Top 16 +1 - The Eagles have landed!!!

1. Ohio State (#1) (10-0) - Illinois - Columbus got a little scare from Wisky before kicking it into high gear and cruising to a 21 point win....

2. Oregon (#4) (8-1) - BYE - mark this down - Oregon will be one of the teams in the BCS Title game....they too got a scare when QB Dennis Dixon left the game with a knee injury....things look okay though....

3. LSU (#3) (8-1) - La. Tech - a huge win for Les Miles....the Tigers had way too many penalties and were inconsistent at times.....but in the end, the Tiger fans are thrilled that Satan Saban lost....

4. Kansas (#5) (9-0) - @ Oklahoma State - a great win for Kansas....whenever you drop 76 on a Nebraska team, people have to take notice.....the Fighting Manginos have to be on Upset Alert this week when they play at Okie State....

5. Oklahoma (#6) (8-1) - Baylor - the Sooners are in cruise control....their next big test will be against Okie State.....

6. West Virginia (#8) (7-1) - Louisville (Thurs)- at the beginning of the season this Thursday’s game against Louisville looked like it would be a battle for Big East supremacy.....now it looks like another beatdown for a disappointing Louisville team....

7. Missouri (#9) (8-1) - Texas A&M - in consecutive weeks. A&M lost to Kansas and Oklahoma....they might as well go for the triple play and get pounded by Missouri...

8. Georgia (#10) (7-2) - Auburn - the Dawgs get back into SEC play and take on the Road Warriors - Auburn.....this is a bitter rivalry.....

9. Arizona State (#7) (8-1) - @ UCLA - it was a nice run by Sparky’s team....they still have a shot at a BCS bowl, but they have to get through tough games against USC and arch-rival Arizona....

10. Southern Cal (#12) (7-2) - Cal - USC should roll Cal in this game....the Golden Bears have fallen apart after that devastating loss to Oregon State....

11. Virginia Tech (#13) (7-2) - Florida State - the Hokies bounced back nicely after the heartbreaking loss to B.C.....the Seminoles took out BC on Saturday....I don’t see them going into Blacksburg and doing the same....

12. Michigan (#14) (8-2) - @ Wisconsin - Michigan was in serious trouble - down 10 points with 7 minutes left against a Jim Tressel clone.....an impressive comeback....Wisky will be loaded with both PJ Hill and Lance Smith in the backfield....

13. Texas (#15) (8-2) - Texas Tech - the Longhorns may have gotten the signature win they have lacked all year with their comeback in Stillwater....

14. Boston College (#2) (8-1) - @ Maryland - the Eagles dream season is over....look for BC to lose two more games this season.....they are not impressive....

15. Boise State (#16) (8-1) - @ Utah State - Boise State is chugging along toward their November 23rd showdown at Hawaii...

16. Connecticut (8-1) - Syracuse - it looked as if South Florida was going to be the team of the year in the Big East....instead it is the little team from Storrs....

+1 Navy - God Bless their big hearts for finally ending Notre Dame’s 43 year winning streak.....

Dropped out
Alabama (6-3) - a nice effort by the Tide....SEC teams better be prepared because Nick Saban will win a national title at Alabama before he leaves....

Top 16 +1 - Eagles, Buckeyes get impressive wins

1. Ohio State (#1) (9-0) - Wisconsin - an impressive win in a tough situation.....if not for the Florida loss last year, people would be talking "dynasty" about the job Jim Tressel is doing....

2. Boston College (#3) (8-0) - Florida State - also an impressive win at Virginia Tech....they battled the crowd and the pouring rain to notch a landmark win....the Eagles better be on Upset Alert this weekend....sure Florida State is not the team of years past, but the talent is still there to pull an upset....

3. LSU (#2) (7-1) - @ Alabama - Les Miles faces the biggest game of his career....this is not about LSU-Alabama....but Miles has to win for the Tiger faithful over the despised Nick Saban....

4. Oregon (#5) (7-1) - Arizona State - the Ducks may be the best team in the nation....a win this week over Arizona State may vault them to number 1 in my ranking next week....

5. Kansas (#8) (8-0) - Nebraska - over the last two weeks, the Fighting Manginos went into Colorado and Texas A&M and came away with impressive wins....this team is for real....it is too bad the rest of the nation does not realize it....

6. Oklahoma (#4) (7-1) - Texas A&M - the Sooners had the week off....they need to roll the Aggies to show they are worthy of keeping up with Kansas.....

7. Arizona State (#11) (8-0) - @ Oregon - the Sun Devils had a very nice and impressive win over Cal....Dennis Erickson has done a marvelous job in the desert.....but I look for it to end this week when they head to Duck Country....

8. West Virginia (#6) (7-1) - BYE - the Mountaineers dismantled Rutgers.....over the next month, if things fall a certain way, the Mountaineers may find themselves back in the top 2....

9. Missouri (#16) (7-1) - @ Colorado - the Tigers are marching to a showdown against Kansas on November 24th.....

10. Georgia (NR) (6-2) - Troy - the Dawgs finally beat the Gators after losing something like 12 of the 13 to them....Georgia is quietly moving back into the national spotlight.....they only wish they could play Tennessee again....

11. Alabama (#15) (6-2) - LSU - both the Tide and LSU had the week off to prepare for this titanic battle....Nick Saban could put an end to LSU’s dream of a national title....this will be a fierce battle....

