Football Future-see Week 11

RECORD:

Week 1 ....... 7-1

Week 2 ....... 4-1

Week 3 ....... 4-1

Week 4 ....... 2-3

Week 5 ....... 4-3

Week 6 ....... 2-3

Week 7 ....... 3-2

Week 8 ....... 4-1

Week 9 ....... 4-3

Week 10 ..... 3-2

Week 11 ..... 4-2

TOTAL ..... 41-22

14 Utah at Notre Dame______INCORRECT

Utah was embarrassed at home by TCU and Notre Dame just is not good. This really shouldn’t even be close, as the Utes are looking for revenge on someone and the Irish don’t even seem willing to get it together.

FINAL SCORE: Utah 31, Notre Dame 14

Georgia at 2 Auburn______CORRECT

Knowing the history of this series, I’m really tempted to call for the upset here. In 113 meetings, the aggregate score for both teams is Georgia 1778, Auburn 1722. That’s 56 points of separation in a series that has been played almost consistently since 1892. Auburn enters this game as the best team in the SEC. Georgia enters this game looking for any chance to salvage a lost season.

FINAL SCORE: Auburn 26, Georgia 23

23 South Carolina at 22 Florida______CORRECT

The Curse of the Chicken finally comes to an end. The dream of Spurrier has been to lead the Gamecocks to an SEC title game. A healthy does of Marcus Lattimore will get them there.

FINAL SCORE: South Carolina 24, Florida 21

19 Mississippi State at 12 Alabama______CORRECT

The Crimson Tide is angry, coming off a loss to LSU. Mississippi State is the highest ranked it has been in some time. Still, Alabama is a really tough home team.

FINAL SCORE: Alabama 31, Miss State 13

USC at 18 Arizona______INCORRECT

USC has absolutely nothing to play for, and it’s the same account next year. Arizona is still playing for a better bowl game. That’s incentive enough.

FINAL SCORE: Arizona 24, USC 21

10 Oklahoma State at Texas______CORRECT

Nebraska could really benefit from a Texas win in this game, but I just don’t see it. That said, teams named the “Cowboys” haven’t exactly played well in Texas this year. But all the joking aside, Texas is not a very good team this year, and OK State is playing better than I expected.

FINAL SCORE: Oklahoma State 35, Texas 17

F1: Wanton Stupidity or Wanton Disregard

Today's Formula 1 Grand Premio Do Brasil (Brazilian Grand Prix) will not necessarily be remembered for any particularly great racing. Nor will it be remembered for Vitantonio Liuzzi's "rather comprehensive" shunt that sheared off half of his Force India.

It will, however, be remembered for Red Bull Renault's stubborn refusal to implement, even secretly, team orders that would've put Mark Webber in front of Sebastian Vettel. As the points stand now, one week out for the final race of the season, Fernando Alonso holds an eight point lead over Webber and fifteen points on Vettel. Lewis Hamilton is a distant twenty-four points out. Had Red Bull ordered Vettel to relinquish the lead today at Interlagos and let Webber in front, the Aussie would've been a mere one point back from Alonso.

The main reason that this presents a problem for the Red Bulls: Alonso has, in essence, a fresh engine for Abu Dhabi.

So the debate became a simple two-point question. Which of these makes you more upset with Formula 1 at the moment:

1. Wanton disregard of the rules

or

2. Wanton Stupidity in spite of the rule

Let's look at both points individually.

***

Point one, wanton disregard of the rules.

At the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, Ferrari used some rather obvious codes to tell Felipe Massa to get out Fernando Alonso's way. Once Massa was removed, Alonso cruised to victory, with the only conciliation to Massa being Rob Smedley's forlorn "Good Boy. Try to keep up. Sorry."

The incident caught the attention of the stewards, who fined Ferrari $100,000(US) after the race. The Scuderia was then brought before an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sports Council. Forgiving the fact that almost every meeting of the WMSC is considered extraordinary, the WMSC ruled that the penalty given after the race was sufficient. This ruling set off a firestorm from the many teams claiming that everyone would use team orders now.

Granted, most fans already knew that team orders still play a major factor in racing, with the orders usually decided before a race and not blatantly disregarded the way Ferrari did.

***

Point two, wanton stupidity in spite of the rules.

Red Bull Renault was faced with the chance to put one of their drivers in an even better position to win a driver's championship. The driver was NOT Sebastian Vettel. Mark Webber, the veteran Australian, has never been so close to a driver's title. If Vettel had been told prior to race start that he should yield to Webber, then no one would've said a word. RBR clinched the constructor's title today, so that championship would not have been effected.

Now, with Vettel winning at Interlagos, Webber rolls into Abu Dhabi eight points back instead of one point back. Fernando Alonso has a very lightly used engine for the Yas Marina Circuit. That'll make him tough to catch.

