Jags Pound The Rock

By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com contributing writer

You can doubt their quarterback. You can doubt their head coach and his sideline attire. You can doubt the efficiency of their defense.

But you can’t doubt 375 rushing yards in an NFL game.

“It’s hard for words to describe it. I felt like we had some things that we’d be good at, and we executed well.”

Those understated words are of one Jack Del Rio, who coaches one of the more puzzling teams you’ll find the in the NFL. Enter the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that whacked Indianapolis, 44-17, and handled Dallas, 24-17. Yet it’s the same club that lost to Buffalo and, oh yeah, Houston– twice.

Either way, at 8-5, the Jaguars are alive and well in the AFC postseason race. And by virtue of that rushing fiesta against the Colts at Alltel Stadium on Sunday, they are just two games behind Indianapolis for first place in the AFC South.

“We’re not even concerned about the playoffs right now,” running back Maurice Jones-Drew said. “The only thing we’re concerned with is beating the Titans.”

Who is their next opponent, Sunday in Nashville (monitor the line all week on WagerWeb.com). And chances are, with the way Coach Jeff Fisher has his Titans (6-7) playing, they’ll be ready for these rival, runnin’ Jags.

But will it matter?

“We are heating up right now,” running back Fred Taylor said. “The formula for success late in the season is to be able to run the ball and stop the run, and we are doing that pretty well right now.”

And, as a result, they are able to mask some off those bad losses. Because, when it comes down to it, opponents and critics can talk all they want about the mediocrity of backup quarterback David Garrard. Or the fact that the Jaguars defense seems to take a game off here and there. Or that Del Rio, who has donned a Reebok dress suit twice this season, is a little unorthodox.

The reality of the situation is that Taylor and Jones-Drew form one of the most lethal 1-2 backfield punches in the league. And if you can’t stop the run at this point of the season, you’re not beating the Jaguars.

“We wanted to get to 400 (yards),” Drew said.

Don’t worry Maurice. There’s still three games left.

FEELIN’ IT IN PHILLY: Jeff Garcia has now won back-to-back starts and has kept the Eagles in a three-way tie with the Giants and Falcons for the No. 1 NFC wild-card spot. Left for dead in the NFC East, Philadelphia (7-6) is also now tied with the Giants (7-6) for second place.

And as fate would have it, the Eagles play those Giants at the Meadowlands on Sunday. Monitor the line all week on WagerWeb.com.

“We have to keep working,” Coach Andy Reid said. “That’s the reality of it.”

The other reality is that Garcia, booed at Lincoln Financial Field a week ago, still has something left in the tank. The Eagles’ 21-19 win over Washington was Garcia’s third consecutive victory over the Redskins, in various uniforms, of course.

And, don’t forget, Garcia’s biggest moment in the NFL – San Francisco’s miraculous 39-38 comeback win in the NFC wild-card round in 2003 – came against this week’s opponent.

“We can win in any situation,” Eagles safety and unofficial spokesman Brian Dawkins said. “(But) we definitely need to get better at keeping our foot on people’s throats when we get them down.”

EXTRA POINTS: Bills RB Willis McGahee left Buffalo’s 31-13 win over the Jets on Sunday in the first half with an upset stomach, but in the end, it was the Jets who were sick. McGahee returned and finished with 125 yards and a touchdown. … Bengals QB Carson Palmer now has 12 touchdown passes in his last five games. Four of them, by the way, were wins. …. Comfortably at 10-3, keep an eye out for a Ravens letdown at some point in the final three games. Baltimore closes with three teams not headed for the playoffs: Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo.

Roller-coaster 24 Hours For Dodgers

By Jordan Walters
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Baseball’s winter meetings in Orlando this week got off to a bad start for the reigning National League West champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

In the span of a few hours on Tuesday, 2006 Dodgers J.D. Drew, Julio Lugo and Greg Maddux signed with other teams (Drew and Lugo with Boston, Maddux with the Padres). So things weren’t looking too good in Chavez Ravine.

