This week’s college predictions

Weekends like the last one serve as the foundation for our college football addiction.
Just when you think the national picture is beginning to take form, some graffiti kid with a spray paint can comes along and defaces it.
The string of upsets sacked me for a 13-7 record last week, bringing my season total to 62-22. As always, feel free to dissect my picks and provide your own predictions in the discussion forum.

Southeastern Conference

No. 12 Georgia (4-1) at Tennessee (2-2)
Georgia has won three straight since a loss to South Carolina and has revenge on its mind after a 51-33 home loss to the Vols last season. The Bulldogs are accustomed to winning big games on the road, while Tennessee hasn’t exactly been at its best in games of consequence. The Vols allowed 104 points in losses to Cal and Florida.
Georgia tailbacks Thomas Brown and Knowshon Moreno will set the tone.
Prediction: Georgia 23, Tennessee 21

Vanderbilt (3-1) at Auburn (3-2)
Auburn’s offense seemed to finally gel last week against Florida. Quarterback Brandon Cox minimized his mistakes and tailbacks Ben Tate and Mario Fannin were effective behind an offensive line that started three freshmen. The return of top tailback Brad Lester from academic suspension can’t hurt.
Prediction: Auburn 31, Vanderbilt 20

Houston (2-2) at Alabama (3-2)
Alabama administrators punished a couple fraternities for a debris-throwing incident at the end of a home overtime loss to Georgia. Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, some of the frat boys seem to have more accurate passing arms than John Parker Wilson. Wilson ranks 91st nationally in passing efficiency after a lackluster outing against Florida State last week. Houston’s defense should provide ample opportunity for improvement.
Prediction: Alabama 24, Houston 14

No. 9 Florida (4-1) at No. 1 LSU (5-0)
Florida already had enough of a challenge getting off the deck after a surprising loss to Auburn. It didn’t need the distraction of defensive back and captain Tony Joiner getting arrested for allegedly breaking into an impound lot to liberate his girlfriend’s car. The charges were dropped Friday morning. The teams have comparable athletic talent, but LSU will be energized by its raucous home crowd.
Prediction: LSU 27, Florida 20

Louisiana Tech (1-3) at Ole Miss (1-4)
I received a deluge of e-mails from angry Ole Miss fans before the season. They couldn’t understand why I ranked Ed Orgeron last in my preseason ranking of SEC coaches. Getting the drift now, Johnny Rebs?
Coach O won’t look so overwhelmed this week.
Prediction: Ole Miss 34, Louisiana Tech 21

UAB (1-3) at Mississippi State (3-2)
Mississippi State has been surprisingly competitive this season, and it’s a wonder considering the Bulldogs’ injuries at quarterback.
Prediction: Mississippi State 17, UAB 9

Chattanooga (1-3) at Arkansas (2-2)
In spite of the talent of tailbacks Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, Arkansas looks like a team on the verge of disintegrating. Fortunately, a I-AA opponent will delay the collapse another week or so.
Prediction: Arkansas 55, Chattanooga 10

Atlantic Coast Conference

Georgia Tech (3-2) at Maryland (3-2)
The Yellow Jackets have been absolutely schizophrenic, losing to Virginia but beating a more talented Clemson team. Go figure. That means they should now lose to Maryland, but that’s probably what they want us to think, which means ... oh, the heck with it.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 19, Maryland 14

N.C. State (1-4) at Florida State (3-1)
Florida State may have moved a step closer to continuity at quarterback during last week’s win over Alabama. Xavier Lee, a mobile player with a strong arm, made a couple big plays in the second half to break that game open. Why he didn’t win the starting job earlier is a mystery.
Prediction: FSU 37, N.C. State 16

Miami (4-1) at North Carolina (1-4)
New UNC coach Butch Davis gets reunited with his old team.
Prediction: Miami 28, UNC 14

Bowling Green (3-1) at No. 7 Boston College (5-0)
Boston College toyed around with determined I-AA UMass last week, but eventually pulled away. The Eagles should follow a similar script this week against a decent Bowling Green team.
Prediction: Boston College 42, Bowling Green 27

Wake Forest (2-2) at Duke (1-4)
I’ll care about this matchup when it’s basketball season.
Prediction: Wake Forest 24, Duke 17

No. 15 Virginia Tech (4-1) at No. 22 Clemson (4-1)
Offensively-challenged Virginia Tech won’t be able to count on Clemson making the mistakes it did against Georgia Tech. The Tigers missed -- count 'em -- four field goals against the Yellow Jackets.
Prediction: Clemson 21, Virginia Tech 20

Virginia (4-1) at Middle Tennessee State (1-4)
Virginia hasn’t been spectacular by any means, but the Cavaliers just keep plugging along.
Prediction: Virginia 38, Middle Tennessee State 27


Local interest

Tuskegee (4-0) vs. Morehouse (4-1)
Tuskegee has won nine of the last 11 in the rivalry, but should get pressed by a newly-confident Morehouse team. The Golden Tigers’ advantage will be QB Jacary Atkinson.
Prediction: Tuskegee 27, Morehouse 20

Sun Belt

Troy (3-2) at Florida International (0-5)
The Trojans should enjoy what amounts to an open date. Florida International’s misery can be measured in this season’s point differential. The Panthers have been outscored 210-28.
Prediction: Troy 47, Florida International 13

National focus

No. 20 Cincinnati (5-0) at No. 21 Rutgers (3-1)
Cincinnati is off to its best start since rolling out to an 8-0 mark in 1954. Rutgers inexplicably got punked by Maryland last week, but the Scarlet Knights have been successful in bounce-back games. Since 2005, they’re 5-1 in games following a loss.
Prediction: Rutgers 35, Cincinnati 34

No. 5 Wisconsin (5-0) at Illinois (4-1)
The Illini happen to be a slight favorite, which Illinois coach Ron Zook labeled ‘‘ludicrous.’’ It’s just as incredible to me that Wisconsin has remained unbeaten despite experiencing a handful of close calls.
Prediction: Wisconsin 28, Illinois 26

Notre Dame (0-5) at UCLA (4-1)
Notre Dame has lost each of its games by double digits and is allowing an unconscionable 33.2 points per game. The Fighting Irish should fall to 0-6 for the first time in school history.
Prediction: UCLA 31, Notre Dame 14

No. 4 Ohio State (5-0) at No. 23 Purdue (5-0)
Five the last six games in the series have been decided by a touchdown or less. Ohio State’s defense has been granite, but Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter (18 TDs, three INTs) manages a game as well as anyone. I’m thinking upset.
Prediction: Purdue 28, Ohio State 24

No. 10 Oklahoma (4-1) vs. No. 19 Texas (4-1)
Texas and Oklahoma both turned in horrible performances last week, so this amounts to an elimination game -- both nationally and in the Big 12 South. No Big 12 South team has ever won the division after dropping its first two conference games. Texas has looked vulnerable for weeks.
Prediction: Oklahoma 38, Texas 27

No. 25 Nebraska (4-1) at No. 17 Missouri (4-0)
Two mediocre defenses + two productive quarterbacks = a whole bunch of fun.
Missouri QB Chase Daniel has passed for an average of 327 yards per game, but the Tigers rank just 104th in defending the pass.
Prediction: Nebraska 30, Missouri 28

Oklahoma State (3-2) at Texas A&M (4-1)
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy made headlines a couple weeks ago for directing a tirade at a female newspaper columnist over a critical piece she wrote. Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione made them last Friday when the San Antonio Express-News uncovered a money-making enterprise he had going on the side. Franchione was charging a small group of boosters $1,200 apiece for a newsletter detailing ‘‘inside’’ information, including injuries.
OSU players and fans have rallied around Gundy, while Franchione is being asked whether he’ll resign. You do the math.
Prediction: Oklahoma State 31, Texas A&M 28

Pigskin Picks

Your college football oracle rebounded nicely this past week, going 13-4 to bring the season total to 49-15.
Here’s a look at the most compelling matchups of this week:

Southeastern Conference

Auburn (2-2) at No. 4 Florida (4-0)
Florida allowed 310 passing yards to Ole Miss last weekend, which should bode well for Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox. Cox looked sharp against New Mexico State last weekend, but, well, it was New Mexico State. Plus, the Tigers have to figure out a way to stop the one-man juggernaut known as Tim Tebow.
Prediction: Florida 31, Auburn 21

Ole Miss (1-3) at No. 15 Georgia (3-1)
Mikey Henderson picked a good time to collect the first touchdown reception of his Georgia career last week. Maybe he’s out to prove he can be more than a punt returner.
Prediction: Georgia 27, Ole Miss 16

No. 22 Alabama (3-1) vs. Florida State (2-1)
A compelling matchup between programs that should play far more often. It’s interesting to play the woulda-coulda-shoulda game and wonder about what might have been for both programs if Bobby Bowden had taken the Alabama job back in 1986.
Prediction: Alabama 21, Florida State 17

No. 2 LSU (4-0) at Tulane (1-2)
It will be interesting to see how LSU uses quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Ryan Perriloux from here on out. Flynn basically played on one foot in a win over South Carolina last week and Perriloux looked smooth running various option and QB draw plays when needed.
Prediction: LSU 49, Tulane 6

Mississippi State (3-1) at No. 16 South Carolina (3-1)
Bad news for South Carolina: Star linebacker Jasper Brinkley will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Good news for South Carolina: Mississippi State is playing a freshman quarterback.
Prediction: South Carolina 17, Mississippi State 13

Florida Atlantic (3-1) at No. 14 Kentucky (4-0)
Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger is a former UK letterman and a member of the school’s hall of fame. He also helped resurrect Louisville into a respectable program. As sharp as the Kentucky offense has been, there’s little expectation that Schnellenberger will rain on the Wildcats’ first top-15 ranking since the 1970s. Plus, UK quarterback Andre Woodson has thrown 11 TDs and not a single INT.
Prediction: Kentucky 37, Florida Atlantic 24

North Texas (0-3) at Arkansas (1-2)
Darren McFadden and Felix Jones both rushed for more than 100 yards last weekend in a loss to Kentucky. They could both threaten the 200-yard mark against North Texas' awful defense.
Prediction: Arkansas 55, North Texas 14

Eastern Michigan (2-2) at Vanderbilt (2-1)
This is the part of the season where Vanderbilt teases all of us with the potential for a bowl season.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 28, Eastern Michigan 14

Atlantic Coast Conference

No. 13 Clemson (4-0) at Georgia Tech (2-2)
Georgia Tech continued the up-and-down tilt-a-whirl ride that has defined Chan Gailey’s tenure at the school. A loss to Boston College was excusable, but the Yellow Jackets were knocked flat by Virginia. But, true to Georgia Tech’s puzzling pattern, they’ll probably pick themselves up off the deck at just the right time.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 24, Clemson 22