It all goes back to a lack of intelligence on Red Bull Renault's part. They could've locked one of their drivers into a much closer spot, but they've steadfastly refused to use team orders.

***

If you got to any one of the many Formula 1 websites out there, you'll find a plethora of comments on this issue. Some are just plain funny, some angry, and some sad.

Robert said he wouldn't really be bothered by Vettel, Webber, and Alonso taking each other out in turn one at Abu Dhabi and then Lewis Hamilton driving to a championship.

One comment I saw that was particularly unfavorable to Red Bull stated that, if Alonso was leading Webber at Abu Dhabi, with Vettel running third, Red Bull would probably order Webber to crash out Alonso and take himself out so that Vettel (or as this writer called him "the anointed one") could win the championship.

Personally, I would love to see Webber win, but I hate the idea of a Red Bull driver winning the Driver's Championship. In the end, this has solidified my fan-craziness for McLaren.

Football Future-see Week 10

RECORD:

Week 1 ....... 7-1

Week 2 ....... 4-1

Week 3 ....... 4-1

Week 4 ....... 2-3

Week 5 ....... 4-3

Week 6 ....... 2-3

Week 7 ....... 3-2

Week 8 ....... 4-1

Week 9 ....... 4-3

Week 10 ..... 3-2

TOTAL ..... 37-20

21 BAYLOR AT 17 OKLAHOMA STATE_____CORRECT

Baylor is coming off a victory over Texas, which makes them confident. If Baylor wins this game, then a late November match-up with Oklahoma is all that stands between them and the final Big XII championship game ever to be played. Of course, OK State is in the same boat. Boone Pickens Stadium is a tough place to play.

FINAL SCORE: OK State 34, Baylor 24

6 ALABAMA AT 10 LSU_____INCORRECT

The Tigers welcome in the Crimson Tide in this battle of current and former LSU coaches. The Mad Hatter, Les Miles, has problems with clock management. Nick Saban, of the Tide, doesn’t. Saban also has a fantastic running game. LSU may struggle stopping the run.

FINAL SCORE: Alabama 28, LSU 20

3 TCU AT 5 UTAH_____CORRECT

The big game of the weekend features two top-5 teams. This year is ripe for a Non-AQ team to reach the title game, assuming neither Oregon nor Auburn falter. Utah is a good team, and is playing host to the Horned Frogs. TCU, though, is slightly better, and salts it away at the end.

FINAL SCORE: TCU 27, UTAH 23

NORTHWESTERN AT PENN STATE_____INCORRECT

I think this could be one of the better games of the weekend. These are two fairly evenly matched teams. This one should go down to the wire, but a late NU field goal seals it.

FINAL SCORE: Northwestern 17, Penn State 16

IDAHO STATE AT GEORGIA_____CORRECT

Georgia will be lucky to play in a bowl game this year, and the cries of regime change grow louder around Athens. The Dawgs are coming off a heart-breaking loss to Florida, and Idaho State is rolling in to Sanford Stadium at a bad time. The last lower tier team to play Georgia only lost by 48. Look for a repeat, if not worse. The Dawgs need to blow off some steam. Idaho State is getting paid $525,000 to allow that steam to be blown off.

FINAL SCORE: Georgia 52, Idaho State 10

Election Day Pondering

Many years ago I wrote up a plan for making this country better. Granted, this plan was crafted from my Libertarian/Republican point of view. I didn't exactly write up a plan for liberalism.

So I thought I would review my plan and make amendments, as it were.

The Plan:
1. Get rid of everyone in Washington.
2. Now that the old guard has been taken out of power, we repeal that pesky 17th Amendment.
3. Term Limits.
4. Elections.
5. Special Interest Groups.
6. Campaign Finance.

That's a highlight list of the old plan, from May 2007. Let's revise.

The Plan, Part II:

1. Vote out all incumbents and establish term limits. This is key to returning sanity to our government. Once the old guard is out of power, a limit must be set. I like the notion of either one six-year term, or two four-year terms. That goes for every position in government, with the exception of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court would no longer be lifetime appointments, but they would be appointed to a single twelve or sixteen year term.

2. Repeal the 17th Amendment. This might come as a shock to you, but the people did not originally vote for Senators. The people voted for the House of Representatives. State governments were accountable for electing Senators. This meant that the people and the states had representation in government. Happily, at least to me, the Tea Party is beginning to push a notion to repeal the 17th Amendment. God bless 'em.

3. Campaign Finance. I once thought that a candidate should only spend up to one cent less than they would make in office, but I've changed my mind. I would cap election spending at $1 million per candidate. This includes personal money and campaign contributions.

