I Pick Pats to Hand Broncos Their First Loss

New England isn't going to repeat 2007 and go undefeated this year. But I think the Patriots will see to it this afternoon that the Denver Broncos don't go undefeated, either.

I made the Broncos my upset special last week, and they came through for me. But now, at 4–0, I think their streak will come to an end. They may go on to win the AFC's wimpy West, but they won't have a perfect record.

There are a few exceptions, but mostly, this is something of a lackluster week in the NFL.

• Cincinnati (3–1) at Baltimore (3–1) — Are the Bengals for real? We may get something of an answer to that question this week when they travel to Baltimore. I believe Baltimore will win this battle of the 3–1 teams.


• Oakland (1–3) at New York Giants (4–0) — Is there even a chance that the Raiders can beat the Giants? Umm, nope.


• Dallas (2–2) at Kansas City (0–4) — I correctly predicted the Cowboys would lose to the Broncos last week. But I really can't see Dallas losing this week. The Chiefs are pathetic.


• Washington (2–2) at Carolina (0–3) — Will the Panthers win their first game this week? Even though they haven't won a game yet, they're 3½–point picks over the Redskins, who lost to Detroit a couple of weeks ago. I'll go with Carolina.


• Minnesota (4–0) at St. Louis (0–4) — This should be a sure thing. I see no way that the Rams can beat the Vikings.


• Tampa Bay (0–4) at Philadelphia (2–1) — This one should also be a sure thing. The Eagles should be rested and ready for the Bucs.


• Pittsburgh (2–2) at Detroit (1–3) — I really can't see the Lions, who only recently won a game for the first time since 2007, beating the defending world champions ... even if the game is in Detroit. I'll go with the Steelers.


• Cleveland (0–4) at Buffalo (1–3) — Cleveland ought to cover the 6–point spread ... but not by enough to win the game. I'll take Buffalo.


• Atlanta (2–1) at San Francisco (3–1) — A couple of years ago, this would have been an unappealing game. But both teams are better now, and it should be fairly entertaining. I'll take the 49ers, but if I was betting on the spread, I'd be tempted to take the 2½–point underdog Falcons.


• Houston (2–2) at Arizona (1–2) — I'll take Arizona, but only because the Cardinals are at home.


• New England (3–1) at Denver (4–0) — Some people are already getting worked up about the Broncos. They beat a Cowboys team that isn't as good as a lot of people thought, and now they're playing a Patriots team that is probably better than a lot of people are thinking. Keep in mind, folks, it's October. And I'll take the Patriots, who are favored by 3 points.


• Jacksonville (2–2) at Seattle (1–3) — I think the Jaguars are capable of winning this game.


• Indianapolis (4–0) at Tennessee (0–4) — This was a more appealing matchup before the season began. I think the Titans are better than their record indicates, but they continue to live down to expectations.

MONDAY

• New York Jets (3–1) at Miami (1–3) — This was a more interesting matchup last year. I'll take the Jets.

Last week: 11–3.
Season: 49–13.

A Postseason Gem

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Fifty–three years ago today, Don Larsen of the New York Yankees pitched the only perfect game in World Series history — so far.

It came against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the fifth game.

The 1956 series itself went seven games so Larsen's perfect game did not clinch the title. And it was the last World Series in which the Dodgers represented Brooklyn. When they returned to the World Series in 1959, they had relocated to the West Coast.

But the dominant image from that postseason classic is of catcher Yogi Berra leaping into Larsen's arms.

Both men, now in their 80s, are still living, by the way. And Larsen, who had a dismal two–inning outing in the second game of the series, was named MVP in recognition of his perfect game.

Baseball Predictions Are On Target So Far

The baseball playoffs began yesterday so we're still a few weeks away from learning who will be in this year's World Series.

But I've been quite pleased with my predictions to this point.

In the American League, I correctly predicted which four teams would be in the playoffs. I predicted the Minnesota Twins would win the Central (although I did not anticipate that they would need a one–game playoff to clinch their division). And, technically, I was correct when I predicted the Yankees and Red Sox would be in the playoffs, but I had them reversed. I picked Boston to win the division and New York to be the wild card.

In the National League, I got all three division winners correct — Los Angeles, St. Louis and Philadelphia — but I was off the mark on the wild card. I predicted the New York Mets would be the wild card team. It turned out to be Colorado.

Still, seven out of eight ain't bad.

Briefly revisiting my predictions for the postseason, I said Boston and St. Louis would meet in the World Series. That could still happen. Boston hasn't begun its ALDS series with the Los Angeles Angels yet (it starts today), but St. Louis got off to a rocky start last night with a 5–3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Anticipating a Shakeup in the Rankings

We seem to be mostly into conference play now, although there are a few nonconference games.