North Carolina (1-3) at No. 14 Virginia Tech (3-1)
Pity new North Carolina coach Butch Davis, whose team has lost three in a row. It will likely get much, much worse with resurgent Virginia Tech starting a run that also includes Miami and South Carolina.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 23, North Carolina 9

Duke (1-3) at Miami (3-1)
Duke saw the potential for a second consecutive win slip out of its grip against Navy. Meanwhile, Miami's bruises have healed nicely since Oklahoma took a sledgehammer to its body.
Prediction: Miami 34, Duke 10

UMass (4-0) at No. 12 Boston College (4-0)
UMass is a credible I-AA program, but Boston College has been on cruise control this season.
Prediction: Boston College 38, UMass 17

Maryland (2-2) at No. 10 Rutgers (3-0)
Maryland coughed up a 24-3 lead against Wake Forest last week. The Terps will find themselves struggling to keep pace from the beginning against hard-charging Rutgers tailback Ray Rice.
Prediction: Rice 28, Maryland 20

Louisville (2-2) at N.C. State (1-3)
New Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe has some 'splaining to do after a horrible tank job against Syracuse. On a happier note, quarterback Brian Brohm has done nothing to threaten his status as a potential No. 1 NFL pick.
Prediction: Louisville 41, N.C. State 27

Pittsburgh (2-2) at Virginia (3-1)
Virginia coach Al Groh was up against the wall after the Cavaliers lost their opener to Wyoming. He's quieted the criticism with three straight wins.
Prediction: Virginia 19, Pittsburgh 10

Sun Belt Conference

Louisiana-Monroe (0-3) at Troy (2-2)
Troy’s rushing defense, already ranked last in Division I, didn’t improve its standing any after allowing 345 yards in a win over Louisiana-Lafayette. At the same time, Troy quarterback Omar Haugabook (297 passing yards, 89 rushing last week) has been explosive operating out of the spread offense.
Prediction: Troy 42, Louisiana-Monroe 28

National games of interest

No. 1 Southern Cal (3-0) at Washington (2-2)
USC has been frighteningly good running the ball so far this season. Worst of all for opposing defenses, it’s impossible to key in on one tailback. Between Chauncey Washington, C.J. Gable and Joe McKnight, the Trojans have an embarrassment of riches.
Prediction: USC 41, Washington 20

No. 3 Oklahoma (4-0) at Colorado (2-2)
Oklahoma’s lowest point total to date? Fifty-one points against Miami. A 3-1 Miami team at that. Quarterback Sam Bradford is slowly playing his way into Heisman consideration.
Prediction: Oklahoma 52, Colorado 13

No. 5 West Virginia (4-0) at No. 18 South Florida (3-0)
Could prove to be one of the more exciting games of the weekend. South Florida expects a rare home sellout. Both teams love to spread the field and use mobile quarterbacks to good effect. As good as South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe has been this season, West Virginia's Pat White has been a little better. White completed 18-of-20 attempts for 181 yards against East Carolina last week -- and he's supposed to be known as a runner.
Prediction: West Virginia 38, South Florida 35

No. 7 Cal (4-0) at No. 11 Oregon (4-0)
The Oregon Duck mascot returns to the sideline after serving a suspension for administering a beat-down of the Houston Cougar a couple weeks ago. The Duck performed beyond the normal mascot boundaries, delivering some kicks and punches and administering an atomic elbow drop. The way Oregon QB Dennis Dixon is throwing the deep ball, the Ducks should pile-drive Cal.
Prediction: Oregon 31, Cal 23

About Those Open Mikes ...

The Web site YouTube.com is a wonderful place.
Because of it, we now have a catchphrase for the front of T-shirts and for random insertion into various conversations: ‘‘Don’t Tase me, bro!’’
Because of YouTube, we now have a means of heading off a blistering tirade from a disappointed boss or angry spouse: ‘‘Don’t Gundy me, bro!’’
If you haven’t checked out the nearly four-minute wig-out Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy staged during his post-game press conference last Saturday, please do so now at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VytIZZzee0&mode=related&search=
Take your time. I’ll give you a minute.
Anyway, Gundy went bonkers on Daily Oklahoman sports writer Jenni Carlson for a column written about the Cowboys’ quarterback change (you can find it, along with exhaustive post-Gundy-screed coverage at newsok.com). In the column, Carlson questioned whether Gundy benched starter Bobby Reid because of a less than desirable attitude and insinuated Reid lacks toughness.
Gundy’s 50-megaton tirade had a humorous quality, almost like Nick Nolte’s pivotal scene in ‘‘Blue Chips.’’
The crux of Gundy’s argument was that Reid shouldn’t be criticized because he’s a ‘‘kid’’ and an amateur athlete. Sorry, but Reid is a 21-year-old senior. He’s old enough to vote, old enough to die in Iraq. He’s no more a kid than he is an amateur. College athletes on scholarship at major programs receive advantages and perks the average student doesn’t. Plus, there’s the promise that Mr. FatCat Booster will provide a job at his car dealership if the NFL isn’t a viable career path.
‘‘Come after me!,’’ Gundy demanded. ‘‘I’m a man. I’m 40.’’
Hopefully he feels like more of a man now. At the very least, his outburst successfully distracted Oklahoma State fans from more important matters, including the Cowboys’ 2-2 start, the beatdowns it suffered at Georgia and Troy, and the 700-plus yards of total offense surrendered in a win over Texas Tech. Given the chance Monday to address the inaccuracies he perceived to exist in Carlson’s column, Gundy was surprisingly meek.
Too many fans fail to understand the role of a sports columnist when it comes to coverage of a college program. We’re not supposed to be rah-rah bandwagon drivers. We’re charged with providing commentary (opinion and analysis of the news). The goal is to inform, but also to entertain and inspire debate.
Carlson obviously succeeded in doing the latter.
There’s nothing wrong with Gundy defending a player or criticizing a newspaper columnist, but there are more constructive ways to accomplish both objectives.
I’ve been the target of many a rant from pro and college coaches and athletes in my career. Most will air their grievances in private and move on. That would have been a wiser course of action for Gundy.
Instead, he displayed a level of immaturity befitting someone far younger than 40 before leaving his press conference with one parting shot:
‘‘Makes me want to puke,’’ he said.
Well, we can at least agree on that.
On to other subjects:
* Welcome to the party, Gerald Poindexter.
The Surry County Commonwealth attorney got off the sidelines and successfully pursued an indictment of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and three co-defendants on state charges relating to the dogfighting operation operated in Virginia.
Early on, it seemed as if Poindexter and Co. were more likely to ask for an autograph from Vick than to attempt to investigate possible criminal activity.
Vick, who pleaded guilty in federal court to a dogfighting conspiracy charge, could face as many as 40 years in prison if convicted of the state charges.
While the guilty plea in federal court seemed to leave open the possibility of a return to the NFL at some point, his problems are just beginning.
Royal Bank of Canada has also accused Vick of defaulting on a $2.5 million loan and has filed suit.
* Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino says any discipline of cornerback DeAngelo Hall will be handled in-house.
No matter what sort of fine or other internal sanction Hall faces, it’s a little late.
Petrino should have benched hall for at least a series -- and possibly for the remainder of the game -- in Sunday’s 27-20 Atlanta loss to Carolina. After being penalized three times for 67 yards on one drive and giving Carolina ample opportunity to score a tying third-quarter touchdown, Hall had the gall to scream at Petrino and an Atlanta assistant coach on his way off the field.
Eventually, a couple teammates had to stand between Hall and the coaches to restore some semblance of calm.
Given the less than stellar recent history successful college coaches have had in transitioning to the NFL (Steve Spurrier anyone?), Petrino needed to act with a heavy hand.

Thanks to my readers

I was surprised and humbled by the outpouring of e-mails elicited by last week’s column about my crazy trip home from the Alabama-Arkansas game.
For those of you who missed it, my vehicle (a rental) was hit by a drunk driver who somehow wound up on the wrong side of a divided highway. Thankfully, the Alabama State Troopers caught him and nobody was seriously injured (although the Chevy I was driving may be on the disabled list for quite some time).
I'm happy to report that my trip home from the Alabama-Georgia game was uneventful. No rental cars were injured in the process.
My purpose in writing about the accident was to modify the game day behavior of at least one person since football and alcohol have always gone together in this part of the country.
I was surprised to hear from a number of folks who seemed genuinely relieved that my ugly mugshot will continue to grace the Ledger-Enquirer sports page.
‘‘I don’t know what I would do not being able to read your column,’’ one reader wrote me. ‘‘... I laugh sometimes til I cry.’’
Thanks to everyone who checked up on me. The greatest joy I experience in this business comes from informing and entertaining the folks who buy our newspaper. E-mails like the one above were enough to make me cry.

Reality check

Right now, I’m picking up the shattered fragments of the crystal ball I used to predict college football outcomes.
You’d have thrown it against the wall too after the sort of performance I turned in last week. I went an unsightly 15-7, bringing my season total to 36-11.
Some mea culpas are due to the Troy Trojans, Alabama Crimson Tide and Kentucky Wildcats, who I severely underestimated.

Thursday's game

No. 20 Texas A&M (3-0) at Miami (2-1)
A significant number of Texas A&M fans have been grumbling about head coach Dennis Franchione and looking forward to the possibility of a change. But Fran will remain The Man as long as his offense keeps averaging 46.3 points and 293 rushing yards per game. Miami’s quarterback situation is unsettled, although Kyle Wright will get the start. Texas A&M doesn’t have that problem with Stephen McGee running the spread offense (263 rush yards, 9.1 per carry).
Prediction: Texas A&M 27, Miami 16

Saturday

Southeastern Conference

No. 22 Georgia (2-1) at No. 16 Alabama (3-0)
Alabama QB John Parker Wilson showed some serious moxie in guiding a game-winning drive against Arkansas last week. The Crimson Tide lacks defensive depth and could be vulnerable against Georgia's tailback tandem of Knowshon Moreno and Thomas Brown. If this were in Athens, I'd favor Georgia. But Alabama has momentum after last week and 94,000 crimson crazies behind them. Oh yeah, one more thing: The Dawgs are 1-7 in T-Town.
Prediction: Alabama 31, Georgia 27

New Mexico State (2-1) at Auburn (1-2)
Auburn’s moribund offense could have trouble keeping up with New Mexico State coach Hal Mumme’s chuck-and-duck attack. Aggies QB Chase Holbrook is throwing for 399 yards per game. Hey, isn’t that Auburn's offensive output for the entire season? Seriously, the Tigers should improve as freshman QB Kodi Burns learns and plays more.
Prediction: Auburn 23, New Mexico State 17

No. 12 South Carolina (3-0) at No. 2 LSU (3-0)
LSU coach Les Miles hasn’t said if Matt Flynn or Ryan Perrilloux will start this game, but it’s nice to have two such qualified choices. Flynn missed last week’s Middle Tennessee State game with an ankle injury, but Perrilloux filled in with 298 passing yards and three TDs. Of course, with a defense like LSU’s, you could put Jerry Lewis at quarterback.
Prediction: LSU 24, South Carolina 10

