in week 2. Still, South Carolina wins this game. The way Florida played last week who knows what could happen against Appalachian State but I think they'll find a way to get it done.

Tennessee should be able to take one more step towards bowl-eligibility this week at Vanderbilt. UT's always had Vandy's number and mostly because they are better, this year is no different even with the Vol's struggles. Tyler Brey looks like the real deal and I look for them to cover the nine point spread easily.

Ole Miss is going to Baton Rouge to have revenge taken out on them for the last two years. I don't give them a shot against what has turned out to be a good LSU team. Normally, this game is pretty close, but Ole Miss looks like they have quit, LSU is motivated from the last two years and I think this kick in the teeth will be just what the doctor ordered for a State fan like myself.

CBS may be playing the 'Magnolia Bowl' but the real game of the week is Arkansas at Mississippi State. That is just stating facts because both teams are ranked. Somehow this game gets pushed to the back-burner every year. Finally the SEC has a TV contract so it has to be televised. Arkansas is favored by three points and I think that is a fair spread. Knile Davis has emerged as a stud in the Hogs backfield and State will need to stop him to make them one-dimensional. Corey Broomfield played horrible at Bama and was a contributing factor is all three of their long touchdown runs...hopefully he will show up. I'm not so sure about this game, and for the first time this year I am going to pick against MSU. It will be a close game, but I'm not sure State has enough to defend Arkansas' weapons; Arkansas' offense may be better than Auburn's right now.

Virginia Tech over Miami, Iowa over Ohio State, Nebraska over Texas A&M.

JB

Basketball Schools vs. Football Schools

There are a bunch of college sports out there. Some schools have more than others, but most major colleges have a baseball, basketball, and football team. Outside of the south and maybe the west, baseball isn't a big sport. It's all about basketball and football. There are basketball schools and there are football schools.

While I was at Mississippi State the football team was horrible, they never won more than three games in a season the entire time I was there. But while I was in Starkville the basketball team made three NCAA tournament appearances, went to the NIT final four, and won the SEC in 2004...arguably State's best team ever. Perennially, State was at the top of the SEC West in basketball, and at the bottom of the West in football. So I thought, is Mississippi State a basketball school?

When you say basketball school the names that pop into your head are Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Kansas. At all of those schools winning in basketball outweighs winning in football. In 2006 Florida won the national championship in both sports. They were excited about the basketball championship but it was no where near the level of winning it all in football.

If you had asked me, while I was at State, if I would trade an NCAA tournament appearance for a bowl game I would have said yes. In fact, if we could've gone to a New Year's Day game I would've traded our 25-2 SEC Championship season. I would rather State win the SEC in football than go to the Final Four in basketball. The only thing that could outweigh a SEC title in football would be a national championship in basketball. The fact is, I care more about football than basketball and I'd rather us be better in football...and I think most MSU fans feel that way.

So the bottom line in differentiating whether a school is a basketball or football school isn't necessarily what they are good at, but which sport would the fans rather be good in. If Mississippi State tanked in football for the next 15 years and the basketball team went to a couple final fours, maybe a championship...then that sustained winning and football losing might sway the tide, but for now State is a football school...just like almost every other school in the country.

JB

I'm picking Alabama to beat Georgia State tonight.

Coolest Album Covers

Jack Johnson - "In Between Dreams"




The Beatles - "Abbey Road"




















Jimmy Buffett - "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"

















Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young - "Deja Vu"














The Allman Brothers Band - "Eat a Peach"







Eric Clapton - "Slowhand"














Pearl Jam - "Ten"



















Pink Floyd - "Dark Side of the Moon"







Van Halen - "Van Halen II"













Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Californication"











Creed - "Human Clay"

Week Eleven

I thought Auburn looked frustrated and really lacked focus in the first quarter against Georgia. They had a couple unsportsmanlike penalties, two dropped balls, and Cam Newton gave a brat-like stiff arm to a defender. But after that he and the rest of the team really settled down and ended up looking like the Auburn team that we've seen all year. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next two weeks before the Iron Bowl with all the Newton allegations, hopefully it will die down though...I need to get some work done.

A least a few of Mississippi State's players were obviously not over the loss of Nick Bell. There wasn't the same focus and determination we've seen all year, and State got creamed. If it wasn't for the mercy of Nick Saban the score would've completely been out of hand. That is something I will commend Saban for, there has been several opportunities this year to put up a huge number but he's backed off for the sake of being a good sport.

Congratulations to South Carolina. It's really been a banner year for that school. I'm pretty sure they had only won a national championship in track before 2010, and then this spring they won the baseball national championship. Now, they've won the SEC East, something they had never even come close to doing. I thought this would be their year, and it was.

I was 4-1 on my SEC picks and 1-2 nationally. So that's 65-16 SEC and 35-24 around the country for the year. Power Poll:

1. Auburn, 11-0 (7-0) - We'll just see if Cam Newton is still eligible for the Iron Bowl...and likewise if Auburn is eligible for the SEC Championship Game and BCS Title Game. But if they are they've got a great chance to win all three.