12. Southern Cal (#7) (6-2) - Oregon State - Southern Cal can forget about the title game and the Rose Bowl....it looks like their bowl game will be at the Holiday Bowl....but there is still fierce pride left in the Trojans.....

13. Virginia Tech (#12) (6-2) - @ Georgia Tech (Thurs) - the Hokies had B.C. beat but let it slip away in the downpour in Blacksburg....coach Frank Beamer has to watch so his team does not have a let down at Georgia Tech....

14. Michigan (NR) (7-2) - @ Michigan State- eight weeks ago, who would have thought Michigan would be back in the rankings after losing to Appy State and getting a beat down against Oregon....the Wolverines are slowly climbing back into the top 10....

15. Texas (NR) (7-2) - @ Oklahoma State - a very unimpressive win against a mentally worn down Nebraska.....

16. Boise State (NR) (7-1) - San Jose State - even though they are from the same conference, I still put Boise ahead of unbeaten Hawaii....I just believe that Hawaii runs a gimmicky offense who would get rolled by most big time teams....

+1 Connecticut (7-1) - Rutgers - if the Huskies can win their next three games, they have a Nov. 24th showdown at West Virginia....

- South Florida (6-2) - for 6 weeks the Bulls had the nation’s attention....but a loss to Rutgers and Connecticut ends it for them.....it was nice knowing you....
- Florida (5-3) - the SEC proved too tough for the champs who are basically in a rebuilding year.....watch out for this team next season....
- South Carolina (6-3) - the Gamecocks suffered two demoralizing losses over the last two weeks that will sit in their craw over the winter....
- Kentucky (6-3) - the Kitties have used up their nine lives....like USF, it was a nice story while it lasted....

The Top 16 +1 - Gentleman Jim slides back into the #1 spot

1. Ohio State (#2) (8-0) - @ Penn State - they are undefeated, so I have to recognize them for now.....Penn State needs to watch out so that Gentleman Jim does not pull a miracle and steal a victory in Happy Valley this Saturday....

2. LSU (#5) (7-1) - BYE - the Tigers showed a lot of toughness by coming back to beat a road warrior Auburn team.....

3. Boston College (#3) (7-0) - @ Va. Tech (Thurs) - a win this week in Blacksburg will prove to the nation that BC is for real....this is also a chance for quarterback Matt Ryan to showcase his talents.....

4. Oklahoma (#4) (7-1) - BYE - the Sooners pulled a Tressel-like win against Iowa State - unimpressive.....

5. Oregon (#7) (6-1) - Southern Cal - the Ducks may be the most explosive offense in the country....they get their chance to knock Southern Cal out of the BCS race as the Trojans march into Eugene.....this is an elimination game.....

6. West Virginia (#10) (6-1) - @ Rutgers - the Mountaineers looks like they got the ship back on course....they have quietly been taking care of business since the loss to USF.....like the Bulls last week, West Virginia is going into a hornet’s nest at Rutgers....they better beware of the trick plays.....

7. Southern Cal (#11) (6-1) - Oregon - an impressive 38-0 pasting of Notre Dame....USC can show the pollsters that they are back with a win at Oregon.....a loss here and their chances for any BCS bowl game could be gone....

8. Kansas (#14) (7-0) - @ Texas A&M - Bear Mangenius’ bunch went into Boulder and beat Colorado, something that Oklahoma could not do....Kansas will be out of their element when they travel to College Station this week....Coach Fran is getting heat at A&M, but the Aggies are 6-2.....Upset Alert!!!....

9. S. Florida (#1) (6-1) - @ U.Conn - it took two trick plays to end the Cinderella “running of the Bulls”.....this is still a good football team who showed the country that parody is becoming the norm in college football.....it will be interesting to see how they bounce back from that tough loss....this will be a measuring stick to see how they handle adversity....

10. Florida (#13) (5-2) - Georgia -the Gators come off losses to Auburn and LSU, then go into Kentucky and win by 8 points.....now the champs head to Jacksonville to take on rival Georgia....just another week in the tough SEC.....

11. Arizona State (#15) (7-0) - Cal - the Sun Devils are a quiet 7-0....but with the way things have gone this year in college football, expect ASU to lose this week to Cal....Upset Alert - Big Time!!!!......

12 Virginia Tech (#16) (6-1) - Boston College (Thurs) - after getting smashed by LSU in early September, the Hokies kind of fell off the map....but they have crept back to 6-1 and can get national attention again with a win over perfect B.C. this Thursday night....

13. South Carolina (#8) (6-2) - @ Tennessee - with all the losses of Top 10 teams this past week, the Ole Ball Coach missed a golden opportunity to move into the Top 5.....it’s back to square 1 as they head into Rocky Top....and the Vol fans hate no one more than they do Steve Spurrier....

14. Kentucky (#9) (6-2) - Miss. State - the Kitties showed a lot of heart in their loss to Florida....they just ran out of time....

15. Alabama (NR) (6-2) - BYE - the Tide steamrolled Tennessee this past week and they are on a bye....the SEC title game is within their grasp.....their next game is November 3rd when they host LSU....put your seatbelts on for that one!!!!!.....

16. Missouri (NR) (6-1) - Iowa State - look who’s back....the Tigers bounced back nicely after their tough defeat at Oklahoma.....

+1 Michigan (6-2) - Minnesota - that loss to Appy State seems like years ago....the Wolverines made a statement by going into Illinois and winning without Mike Hart and with Chad Henne out for portions of the game....

