'The Catch,' 55 Years Later

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Unless you are at least in your 60s, you have no memory of Willie Mays' over–the–shoulder catch of Vic Wertz's drive to deep center field at New York's Polo Grounds in the first game of the 1954 World Series.

It happened on this date, which may seem strange to modern baseball fans. It has been decades since a World Series game was played in September. And the game was played during the day, which became increasingly rare after the first night–time game was played in 1971.

And, as iconic as "The Catch" has become, the chances of it being duplicated have been rendered virtually nil, given that the dimensions of modern ballparks have shrunk dramatically in comparison to those of the past. Actually, in most of the ballparks in existence at the time, Wertz's shot would have been a home run. But the Polo Grounds (which was demolished about 10 years later) was cavernous, and the ball remained in play.

Mays' catch is widely credited with propelling the New York Giants to a sweep of the Cleveland Indians. It was the last time the Giants (who moved to San Francisco a few years later) won a World Series — and it looks like they won't have the opportunity to end their drought this year. Mathematically, they are still in the race — but just barely — for the National League's wild card berth.

By the way, baseball's playoffs begin next week, and the playoff field has begun to take shape.

In the American League, the Yankees and the Angels already have won their divisions. Detroit and Minnesota meet in a four–game series this week that should go a long way toward deciding which team will represent the AL Central in the playoffs. And the Boston Red Sox appear all but certain to be the AL's wild card team.

In the National League, the Cardinals and Dodgers are on their way to the playoffs. St. Louis has clinched its division. The Dodgers probably will represent the NL West, but, at the moment, the only thing Los Angeles is assured of is a playoff spot. It is still possible that the Dodgers will be overtaken by the Colorado Rockies, who are 4½ games out with six games to play. Likewise, Philadelphia leads the NL East but could lose it to Atlanta, which has won seven in a row.

Unless something truly unexpected occurs, it seems likely the NL's wild card team will be either Colorado or Atlanta.

What It Was, Was Football

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Today, while I was looking at YouTube, I came across this video clip of Andy Griffith. And I decided I wanted to share it with you.

Most people know Andy Griffith as a TV star. Some folks are old enough to remember when he made movies like "No Time for Sergeants," which ultimately served as the inspiration for Gomer Pyle.

But the attached clip is from 1953, when Griffith was in his late 20s and he was a standup comedian. In this routine, he was known as "Deacon Andy Griffith," who was trying to explain a football game.

His style reminds me of Jerry Clower, a country comedian you're bound to remember if you grew up in the South. If Clower was a little before your time, think Larry the Cable Guy.

My NFL 'Upset' Pick is Titans Over Jets

As we prepare to start the third week of the season, nine of the 32 NFL teams are 2–0. There is one undefeated team in every division — two in the NFC South — and only one game this week features a matchup between two unbeaten teams.

So, theoretically, there could be eight undefeated teams remaining when the week is over. But there are always upsets. Seems to be at least one upset every week.

Identifying the upsets before they happen is the tricky part. Which one will it be this week?

• Cleveland (0–2) at Baltimore (2–0) — I'm pretty certain it won't be Cleveland that pulls off the upset this week. The Ravens were good last year, and they seem to be good this year. Good enough to handle the Browns at home.


• Washington (1–1) at Detroit (0–2) — Someday, perhaps someday soon, Detroit fans will celebrate the victory that snaps the Lions' losing streak. But not this week.


• Jacksonville (0–2) at Houston (1–1) — Jacksonville really hasn't impressed me. Neither has Houston, actually. But the Texans have come closer to impressing me than the Jags, and Houston is at home. I'll take Houston.


• Atlanta (2–0) at New England (1–1) — I'm not convinced that wins over Miami and Carolina (Atlanta's foes in the first two weeks) says the Falcons can beat the Patriots on the road. But the Pats didn't show much muscle against the Jets last week. It's tempting to take Atlanta, but I'll stick with New England.


• Green Bay (1–1) at St. Louis (0–2) — The Packers' season–opening victory over Chicago was impressive. Their loss to Cincinnati was not. There has been nothing especially encouraging for Rams fans in St. Louis' losses to Seattle and Washington. The Rams have been outscored 37–7. I'll go with Green Bay.


• N.Y. Giants (2–0) at Tampa Bay (0–2) — Frankly, I despise the Giants. I'd like to see them lose every game they play. But I can't find even one good reason to pick the Bucs in this game.