4. Special Interest. I would still get rid of them.

5. Gerrymandering and Redistricting. Gerrymandering is when a district is drawn to outrageous designs in order to propel a certain candidate to power. For an example of this, simply look at the 4th Congressional District of Illinois (picture to right). The simple solution to this issue is to establish a law stating that districts must be as compact as possible.

The map below is a district map of Congressional districts near Atlanta. Please note the yellow blob that snakes its way around.

Choose Wisely

Tomorrow is Election Day, and yeah I'm a bit late in writing this.

Election Day is a big day for those of us who still believe that this is an exceptional country. Some of us, stupid as it may seem to others, refuse to believe that the United States of America no longer holds a special place in the world. Some of us actually cringe to see our president bowing to foreign leaders. Last I checked, he was one the same level as they, so no bowing is necessary. We are subject to no foreign nation, at least until congress completes the sale of our birthright to China.

And it just so happens that you, the voter, are given a chance every two years or so to have a say at the national level. This is your golden opportunity to make your voice heard.

You may think that the Democrat-controlled Congress has gone too far. You may think that Barack Obama is the best President ever. You may just hate being taxed every time you turn around. Well, say something about it.

Personally, I plan to deliver a message. I did it once, letting the Republicans know just how unhappy I was. Now, I doubt that the RNC had a meeting to discuss my ballot, but multiply my voice by millions and you get a loud message.

Now, we're seeing a liberal majority that believed the election (or coronation, depending on your feelings about the man) of Barack Obama gave them a mandate to do whatever they wished. They pushed through a healthcare reform monstrosity of a bill, 2500 pages, that our dear sweet Speaker of the House told us had to be passed so we, the people, could find out what was in it.

As town hall meetings were held, and the Democrats learned just how unhappy their constituencies were, they backed away from the forum. Barack Obama held nearly-scripted sessions with pre-screened audiences. Heaven forbid Barack ever be called out for something.

But that's not all. President Obama, recently speaking to a group of Latino voters, said "If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, ‘We’re gonna punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us,’ if they don’t see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it’s gonna be harder and that’s why I think it’s so important that people focus on voting on November 2."

That's right, a sitting American President referred to people who disagree with your political point of view, in this case majority liberal, as enemies who must be punished. This is not the language of a sitting President. That's the language of a petty little kid who is incapable of handling defeat. Just look at the man's record. He won his first elected position because the other candidates were kicked off the ballot. When he won the Presidency, he basically told the Republicans that certain arguments were over because he had won.

So tomorrow, when you go to the polling place, remember. Remember what each politician has said. Remember what they did after they said those things. But more importantly than any of that... remember that you have the power. People shouldn't fear their government. Government should fear its people. That's freedom.

Choose Wisely.

Cornering my Favorite Corners

As evidenced by this blog over the last two years, I'm a Formula 1 fan. As a result, I issued a challenge to my friend Robert (he who once managed the Skewed View and now has a new blog). Also, check out the picture to the right. That just might be my favorite Lewis Hamilton picture of all time. From the night race at Singapore, then Photoshopped to a neon outline. Simple, easy, and darn pretty.

The challenge: list your five favorite corners in Formula 1. Past, Present, even future, are all available for this challenge. Also, an explanation of why this corner is your favorite can't hurt.

So here is my list of my five favorite corners in Formula 1.

5. Maggotts and Becketts at Silverstone

Silverstone is a course with much history. The Maggotts and Becketts complex is very famous. When Hermann Tilke revealed his initial drawing for the Austin, Texas circuit, a S-curve section immediately drew comparison to Maggotts and Becketts, as well as the Esses at Suzuka.

The turn complex is a fast left-right-left-right section that, is properly aligned, can be taken at or near top speed. A beautiful section if ever there was one.

4. Grand Hotel Hairpin at Monaco

Monaco is all about spectacle. Barring accident, if you aren't up front after qualifying you won't stand much chance here. That said, the Grand Hotel Hairpin is a beautiful bit a spectacle if ever there was one. It is a drastic bit of elevation change. Truthfully, there isn't really a bad corner at Monaco. It's just pretty. But there's something about watching a parade of high-powered vehicles slowly fight through this section of the track.

Once through the hairpin, drivers must navigate the tunnel and a chicane or two, but it amazes me that you don't see more accidents at this point. It's a tight spot, and a place where drivers could get chippy if they so wanted.

3. Turn 8 at Istanbul Park

From the picture provided, you can only see about 1/4 of turn 8 at Istanbul Park. This track is a Tilkedrom, but it is probably his best work. Turn 8 is the shining example of what Hermann Tilke can do if left to his own devices. The entrance to the turn is an uphil sweeping left-hander leading in to a quadruple apex turn. This is another turn that can be taken flat out, and should, or you'll lose position. But, if you don't hit your line right coming out of the turn, the next downhill bit can get tricky. The name, Turn 8, is uninspiring, but lovely in its simplicity. Turn 8 doesn't need a cute nickname, like the SPEED boys tried to give it this year, calling it "Diabolica," a reference to Monza's Curva Parabolica. Just leave it alone. Turn 8 is already a monster, it doesn't need a name to be scary.