2. LSU, 9-1 (5-1) - Nice win over ULM, they finally didn't struggle with a lesser team. 'Magnolia Bowl' next week.

3. Alabama, 8-2 (5-2) - I was impressed by their ability to come out firing vs. MSU. They are still a great team and after a scrimmage vs. Georgia State they will be quite a test for Auburn.

4. Arkansas, 8-2 (4-2) - The Hogs have made their way back up to #4, and they've quietly won four in a row. Next week at Mississippi State could be a battle for the Cotton Bowl.

5. South Carolina, 7-3 (5-3) - The SEC schedule is over and the Gamecocks are East Champs! I'm glad they came through for me. Now we'll see if they can finish strong vs. Troy and Clemson.

6. Mississippi State, 7-3 (3-3) - I have been forced to drop my beloved dawgs. I almost don't even count that game with respect to evaluating the season as a whole due to the off the field distractions. They need to rebound this week to get ready for a really good Arkansas team.

7. Florida, 6-4 (4-4) - Their SEC schedule is also over and they have a horrible record for their standards. The offense reached new lows...in week 11! I think it's safe to say they miss Mullen and Tebow. And I think they should fire Addazio, because when you have that much talent you've got to be able to find a way to move the ball.

8. Georgia, 5-6 (3-5) - Another East team whose SEC schedule is over. Now it's crunch time and they've got two weeks to prepare for 'clean old fashioned hate' with Georgia Tech. They really need a bowl game to work on the defensive strategy.

9. Kentucky, 6-5 (2-5) - 2010 will make 5 straight bowl games for the Cats. That is quite an impressive streak for a program with their history. Joker Philips has continued Rich Brooks legacy, now we'll see if he can get over the hump in the coming years. He's got two weeks to prepare his team for the first hump which is finally beating Tennessee...and this is the year to do it.

10. Tennessee, 4-6 (1-5) - Finally got an SEC win, and did it in very convincing fashion. Tyler Brey looks like he could be a star in this league. Plus it gets easier next week at Vanderbilt.

11. Ole Miss, 4-6 (1-5) - I don't know if Jeramiah Masoli was suffering ill-effects from his concussion or not but he looked awful Saturday. Getting beat 52-14 by a 3-6 team has to be the low point of Houston Nutt's career...on the field. They've got to win out at LSU and vs. Mississippi State to make a bowl, don't think it's gonna happen.

12. Vanderbilt, 2-8 (1-6) - I watched every snap of the game at Kentucky and I really think they played well. I'm going to take back what I said about Robbie Caldwell last week, I didn't realize just how many injuries they've suffered. Vandy played really well for 3+ quarters on Saturday, just came up short. Having said that, I won't blame them if they have a coaching change.

My Top 5:

1. Auburn, 11-0
2. Oregon, 10-0
3. Boise State, 9-0
4. TCU, 11-0
5. LSU, 9-1

I was a little suspisious going into the week with Oregon going into Cal with them being undefeated at home this year, but I never had any clue they'd lock into a defensive struggle. TCU and Oregon both looked vunerable, so that means everyone in the Top 4 has played a close game they had to pull out this year. With Utah going down and VA Tech continuing to rise, Boise State is positioning themselves to be in the BCS Title Game should Auburn or Oregon go down. Auburn plays at Alabama, and Oregon plays Arizona and at Oregon State. Those are some pretty tough games for the top teams, should be an exciting finish.

With the NY Giants horrible loss at home to the Cowboys the Falcons officially have the best record in the NFC. I'm not going to say they are the best team because the Saints are the Superbowl Champs, and they are still good. So even though the Falcons beat them in New Orleans, I'll wait for the game in Atlanta before I pass that judgement. But the Falcons are for real, and their schedule down the stretch is pretty light so watch out home-field advantage in the NFC, the Falcons are coming. P.S. Matt Ryan is 18-1 at home in his career.

JB

The Best Movies

Here's my list for my favorite movies of all-time.

1. Back to the Future

2. Top Gun

3. Home Alone

4. Braveheart

5. Saving Private Ryan

6. The Outlaw Josey Wales

7. Dumb and Dumber

8. Forrest Gump

9. Dazed and Confused

10. Rookie of the Year


JB

College Football - Week 11

Cam Newton was the story in the offseason, then he was the story on the field in October, now he's the story off the field in November. I was a little surprised by the lack of coverage it received nationally last weekend, but I think it was handled just right because as I said he is innocent until proven guilty. It will be interesting to see where the new allegations that Cecil Newton told Mississippi State it would take more than a scholarship will go. As well as Cam Newton telling State that the money was too much to pass up at Auburn. And then there's the 'I don't know how credible he is' Kenny Rogers giving a first hand account that Cecil Newton told him it would take $100-180k to secure Cam's services. As far as the academic cheating at Florida, I really don't think that has anything to do with the story about him possibly getting paid to sign. Auburn fans have given us all great examples on how to over-react and get defensive and how to misinterpret a story, but let's just put it all on the back-burner, it's crunch time in football.