• Tennessee (0–2) at N.Y. Jets (2–0) — I'm going to pick the Titans to beat the Jets, simply because I am convinced that Tennessee is better than its record indicates — and New York is worse than its record indicates.


• Kansas City (0–2) at Philadelphia (1–1) — I know the Eagles have problems at the quarterback position. But the Chiefs seems to have problems at every position. Kansas City lost to Oakland last week. That's all I need to know. I'm taking Philly.


• San Francisco (2–0) at Minnesota (2–0) — I think the 49ers are improving. Last month, I predicted they would win their division this year. But it's a weak division. And the Vikings, even though they, too, appear to be in a weak division, are better. As long as Adrian Peterson is healthy, I see no reason to pick against the Vikings in this game. On the other hand, if he gets hurt today, well, the 49ers might have a shot. Since I can't take into account things that haven't happened, I'll take Minnesota.


• New Orleans (2–0) at Buffalo (1–1) — If it wasn't September, picking Buffalo to win at home against Drew Brees and the Saints might be reasonable. But it is September. It might rain in Buffalo, but the temperatures are supposed to be in the 60s. I'll take the Saints.


• Chicago (1–1) at Seattle (1–1) — I have no particular reason for making this pick. I think the Bears will win, perhaps more convincingly than the 1½ points they have been spotted.


• Pittsburgh (1–1) at Cincinnati (1–1) — OK, the Bengals upset the Packers last week. And the Steelers lost to Chicago. The week before that, Green Bay beat Chicago. Sometimes, you can't derive a lot of sense from what happens in the NFL. But one thing I have learned over the years is that it is futile to predict the outcome of one game based on the results of previous games. I think the Steelers are better than the Bengals, and I'll take Pittsburgh to win.


• Denver (2–0) at Oakland (1–1) — I can't say I am persuaded that Denver is that good. But I am persuaded that Oakland isn't very good, and a 13–10 win over the Chiefs didn't tell me the Raiders are getting better. I'll take Denver — unenthusiastically.


• Miami (0–2) at San Diego (1–1) — I honestly cannot understand why the Chargers are favored by nearly a touchdown in this game. OK, I know they're playing at home. But LaDainian Tomlinson will be sitting out his second straight game with a sprained ankle, and his replacement is averaging less than three yards per carry. Is quarterback Philip Rivers capable of carrying the San Diego offense? Against Miami, maybe he is. I'll take the Chargers — but I wouldn't be surprised if Miami manages a win.


• Indianapolis (2–0) at Arizona (1–1) — The Colts' defense had to spend a lot of time on the field in Monday night's 27–23 win in Miami. Now they travel to Arizona to face Kurt Warner and the Cardinals. The Cardinals are picked by 2½ points. I guess that makes sense, but I'll pick the Colts to win.

MONDAY

• Carolina (0–2) at Dallas (1–1) — Well, someone has to win. I think Dallas has the edge at quarterback — and at most of the other positions. The Cowboys are playing at home in their new cathedral. I'll take the Cowboys.

Last week, I went 13–3, same as the week before. My record for the season is 26–6.

Is Miami Over Virginia Tech an Upset?

It isn't October yet, which is traditionally when conference play begins, but the Top 25 has at least a dozen conference clashes on this week's schedule.

• #1 Florida at Kentucky, 5 p.m. (Central) on ESPN2 — Florida didn't particularly impress me against Tennessee last week, but, at the moment, I have no reason to pick against the top–ranked team in the country.


• UTEP at #2 Texas, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on FSN — I was a little more impressed with Texas' performance against Texas Tech last week, but Tech isn't what it was last year. Still, as is the case with Florida, I have no reason to pick against Texas. Certainly not at home against UTEP.


• Arkansas at #3 Alabama, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS — As an Arkansas alum, I would love to see the Razorbacks beat Alabama. And there have been times since the Razorbacks joined the SEC when I have seen Arkansas beat Alabama. Sometimes I have seen Arkansas win at Alabama. And I believe the Razorbacks will make it a competitive game. But, I'm afraid, I won't see them beat Alabama this year.


• Iowa at #4 Penn State, 7 p.m. (Central) on ABC — Last November, Penn State took a 9–0 record to Iowa and left Iowa City with its first loss of the year, 24–23. I don't expect the Nittany Lions to lose the Big Ten rematch at home.