However, L.A. rallied nicely on Wednesday, signing potential No. 1 starter Jason Schmidt away from the archrival Giants for 3 years and $47 million. Schmidt was 11-9 with a 3.59 ERA in 213 1/3 innings last season for San Francisco. He will turn 34 before spring training, however. The Dodgers won a bidding war that included the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.

The 2007 Dodger rotation now likely will look like this: Schmidt, Derek Lowe, Brad Penny, Randy Wolf and a fifth starter from among Hong-Chih Kuo, Mark Hendrickson or Brett Tomko.

Los Angeles may not be done, as free agent outfielder Luis Gonzalez is likely to be signed, with a trade for Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez a distant possibility. L.A. is expected to be bidding against St. Louis and Baltimore for Gonzalez, but it is thought the former Diamondback wants to remain in the NL West.

By adding Schmidt, as well as earlier signing outfielder Juan Pierre and Wolf, Los Angeles figures to be the early favorite on WagerWeb.com to again win the NL West, but unless Los Angeles adds a big bat, the Dodgers could go one series and out in the playoffs again.

SEC Basketball Notebook

By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl is a media favorite most of the time, a walking quote sheet in a nice suit who never shies away from a microphone or camera.

So when he bristled at a television reporter earlier this fall, you knew something was up.

The source of Pearl’s angst was a question that implied the Memphis basketball program was the state’s best. Pearl deftly avoided an answer, but he won’t have to tonight when the 16th-ranked Tigers invade Thompson-Boling Arena.

Memphis topped the Vols last season, 88-79, in the first game of a 17-game series after a four-year hiatus. By season’s end, both teams were among the nation’s best with the Tigers gaining a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed and Tennessee a No. 2.

Both teams look much different this year, though. This is a perfect chance for the revamped Vols to make a statement with three straight non-conference games looming in the next few weeks: Western Kentucky in Knoxville, vs. Oklahoma State in Nashville and then back home against Texas.

Junior guard Chris Lofton is Tennessee’s leader with 18.6 points a game (second in the SEC) and 3.8 3-pointers made per contest. Lofton is lapping the field in 3-pointers made (30) and attempted (62), and has teamed with senior Dane Bradshaw (7.4 points, 4.6 assists per game) to give the Volunteers a steady backcourt presence.

The tempo should be revved up tonight, as UT is forcing 23.8 turnovers a game (most in the SEC) and has pestered seven opponents into 20 giveaways or more. Memphis foes have coughed the ball up just over 20 times a game, and the Tigers aren’t shy about launching from 3-point range, with nearly 40 percent of their field-goal attempts coming from outside the arc.

Memphis is a 1-point favorite on WagerWeb.com, and that seems about right since 13 of the previous 17 games between the Tigers and Vols have been decided by 10 points or less.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: It turns out the younger half of the Hansbrough brother basketball tandem isn’t bad, either. Bulldog freshman Ben Hansbrough, the younger brother of North Carolina star Tyler Hansbrough, was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after hanging up 23 points, 8 assists and 3 steals in his first start against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Hansbrough torched the Islanders by hitting 6-of-7 field goals, 5-of-6 from 3-point land and 6-for-6 at the foul stripe. He also had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists against Charlotte as Mississippi State bounced back from consecutive losses to Winthrop and at Clemson. Hansbrough and sophomore Jamont Gordon (16.7 ppg, 4.8 apg) have helped stabilize the Bulldogs’ ball handling, as MSU has 44 assists and 40 turnovers in the last three games after struggling with 36 assists and 60 TOs in the first three games of the year.

LSU: The Tigers got a big week off to a good start by downing No. 6 Texas A&M 64-62 Tuesday in ninth-ranked LSU’s first victory in a top-10 matchup since a 66-65 win over Tennessee in 1981. The Tigers also ended the SEC’s 10-game drought against ranked foes this season as junior center Glen Davis notched his 43rd career double-double with 24 points and 10 caroms. Davis leads the SEC in scoring with 19.7 points a game and ranks second in rebounding with 9.8.