Kentucky's got a shot to get bowl-eligible at home vs. Vanderbilt. They've got to do it, and I think they will. Vandy has done nothing lately other than get blown away, I don't see why it should be any different here. The Cats run all over them. Arkansas is playing UTEP and LSU is playing Lousiana-Monroe...so I am picking the SEC in those games. None of these games interest me very much but the remaining four SEC games have plenty of interest.

The day is getting started with Ole Miss at Tennessee. This game is extremely important for both teams, and UT has no margin for error if they want to go to a bowl game this year. This is what makes this game exciting...they are in the bottom 3 of the SEC but there's no doubt both teams are going to scratch and claw for a victory. Where was I but Ole Miss has the second bast rushing attack in the SEC (only 136 years/game behind Auburn). Tennessee's rushing defense is rubbing elbows with the worst teams in the SEC (Ole Miss being one of them). And that goes for almost every other category you can think of as well, these two teams are floundering at the bottom of the SEC, and that's why they aren't winning. But Tennessee's got two things going for them: they are at home and they've found a new QB, Tyler Brey. Tennessee's got to have this one, and they haven't given up which is important. Ole Miss has been sloppy and inconsistent all year. I'm going with the Vols by a field goal in this game.

Next up, Georgia at Auburn. The stakes are really great for both teams, but at the same time they both have margin for error. With Georgia, they want to get bowl-eligible...they can lose this game but if they do they've got to beat Georgia Tech in two weeks at home. For Auburn, they want to clinch the SEC Western Division Championship...they can lose as well but if they do they've got to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa in two weeks (provided Bama doesn't lose to MSU and LSU doesn't lose to Ole Miss or Arkansas). Obviously Auburn is better in almost every phase of the game statistically having doubled Georgia's win output at this point in the season. It will be interesting to see how Mark Richt plays it, is he going to try and outscore Auburn with his talented offense, or is he going to try and grind it out running the ball and milking the clock in a game of keep away. Could the Cam Newton situation be a distraction - I'm not sure but I don't think it will be, mostly because I think Gus Malzahn relies more on running his plays than counteracting the defense. The games between these two are always close, and a lot of times there is an upset, but I think Auburn has too much on the line and they come out firing. Auburn wins 45-28.

Mississippi State at Alabama. Both teams have the same record. Again, Mississippi State has the same record as Alabama on the second Saturday in November. While Alabama is stretching out their legs and wiping their eyes from that defeat at LSU I'm not sure they are aware of what kind of team in coming to town tomorrow. Alabama players probably don't remember when State was good, but even with that said Bama's streak over MSU is only 2...and they've only won 2 of the last 4 games. Putting all that aside, this game is always pretty close. It wasn't last year with Bama winning 31-3, but two years ago State lead then #1 Alabama 7-5 with a couple minutes to go before the half...then it got out of hand. State won in '07 and '06 in Tuscaloosa. In '05 an undefeated Alabama team came to Starkville and struggled to put points on the board before pulling away in the 4th quarter and winning 17-0. But none of that has anything to do with this year's game. This year's game will be about two teams from opposite ends of the spectrum in the preseason, one who has overachieved and one who has underachieved.
-Who has the advantage when State has the ball?
Alabama is holding teams to 70 less yards then State is averaging per game.
Alabama's weakness is their secondary, State is averaging 107 yards passing a game, 11th in the SEC..nowhere near 10th place.
Alabama is tied for 9th with 1.6 sacks a game, State is first in sacks allowed at .8 a game.
Alabama is leading the SEC in interceptions, State only INT in the last 7 games has been an unimportant one vs. Alcorn State.
Bama is allowing 16.2 points per game, State is scoring 15.8.
-Who has the advantage when Alabama has the ball?
Mississippi State is giving up 6 less yards than Bama is averaging per game.
Both Alabama's passing offense and State's passing defense is ranked 5th in the SEC.
State is 7th with 2.2 sacks a game, Bama is 11th in sacks allowed at 3.4 a game.
Bama has turned the ball over the least of any SEC team, but State is near the top in turnovers gained.
State is allowing 16.4 points per game, Bama is scoring 28.
What does all this mean?
Despite State's ability to run, it will be much tougher in this game, however, Chris Relf or Tyler Russell should have plenty of time to throw the ball. State hasn't thrown for many yards, but they haven't really had to...they also haven't been throwing interceptions. State should be able to move the ball enough to get to their 15-16 point average. Alabama should be able to run and throw the ball just as well as they have all year. The key for State's defense is pressuring Greg McElroy, getting sacks and forcing him into bad throws which he tends to do. If State can bring pressure with the blitz and force a couple INTs they've got a shot to win this game. At the beginning of the season never in a million years would I have picked State to win this game. I was close to feeling this way about the Florida game too, but I picked State. Something about this team, their grit and determination is special. Not to mention they have the motivation to play for Nick Bell. After two weeks of preparation I think Mullen will come out with a good game plan and the players will be ready to execute. It's a big stadium but State has already played at Death Valley and the Swamp so they are used to it. Alabama played a hard fought game at LSU last week. Mississippi State 17 Alabama 16. Go Dawgs!

