Cardinals -9 1/2 vs. Huskies

The list of undefeated teams remaining in college football includes who? Ball State? It's true. Ball State (8-0, 4-0) has not been getting much love nationally because they play in the Mid-American Conference which is often lost on the national stage and is also often blocked out by the large shadow of the big brother residing in the same region of the country, the Big Ten. But one of the bigger reasons Ball State has not received more national acclaim and attention is that they really have not beaten anyone of note. This will change beginning with tonight's game against Northern Illinois.

The Ball State Cardinals are ranked 16th in the country and count their two best wins of the season as a 35-23 victory over the Naval Academy and a victory over the hapless Indiana Hoosiers from the "big brother" conference. The win over Navy was the only one that Ball State has achieved that was over a team who is over .500 at this point in the season. But times will be getting tougher for the Cardinals who face a 5-3 Huskies team who have a 4-1 conference mark. North Illinois will then finish out their season with the Western Division leading Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant and their home finale against Western Michigan who boasts a 5-1 MAC record.

The last time out Idle Ball State beat Eastern Michigan 38-16 on October 25. Nate Davis was the star of the show, going 17 of 31 for 241 yards including two touchdowns and a touchdown reception. He will face a tougher test with Northern Illinois' ninth ranked defense by allowing only 13.6 points per game.

The Huskies also enjoyed a bye week last Saturday. Their vacation followed a 16-13 home victory over Bowling Green. Northern Illinois gained 233 yards, which marked the third straight game eclipsing the 200 yard mark.

For Ball State to start 9-0 for the first time since 1965, they will have to reverse recent history against NIU. The Huskies have won three straight in the series and four straight on the Cardinals home field. But the Northern Illinois Huskies will have to excise some demons of their own as they attempt to snap a five game losing streak to Top 25 teams. Their last victory was over Alabama in 2003.

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New Jersey -130 vs. Tampa Bay

It's a dark day for Devils fans who remember the many dark days before Martin Brodeur minded the net in New Jersey. Prior to his arrival, the Devils were a nonfactor in the NHL, since then they have been one of the best franchises in the sport. Since 1995, the Devils have won three Stanley Cups, which is second only to Detroit's four during the same time. Now New Jersey (6-3-2) will have to do without their star net minder who has won the Vezina Trophy four times and is now sidelined for the next three to four months because of elbow surgery.

This will mark the first extended amount of time Brodeur will miss in his career. He has been Mr. Durability missing only a few games per season. In addition to his stellar resume, Brodeur was off to a fast start this season. The goalie had a 2.16 goals against average with a .916 save percentage. Taking over the unenviable task of filling Brodeur's skates will be veteran Kevin Weekes. Weekes has been a journeyman and a backup for the New Jersey Devils since last season. Being a backup to Brodeur usually means little playing time and Weekes only played in five games in 2007-2008. Devils' fans did have a glimmer of hope in Monday night's game against Buffalo. New Jersey lost 2-0, but Weekes kept it close throughout by making 28 saves, including an incredible 19 in the first period. Weekes will get another chance tonight as the Devils welcome in the Lightning.

After a sluggish start, Tampa Bay (4-3-3) has come to life lately. The Lightning have won three straight to climb over .500 and to the middle of the pack in the Southeast Division. In the last time out, Tampa Bay scored a come from behind overtime win which was largely on the back of goalie Mike Smith who gallantly made 28 saves in regulation and overtime.

The Brodeur-led Devils took three out of four against the Lightning a year ago, including both games held in the Prudential Center.

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Toronto -4 vs. Detroit

The new era of Detroit Pistons basketball starts north of the border tonight. Lost in the shuffle of the arrival of Allen Iverson and the departure of fan favorite Chauncey Billups is the fact that the Pistons (3-0) will meet the Raptors (3-0) tonight in Toronto in a battle of undefeated teams.

Alan Iverson met the Detroit media for the first time yesterday and has pledged his enthusiasm for helping the team win their first World Championship since 2004. With Billups, the NBA Finals MVP from that season, the Pistons made six straight Eastern Conference Finals, but they were a disappointing 2-4 in those series.  Having six bites at the apple and only making the Finals once and only winning it all only once may have sealed Billups fate in the Motor City. He moves on to Denver, along with Antonio McDyess and the duo take their large salaries with them. Meanwhile Iverson brings his large contract, but unlike the two leaving Auburn Hills, his deal is up after this year.