2. Turn 1-2-3 at Catalunya

This complex of turns instantly became one of my favorites the first time I saw it during qualifying in 2009. Then, when I picked up F1 2009 for the Wii, I quickly made my way to Cantalunya, just to try out this sector. And it is a blast. If you hit your line right, you can get by with a light tap of the brakes on entry to turn 1, and then go flat out until the pseudo-hairpin that is turn 4.

Catalunya itself is not an amazingly impressive circuit. So many changes have been made that the track barely resembles what it once was, but the turn 1-2-3 complex stands as a testament to what good corners can be.

1. Raidillon and Eau Rogue at Spa-Francorchamps

This is, without a doubt, the best racing circuit on the planet, and I would just about fight to the death with anyone who says it isn't.

As for Raidillon and Eau Rogue, you can't have one without the other. They live in a symbiotic relationship. Neither is great unless the other is paired with it. Imagine you're sitting in an F1 car, going flat out, and you suddenly realize that you are abuot to go through a brief dip and then you're going flying up a hill at break neck speed. Sounds daring, right? Try it in the rain. Now try it 43 more times and you'll understand why F1 drivers are the best on the planet.

*Honorable Mention: Turn 13 at Montreal (Wall of Champions), 130R at Suzuka

As an added bonus, I challenged Robert to list his five favorite circuits. I know what number one on his list is, because it is the same as mine.

5. Albert Park (Australia)

The circuit that runs around Albert Park Lake in Melbourne is a really fun drive, with a fair amount of challenge for a track with very little elevation change.

4. Monaco

Spectacle. Need we say more? A city street course that is possibly the most famous race... cue Jeremy Clarkson... in the world.

3. Silverstone

An old British racing circuit with loads of history and a suddenly redesigned layout. Hermann Tilke was not contracted for the redesign because, according to the track officials, they didn't want to mess it up.

2. Interlagos (Sao Paolo)

The old track in Sao Paolo, site of Lewis Hamilton's amazing last lap clincher for the World Title in 2008. The track has been radically redesigned since its introduction, but it is still loads of fun.

1. Spa-Francorchamps

What else can you say about Spa? It's amazing, it's old, it has great history, it's challenging. I don't know where to stop with this track.

*Honorable Mentions: Monza, Suzuka

A Step into a Much Larger World...

I've been accused of being behind the times. I'm old fashioned, and it doesn't really bother. When I go to work, I carry some CDs and my IPod to listen to while working. For some reason, this really bothers one of my friends, who apparently believes that, with the advent of IPods and MP3s, CDs are no longer relevant. I'm not bothered by this.

But to show that I am learning things about this crazy technological world we live in, today I set up my first YouTube playlist.

Yay me.

Football Future-see Week 9

RECORD:

Week 1 ....... 7-1

Week 2 ....... 4-1

Week 3 ....... 4-1

Week 4 ....... 2-3

Week 5 ....... 4-3

Week 6 ....... 2-3

Week 7 ....... 3-2

Week 8 ....... 4-1

Week 9 ....... 4-3

TOTAL ..... 34-18

5 Michigan State at 18 Iowa_______CORRECT

Sparty sails into Iowa, the land of corn. MSU is a good team, but I’ve yet to see a really dominating performance from them. Iowa had luck last year, and Michigan State has it, seemingly, this year. But, Iowa is a good football team.

FINAL SCORE: Iowa 24, Michigan State 20

6 Missouri at 14 Nebraska_______CORRECT

Mizzou took down the top ranked Sooners last week, and as a reward they travel to the Huskers’ home stadium for an afternoon tilt. I actually hesitate to call this game an upset, because Nebraska is a good team. If this were a neutral site, I’d still lean toward Nebraska.

FINAL SCORE: Nebraska 27, Missouri 21

Florida vs. Georgia_______INCORRECT

This is a neutral site game. Florida is 17-3 in the last 20 meetings between these two teams. That said, Georgia still leads the overall series by a fair margin. On paper, UGA is the better team in this game. They’ve won three in a row while the Gators have dropped their last three. Florida QB John Brantley has a passer efficiency rating of 119, which is good. Georgia QB Aaron Murray has a 157 passer efficiency rating, which is better. Take the Dawgs.

FINAL SCORE: Georgia 31, Florida 17

1 Auburn at Ole Miss_______INCORRECT

If any game on this list will cost me a perfect week, this game is it. Houston Nutt has a tendency to upset someone along the way. Auburn has played three consecutive very tough games, and as of this writing, they are beaten up, battered, tired, and ripe of the taking. Ole Miss will have to play stellar defense to win this game, but Auburn is known to give up points.

