KD's Top 10 College Football Games for 2011

Sorry for the brief hiatus the past two days, we should be back on track now. It's better late than never, but my Top 10 College Football Games of 2011 are finally here. Obviously college football rivalries happen with pretty much weekly regularity, and a few of them happened to make my list. That being said, you won't see a game like Michigan vs. Ohio State on the list, as I tried to pick the best games that will occur this year, meaning that both teams should be good and that the game will have significant bearing on the BCS standings. I don't see Michigan vs. Ohio State fitting those characteristics this year.

Now, after reviewing my games, it's pretty tough to determine an exact 1-10 order. Obviously teams records will change and may knock the game down slightly in the rankings, but on paper, prior to the season these are the marquee matchups. I've listed them in the order that they will occur on the calendar from earliest to latest. I've listed the teams, their ranks, game date, location, and will have a rundown of each team. I'll list a key player to watch on each team as well, and if it is a rivlary game, you'll have the moniker associated with it, or one cleverly made up by yours truly. Here we go.

Please note these rankings reflect ESPN's Mark Schlabach's Way Too Early Top 25 rankings as published January 11, 2011 to keep consistent with my prior college football articles. That, and rankings haven't been released yet.

1) #3 Oregon vs. #4 LSU
Date: September 3rd
Location: Cowboys Stadium, Dallas Texas
Moniker: The NCAA Probe Bowl

Preview: Just yesterday, LSU got hit with a year's probation and sanctions for recruiting violations centered on former junior college recruit Akiem Hicks and former assistant D.J. McCarthy. Oregon is currently being probed by the NCAA for the recruitment of LaMichael James and Lache Seastrunk, and their relationships and financial dealings with Will Lyles and Baron Flanery. Oregon's high-powered offense will matchup with LSU's retooled defense in a Pac-12 vs. SEC showdown. LaMichael James will be suspended for the matchup due to an altercation with his girlfriend last year, so the Ducks will have to rely on Darron Thomas and Kenyon Barner. LSU has some quarterback issues, and Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee will probably both see time, so expect the Tigers to rely on the running of Spencer Ware.

Key Players: I'll have to go with Barner and Ware here. Both of them should carry their teams in this game. Barner is a dynamic weapon as a kick returner, running back, and they've put him in the slot and out wide at times. He should see action all over the field. Ware, a converted quarterback is a pounder at 5'11" 225lbs, and he'll see a lot of work.

Predicted Winner: I like LSU's defense and their ability to grind the clock in this game to slow down the Ducks. Without LaMichael James, the Tigers will be able to key on Kenyon Barner, and Oregon's top two receivers from last year are both gone. The SEC takes this one.

2) #1 Oklahoma at #7 Florida State
Date: September 17th
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahasse, Florida.
Moniker: The Trail of Tears Game

Preview: These two teams have hooked up in an inter-conference matchup the past two years. Oklahoma has more talent coming back than any other team in the country; they have 29 players with starting experience returning, but it centers around two guys: QB Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles. Expect Oklahoma's offense to put up yardage and points through the air. Their defense should be fine, although the passing of the late Austin Box will hurt them in the middle. The Noles are looking to replace Christian Ponder at QB, but they have a slew of talented running backs and E.J. Manuel does have some starting experience. The Noles defense, in particular their outstanding CB tandem of Xavier Rhodes and Greg Reid will be tested early and often in this matchup.

Key Players: For Oklahoma, I'll go with ILB Tom Wort. He'll be pressed into starting action again with the loss of Box, and the British Import will have to be on his toes against the Noles ground game athleticism of E.J. Manuel. For the Noles, I've to take Manuel. He'll have to grow up fast as this is each team's second game of the season, and Oklahoma has far more players and plays in place than the Seminoles do.

Predicted Winnner: Oklahoma won this matchup last year in Norman 47-17, and it's hard to not take them again here. Florida State won't have Christian Ponder, and Oklahoma simply has too much firepower for the Noles. Even though it's in Chief Osceola's back yard, the Sooners are too much in this contest.

3) #2 Alabama at #23 Florida
Date: October 1st
Location: The Swamp (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium), Gainesville, Florida
Moniker: SEC Bare-Knuckle Game

Preview: While it's not a traditional rivalry game for Florida like they have againts Georgia or Florida State, nor Alabama with Auburn, these two teams were at the zenith of college football in the 2000s. They met in the SEC Championship Game in 2009 and 2010, with each team winning it once and moving onto the National title. Florida will have to replace Urban Meyere with Will Muschamp, who will instill a more traditional offense for the Gators. Alabama will have to deal with losing Mark Ingram, Julio Jones, and Greg McElroy on offense. Alabama has plenty of talent coming back, and their defense should be very good as some key guys decided to return. Florida lost a lot in the secondary via the draft and Janoris Jenkins getting kicked out of school. This is Alabama's toughest early season test, and it could derail their National Championship aspirations.

Key Players: For Alabama, a lot of this season hinges on RB Trent Richardson's ability to shoulder the full load at RB. For the Gators, give me head coach Will Muschamp. This is Florida's big test this year, and Muschamp, a former Saban assistant with LSU and the Miami Dolphins, will have to figure out which QB to go with to take on the best coach in College Football.

Predicted Winner: I'll take the Crimson Tide in a closer game than what many will be expecting.

4) #19 Nebraska at #12 Wisconsin
Date: October 1st
Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
Moniker: The Big 10 Intra-Squad Scrimmage Game

Preview: This game will be quite confusing as Nebraska and Wisconsin's uniforms are nearly identical, save for their helmets. Okay, so my made up moniker isn't great, but even the teams are pretty similar. Both have big lines, solid defenses, like to run the ball, and now, with Wisconsin's addition of QB Russell Wilson, both teams have outstanding quarterbacks. Taylor Martinez and Russell Wilson should both be very fun to watch. Both can throw, both are very mobile, and they both make good decisions, and despite the tradition of both teams, I don't think this will be the type of plodding, low-scoring game Big 10 fans are accustomed to.

Key Players: I'll stick right with Martinez and Wilson here. Both teams will have solid defenses, though each squad will have a significant amount of graduated and drafted talent to replace, so I think this game could be a higher scoring affair. Whichever QB makes fewer mistakes will win the game.

Predicted Winner: Badger fans will be jumping around in Madison as they have a more reliable running game to go with the outstanding game Russell Wilson brings to the table.

5) #10 Ohio State at #19 Nebraska
Date: October 8th
Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
Moniker: The Big 10 Blue Bloods of College Football Game

Preview: In what would've been the first game back for Jim Tressell, Terrelle Pryor, and the rest of the suspended Buckeyes, the Ohio State team will look a little different. I can't imagine them going 5-0 in the stretch of games prior to this one, and they'll be going into a very hostile environment for the first time on the season. Nebraska comes into this game off a road trip to Wisconsin, which in my scenario, they will lose, so this has the makings of a great game for two of the blue bloods of College Football. This should make for the start of an interesting inter-division rivlary in the Big 10, however, the Leaders and Legends names are just completely stupid. Fail.

Key Players: For Ohio State, they'll be getting back Daniel "Boom" Herron, their best runner who can help take the pressure off of whomever their QB is at this juncture. Herron runs hard for his size, and is probably Ohio State's best weapon offensively as DeVier Posey will be making his return as well. For Nebraska, give me DT/DE Jared Crick. He played with Ndamukong Suh, and he's very good in his own right against both the run and pass.

Predicted Winner: Score one for Big Red and the Huskers here. Ohio State is in disarray and it'll be just the first game back for the suspended players still on the roster. Inexperienced QB play in this environment? Ain't gonna happen Buckeyes.

6) #4 LSU at #2 Alabama
Date: November 5th
Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Moniker: The Saban Bowl

Preview: In what could be the game the determines the SEC West's representative in the SEC Championship Game, the Tigers battle the Crimson Tide in a huge battle. LSU won the most recent battle in 2010 winning 24-21, but Alabama leads the all-time series 45-24-5. The Saban Bowl might be the best game all season this year. Alabama will have a high-powered running attack and a stout defense, much like LSU, so this could be that type of low-scoring, plodding game (yes, even in the SEC) that traditional football fans like me love. I think the Crimson Tide will have more overall talent, and if QB A.J. McCarron develops well, they should be the better team as long as Trent Richardson is still healthy.

Key Players: A pair of linebackers here. For Alabama, I'll give you Dont'a Hightower, and for LSU I'll give you Karnell Hatcher. Both inside backers will have to be on their games to stop Trent Richardson and Spencer Ware as a lot of the offense will come on the ground in this battle.