• #5 Ole Miss at South Carolina, tonight at 6:45 p.m. (Central) on ESPN — South Carolina probably won't win this SEC game, but I expect the Gamecocks to give the Rebels their first real test of the season.


• #6 California at Oregon, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — Oregon lost to Big Ten rival Cal on the road last season. But the Ducks are at home this time. Will there be an upset? I don't think so. I'll take Cal.


• #7 LSU at Mississippi State, 11:21 a.m. (Central) on SEC — I don't think Mississippi State can stay with LSU in this SEC tilt. I'll take the Tigers.


• #8 Boise State at Bowling Green — I can't say I follow either of these schools too closely, but my gut tells me Boise State will win.


• Washington State at #10 USC — I've heard the mutterings that USC is no longer a factor in the national title picture. That may be so. But I think the Trojans are still the best in their conference until someone displaces them. I don't think it will be Washington State.


• Illinois at #11 Ohio State, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — This game is sort of deceptive. It looks like a mismatch, but it's been just about evenly split for a quarter of a century. I'll go with the Buckeyes, but the score might be closer than you think.


• #13 Miami (Florida) at #12 Virginia Tech, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — As far as rankings are concerned, this is probably the game of the week. It's certainly the game of the week in the ACC. In the last five years, Tech has a 3–2 record against Miami, but they've split the last two games in Blacksburg. Tech is coming off a last–minute win over Nebraska in which many weaknesses were exposed. I'm picking the visiting Hurricanes to win what may — or may not — be an upset.


• #14 TCU at Clemson — Clemson has the reputation. Clemson has a boisterous home crowd. But TCU has a better team. Give me TCU.


• Fresno State at #15 Cincinnati — I'm sorry this game isn't being televised around here. Cincinnati's quarterback is being mentioned as a dark–horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy. And this should be a good opportunity to see him shine.


• Grambling State at #16 Oklahoma State — Should be an easy win for Oklahoma State.


• Arizona State at #17 Georgia, 6 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU — I have become convinced that Georgia's offense is productive and its defense is not. I think the Bulldogs can win by 10.


• #18 North Carolina at Georgia Tech — I don't follow the ACC too closely. I think this will probably be a close game — a narrow win for North Carolina.


• Southern Miss at #19 Kansas, 11 a.m. (Central) on FSN — Southern Miss has played pretty well against teams from the upper tier conferences so Kansas would be making a mistake to assume this will be an easy win. I do think Kansas will win the game, but it might be closer than you expect.


• Colorado State at #20 Brigham Young, 5 p.m. on The MTN — I expect BYU to prevail.


• #21 Missouri at Nevada, Friday at 8 p.m. (Central) on ESPN — I'll take Missouri.


• Indiana at #22 Michigan, 11 a.m. on ESPN2 — Michigan should roll over Indiana. Seems like old times.


• Texas Tech at #23 Houston, 8:15 p.m. (Central) on ESPN2 — This could be wild, a throwback to the run–and–shoot days of the Southwest Conference. I think Tech will win.


• Louisiana–Lafayette at #24 Nebraska — Hardly seems worth saying that I think Nebraska will win this one convincingly.


• South Florida at #25 Florida State, 11 a.m. (Central) on EPNU — Florida State should have no problems.

Last week, I went 19–3 in games involving Top 25 teams. So far, my record is 40–4.

Picking the Second Week in the NFL

This must be Division Matchup weekend in the NFL. Nearly half of the games are between division rivals.

• Houston at Tennessee — The Titans are at home and they are favored by 6½ points over the Texans. I think Houston will be better this year, but the Texans may not improve upon their 8–8 mark from last year. Tennessee, meanwhile, won its division last season. I'll take Tennessee.


• Carolina at Atlanta — Atlanta is the favorite. Atlanta is at home. Jake Delhomme is the quarterback for the Panthers. Need I say more? I'll take the Falcons.


• New Orleans at Philadelphia — If Donovan McNabb hadn&apo;t been injured, I wouldn't hesitate to take the Eagles in this game. But McNabb is injured and the Eagles' quarterback situation is, well, you pick the word. Be it polite or profane, I'm not inclined to take Philly this week with Kevin Kolb directing the offense. Give me the Saints.


• St. Louis at Washington — The Redskins are favored by 10 points. If I was picking against the spread, I'd take the Rams. But I'm not. The Redskins should win the game.