No. 3 Florida (3-0) at Ole Miss (1-2)
Four different Florida receivers have had 100-yard games already this season. Plus, head coach Urban Meyer isn’t afraid to hand the ball to them out of the spread offense. Florida’s defense isn’t overwhelming yet, but the Gators will be really scary when they improve on that side of the ball.
Prediction: Florida 41, Ole Miss 13

No. 21 Kentucky (3-0) at Arkansas (1-1)
I love Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden, but only in that platonic man-crush kind of way. He rolled up 199 yards against Alabama, but cramped late in the fourth quarter (One Arkansas fan told me it was because he carried the Hogs on his back for so long). I mean, they'd hand the ball to D-Mac on third-and-eight with everyone in the stadium knowing he’d get the ball and he’d still pound his way past the first-down marker. Too bad Arkansas' passing game is so horrendous.
Prediction: Kentucky 31, Arkansas 30

Arkansas State (1-1) at Tennessee (1-2)
Tennessee was been burned repeatedly by the big play against Cal and Florida, but should be the team carrying the blowtorch this weekend.
Prediction: Tennessee 45, Arkansas State 12

Gardner-Webb (1-1) at Mississippi State (1-2)
Big ups to Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom for engineering an upset of Auburn last week. The Bulldogs will continue to astound us by reaching the .500 mark. Defensive back Derek Pegues is a stud. Don't be surprised if he gets an interception or two. Gardner-Webb lost by 22 at Ohio earlier this season, plus the name sounds more like a law firm than a football team.
Prediction: Mississippi State 24, Gardner-Webb 7

Atlantic Coast Conference

Georgia Tech (2-1) at Virginia (2-1)
Boston College poked holes in Tech’s defense last week and exposed the offense as one-dimensional. One dimension (ie. tailback Tashard Choice) should be enough this week.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 16, Virginia 10

North Carolina (1-2) at No. 23 South Florida (2-0)
South Florida will play as a ranked team for the first time in school history. Defensive end George Selvie leads a bullish defense with 5.5 sacks.
Prediction: South Florida 31, North Carolina 17

No. 15 Clemson (3-0) at N.C. State (1-2)
Clemson has won three consecutive games against N.C. State and should extend it with the Wolfpack in a rebuilding situation.
Prediction: Clemson 21, N.C. State 13

Duke (1-2) at Navy (1-2)
Duke hasn’t won two straight games since 2003, when it toppled the imposing twosome off Western Carolina and Rice. The Blue Devils snapped a 22-game losing streak against Northwestern last week. Now they can start a new losing streak.
Prediction: Navy 27, Duke 23

Army (1-2) at No. 14 Boston College (3-0)
Boston College obliterated a good Georgia Tech defense last weekend. QB Matt Ryan is already making a strong case for ACC Player of the Year. Guiding the Eagles to their first 4-0 start in eight years wouldn’t hurt.
Prediction: Boston College 41, Army 9

William & Mary at No. 17 Virginia Tech (2-1)
Hokies freshman QB Tyrod Taylor went for 287 yards last week in his first start. It may take William AND Mary both to deal with that.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 42, William & Mary 3

Maryland (2-1) at Wake Forest (1-2)
Wake Forest has lost to a pair of quality teams in Nebraska and Boston College. Maryland, which played West Virginia tough for a half last week, is also in the mix as one of the ACC's decent under-the-radar teams.
Prediction: Wake Forest 24, Maryland 21

National games of note

No. 10 Penn State (3-0) at Michigan (1-2)
Penn State hasn’t been tested, so this game could prove to be their biggest stumbling block. Michigan rebuilt some self-esteem by waxing Notre Dame.
Prediction: Penn State 28, Michigan 24

Iowa (2-1) at No. 9 Wisconsin (3-0)
Wisconsin has napped intermittently in wins over UNLV and Citadel. The Badgers really need to get it together.
Prediction: Wisconsin 21, Iowa 16

It can’t hurt

Say, you don’t suppose Atlanta Falcons general manager Rich McKay regrets trading away Matt Schaub in the offseason and putting all of his eggs into Michael Vick’s basket.
Right now, the remnants of those eggs are a runny, gooey mess.
Let’s take inventory, shall we?
Schaub is 2-0 as the starter for the Houston Texans.
Vick is suspended indefinitely due to his role in operating a dog fighting operation and the Falcons will soon attempt to recoup $22 million paid to him in bonuses. Risking the future on him was difficult to grasp anyway since there was real question as to whether he would ever develop into a competent passer.
Meanwhile, Joey Harrington is 0-2 as a starter, the team has been outscored 37-10 and, suddenly, the brightest hope for this season involves playing poorly enough to possibly receive a No. 1 draft pick next April.
Oh yeah, almost forgot.
Because of McKay and Co.’s risky decision to let Schaub go, the Falcons are now prepared to pay yet another two-year, $6 million contract in the quest to find a band-aid for the open sore they call quarterback.
Next up: Byron Leftwich, the former Jacksonville Jaguars starter who was released just after preseason.
He won’t get a crack at the job immediately, because there’s a new system and different terminology that requires an adjustment period. But if Harrington doesn’t improve his play this weekend, it won’t be long before Leftwich gets his chance.
So far, Harrington has completed 35 of 52 passes for 399 yards, but has yet to throw a touchdown pass (unless you're including the opposing defense). Two Harrington interceptions have been returned for touchdowns. He’s also proven to be as stiff as the Empire State Building, having been sacked 13 times in two games.
Atlanta coach Bobby Petrino called out Harrington the other day for holding the ball too long. It shouldn't be long before he calls Leftwich’s number.
‘‘As I've said for some time, we've been looking to add a quarterback to the mix since D.J. Shockley's injury in the preseason," Petrino said in a statement released by the Falcons. "Joey Harrington remains our starting quarterback and Chris Redman is still No. 2, but signing Byron Leftwich presented us a unique opportunity to add a veteran with tremendous experience to our quarterback group."
Reading between the lines: He hopes Leftwich will be good to go soon.
Leftwich represents an intriguing acquisition. As the Jags’ starter from 2003-06, he passed for 9,042 yards, 51 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He has, however, missed 15 games the last two years due to recurring ankle problems.
This is what the Falcons have been reduced to: Dumpster-diving for Jacksonville’s cast-offs.
But even a banished starter with a bum ankle can’t be any worse than what we've already seen.

Pigskin Picking, Week 3

After badly misinterpreting what would happen in Athens last weekend and picking the right type of outcome but the wrong winner in the Auburn-South Florida game, I'm back to give it the old college try again. Even with those two significant miscalculations, I went 10-3 and boosted my season record to 21-4. Here's how this week's games of interest should unfold:

Tonight

No. 3 West Virginia (2-0) at Maryland (2-0)
The Mountaineers have too much speed on offense with TB Steve Slaton, QB Pat White and newcomer Noel Devine.
Prediction: West Virginia 42, Maryland 24

Friday

Oklahoma State (1-1) at Troy (0-2)
Troy's defense looked awful against Arkansas and Florida, two offenses that will make many other opponents look dreadful.
OSU can score a lot of points, but the Trojans seem to bring their A game when a Bowl Championship Series conference opponent makes a rare visit to their stadium.
Prediction: Oklahoma State 38, Troy 34

Saturday

Southeastern Conference games

No. 16 Arkansas (2-0) at Alabama (2-0)
If you're not a big fan of forward passes, this game could be for you. Alabama will try to establish RB Terry Grant, who has been impressive in his first two games. Arkansas features the explosive tandem of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. Who knows? You might even see McFadden throw a pass or two out of the ''Wildcat formation.''
Prediction: Arkansas 23, Alabama 21

Mississippi State (1-1) at Auburn (1-1)
Auburn QB Brandon Cox has looked miserable in the first two games, throwing four interceptions and demonstrating a continued lack of poise. But if he wants to feel better about himself, he should talk to MSU starter Michael Henig, who tossed six INTs in an opening loss to LSU.
Prediction: Auburn 28, Miss. State 10

Western Carolina (0-2) at No. 23 Georgia (1-1)
Georgia should work out the many offensive kinks it showed last week while working out the scoreboard.
Prediction: Georgia 52, Western Carolina 6

No. 22 Tennessee (1-1) at No. 5 Florida (2-0)
Florida QB Tim Tebow faced little resistence in opening wins against Western Kentucky and Troy. Fortunately for the Gators, Tennessee's defense hasn't been any better than the first two it faced. Look for Florida receivers Percy Harvin and Cornelius Ingram to have big games.
Prediction: Florida 41, Tennessee 30

South Carolina State (1-1) at No. 17 South Carolina (2-0)
Maligned South Carolina QB Blake Mitchell had an efficient outing against Georgia last week, but he should have a comfortable bench seat by halftime of this one.
Prediction: South Carolina 45, S.C. State 7

No. 9 Louisville (2-0) at Kentucky (2-0)
NFL scouts will take note of what Louisville QB Brian Brohm and Kentucky QB Andre Woodson do in this one. Louisville's defense took a night off last week in a 58-42 win over Middle Tennessee State, but the Battle of the Bluegrass should capture their interest.
Prediction: Louisville 38, Kentucky 31

Middle Tennessee State (0-2) at No. 2 LSU (2-0)
MTSU scared the feathers off Louisville last week. The Blue Raiders' spread offense is hard to stop, but so is LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey.
Prediction: LSU 56, MTSU 13

Ole Miss (1-1) at Vanderbilt (1-1)
Vanderbilt QB Chris Nickson got knocked around and injured against Alabama last week, but his backup played well.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 17, Ole Miss 13

Atlantic Coast Conference games

No. 21 Boston College (2-0) at No. 15 Georgia Tech (2-0)
This will reveal two things: 1. How good is Georgia Tech? 2. Can Taylor Bennett be effective throwing the ball if an opponent loads up to stuff the run?
Prediction: Georgia Tech 27, Boston College 17

Florida State (1-1) at Colorado (1-1)
Take the second half of the Clemson and UAB games, put them together and Florida State's offense doesn't look so miserable.
Prediction: FSU 21, Colorado 13

Furman (1-1) at No. 20 Clemson (2-0)
Yeah, Clemson players have heard about the Appalachian State-Michigan game. There won't be a repeat if Clemson running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller take control early.
Prediction: Clemson 45, Furman 14

Ohio (2-0) at No. 18 Virginia Tech (1-1)
The Hokies are favored by 20 1/2 points, even after last week's 48-7 humiliation at LSU. I'm not convinced this offense can score 20 1/2 points on anyone right now.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 20, Ohio 3

Virginia (1-1) at North Carolina (1-1)
Remember when folks said Virginia would be the league's surprise team this year? Remember when everyone said Al Groh would bring NFL toughness to Virginia?
Still waiting for evidence of either.
Prediction: UNC 17, Virginia 13