OLE MISS: At 7-1, the Rebels are off to their best start since 2000-01 under first-year coach Andy Kennedy. Ole Miss junior guard Jermey Parnell was a sparkplug in an 85-77 come-from-behind triumph against New Orleans last week with a career-high 16 points on a red-hot shooting night (5-for-5 FG, 6-for-7 FT). The Rebs have forced 119 turnovers and rank third in the SEC in turnover margin (+4.8). The Rebels own the league’s best assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.35. Ole Miss ends a 10-day break for finals when it travels to face Memphis on Saturday.

AUBURN: The Tigers put up a good fight against No. 2 Pittsburgh Sunday but fell just short (74-66) despite Josh Dollard’s first career double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds). AU wraps up a stretch of nine games in 20 days when it tangles with instate foe South Alabama tonight. The coaching matchup pits two pretty decent college point guards – Auburn coach Jeff Lebo from North Carolina and USA’s John Pelphrey, one of “The Unforgettables” of Kentucky basketball lore. The series with the Jaguars is tied, but the teams haven’t met since 2001. The Tigers are 6.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com.

Consistently Contending Spurs

By Marty Gitlin
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The lifespan of greatness in professional sports is about the same as your average car battery. Dominance generally lasts three or four years.

Then there are the San Antonio Spurs.

Bill Clinton had just begun his second term in the White House the last time the Spurs were lousy. San Antonio has won at least 53 games in each of the past eight full seasons.

It would appear 2006-07 will prove no different. San Antonio is now tied with Dallas atop the Midwest Division at 13-5. The most fundamentally sound team in the NBA simply outclasses the competition.

The Spurs have outscored their opponents this season by a league-best 7.5 points a game. Their .398 3-point shooting percentage ranks atop the NBA. They have surrendered just 92.4 points a game, second to Houston. They are among the leaders in most statistical categories.

Individual consistency translates into team consistency every season. Tim Duncan is again scoring 21.9 points with 11 rebounds a game. Guard Tony Parker is averaging 19.5 points and 5.2 assists. Bruce Bowen is playing his usual lockdown defense. Manu Ginobili and reserve guard Michael Finley have yet to find their shooting accuracy, yet the Spurs continue to win.

If revenge is a motivator, they should win Wednesday night as well. According to WagerWeb.com, they are 8-point favorites in Charlotte, which stunned the Spurs in San Antonio earlier in the year.

ONE BOUNCES BACK, ANOTHER DOESN’T: Two sizzling teams finally lost earlier this week. Dallas had its 12-game winning streak ended Monday in Washington. Detroit had its eight-game streak snapped in Charlotte.

Both teams had a chance to redeem themselves Tuesday night. Only the Mavericks did.

They did it in style, knocking off disappointing New Jersey on the road, 92-75. With enemies such as the Nets, they required no friends. The New Jersey bench contributed just 10 points. Its three reserve guards missed all nine of their shots and combined for one assist.

The Pistons lost their second consecutive game to considerably weaker competition, falling at home to Portland, 88-85. Detroit jacked up 24 3-pointers and hit just seven.

DRIBBLES: The Golden State Warriors have lost their past two games by a combined 68 points, both to Midwest Division powers. They fell to San Antonio, 129-89, and to Houston, 118-90. Guard Jason Richardson missed both games due to soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. … Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes is close to returning from his high ankle sprain injury, but likely won’t play against visiting Toronto on Wednesday night. Cleveland is an 8.5-point favorite, according to WagerWeb.com. … The Chicago Bulls can even their record at 9-9 and win their sixth straight Wednesday night at home against struggling Philadelphia. WagerWeb.com lists them as 9-point favorites. … Phoenix guard and two-time reigning Most Valuable Player Steve Nash dished out an NBA season-high 20 assists in a 127-102 victory over Sacramento on Tuesday night.