Who would've thought that the SEC East would come down to South Carolina at Florida? Well, I did. That said I had South Carolina winning this game to advance to the SEC Championship Game, and I'm not going to change my pick. I've stuck with the Gamecocks all year long and even after that poor poor performance vs. Arkansas last week I still think they will muster enough to get the job done. It's never happened for them, but this has got to be the year and I think it will be.

Baylor over Texas A&M, UNC over VA Tech, and Florida State over Clemson.

JB

2010-11 SEC Basketball Predictions

I don't do much research for college basketball, but I would be remiss if I didn't make some predictions on the blog.

EAST

1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. Vanderbilt
4. Tennessee
5. Georgia
6. South Carolina

WEST

1. Mississippi State
2. Alabama
3. Ole Miss
4. Arkansas
5. LSU
6. Auburn

SEC Champion: Florida

SEC Tournament Champion: Mississippi State

NCAA Tournament teams:
1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. Mississippi State
4. Vanderbilt
5. Tennessee

NIT:
Georgia
Alabama
Ole Miss

JB

Should We Call it the SEC or Cam Newton Saga?

I would be remiss if I didn't give my take on the Cam Newton/Cecil Newton/Auburn/Mississippi State/Florida/Meyer/Mullen/Bond/SEC/everyone scandal that is gripping the southern college football world. Let's briefly go through this.

ESPN.com presents a story in which John Bond claims to have been contacted by a former teammate who was seeking to collect money for Cam Newton's signature on a letter of intent : basically that is just a story that may or may not have anything to do with Cam Newton, Auburn, or Mississippi State. Let the NCAA investigate and find an answer to the insinuation that Newton is being paid.

FoxSports.com reported that Cam Newton was caught cheating three times while at Florida and was on the verge of expulsion before he transferred to Blinn Junior College: this has nothing to do with anything other than trying to smear Cam Newton's reputation. The guy who wrote this story also wrote an article urging Heisman voters not to vote for Cam Newton because of these accusations.

ESPN.com reported last night that Mississippi State recruiters spoke to Cecil Newton and Cam Newton on separate occasions. Cecil allegedly said it would take more than a scholarship to get him to play at State. Cam allegedly said he wanted to come to State but it was too much money to pass up not to go to Auburn. This is big news, and as far as I'm concerned, it's the only story.

This rounds up everyone, throws them into a pit, a bell has rung, and it's an ugly fight. The referee is Mike Slive, but he's MIA, and so no one can stop this massive spilling of blood. He could stop all this with a public announcement but he seems to be lost on the golf course. Something stinks real bad, and it's coming from Birmingham, Alabama, in the direction of Slive's office.

A little background: Slive became commissioner of the SEC in 2002 and made it his #1 goal to get all SEC members off probation. Part of this initiative was to enact a Philip Fulmer rule by which coaches must follow a chain of command in reporting possible violations rather than reporting directly to the NCAA. So the coach tells the A.D. who reports it to the SEC office. If the SEC office deems it serious enough, it reports it to the NCAA.

There is reason to believe Mississippi State has taped recordings of what Cecil and Cam Newton said to the recruiters. The reason is why would you tell the media about these conversations unless they actually took place? Mississippi State brought all this to the attention of the SEC, and I would think they gave the tapes to the SEC as well.

So if the SEC was in possession of tapes with these conversations that would have thrown up red flags that you could see from China then why didn't Mike Slive say anything about it? If he presented them to Auburn, why in their right mind would Auburn have played him one snap this year without clearing his eligibility with the NCAA first? Unless Jay Jacobs is writing checks with the Auburn athletic department checkbook then my only conclusion has to be that Slive withheld the tapes from Auburn and tried to cover it up. Sweep it under the rug and keep his dream of no teams on probation alive.

Did Dan Mullen alert the media of this story? I don't know, but if what I've said in the previous two paragraphs is true then he certainly had reason to nudge some people in that direction. Perhaps after handing over all the information to the SEC and them doing nothing about it, getting beat by Newton and Auburn, and then watching Auburn ascend to the top of college football being undefeated and Cam Newton as the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy he felt justice had to be done. What Urban Meyer has to do with the whole thing I don't know.

I hope Cam Newton is innocent of all wrong-doing and that Auburn goes on to win the SEC and National Championship. But, I have a feeling that where there's smoke there's fire and Auburn may be in trouble. But what I really want to know is did Mike Slive withhold information from Auburn and the NCAA regarding what Mississippi State submitted to the SEC. I think that is a bigger scandal in all this than if Cam Newton accepted money. First I want to know that, then let's find out whether or not the Newton's did actually get money, how did Cecil Newton's church pay for those repairs, etc. My head's spinning, it's been one crazy ride. Hopefully, it will be sorted out in the next week or two.

JB

2010 Election

The 2010 election was all about the American people saying to Washington, 'get us out of this mess, and stick to the economy'.

After the democrats took complete control of the House, Senate, and Presidency in 2008 they used it as a mandate to reform America based on a liberal agenda. The problem was, that wasn't what America wanted. They wanted new people in charge that would be a change from the morons running Washington in the years prior, and so American gave the democrats a shot.