Army (1-1) at Wake Forest (0-2)
Wake Forest has been the ACC's hard luck team, losing close games to Boston College and Nebraska, but RB Kenneth Moore should help bring a close to the skid.
Prediction: Wake Forest 31, Army 17

Florida International (0-2) at Miami (1-1)
Miami players ought to be mad enough to swing their helmets at somebody after last week's 51-13 pummeling at Oklahoma.
Prediction: Miami 49, Florida International House of Pancakes 7

Wofford (1-0) at N.C. State (0-2)
If N.C. State keeps playing as poorly as it did the first two weeks, Wolfpack fans may invite Chuck Amato to come back.
Prediction: N.C. State 28, Wofford 13

Duke (0-2) at Northwestern (2-0)
Duke officials probably thought that scheduling Northwestern would prevent an 0-for-2007 from happening. Sorry, guys.
Prediction: Northwestern 27, Duke 14

National games of interest

No. 1 USC (1-0) at No. 14 Nebraska (2-0)
The last time a No. 1 team visited the Children of the Corn was 1978. Top-ranked Oklahoma lost 17-14 that year. USC should win, but it may lose its No. 1 ranking to LSU if the margin isn't wide enough.
Prediction: USC 31, Nebraska 21

Notre Dame (0-2) at Michigan (0-2)
Michigan RB Mike Hart guaranteed victory over Notre Dame. Unless the Irish have installed the Statue of Liberty play that Oregon used to flummox the Wolverines last week, his guarantee should be as safe as a sunrise.
Prediction: Michigan 38, Notre Dame 14

No. 10 Ohio State (2-0) at Washington (2-0)
Tyrone Willingham is slowly improving Washington, but the Huskies aren’t ready for a breakout win just yet.
Prediction: OSU 24, Washington 14

Over the hill

ATHENS, Ga. — Checking the scoreboard ticker during a break in the South Carolina-Georgia game, we find this:
Oregon 39, Michigan 7 at the end of the third quarter.
Alabama-Birmingham 17, Florida State 3 midway through the second quarter.
Which begs the question:
If Michigan and FSU both start this season 0-2, who gets the first room assignment at the Shady Groves Rest Home for Past-Their-Prime Head Coaches?
Lloyd Carr or Bobby Bowden?

Saturday surprises

ATHENS, Ga. — I know people in Southeastern Conference country might not care so much, but I have to ask anyway:
How long will it take Michigan coach Lloyd Carr to either resign or get fired?
His Wolverines are down 32-7 ... in the second quarter ... to Oregon ... after giving up a touchdown run on a fake Statue of Liberty.
The replay should be hitting YouTube right about, oh, now.
Getting burned on that is about as bad as falling for the old "I got yer nose'' trick you grandfather might have pulled when you were a kid.
As for other interesting developments, check out Washington. The Huskies are up 24-10 over No. 22 Boise State at the half and will be 2-0 if they finish off the Broncos.
You think some folks in South Bend might wish that they hadn't been so hasty in pushing Tyrone Willingham out the door?
I love how karma works its magic every so often.

Pigskin Pickin' -- Part II

I felt pretty good about my prognostications from the opening week of football season. Went 11-1 and about nailed the Auburn-Kansas State final (I said 21-13), but it’s not as if there were very many balanced matchups.
Week 2 should provide a more stringent litmus test of my clairvoyance.
As always, feel free to make some predictions in the comments section.

Saturday’s games of interest

Southeastern Conference

No. 9 Virginia Tech (1-0) at No. 2 LSU (1-0)
Neither team did much to validate its ranking in the opening week. Virginia Tech sputtered in a 17-7 win over an East Carolina team playing its backup quarterback. LSU waxed Mississippi State 45-0, but didn't find the accelerator until the second half.
Prediction: LSU 14, Virginia Tech 10

South Carolina (1-0) at No. 11 Georgia (1-0)
This is a fun role reversal: After years of torturing Georgia fans while at Florida, Steve Spurrier considers a win over the Bulldogs to be a sign of validation for his South Carolina program. Given the Gamecocks’ potentially tumultuous quarterback situation, he’ll have to wait a while. You don’t suppose he’d want Matthew Stafford, do you?
Prediction: Georgia 31, South Carolina 16

South Florida (1-0) at No. 17 Auburn (1-0)
Auburn managed an appalling 1.7-yard-per-carry rushing average in a narrow win over Kansas State. The Tigers really, really, really miss Brad Lester, who is out indefinitely for academic reasons. Right now, behind an inexperienced offensive line, the offense looks even worse than it did in 2006. That's not encouraging at the moment since South Florida is expected to be better than Kansas State.
Prediction: Auburn 24, South Florida 20

Alabama (1-0) at Vanderbilt (1-0)
Vanderbilt receiver Earl Bennett went Coo-Coo For Cocoa Puffs last week, catching 13 passes for 223 yards and three TDs in a win over Richmond. I’m guessing Alabama’s defense will be a little better than what Richmond offered.
Prediction: Alabama 27, Vanderbilt 21

Troy (0-1) at No. 4 Florida (1-0)
Before the season, I thought Troy might scare the bejabbers out of Florida. The Trojans played Arkansas tough for three quarters, but got worn down by the Razorbacks’ running game. Without stud defensive end Kenny Mainor, who was arrested for possession of wacky weed, the Trojans will likely experience another second-half fade.
Prediction: Florida 49, Troy (the school, not the sports columnist) 21

Southern Miss (1-0) at No. 24 Tennessee (0-1)
If Tennessee defenders learned how to wrap up on tackles in the last few days, the Vols should be OK. If not, the trendy preseason SEC East pick can expect some problems down the road against Florida and Georgia.
Prediction: Tennessee 30, Southern Miss 17

Mississippi State (0-1) at Tulane (0-0)
I want to believe that Sylvester Croom is a decent coach caught in a horrible situation. While Croom inherited an undeniably atrocious situation at Mississippi State, a loss to Tulane would really undermine his efforts to make it better.
Prediction: Mississippi State 16, Tulane 13

Kent State (1-0) at Kentucky (1-0)
Kentucky QB Andre Woodson is one bad mutha. Just saying.
Prediction: Kentucky 41, Kent State 14

Missouri (1-0) at Ole Miss (1-0)
Mizzou QB Chase Daniel is an exciting player and he should be geeked up about playing against an Ole Miss defense that allowed 343 passing yards to Memphis last week. Ole Miss beat Memphis because it intercepted four passes, but Mizzou won't be nearly as mistake-prone.
Prediction: Mizzou 34, Ole Miss 24

Atlantic Coast Conference

Samford (0-1) at No. 21 Georgia Tech (1-0)
Georgia Tech exposed Notre Dame as being unfit for even the Carquest Bowl this season. Coach Chan Gailey has warned his team not to fall into the trap that consumed Michigan last week, but Samford isn’t nearly as good as Appalachian State.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 45, Samford 10

Miami (1-0) at No. 5 Oklahoma (1-0)
This doesn’t have quite the same appeal as it did in the mid-1980s when Brian Bosworth was rocking that gooberish haircut and the Hurricanes were accepting $100 handshakes from Luther Campbell. Randy Shannon should get Miami back on track before too long. New Okie QB Sam Bradford looked sharp last week, but should become well acquainted with 6-foot-8 Miami defensive end Calais Campbell.
Prediction: Oklahoma 21, Miami 20

No. 16 Nebraska (1-0) at Wake Forest (0-1)
Will somebody please explain to me how it worked out that Nebraska is traveling to Winston Salem? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
As for the matchup, Wake Forest had problems stopping the pass last week and that’s not good since that’s sort of what Nebraska does now.
Prediction: Nebraska 38, Wake Forest 27

UAB (1-0) at Florida State (0-1)
UAB wanted to hire Jimbo Fisher in the offseason, but couldn't work out the right money. If UAB boosters happened to catch the FSU-Clemson game, they might be happy it didn’t happen. In fairness, Florida State's failings have more to do with diminished recruiting hauls and an apparent loss of energy by head coach Bobby Bowden. Right now, he looks like a lost old man whose coaching method seems to be wandering the sideline and whining ‘‘Where’s my pudding?’’
Prediction: FSU 28, UAB 14

Just for kicks

No. 19 TCU at No. 7 Texas
Texas moved the ball well, but let Arkansas State hang around last weekend. TCU has excellent team speed and should have a chip on its shoulder from playing in the Longhorns' shadow.
Prediction: TCU 27, Texas 24

Lenoir-Rhyne (0-1) at Appalachian State (1-0)
I’ve hopped aboard the Appy State bandwagon after last week’s cataclysmic upset of Michigan. Lenoir-Rhyne went 3-8 last year and sounds like a female country singer, so the Mountaineers should cruise.
Prediction: Happy Appy 45, Lenoir-Rhyne 3

Biggest sports upset ever?

I’m still trying to wrap my head around what Appalachian State accomplished last weekend at the Big House in Ann Arbor.
While the Mountaineers are the two-time defending Division I-AA national champs, their 34-32 win at Michigan should stand alone as the most monumental upset in college football history to date. No ranked Division I team had lost to a team from a lower-tier classification until last weekend.
It might also deserve placement on a top-five list of the greatest upsets in sports history.
Here are my top five:
5. Citadel 10, Arkansas 3 in 1992. Arkansas coach Jack Crowe got fired the very next day.
4. Appalachian State 34, Michigan 32. The Mountaineers confirmed that team speed remains college football's great equalizer.
3. Chaminade over Virginia in 1982. The NAIA Silver Swords (great nickname) from Hawaii reenact the moment that David slung a rock into Goliath's eye. They took down a Ralph Sampson-led Virginia team in college basketball's greatest upset. This should have been the first clue that the 7-foot-4 Sampson might not pan out in the NBA.
2. The Miracle on Ice in 1980. The United States topples the Soviet juggernaut in ice hockey during the Winter Olympics despite having a roster filled with only a handful of viable NHL prospects.
1. Down goes Tyson. Buster Douglas, an absolute pug of a heavyweight with dubious technique and questionable resolve, makes Mike Tyson kiss the canvas in 1990 for the first time in his career.
I remember watching it unfold as a college student. A bunch of us ordered the fight on pay-per-view (why I don't know since Douglas was a 42-to-1 longshot) and I practically choked on my pizza slice when Buster downed Tyson with a five-punch combination.

What the @#&%?

If this doesn't get you excited about the first Saturday of college football season, check your pulse.
Appalachian State 34, Michigan 32.
Do not adjust your blog. It really went down that way in Ann Arbor.
It's the first time a Division I-AA team has knocked off a ranked I-A opponent.
Even if the Wolverines run the table the rest of the way, there’s no way they fight their way back into the BCS hunt. No way at all.
They could drop from No. 5 in the nation to the ignominy of ''others receiving votes.''
On the bright side, there's a very strong possibility they could land the No. 2 ranking in next week's I-AA poll ... behind Appy State.