• Minnesota at Detroit — Since the Vikings and Lions are in the same division (and have been, practically since the dawn of time), I was going to look up their head–to–head record over the years. But then I remembered. This is the Lions we're talking about! Why make it hard on yourself? I pick the Vikings.


• New England at N.Y. Jets — The Patriots didn' cover themselves with glory against the Bills last week, but they're still better than the Jets. I'll take New England.


• Oakland at Kansas City — This is the kind of game that poses a challenge for me. Two teams that appear to be equally bad. A glance at the recent history of the series doesn't help much. Just about a year ago, on Sept. 14, 2008, the Raiders came to Kansas City and returned home with a 23–8 victory. The year before, on Nov. 25, 2007, the Raiders left Kansas City with a 20–17 triumph. But the Chiefs won the five home games before that, and they have an 11–7 record against Oakland since the 2000 season. Overall, Kansas City's record against Oakland, including three playoff games, is 51–44–2. So I guess the numbers favor the Chiefs. But I'm going to go with the Raiders.


• Arizona at Jacksonville — The Cardinals are favored. After their loss to the 49ers, I don't know why. I'll take the Cardinals to win. Again, I don't know why.


• Cincinnati at Green Bay — In the battle of the quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers has shown me more than Carson Palmer, even though Rodgers hasn't started a playoff game yet. The Pack is playing at home. I'll go with Green Bay.


• Seattle at San Francisco — Seattle has never been much of a road team yet the Seahawks are favored by 1½ points. The winner of this game takes the early lead in a weak division. I'll take the 49ers.


• Tampa Bay at Buffalo — Not much to say about either team's offense. Buffalo at least has something resembling a defense. My pick is Buffalo.


• Pittsburgh at Chicago — I don't think Jay Cutler and his receivers are on the same page yet. That was a bad thing against the Packers last week. It will be a disaster against the Steelers today. I'll take Pittsburgh.


• Cleveland at Denver — Do you remember the days when the Browns and the Broncos used to play with a Super Bowl berth on the line? Those days are gone. I'll take the home team.


• Baltimore at San Diego — The Chargers are favored. How can that be, with LaDainian Tomlinson nursing an ankle injury? I'll take the Ravens.


• N.Y. Giants at Dallas — It's the Cowboys' first regular–season game in their new stadium. Dallas handled Tampa Bay last week but couldn't handle the running game. New York should be able to run the ball fairly efficiently. I'm not a fan of either team, but I'll take the Giants.


• Indianapolis at Miami — This game might be competitive enough to keep the Monday night audience tuned in, but, unless Peyton Manning gets hurt, I expect the Colts to prevail.

I went 13–3 in the first week of the season.

Baseball vs. Football, According to Carlin

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We're getting into that time of the year — when the end of the baseball season overlaps with the start of football season.

And no one could summarize the differences between the two sports better than George Carlin.

Carlin is gone now, but thanks to recordings and videos, we can still enjoy his humor. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this classic routine.

Oregon, Arkansas Are My Upset Specials

The top two teams in the nation, Florida and Texas, are looking for revenge in conference rematches this weekend. And they will have the home crowds in their corners.

Last year, Florida overcame its loss to Tennessee to play for the SEC title and, then, the national title. Texas took a share of the Big 12 South title after its last–minute loss to Texas Tech, but Oklahoma represented the division in the conference championship game and went on to face Florida in the national championship game.

My hunch is that the Gators and Longhorns will be successful.

By the way, all games are on Saturday unless otherwise noted.

• Tennessee at #1 Florida, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS — I'm sorry, Tennessee. I know the Vols fans crave an ego boost, but they aren't going to get one from the Gators. I pick Florida.


• Texas Tech at #2 Texas, 7 p.m. (Central) on ABC — The Longhorns are on a mission. They want to avenge last year's loss to the Red Raiders that kept them from facing Florida in the national championship game. This game is in Austin. I'll take Texas.


• #3 USC at Washington, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — I can't see the Huskies beating the Trojans.


• North Texas at #4 Alabama, 11:21 a.m. (Central) on SEC — North Texas doesn't have the horses to stay with Alabama.


• Temple at #5 Penn State, 11 a.m. (Central) on Big Ten — I might be tempted to take Temple if this was a basketball game. But it isn't. Penn State should prevail.


• SE Louisiana at #6 Ole Miss — The Rebels have been hammered by the flu, but they should still have enough to win.