FINAL SCORE: Ole Miss 21, Auburn 20

25 Baylor at Texas_______INCORRECT

Texas has lost this year to Oklahoma, UCLA, and Iowa State. For any other team, that would be demoralizing, but it’s likely to have merely angered the Longhorns. Baylor is good, and that Robert Griffiths kid is a pretty darn good athlete. Still, Mack Brown exacts some interconference revenge.

FINAL SCORE: Texas 24, Baylor 21

Colorado at 9 Oklahoma_______CORRECT

Oklahoma is coming off a crushing defeat at the hands of Missouri. The Sooners dropped nine spots in the polls, and they will look to rebound in a big way. Colorado, on the other hand, is on the back-up QB for the rest of the year. Poor Buffs.

FINAL SCORE: Oklahoma 34, Colorado 13

2 Oregon at USC_______CORRECT

USC has not played an opponent the caliber of Oregon, so their defense has yet to be tested. But, this has trap game written all over it for Oregon. This is USC’s de facto bowl game. Oregon is the best team they’ll play this year, and the Trojans cannot go to a bowl. Look for USC to keep it close in the first half, but the Ducks pull away at the end.

FINAL SCORE: Oregon 36, USC 23

Star Wars Movies

Let me preface this post by stating that I am a huge Star Wars fan. This post will be full of Star Wars Expanded Universe spoilers. Let me also add that I make no money off this blog, so George, please don't sue me.

________

So the other day I heard a rumor that George Lucas was planning, once he's finished with releasing the six current Star Wars films in 3D, to begin work on a sequel trilogy. I got me to thinking. Will he use the books of the Expanded Universe? Will he go and totally forget the current "canon" and create his own thing again?

All of that lead to another point: What would the opening crawl look like for a new Star Wars movie? If he uses the original cast, the only books really open to him at the Dark Nest Trilogy and the Legacy of the Force series. These books are set roughly 25-35 years after Return of the Jedi.

If we go for the Legacy series, then here is my take on the opening crawl for Star Wars: Episode VII:

Star Wars

Episode VII

Legacy of the Force I

It has been 36 years since the deaths of the Emperor and Darth Vader. In that time, a lot has happened in the galaxy. The Rebellion became the New Republic. A power struggle to control the Empire spawned various warlords. Coruscant was taken by the New Republic. Grand Admiral Thrawn rose to power and nearly destroyed the New Republic, but he was betrayed by his own bodyguard.

Luke turned to the dark side but he came back. He fought a resurrected Emperor. He won. He then started a Jedi Academy, but was nearly killed by the four-thousand year-old ghost of a Sith Lord. He got better. He met a woman and fell in love, but she left him. Then he fought a trans-dimensional being that looked like an under-cooked steak. He won. Then he fought a mad dark Jedi. He won.

Then Corellia nearly revolted and detroyed the Republic. But Luke, Han, and Leia won, so don't worry about it. Han and Leia are married and have three kids, but one of them is dead now, so don't worry about him. Chewie is dead. That's right.

An extragalactic enemy appeared, but the good guys won that one too. That pretty much brings us to now. If you want the gory details go read the books, we'll wait.

The Weekend in Sports

Looking back at the NFL predictions I threw down in July, let me say that I think my Super Bowl prediction is still rather sound. My NFC Title Game pick, though, looks bad. Atlanta is probably the best team in the NFC, but Dallas is most certainly not a worthy #2 team.

Let's revisit the NFL picks:

AFC Championship Game:

Baltimore vs. Indianapolis NEW Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh

NFC Championship Game:

Atlanta vs. Dallas NEW Atlanta vs. Philadelphia

Super Bowl:

Atlanta vs. Baltimore NEW Atlanta vs. Baltimore

***

ESPN would've loved a Philadelphia-New York World Series. Now, they're stuck with a Texas-San Francisco World Series. Oddly enough, I'm more likely to watch now. I would not want another Phillies-Yankees series.

Prediction:

San Francisco has better pitching and defense than Texas. The Rangers have Cliff Lee, who will start game one. But as they say, defense wins championships.

Giants in six.

***

College Football is a mess. The #1 ranked team has fallen three straight weeks. Georgia lost four straight games, and then they won their last three conference games by an aggregate score of 128 to 45. Auburn is currently the number 1 team in the BCS. Oregon has the highest powered offense since teams learned they could throw the ball. Boise State is still ranked high.