Dropped out from last week:
6. Cal - it has been a bitter two weeks for the Golden Bears....they can get their swagger back by handing Arizona State their first defeat....

12. Auburn - this is the toughest road team in the country.....they went into Florida, Arkansas, and LSU and were 7 seconds away from sweeping all three teams....

My, my, look who is #1 - the South Florida Bulls!!! - College Rankings - Top 16 +1

1. S. Florida (#3) (6-0) - @ Rutgers (Thurs) - if this was college basketball, the media and fans would be fawning over this team as Cinderella....but this is football and the traditionalists do not want a team named South Florida in the Top 20 let alone #1....well too bad....the Bulls do have a very rough game on Thursday at Rutgers....Upset Alert - Big Time!!!....

2. Ohio State (#4) (7-0) - Michigan State - the media wonks are talking up the Bucks defense....but weren’t they doing the same last year until Michigan and Florida dropped 39 and 41 points on them?.....

3. Boston College (#5) (7-0) - BYE - give BC credit, they survived a possible upset in South Bend.....now they are off until Thursday the 25th when they go to Blacksburg to take on Va. Tech.....I’m saying it right now, that will be the end of the line for BC....

4. Oklahoma (#6) (6-1) - @ Iowa State - Youngstown, Ohio native Bob Stoops has righted the ship after that disastrous ending three weeks ago.....this team is led by a freshman quarterback - Sam Bradford.....the Boomer is back in the Sooners....

5. LSU (#1) (6-1) - Auburn - I stated last week that LSU had to be on Upset Alert....remember, Florida lost a game in mid-October last year and still won the title....the LSU defense is very good, but they were exposed a bit by Kentucky and by the injury bug.....

6. Cal (#2) (5-1) - @ UCLA - what the heck was the Cal quarterback thinking by trying to run for a touchdown instead of throwing the ball away and stopping the clock....the Golden Bears fought gallantly after their starting QB Nate Longshore got injured....

7. Oregon (#8) (5-1) - @ Washington - the Ducks smashed Wazzou....they have to be careful with this Washington game....I never realized until recently that Oregon and Washington is a huge rivalry game in which both side HATE each other....

8. South Carolina (#10) (6-1) - Vanderbilt - that win over Kentucky looks even more impressive....the Ole Ball Coach has this team rolling....

9. Kentucky (#16) (6-1) - Florida - a great win for Kentucky and the entire SEC....it just shows that the SEC is no Big Ten.....

10. West Virginia (#7) (5-1) - Mississippi State - West Virginia got a week to rest.....they should take care of Miss. State, but they better not get too overconfident because Sly Croom has the Bulldogs playing better than they did last year.....

11. Southern Cal (#9) (5-1) - @ Notre Dame - a 7 point win over Arizona?.....Southern Cal needs to thump Notre Dame big time on national television in order to get their swagger back.....

12. Auburn (#13) (5-2) - @ LSU - just another huge game in the SEC....Auburn won at Florida and at Arkansas.....this one will be an even tougher challenge when they go into Baton Rouge at night....

13. Florida (#14) (4-2) - @ Kentucky - the Gators have lost two in a row and are coming off a bye....they are going up to Kentucky, a team that just came off a big win last weekend....the Gators win - and win handily....

14. Kansas (#15) (6-0) - @ Colorado - Bear Mangino faces his toughest test yet....no, not a hot dog eating contest, but his Kansas team goes into Boulder to play Colorado.....look what happened when Oklahoma went to Colorado earlier this year.....

15. Arizona State (NR) (7-0) - BYE - the Sun Devils can relax, work on their tan, and prepare for Cal.....

16. Virginia Tech (NR) (6-1) - BYE - the Hokies are licking their chops for Thursday, October 25th when undefeated Boston College comes to town....they get a whole week to prepare for a team that gave them their first defeat last year.....bury the house on the Hokies!!!!....

+1 Penn State (5-2) - @ Indiana - two weeks ago it looked like JoePa was losing control of this team....but after two impressive wins, Penn State looks like a very dangerous team who could win out and finish the year 10-2 and in a BCS game.....

Dropped out from last week:
#11 Missouri - the Tigers only lost by 10 to Oklahoma.....I could see them re-entering the Top 16 very soon....

#12 Illinois - I called for the Illini to be on Upset Alert last week.....they face a must win when they host Michigan this Saturday night....

Monday Morning G.M.

How the mighty have fallen....just two years ago Shaun Alexander was ripping up the NFL as the best running back in the league....today, he looks like an old worn out workhorse who does not have the drive or desire to once again become an elite back.....

New England showed why they are the best team in the NFL....after trailing 24-21 early in the third quarter, Tom Brady and company kicked it up another level in order to put away Dallas....this was done without the service of their number 1 running back Laurence Maroney and limited playing time from his back-up Sammy Morris....Tom Brady is the league MVP.....

While he was the starting quarterback, Rex Grossman was taking the heat in Chicago....but since he has been benched, the Bears are 1-2....the blame cannot be put on his replacement Brian Griese who has played well....the blame should be laid on the most over-rated defense in the last 10 years.....the same media wonks who were hellbent on crucifying Grossman should now go after the Bears defense with the same vengeance....

Is Marvin Lewis’ job in jeopardy in Cincinnati?....he has lifted the franchise out of the doldrums of 4-12 seasons, but since their supposed breakthrough season, 2 years ago, the Bengals have regressed....a team of their talent should not be 1-4.....the Bengals need to be more business-like in their approach.....