Pigskin picks

College football season came along at just the right time.
Finally, mercifully, we have something to talk about other than a certain quarterback/canine torturer and the Atlanta Braves' slow fade to unconsciousness.
I'm watching ‘‘College Football Live'' on ESPN right now and I have chills. They just showed footage from Mississippi State's pep rally and Sylvester Croom was talking about ''seizing the opportunity.''
The guy may not win many football games, but he gives a good speech.
I'm going to seize this opportunity to make a few predictions. Feel free to contribute your own in the discussion forum:

Thursday night

No. 2 LSU at Mississipp State
LSU returns 15 starters from an 11-2 team. Matt Flynn takes over for JaMarcus Russell at quarterback, but he’ll have no trouble thanks to targets like Early Doucet.
Prediction: LSU 31, Mississippi State 10

Saturday’s games of SEC/ACC interest

Oklahoma State at No. 13 Georgia
The Cowboys could present problems for the Bulldogs, who are breaking in new starters at defensive end, linebacker and cornerback. Oklahoma State averaged more than 200 yards per game rushing and passing last season, but their opponents moved the ball almost as well against a suspect defense.
Prediction: Georgia 28, Okie State 24

Kansas State at No. 18 Auburn
The absence of tailback Brad Lester could prevent Auburn's offense from breaking out in a big way. Auburn may get tested a little, but next week’s game against South Florida should really worry them.
Prediction: Auburn 21, Kansas State 13

Troy at No. 21 Arkansas
This could be a trap game for Arkansas, given Troy’s quirky offense and confidence coming off a bowl season. If the Trojans follow the lead of some enterprising Razorback fans and file a Freedom of Information Act request for Houston Nutt’s cell phone records before kickoff, they might distract him into forgetting for a moment that he has Darren McFadden and Felix Jones to carry the offense.
Prediction: Arkansas 31, Troy 21

Western Carolina at Alabama
The Nick Saban Era begins. Reckon anybody will show up for this one?
The Tide drew more than 92,000 for their spring game, but that occasion offered the promise of better competition.
Prediction: Ragin’ Sabans 42, Catamounts 3

Georgia Tech at Notre Dame
Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis declined to reveal the identity of his starting quarterback to the masses until the first offensive snap.
Yawn.
Might be a bigger deal if the Irish were expected to be better than 7-5.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 20, Golden Domers 10

No. 15 Tennessee at No. 12 California
The Vols administered a 35-18 beatdown last year in Knoxville, but Cal acts as if it never happened. Tennessee’s secondary should handle Cal star wideout Desean Jackson and QB Nate Longshore well enough to expose another Pac-10 pretender.
UT Erik Ainge has a broken pinky finger on his throwing hand, but will still play.
Prediction: Tennessee 21, Cal 17

Western Kentucky at No. 6 Florida
Why even bother scheduling this one?
Better still, why bother talking about it?
Prediction: Defending National Champions 45, Western Kentucky 7

Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky
The Wildcats should take an early lead in the race for the state championship. That should hold up until they face Louisville.
Prediction: Kentucky 38, Eastern Kentucky 20

Richmond at Vanderbilt
The Commodores keep hope alive that they will end their bowl drought this season. Which means it won't be until next week before the extinguishment of all hope begins.
Prediction: Vandy 28, Richmond 13

Louisiana-Lafayette at South Carolina
Academic problems will keep South Carolina quarterback Blake Mitchell on the sidelines, but coach Steve Spurrier has dealt with turmoil at the position in the past. Prized recruit Chris Smelley will get the start and he might not relinquish the job.
Prediction: South Carolina 28, Laughfayette 10

Ole Miss at Memphis
I ranked Ed Orgeron at the bottom of my preseason ranking of SEC coaches. One Ole Miss fan wrote back: ''You'd better be ready to apologize when we're in Atlanta.''
The e-mailer probably meant he would be in Atlanta on vacation.
Surely he didn't mean to suggest the Rebs would be playing for the league title.
Prediction: Ole Miss 14, Memphis 10

All in all, not bad

ATLANTA — After another quarter of rumination, my opinion remains unchanged.
It’s difficult for me to see the Atlanta Falcons as anything more than a 7-9 team this season, but I’m impressed with what I’ve seen from them against the Bengals tonight.
Quarterback Joey Harrington looked pretty sharp -- 13-of-21 for 164 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a little more than a half of work. Running back Jerious Norwood made a sweet run along a tight-rope to turn a short dump pass into a 12-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Head coach Bobby Petrino's offense has been creative in getting its play-makers involved. Tight end Alge Crumpler has lined up in the backfield as a fullback and he’s been flexed out wide. Harrington has been particularly crisp operating out of a five-wide receiver shotgun formation. His 28-yard touchdown pass to Adam Jennings in the first half came out of the spread.
Yep, it's preseason and there are issues for this team to address, but the Falcons look far from hopeless.

Settling in

ATLANTA -- When it comes to athleticism, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Joey Harrington will never be mistaken for Michael Vick.
But after watching him here in the first quarter at the Georgia Dome, I’m impressed. Yes, it’s only a preseason game, but he’s shown off some nimble feet and a lively throwing arm.
More importantly, he hasn’t thrown into double coverage, committed any turnovers or done the mind-numbing things that caused people to write him off when he was in Detroit.
Harrington just directed a smart, 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to give the Falcons an early lead against Cincinnati. He’s 6-for-6 for 76 yards so far, and his 28-yard scoring strike to Adam Jennings was a thing of beauty. Working with five receivers out of the shotgun, Harrington looked off the safety before laying a beautiful ball into Jennings' hands on a post-corner route.
I’m becoming convinced Harrington may be better than advertised.
However, I remain unconverted on the possibility of the Falcons being anything more than a 7-9 team this season.

So, what happens now?

ATLANTA — It's two hours before kickoff, and there are three vehicles in the Georgia Dome parking lot I've chosen.
It's two hours before kickoff of the Atlanta-Cincinnati exhibition game, and there’s little in the way of tailgating or enthusiasm.
It's two hours before kickoff and, for the streetcorner entrepreneurs, business is as slow as rush hour traffic on the Downtown Connector. A vendor stands beneath a tent a block from the stadium, waiting for someone, anyone, to walk up and express interest in buying a jersey. There's Warrick Dunn’s No. 28, Alge Crumpler's 83 and there, hiding on a hanger at the end of the line, a No. 7.
It’s two hours before kickoff and there are no PETA activists picketing at the gates. Nor is there any grand mobilization of Michael Vick supporters.
Just an empty dome and the realization that Monday’s developments in a Richmond, Va., courtroom likely set Atlanta pro football back more than a decade.
The Falcons will undoubtedly move on without Vick, but what’s your take on the apology issued by the quarterback? Do you believe Vick struck the right chord with his remarks and do you think they will carry any weight with either the U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson or NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the men who will ultimately determine his punishment and possibility for a return to pro football?
I'll weigh in with a column in Tuesday morning’s Ledger-Enquirer.

The Little Stiff-Arm Guy

Got an express mail envelope from the Downtown Athletic Club the other day, the contents of which finally got me revved up about the impending start of college football.
Enclosed was the informational packet the group sends to its Heisman Trophy voters at the start of every season. I've been a voter for the last four years, one of 800 or so nationwide, and I take it seriously.
In addition to fanning out all over the Southeast to cover games on Saturdays, I record West Coast games and other matchups of interest so I can get a look at players I might not otherwise see first-hand.
My ballot last year looked like this:
1. Troy Smith, Ohio State (Yeah, I wanted to take that one back after the BCS championship game)
2. Darren McFadden, Arkansas
3. Ian Johnson, Boise State (felt better about that after his Statue of Liberty touchdown run against Texas in the Fiesta Bowl)
Just off my list were former Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson, who would have had a second-place vote if not for the fact that I witnessed the Clemson game in person and saw him get shut out, and Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan.
I'll admit I have a few fundamental problems with the description of the Heisman Trophy. It doesn't truly measure the best overall player in the country. It's for the guys who play the glamor positions. I try to consider linemen and defensive players before putting together my ballot, but they're more difficult to judge. There's more of a statistical body of work for quarterbacks, running backs, etc., than there is for strong safeties and left tackles.
Thankfully, the Outland Trophy and Nagurski Award give a nod to those guys.
That said, here's my preseason watch list. Feel free to contribute your own in the discussion forum.

PRESEASON HEISMAN FAVORITES

1. Darren McFadden, Arkansas: A big tailback with blazing speed (Hmm, Bo and Herschel come to mind). He shredded defenses for 1,647 yards and 14 TDs despite sharing carries with another 1,000-yard rusher in Felix Jones. He's the most dynamic running back I've seen in a while. D-Mac also deserves props for the three TD passes he threw for last season out of the Wildcat formation. What separates him from others, in my mind, is that he produces against the SEC's top defensive units.

2. Steve Slaton, West Virginia: If his teammate, QB Pat White, is the fastest player on the field most Saturdays, then Slaton is the second-fastest by a split second. Check this out: 7.2 yards per carry last season and 1,744 yards out of the Mountaineers' spread option offense. He's probably my favorite player to watch. White should get some love from voters as well, especially if his passing becomes more prominent.

3. John David Booty, USC: The Beastie Boys once asked the question: ''Professor, what's another word for pirate treasure?'' The answer: ''I believe it's Booty! Booty! Yes, that's what it is.'' His stats were nice enough -- 3,347 passing yards, 29 TDs, nine interceptions and a 61 percent completion rate. But he runs the offense of a potential national champion. That's enough to merit consideration, although I'm not entirely convinced he's the best quarterback in the country. I'm digging Brian Brohm at Louisville, Brennan at Hawaii, White at West Virginia, Andre Woodson at Kentucky and Colt McCoy at Texas.

4. Ian Johnson, Boise State: In addition to willing Boise to victory against Texas in last season's bowl game, this guy rolled up 1,714 yards and 25 TDs. He was the engine that drove a very good and very underappreciated team. He's kind of a grinder, not the sort of guy who breaks off big, flashy runs, but very dependable.

5. Colt Brennan, Hawaii: Last season's work was the stuff of a fevered XBoxers imagination -- 5,549 passing yards, 58 TDs and a 72.6 percent completion rate. I know, I know. The run-and-shoot also gave us the likes of Andre Ware and David Klingler, but hear me out. The mighty Warriors could sneak into the top 25 this year and they could do even better than that. They might be this year's Boise, a surprise team that challenges for a BCS berth.

On the fringe: Mike Hart (RB, Michigan), Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville), Percy Harvin (WR/RB, Florida), Desean Jackson (WR, Cal).