Waiver Wire Week 14

By Chris Goudey
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

This is a critical week in fantasy football circles, as in most leagues this is either the last week of the regular season or the first week of the fantasy playoffs. Having the right players in your lineup this week could make the difference between making the playoffs and crying in your beer. These players could be available on your waiver wire and would be decent starting players for you if you need some help:

Quarterbacks
There are a lot of QBs available on the waiver wire who have nice matchups this week. If you are a Donovan McNabb owner, these guys could be inserted in your lineup and should do just fine for you. I have them ranked in order of preference:

Vince Young, Tennessee vs Houston
Brad Johnson, Minnesota vs Detroit
Jeff Garcia, Philadelphia vs Washington
Alex Smith, San Francisco vs Green Bay
Matt Leinart, Arizona vs Seattle

Running Backs
There probably aren’t many RBs left out there who could help you this week, but if you own Ronnie Brown (who is probably out again this week) and need some help, here’s who should be out there:

Cedric Houston, NY Jets – Houston broke out in a big way last week, with over 100+ yards and 2 rushing TDs. Look for more of the same this week against a soft Buffalo rush defense.
Sammy Morris, Miami – Morris should get the bulk of the carries with Brown out again, but he has a tough matchup against New England.
Justin Fargas/ReShard Lee, Oakland – Fargas gets most of the carries now, but Lee is the goal-line guy. The Cincy defense can be run against, so either or both guys could have nice games.
Mewelde Moore/Ciatrick Fason, Minnesota: Regular starter Chester Taylor was banged up against the Bears last week and both Moore and Fason saw action in his place. Taylor’s status is currently up in the air for this week, but if he sits, there is an opportunity, as the Vikes have a real nice matchup against the Lions. Moore would be my first choice between the two.

Wide Receivers
Marcus Robinson, Minnesota/Antonio Bryant, San Francisco: Minnesota and San Fran have the two best schedules against the pass in the next three weeks, and these are the No. 1 guys for those offenses.

Marty Booker, Miami – Booker has taken over as the No. 1 guy in Miami, as he has built a nice connection with Joey Harrington. Miami should have to throw this week against New England, so look for Booker to put up some good yardage and have a shot at a TD.
Matt Jones, Jacksonville – Jones finally had the game his owners were waiting for last week, with 128 yards and a TD. Hopefully he continues this trend, as he has extreme physical gifts and just needs to stay on the field to produce.

Tight End
Vernon Davis, San Francisco: I had Davis on this list a couple of weeks ago, but he hasn’t done anything since. That should change this week, as the 49ers’ other TE, Eric Johnson, is out with an injury. Between that and the great matchup against Green Bay, Davis should finally put some numbers up this week.
Ben Utecht, Indianapolis: Starting TE Dallas Clark is out, and even with Clark in the lineup Utecht is getting a few looks per game. He should see his pass targets increase this week and he could be a top-10 TE as long as Clark is out.

Kickers/Defenses
As you know I’m of the mindset that kickers are pretty much dime a dozen and you can do just fine playing matchups each week. For defenses, the best thing to do is check the schedule each week and try and get teams that are playing against teams with bad records, i.e. Houston, Oakland, etc.

Best of luck as you make your last stab for the playoffs or are in your first-round matchup!

Indispensable Westbrook

By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com contributing writer

Journeyman Jeff Garcia has been given a lot of credit for keeping the Eagles afloat since they lost Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb last month. And perhaps, rightfully so. With little preparation time, Garcia has started two tough games — against the Colts and Panthers — and came out a modest 1-1.

But make no mistake. The 6-6 Eagles would be nowhere without running back Brian Westbrook.

“We’re not out of it. I’ve said it in weeks past, that we’re fighters and we’re going to continue to fight until the end and you know we’re going to go out and take every game one at a time,” Westbrook said. “Let the chips fall where they may at the end. You know we’re not going to let up. We have four games left, and we’re going to keep fighting and keep shooting and hopefully at the end, we’ll be in the playoffs.”

If they make it, it’ll be on his shoulders. Westbrook, in his fifth season out of Villanova, has 906 rushing yards, 586 receiving yards and nine total touchdowns. He has done so with a nagging knee injury, and in Monday’s 27-24 win over Carolina, he suffered a toe injury.

The Eagles travel to meet the Redskins on Sunday. Philadelphia is -1.5 on WagerWeb.com

“I should,” Westbrook said, “be ready to go.”

Eagles Nation can only hope so. In a 27-3 victory over the Redskins Nov. 12, Westbrook, who continues to be listed each week on the injury report as questionable, had 150 total yards.