In the depths of a recession the democrats tried to pass all of their liberal legislation and it didn't work. The American people do not want any of that, they want the economy fixed. The time for health care isn't when millions of people are out of work.

So last week's election was all about finding a way to throw the politicians out who aren't dedicated to fixing the economy. President Obama has a real chance to work with congress to make steps in the right direction. All of the liberal law-making must be cast aside, it wasn't the time after '08 and it still isn't the time. America has spoken that we just want the economy fixed...focus on that.

Hopefully the next two years won't be a stalemate between congress and the president. If both parties are willing to find some actual solutions to our problems we can can move forward. That is what America wants.

JB

Week Ten

Les Miles is unbelievable. Just when you think he's called too many trick plays, or that he can't possibly convert another fake punt, he does it and it works. In fact, beyond all logic and understanding he has LSU sitting at 8-1 and with three games to go they've got an outside shot at the National Title Game. I am shocked to be honest.

I will make the assumption that South Carolina didn't play with much effort vs. Arkansas knowing they had already earned a SEC Championship play-in next week at Florida. I hope for them that was the case because that was a beat down. Arkansas did finally find a running game and they will be a force down the stretch, luckily for Auburn they have already beaten the Hogs. I thought before the year that USC would lose this game because of the look-ahead, but yet I changed my pick on Friday. Maybe I should just stick with my preseason picks.

The SEC West is the best thing going in college football right now. You are looking at 5 teams ranked the Top 17 of the AP poll...that is amazing, way better than the 2008 Big 12 South. And so for Auburn to have the chance to clinch the division with one game remaining I think that should mean they are #1. There really is no debate. It doesn't really matter, but they should be #1. Thanks to all the horrible competition some of the teams played I made it to a 6-2 record in the SEC this week, losing the only two games that were really in doubt. So that's 61-15 this year. I went 2-0 nationally, makes it 34-22 for the year. Here are my power rankings.

1. Auburn, 10-0 (6-0) - They get better every week. Next week vs. Georgia is a chance to lock up the West.

2. LSU, 8-1 (5-1) - As much as I tried to hold them back they have acended to the top.

3. Alabama, 7-2 (4-2) - Now that pretty much all of their goals have been dashed, how will they respond? I know they will be ready for the Iron Bowl, but how about next week against a Mississippi State team with the same record.

4. Mississippi State, 7-2 (3-2) - That's right, the same record as mighty Alabama. Now the fight for #3 in Tuscaloosa next week.

5. Arkansas, 7-2 (4-2) - I'm to #5 and no SEC East teams yet, just goes to show you how good the West is this year. They looked like a complete team at South Carolina. UTEP next week, then two big games at MSU and vs. LSU to end the season.

6. South Carolina, 6-3 (4-3) - If the Gamecocks were ever going to win the East this is going to have to be the year. I'm not sure a 3 loss team will ever again be able to play their way into the Championship Game.

7. Florida, 6-3 (4-3) - They've beaten Georgia and creamed Vandy, I'm not sure if they are back but despite all the bad play they have had just enough to make it a huge game next week vs. South Carolina.

8. Georgia, 5-5 (3-4) - It's going to be a close call in terms of bowl eligibility this year for the Dawgs. I don't know if they can do it, they have a huge hill to climb next week at Auburn.

9. Kentucky, 5-5 (1-5) - They did it again, 4 non-conference wins. Now a win next week vs. Vandy and they're bowl eligible again.

10. Ole Miss, 4-5 (1-4) - Not a very impressive showing vs. ULALA, but they got the win and now need 2 out of 3 down the stretch. Next week at Tennessee is huge for them.

10. Tennessee, 3-6 (0-5) - Nice win at Memphis, I'm sure it was nice to get that losing monkey off their back. But there's another monkey on the other shoulder that stands for they are still the only SEC team without a conference win. Great chance at home vs. Ole Miss to get one next week...battle for #10.

12. Vanderbilt, 2-7 (1-5) - It's getting pretty bad to watch. What I thought was a hard-fighting team in September has turned into an awful team. I'm afraid Robbie Caldwell's future is very much in doubt.

My Top 5:

1. Auburn, 10-0
2. Oregon, 9-0
3. Boise State, 8-0
4. TCU, 10-0
5. LSU, 8-1/Stanford, 8-1

There is just a thin sheet of paper seperating TCU and Boise and last year's Fiesta Bowl is written on it. TCU's performance at Utah was quite impressive. But by the same token Boise State's performace vs. Hawaii was pretty impressive too. I'm staring at that Top 5 and wondering about a 4-team playoff. And then I'm looking at LSU and Stanford who have won all their games except LSU lost at #1 Auburn and Stanford lost at #2 Oregon. So part of me wonders if they would be #1 and #2 if they had played those games at home, and perhaps they could be included in a 6 or 8 team playoff that would be quite exciting. But, of course, there are still 3 weeks of regular season football remaining and a lot is still to be determined. But I like that Top 5/6, those are some solid teams.

Even after a close loss last night the Hawks are 6-1, the best record in the Eastern Conference. Good start for my team.