On an island

Two of the co-defendants in the dogfighting case involving Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick entered guilty pleas today.
That leaves Vick isolated and puts some serious pressure on him.
Apparently, federal prosecutors have entered into evidence a photo that shows Vick and the other three defendants with a pitbull they entered into a dog fight. There's been non-stop speculation about whether Vick would try to enter a plea rather than go to trial and risk a five-year prison sentence (and possibly more if racketeering charges are added on).
Do you think Vick’s NFL career is over no matter what course of action he follows?

Barrypalooza

ATLANTA — It’s 11 p.m. here at Turner Field. The Braves beat the Giants 5-4, Atlanta manager Bobby Cox cursed his way into the recordbooks, Barry Bonds remains stuck on 758 career homers and Hank Aaron left town to avoid the circus.
Here's a possible talking point for loyal blog readers (OK, this one’s for you, Mom) -- Does the fact that Aaron headed out of town for the duration of the Atlanta-San Francisco series do anything to diminish his reputation for class?
Aaron congratulated Bonds when he hit No. 756, although it was done via videotape and more than likely through gritted teeth. But it was a nice gesture and Aaron was universally applauded for reaching out to Bonds even though the Giants’ slugger has been universally painted as a test subject for BALCO chemists.
This isn't intended to be a referendum on Bonds' guilt or innocence. The book ''Game of Shadows'' lays out some pretty interesting -- and credible -- information, but Bonds has insisted he never knowingly took performance enhancing drugs. The Mitchell investigation will hopefully answer questions about the authenticity of his record.
But I'm wondering whether Aaron missed an opportunity tonight as a baseball statesman.
Should he have stuck around, welcomed Bonds to Turner Field, shaken his hand and posed for photographs?
Would doing so have marked another step for Aaron on the high road or would it have been seen as a false front?
What do you think?

History at the Ted

ATLANTA — Barry Bonds’ first visit to Atlanta as Major League Baseball's career home run leader was a bust.
He’s still stuck on 758 and still hasn't spoken with Hank Aaron face-to-face since passing him on the home run chart.
Bonds drew a pair of walks and hit into a fielder’s choice before being replaced by Rajai Davis in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The most exciting moment of the night thus far came after the fifth inning, when Atlanta manager Bobby Cox got ejected for the 132nd time in his career. Home plate ump Larry Young rang him up a few moments after Chipper Jones went down looking at a called third strike to end the inning.
They didn't stop the game and memorialize the moment, but they should have.
Cox became Major League Baseball's all-time leader in ejections.
Maybe one day, after Cox’s eventual enshrinement in Cooperstown, the hall of fame display will feature an audio file of his favorite profanity.

Avoidance issues

ATLANTA — The Barry Bonds Watch here at Turner Field as allowed me to witness the following:
A lead-off walk on a 3-1 pitch in the second inning.
An intentional walk with two outs and a runner on second in the third inning.
Atlanta right-hander John Smoltz hasn't given Behemoth Barry anything to hit so far, but the strategy hasn't worked out in the Braves' favor. They’re down 3-0 in the top of the fifth, with Bonds having scored twice, and are absolutely getting handled by San Francisco righty Kevin Correia, who came in with a 1-6 record and 4.14 ERA. He’s had excellent command, but the Braves' free swinging approaches at the plate are making him look like Jake Peavy of a lesser god.

Junk Bonds

ATLANTA -- Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I don’t think folks at Turner Field are especially enthusiastic about Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants being in town for a three-game series.
The pre-game festivities included a tribute to fallen law enforcement officers that included a 45-member procession of motorcycle policemen, complete with revving engines and flashing lights. As the group rode around the perimeter of the field, the stadium speakers blared the old Inner Circle reggae song ‘‘Bad Boys.‘‘
Wonder if that was intended as some sort of commentary on Bonds, the subject of so much steroid speculation.
Just before first pitch, the congratulatory message offered by Hank Aaron on the night of Bonds’ 756th career homer was played on the Turner Field scoreboard. The crowd gave an enthusiastic ovation to Aaron, but booed lustily when Bonds was pictured waving from the dugout.

B*nds, Barry B*nds

I really should use this forum to discuss college football, but I'm interested in your thoughts about Barry Bonds.
I'll be heading to Atlanta to cover Tuesday night’s game against the Braves and look forward to chatting with the always-cheerful Mr. Bonds at some point. Who knows? If I'm lucky, maybe he'll let me break out the calipers and measure his ever-growing cranium.
Barring an indictment for perjury or tax evasion, Bonds will probably be able to wring a few more years out of his major league career. It's entirely possible he could finish his career with upwards of 830 homers, leaving A-Rod will some serious work.
My question to you is this: If conclusive evidence surfaces that Bonds used steroids, how should Major League Baseball treat his status as the home run record-holder?
Do you think it should disqualify him from hall of fame consideration?
Do you think that the record should stand since steroid use may have been rampant among pitchers and power hitters in the 1990s?

Predicting the SEC

HOOVER, Ala. — The 2007 Pre-season All-Southeastern Conference Football Poll and All-SEC team just came out this morning.
Here’s how I picked the SEC East and West to play out:

EAST
1. Florida -- The Gators lost the teeth of last season's defense, but I think they will plug the holes adequately. I also think quarterback Tim Tebow can do more than run to his left.
2. Georgia -- Last year's performances against Kentucky and Vanderbilt represent an aberration. The closing wins against Auburn, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech showed that QB Matthew Stafford is starting to get it. The Dogs will miss NFL supplemental draft pick Paul Oliver.
3. Tennessee -- Coach Phil Fulmer and offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe righted the ship last season. Defense should be solid with LB Erik Mayo and DB Jonathan Hefney.
4. South Carolina -- The Head Ball Coach says this is the year to challenge for the East title. I'm thinking he's off by one year.
5. Kentucky -- The Wildcats will be better than last season, but you might not see it in the record.
6. Vanderbilt -- QB Chris Nickson and WR Earl Bennett are dynamic, but that’s not enough to get the Commodores to a bowl game.

WEST
1. LSU -- Coach Les Miles doesn't get much respect, but he's 22-4 since arriving. The defense will be nasty, thanks to Glenn Dorsey and Ali Highsmith. The offense will have an abundance of speed.
2. Auburn -- There are questions about the wide receivers, the offensive line and the kicking game. But the Tigers have learned how to win close games and win ugly. The defense should be more aggressive now that defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is in his second year.
3. Alabama -- A potential surprise time. Love the combo of John Parker Wilson and DJ Hall. Andre Smith will be a dominant force up front, but these guys are a year away from really scaring folks.
4. Arkansas -- Sure, they have D-Mac and Felix Jones in the backfield. Check this out: The Razorbacks ranked 108th nationally in passing last season.
5. Ole Miss -- Coach O has upgraded recruiting. This program could make strides.
6. Mississippi State -- I think Sylvester Croom is a better coach than perceived, but it's tough to win here. Limited recruiting base and one of the two smallest athletic budgets in the league.

SEC Champion: LSU

Here's how the media vote actually went:

EAST
1. Florida (41 first place votes)
2. Tennessee (16)
3. Georgia (12)
4. South Carolina (11)
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt

WEST
1. LSU (63 first place votes)
2. Auburn (5)
3. Arkansas (5)
4. Alabama (7)
5. Ole Miss
6. Mississippi State
SEC champion: LSU (54 votes), Florida (7), Arkansas (5), Auburn (4), Alabama (3), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (2), Georgia (2).

Feel free to contribute your own SEC rankings to the Blog discussion.

More from Saban

HOOVER, Ala. — Just gave up my Nick Saban vigil in the lobby of the Wynfrey Hotel.
The few dozen people who were there early this morning swelled to a couple hundred.
I met a nice fellow from Phenix City who was playing hooky from work today in an effort to get Saban's autograph on an Alabama mini-helmet. I'll withhold his name to keep his boss from dropping the hammer on him, but my conversation with him and another with former Alabama star Jeremiah Castille helped explain why so many fans are so ga-ga over Saban.
Simply put, Saban arrives more credibility than did Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price and Mike Shula. He won the Bowl Championship Series title at LSU and, despite being in over his head in the NFL (hey, so was Steve Spurrier), his approach seems to be in harmony with the challenges of the college game.
After Saban's press conference this morning, my impression of the guy changed somewhat. Sure, he's an autocrat and can be unnecessarily brusque at times. But he also revealed more about himself than he probably wanted to on Thursday. He's an interesting guy (Did you know he pumped gas for $1 an hour as a youth in West Virginia?) and he allows a sense of humor to surface every so often.
Perhaps the most surprising answer of the day came in response to the following question:
What do you think the biggest misconception is about Nick Saban?
We've all heard stories about how he's yelled at secretaries and various athletic department underlings. The players heard all sorts of horror stories before he arrived, some of them so sensational that you'd have thought Saban was a modern day Vlad the Impaler.
‘‘I don’t know,’’ Saban said. ‘‘That's one you should ask my wife. She says I have a huge blind spot. What you think you are compared to how you're perceived to be. She said mine's as wide as the Grand Canyon.
‘‘I think probably the biggest misconception about me is I've never adapted very well to the position I'm in. I'm a country boy who grew up in West Virginia and pumped gas from the time he was 10 years old until he graduated from high school. Made a dollar an hour providing service to other people, cleaning windows, checking oil and changing tires.
‘‘To me I'm still that way, but maybe sometimes I don't realize that sometimes the things I say mean a lot more than what I would intend them to be. Sometimes, because I’m a little bit shy, maybe that's misinterpreted as not being very outgoing. But I try my best and I'm getting better and I'm trying to improve every day.’’
Hopefully he will continue to let his guard down every so often in the future.

Grand entrance

HOOVER, Ala. -- I had a little help disengaging myself from a coma-like sleep state this morning.
Just after 8 a.m., the fire alarm began raising a racket in the hallways of the Wynfrey Hotel. The intercom repeated the same insistent message: ‘‘Attention! Attention!’’
There were no additional instructions given, but we got the message.
Alabama football coach Nick Saban had arrived on the scene.
It's always a big deal when an Alabama football coach comes to SEC Football Media Days for the first time. Crimson Tide fans swarm the lobby, genuflect for the new coach, cheer him, try to get autographs and tell themselves that this coach is The One.
They did it when Mike DuBose came here. They repeated the process for Dennis Franchione and Mike Shula.
But the reception given to Saban may have been a little more crowded and a little more optimistic than those before. He’s won a national championship, at least, and he’s getting paid $32 million over eight years for a reason.
Dozens of fans huddled near the escalators to catch a glimpse of Saban, almost as if they were lined up to receive absolution from the Pope.
No autographs, but they received the thrill of a ''How ya doing?’’ from the coach.
His presence in Tuscaloosa will certainly make this season and the Nov. 24 Iron Bowl more compelling.
I'll check in later to fill you in on what Saban says during his press conference. He's making the rounds with radio and TV reporters before joining the print reporters.
Right now, I'm listening to Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson. Vanderbilt hasn't made a bowl game since 1984, so he's fielding a familiar question about the drought and whether the Commodores can do more than come close.
‘‘When you play in this league, you have to scratch and claw to get the victories,’’ Johnson said. ‘‘The people at the top of the SEC East and the SEC West are there for a reason. For somebody to come in and work themselves up the leader, you look to see how tough it is to pass those teams that are ahead of us. We have been close. We feel like we're making progress. It may not be fast to all of ya'all. Our confidence is pretty high right now, but we also have to look at our schedule every once in a while and be realistic.’’