The Cleveland Browns are on a bye this coming week and it was supposed to be the time that the team would transition Brady Quinn into the starting quarterback position.....but with Derek Anderson’s recent play, it looks like that timetable has been pushed back - possibly to very late this season or even next year....

Indianapolis will be going into a hornet’s nest when they travel to Jacksonville next Monday night.....

It’s unbelievable to think that Vinny Testaverde is still a starting quarterback at his age....this is not a knock on Vinny, but do you mean there are no other serviceable quarterbacks in the entire country who are still in their 30s?....

What ever happened to former Cincinnati quarterback "The Throwin Samoan" Jack Thompson?

Bear Mangino - the REAL Mangenius

Thanks to my friend over at the Money Shot blog who came up with this....forget Eric Mangini of the Jets....the REAL Mangenius is Bear Mangino of the Fighting Manginos of Kansas....get Bear Mangino on The Sopranos....he should be the one sitting at Artie Bucco's restaraunt eating linguine then going and banging Meadow Soprano.....The Fighting Manginos went into Kansas State who was ranked #24 at the time and won 30-24.....The Fighting Manginos are now 5-0!!!!....

BEAR MANGENIUS

The players put The Boss in a difficult spot

With each passing hour, Joe Torre and the entire Yankees Nation await his fate from The Boss....after another disappointing finish to the season, George Steinbrenner has a decision to make - should he renew Torre’s contract or let someone else lead the New York Yankees....

As a Yankees fan, I am torn about what should be done....I could understand why The Boss wants to replace Torre....I firmly believe The Boss has nothing but good will toward Torre, but for the third straight season, the players who are on the field during the playoff games have failed their manager, their owner, and their loyal fans.....with this continuing failure, the players have put Steinbrenner in a difficult situation....maybe the players are no longer responding to Torre and his ways of managing thus a change in day-to-day leadership could be healthy.....

The blood of this disastrous playoff loss is on many hands....obviously the main culprit is Alex Rodriguez....throughout the series he had ample opportunities to provide a spark but failed.....in the ninth inning of game 2, with Bobby Abreu on second and two outs in a tied game, A-Rod could have won it with a base hit....instead he struck out.....in game 4, he allowed Paul Byrd to strike him out twice on just three pitches each time.....believe me, I don’t expect A-Rod to get a base hit everytime he comes up in a crucial situation in the playoffs, but damn, with the money he is making, he needs to come through once in a while....I like A-Rod - I think he is a good person.....you never hear about him involved in DUIs, dogfighting, thuggery, etc....but it may be time for him and the Yankees to part ways....he has $91 million left on his contract and if he opts for free agency in order to make more money, I don’t blame Yankees general manager Brian Cashman for saying that the organization will not pursue him....

Another major culprit who has as much blood on his hands as A-Rod is Derek Jeter.....Jeter is my boy!!!....but just as I praise him when he does well, I will also criticize him too.....he failed throughout the series by hitting into three inning ending double plays that killed possibly rallies....what I did not like the most about Jeter during this series happened the night before game 1....I read on ESPN.com where Jeter went to dinner with Cleveland Indians Kenny Lofton.....I don't think a player should be going to dinner with an opponent the night before a playoff series...this is the same Lofton who supported former Yankee Gary Sheffield in his accusations that Torre was a racist....that is fine if Jeter and Lofton are friends, but I just think it was not appropriate to go to dinner with an opponent prior to a playoff series....when the series is over, they can hook up for dinner whenever they want.....for me, that just did not sit well....

So we come back to the question at hand - should Torre stay or go?.....I just don’t know.....part of me does not want to see Torre go because he is a great manager who has displayed integrity and good sportsmanship....he has proudly represented the Yankees organization and I believe he is still a quality manager....he should be Manager of the Year for the way he guided the team this year after their 21-29 start....but maybe the players are not responding to him anymore....it is not a knock on Torre, but more of a knock on the players.....former Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly once said there are only so many ways a coach can motivate a team before they start tuning you out because they have heard the same message over and over.....maybe that is what has happened in the Yankees clubhouse?.....I don’t know.....

If Torre is let go, the players should not rip The Boss for his decision....instead, they should look in the mirror and realize that they were the ones for Torre’s demise....they were the ones who left The Boss no choice....

College Football Rankings - Top 16 + 1

It is time for Week 3 of the Stiles Points Top 16 +1 weekly rankings....

1. LSU (#2) (6-0) - @ Kentucky - Les Miles has the grapefruits baby....a big win for the LSU football program...they must be on Upset Alert this week when they head to Kentucky....

2. Cal (#3) (5-0) - Oregon State - the Golden Bears have the upper hand, but don’t forget that Southern Cal still looms on their schedule....

3. S. Florida (#4) (5-0) - Central Florida - the Bulls played a sloppy game at FAU, but managed to hold off a pumped up opponent....they have to get used to being the hunted instead of the hunter....

4. Ohio State (#6) (6-0) - Kent State - Gentleman Jim rolls Purdue....is Ohio State that good or was Purdue over-rated?....no matter what, OSU is still perfect and deserves a #4 ranking....

5. Boston College (#10) (6-0) - @ Notre Dame - the Iggles handled Bowling Green in a non-conference game....this week they take on their Catholic counterpart....are the Iggles going into a hornet’s nest in South Bend?....

6. Oklahoma (#9) (5-1) - vs. Missouri - OU took care of business against Texas....but a red-hot Missouri team invades Norman this week....