Predicted Winner: Hard to go against the Tide at home. I think their defense is better, and they'll have revenge on their minds after losing in Baton Rouge last year.

7) #3 Oregon at #9 Stanford
Date: November 12th
Location: Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, California
Moniker: The Pac 12 QB Battle

Preview: There's two potential Heisman candidates playing in this game with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Oregon's LaMichael James. This game could potentially be a knockout for a BCS Championship Game representative. Stanford's lone loss last year was to the Ducks and Andrew Luck came back for another year to graduate with his recruiting class and to make a run at a Pac 12 title. Luck will have to carry the Cardinal this year as he's losing some talent on offense, most notably Ryan Whalen and Owen Marecic, along with 3 starters on the O-line. Oregon, if they get past LSU in their opener, will have this game marked as the only contest between them and back-to-back undefeated regular seasons.

Key Players: Luck and Oregon QB Darron Thomas will be the key factors in this matchup. The Cardinal will be at home, in probably their biggest home game in a long time. Thomas will have to lead the Ducks attack into hostile territory, but it should make for a very exciting game to watch.

Predicted Winner: I'll take Andrew Luck and Stanford in a revenge game here. Stanford is pretty underrated, and if there's a next Peyton Manning, it's Andrew Luck.

8) #8 Arkansas at #4 LSU
Date: November 25th
Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rogue, Louisiana
Moniker: The Battle for the Golden Boot

Preview: Tyler Wilson takes over the reins at QB for the Razorbacks after Ryan Mallett graduated. The Hogs have a lot of talent coming back with Knile Davis and Dennis Johnson at RB, Joe Adams, Greg Childs, and Colbi Hamilton coming back at receiver. Wilson played very well in spot duty last year, including a 300 yard game. He also played well in the Spring Game and has some Razorback fans already comparing him to Ryan Mallett. LSU will have been through the wringer coming into this game having played Oregon, Florida, Auburn, and Alabama, so this is the last hurdle in their season, and they could be really banged up.

Key Players: Wilson and Jordan Jefferson, the two QBs in this game, will be the key. Arkansas will probably be able to put up some points on the LSU defense, so it'll be up to Jefferson to keep the Tigers in the game. LSU kicked a ton of field goals last year in the redzone, so they'll really need to convert touchdown opportunities in this game to keep pace with the Hogs.

Predicted Winner: I'll go with an upset here and take the Razorbacks despite them having to go into Death Valley. I think they just have too much talent on offense and can outscore LSU in the end.

9) #2 Alabama at #17 Auburn
Date: November 26th
Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
Moniker: The Iron Bowl

Preview: Alabama nearly wrecked Auburn's National Championship season last year, but Cam Newton powered the Tigers comeback. In Tuscaloosa. Auburn nearly derailed Alabama's perfect season in 2010, in Auburn. So, something's going to give here. Obviously, without Cam Newton, Auburn's going to be lacking on offense a little bit. This game is Alabama's last hurdle to the SEC Championship Game, so it could be for all the marbles for the Tide. Last year's freshman phenom Michael Dyer will have to take up a bigger work load along with Onterio McCaleb. If Trent Richardson is still running hard, he'll be on his way to a potential Heisman campaign.

Key Players: Michael Dyer and Trent Richardson. This rivalry game has been pretty close the past few years, and I expect no different this year even though the Crimson Tide have more total talent. Richardson and Dyer are both big backs who run hard, and will have to produce in this game to keep the chains moving and put points up on the board.

Predicted Winner: Roll Tide. Alabama's going to be too strong for the Tigers this year, but I expect the game will be closer than most people think. It's a pure hatred game here, and if recent history is any indicator, it should be very entertaining to watch. At the very least, it's a good way to work off your turkey hangover the day after Thanksgiving.

10) #1 Oklahoma at #6 Oklahoma State
Date: December 3rd
Location: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Oklahoma
Moniker: Bedlam

Preview: We close out the Top 10 Games of 2011 with Bedlam. The rivalry between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is a long-running one that dates back to the Big 8 Conference with the Sooners dominating the all-time series with an 81-17-7 record, including 8 straight wins since 2002. In fact, OK State's last two wins came in 2001 and 2002 when Oklahoma was ranked 4th and 3rd respectively while the Cowboys were unranked. This year figures to be different as both teams could potentially be in the top 10 and this could be the game that determines if Oklahoma's going to head to the BCS Championship Game. Oklahoma State has a deadly QB - WR combo of its own in Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, but they'll have to replace the departed Kendall Hunter in the ground game. I'd expect this to be a shootout with Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles on the other side.

Key Players: Blackmon and Broyles. Perhaps two of the best three receivers in College Football, with respect to the outstanding Alshon Jeffery, these two should light up the scoreboard. Pay special attention to Blackmon especially, as he absolutley abused Nebraska's Prince Amukamara last year, and in my opinion, will carry a higher grade than Georgia's A.J. Green did when he enters the NFL Draft.

Predicted Winner: It's hard to buck history here, so I'll have to take the Sooners in a wild shootout in Stillwater. And if I were a betting man, I'd bet on Oklahoma to take on Alabama in the BCS National Chamipionship Game, which would be one heck of a matchup for all College Football Fans.

Jim "The Vest" Tressel: Thanks for the Memories, But You Had To Go

Hey everyone, glad to be back. I've been busy the last few weeks with finals, graduation from law school, and now beginning to study for the bar, so I haven't had much time to write. But I'm BACK BABY! So I'll say a big thanks to KD for carrying the load lately and move on with this story.

As many of you probably have heard by now - unless you live under a rock - Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel announced that he would be stepping down as coach of the Scarlet and Gray. The university basically forced Tressel to take this action. If he hadn't, they would have done what just a few months ago E. Gordon Gee stated was unfathomable: Fire the Vest.

As a diehard Buckeye fan since the age of 5, I've seen the highs and lows of the program over the years. The Rose Bowl win over Arizona State in 1997, followed by the shocking loss to Michigan State when ranked #1 in 1998. John Cooper v. Michigan. Eddie George's 327 yard game against Illinois. Jim Tressel v. Michigan. Stanley Jackson and Steve Bellisari as QB1's. Joe Germaine and Troy Smith as QB 1's. The National Championship in 2003 followed by the stunning demise of Maurice Clarett the following season. The victory in the 1 v. 2 game against Michigan, shortly followed by back-to-back blowout losses against Florida and LSU in the BCS National Championship game. The list can go on and on.

As the events of the last few months have unfolded, the mindset of Buckeye fans has been extremely mixed. But after polling some friends about how they feel now that Tressel is gone, the reaction is largely that while they're sad to see The Vest go and they agree it was the right move, they want to say "Thanks for the Memories."

His reputation will be forever tarnished, and the books he wrote about living by the virtues of honesty and integrity will most certainly provide comedic entertainment for college football fans everywhere for generations to come. The media has protrayed him - and perhaps he deserves it - as a lying, dishonest individual that should never have let the program get to this level.

But the truth is that Jim Tressel brought more joy to this program that any of us ever could have imagined when he was announced as coach back in 2000. And he did it with no recruiting violations, unlike the scandal with Reggie Bush at USC. Sure, boosters paid college athletes. So what? It happens at every school, whether fans like to believe it or not. Ohio State just got caught, and Tressel got wrapped into the situation of trying to cover it all up. Anyone who believes in the fallacy of collegiate athletics (particularly football and basketball) as an "amateur" environment should look up to the ceiling above you because the word "gullible" is written above it. In my mind, when all is said and done I'll hold him up there 20 years from now in a light much like the way we Buckeye fans hold another tarnished Ohio State coach, Woody Hayes, on a pedestal.

So Jim Tressel, on behalf of Buckeye fans everywhere, I would like to say thank you. The lows we experienced, such as losses in the BCS National Championship games, were lows that most programs can only dream of. But the highs - 8 BCS games, a multitude of Big 10 titles, a National Championship and the oh-so-sweet 9-1 record against Michigan - those were moments that I will never forget.

In 2003, I went over to my buddy Curry's house to watch the 2003 National Championship game against Miami. After the victory, a group of us were so jacked up. We had just watched Ohio State's first National Championship since 1968, and wanted to go downtown on campus to celebrate with the masses. Even though we didn't do that, we all sat in agreement at his house and said "this is a night we will never forget." And it was. For that moment alone, thanks Tress, and wherever the road may take you, good luck.