Last night I had a chicken sandwich that was very good. I covered the chicken in homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce (honey mustard & BBQ sauce) and then put sliced avacados over it, and a little mayo on a kaiser roll. Very good.

JB

Cam Newton

Cam Newton is a really great football player, and by all accounts he is a pretty good kid. I'm not sure about his father though. With all of the allegations going around about Kenny Rogers contacting John Bond to say it would take $180,000 to secure Newton's services, it will have to be determined to whether Auburn paid him or not. One thing to remember though is that in America we are all innocent until proven guilty.

There are several things that point to the likelihood that Cecil Newton did accept money. The fact that he actually made the decision to go to Auburn over Mississippi State for Cam Newton demonstrates the possibility that he was pulling strings without Cam even knowing about it. By the same token the agent who was asking for money could have been acting on behalf of himself and had nothing to do with the Newtons, and if that's the case this has been blown way out of proportion.

If you ask any college football fan who is the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy their answer would have to be Cam Newton. It's really not even close right now. When the NCAA is involved, who knows how long this investigation will last. There isn't much doubt in my mind that it will go past the Heisman Trophy award ceremony so there is a great chance it will be unresolved and a lingering issue. It would be a travesty if he was not awarded the trophy because of this, if indeed he has not been found guilty of anything by then.

When College Gameday comes on this morning, if they begin talking about other possible candidates then I will know this travesty has already begun. After weeks of proclaiming Cam Newton as the best player in college football there is no reason to say he is no longer the best because there are some allegations against him.

It is important to maintain the idea of innocent until proven guilty. Should the investigation not end until after the award ceremony, then he should be awarded the trophy and it can be taken away afterward if he is found guilty of accepting money. It would also be even worse if Auburn began dropping in the polls because of this. If it's true then they deserve what is coming to them, but we must hold judgment until after a verdict is reached.

JB

College Football - Week 10

Five SEC teams are playing non-conference games tomorrow. Three of them are playing Division I-AA schools. So Auburn, Georgia, and Kentucky should all roll. For Auburn, you got to figure Cam Newton needs a little rest. If he gets more than 25 yards on the ground in this game it will be by mistake because there is no way they call any running plays. And if he plays one down in the second half I would be surprised, this will just be a glorified scrimmage to prepare for Georgia. Speaking of which Georgia really needed this easy win to put them in a position of have a chance at a bowl. This game will put them at 5-5 with games at Auburn and vs. Georgia Tech remaining. Kentucky also needs this win because they are looking to go to a bowl, which I think they will ultimately get. Their six most winnable games were the first three and the last three of the season.

Mississippi State has the week off. That is a good thing with the passing of Nick Bell. It is unfortunate what happened, hopefully they will be able to honor him next week.

Ole Miss is hosting Louisiana-Lafayette in what should be an easy win but who knows with them. Ole Miss absolutely has to have this game and I think they will come out strong and win this one pretty easy. Tennessee is going to Memphis and they better win this one. I will hand it to Derek Dooley because his guys keep fighting even though they keep losing. They are just a bad SEC team, but still that is enough to beat a bad C-USA team, even on the road.

Arkansas at South Carolina is a pretty big game. If South Carolina wins they can eliminate Georgia completely from SEC East contention with regards to any possible three way ties and assure that next week's game at Florida will be for the East crown. For Arkansas, they have a legitimate shot at a 10-win season with a run down the stretch. Greg Childs is out for the year, which will help out some for South Carolina's 11th ranked pass defense (in the SEC). But by the same token South Carolina's rush defense is 3rd in the SEC and the Hogs are 9th in rushing offense. Arkansas' rush defense is dead last in the SEC, and we all know what Marcus Lattimore can do. South Carolin's passing game vs. Arkansas' pass defense is strength vs. strength so maybe those cancel each other out. I picked Arkansas to win this game before the season because I thought South Carolina would be 7-1 and looking ahead to next week at Florida. As it is, the Gamecocks are not so highly ranked with a 6-2 record and Florida isn't their usual selves so I think USC will be able to focus on this game at home. This isn't a must win for South Carolina, which is surprising since it would be their 3rd loss, however, it's at home where they play well and I think they will come out and pound the ball and their defense will make Ryan Mallett remain one dimensional and he will throw a couple picks in the process. South Carolina 34 Arkansas 28

No doubt that Florida at Vanderbilt will be a snooze fest. Who wants to see these mediocre offenses and lackluster defenses go after each other. Vandy has done a good job getting out in front the last couple games but they haven't done much after the 2nd quarter. I don't expect much different here. Florida gets it done and sets up the showdown in the Swamp next week.