7. West Virginia (#11) (5-1) - BYE - the bye came at a perfect time for the Mountaineers as quarterback Pat Whites tries to heal....

8. Oregon (#12) (4-1) - Washington St. - Oregon saw how Wazzou almost upset Arizona State this past week....

9. Southern Cal (#1) (4-1) - Arizona - the Trojans need to get their shit together right now or they can forget about any BCS bowl....only Jim Tressel wins games even if his team turns the ball over 4 times....and right now, Pete Carroll is no Jim Tressel....

10. South Carolina (#13) (5-1) - @ N. Carolina - will the Tar Heels be on an emotional downswing after holding on to beat Miami this past week....Steve Spurrier vs. Butch Davis - like ole times when they were at Florida and Miami....

11. Missouri (NR) (5-0) - @ Oklahoma - the Tigers lambasted Nebraska....a win this week in Norman shows the country that Mizzou is for real....

12. Illinois (NR) (5-1) - @ Iowa - I like this team a lot!!!....but the Illini better be on Upset Alert when they go to Iowa....the Hawkeyes have lost 9 straight Big Ten games....

13. Auburn (NR) (4-2) - @ Arkansas - two weeks ago it looked like a rebuilding year - suddenly the Tigers have new life....

14. Florida (#5) (4-2) - BYE - Florida could beat over half of the teams ranked over them....they just happen to play in the toughest conference....

15. Kansas (NR) (5-0) - Baylor - the Battle of the Bears - Mangino vs. Baylor....Kansas has a solid running attack....and cb/wr Aqib Talib is an All-American....

16. Kentucky (#8) (5-1) - LSU - I’m giving the Cats one more week in the Top 16....then it is time to scat....

+1 Arizona State (6-0) - Washington - a win this week puts them in the Top 16....this just shows why Dennis Erickson is a good coach....

Dropped out from last week:
#7 Wisconsin - they need to regroup this week at Penn State and show the country they are not over-rated....
#14 Georgia - the Dawgs went into a hornet’s nest at Rocky Top....
#15 Texas - the Longhorns fought valiantly but lost to OU....there are better teams than Texas...
#16 Purdue - they had the home crown behind them, but Joe Tiller’s team put on a horrible effort...Akron gave OSU a better battle...

Monday Morning G.M.

Here are my thoughts on Week 5 in the NFL....

The Green Bay Packers lost a golden opportunity to take a stranglehold on their division....the Packers played like two different teams in each half....and yes, the Evil Brett Favre still looms after his pitiful second half performance....

I know he is pint-sized, but why doesn’t Jack Del Rio run Maurice Jones-Drew (photo) more than just nine times?....

The Atlanta Falcons running game is so bad that Artose Pinner was their leading rusher yesterday....Pinner had 1 run for 49 yards.....

The New York Jets should have made a move to draft running back Brian Leonard from nearby Rutgers....Leonard is a load of a runner as he has stepped in admirably for Steven Jackson.....

New Orleans - done!!!.....

Whatever happened to former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert?.....

Denver is a team that looks good on paper but is worth crap on the field....

I like how Washington bounced back after that disappoint loss to the Giants two weeks ago....they were without their top 2 receivers and still dominated an up and coming Lions team....

A win tonight by Dallas will give the NFL and CBS what they wanted next Sunday - 5-0 New England at 5-0 Dallas....

Finally, the NFL is always looking for ways to promote their game....the league should consider having annual geographic rivals games....for example:
Giants-Jets
Eagles-Steelers
Cowboys-Texans
Redskins-Ravens
Rams-Chiefs
Buccaneers-Dolphins
Falcons-Jaguars
Lions-Browns
Bears-Colts
Cardinals-Chargers

Sure, not every team will have a natural rival, but the match-ups for these 10 games will sure elicit much attention from football fans around the country....the league offices will come up with an excuse about how the interconference schedules are already set-up years in advance....if there is a chance for the NFL to make, which this will, they will find a way to make it work....the NFL is trying to promote the league by having regular season games in Mexico City, London, and even possibly China....they are clearly missing the boat on these geographic match-ups....

College Football Rankings - Top 16 + 1

It is time for Week 2 of the Stiles Points Top 16 +1 weekly rankings....
1. Southern Cal (#1) (4-0) - Stanford - the Trojans were not impressive, but it was one of those survival games....
2. LSU (#2) (5-0) - Florida - an impressive win this week over the hungry Gators may push the Bayou Bengals over USC....
3. Cal (#6) (5-0) - bye - an impressive, yet close win in a hostile stadium....they were fortunate that Cameron Colvin let the ball slip out of his hands....
4. S. Florida (NR) (4-0) - @ Fla. Atlantic - this is my poll and I am moving the Bulls to number 4....earlier this year they won at Auburn, who went into The Swamp and beat Florida....the win over W. Virginny caught people’s attention....

5. Florida (#3) (4-1) - the Gators lost to a very good Auburn team....a win this week over LSU will have them back in the top 3
6. Ohio State (#9) (5-0) - @ Purdue - beating up on YSU, Akron, Northwestern, and Minnesota does not mean that you will get ranked over Florida just yet....
7. Wisconsin (#10) (5-0) - @ Illinois - a nice win over Michigan State....but like the Buckeyes, the Badgers have a weak non-conference mark....
8. Kentucky (#12) (5-0) - @ South Carolina - the Cats magic ends on Thursday night in Columbia, S.C.....
9. Oklahoma (#5) (4-1) - vs. Texas - the Sooners blew a 24-7 lead....they might have been peeking at Texas with that 17-point lead....
10. Boston College (#13) (5-0) - vs. Bowling Green - Matt Ryan may be the best quarterback in the nation...