So what exactly does this all mean for Buckeye Nation? I wrote about the effect it will have in on the Ohio State fan base here, but ultimately I'm not so sure what the effect will be on the program. Ohio State is still the predominant program in the Big 10. It still has a stranglehold on the Ohio recruiting base, and even if it loses scholarships over the next few years I find it hard to believe that the Bucks won't still challenge for Big 10 and National titles in the not so distant future.

If the NCAA does decide to bring the hammer down on the program to set an example for the future (which would be an unfair move on the NCAA's part), I think it could be a few dark years ahead for the boys in the Scarlet and Gray. People are directly pointing fingers at Tressel and ignoring the transgressions of the players. Why? When do we start holding collegiate athletes that think they are professionals accountable? Where did their sense of entitlement come from? Just because you're great at catching, throwing, or running with a football, why do you think you deserve something? That's not the way the world works. You have to pay your dues, bide your time, and earn the things that you receive.

How come everyone is just focusing on Terrelle Pryor, and not Boom Herron, DeVier Posey, or even the benchwarmers that get these benefits? When do we hold boosters responsible for treating these kids like they are demi-Gods, bestowing gifts upon them such as cars, jewelry and other items? And when do we look in the mirror and realize that maybe - just maybe - we take sports just a little bit too seriously? After the NCAA investigation concludes, I think we are going to be taking a deeper look into these questions.

Many Ohio State fans will hold the result of the last few months' investigation against Tressel. They'll say he ruined the program. And to those fans, I'd like to pose a question: would you rather have had Tressel go out this way after the 10 year run we just had or would you rather have never had Tressel at all?

Sports Quick Hits - Memorial Day Edition

We at Two Guys Talking Sports hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend and we would both like to thank our troops here and abroad that make the United States of America the greatest counry in the world. Thank you!

College Football

Perhaps in a somewhat ironic twist of fate, Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel resigned among many rumors and allegations of his players having received improper benefits, 5 of whom are already suspended for the first 5 games of the 2011 season. Now, we've found out that a Sports Illustrated article slated to hit newsstands this week has evidence of violations going back to 2002, including rigged raffles that gave prizes to potential Buckeye recruits. I guess we should've paid more attention to Stanley McClover's HBO segment during the Cam Newton saga. McClover, who played at Auburn, and then had a brief NFL career, was recruited by Ohio State. He claims to have received money from the Buckeyes, Michigan State, and at an LSU football camp. In the HBO special, he also claimed that Ohio State provided him with an empty dorm and multiple women whom he had his way with. I've heard several reports such practices were still operational as late as Solomon Thomas being recruited to Columbus.

All things considered, I think this is the right move by Jim Tressel, and unlike most Buckeye fans, this didn't come as a shock to me. I think he was going to be out one way or another sooner rather than later. It also lends credence to my crazy uncle's rumor about Bo Pelini, the current head coach at Nebraska. In a fit of "Buckeye fever" let's call it, after a big win circa 2007 if my memory serves me well here, my uncle (who is an alumni chapter president in a rather large city, and has personal ties to Archie Griffin and Gene Smith) called me up and said he'd heard a rumor that Tressel was going to retire after QB Terrelle Pryor left Ohio State, and the front-runner (Pelini was at LSU at the time) would be Bo Pelini, himself a former Buckeye. Just some food for thought, we'll see if it happens. Pelini 2012!

I won't miss Tressel as much as others will. My own grandmother said she'd have voted for him to be the Pope. I think know that everything he preached about integrity and doing the right thing just comes of as a sham and his resignation saved what little dignity he had left. While he brought a National Championship to Columbus, along with 3 National Championship Game appearances, multiple Big 10 titles, and a sterling record versus rival Michigan, his legacy will be for something else. I myself thought he was overrated and often got out-coached against better opponents, and he couldn't get the Buckeyes to win from behind if they trailed by more than 7 points (they weren't behind often as they played "weaker" non-conference opponents and the Big 10 took a pretty big dip in recent years) but he had a winning tenure. Now, as Ohio State's immediate future rests in the hands of Luke Fickell, we'll all be left to wonder what Tressel was really doing in Columbus.

MLB

The Florida Marlins would be in first place in any division except their own, and the AL Central. All those trades and non re-signing key players have allowed the Marlins to build from within and they have a ton of young talent. Hanley Ramirez, Mike Stanton, Emilio Bonafacio and others have contributed to a 30-22 record, and they have the look of a team that will contend next year, as they open a shiny new stadium near downtown Miami, as well.

No one in baseball is hotter than the Arizona Diamondbacks who've come out of nowhere in the NL West to take over 1st place this past weekend with a 30-24 record. However, a closer look at their coaching staff says that this maybe shouldn't be as much of a shock.

Manager - Don Mattingly
Batting Coach - Don Baylor
Pitching Coach - Charles Nagy (remember him Indians fans?)
First Base Coach - Eric Young
Third Base Coach - Matt Williams
Bench Coach - Alan Trammell
Special Assistant - Jerry Krause

That's like a mix of 1980s and 1990s All-Star teams. Maybe coaching really does make that big of a difference.

I'm going to go ahead and label the Milwaukee Brewers as pretenders right now. Until they've proven they can beat the Cincinnati Reds and play decent ball away from Miller Park, where they're 21-7 on the year and just 8-18 on the road, they're not going anywhere. And the Reds right now are colder than just about anyone or anything other than the draft going through Jim Tressel's office (sorry Chizzy, I had to).

NBA

The NBA Finals start tonight, and while I may have lost in my bracket - I had the Lakers over the Bulls in 7 - not all is lost. It's actually a pretty compelling rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals where the Heat, behind Shaq and Dwyane Wade, defeated the Mavs 4-2. Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, etc all might be playing in their last NBA Finals. The Big 3 get a chance to prove that triumvirates can actually win in the NBA. LeBron's in his second NBA Finals, Bosh is in his first, and D-Wade gets to defend his 1-0 record.

I'm torn on who to root for. Dwyane Wade's one of my all-time favorite NBA Players, but I loathe LeBron James. Seriously, is their a bigger pansy in professional sports than the "King"? We'll see if he continues his abnormally good clutch play in the Finals. As for the Mavs, I've never really been a Jason Kidd fan, but how can you not appreciate Dirk Nowitzki? I mean, just check out this, this, and this with an assist from Steve Nash, and you'll know why I'm rooting for him. That, and he's just an offensive genius.

I guess when it comes down to it, I'm pulling for the Mavs, if only to see what kind of victory parade Mark Cuban would throw in Dallas. I mean, the players have HD television sets and PS3's in their lockers. I think he'd throw a helluva party. On the other hand, if I'm a betting man, give me Miami in 5. I think they've got it this year, and as much as I hate to type this, I think LeBron's going to guard Dirk and shut him down.

NFL

No real news to report here. NFL Network's showing their Top 100 players, and so far, I've got to say I'm sort of mixed. Donovan McNabb makes it but LeSean McCoy doesn't? Or the Bengals not landing any of the three between Andrew Whitworth (I personally don't think he deserves to be on the list), Jonathan Joseph, or Leon Hall? The last two certainly are worth serious consideration. I'll congratulate the Dolphins' Cameron Wake (63) and Brandon Marshall (61) for making the list, as well as left tackle Jake Long, who is on the list, but they haven't gotten that high yet.

Friday is NFL Armageddon day. The appeals process continues in the 8th Circut Court of Appeals in St. Louis. I went into this more in last week's Quick Hits edition, so I'll just let you form your own opinion of whose side to be on.

In my personal opinion, I'm supporting the players in this case, however , in order for there to be an NFL season this year, the following is what needs to happen:

1) DeMaurice Smith and the Players present a not-so-great case on Friday. DeMaurice Smith and his crazy antics are making him more the fall-guy every day.

2) The 8th Circut Rules in favor of the NFL by mid-July (reportedly the earlist a ruling would come down according to Adam Schefter).

3) This forces both parties to go back to the collective-bargaining process as Roger Goodell has wanted for some time now, and hammer out a deal that eliminates the potential for any 18-game schedule, agree on a salary cap and a rookie wage scale, provide better benefits and pension for retired players, and insert a clause that examines stupid rules - like everyone the NFL has come out with this offseason, such as kickoffs being moved to the 35 and the Steelers rule.

4) Agree on provisions for free agency for this year. Hopefully, this will allow for players who've accrued at least 4 NFL seasons to become unrestricted free agents.

5) Get back to Football. It's as simple as that. The fans want football.

Other Sports News

- Dan Wheldon won the Indianapolis 500 thanks to a wreck on the final lap.