Two top 10 SEC teams going after it in Death Valley, what could be better? Not sure, so I'll be tuned in to watch what should be a really hard-hitting LSU/Alabama game. LSU could be dumber after listening to Les Miles for two weeks, or they could actually come out with some decent play...who knows. The one thing LSU can do right now is run the ball, they are 3rd in the SEC, the problem here is that is what Bama does best. I don't expect LSU to be able to do anything at all on offense. LSU's secondary is so good I'm not sure Julio Jones and co. will be able to get anything going in the air either, especially with Drake Nevis passing through Bama's underachieving O-line to pressure McElroy. So that leaves it up to the run game for Alabama which is very good. I expect both teams to play it very close to the vest and the score to be really low...but an exciting game. In looking for an edge on special teams I don't see one for LSU with Alabama having the best kickoff coverage in the SEC, but I do think they hold an advantage with their great kicker. In the end I think Alabama will pull it out, mostly because giving Nick Saban two weeks to prepare is a disaster for the other team...otherwise I might pick LSU. Bama wins 10-6.

After looking at the schedule of national games, I don't even have the energy to look around to see who I want to pick, so I'll go with the two biggest games. The national scope of college football just doesn't interest me beyond rooting for teams to lose so they will pave way for SEC teams. In the NFL I only watch the Falcons. MLB I only watch the Braves. NBA, the Hawks. Maybe I'm not that big of a fan of the sports themselves as much as I am a fan of my favorite teams...and in college football I am a huge Mississippi State fan and a big SEC fan secondly.

I've watched about 20 minutes combined of TCU and Utah, so I don't really know much. As far as I'm concerned they are equal so I'll have to pick off of other possible factors. The game is in Utah, TCU has not won there in three tries. TCU has never won a BCS Bowl, Utah has won two. Utah is heading to the PAC 12, TCU realizes this could be their last shot at a national title for a while. The winner knows they will be at least #3 in the BCS. I'll go with TCU to win. I'll also pick Stanford over Arizona.

Why We Need a Playoff

Boise State's position is why we need a playoff. People don't want to give them a shot even if other teams have one loss because they believe Boise would not be able to survive that tough schedule either. But Boise is really good, and they deserve a shot at the title, so we need a playoff format that includes all worthy teams.

It's true, Boise State does not play the kind of schedule Oregon, Oklahoma, Auburn, etc. play, however, time and time against they are proving they can beat these teams on a neutral field. So who is better? How can people say, "do you honestly think Boise State is better than Alabama"? Well, let's see....Boise state beats every team they play so I don't know. I know that all the "experts" say you can look at the recruiting just to see the huge talent discrepancy between Boise and Alabama. But how come Mississippi State just knocked Florida off the ball the ENTIRE game and beat them in Gainesville? Coaching, execution, mental toughness. I agree, if Oregon or Auburn goes undefeated, they deserve to play in the national championship game because they had a tougher road, but in no way am I willing to say they are better than Boise State. That is why we need a playoff.

Just say there was a 4-team playoff with Oregon, Auburn, Boise State, and the winner of TCU/Utah. Wouldn't everyone be happy with that? Now if Boise could beat Oregon or Auburn in the semifinal we would know they deserve to be in the final. And we'd get both AQ and non-AQ teams involved to settle it on the field instead of the ridiculous argument based on nothing but pulling opinions out of the air.

JB

A Microcosm of America

The Boise State situation is a microcosm of America. What I mean by that is they represent the American dream. If you work hard enough for something, no matter where you came from, you can be a success and make it to the top.

In the United States we take pride in our freedoms and the ability to make our own living however we want because of those freedoms. We know that if we are willing to put in the work, the effort, and sacrifice we can make ourselves into a success regardless of where we started.

Well, Boise State started as a junior college and they've been able to work their way up to Division I-A football, but now they are they are being held down by the system and can't bust out. The college football elite won't let them join them at the royal tables, so they are stuck as an adult at the kids table.

If we really believe in the American dream, if we are going to say that anyone can make it to the top no matter who you are, then let's give Boise State a chance. Now if the senator's son with a Harvard degree asks for a job you give it to him, but if he screws up then fire him and give the hard worker with a state college degree a chance. Boise State is a great team, now let's give them a shot a glory on the gridiron.

JB

Boise State

Boise State has divided a lot of people in the college football world. On one hand, you've got the people who would like to see them play for a national title if they go undefeated; on the other, you've got the people who don't think they are good enough and their schedule is too weak. If the season plays out and Boise State is still undefeated I don't have a problem with them going to the BCS Title Game and I've got plenty of reasons why.

Boise State has only been a Division 1-A football program since 1996, so their rise to the elite of college football is quite historic. They are 142-41 since entering the 'FBS', and 104-11 since 2002! I don't care where you play, that record is impressive. With all that domination in the Big West and WAC they have proved they are passed that level of competition and ready to move up. But the problem is they can't get into the big conferences. Finally, this past year the Mountain West has opened a spot for them and they are making a small jump to a better conference, but still not in the BCS.

Chris Peterson is a great coach, I think everyone agrees with that. What he's able to do with regards to technique, motivation, recruiting the right athletes...everything he's done at Boise is incredible. His record in 4+ seasons is 56-4...that is quite an impressive start to a career, and 3 of those losses were in 2007 alone. His first season, 2006, put Boise St. on the map when they beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and ended the season 13-0. Now that game most likely caught Oklahoma off guard, and OU is a horrible bowl team, but it still happened and set up Boise State to be looked at more seriously in the future. After a down year in 2007 by going 10-3, they rebounded in 2008 to have another undefeated regular season only to lose to TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl.