“He still has a little bit of tenderness in there. It comes and it goes,” Coach Andy Reid said. “Some days are better than other days. But we have been able to push through.”

With an added emphasis on victories the rest of the way – Philadelphia probably needs to win out to make the postseason — a little insurance for Westbrook couldn’t hurt. With that in mind, keep an eye on Duce Staley, a former Eagle and fan favorite in Philadelphia who was released by the Steelers this week.

“I probably need to talk to (General Manager) Tom (Heckert),” Reid said, “before I go in that direction.”

SHORT-HANDED STEELERS: At 5-7, Pittsburgh shouldn’t be all that concerned about its playoff future. And with just three days to prepare for this week’s game, the Steelers don’t have much time to, anyway.

“We might as well,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said after the Steelers’ 20-3 win over Tampa Bay last Sunday, “leave our uniforms on.”

That won’t be the case for two key cogs, however. For the second consecutive week, wide receiver Hines Ward and safety Troy Polamalu will each miss Thursday’s NFL Network game against the Browns at Heinz Field with knee injuries.

Coach Bill Cowher, in typical fashion, is concerned more about the players he does have at his disposal — rather than those he doesn’t have — for a rivalry, prime-time game that he still deems critical no matter how far behind the playoff pack Pittsburgh is.

“We’re just going to approach it like it’s another game,” he said. “We’re going to come out firing, and we know they’re going to come out firing, and it should be a classic game.”

The Steelers are -7.5 on WagerWeb.com.

EXTRA POINTS: The puzzling career of Tampa Bay WR Michael Clayton continues. A 2004 first-round pick, or bust, out of LSU, Clayton is lost for the season with a knee injury. He had 1,193 receiving yards in his rookie season, but has just 728 since. … Give credit to Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy for keeping his chin up in a tough town. At 4-8, with only Detroit keeping the Packers out of the NFC North basement, he remains as optimistic as ever. “We have to stay the course, trust the structure, prepare them,” he said. “And I have to get them to do better job to perform on Su ndays.” Good luck . … With the playoff races heating up in both conferences and crucial kicks becoming more and more evident, look for someone to sign Mike Vanderjagt, cut by the Cowboys last week, sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, he’d have to bring all of his baggage with him, wherever he goes.

NFL Team Preview: Giants

By Mike Brody

WagerWeb

Contributing Writer

After finishing 11-5 and winning the NFC East last season, expectations are very high in New York for the Giants. New York addressed its 26th-ranked defense from a year ago by overhauling its secondary in the offseason and adding depth at linebacker. QB Eli Manning has another year under his belt and plenty of weapons on offense. If they can survive the competition from the toughest division in the NFL, the Giants just might fulfill those lofty expectations.

Key Additions: DBs Quentin Harris, Jason Bell, Will Demps, R.W. McQuarters and Sam Madison, LBs Brandon Short and LaVar Arrington, QB Rob Johnson, DE Mathias Kiwanuka, WR Sinorice Moss.

Key Subtractions: DTs Kendrick Clancy and Kenderick Allen, DBs Shaun Williams and Will Allen, LB Nick Greisen.

WagerWeb

Sportsbook Odds: The Giants will again be a playoff and Super Bowl contender. If they win their division again, they will be a favorite to reach the Big Game heading into the playoffs. They could be a value bet at this point in the season.
WagerWeb

has New York as +$175 to win the NFC East, +$700 to win the NFC championship and +$1400 to win Super Bowl XLI.

Player to Watch: As Manning enters his third season — second as a full-time starter — he should continue to improve and make better decisions. But the key player for the young QB and the Giants will again be RB Tiki Barber. The All-Pro is coming off his best NFL season, rushing for 1,860 yards and 9 TDs and another 540 yards and 2 TDs receiving. Barber should have another huge year and knows that his window to reach his ultimate goal is closing quickly. “There is probably more sense of urgency for me now, as I approach the season, because I know there isn’t a lot of time left for me to be ultimately successful, and win a Super Bowl,” said Barber, who, despite getting better with age, has withstood 10 seasons of pounding. “It’s not a big window, ever, for a player or a team in this league. For me, I’d say two years, and that’s probably it. I’ll be 33 then and … well, you know.”