I'm predicting that seven ranked teams will lose this weekend. Some are to be expected, with ranked teams squaring off in four games. But I'm also predicting that three unranked teams will beat ranked teams in results that will probably be considered upsets.

Whether they are or not will be a matter of opinion — if they come to pass.

Four teams in the Top 25 are idle this week — Boise State, USC, Cincinnati and South Florida.

• #1 Florida at #4 LSU, 7 p.m. (Central) on CBS — In a week that features four head–to–head matchups between teams in the Top 25, this is the cherry on the parfait, although, if LSU wins, that may well set the stage for 1 vs. 2 or 2 vs. 3 when the Tigers travel to Alabama on Nov. 7. The big question is whether Tim Tebow should play after suffering a concussion. Common sense says no. And, acting on the assumption that Tebow won't play, I will pick LSU.


• Colorado at #2 Texas, 6:15 p.m. (Central) on ESPN or ESPN2 — Texas will just be warming up for next week's grudge match with Oklahoma.


• #3 Alabama at #16 Ole Miss, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS — I think Ole Miss is a good team, but the Rebels aren't good enough to beat Alabama.


• Boston College at #5 Virginia Tech — The Hokies are home, and they should prevail.


• #25 Wisconsin at #8 Ohio State, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — The Buckeyes seem to have rebounded from their loss to USC. I'll take Ohio State.


• #9 TCU at Air Force, 6:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS CS — I think Air Force is capable of the upset, but I think TCU will escape with a win.


• Florida A&M at #11 Miami (Florida) — This should be an easy win for Miami. But the Hurricanes are certainly due for one.


• Eastern Illinois at #12 Penn State, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN Classic — Joe Paterno is just going to keep adding to his victory total as long as the Nittany Lions get fed a steady diet of non–conference creampuffs.


• #13 Oklahoma State at Texas A&M — I've been wondering if there is a chance that the Aggies might pull off the upset. They've got the real deal at quarterback. But I don't think their defense can close the deal.


• Michigan at #14 Iowa, 7 p.m. (Central) on ABC/ESPN — I think this one might be close, but I'm going to take Michigan as my upset special.


• Iowa State at #15 Kansas, 11:30 a.m. (Central) on Versus — I just don't see Iowa State beating Kansas on the road.


• #17 Oregon at UCLA, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — This should be an entertaining game for West Coast viewers. I'll take Oregon, barely.


• #22 Nebraska at #18 Missouri, tonight at 8 p.m. (Central) on ESPN — This game will answer a lot of questions about both teams. Some observers will call this an upset, but I pick Nebraska to win on the road.


• #19 Auburn at Arkansas — Is this a new Auburn, or is this the same Auburn as last year? I'm not convinced that Auburn is that much better. Still, you have to respect a 5–0 record. But things will get tougher for Auburn, with LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama yet to come. I think Arkansas needs this one more than Auburn does. I pick Arkansas.


• #20 BYU at UNLV, 9 p.m. (Central) on MTN — BYU should have a wide margin of victory.


• Baylor at #21 Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on ABC — I have friends who went to Baylor. I always hope, for their sakes, that Baylor wins. But I don't expect Baylor to upset Oklahoma on the road.


• #23 Georgia Tech at Florida State, 7 p.m. (Central) on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 — I guess I just can't see Florida State losing three in a row. Give me the Seminoles.

Last week: 13–3.

Season: 69–14.

The Granddaddy of All Blowouts

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I often hear football fans complain that a game they went to was a "blowout."

But I can only imagine how the fans in Lebanon, Tenn., must have felt on this date in 1916 — when Cumberland College traveled to Atlanta and was handed the worst beating in football history.

The final score that day was 222–0.

Aside from the lopsided nature of the score, there were a few noteworthy points:

• The name of Tech's coach lives on in college football today. He was John Heisman, for whom the most prestigious trophy given to an individual player in college football is named.


• Cumberland already had discontinued football, but it couldn't cancel its game with Tech for financial reasons. The schools had a scheduling agreement, and Cumberland would have had to pay $3,000 to Tech if it didn't play. In those days, $3,000 was the equivalent of nearly $60,000 in today's money so Cumberland apparently assembled a team just for the occasion.


• I have heard that Heisman was motivated to run up the score because Cumberland's baseball team whipped Tech earlier in the year.

In the 93 years that have passed since that day, a few teams have scored 100 points in a game, but none have come close to matching Tech's output.