So let's revisit our BCS bowl predictions:

BCS Bowl Games:

Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Wisconsin NEW Boise State vs. Wisconsin

Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. TCU NEW Alabama vs Michigan State

Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Boise State NEW Missouri vs. Pittsburgh

Orange Bowl: Virgina Tech vs. UConn NEW Virginia Tech vs. TCU

National Championship: Alabama vs. Ohio State NEW Oregon vs Auburn

***

Now the biggie: Formula 1.

The race today at Korea was excellent. It was chaotic. It was a Hermann Tilke track, but it was better than that. The normal Tilkedrom has long straights, a hairpin or two, several chicanes, and speed bumps wherever possible. This track has sections that seemingly fit all cars.

The points after todays race (won by Alonso, Hamilton 2nd, Mass 3rd, DNFs for both Red Bulls) have Alonso in the lead with Webber eleven points back and Hamilton twenty-one points back. Vettel is now twenty-five back, and Button is out. The top four drivers are separated by one victory with two races to go.

I'll state right now that Vettel is not in contention. The gap is too much to overcome, especially with Webber, who will likely drive like a man possessed these next two races. The Ferraris seem to be the best cars at the moment, but the next track, Interlagos, fits McLaren and Red Bull better than the Maranello marque.

Look for Hamilton and Webber to fight for the win in two weeks, making the title fight that much tighter at the top. The last race, Abu Dhabi, fits Red Bull better than any of the others. That means a likely Vettel or Webber win. If Webber takes both races then he obviously is the champ. But if Hamilton can steal a win, that makes things far more interesting.

I'm picking Webber for the title, just because I believe his bad luck is behind him. Ferrari has been riding too high as of late, and Interlagos has a tendency to rise up and bite a driver. Alonso has been here before, he knows how to defend a title. Hamilton knows how to track one down and he knows how to let one slip away. Webber hasn't been in this position in Formula 1. Should be an interesting November.

Football Future-see Week 8

RECORD:

Week 1 ....... 7-1

Week 2 ....... 4-1

Week 3 ....... 4-1

Week 4 ....... 2-3

Week 5 ....... 4-3

Week 6 ....... 2-3

Week 7 ....... 3-2

Week 8 ....... 4-1

TOTAL ..... 30-15

6 LSU at 4 AUBURN_________CORRECT

The only two unbeatens in the SEC face off in Jerdan-Hare. Auburn still has a bit of righeout indignation over what happened six years ago, when they went 13-0 and were left out of the national championship game (a game that USC won 55-19 over Oklahoma). LSU has issues with clock management, and a loud Auburn crowd will not make life easier.

FINAL SCORE: Auburn 31, LSU 20

16 NEBRASKA at 14 OKLAHOMA STATE

_________CORRECT

Nebraska was once a dark horse pick for the national title. Now, one loss to Texas later, they face an uphill climb just to reach the Big XII title game. OKState is a high powered offense. Nebraska plays a strong defense. I think they play a strong enough defense to stop the Cowboys.

FINAL SCORE: Nebraska 24, Oklahoma State 21

GEORGIA at KENTUCKY

_________CORRECT

Georgia is getting hot at the right time in a down division in a conference that has a tendency, more so than any other conference, to cannibalize itself. They are 2-3 in division play, and yet they are only 1/2 game out of first. Kentucky just took down South Carolina, who had just beaten Alabama. Georgia lost four straight then won their next two games by the combined score of 84 to 14.

FINAL SCORE: Georgia 27, Kentucky 17

1 OKLAHOMA at 11 MISSOURI

_________INCORRECT

Oklahoma is number one in the BCS and this week they go to Mizzou. The Tigers are undefeated, like the Sooners. But I don't think they are as good as Oklahoma.

FINAL SCORE: Oklahoma 26, Missouri 13

13 WISCONSIN at 15 IOWA

_________CORRECT

Wisconsin just took down Ohio State, and much like a video game, you beat one tough challenge and then you are handed another. The Hawkeyes are the next test for the Badgers. Wisconsin is good at home, but this is a road game. It's also set up as a let-down game for Wisconsin. Still, I think they ride the wave of their big win last week.

FINAL SCORE: Wisconsin 24, Iowa 21

Sometimes... they just have your number...

It's beautiful outside, but as a result of very sensitive allergies I am stuck inside. So I've turned to the Falcons-Eagles game and less than ten minutes into the first quarter the score is 14-0 Philadelphia. Eagles coach Andy Reid is 7-1 against Atlanta. Atlanta coach Mike Smith is 0-2 against the Eagles. All of which made me realize... sometimes a team just has another team's number.

Final Round of F1 Predictions

On July 22 we said:

Driver's Champion: Lewis Hamilton

That's right, we're sticking with Lewis for the title. He's not only consistent, but he's showing the aggressiveness that made him champion in 2008, only now he's coupled it with the maturity of a few seasons.