11. West Virginia (#4) (4-1) - @ Syracuse - yeh, I know Pat White got hurt in the S. Fla. game, but the Mountaineers were flat overall....a huge disappointment for a team with huge hopes...
12. Oregon (#7) (4-1) - bye - the Ducks had the misfortune of having the ball bounce the wrong way....
13. South Carolina (#15) (4-1) - vs. Kentucky - Spurrier got the ship back on track after the loss to LSU....they can gain some momentum by beating Kentucky....
14. Georgia (#16) (4-1) - @ Tennessee - the Dawgs took care of business against Ole Miss....they face a tough task at Rocky Top this week....Tennessee is looking for a big win....this will be a big test for Georgia...
15. Texas (#8) (4-1) - vs. Oklahoma - the Horns may be over-rated....they barely beat Arkansas State and C. Florida.....this is a watershed game against Oklahoma to determine how the rest of their season goes....
16. Purdue (NR) (5-0) vs. Ohio State - this may be a short stay for the Boilermakers as they take on the mighty Buckeyes....
+1 Illinois (4-1) vs. Wisconsin - a win this week will make the Fighting Illini a legitimate team for the Rose Bowl....

The New Middleweight Champion of the World from Youngstown, Ohio Baby!!!

The New WBC Middleweight
Champion of the World

Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik

From Youngstown, Ohio

Monday Morning G.M.

Here are some thoughts on Week 4 in the NFL:

Maybe the Oakland Raiders are not that bad....the Raiders are 2-2 and have played well in all of their games....the running game may have looked too good yesterday because they were playing the porous Miami defense....but when they come off the bye, Oakland will gain the services of Dominick Rhodes to go along with Lamont Jordan and Justin Fargas....and who is to say that Daunte Culpepper hasn’t found new life with the silver and black....it would not be the first time a "washed up" quarterback has come to lift the Raiders to new heights....remember Jim Plunkett....

Another team showing some life are the Cleveland Browns....it looks like wide receiver Braylon Edwards is finally becoming that homerun threat that he was supposed to be....however, he only had 1 more reception after that long touchdown in the first half....Cleveland needs to get the ball in his hands at least 6-8 times per game....

I’ve been reading that Arizona quarterback Matt Leinart has been a regular in hitting the party scene....he needs to get his act together - now.....Kurt Warner is a nice back-up, but he cannot lead this team through the next 12 games and into the playoffs....Leinart needs to step up now, something he was allegedly not doing concerning child payments for his newborn...

Let’s face it, the Bears are just a bad ball club with no running attack....as a team they finished with 69 yards on the ground....Chicago needs to get help because Cedric Benson is a bust as a featured back....

What ever happened to Neal Anderson? (photo) ....

The October 14th game between the Patriots and Cowboys is shaping up as a possible Super Bowl preview....

Will someone explain to me why Adrian Peterson carried the ball only 12 times for the Vikings?....are they saving him for the playoffs?....

Why didn’t Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Morningweg or head coach Andy Reid make an adjustment and get some help for left tackle William Justice?....the Giants sacked Donovan McNabb 12 times with six of the sacks coming from Osi Umenyiora going against Justice?....

The Lions bounced back nicely after taking a pounding last week from the Eagles...

I love watching games involving NFC East teams...is it just me or does anyone else feel that way too?...whenever the Eagles, Redskins, Cowboys, or Giants play against each other, it seems like the game comes down to the last few minutes...I can't get into watching NFC or AFC South teams and the same goes for NFC West...

LeBron James is rooting for the New York Yankees - who cares!

LeBron James is a New York Yankees fan. He has been a Yankees fan his whole life. He is rooting for the Yankees over the Cleveland Indians when they face off in the Divisional Series this week. Big Deal!! But for most Indians fans, this is a bitter pill to swallow. They have criticized The Chosen One because he is being true to the team he has rooted for since he was a kid. At least James has been true to his team his whole life unlike most of these Indians fans.

Yep, throughout the 1970s and 80s, you couldn’t pay a person in Ohio to wear an Indians cap. Then suddenly, when they started winning in the 1990s, everyone was an Indians fan - caps, jerseys, jackets were everywhere. And as soon as they started losing again this decade, those same fans who piled on the bandwagon once again hid their hats. These so-called "true diehard" Indians fans should be more upset with the fans who are now on the bandwagon; the ones who didn’t fill Jacobs Field over the last few years; the ones who didn’t support their team.

James rooting for the Yankees will have no impact on who will win the Yankees-Indians series. Zero impact. So who cares who he is rooting for?

It bothers people like Bob Feller, the 120-year-old Hall of Fame pitcher for the Indians who spouted off, "I'm going to a Cavaliers game and sit right by their bench, wearing a Detroit Pistons cap. Let's see how LeBron likes that." This is the same Feller who is still living in the 1940s and yearns for the days of Benny Goodman on the radio but will not give a free autograph to a person. Instead he will charge them $20.

Cleveland sports fans have to accept the fact that teams like the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Dallas Cowboys, Notre Dame, and Los Angeles Lakers are national teams. They have devoted fans all across the nation because of their rich history and dominance in their sport.