Twenty years ago, it was believed by many that the University of Houston, with its "run and shoot" offense under the guidance of coach Jack Pardee, might exceed the century mark — and the Cougars came close with their 95–21 triumph over SMU (which was coming off the NCAA–imposed "death penalty").

But it was actually Pardee's predecessor, Bill Yeoman, who presided over the last triple–digit scoring performance in major college football. In 1968, Yeoman's Cougars beat Tulsa, 100–6.

Today's Games are Prelude to Monday Night

A few teams have a bye week, about half a dozen game are being played between division rivals, but the game that everyone wants to see is Minnesota vs. Green Bay on Monday night.

The game will be played in Minnesota so Brett Favre will have to wait awhile before his homecoming at Lambeau Field. But it will be interesting to see what happens. If the Vikings win, they will be 4–0 and in charge of the NFC North. But if the Packers win, Green Bay will have the tiebreaker over the Vikings, as well as the Bears, who are likely to beat Detroit today.

With a few exceptions, today's games are warmup acts for tomorrow night's game:

• Detroit (1–2) at Chicago (2–1) — I really can't imagine the Bears losing this game.


• Cincinnati (2–1) at Cleveland (0–3) — In spite of the Bengals' start, I'm not convinced yet that they are headed for the playoffs. But I feel pretty confident that the Browns won't be in the playoffs. I take Cincinnati.


• Oakland (1–2) at Houston (1–2) — The Texans are favored by nearly 10 points. I don't have any confidence in the Raiders, either. Houston should prevail.


• Seattle (1–2) at Indianapolis (3–0) — I think the Colts should win fairly easily in this game.


• Tennessee (0–3) at Jacksonville (1–2) — The Jags are favored by three at home, but I think the Titans are better. I pick Tennessee.


• New York Giants (3–0) at Kansas City (0–3) — Unbeaten Giants vs. winless Chiefs? I think this is a no–brainer. Giants by a wide margin.


• Baltimore (3–0) at New England (2–1) — This should be a pretty good game. And, while I know a lot of people think the Patriots are still the team that nearly went 19–0, these are not the 2007 Patriots. And the Ravens are pretty good. I think Baltimore will win.


• Tampa Bay (0–3) at Washington (1–2) — The Redkins are favored by a touchdown. In spite of the fact that they lost to the woeful Lions last week, I think they might have enough firepower to win this game by more than the spread.


• Buffalo (1–2) at Miami (0–3) — I don't know what to think of this one. I will take Buffalo. Can't say I have much of a reason for it, though.


• New York Jets (3–0) at New Orleans (3–0) — All eyes are on the Packers and Vikings, but this one is a matchup of two undefeated teams. I think the Saints are better — but not so much better that they can cover the seven–point spread.


• Dallas (2–1) at Denver (3–0) — Still, records can be deceiving. The Cowboys have won two games against weak teams. Undefeated Denver hasn't really impressed me, either. Dallas is favored by three. I'm taking Denver as an upset special.


• St. Louis (0–3) at San Francisco (2–1) — The Rams are huge underdogs to the 49ers. Deservedly so. I'll take San Francisco.


• San Diego (2–1) at Pittsburgh (1–2) — I think the Steelers will win, but not by enough to cover a 6½–point spread.

MONDAY

• Green Bay (2–1) at Minnesota (3–0) — And that brings us to Monday night's marquee matchup. All eyes are on Favre, but the focal point of the game will be Minnesota's running game and Adrian Peterson. Can the Packers stop him? If they can, they will win. If they can't, they won't. The numbers suggest they won't. So I'll take Minnesota.

I was 12–4 last week, making my season record 38–10.

The Shot Heard 'Round the World

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If you're a baseball fan, surely you have heard a recording of the radio broadcast of Bobby Thomson's game–winning home run in the National League playoff game between Thomson's New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

It happened 58 years ago today. Thomson's home run gave the Giants a 2–to–1 triumph in the playoff series nearly 20 years before the National and American Leagues began divisional play. The Dodgers appeared to be on their way to the National League title most of the season, but the Giants caught and tied them in September, forcing the playoff.

I'm a Dodgers fan. I was still many years away from being born when that happened, but the story is still painful for me.

But it is also a source of amusement for me. Whenever I hear the audio in which the announcer repeatedly exclaims, "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" I am reminded of one of my favorite episodes from the M*A*S*H series.

A couple of years before the show's landmark final episode, "A War for All Seasons" followed the staff through the year 1951. A number of stories were woven together, but the unifying story, I guess, was how Klinger, in his never–ending quest for an easy dollar, persuaded the well–to–do Charles to finance some bets on the streaking Dodgers.