Constructor's Champion: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

Also sticking with McLaren for the Constructor's title. Lewis is driving very well, and Jenson just overcame a P14 in qualifying by driving the wheels off at Silverstone and getting to P4 at the end.

Most wins at the end of the season: Lewis Hamilton

Yes, Webber has 3 now and Lewis only has 2. But Lewis drives well at Hockenheim and Spa, two of the next four races.

First Driver to be replaced: Karun Chandhok, HRT

We are partially right on this one. Bruno Senna was replaced by Sakon Yamamoto at Silverstone, but Karun will be replaced for the next few races by Yamamoto. Although, Renault is stirring the rumor mill with stories about Vitaly Petrov.

Will Bernie go away at season's end?

Still no. In fact, that kooky old man is now threatening to pull the Monaco Grand Prix. Yeah, that'll go over well with fans.

There was a question about USF1's spot. We just don't care anymore.

So? What do we think now?

Driver's Champion: Mark Webber

That's right, we're switching allegiance to Webber. Not that I want to, but let's face it, the Red Bulls are just awesome.

Constructor's Champion: Red Bull Renault

Like I say, those Red Bulls are strong. If Vettel can find some consistency and stop channeling Lewis Hamilton they have the best chance.

Most wins at the end of the season: Fernando Alonso

Yes, Alonso is the driver I can't stand, and I really hate the Ferraris. Still, the Maranello club has put together a good car.

First Driver to be replaced: Karun Chandhok, HRT

We are partially right on this one. Bruno Senna was replaced by Sakon Yamamoto at Silverstone, but Karun will be replaced for the next few races by Yamamoto. Although, Renault is stirring the rumor mill with stories about Vitaly Petrov. Still standing on right.

Will Bernie go away at season's end?

Not just no, but Bernie has announced a Russian Grand Prix in Sochi. And there's a new Indian Grand Prix next year. And the new US Grand Prix in Austin in 2012.

There was a question about USF1's spot. Still don't care anymore.

Football Future-see Week 7

RECORD:

Week 1 ....... 7-1

Week 2 ....... 4-1

Week 3 ....... 4-1

Week 4 ....... 2-3

Week 5 ....... 4-3

Week 6 ....... 2-3

Week 7 ....... 3-2

TOTAL ..... 26-14

1 OHIO STATE AT 18 WISCONSIN______INCORRECT

Camp Randall Stadium. Saturday night. Wisconsin is 40-4 at home since 2004. But Ohio State just became number 1 in the land, and the Buckeyes will do all they can to hold on to it. I would love to call for an upset here, and this might be Ohio State’s biggest test, but Wisconsin still has something to prove… at least to me.

FINAL SCORE: Ohio State 24, Wisconsin 17

ILLINOIS AT 13 MICHIGAN STATE________CORRECT

Illinois played Penn State very tough last week. So tough, in fact, that they won by 20 points. Michigan State is a better team than Penn State. Sparty may be the best team in the Big Ten, but we’ll never know because they don’t play Ohio State this year. Still, look for a close game, but Sparty wins.

FINAL SCORE: Michigan State 30, Illinois 24

VANDERBILT AT GEORGIA_________CORRECT

Georgia came alive last week, after four straight losses, the Dawgs hung 41 on Derek Dooley and the hapless Vols. Vanderbilt was no offensive slouch last week, putting up 52 points against one of the directional Michigan teams. Still, Vandy between the hedges shouldn’t be too difficult.

FINAL SCORE: Georgia 31, Vanderbilt 17

12 ARKANSAS AT 7 AUBURN_________CORRECT

This will probably be one of the better games you see Saturday. Auburn QB Cam Newton is a good ball player, but so is Arkansas QB Ryan Mallet. Auburn is looking to run the table and recapture some of their 2004 magic, when they were locked out of the title game, even though they won the SEC undefeated.

FINAL SCORE: Auburn 30, Arkansas 26

TEXAS AT 5 NEBRASKA______INCORRECT

Nebraska is fast becoming a trendy pick to be in the National Title game. They get Texas this week, with dates against Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma State, and most likely Oklahoma in the Big XII championship game still to come. Texas is reeling from a couple of losses, and don’t look for things to get easier in Lincoln.

FINAL SCORE: Nebraska 31, Texas 20

Football Future-see Week 6

RECORD:

Week 1 ....... 7-1

Week 2 ....... 4-1

Week 3 ....... 4-1

Week 4 ....... 2-3

Week 5 ....... 4-3

Week 6 ....... 2-3

TOTAL ..... 23-12

17 MICHIGAN STATE AT 18 MICHIGAN______INCORRECT

If this game was at East Lansing, I might favor Sparty, but you're in the Big House and Denard Robinson is perhaps the most dangerous player in all of the Big Ten, if not the NCAA. At a neutral site, this game might be a push, but not in the Big House.