• #7 California at Minnesota, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN — I don't know much about either team, but I will take Cal.


• Louisiana–Lafayette at #7 LSU— LSU should have few problems in this one.


• Florida State at #9 BYU, 6 p.m. (Central) on Versus — Florida State dropped out of the rankings after losing to Miami on Labor Day. But FSU has some talent. I'm just not sure whether there's enough talent to compete with BYU. I'll take BYU — barely.


• #10 Boise State at Fresno State, 8 p.m. (Central) tomorrow on ESPN — I'll take Boise State.


• #11 Ohio State at Toledo, 11 a.m. (Central) on Game Plan — If Ohio State doesn't win this game, the Buckeyes don't deserve to be in the Top 25.


• Tulsa at #12 Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on FSN — Tulsa is capable of putting up a fight so the Sooners better be prepared. I think OU will win at home, but it won't be easy and it may not be pretty.


• #13 Georgia Tech at #22 Miami (Florida), 6:45 p.m. (Central) tonight on ESPN — After seeing Miami rally for a victory over Florida State on Labor Day, I think the Hurricanes are back in business. I take Miami.


• #18 Nebraska at #14 Virginia Tech, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — I think this one will be close, but I'll take Tech. The Hokies are the home team, but they will be tested by the 'Huskers.


• Texas State at #15 TCU — I don't think this one will be competitive. TCU should win easily.


• #16 Utah at Oregon, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN — Something tells me that Oregon will win.


• Rice at #17 Oklahoma State — Maybe it is because I was brought up in the days of the old Southwest Conference, but I just can't see Rice winning this game. I know OSU stumbled against Houston after beating Georgia, so part of me wonders if the real Oklahoma State will stand up on Saturday. But I think this game will be a foregone conclusion.


• East Carolina at #19 North Carolina, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN2 — I'll take the Tar Heels, but I think it will be a close game.


• No. 20 Georgia at Arkansas, 6:45 p.m. (Central) on ESPN — I admit it, I'm biased. I'm a graduate of the University of Arkansas, and I would like nothing better than to see the Hogs win this game. What is more, I'm picking the Hogs to win. Not because of any personal bias, but because Georgia hasn't impressed me.


• #21 Cincinnati at #24 Oregon State, 5:45 p.m. (Central) on FSN — Cincinnati's offense will be too much for Oregon State.


• Duke at #23 Kansas, 11 a.m. on Versus — This would be a marquee matchup if this was college basketball. But it's football, and Duke doesn't have the same reputation on the gridiron. I'll take Kansas.


• Furman at #25 Missouri — I don't see any way Furman can win this game.

I went 21–1 last week. My only misstep was picking Notre Dame over Michigan.

Picking the NFL in Week 1

The NFL kicks off the season tonight in Pittsburgh.

Ready or not, here it comes. And here are my picks for the first week of the NFL season:

• Tennessee at Pittsburgh, tonight at 7:30 p.m. (Central) on NBC — I don't know if the Titans are as good as last season's record (13–3) suggests, but I'll still pick the defending champion Steelers to prevail in tonight's opener.

SUNDAY

• Miami at Atlanta — Unlike some people, I'm not convinced that Miami was a fluke last year. But I'm also not sure that Atlanta was a fluke, either. I'll take the home team.


• Kansas City at Baltimore — The Chiefs had one of the worst teams in the NFL last year. The Ravens had one of the best. Doesn't require a degree in rocket science to pick the Ravens in this one.


• Philadelphia at Carolina — I know some people are hoping the Eagles will stumble in the first few weeks so a movement to get Michael Vick in at quarterback will get some traction. The Panthers are underdogs by 1½ points, but I will take the Eagles by three — even though the Panthers were unbeaten at home last season.


• Denver at Cincinnati — The Bengals are favored and I will go with them in this game, but I'm not sold on either team. In this particular matchup, my pick is based more on my absence of confidence in the Broncos. The Bengals will face their own challenges as the season wears on.


• Minnesota at Cleveland — Brett Favre always seems to play well in the early stages of a season. Cleveland seemingly has settled on its opening day quarterback. The Vikings have more talent across the board than the Browns. I think Minnesota is a sure thing.


• New York Jets at Houston — The Jets no longer have Favre, and I think they will slip back into sub–.500 territory this season. Opening the season on the road won't help, even if the opponent is the Texans. I'll take Houston.