- The NFLPA has formed its own Rookie Symposium for players to attend since the traditional one has been cancelled by the lockout.

- Albert Pujols, the consummate pro, will play 3rd base again tonight for the Cardinals.

- FC Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League with a 3-1 defeat of Manchester United over the weekend.

Way Too Early College Football Top 10's: Top 10 Teams

Now that the NFL Draft has concluded, and assuming that the NFL Labor talks eventually allow undrafted rookies and veteran free agents to sign, there’s really not too much in the way of actual college football now that most spring games have concluded. Having watched bits of several spring games, I thought it might be time to take a look at some teams on the college gridiron and how they’ll fare this fall.

I saw a segment on ESPNU a few weeks ago with Mark Schlabach’s “Way Too Early Top 25”. In it, there were times that had a ton of talent coming back like Oklahoma, who had 14 offensive players and 15 defensive players with starting experience. Oregon falls into that category as well with Darron Thomas and LaMichael James expected back, but they lost three starting offensive linemen and their top two leading receivers. You have your perennial SEC powers in Alabama and LSU up there, and upstarts Arkansas and South Carolina, though both will have new starting quarterbacks this fall. Stanford got a gift as Andrew Luck, otherwise known as “Football Jesus” returned to Palo Alto. Terrelle Pryor returned under different circumstances for the Ohio State Buckeyes who might’ve gone through the toughest offseason despite losing just three players to the NFL Draft. Then you’ve got some programs that generally aren’t considered powerhouses knocking on the door in Oklahoma State and Michigan State, and perennial BCS party-crashers Boise State and TCU all hovering out there.

All these teams with the potential to be so good almost make me feel like it’s college basketball again where you can have a VCU and Butler make it to the Final Four and Championship Game respectively. I just hope it’s more entertaining to watch. With that in mind, I thought I would take a look at some College Football Top 10s, despite it being way too early. I’ll give you my Top 10 Teams, players, and games as we head into the 2011 College Football Season.

My predicted Top 10, is as follows:

1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma
3. LSU
4. Oregon
5. Stanford
6. Boise State
7. South Carolina
8. Oklahoma State
9. Florida State
10. Ohio State

Let’s take a closer look at each team, and why I think they’ll be slotted in that ranking.

1) Alabama Crimson Tide
Say what you want about Nick Saban, but the man is a top 5 football coach regardless of level. Yes, this coming from a Dolphins fan. Yeah, he left under bad circumstances, but he didn't want to be in the NFL - and I can't blame him. He's outstanding at the college level, having never compiled a season worse than 6-6. He had success at Toledo, Michigan State, won a national title at LSU, turned around a decrepit Miami Dolphins team in a year, and won a national title at Alabama.

Alabama is losing some talent - Marcel Dareus, Julio Jones, James Carpenter, Mark Ingram, and Greg McElroy - but they have a ton coming back. RB Trent Richardson might be the best player in college football. He's already got NFL size and speed, and having watched 'Bama's spring game, he looks better than the 2009 version of Mark Ingram - yes the Mark Ingram that won the Heisman. Quarterback A.J. McCarron is a tall pocket passer who has some nice touch on the deep ball. Obviously he'll have some growing pains, but with a heavy does of Richardson, they shouldn't be felt too much. Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks will return at receiver and Brad Smelley and Michael Williams give them some good options at H-Back and tight end respectively. The O-line is solid, anchored by C William Vlachos and enormous RT D.J. Fluker.

Defensively with Dont'a Hightower, Courtney Upshaw, Nico Johnson, Mark Barron, and Dre Kilpatrick, the back seven should be outstanding. Hightower, in my opinion, might be even better than Rolando McClain was a few years ago. Also, keep an eye on freshman Trey Depriest, as he could be a player for now, and will be one for the future. Saban's scheme is very much like an NFL defense that puts an emphasis on trick blitzes, stunts, and overloads that not many teams see. Dont'a Hightower is the key here. The 6'4" 260lbs middle linebacker can play inside, outside, and put his hand on the ground and rush. He's like a coach on the field and is a solid player who rarely misses tackles.

While 'Bama has talent, they have a tough schedule. A tricky week two matchup at Penn State is the first obstacle before SEC play. The Tide does get Arkansas and LSU at home, but they will visit the Swamp, Mississippi State, and Auburn to close the season. However, they won't have to face every team that's coming off a bye week this year, which should help them. If they can get through the early road games against Penn State and Florida, I like them to come out of the SEC and return to the National Championship Game. A lot rests on A.J. McCarron's development, but 'Bama has a multitude of weapons, and perhaps another Heisman winner in the backfield in Trent Richardson, to help the young QB.

2) Oklahoma Sooners
Is this the year "Big Game Bob" Stoops finally gets the Sooners to go undefeated? Well, they've got a darn good shot. Quarterback Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles will both be back to lead a talented offense that will be missing DeMarco Murray at RB. Roy Finch will get first crack at replacing Murray, having totaled 398 yards on 85 carries and 2 scores in 2010. Broyles (131 rec. 1622yds. 14 TDs), Kenny Stills (61 - 786 - 5) and TE James Hanna (18 - 292 - 7) give Landry Jones some excellent targets to look for.

Defensively, losing Jeremy Beal and Quinton Carter will hurt, but the Sooners have a lot of experience on defense to team with Freshman All-American LB Tom Wort, a British phenom, check out his story here. Travis Lewis and Austin Box should help anchor the linebacking corp. Ronnell Lewis and Frank Alexander will supply plenty of pressure from the DE spots. Alexander had 7 sacks in 2010. The Sooners have been known to produce solid defensive backs and CBs Jammell Fleming and Demontre Hurst might be one of, if not the bests duos in all of college football. Replacing Quinton Carter will be the toughest job of the secondary this season.

Schedule-wise, Oklahoma has two big road trips - against Florida State in week 2, and against Oklahoma State to close out the season. A trick opener against Tulsa should be a good measuring stick as the Golden Hurricane can score points in bunches. If Oklahoma survives Tallahassee and Stillwater, I expect to see them in the BCS Championship Game.

3) LSU Tigers
Les Miles had good reason to stay in Baton Rouge instead of going back to Ann Arbor. The Bayou Bengals should be loaded this year despite losing several talented defenders in Patrick Peterson, Drake Nevis, Kelvin Sheppard, Lazarius Levingston, and Terrance Tolliver. Jordan Jefferson or Jarrett Lee will handle the QB duties, though Jefferson looked very good in their spring game. The offense should get a shot in the arm with Spencer Ware, a 190lbs high school quarterback turned 225lbs running back (and pride of Cincinnati's Princeton high school!). Rueben Randle and Russell Shepard should do well enough to make Tiger fans forget about Tolliver. Two tight ends in Deangelo Peterson and Chase Blackwell should also help along with an experienced offensive line anchored by senior center P.J. Lonergan.

Defensively, the Tigers always seem to put together a good unit even when they lose talent. And man, did they lose talent in the Draft. A trio of good DEs should help pressure the passer - Ken Adams, Sam Montgomery, and Keke Mingo - as well helping out Michael Brockers and Josh Downs in the interior. Sophomore Kevin Minter should get the first shot at stepping in for Kelvin Shepard at middle linebacker, but Karnell Hatcher and Ryan Baker should expedite his development. There's not much experience in the secondary, but LSU has produced some good players there in the last few years.

The Tigers schedule is brutal. They open against the Oregon Ducks in Dallas, Texas in week one. They have a short week to prepare for a Thursday-nighter at Mississippi State in week 3 and have to travel to West Virginia the week after. October to November presents an absolutely terrifying four-game stretch of Florida, at Tennessee, Auburn, and at Alabama. They close the season on another short week with a Friday home game against Arkansas. If the Tigers can navigate the Ducks in Dallas and the trips to Starkville and Morgantown, they should be alright by the time the thick of the SEC schedule swings into high gear.

4) Oregon Ducks
Despite rolling out an uglier set of uniforms ever year (I mean, what in the world were the Ducks wearing in the BCS Title Game?). Despite the wardrobe questions, Oregon's offense looks really good. LaMichael James might be the most electric player in the country, and QB Darron Thomas will have an extra year of experience under his belt. Top target Jeff Maehl won't be back, but Kenjon Barner will receive more balls this year. Justin Hoffman, Keanon Lowe, Lavasier Tuinei should team to give Thomas a nice set of WRs. Oregon's offense is a quick-tempo one that doesn't allow much opportunity for oppenents to put much pressure on the QB, so the average O-line shouldn't be too much of a problem for the Ducks.