If Oregon and Auburn end up undefeated then I don't think Boise should play for the national title because Oregon and Auburn have had to endure much more than Boise, and so they are more qualified. But if there is only one other undefeated team or Boise is the only undefeated team then I think they should get a shot at the title. One of the main reasons I think Boise State is a legit contender and deserves a spot in the title game is that this has been a two-year campaign. In 2009 they went undefeated, 14-0, beating PAC 10 Champs Oregon and also undefeated TCU in the Fiesta Bowl. Boise returned 21 of 22 starters from that team so everything the '09 team did should have some merit for the 2010 team because it is the same group of players.

The Broncos win big game after big game. If you discount the Oklahoma game in 2006 because of the big game losses in '07 it has still been a great run over the past 3 seasons where they have only lost 1 game. In '08 they beat Oregon in Eugene, in '09 they beat Oregon in Boise, then they won the Fiesta Bowl. Now this year they've beaten Virginia Tech and Oregon State. Say what you will about the VA Tech game, that the Hokies weren't what they are now at the beginning of the year as evidence the James Madison game. But they had all off-season to prepare for a Top 5 team, Boise St., and it was Boise's first game too. It was basically a home game for VA Tech, there was huge anticipation for the match-up, and it was the only game on--everyone was watching.

Boise State definitely plays no one. Their schedule is a who's who of patsies. And since that's the case they have to beat each team they play by 30-40 points in order for everyone to maintain their legitimate status. For the teams in BCS conferences, who play tough teams week in and week out, just winning the games on your schedule is enough to make your way to the top. I think crushing your competition by 30+ points is almost as difficult as just winning in a BCS conference. Boise State isn't just going undefeated, they are stomping through their schedule. They don't want to be in the WAC, but they are proving they are an elite team by crushing their competition just as a top BCS school would. And when they play a BCS school, they just need to win...as they already have so far this season.

A few weeks ago Boise State was my #1 team. Then last week I dropped them to #2. Now they are my #3 team. I'm not in favor of giving them a shot at the title over teams that have had a much tougher road, but if those teams in front or behind them lose, and they end with an impressive undefeated season in which they torched all their weak opponents, then I think they deserve a shot.

JB

P.S. Make sure to vote today, it's not as fun as football but it's more important.

Week Nine

After years and years of losing Mississippi State is 7-2. 7-2. It's hard to grasp that State has turned it around. I'll give 10% of the credit to Croom for changing the personnel of the team, and 10% to Greg Bryne for getting the athletic department out of the stone age, but 80% goes to the great job Dan Mullen has done. He has really changed the culture at State, and he's got the players and fans believing that we can be great.

One thing this weekend tought us is who is for real and who was just a pretender. Picking Missouri and Michigan State to lose may have been the easiest picks against undefeated teams this late in the season ever. I was 5-1 in the SEC this week and 4-2 nationally. I'm 55-13 this year on my SEC picks and 32-22 on the national ones. Here are my power rankings:

1. Auburn, 9-0 (6-0) - The keep passing ever test thrown their way. Now they've got a cupcake for homecoming and a chance to rest Newton's body before the UGA game.

2. Alabama, 7-1 (4-1) - They stay pat in the bye week. Big game next week at LSU.

3. LSU, 7-1 (4-1) - Next week vs. Alabama could be a chance to get to a BCS bowl, big time game.

4. Mississippi State, 7-2 (3-2) - What a great season for State. They've taken care of business each week and also beaten some teams they weren't supposed to. Bye week next.

5. South Carolina, 6-2 (4-2) - They've been able to avoid falling off the mountain after that Kentucky loss. Now we'll see if they can take the next step by winning at huge game vs. Arkansas next week.

6. Arkansas, 6-2 (3-2) - The Hogs make 6 bowl-eligible teams in the SEC including 5 in the West. Big November for them.

7. Florida, 5-3 (3-3) - I still don't know where this team is but they've somehow managed to put themselves in position to be in contention for the East going into November.

8. Georgia, 4-5 (3-4) - This may be the weakest #8 SEC team in years. They just can't beat Florida...I would feel bad for Georgia fans, but I don't.

9. Kentucky, 4-5 (1-5) - That SEC is horrible, but still their schedule really lightens up in November and they've got a legit shot at 7 wins.

10. Ole Miss, 3-5 (1-4) - Not much is going right in Oxford. I wouldn't be surprised if they struggle with U-LALA.

11. Tennessee, 2-6 (0-5) - The hard part is over, now it's time for the Vols annual November sprint up the win column. I'm not sure they can will ALL 4 games, but it's got to start next week at Memphis.

12. Vanderbilt, 2-6 (1-4) - I guess you could say Vandy has lived up to expectations.

My Top 5:

1. Auburn, 9-0
2. Oregon, 8-0
3. Boise State, 7-0
4. TCU, 9-0
5. Alabama, 7-1

I moved Oregon up to #2 because they proved they can beat a good team on the road. Them and Auburn stood out as teams that proved they are legit teams by stepping up and winning the 'roadblock' games with weekend.

JB