• Jacksonville at Indianapolis — Is it my imagination or is Jacksonville always being trumpeted as a team on the rise? The Jaguars didn't quite make it last year, when they went 5–11. The Colts went 12–4 and got into the playoffs. The Colts are favored on Sunday. I'll take the Colts.


• Detroit at New Orleans — The Saints are favored by nearly two touchdowns against a team that has lost its last 17 straight. I don't think the Lions will go winless again this year, but this isn't going to be the game that breaks their streak.


• Dallas at Tampa Bay — The Cowboys are favored — perhaps in no small part because the Bucs fired their offensive coordinator. I'm not sure the Cowboys deserve to be favored, but I'll go with them primarily because Tampa Bay is in such disarray.


• San Francisco at Arizona — Last month, I predicted that San Francisco would win the NFC West. Because of that, I will predict that the 49ers will prevail over the Cardinals, even though Arizona is a 6½–point pick.


• Washington at New York Giants — New York is favored by 6½ points. The Giants whipped the Redskins twice last year. But the Giants don't have anything at wide receiver. Who will Eli Manning be throwing to? I'll take the Redskins in an upset.


• St. Louis at Seattle — The Seahawks are favored by 8½ points, which I find astonishing, even if the opponent is St. Louis. If I was picking against the spread, I'd take the Rams. But I'm not so I'll take the Seahawks.


• Chicago at Green Bay — The Packers are back in the forecasters' good graces this season, but they will have to earn their way in to the playoffs like anyone else. I think the defense will be better this year. The offense already was looking pretty good so the defense is the key.

MONDAY

• Buffalo at New England — The Patriots are favored by 11 points, but they have Tom Brady back and they're playing at home. The real question for the Patriots is their defense, but, even with Terrell Owens, the Bills' offense may not be good enough to compete. I'll take the Pats.


• San Diego at Oakland — The Chargers are favored by nearly 10 points. When you consider that only three teams in the AFC gave up more points than the Raiders did last year and no teams in the AFC scored more points than the Chargers did, it isn't unreasonable. Give me the Chargers.

Hey, OSU -- Watch Out for Houston

I don't know if I will do this every week for the next couple of months.

But I'm going to try — at least for awhile.

Here are my picks in this week's games featuring teams that are currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25:

• Troy at #1 Florida, 11:21 a.m. (Central) on the SEC Network — Florida should win by a wide margin.


• #2 Texas at Wyoming, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on Versus — Texas appears likely to win substantially.


• #3 Southern Cal at #7 Ohio State, 7 p.m. (Central) on ESPN — I pick Southern Cal. Ohio State hasn't fared well against ranked opponents in recent years.


• Florida International at #4 Alabama — 'Bama should cruise.


• Syracuse at #5 Penn State, 11 a.m. (Central) on Big Ten Network — I pick Penn State.


• Houston at #6 Oklahoma State, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on FSN — Most observers probably believe Oklahoma State is likely to win, but I think Houston might pull off the upset.


• Vanderbilt at #9 LSU, 6 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU — I'm no fan of LSU, but I don't see how the Tigers can lose.


• Eastern Washington at #10 California — I'll take Cal, simply because I do not know much about Eastern Washington.


• Miami (Ohio) at #11 Boise State — Same is true of this game. I will take Boise State


• #12 Brigham Young at Tulane, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN2 — BYU should be favored after its win over Oklahoma.


• Clemson at #13 Georgia Tech tonight at 6:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPN — I'll take Tech, but Clemson might pull off a surprise.


• Idaho State at #14 Oklahoma — Even with injuries at quarterback and tight end, OU should be able to handle Idaho State.


• Marshall at #15 Virginia Tech — Virginia Tech lost to a good Alabama team. Tech should be able to dispose of Marshall fairly easily.


• #16 TCU at Virginia, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU — I'll take TCU to knock off Virginia.


• #17 Utah at San Jose State, 9:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU — San Jose doesn't have the horses to stay with Utah.


• Arkansas State at #18 Nebraska — If ASU upsets Nebraska, the Top 25 will look radically different next week.


• #19 North Carolina at Connecticut, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPNU — North Carolina should win this one easily.


• #20 Notre Dame at Michigan, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — This is one of those grudge matches in which records and rankings don't matter. If Notre Dame wins, though, the Irish haters need to prepare themselves for a long season. Better get started.