Defensively, they won't be producing players on the level of Jarius Byrd and Walter Thurmond III any time soon. Gone is the overrated Clay Matthews along with DT Brandon Bair, but the Ducks have some solid players in Dion Jordan, Michael Clay, and Cliff Harris on that side of the ball. The Ducks better hope their defense tightens up over the summer as they travel to Dallas to take on the LSU Tigers in their first game of the season.

After that, it's somewhat smooth sailing with only trips to Arizona and Colorado looming before their final 3 games, which form the toughest stretch of the season. Stanford will be out for blood when the Ducks come to town in early November. Oregon gets to finish the season with two home games against USC and Oregon State. I'm guessing they'll be making an appearance in the Pac 10 Championship Game (yeah, it was weird typing that). I don't think they'll get past the Tigers the first week of the season, and I expect they'll lose another in Pac 10 play, so I don't think we'll get to see a new awful uniform in the BCS Championship Game this year.

5) Stanford Cardinal
Andrew Luck returns for his redshirt junior season...Cardinal fans were rejoicing that, but coach Jim Harbaugh left to coach the San Francisco 49ers. David Shaw takes of the reins after coordinating the Stanford offense since 2007. There really shouldn't be a whole ot of difference, and Andrew Luck's experience should help set the tone. One of Luck's targets, Ryan Whalen, was drafted, Chris Owusu, TE Coby Fleener, and Griff Whalen return to give luck targets. Stanford will lean on their deep running game as well with Stepfan Taylor and Anthony Wilkerson. Ricky Seale was impressive in their spring game and figures to get some touches as well.

Defensively, Stanford lost some players to graduation, but they play very disciplined football and shouldn't drop off too much. One of the few teams that runs a true 3-4, Shayne Skov, who had a nice Orange Bowl, will take over for Owen Marecic to anchor the defense at ILB. Bringing pressure off the edges will be Chase Thomas and Trent Murphy who will have to replace Thomas Keiser. In the secondary, the Cardinal have three seniors and a sophomore. Johnson Bedamosi leads the way at CB, but opposite him will be that sophomore, Barry Browning. Delano Howell and Michael Thomas will roam the back end at the safety spots.

Of the top 10 teams, Stanford's got one of the "easier" schedules. There's really no outstangind out of conference games, but they do have back to back road games at USC and Oregon State before a home game against Oregon in early November. Notre Dame comes to Palo Alto to close out the year in a fun rivalry game. In one interesting game, Stanford will travel to Duke in week two for what I'm going to dub the "Academic Bowl". Stanford should win big.

6) Boise State Broncos
Cinderella stays in the top ten as the smurf turf gang refuses to die. Head coach Chris Petersen just keeps on churning out wins for the Broncos. Offensively, they should be outstanding yet again as QB Kellen Moore and RB Doug Martin return. However, replacing Titus Young and Austin Pettis will be tough for the Broncos. Tyler Shoemaker and Geraldo Hiwat will get the first crack at it with slot man Chris Potter. TE Kyle Efaw will help to open holes for Martin with a decent offensive line. Boise State's offensive creativity and the powerful running of Martin should help take away some of the sting of the losses of Young and Pettis, but they'll have to get some production out of the new receivers.

Defensively, Jaron Johnson graduated and went undrafted - he was their best player. Ryan Winterswyk, the best pass-rusher, is also gone this year. Byron Hout, better known as LaGarrette Blount's punching bag, will call the defense from the MLB position. Jamar Taylor and Jerrell Gavins will hold down the corner positions while George Iloka and Cedric Febis will try to replace Jaron Johnson deep in the secondary.

The Broncos should make another strong run at going undefeated this year. They'll start off with their toughest test with an opening game trip to Atlanta, Georgia to take on the Georgia Bulldogs - a pseudo-rivalry going back a few years - to open the season. The only other real strong test this year in the Mountain West comes in late November as the Broncos travel to San Diego to take on the Aztecs of San Diego State and super quarterback Ryan Lindley. If you're not a fan of the BCS part crashers, you better root for the Bulldogs or Aztecs, because I don't see the Broncos losing anywhere else on their schedule.

7) South Carolina Gamecocks
Stephen Garcia, subject of our first "Daily Rant", and his future are still up in the air for the Gamecocks, despite being listed as a "co-starter" after Connor Shaw's ipressive showing in the spring game. But not all is bad news in Columbia as the Gamecocks could have their best team in quite some time. The Gamecocks have two absolute studs on offense in huge running back Marcus Lattimore and receiver Alshon Jeffery. Lattimore, a sophomore, rushed for 1,197 yards and 12 TDs as a freshman, in the SEC. He's big at 6'0" and 231lbs, and should get even better this year. Jeffery set single-season South Carolina for catches (88) and yards (1,517) to go with his 9 touchdowns. Shaw, or Garcia, should make this offense go as Jason Barnes and D.L. Moore provide good targets to throw to as well. South Carolina's O-line is very talented, but not very deep. At all. If injuries occur here, they could be in trouble.

Defensively, while there's no Eric Norwood on the roster, Jadeveon Clowney, the number 1 recruit in college football, figures to get thrown into the fire at DE right away. Devin Taylor and Melvin Ingram should help him find his groove. The Gamecocks are loaded up front at the DT position as well with a nice rotation of Travian Robertson, Alderick Fordham, and Kelcy Quarles. Shaq Wilson leads the defense, but needs to stay healthy at MLB. Stephon Gilmore, an All-American candidate at CB will anchor a relatively weak secondary that gave up too many big plays last year.

The Gamecocks received a gift from the football gods as they avoid having to play both Alabama and LSU this year and get Auburn, Florida, and Clemson at home. However, as punishment, the Gamecocks do have three straight road games against Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Arkansas in late October/early November. A week two trip to Georgia should be a good early test for the Gamecocks.

8) Oklahoma State Cowboys
If there's one receiver that can stake a claim to be better than Alshon Jeffery, it's the Cowboys' Justin Blackmon. Better than Dez Bryant, Justin Blackmon and QB Brandon Weeden surprisingly came back for another year in Stillwater. Weeden, a former baseball prospect (1st overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Yankees) will be 29 midway through the season. Blackmon hauled in 111 catches for 1,782 yards and 20TDs last year. He'll have to keep up that production as the Cowboys look to replace running back Kendall Hunter. Sophomores Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith should form a nice tandem to replace Hunter. The line boasts four seniors and a junior, and should be solid again.

The defense will be the key to the Cowboys season. There's not much experience there, but they have some talent. Christian Littlehead is a massive DT and only a redshirt freshman. Richetti Jones and Blatnick give the Cowboys some size at the DE position which will protect their very undersized linebackers. Shaun Lewis may be the best of the bunch there, but he stands a paltry 5'11" and 214lbs. The secondary is a little more experienced with Devin Hedgepeth and Markelle Martin leading the way.

The Cowboys have an easy schedule this year. Arizona and QB Nick Foles come to town early on and that might be their toughest game before closing out the year against Oklahoma. Even back-to-back roadies against Texas and Missouri don't seem all that daunting. However, Oklahoma State is always known as a choker team and they seemingly give away a game once a year. If they can avoid getting upset (hello trip to Tulsa in week 3), they have a legitmate shot to unseat the Sooners atop the Big 12.

9) Florida State Seminoles
Renegade, Chief Osceola, and the War Chant are going to be happy this year (watch the whole video, but turn down your volume a bit). Christian Ponder went in the first round of the draft, but thrived in Jimbo Fisher's pro-style attack in Tallahassee. E.J. Manuel will take over at QB, and while he's got experience, he'll lean heavily on FSU's trio of backs in Chris Thompson, Jermaine Thompson, and Ty Jones. Taiwan Easterling should lead the receiving corp and the O-line remains solid despite losing Rodney Hudson with Andrew Datko, Zebrie "C'mon Man" Sanders, and David Spurlock all returning.

Defensively, Bjoern Werner at DE, Jeff Luc and Nigel Bradham at LB, and Xavier Rhodes at CB will lead the defense. The 'Noles expect to get significant contributions from Everett Dawkins, Brandon Jenkins, and Greg Reid as well. The Noles defense was solid last year and should be even better this year.

Florida State's got a pretty smooth schedule after the Oklahoma Sooners come to town. Louisiana-Monroe and Charleston Southern probably won't provide them great warm-ups either. Traveling to Clemson a week after the Sooners will be tough, but that's the only "big" game until the Noles travel to the Swamp to close out the season against the Gators.