FINAL SCORE: MICHIGAN 28, MICHIGAN STATE 18

TENNESSEE AT GEORGIA_________CORRECT

Georgia is going to break out. At some point this season, which is pretty much already a lost cause, the Dawgs are going to rip into someone. Aaron Murray is getting better each week. AJ Green is back at home. The running game is the only thing that has to really pick up. Tennessee will probably play the role of whipping boy. Vegas has Georgia as 11.5 point favorites, which tells you something about the Vols.

FINAL SCORE: GEORGIA 27, TENNESSEE 13

1 ALABAMA AT 19 SOUTH CAROLINA_______INCORRECT

The Tide is rolling. They're showing why they are the number one team in the country. South Carolina is just a road bump.

FINAL SCORE: ALABAMA 34, SOUTH CAROLINA 13

12 LSU AT 14 FLORIDA

______INCORRECT

Like the MSU-Mich game, this is a pretty evenly matched game. Florida is only in the teens because they lost to Alabama. LSU survived a scare, and was given a gift (some say) against Tennessee. Florida is better than LSU, though I think both teams started out overrated.

FINAL SCORE: FLORIDA 24, LSU 17

3 OREGON AT WASHINGTON STATE

_________CORRECT

All kidding aside, Oregon could possibly hang a hundred on WSU. Oregon is, I think, the second best team in the nation. I know they have a high-powered offense, but defense wins championships. I hope you're listening, Alabama.

FINAL SCORE: OREGON 467, WASHINGTON STATE 3 (AT THE HALF)

Football Future-see Week 5

RECORD:

Week 1..........7-1

Week 2.........4-1

Week 3 ....... 3-1

Week 4 ....... 2-3

Week 5 .......4-3

TOTAL.......20-9

2 OHIO STATE AT ILLINOIS CORRECT

The Buckeyes stand at the same spot they started the year, and QB Terrell Pryor is playing some pretty good football. From the outside, this doesn’t look like much of a challenge. The Illini are not exactly the class of the Big Ten.

FINAL SCORE: Ohio State 37, Illinois 14

21 TEXAS VS 8 OKLAHOMA (NEUTRAL SITE) CORRECT

The Red River Rivalry. This game is interesting in that, as a neutral site game, the tickets are split between the two schools, and the stadium is divided at the 50 yard line. The dynamic created by this split, when the opposing team is driving the field, can be frustrating to players. Texas is coming off a loss to UCLA. Oklahoma is ranked higher than they should be, according to many football pundits. This game brings out the best in both teams… usually.

FINAL SCORE: Oklahoma 27, Texas 21

11 WISCONSIN AT 24 MICHIGAN STATE INCORRECT

This will be an interesting game. Another Big Ten matchup. Wisconsin, I think, can play with any team in the country, but they have those games that should be easy wins which turn out to be hard-fought clashes. I hate to say it, Wisconsin, but this might be one of those hard games.

FINAL SCORE: Wisconsin 24, Michigan State 20

GEORGIA AT COLORADO INCORRECT

I’ve picked Georgia to win close games the last two weeks. They’ve lost both times. Colorado is currently on a self-promotion drive, celebrating their “consensus” National Championship from 1990. Colorado has one or two good players, but Georgia is getting back their game-changer: A.J. Green. Georgia, if you let me down again, I might not pick your games anymore, if that’s counted as punishment.

FINAL SCORE: Georgia 24, Colorado 17

7 FLORIDA AT 1 ALABAMA CORRECT

Alabama is still #1, even after the scare at Arkansas. Florida is another one of those teams that might be ranked higher than they should be. The Gators are still the team to beat in the SEC East, and with Georgia down and South Carolina not looking as strong as they once did, Florida should still take the East. Alabama may have trouble later from Auburn, that to me that looks like their biggest challenge in the West.

FINAL SCORE: Alabama 26, Florida 20

9 STANFORD AT 4 OREGON CORRECT

The Gameday crew will be at Oregon this week, for what looks like the game of the week. Standford, led by QB Andrew Luck, is a good team. I think Oregon, though, could be anybody, anywhere. The Ducks are a force to be reckoned with.

FINAL SCORE: Oregon 31, Stanford 21

16 MIAMI AT CLEMSON INCORRECT

The Hurricanes are ranked 16th in the nation, and some people are questioning that placement. Miami is 2-1, with their only loss a 12-point stumble against #2 Ohio State. Clemson, though, is an absolute spoiler team. The Tigers will choke almost every season, but they’re going to take someone down with them. Interestingly enough, this is the second straight game in which Clemson has played the #16 team in the country. Two weeks ago Clemson lost to Auburn 27-24 in OT. I think this qualifies as an upset, but remember, this game is in Death Valley.

FINAL SCORE: Clemson 24, Miami 21 (possibly in OT)