Outlook: The Giants improved their biggest weakness by adding Madison, McQuarters and Demps to the secondary. Kiwanuka has looked like a young Michael Strahan in the preseason, and Arrington will only help a solid linebacking corps. If the defense improves to at least middle of the pack, the offense should again be one of the better ones in the NFL, making the Giants a team to reckon with. Manning will need to take a little bit of the load off of Barber by stretching the field. The team is hoping Moss will fit that bill as TE Jeremy Shockey and WRs Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer move the chains. The Giants could be a very dangerous team and will have a say in the NFC playoff picture.

Mark Your Calendars

By Jim Johnson

WagerWeb

Contributing Writer

After weeks of talking, toe is finally ready to meet leather and kickoff the 2006 college football season next week. The next 14 Saturdays will be overflowing with exciting football to watch. To help your planning and theodds of you winning negotiations with your significant other for TV time, here are the games you don’t want to miss. I’m restricting my list to the games actually played on Saturdays. There are a lot of quality games during the week this season, but since few of them overlap they don’t take much effort to sort out and prioritize.

Sept. 2: Notre Dame at Georgia Tech is the big game of the weekend. It will be a good test for Heisman favorite Brady Quinn on the road against Tech’s tough defense. A game that might tell us more about what is to come, however, is Cal at Tennessee. If the Golden Bears go in to Knoxville and pound the Vols, it will legitimize Cal as a contender for the Pac-10 and quickly turn up the heat on Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer. Keep an eye on Northern Illinois at Ohio State as a trap game for the Buckeyes.

Sept. 9: The rematch between Ohio State and Texas, this year in Austin, should be every bit as important and exciting as last year’s clash in Columbus. The winner comes out of this game with legitimate national championship hopes. Georgia’s hopes of winning the SEC East could suffer a blow if its young team can’t escape South Carolina with a win. If the Gamecocks can pull the upset, they would have a leg up on winning the division themselves. LSU needs to be wary of visiting Arizona. A victory in Baton Rouge would be a coming-out party for Coach Mike Stoops’ Wildcats.

Sept. 16: There won’t be many windows of time loaded with better football than 3:30-7:00 ET on this Saturday. Michigan travels to Notre Dame, LSU visits Auburn, and Miami heads to Louisville, and all games are scheduled to kickoff at the same time. The LSU-Auburn game will be critical toward determining the SEC West and possibly a national championship spot. Miami-Louisville provides a great matchup between the Hurricanes’ suffocating defense and the Cardinals’ unstoppable offense. Michigan-Notre Dame is always great to watch, especially when both teams are strong like they are this year. If you’ve got anything left after those games, check out the Clemson-Florida State battle. The Bowden Bowl could have the ACC Atlantic Division title riding on it.

Sept. 23: Penn State at Ohio State is the best of a relatively weak group of games this week. Arizona State at California is likely an elimination game to determine the primary challenger to Southern Cal in the Pac-10. Notre Dame at Michigan State could be a shootout with two outstanding quarterbacks leading prolific offenses against mediocre, at best, defenses.

Sept. 30: Another light week with only one marquee matchup, Ohio State visiting its toughest challenger in the Big Ten, Iowa. Among the other games, these conference matchups look like the most attractive ones: Oregon at Arizona State, Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech, and Alabama at Florida. All of these schools will likely be heading to bowls, and these games will help determine which ones.

Oct. 7: The annual Texas-Oklahoma throwdown highlights this week. LSU at Florida should also be a critical game Oklahoma will be gunning for revenge after Texas laid a whipping on the Sooners last year and will need to win that game to reach a BCS bowl. LSU and Florida will also be jockeying for position in their divisions and the BCS standings. Nebraska’s visit to Iowa State could decide the Big 12 North division –someone has to win it.

Oct. 14: Florida-Auburn and Michigan-Penn State will vie for the best game of this Saturday. The Gators and Tigers both start the season in the Top 10, and the winner of this game is likely to stay there. Penn State will be looking to avenge its only loss last season to the Wolverines, and both teams will be looking to stay within striking distance of a Rose Bowl bid.