These same knucklehead Cleveland fans don't realize how fortunate they are to have a quality player and person like James. He plays hard every time he puts on a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform. Every time! These same people who are sending in emails and letters to the newspapers and calling in talk radio complaining about James should spend more time questioning their councilperson or mayor as to why the city of Cleveland is considered one of the biggest dumps in this country with its high crime and poverty rate. Instead, they are upset because James is "rooting for the Yankees."

Would they rather have an athlete who lies and says that he is rooting for the home team when he really isn't? Or how about having an athlete who does root for the home team -- and also has a personal relationship with the city's police department because he is always in trouble. When was the last time you picked up the morning paper and read that James was involved in drugs, DUIs, beating women, dogfighting, tax evasion, etc. All he is doing is rooting for his favorite baseball team - the Yankees. Get over it! Maybe in a few years the Cleveland fans and old fart Feller won't have that problem anymore because James may be right at home wearing his Yankees hat while he gets ready for games in Madison Square Garden. Think about it.

Bear Watch - the Fighting Manginos are 4-0!!!!!

Yeh, they did not play a tough non-conference schedule....but so did Ohio State....say what you want, but the Fighting Manginos of Kansas are 4-0 going into a bye week.....on Saturday, Kansas pulverized Florida International 55-3.....our boy Aqib Talib brought back an interception 100 yards for a touchdown.....sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing accounted for 415 yards of total offense in the win....

This is the first time Kansas has started a season 4-0 since 1995....the Fighting Manginos start Big XII Conference play on October 6 when they travel across state to take on Kansas State....

News from around the country

Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist and Around the Horn guest Jay Mariotti writes about the end of the Rex Grossman era.... “If Lovie had drawled his dreaded, ridiculed refrain one more time - ''Rex is our quarterback'' - I'm not sure 9 million people wouldn't have gathered at Halas Hall in mass protest.” ....

Jay Mariotti - Rex Grossman

Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist and Around the Horn guest Jay Mariotti writes about Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and his tirade.... “He tried to make what could have been a reasonable point: why media members shouldn't be hypercritical of college athletes who, in effect, are amateurs. But he was screaming so maniacally, I don't think anyone actually heard his words.” .....

Jay Mariotti - Mike Gundy

Washington Post sports columnist and PTI co-host Mike Wilbon writes about the 0-3 New Orleans Saints..... “It's as if all that Saints magic had an expiration date. The NFL's feel-good story of a year ago appears to be just another rejected script this year. The Saints, inexplicably and virtually overnight, have gone from the hot preseason Super Bowl pick to bag-over-the-head bad, from 10 wins to zero wins.” .....

Mike Wilbon

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the San Diego Chargers are not panicking just yet, but know they have to get their act together right now..... “A day after losing for the second straight week, things looked a little better to the Chargers. The perspective of time and the realization of the opportunity that lies immediately ahead has the Chargers feeling somewhat better.” .....

Kevin Acee

Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News writes that one year ago there was rumors T.O. tried to O.D., but now things are going well for the superstar.... “A year later, Owens wishes he could erase one of the worst moments of his life. He said he was embarrassed by the incident but has grown from it.” ....

Calvin Watkins

Pittsburgh Post Gazette reporter Ed Bouchette writes how things could be a tad odd this week around the Steelers camp as they prepare to go against their former assistant coaches.... “But the new Steelers coach refuses to be drawn into the passion play involving coaches who might have felt wronged.” .....

Ed Bouchette

College Football Rankins - Top 16 + 1

It is time to roll out Stiles Points Top 16 +1 weekly rankings....the reason I rank 16 teams is because that figure fits nicely for a college playoff....
1. Southern Cal (3-0) - @ Washington - the Trojans are a solid #1...
2. LSU (4-0) - @ Tulane - the Hokies and the Cocks came into Baton Rouge only to leave with a whoopin....
3. Florida (4-0) - vs. Auburn - Gator Nation gets a little scare from Ole Miss....
4. West Virginia (4-0) - @ S. Florida - the Mountaineers will get a stiff test on Friday at S. Florida ....
5. Oklahoma (4-0) - @ Colorado - the Sooners get a little test before the Red River Rivalry against Texas....

6. Cal (4-0) - @ Oregon - this is an elimination game between these PAC-10 foes...
7. Oregon (4-0) - Cal - why not put the Ducks this high?....if they win, they will deserve it...
8. Texas (4-0) - vs. Kansas State - the Horns need to pick up the pace after a lackluster non-conference performance....
9. Ohio State (4-0) - @ Minnesota - the Buckeye fans are already talking BCS Title....
10. Wisconsin (4-0) - Michigan State - a battle of unbeatens when Sparty comes to town....

11. Clemson (4-0) - @ Georgia Tech - maybe, just maybe this is Tommy Bowden’s year....
12. Kentucky (4-0) - vs. Fla. Atlantic - the Cats take down the Cards and the Hogs in back-to-back weeks....
13. Boston College (4-0) - vs. U. Mass - the Battle of Massachusetts....
14. Rutgers (4-0) - Maryland - Greg Schiano’s group are laying real quiet this season....
15. South Carolina (3-1) - vs. Miss. State - the Ole Ball Coach makes a change at quarterback....
16. Georgia (3-1) - vs. Ole Miss - a real nice win in a hostile place at Tuscaloosa....they can’t take Ole Miss lightly this week....
+1. Kansas (4-0) - bye - you gotta love the Fighting Manginos....the bye week allows Bear Mangino to hit all the free buffets in Lawrence in order to get ready for conference play....