10) Ohio State Buckeyes
No team has had a more tumultuous offseason than the Buckeyes. Jim Tressel's already in hot water, and now there's a probe being launched about car deals. Quite honestly, I'm surprised it's taken them this long to investigate this matter as I know one player personally who told me he received a "free" car back in 2002. Either way, with 5 players suspended along with Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes still have a ton of talent.

Braxton Miller or Joe Bauserman figures to get the first shot to replace Terrelle Pryor for the first five games. My money is on the freshman Miller to be quite honest as Bauserman has never looked impressive, although all the QBs were quite unimpressive during OSU's spring game. Any army of runningbacks will keep up steady proudction while Dan "Boom" Herron sits out, and they'll be led by Jamal Berry, Jordan Hall, and Rod Smith. Losing Dane Sanzenbacher hurts as DeVier Posey will be suspsended, but I was impressed with Verlon Reed and T.Y. Washington in the spring game. TE Jake Stoneburner will need to up his production as well. The offensive line should be strong with J.B. Shugarts and Michael Brewster holding down the RT and C spots until LT Mike Adams returns from suspension.

Defensively, the Buckeyes bring a lot more back to the table despite losing Cameron Heyward to the NFL Draft. Nathan Williams, and Andrew Sweat will look to lead the front seven along with John Simon, Jonathan Hankins, Storm Klein, and Etienne Sabino. I'd like to give a shoutout to one of my brother's former teammates in high school, reserve linebacker Chris Maxwell, who may get a look on some special teams this year. The secondary has a lot of new faces on the field this year to go with Travis Howard. Dominic Clark, Ohrian Johnson, and C.J. Barnett should fill out the other three spots in the secondary.

The Buckeyes have four of their first five games at home, so that will help soften the suspsensions of Tressel and the players. However, the one road game is a trip to Miami Gardens to take on the Hurricanes, which could be tricky, but Miami isn't even as good as last year, and has a first year coach in Al Golden. Michigan State should be a very tough test, and traveling to Nebraska the following week should serve as a rough welcome back gift to the sweater vest, should his suspension only be 5 games. The Buckeyes get Wisconsin and Penn State both at home, so they've certainly got a chance to make it to the Big 10 Championship Game. Terrelle Pryor's return should give them a nice boost for Big 10 play.

Hopefully that's gotten you ready for some football that won't be played in the courtroom, except potentially in Ohio State's case. In my next installment of the "Way Too Early College football Top 10's" I'll look at the 10 best players, and close it out with the 10 best games of the year.

If your team wasn't on the list now, perhaps they will be come October, as this year's college crop doesn't seem to have that one, clear-cut top team as there's been in the past with Alabama, Florida, and USC.

The Floodgates Are Open: Ohio State Football, Jim Tressel, and the NCAA

Many of our readers may know this, and many of you may not, but KD and I both live in Cincinnati, Ohio, which sits right on the Ohio River. Now, one of the state's two defining geographic entities along with Lake Erie, the Ohio River is quite a large river and typically has a strong current. Sitting in the upper deck at Great American Ball Park, I always see giant coal barges travel at a slow pace, fighting to head upstream toward West Virginia and Pennsylvania. But the water doesn't prevent jet skis, motor boats, or sometimes even swimmers from putting their bodily health aside to dive in to enjoy the largest body of water in the area (unless you're like a few idiots in the class below me and decide to take a dip in the river at 2AM while you're overly drunk, inciting a riot and police search party on both sides of the river, resulting a ridiulous amount of legal fees to settle the claim. But that's another story for another day).

But like most of the Midwest, the city has been slammed with a record-setting amount of rain this month - 11+ inches to be exact - with more on the way this week. Playing golf last week on a river view course, our entire group could not believe the water level, which rose to the edges of the banks for the first time anyone knew of. I went to a Reds game, and the same coal barges that usually take 2 minutes to pass by the ballpark took about 8-10 because they couldn't go more than one or two miles an hour with the breakneck current. Last Thursday, Kabloom (my girlfriend) and I drove over a bridge on our way to a show at riverside Coney Island and we were amazed that trees were partially submerged on the riverbanks. The sight was extraordinary, a spectacle of nature taking its course as the rains spewed out of the Ohio. But the banks can only take so much water or hold for so long; with the relentless rain, the great Ohio River had to overflow the land surrounding it and cause some real damage.

After more storms early this weekend, the river finally flooded. All the much-hyped Cirque du Soleil weekend shows were cancelled as the Riverbend Music Center and Coney Island amusement park overflowed with water. Riverside businesses and homes have been evacuated, a school has been relocated, and the rain has kept pouring down.

The last few months, thunderstorms have been brewing with Ohio's crown jewel of sports: the Ohio State Buckeyes football team. The rain started falling shortly before Christmas, when it surfaced that Ohio State suspended six Buckeyes, including stars QB Terrelle Pryor, RB Dan "Boom" Herron, and WR DeVier Posey, broke NCAA violations by selling memorabilia and awards for cash and... tattoos. The school became aware of the violations after the FBI contacted the athletic department when a criminal investigation revealed that a Columbus tattoo parlor owner possessed some of the players' items, which ironically included Terrelle Pryor's 2009 Fiesta Bowl Sportsmanship Award.

As ridicule poured in from around the country, the fans stood strong by the team. Maybe we were a little hurt. Sure, Pryor, Herron, Posey, and the other three were idiots. Yes, they sold the cherished gold pants, scarlet and grey jerseys, and Big Ten Championship rings; items that many kids in Columbus grow up dreaming of winning. But one could at least understand that maybe, just maybe, their families did need the money. As far as the tattoos, no one knows, but Ohio State has dealt their share of stupid, immature idiots over the years. Art Schlister (Gambling). Steve Bellesari (DUI). Andy Katzenmoyer (Academic "Issues"). Reggie Germany (Starting WR, 0.00 GPA). Maurice Clarett (Everything but the kitchen sink). But players come and go. After four years, they graduate and move on. Even though our national championship hopes for next year took a hit, we knew Pryor and Co. would come back strong and Tressel would have the team ready to go. Besides, the Vest was our fearless leader. He would keep the team on track, which most of the state of Ohio couldn't do itself.

Ohio is a blue collar Midwestern state, full of hard-nosed people. As the state faces economic depression as the manufacturing industries that brought it to national prominence have faded, populations have dropped, unemployment has risen, and state pride has fallen even further. The state, by and large, is downtrodden. There's not a lot to look forward to. So to give us something to believe in, Ohio residents throw ourselves into their sports teams; they tailgate with the best of them, constantly fill stadiums, and have undying support through the best of times and the worst of times - no matter what.

But like the State of Ohio itself, our teams have fallen on hard times. We've seen success and been on the brink of championships, only to have it taken away in an instant. The Bengals finally showed glimmers of hope a few years ago, only to have Carson Palmer's ACL and Mike Brown's incompetency push the team back into the depths of the NFL. The Browns, one of the most rabid fan bases in the NFL, had their team TAKEN from them and haven't been relevant since. The Reds had two one-game playoffs in the mid-90's Barry Larkin years, but then had years of subpar baseball until last season. The Indians were perennial contenders in the 90's on the brink of the World Series title in 1997, only to fall back into the pack once Manny left for Boston. The team was then one game from the World Series in 2007 with Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia on the roster, but lost three straight games to the Yankees and hasn't had a winning season since. We all know what has happened to the Cavs since the "Decision," when Cleveland became a national punchline in the summer of 2010. Thee lowly Blue Jackets have had one playoff appearance in their existence, ending in a sweep at the hands of the Red Wings. But Ohio always had college football season. And even when the team failed us (like in the 2007 and 2008 BCS National Championship games), we always had the Vest: Jim Tressel, who from the second he stepped on campus became the state's savior. If he ran for governor, he would have won in a landslide.

In March, the first evidence of wrongdoing on Tressel's part surfaced. E-mails between Tressel and attorney Chris Cicero were unearthed while OSU was in the midst of an internal investigation. The school suspends Tressel for two games, fines him $250,000, and Tressel claims to have kept the information to himself to protect the players involved while the federal investigation of the tattoo parlor owner was ongoing. He didn't mention anything to his superiors, or the NCAA. The school, including president E. Gordon Gee (who is the man) and AD Gene Smith, stood by Tressel, giving him the benefit of the doubt. As this becomes newsworthy, the national media starts to slam Ohio State, but the fans stood by Coach Tress. We hinged on every word coming out of that mouth, even as the water level of the BS coming from the program and its coach kept rising. We believed that he was genuinely interested in keeping his players safe from harm.