Oct. 21: There’s no single can’t-miss game this week, but there are several good ones. Texas could have some trouble at Nebraska, Boston College’s visit to Florida State could be a determining factor in the ACC Atlantic Division winner, Iowa’s trip to Michigan could have a lot to say about the Big Ten race, and Fresno State’s game at LSU will be one of the last opportunities this season for a non-BCS school to claim a major BCS scalp.

Oct. 28: Georgia’s trip to the Swamp to play the Gators could decide the champion of the SEC East and carry major BCS implications. Miami heads to Georgia Tech trying to avenge the physical beating the Yellow Jackets administered to the ‘Canes last year. This will be Tech’s chance to be a major player in the ACC Coastal Division.

Nov. 4: Virginia Tech at Miami is this weekend’s most important game, with the winner likely claiming the ACC’s Coastal Division. Tennessee will look to improve its bowl standing by knocking off visiting LSU.

Nov. 11: Georgia at Auburn appears to be the only game this Saturday that could impact the BCS. Both teams could be trying to wrap up their divisions and set up a rematch in the SEC Championship Game in three weeks. South Carolina at Florida could be interesting if the Gamecocks are still in contention. Texas Tech’s trip to Oklahoma will also impact the bowl positioning for both teams.

Nov. 18: Many of the traditional rivalry games take place this weekend, but the biggest matchup is California at USC with the Pac-10 championship on the line. Michigan-Ohio State could decide the Big Ten title as it has countless times before.

Nov. 25: One of the must-see games of the year is on this day: Notre Dame at USC. If you watched last year’s game for the ages between these schools, one that actually exceeded the hype, then the only thing you need to know is what time it kicks off. Of the rivalry games this weekend, Florida-Florida State is the best of the bunch.

Dec. 2: This is conference championship weekend. Along with the ACC (my pick: Clemson vs. Miami), Big 12 (Nebraska vs. Texas) and SEC (Auburn vs. Georgia) will be the game that oozes more tradition than any other in college football: Army vs. Navy. The records of those two teams never matter, this game is worth watching.

In addition to these games, there will be ones bubble up during the year that become more important than anyone anticipated. It all adds up to another exciting year of college football, one with a plethora of important games since there is no clear cut front-runner for the national championship.

Bad News Rays

By Tom Brew

WagerWeb

Contributing Writer

Tampa Bay’s only reliable starting pitcher, 22-year-old All-Star Scott Kazmir, might be done for the season. The Devil Rays placed him on the disabled list after Friday’s game for what they said were precautionary reasons and don’t know when he will next pitch.

Kazmir, their prized 22-year-old left-hander, was on the DL from July 24 through Aug. 11 due to shoulder inflammation. He has made three starts since and, while getting decent results (0-1, 2.25 ERA, 24 strikeouts in 16 innings), has not looked as smooth mechanically as the Rays would like. They are concerned about an adjustment in his delivery to protect the shoulder and they don’t want to risk further damage.

“The last couple outings, we’re concerned that he’s starting to change his arm stroke a little bit because of the tightness in his shoulder on occasion,” Manager Joe Maddon said. “So we don’t want to risk him doing anything improper by throwing in a different manner.”

Kazmir said it seems to be an issue when he is warming up, a process that has been taking longer than usual. But he said he actually has been feeling better and is not concerned about potential further injury.

“It’s a good idea to take some time to let this run its course and get rid of it completely,” he said. “I’m fine with it.”

What the Rays don’t know is whether Kazmir’s season is over or if he will return as he hopes for the final three weeks.

“It’s possible (his season is over), but if he feels really good, I’d like him to (pitch),” Maddon said.

Kazmir, 10-8 with a 3.24 ERA, has thrown 144 2/3 innings this season. Meantime, continue to
WagerWeb

bet against the Devil Rays on the road. They’ve been respectable at home this year, but they are horrific away from Florida. They just got swept in Baltimore, and I don’t see this trend changing.

Since the All-Star break they are 1-18 on the road, and it doesn’t get any easier when they leave Baltimore. After that, they make their only trip to Chicago to face the White Sox, so keep going in that direction. It’s easy money.