But even Klinger was hesitant for Charles to give in to his greed to the extent Charles appeared prepared to do. "Major, we stand to win a lot of loot," Klinger cautioned. "Let us not be piggish."

"This is not piggish, Klinger, this is bullish," Charles replied. "How do you think we Winchesters amassed our huge family fortune?"

But the Giants' late–season rally took its toll on the unlikely partnership. When the Dodgers' collapse was complete and announcer Russ Hodges was celebrating the Giants' triumph in his jubilant broadcast, the camera showed Charles unconscious on the ground, apparently overwhelmed by his losses.

From what I have been told, Charles wasn't the only one who was shocked.

OU-Miami Looks Like Top Game of the Week

It's kind of a quiet weekend in the Top 25. Florida, Texas, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska all are idle, and five games featuring ranked teams are not scheduled to be televised.

But the Oklahoma–Miami game should be interesting. Based on the rankings, USC–Cal should be as well. As should LSU–Georgia.

But I can't help wondering what could possibly entice anyone in El Paso to go to the Sun Bowl to watch UTEP, which was hammered by Texas last week, play the Houston Cougars. I anticipate another massacre. Thank God the game isn't being televised.

• #3 Alabama at Kentucky, 11:21 a.m. (Central) on SEC — Kentucky lost pretty handily to Florida last week. Even though the Wildcats are playing at home again, I don't expect them to be able to put up much of a fight against the Crimson Tide.


• #4 LSU at #14 Georgia, 2:30 p.m. (Central) on CBS — I guess this qualifies as an upset, but I'll take Georgia at home.


• UC–Davis at #5 Boise State — This is another game that should be a foregone conclusion. Boise State by a wide margin.


• #6 Virginia Tech at Duke — The rankings suggest Tech should roll over Duke. In spite of the weak opponent, I think this week will say a lot about the Hokies. I'll take Tech, but I don't think the margin will be as wide as many do.


• #7 USC at #19 California, 7 p.m. (Central) on ABC — This is a big Pac–10 showdown. I think it may be close, and I'll take USC. Even though the Trojans lost to Washington, I still think they are the top team in the Pac–10.


• #8 Oklahoma at #21 Miami (Fla.), 7 p.m. (Central) on ABC — OU coach Bob Stoops says Heisman Trophy–winning quarterback Sam Bradford won't start. Instead, a freshman will play. I will take Miami.


• #9 Ohio State at Indiana, 6 p.m. (Central) on Big Ten — Ohio State should win. But the Hoosiers may be dangerous. They narrowly lost to Michigan in their last game.


• SMU at #10 TCU, 7 p.m. (Central) on The MTN — SMU has never recovered from the "death penalty" in the late 1980s. I don't think the Mustangs will win this game.


• #11 Cincinnati at Miami (Ohio) — Cincinnati ought to cruise against Miami (Ohio).


• #13 Penn State at Illinois — I expect Penn State to win, but it might be close.


• #15 Houston at UTEP — Will UTEP do better against Houston than it did against Texas? You'd think the Miners would almost have to do better than they did against the Longhorns. And UTEP is at home. When the Miners went to Houston last year, they only lost by five points. But that was a different Cougar team. This year, I expect Houston to win by a wider margin.


• Arkansas State at #17 Iowa, 11 a.m. (Central) on ESPN2 — Both teams will get what they want. Arkansas State will get the financial windfall from playing in a 70,000–seat stadium on TV, and Iowa will get an easy win.


• #18 Ole Miss at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU — Ole Miss has had more than a week to lick its wounds after losing to South Carolina. Vanderbilt shouldn't be a threat to the Rebels, unless they've become absorbed in self–pity. I pick Ole Miss.


• #20 Michigan at Michigan State, 11 a.m. (Central) on Big Ten — It's a rivalry. And it's a road game. But I think Michigan should be too much for Michigan State.


• Utah State at #21 BYU, tonight at 8 p.m. (Central) on The MTN — I think BYU should win with no trouble.


• Washington State at #25 Oregon, 9:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU — Oregon was dealt a setback in its opener against Boise State, but the Ducks have won three in a row, including two wins over ranked opponents. I'll take Oregon in this one.

Last week, I was 16–7. There were quite a few surprises last week &mdash South Carolina's win over Ole Miss, unbeaten USF's triumph over Florida State, Georgia Tech's victory over North Carolina, Virginia Tech's rout of Miami, Oregon's win over Cal and Iowa's triumph over Penn State. I'm not sure if #17 Houston's victory over unranked Texas Tech qualifies as an upset, but it certainly surprised me.

So far, my record is 56–11.

'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.