Howling in Hoover

HOOVER, Ala. — The best part about the Southeastern Conference Football Media Days is that the league’s coaches can’t duck you.
They all have to stand at the podium at some point, front and center in a second floor ballroom at the Wynfrey Hotel.
Arkansas' Houston Nutt, the first coach to speak in the three-day football bender, just stepped down from the stage and I’m sure he’s glad to be done.
Most of the questions centered around a tumultuous spring that saw a faction of the Razorback fan base turn on him after a 10-4 season. During the spring, he was forced to respond to a flurry of Internet critics who accused him of driving away prized quarterback recruit Mitch Mustain and of having an extramarital affair.
One enterprising fan (or bored and voyueristic, depending on your point of view) received copies of Nutt's cell phone records through a Freedom of Information Act request and posted the contents on the Web. The records showed an exchange of 1,063 text messages between Nutt and local TV anchor Donna Bragg from Nov. 30 to Jan. 11.
Nutt sent a letter denying the rumors last April, but they remain a topic of discussion around the league. He said Wednesday that his family and team have remained staunch in their support of him.
‘‘To have someone get so personal, to have so many things written and starting in your home state, sending things to an editor, things are starting to spread and it kept going and going,’’ Nutt said. ‘‘The toughest thing is your family. It's your family. One of the reasons why you're able to go home at night ... they know the truth.’’

Sick with Vick

You probably know my feelings regarding quarterback Michael Vick already.
I think the Falcons should cut him at the first opportunity and unburden themselves of the $130 million contract and the embarrassment he’s heaped upon the franchise since last fall.
The Falcons will pay a price far higher than the $130 million if he stays.
Too many fans have been alienated by the details of the 18-page federal indictment.
While Vick has been told to stay away from training camp, the NFL has yet to decide if it will take any disciplinary action. Commissioner Roger Goodell has the discretion to punish as he sees fit for violations of the league's personal conduct policy.
Atlanta owner Arthur Blank has been told by Goodell that the franchise should not take any disciplinary action against Vick for the moment.
We'll be hearing more from the Falcons today at a 4 p.m. press conference.
Do you think the league has handled the Vick case wisely thus far?
What would you consider an appropriate level of punishment for Vick?

Cutting bait

The Columbus Catfish have seemingly had a fin out of the water since owner David Heller moved his minor league baseball franchise here three weeks before the start of the 2003 season.
There has been a series of almosts, of moves planned but not ultimately executed to such places as Evansville, Ind., Bay City, Mich., and Columbia, S.C.
When multi-million dollar stadium deals subject to government approval are involved, a lot has to happen before possibility evolves into finality. In the case of the Catfish, it’s obvious that they plan to be gone after their Golden Park lease runs out in Sept., 2008.
They could get snapped up by Art Solomon, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats owner who wants to put a Class A team in a new stadium Bowling Green, Ky., although there is one other South Atlantic League team up for sale. They will undoubtedly go somewhere, however.
A team employee told me on condition of anonymity Friday that it boils down to attendance. The Catfish are well ahead of last year’s pace, but still bring up the rear in the South Atlantic League. It has been a continual struggle to average more than 1,000 fans per game to a 5,000-seat stadium.
When the Catfish leave, it’s doubtful the stadium would remain empty for long. Macon and Albany lost SAL franchises, but wound up with independent teams. Even with this city's multiple minor league sports failures, another investor will come along, convinced that he has the market all figured out.
‘‘On each and every occasion that is has been in the news that the Catfish are thinking about going to Columbia or wherever, the calls start to roll in from others lining up wanting to come to Columbus and others thinking that this is a great stadium,’’ Columbus city manager Isaiah Hugley said. ‘‘Columbus will not have a problem attracting a minor league team.’’
A few changes have to happen for a minor league baseball team to be successful.
Golden Park has to be made into a social hub. I've heard from readers time and again who run off a lengthy list of excuses as to why they don't attend baseball games. There are faulty assumptions made about geography, race and crime. Having left Golden Park and the Civic Center well after everyone else has gone home, I can assure you it’s perfectly safe there at midnight.
People, who apparently have never been to Atlanta, L.A. or Washington, D.C., complain about the traffic and moan about how long it takes to get from the north end of Veterans Parkway to South Commons.
It has been suggested that attendance would be better in a new stadium on the north side of town. Not necessarily. You're always going to battle Little League ball, youth soccer and church.
‘‘It’s been kind of disappointing to see the sparse crowds we’ve had,’’ Catfish manager Jim Morrison said.
He’s the perfect sort of fellow to lend perspective to what’s going on in this community. He’s paid by the Devil Rays rather than the Catfish ownership. He’s an intelligent baseball man who has seen the game at multiple levels.
‘‘The largest disappointment is the Devil Rays have put a nice product on the field,’’ Morrison said. ‘‘I know the struggle of wanting to move, not moving. Me against you doesn’t get anything done. We go on the road and we’re playing in front of 6-8,000 people a night.
‘‘What I see in Columbus, it’s a great town. The town is clean, it looks like it’s upbeat. People care about the way things look. There are nice folks, but there’s a lot going on here too. Baseball is just a continuation of quality of life.’’
I asked one team source if local ownership represented a panacea. Catfish owner David Heller owns a political consulting firm with offices in D.C. and Miami. He has rarely been seen at Golden Park and doesn’t hold a stake in the community outside of the baseball team.
‘‘It has to be the right kind of local owner,’’ the source told me.
Somebody with connections in addition to a sound financial profile. Somebody who knows the bank presidents, preachers, politicians and potential advertisers. Somebody who can successfully reach out to Fort Benning, church groups and youth leagues and fill a stadium. Somebody who can thaw out the chilly relationship that has existed between the team, local government and an untapped fan base.
My dealings with Heller and Catfish general manager Ken Clary on Thursday and Friday say plenty about the management of the franchise and its intentions. Hopefully you read my column in today’s paper.
I gave them every opportunity to address the issue of whether Solomon had expressed interest in buying and moving the team. Their inaccessibility and the nature of their responses amounted to a confirmation that they plan to move.
The 2008 season will amount to a good-bye party, but I doubt it will be well-attended.
‘‘The Columbus market is certainly worthy of a baseball club,’’ South Atlantic League president John Moss told me recently.
Maybe so. But baseball might have to leave for a little while in order for people in this community to decide if they really want it.

Soccer's savior

My column about David Beckham's arrival in America provoked a slew of responses from folks who are under the misguided impression that I'm soccer-phobic because I'm not buying into the hype.
I'm not anti-soccer, just anti-misappropriated hype.
I played soccer from the age of 6 through high school and briefly considered playing the sport in college. As a youth, my family regularly attended North American Soccer League games. I enjoy watching Major League Soccer and the World Cup. I wish MLS a long, healthy life, but I have a difficult time believing it will ever gain traction outside of a few metropolitan enclaves. To the average sports fan, it occupies the same territory as the NHL.
My problem with the whole Beckham thing is that it seems so contrived. There would be more credibility if his wife, Victoria, aka Posh Spice, didn't already have a reality TV show.

Extending the Vick discussion

Obviously, the federal indictment of Michael Vick produced strong reactions from folks on both sides of the issue.
If you read my column on the front page of this morning's Ledger-Enquirer, you know where I stand.
Some readers have raised the question of whether it's fair for the NFL or the Falcons to punish Vick before he even goes to trial. Some ESPN talking heads were flapping their gums about the NFL player conduct policy, saying there's no precedent or provision for league commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend a player on the basis of one indictment.
Actually, there is.
The NFL Players Association signed off on a basic agreement that gives Goodell carte blanche to impose penalties against players who run afoul of the law and/or league rules. When or if there’s an appeal of league-imposed discipline, guess what? Goodell gets to determine the outcome of it. He’s judge and jury.
NFLPA president Gene Upshaw hasn’t raised a stink about Goodell’s handling of Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson or Chris Henry. There are plenty of players on the team, and probably a significant number in Vick's locker room, who are tired of having their collective reputations soiled by the actions of a few.
The Vick apologists in their No. 7 replica jerseys have occasionally laid the race card on the table as the reason for the indictment and extensive news coverage it has received. That's a fallacy. Atlanta defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, who is black, was arrested for allegedly killing his girlfriend's dog last winter and the story received little play in the press.
This is about celebrity to some degree. Vick has a $130 million contract and he plays quarterback. The Falcons have wagered their future on him. Their corporate identity, their brand, is synonymous with Michael Vick.
Being linked to a dogfighting investigation, to gambling and a criminal conspiracy, put Vick in a kettle of hot soup.
Being named in an indictment put Vick, the Falcons and the NFL in front of a blast furnace. The trio could get scalded worse than those Nazis who stupidly opened the Lost Ark in that Indiana Jones movie.
Vick blamed family for his troubles a few months ago. He met with Goodell in April and promised to keep his nose clean.
‘‘It’s unfortunate I have to take the heat. Lesson learned for me,’’ he said then.
Uh, not so much. According to the indictment, he killed underperforming fighting dogs by hanging, shooting or slamming them that same month.
The outrage over such senseless destruction isn’t defined by racial boundaries. On Wednesday, the mostly-white People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Rev. Al Sharpton and hip-hop music impressario Russell Simmons released a joint statement condemning animal abuse and expressing hope that Vick and the three others named in the indictment will be punished if found guilty.
The Falcons can -- and should -- take pre-emptive action. As I wrote today, they would spare themselves much embarrassment by releasing him. They wouldn't necessarily lose much on the field as a result. Vick is 15-16 as a starter the last two seasons.
If you think my proposal is too harsh, pretend you're a business owner.
Let's say you have an employee who has made a series of irresponsible but not necessarily illegal choices that have embarrassed the company. You've told him to straighten up.
Suddenly, you learn that this employee, in charge of a $130 million account for your firm, is under federal indictment.
Would he or she still have a job tomorrow?