If the Detroit Pistons are doing rebuilding on the fly, it is obvious Richard Hamilton will be in the middle of it. Hamilton agreed to a $34 million three year contract extension yesterday as well. The All-Star is averaging nearly 20 points per game through the first three games of the season.

With a win over Detroit, Toronto will win four straight for the first time in franchise history. The last time out, the Raptors beat the Bucks 91-87 with standout Jose Calderon scoring a career high 25 points. All-Star Chris Bosh is averaging a double double this season with 22.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

It is unclear if Iverson will suit up in the red, white and blue for the Pistons tonight. If he does, however, the Toronto Raptors may be in trouble. In 26 games against Toronto, Iverson has averaged 30 points per game.

Detroit carried the season series 3-1 last season, with Toronto's only win coming at home.

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Detroit -120 vs. Anaheim

The defending Stanley Cup Champions have already had a tough road in the early part of the season. Detroit (7-1-1) has lost numerous players for extended periods of time in the young season, but it has not stopped them from getting off to their usual fast start. Now they will have to do without Johan Franzen for three to four weeks due to an aggravated knee injury remaining from last year's Stanley Cup Finals. The Red Wings have the third most points in the league and have only one loss in regulation on the season and that was the first game of the season against the Maple Leafs. Since then they have only lost one game in overtime and have won every other game in regulation or shootout.

Meanwhile the team that Detroit unseated as cup champions, the Anaheim Ducks, have had a tough time this season until their recent road trip. During their invasion of Canada and Columbus the Ducks flew high winning all four games. This helped even the Ducks record at 5-5-0.

The Wings and the Ducks, winners of the last two Stanley Cups meet in Anaheim as the Ducks come home and the Red Wings continue their five game western trip that took them to Chicago and Los Angeles, now Anaheim and will conclude with a trip to the Western Conference leader Sharks in San Jose and a game in Vancouver before finally heading home.

The Ducks may wish they could stay on the road a little while longer, their success there is as puzzling as their inability to win at home (1-3). Meanwhile the NHL's best road team comes calling as the Detroit Red Wings look to stay perfect on the road (5-0-0)

The typically defensive minded Wings are one of the top scoring teams in the NFL, with 35 goals. But seven of their last nine games have been decided by one goal with many of those going to overtime and shootout.

Goalie Jean-Sebastian Gigure continues to improve as his team improves. In the Ducks last game, a 3-2 to victory Monday in Columbus, Giguere made 30 saves and lowered his goals against to a more respectable 2.86. Detroit net minder Chris Osgood had a sluggish start, but has steadily improved as well. The veteran is now 4-1-1 in his six games played this season with a 3.13 GAA, although he has risen to the occasion against Anaheim, boasting a 12-3-0 record with a pair of ties and a 2.50 GAA in 17 games versus the Ducks.

Last season the Western Conference rivals split their four game series with each team winning once on each other's home ice.

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The Bengals have a chance this weekend.  When you are 0-7, that means a lot. The winless Bengals travel to Houston to visit the Texans at Reliant Stadium this Sunday. The Texans are wrapping up a solid month at home after Hurricane Gustav skewed their schedule into three road games to start out the year. All told the month respite has been positive for Houston as they have gone 2-1, having won the last two in a row over Miami and Detroit. They could be 3-0 at home this season if they could have held on to that lead in their home opener October 5 against Indianapolis.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a chance in this game simply because they have trends on their side. No one since the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14) have gone winless and no one has gone 0-16, so odds are Cincinnati will get a victory at some point this season. And why not against Houston whom the Bengals are 3-0 against all time.

Of course trends do not play games and the reality of the situation is the Bengals are a banged up team.

Carson Palmer appears done for 2008. The All-Pro quarterback has missed two games, is out for Houston for sure and it looks as if IR is looming on the horizon. After a throttling at the hands of Pittsburgh 35-7, times may be getting tougher and not better for Cincinnati. If backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will be taking over for the rest of the year, the Bengals offense line better give him more protection or he won’t be starting for very long either. The Steelers sack Fitzpatrick seven times last week. That increased the total to 15 in the four game Fitzpatrick has started. He was able to stay upright enough time to get the ball to Chad Johnson, who caught a season high eight passes and a touchdown last week, but his yards after catch were almost nonexistent, as he recored only 52 yards with those eight catches.