Okie State coach goes off on reporter

After Oklahoma State's 49-45 victory on Saturday night over Texas Tech, Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy "went off" on columnist Jenni Carlson from the The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) during the post-game press conference.....in Saturday's edition, Carlson wrote a column detailing the reasons why Okie State quarterback Bobby Reid (photo) may have lost his job.....as they say, the rest is history....check out the links below....

Mike Gundy's Tirade

John Helsley of The Oklahoman writes that Mike Gundy has no regrets about his tirade....

John Helsley

Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes about the tirade on Monday....

Berry Tramel

Jenni Carlson's column which led to the tirade...

Jenni Carlson

Bring Back Bernie Brewer!!!!

The Milwaukee Brewers are sliding out of the N.L. Central playoff race with a week to go in the season.....but one Brewers fan is trying to help bring back some of the old Milwaukee Brewers tradition....

In Sunday's New York Times, an article was written about a Brewers fan who is trying to get the organization to re-adopt the old MB baseball mitt logo and to bring back good old Bernie Brewer and his Beer Barrel and Beer Mug.....

I like the guy's spunk and desire to bring back some of the team's traditions....too many organizations are worried about being "politically correct".....it seemed like the Brewers did not want to bring Bernie back because it might be considered to promote drinking....Screw That!!!!.....

Be a good American and baseball fan and click on the link below and sign the petition....

True Brew Crew

Monday Morning G.M.

I have been in a funk of late between work and trying to get a feel of what is going on in college and pro football....hopefully I could get back into the rhythm of doing Stiles Points on a regular basis....every Monday I plan on writing a column called "The Monday Morning G.M." where I provide five quick thoughts about the NFL.....today is the first installment....

1. I don't like dealing with issues of race, but I have to give a quick comment after Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb stated that African-American quarterbacks are under more scrutiny and criticism than white quarterbacks....I am not here to rip McNabb....if that is how he feels, it doesn't mean he is wrong....however, I believe that quarterbacks in general have that pressure because of the nature of the position.....both African-American and white quarterbacks are under scrutiny....over the last two seasons, both Rex Grossman and Eli Manning, who are white, have been constantly ripped, scrutinized, criticized, booed, etc. by the media and fans....during last night's game, NBC announcer Al Michaels stated the Chicago media calls Grossman "Wrecks Grossman".....in New York, the Jets fans cheered when Chad Pennington got hurt during week 1....and until he won the Super Bowl last season, Peyton Manning was labeled a "choker" and not able to win the big games....I am not saying McNabb was out-of-line with his comment, but he should take some solace in knowing that white quarterbacks also get grilled....and right now, Grossman is the most criticized quarterback in the league.....

2. I like how Brett Favre has changed his attitude involving the Packers offense....in the past, Favre put it all on himself to try and win games by being the swashbuckling gunslinger who would try for the long bomb....after three games this season, it looks like Favre has bought into head coach Mike McCarthy's beliefe that he (Favre) should take what the defense gives him by throwing the short to medium passes....the Packers have been able to move the ball on a consistent basis despite not having a true number one running back.....

3. The Right Guard team of the year so far is the Denver Broncos....what I mean by the term "Right Guard" is that this team stinks but they are able to cover up that odor with an unimpressive 2-1 mark....the Broncos should be 0-3 heading into Indianapolis this Sunday....they were lucky to get off that game winning field goal in week 1 to beat Buffalo....and last week, head coach Mike Shanahan pulled a cheap stunt to ice Oakland lunkhead Sebastian Janikowski.....

4. After just three weeks, only five teams remain perfect: the Steelers, Patriots, Colts, Packers, and Cowboys....to most, the Packers may be the most surprising to still be undefeated....but I think it is the Steelers....with Bill Cowher leaving as head coach, an upheaval of offensive assistants Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm, who were both considered to replace The Chin, and the griping of offensive lineman Alan Faneca, I thought this would be a year of transition - especially early in the season....but credit should be given to head coach Mike Tomlin for easing the team through the transition....any Steeler fan who says they expected the team to be 3-0 has a line of horsedung....this week the Steelers travel to Arizona to take on their old friends Whisenhunt and Grimm....

5. I know this is stating the obvious, but the San Diego Chargers look awful.....will someone please give me a legitimate reason why the Chargers fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season?????....maybe the San Diego offense is not that potent?.....besides LT, who else do the Chargers have?....Philip Rivers has been a nice quarterback, but he has not been some wiz either....and Antonio Gates is a stud tight end, but he needs more help from his fellow receivers....suddenly Marty-ball doesn't look so bad....

The Bear Watch - Kansas is now 3-0

Do you hear that growl?....no it is not Bear Mangino’s belly wanting another double cheeseburger with bacon and double mayo.....that is the Kansas football team....the Fighting Manginos are now 3-0 after rolling Toledo 45-13 last Saturday....

Once again, Aqib Talib came over to the offense from his cornerback position and scored on a 58-yeard pass from Todd Reesing (photo) ....Reesing finished with four touchdown passes and no interceptions and has thrown 10 TDs and zero picks so far this season....running back Jake Sharp had 127 yards on the ground on only 13 carries....

The Fighting Manginos close out their non-conference schedule this Saturday by hosting Florida International....they are then off next Saturday (September 29) before opening their Big XII schedule when they travel across state to take on Kansas State.....for right now, the Bear is growling....