On March 17th, another rain shower occurs, as the NCAA denies Ohio State's appeal to reduce the six players' suspensions. Speculation increases that the NCAA is bringing down the hammer to save face after letting Cam Newton and Auburn walk free with no reprecussions a few months earlier. This sentiment started back in December, as the NCAA was widely criticized for the way it handled the matter, just another incident in the long line of NCAA investigations going awry. But the buzz within the Buckeye community applauds Tressel as he asks to receive the same suspension as the players. "He self-imposed his penalty? What an honorable guy." Buckeye fans want a coach that stands up for his players, and that is accountable for his actions.

On March 25th, the Columbus Dispatch reveals that Jim Tressel was also in contact about the federal investigation with Terrelle Pryor's childhood mentor, Ted Sarniak. Tressel let Sarniak know, but did not advise his superiors? The tornado sirens went off as the rain poured down. Questions started to be asked by the fans, but generally, they kept saying "In Tressel We Trust." Surely the man who wrote "The Winners Manual: For The Game Of Life" would not deceive the NCAA, his University, or his fanbase. The fanbase that had blindly followed him all this time. But the water level certainly brimmed to the edge of the bank. Tressel, the coach who led us to three National Championship games in 10 years on the job, would not lie, deceive, or cheat. There had to be some explanation, and the NCAA investiagtion was underway to find out what that was.

Fast forward to Monday. The NCAA completed it's report alright, and like the Ohio River, the fans drowned in the information. The NCAA has officially accused Jim Tressel of lying. He submitted paperwork stating that he was not aware of any violations within his program, which is directly contradicted by the e-mails that came to light during the investigation. Tressel's cover-up was out there in the open, for all to see. Now it's probably going to cost him his job. After reading the report, I sent out a message to all of my friends asking what they thought about Tressel and/or the program. My friend JShy reacted with the following: "Throughout this entire scandal, two parts of me have reacted to each piece of news: one part of me loves OSU blindly and can see no wrong in anything done by Tressel or any other member of the program. Te other part of me is rational. Having said that, after today’s news, the first part of me has fallen much more by the wayside, and the second part of me has taken over."

We always have our Buckeyes. The fans were the banks that wouldn't break. We couldn't, and we always felt that the team would never let us down. After all, the Ohio State Buckeyes are really all that Ohio sports fans had anymore. But Ohio State fans let the football program challenge the banks of the river. Players like Pryor, once thought to be destined to lead Ohio State to multiple national titles, thought they could get away with anything. Fans believed in Tressel's statements relating to honesty and integrity, and bought into his system. Tressel was the man with the Midas touch.

I'd originally wanted to make this article funny, and entertaining. But as it started flowing, I realized that there really wasn't anything comical to write, because like many of my friends, I felt distraught that the one sports figure in Ohio left that we all believed in let us down. Which proved to Buckeye Nation - like so many fans of teams and programs before us - that nothing in the sports world is sacred. Many cling to the idea that college sports is about providing kids who are good at sports an education, but in reality, my friend Beastman said it best: "I think we need to give up on the idea of college sports as pure."

If collegiate athletics were pure, why would we have point shaving scandals? Or one-and-done superstars in college basketball? Or even boosters? Kabloom seems convinced that all sports are fixed, that everything revolves around money. She's convinced that every single thing that happens in the sports world is a foregone conclusion. While I would never go that far, I think to an extent that what she believes holds some merit. The corporate NCAA, and all of its subsidiaries (the universities), have become so concerned about image and the bottom line that even the good men and women in the industry (and for the record, I still do believe Tressel truly is a good man at heart) will do anything to save face. Another responder - BDubs, in all his wisdom - said "I get that once you tell one lie and start digging that hole, you just keep digging until you hit China." Schools, coaches, and players think they need to do anything to protect the image that is their team, their institution, from the inconsistent discipline of the "non-profit" organization, the NCAA.

The NCAA may be the ultimate problem, as their governance creates a system that promotes hiding infractions. Programs know that the NCAA won't do anything until they get caught. The NCAA places its programs on a very long leash to operate as they desire. When there is a sign of trouble, the organization becomes involved and tries to overcompensate by punishing the parties involved. If the NCAA wanted to truly keep an "amateur" environment, it needs to create a system that consistently monitors its member institutions and its actions. The NCAA needs to become the governing body that it claims to be. I read an article somewhere this week, I can't remember where, that suggested one of two options. Option 1: create its own constant monitoring organization, much like the FBI, to ALWAYS watch its programs, not just take note when allegations of misconduct arise. Option 2: hire a private contractor to constantly monitor the member institutions in the same way as Option 1. If the NCAA wants to keep its programs in check, and truly maintain an amateur environment it wants to foster, it has to take these steps. Or else, you can expect a lot more Reggie Bush, Bruce Pearl, and Jim Tressel/Pryor situations well into the future. And the truth is that these incidents, as large scale as they have become, give rise to the thought that the NCAA currently does not have the proper measures in place to control and employ the athletic departments of its members.

Spring is slowly turning to summer here in Cincinnati. Eventually, unless we're headed for another Noah's Ark situation, the rain will stop. We all know that. Slowly but surely, as the weather dries up, the banks of the Ohio will return from their submerged state, and contain the great Ohio River once again.

Once the storm subsides, many things may happen to the Ohio State football program. Tressel still may be their coach, or he may not. The Buckeyes may still be the defending Big Ten champions, or they may not. The team may not be banned from future postseason play, or they could lose a number of scholarships over the next few years. While it is highly unlikely, the program could even receive the "death penalty," which is what happened to SMU football back in the 1980's. That program is still recovering.

The funny thing is that I don't the love for this team subsiding. Like the trees and parks that will return when the Ohio River water level recedes, the banks of Buckeye Nation will emerge from the aftermath of the storm, just like they have for so many programs throughout the country before us. Even though the Buckeyes let the state down over the past year, come September 3rd, there will still be 105,000 strong at Ohio Stadium when the team takes the field against the Akron Zips. As the fallout from Tressel's reign becomes clear and possibly a new coach emerges (many of my inquiries were met with hopes of Urban Meyer standing on the sidelines in 2012), the fans will still stand and yell O-H!!! I-O!!! Tressel may even be standing on the sidelines, and fans wearing scarlet and gray colored glasses won't even care - as my buddy BDubs told me "Say what you want about him and his ways but the record speaks for itself. Hard to come down tough on a guy that's 9-1 against Michigan."

So in reality, nothing really changes. The NCAA will continue its confusing ways of enforcing its "rules" and "regulations," and the institutions will continue to find ways to bend the rules in their favor until the water level breaks. The NCAA and its member universities won't realize that the idea of amateur athletics on this scale is a fallacy - at least when it comes to basketball and football - until the water level becomes so high that the banks disappear altogether and fans don't come back, similar to what happened after the MLB strike in 1994. When that happens, the NCAA will have to take notice. But until that happens - and it probably never will - the joke is on us.

4/25 Quick Hits and Weekend Happenings

A big weekend in the sports world. In case you ate a few too many jelly beans over Easter Sunday, had a few too many brewskis celebrating anything, or spent too much time checking out this awesome baby penguin (I may have done all three), here's all you need to know. I think. Maybe.

NBA

Heat and Bulls Can’t Sweep, But Do the Bulls Have Trouble? The Heat and Bulls both lost on Sunday in Game 4 of their Series against the 76ers and Pacers, respectively.While I think both teams are going to cruise past this series (NOTE: I picked both the Heat and Bulls in 5), are the Bulls in a little bit of trouble going forward? The Bulls’ matador, Derrick Rose, sprained his ankle early in the first quarter of Game 4 going up for a layup. He only had 8 points the rest of the way, and shot an atrocious 3 for 16 from the field. Only time will tell how bad this affects the Bulls in their next series against the winner of Hawks/Magic, but something tells me this team REALLY wants to win Game 5 to give DRose some time to rest up.

Come Out Strong. One team’s making my predictions look stupid, the other’s making me look like Nostradamus. The Boston Celtics finished off a sweep of the New York Knickerbockers (I picked the Knicks in 6), behind Rajon Rondo’s triple-double on Friday and recently-called out Kevin Garnett’s 26 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday. Seriously, anybody remember about three years when the question mark about the Celtics was Rondo and his incompetent play? Unbelievable. While many of you will call me out for picking the Knicks, I’m going to say that my pick lost its contractual validity when the unforeseeable circumstances of injuries to Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudemire resulted in impossible circumstances for a Knicks victory. You know what just happened there? You got lawyered.