• South Carolina at #21 Georgia, 6 p.m. (Central) on ESPN2 — Georgia should be able to bounce back against South Carolina.


• Southeast Missouri State at #23 Cincinnati — Cincinnati has everything going in its favor.


• #24 Oregon State at UNLV — Oregon State should have no trouble with UNLV.


• #25 Kansas at Texas–El Paso — Kansas should handle UTEP.

Eighth–ranked Ole Miss and #22 Miami (Fla.) are off this week.

There are a couple of games that stand out. Clearly, #3 Southern Cal at #7 Ohio State is the marquee matchup. And, simply for the tradition, #20 Notre Dame at Michigan has the potential to be entertaining.

Other than those two games, you've got to figure that the ranked teams will be the favorites this week.

Still, there are questions.

For example, how will Oklahoma respond to not only losing its quarterback for 2–4 weeks but also its tight end for the season? I doubt their absences will be meaningful against Idaho State — but the Sooners have to play the Miami Hurricanes and the Texas Longhorns in a few weeks.

Hall of Fame, ESPN Mark Milestones

On this day in 1963, pro football's Hall of Fame opened its doors in Canton, Ohio.

There were 17 charter inductees. All of them are dead now. The last survivor, Sammy Baugh, died at the age of 94 last December.

According to the Hall of Fame's website, there are 253 members of the Hall of Fame. And the living Hall of Famer who has been a member the longest is Steve Van Buren (class of 1965). A halfback who played his college ball at LSU and then played his pro ball for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1940s, Van Buren is now in his late 80s.

It was probably coincidental, but on this day in 1979, ESPN (an acronym for the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) was launched.

Over the years, ESPN has evolved considerably. These days, it carries live broadcasts of popular mainstream sports. Today, in fact, ESPN will broadcast a couple of college football games — Cincinnati at Rutgers (3 p.m. Central) and Miami at Florida State (7 p.m. Central). The network also televises pro football, baseball and basketball games.

Initially, though, ESPN aired a lot of stuff that wasn't part of mainstream programming — like Australian Rules Football, Davis Cup tennis, pro wrestling, boxing and some college football and basketball games. And it didn't show exclusively sports programming.

But things changed in the late 1980s. ESPN gradually added NFL and college football and major league baseball to its lineup. Today, it provides live coverage of such mainstream sports on nearly a daily basis.

One thing that hasn't changed is "SportsCenter," the network's flagship program. It aired once a day originally — now it is shown as many as a dozen times in a single day. A noteworthy exception was Sept. 11, 2001, when it interrupted its regular schedule to show coverage of the terrorist attacks.

The network considered not airing "SportsCenter" that day, but eventually it did air that evening, reporting the cancellations of sports events that had been announced up to that time.

Most, if not all, of the inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the last decade or so appeared on ESPN at least once. They would probably tell you their lives would have been different — to a certain extent — if ESPN had not existed.

Most of the non–athletes of the world would probably say the same thing.

College Hijinx

This weekend has been the start of the college football season.

And, as usual, there have been some astonishing moments.

Things appear to be a little messy in the Big Ten, with Ohio State and Iowa stumbling to narrow victories on the first Saturday.

Last Thursday, fourteenth–ranked Boise State turned back #16 Oregon for the second consecutive year.

Yesterday, ninth–ranked Oklahoma State turned back #13 Georgia. That one surprised me a bit.

In the only game that matched two teams in the Top 10, #5 Alabama outlasted #7 Virginia Tech. I guess what surprised me about that one was the margin. 'Bama will be a force to reckon with this year.

The higher–ranked team in all three of those games won so I presume they met the expectations of the sportswriters who participated in the poll.

The real surprise took place about 20 miles west of where I live — at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. The third–ranked Oklahoma Sooners opened the season against #20 Brigham Young.

The Sooners lost the game — and they may have lost Heisman Trophy–winning quarterback Sam Bradford. Bradford injured his shoulder, and it is unclear how long he will be out of action.

Now, I suppose Arlington was considered a neutral site, but, geographically, Arlington is about 180 miles from the OU campus. It's more than 950 miles from the BYU campus. Dallas is a convenient destination for Labor Day weekend if you go to school in Norman. It's a different matter if you go to school in another time zone — in Provo, Utah.

