Weekend Notes

I remember the days of watching the best game in college football year in and year out about this time of year. Two teams that collectively put more players in the NFL than the entire state of Maine has in the existence of the commonwealth. Two teams that were so fast and so talented that they were a lock for a Top 5 ranking and a shot at the National Title. Many considered this game to be in fact the game between the nation's two best teams.

You may have missed it, but Miami and Florida State are playing this weekend. Once the biggest (arguably) and the most most important (fact) rivalry in college football has been drowned by their own programs. Who would have thought this day would come? The day that everyone cares more about a South Florida/Rutgers game than The U and FSU? Seriously.

Jim Leavitt got his first taste of reality last night. He got out coached on the road. This hasn't happened very often in his career, but it did last night. Fortunately, South Florida can still get themselves right back into the BCS hunt. The loss to Rutgers wasn't a bad one. Ray Rice is a great player and their team was just under-producing...now at 5-2 they have a chance to make some serious noise.

Speaking of making serious noise, that's what I'll be doing in Tuscaloosa tomorrow morning. The Big Gun came through at the last second so the day-trip is upon us. I'm not too worried about Alabama tomorrow. I think they will keep it close through half and UT will take it for a two touchdown victory at the game's conclusion. I just can't see John Parker Wilson beating a good team. Sorry.

Josh Beckett is currently slated to pitch Game 1 of the World Series. If he gets there. I'm still battling this whole not throwing him in Game 4 thing. You saw how he pitched last night. If not, you heard about it. Now, Schilling pitches tomorrow and then they turn it over to DICE-K. Yikes.

There's no assuming that Beckett would have won Game 4. He would have. At 2-2 the Red Sox would have had the luxury of splitting the Schilling/DICE-K starts knowing that they could have Beckett on short rest for the 7th game. CC has been throwing poorly from the start and Schilling could have gotten the win last night. Wakefield could have gotten a win last night. I just don't like how the Red Sox are lined up. DICE-K may have thrown in some big games in Japan and in the WBC, but he's still going to be a rookie taking the hill at Fenway in Game 7. If they get there.