On the other side of the coin, the OKC Thunder, my Western Conference pick for the Finals, vaulted to a 3-0 lead this weekend over the Denver Nuggets. Guess the questions about the Thunder’s ability to win on the road are answered, especially since they did it in the way high altitude of the Colorado Rockies. This team is going to give anyone fits in the Playoffs, and I’m certainly rooting for them to make me look gooooooooooood.

Surprise! While some people suspected the Grizz would give the Spurs some “fits” in this Series (cough, me, cough), I expected the return of Manu Ginobili to push the Spurs over the edge. I’m not sure people expected the Grizz to overwhelm the Spurs with tenacious D and fiery intensity in the post. The Spurs need to get some post help from big-man DeJuan Blair to counter the twin towers combo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, who have combined for 91 points in the Grizzlies’ two wins this series. Turning to the Hawks/Magic, what the hell is going on here? The Hawks have taken control with a 3-1 lead behind the ugliest clutch moment ever by best sixth-man ever Jamal Crawford. KD told me the other day that if the Magic don’t make a comeback, Dwight Howard’s already got one foot out the door, ala LBJ and the Cavs last year. The question has to be asked: wher will he go?

The Dog Days Are(n’t) Over. The Mavs and Lakers are mired in the midst of what could be some all-time great first round Series. The Blazers pulled even with a pair of wins at the Rose Garden, and Brandon Roy is finally showing burst in his game that he lacked after surgery on both his knees. Meanwhile, the Lakers need to figure out how to stop Chris Paul.Seriously, CAN ANYONE STOP THIS GUY? He’s unbelievable, posting 27 points, 15 assists, and 13 rebounds in the game on Sunday. He’s keeping this team in the series by himself.

MLB

Cards Take Control – KD, you were right. IN CASE NO ONE NOTICED, THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS TOOK TWO OUT OF THREE GAMES FROM THE CINCINNATI REDS THIS WEEKEND TO MOVE INTO FIRST PLACE IN THE NL CENTRAL. Too bad the Reds couldn’t start Mike Leake on Sunday night to steal the rubber match and hold on to the division. Bazinga! And no, I’m not mentioning anything about Pujols’ minor injury. But yes, I will say that the emergence of Jaime Garcia, Kyle McClellan, and Jake Westbrook once again proves that Dave Duncan is the best pitching coach in baseball. Now if only he would just fix Ryan Franklin…

All’s Right in the AL East – Anyone remember this article? That’s right everybody, all is right with the world. The Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox are now 1-2-3 in the AL East after the Yanks swept the O’s and the Sox swept the Angels. Toronto and Baltimore, it was fun while it lasted. Now… if just the Cleveland Indians would listen up and start tanking...

Roy Roy – In case anyone didn’t notice, Roy Halladay’s the best pitcher in baseball. In his last start he got creamed by the Brewers, giving up six earned runs in six innings, but yesterday Roy made us all remember who he is. Sure it was the lowly Padres, but Roy Roy went 8 2/3 innings with a career-high 14 strikeouts. If you’ve never seen this guy pitch, put it on your bucket list. Reds fans know why. You’re not a Reds fan? You don’t know why? By all means, you’re welcome, I’m happy to help.

NHL

Here We Go Again… - Uh oh. The Vancouver Canucks are in trouble. 2009: In the Conference Semis, the Canucks win Game 1, but the Blackhawks win 4 of the next 5 to take the Series. 2010: After winning Game 1 of the Conference Semis, the 2^nd seeded Blackhawks win 4 of the next 5. Fast forward to this year. The Canucks, the best team in the NHL, vow to avenge their playoff woes. They draw the Hawks, but immediately go up three games to none and look to put the Series away. After losing 7-2 in Game 4, the Hawks get starting goalie Roberto Luongo pulled and cruise to a 5-0 Game 5 victory. Last night, where the Canucks panic by benching Luongo and starting Cory Schneider in net. The Hawks took a rousing Game 6 to overtime after Schneider was injured trying to save Michael Frolik’s penalty shot. Then in OT, the defending Stanley Cup champs forced Game 7 when Ben Smith had a beautiful putback past Luongo. I have no idea what’s going to happen in Game 7, but the Hawks have put themselves in a fantastic position.

Can I Start in Goal? – The Flyers, using their THIRD starting goalie of the series, forced Game 7 against the Sabres after falling behind 3-1 in the first period. Leighton Meester, starting in goal, was pulled after giving up three goals in his first seven shots faced. Goalie Brian Boucher was stout the rest of the way, offensive playoff maestro Danny Briere scored two goals, and Ville Leino put an OT shot past Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller to seal the victory. If the Flyers need a fourth starting goalie, they need to know that I'm eligible for $1,000,000 per game.

Done son. The Predators finished off a surprising upset of the Anaheim Ducks Sunday behind two goals from Nick Spaling, leading Nashville to their first ever playoff series win. Congrats Nashville - Columbus Blue Jackets, take notice - that’s how you actually make an impact in the league. The Washington Capitals and Alex Ovi took care of business this year in the first round, and took out the New York Rangers in five games.

Golf

Turmoil at #1 after wild weekend. What an exciting weekend for the game of golf that absolutely no one paid attention to. Heading into the weekend, Martin Kaymer was the world’s #1 player. No more. World #2 Lee Westwood, perhaps the least accomplished player of all-time to hit No. 1, took charge of the Indonesian Masters and won by 3 shots to wrestle the title from Kaymer. But like Bugs Bunny says, that wasn’t all folks. Luke Donald - an even more unheralded player, with 3 worldwide wins – had a chance to take over the No. 1 position with a win at Harbour Town in Hilton Head, a course I’m proud to say I played I broke 80 on from the pro tees. Vanderbilt alumni Brandt Snedeker fired a Sunday 64 to surge ahead and take the lead, but Donald tied him to force a playoff with two working man’s pars. But then he lost on the famed Lighthouse hole when his ball buried in the bunker. The volatility at the top of the golf world proves that it truly is anyone’s game right now, and it’s going to be an exciting season on the PGA Tour.

NFL

The Happy Couple– As KD wrote about this weekend, Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall was stabbed by his wife (ALLEGEDLY!). His wife is being held on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, but she is asserting self-defense, which would relieve her of criminal charges so long as the force she used – with a kitchen knife - is NOT deemed to be excessive. Marshall is still in intensive care, and no indication of his ability to play into the future has been given.

You Mean I Like A Raven and An Irishman? – Proving Rick Reilly’s point that it is in fact possible for NFL players to make a living after the lockout, the ONLY Notre Dame or Ravens player I’ve ever like has found a second calling in the ring. Ravens Safety Tom Zbikowski moves to 4-0 in his profession boxing career with a first round knockout. Anyone have any ideas on who they’d like to see him fight next? My votes: T.O., Troy Polumalu, and Rosie O’Donnell.

NCAA BB

Pulled Out, He Wants to Get Back In: Brandon Davies, famously suspended from BYU during its dream season for having pre-marital sex, wants to make a rousing return to the school next season. Davies, a 6’9” power forward who was essential to the team’s success, wants to re-enroll. In order to do so, he is required to be deemed “rehabilitated.” But the question is, once you’ve tasted warm apple pie, how can you come back from that? Secondly, didn’t he get kicked off the team just because he happened to get caught with his pants down? Something’s telling me that wasn’t the first time he broke the school’s honor code.

Bye Bye Cinderella: A few weeks ago, I wrote that there was no way Jim Larranaga was leaving George Mason. I followed that up by saying there was no way he was leaving for a school like Dayton. At least I was only half wrong. Larranaga took the University of Miami (FL) job.

NCAA FB

Thanks Again Rich Rod. Seriously: Ruh-Roh. Rich Rodriguez, famously 15-22 at Michigan, came out this weekend saying that leaving West Virginia in the first place was a “mistake.” Rich, on behalf of all Ohio State fans everywhere, I’d just like to say that leaving for Michigan was not a mistake. In fact, it was the best move of your career. Whenever you want to go back, you’re more than welcome.

Fiesta, Fiesta: College Football’s CEO – excuse me, director – Bill Hancock came out this weekend and said that within a month we will know the fate of the Fiesta Bowl and its relationship with the BCS. The investigation into the Fiesta’s status comes after reports that the bowl’s directors reimbursed employees for almost $50,000 in political donations – a clear violation of federal election and non-profit organization laws. Reports are that the Cotton Bowl is ready to step in and take the Fiesta’s spot in the BCS rotation.