Yep, still blogging

I'll be the first to admit that I deserve a public flogging for being AWOL on the blogging for almost a month now.
Basically, I pulled over at a rest stop on the information superhighway and took a nice long nap.
Taking two weeks of vacation and battling awful allergies that just won’t subside haven’t exactly helped matters either. Plus, it’s that time of year when ennui replaces enthusiasm.
There really isn’t much to talk about in the South between spring football practice and the start of summer drills the first week of August.
The Braves are tanking, so there isn't much point in discussing the possibility of a return to the postseason.
The Hawks made at least one savvy draft pick by scooping up Florida's Al Horford third overall (Not sure if Acie Law represents an answer at point guard. I would have liked to see them take a chance on Georgia Tech's Javaris Crittenton, even though he might have been a reach with the 11th pick). But the Hawks are consistently stale, so who really cares?
Columbus native Frank Thomas hit his 500th career home run while I was on vacation and celebrated by getting ejected at the end of the game. It was in keeping with his reputation for balancing immense talent with flareups of surliness.
Other than that, all we have to talk about this month is the possibility that Larry Munson might not last as Georgia's radio announcer for more than another season and whether Nick Saban could beat Chuck Norris in a steel cage match.
Southeastern Conference football media days start a week from Wednesday, so there will be much cause for rejoicing and blogging in the near future. Stay tuned.

On Sheff, Aubie, Mikey and Fred

I've been a delinquent blogger lately because of a herculean spring cleaning effort at home. While the basement definitely looks better, I've let the cobwebs, dust and boxes accumulate on this here blog for far too long.
With that, let's grab a broom and sweep up some blogworthy talking points:

And the Al Campanis Racial Insensitivity Award goes to ...

First and foremost, let's get this out of the way: Gary Sheffield couldn't have done a better job exposing himself as an idiot this week if he'd put on a dance cap and floppy clown shoes and danced the Macarena in the dugout.
GQ gave Sheffield a forum to discuss the decline of African-American players in Major League Baseball. But instead of receiving real insight into why blacks comprise just 8 percent of MLB rosters, the magazine received this tripe:
‘‘I called it years ago,’’ Sheffield said. ‘‘What I called is that you’re going to see more black faces, and there ain’t no English going to be coming out. [It’s about] being able to tell [Latin players] what to do — being able to control them.
‘‘Where I’m from, you can’t control us. You might get a guy to do it for a while because he wants to benefit, but in the end he’s going to go back being who he is. And that’s a person that you’re going to talk to with respect, you’re going to talk to like a man. These are the things my race demands. So, if you’re equally good as this Latin player, guess who’s going to get sent home? I know a lot of players that are home now can outplay a lot of these guys.’’
Sheffield picked the wrong targets here. There are more Latin players now because baseball has exploded in popularity in the Carribean and Central America. Soccer is the only other sport of prominence, but baseball represents the most immediate and significant payday for them.
Now go to an urban recreation center in America and tell me what game you see the children (white and black) playing. They'll be in the gym shooting 3-pointers and slashing to the hoop. There's no activity on the sandlot.
Sheffield's claim that Latin players wield no power is ludicrous.
Atlanta would probably like to trade slumping center fielder Andruw Jones right now, but he can veto any deal he doesn't like. That means he'll be a Brave for the rest of the season.
Apparently Sheffield has failed to notice that Albert Pujols, Manny Ramirez, Pudge Rodriguez, Pedro Martinez, Carl Pavano, etc., aren't exactly working for minimum wage.

They did a LOT of extra credit ...

The eligibility of two Auburn football recruits could be in jeopardy due to questionable high school transcripts.
According to the Mobile Press-Register, B.C. Rain’s Ryan Williams had 10 grades changed and Williamson’s Nick Fairley received seven favorable grade changes without the knowledge of his teachers.
Rumor has it that they were both planning to major in sociology.

Hair of the dog

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution's Web site shows a before and after photo comparison of Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who traded in his braids for a short haircut.
Vick once stated that he wouldn't cut his braids until he led the Falcons to the Super Bowl, but he was wise to get clipped.
Given the franchise's outlook at this point, Vick would have been able to uses his locks as jumpropes if he heeded his original promise.

Scrapple gift baskets for everyone ...

You probably saw the front page newspaper photos of the 1,000-plus-pound pig that an 11-year-old boy in Alabama recently killed.
The initial story made it sound as if the kid fended off a snarling predator who would have surely eaten him like an hors d'oveure if he hadn't shot at him something like 38 times with his pistol and chased him for three hours through the wilderness.
Come to find out the 9-foot long pig wasn't some sort of wild beast. The Anniston Star tracked down Alabama resident Phil Blissitt, who bought the animal when it was a few weeks old as a gift for his wife.
They nurtured it and treated it as a family pet before selling it to Lost Creek Plantation.
They fed it sweet potato pies and called it Fred.
Congratulations, kid, you killed Fred.

Smitch’s ship comes in

As reversals of fortune go, it’s difficult to top the turnaround done by Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell.
In just a few months, he made the transition from ‘‘Might Get Fired’’ to ‘‘Gimme My Money.’’
Mitchell, a former Columbus High School basketball star, just doubled his annual salary this week thanks to the transformation he engineered with his career and his team.
Before this season, Mitchell was one of the league's lowest-paid coaches and seemed to be on his way to lame duck status. Part of the problem was that he was saddled with a roster full of head cases and malcontents in his first two seasons, but it's amazing what you can do with some coachable guys.
Toronto went 47-35 and won the Atlantic Division for the first time in franchise history, making Mitchell a no doubt-about-it pick for NBA Coach of the Year.
His reward: A contract extension and a pay bump from $2 million to $4 million.
The Raptors locked him in to avoid an inevitable bidding war since his current contract was set to expire June 30.
Too bad the Hawks didn't get a chance to make him an offer.

We're talking baseball

Some observations about high school baseball talent in our region after covering Columbus and Russell County in postseason play last week:
* Russell County senior right-hander Danny Danielson should enjoy a long, lucrative professional career.
He’s 6-foot-4, about 215 pounds and throws a heavy fastball in the 91-92 mph range. His presence on the mound is intimidating to say the least. He's been projected as a third to seventh-round draft pick in June and will almost certainly sign instead of taking a baseball scholarship offered by Alabama.
Danielson’s stock may not be quite as high as his teammates from last season, left-hander Kasey Kiker and right-hander Cory Rasmus, who accumulated a combined $3 million-plus in signing bonuses. Kiker went 12th overall to the Rangers, while Rasmus was chosen by the Braves in the sandwich round with the 38th overall pick.
Kiker has been on the radar of pro scouts since his sophomore season. By those standards, Danielson may be a late bloomer. But don't be surprised if he equals or exceeds the accomplishments of his former teammates at the pro level.
Consider this: In last weekend's Class 6A state championship series, Danielson held a heavy-hitting Hillcrest team to one run on four hits. Without him, the Warriors surrendered 31 runs in Games 2 and 3.
* Whatever major league team that drafts Henry County (Ga.) outfielder Jason Heyward in the first round will have a once-in-a-generation athlete at its disposal.
At 6-foot-5 and 215, he looks like Calvin Johnson in a baseball uniform.
Against Columbus High last week, he hit a freakishly long home run to the opposite field, drew a spate of intentional walks afterward, hit a laserbeam of a single that very nearly decapitated a pitcher and showed off the cannon that passes for his throwing arm. Oh, he also stole home.
He's been rated by one magazine as the ninth-best prospect in the nation. I can't imagine there are that that many players better than him.
* Columbus senior catcher Chase Weems probably raised his profile considerably by sharing the same field as Heyward last week.
The Blue Devils beat Henry County in a second round best-of-three series. More than 20 scouts were there for the opener and it's safe to say at least two-thirds of them were there to watch Heyward.
So Weems gets their attention by jacking a three-run homer early in the game. Heyward followed with a two-run homer, but Columbus won the game 3-2.
Weems hit another homer in the series, hit for contact and showed off some solid defensive skills.
He could go as early as the third round or as late as the seventh.
After last week's effort, it's safe to say his wait won't extend into the latter round.

The blogger is in

By now, some of you might have started wondering if anything had happened to the author of this sporadically updated sports blog.
I didn't join the FBI Witness Protection Program. I didn't join the Merchant Marines. I didn't get traded to another newspaper for a sports columnist to be named later.
Just got back from a much-needed vacation. Took an ultra-relaxing four-day cruise to the Bahamas and tooled around Florida afterward. It was blissful. A synopsis: My wife and I swam with dolphins at a training facility in Freeport and took a tour of Nassau. No, we didn't check out Anna Nicole's digs. We did see the courthouse where CNN and every other news outlet in the world camped out to bring us all the gory details of her death and the ensuing paternity/custody issues.
One tattoo parlor there continues to try to capitalize on all the tawdriness. It has a sign board with Anna Nicole's picture on it, declaring that the former TrimSpa spokesmodel went under the needle in their establishment.
Lovely.
While the Anna Nicole saga acts as a powerful appetite supressant, we summoned enough intestinal fortitude to sample ''cracked conch,'' one of the local Bahamian delicacies. We also drank surprisingly powerful beverages with little paper umbrellas in them. They were so strong, in fact, that I started eating the little paper umbrellas after about the third re-fill.
The best part of being on a cruise is that you really lose touch with the world. There's satellite TV on the ship, complete with CNN, but nobody is there to watch it because they're too busy gambling, swimming with dolphins, playing shuffleboard on the Lido deck or ordering another daquiri.
I'd thought some news stories would have run their course in my week of absence.
Doesn't work that way.
I get home and Paris Hilton is still complaining that she doesn't deserve to go to jail, that she signs whatever is put in front of her, that she's the most gullible person on the planet and that she's afraid Big Shirley, her possible future cellmate, might shank her just for giggles.
Then there’s Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who just can't stay out of the news. Police in Virginia raided an estate he owned but did not live in and find evidence of animal abuse and illegal dog fighting activities. Vick claims he had no idea what activities were taking place on the property even though he'd set his cousin up with the big, expensive house. Sure, it sounds silly to give a mansion to a 20-something with questionable judgment and not, you know, check in to make sure he hasn't built a meth lab, put piranhas in the swimming pool or set the kitchen on fire.
All I know is I'm gone for a week and the story still hasn't died. Vick puts the property on the market to distance himself from the situation and it sells maybe 10 minutes letter for nearly 60 percent less than its market value.
I know obvious similarities between Vick and Hilton aren't apparent, but bear with me here.
They seem to be kindred spirits in the sense that they (A) can't stay out of the news and (B) blame their problems on publicists or members of their respective posses.
I just know that I'm tired of reading about both of them.
Is it too early to schedule another cruise?

Making the grade

The NCAA released updated Academic Progress Rate information today.
I know what you're saying: ''Woo-hoo! I've been waiting all week for those!''
Here's why you should care if you're a fan of a Division I or I-AA team.
Schools that fall below the acceptable NCAA standards lose scholarships.
Alabama, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Georgia and Troy University are all safe. The football teams from Auburn and Georgia scored 967 and 963, respectively, which is quite good. Spare us the sociology jokes, please.
Georgia Southern isn't so lucky.
The Eagles will be penalized for poor academic performances by their baseball, basketball and football teams. The football team stands to lose 4.6 scholarships, a whopping total for a Division I-AA team.
To take a look at how your favorite school did, go to www.ncaa.org.