I didn't watch most of the game, I was watching Alabama–Virginia Tech, but I was e–mailing a friend of mine who was watching the OU game. He said it was sloppy, loaded with penalties. I watched the last few minutes, and I concluded that OU needs to fall to at least 13th in the polls — not just because the Sooners lost but because they lack the depth one expects from a third–ranked team when their quarterback goes down.

If Bradford has to sit out the month of September, Oklahoma may be able to get around its apparent weakness at quarterback in the next couple of weeks, when the Sooners play Idaho State and Tulsa. After that, they've got the week of Sept. 26 off. But after that, OU has to play the up–and–coming Miami Hurricanes on Oct. 3, then the Sooners dive into Big 12 play against Baylor.

The Bears have been improving, and they're coming off a victory over Wake Forest, another program that has been lightly regarded in football in the past but has been taking positive steps in recent years. Baylor has this weekend off, then the Bears play three straight home games — against Connecticut, Northwestern State and Kent State — before the Bears travel to Norman to face OU.

This prospect may seem incredible to college football fans, but OU might have to take on an unbeaten Baylor team — with Texas waiting for the Sooners the following week. And it doesn't get any easier for the Sooners after that with games against Nebraska, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma fans better be praying that Bradford has a short–term injury.

College Kickoff

Labor Day weekend is upon us, and that means the start of the 2009 college football season.

Things actually get started tonight with a handful of games. The most interesting game on today's schedule is

• Oregon at Boise State.
  
  You can watch this game on ESPN starting at 9:15 p.m. (Central). Oregon finished 10–3 last year, ranked in the top 10. The Ducks won the Holiday Bowl over Oklahoma State, 42–31. But one of the Ducks' losses was to Boise State, in the fourth game of the season.
  
  That was the closest that Boise State came to losing all season — until the Broncos lost the Poinsettia Bowl to TCU, 17–16. Because of that one–point defeat, Boise State finished the season ranked 11th in the Associated Press poll, 13th in the coaches' poll.
  
  I'm going to pick the Broncos to win, 24–23, simply because they're playing at home — and also because Oregon has a new coach. He may turn out to be the best coach Oregon has ever had, but I think the team will need a little time to adjust to his style.

Other games being played tonight include South Carolina at North Carolina State, Western Illinois at Sam Houston State and North Texas at Ball State.

There are a few noteworthy games on Saturday:

• Georgia at Oklahoma State, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC.
  
  Georgia went 10–3 last season. The Bulldogs finished 13th in the AP poll, 10th in the coaches' poll after beating Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl.
  
  OSU was 9–4 last year. The Cowboys lost their last two games — their regular–season finale to in–state rival Oklahoma and a Holiday Bowl date with Oregon — but they did have their moments during the regular season. They beat second–ranked and previously unbeaten Missouri and they narrowly lost on the road to top–ranked Texas.
  
  Georgia and Oklahoma State did not play each other last year, but I'm going to pick Georgia by a score of 31–20. The Bulldogs are more accustomed to the spotlight than the Cowboys are.


• Brigham Young vs. Oklahoma at Dallas, 6 p.m. (Central) on ESPN.
  
  Oklahoma finished fifth in the nation last season after losing the national championship game to Florida. The Sooners were 12–2.
  
  BYU was 10–3 overall last year, finishing 25th in AP and 21st in the coaches' poll. The Cougars lost the Las Vegas Bowl to Arizona.
  
  Most people expect the Sooners to contend for the Big 12 title again. Their opener will be played at a "neutral" site — the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. But that is considerably closer to the OU campus than to the BYU campus. I expect far more Sooner fans to be on hand than Cougar fans, and the Sooner football program is stronger, anyway. So I will pick Oklahoma to win, 35–17.


• Alabama vs. Virginia Tech, 7 p.m. (Central) on ABC.
  
  Alabama is ranked fifth in ESPN's preseason power rankings, Virginia Tech is ranked seventh. Clearly, great things are expected from both teams. The Crimson Tide finished sixth in the nation with a 12–2 record last year, but both losses came in the postseason — in the SEC championship game to Florida and in the Sugar Bowl to Utah. The Hokies went 10–4 and beat Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl. They were ranked 15th in the AP poll, 14th in the coaches' poll.
  
  Alabama has some holes to fill, but, being Alabama, my guess is that the Crimson Tide will find a way. And I predict they will find a way to win their primetime showdown with Virginia Tech, too. I predict Alabama 20, Virginia Tech 14.