Until just a few weeks ago, the Houston Texans were also trying to find their first win. Three weeks later they are 2-4 and seeing a winnable game at home to go one step closer to .500. Many people saw the Texans as a sleeper in this year’s AFC until Gustav put a kink in their hopes. Houston is in last place and must not only win but hope division mates Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tennessee start to falter. This may be a too tough of a request as two of those teams made last years’ postseason and the other is currently the NFL’s lone undefeated team. Nonetheless, Houston (2-4) got a little more confidence with their second straight win last week against Detroit and will do what they can do to get back in the AFC race.

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Break up the St. Louis Rams. Are they ready to shock the world again? They can beat the Patriots on the road this Sunday and continue their shocking Cinderella story in which they started 0-4, fired their coach, shocked the Washington Redskins with a thrilling last second victory and really shocked the Dallas Cowboys with an unexpected throttling at the Edward Jones Dome last week.

Jim Haslett appears to have his Rams (2-4) thinking they can beat anyone and they will be able to put that to the test when they visit Foxboro to battle New England in a rematch of the stellar Super Bowl XXXVII matchup.

Weeks ago, the New England Patriots may have had this a week in which they could lick their wounds, go through the motions and come up with the victory, but now they have to deal with the new giant killing Rams.

The Patriots (4-2) look to establish some consistency after an inconsistent start to the season. After beginning the season at 2-0, the Pats have alternated between a loss and a win. Last week they decimated the sinking Denver Broncos 41-7 in Foxboro with an encouraging performance from Matt Cassell who threw 18 for 24 with 185 yards and three touchdowns. With Laurence Maroney now on injured reserve, the Patroits relied on backup Sammy Morris and he did not disappoint. He carried the ball 16 times for 138 yards and a touchdown. This production was all in the first half as Morris sat out the second half with an injury but is expected to play against the Rams. Other encouraging news was New England’s defense seemed to be back when they forced five Denver turnovers. The discouraging news was Rodney Harrison being place on injured reserve due to a torn thigh muscle. As Harrison was carted off the field after his injury Monday night, the 15-year fought back tears and waved to the fans and it seemed the injury will more than likely force him into retirement.

Steven Jackson appeared to return to his prior self as he ran for a season-high 160 yards with three touchdowns against the Cowboys. He also left the game early because of an injury but appears to be ready to go for Sunday.

The teams have met 10 times, with each club winning five times, including New England’s first Super Bowl 20-17 in 2002. The Patriots won the last regular season meeting as well, in 2004 in St. Louis.

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After dropping the opening night game to the defending champion Giants, the Redskins responded with surprising victories against New Orleans, Arizona and road games against division rivals Dallas and Philadelphia. After these four straight wins, Washington came home with the intent of rolling up a winless Rams team who had just changed coaches. Of course that is why they play the games. A late field goal gave St. Louis the 19-17 upset victory. This caused some Redskins’ players to feel they let their guard down and played down to their opponents on that day. Assuming Washington has rectified this with last week’s 14-11 victory over Cleveland last week, pity the winless Detroit Lions, this week’s opponents for the Redskins.

Jason Campbell was steady in the Browns game last week, even though the Redskins (5-2) were held scoreless in the first half. He threw 14 completions on 23 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown. Campbell did not throw an interception again which extends the NFL record of 332 passes which have not been picked off. This has greatly surpassed the old record held by the 2001 Oakland Raiders of 281. Clinton Portis ran for a season best 175 yards last week and looks to duplicate his success against a pitful Lions defense.

Sadly for Detroit (0-6), even when they play fairly well, they still find ways to lose. Two weeks ago, the defense did a stellar job against Minnesota October 12 until late when the Lions saw a 10-2 second half lead turn into a 12-10 loss with late field goal to win in the Metrodome. Last week, the Lions shot themselves in the foot like they have much of this season, but spotting their opponents to large leads and having an impromptu comeback fall just short. It happened in Atlanta, against Green Bay and last week in Houston.  The Texans got out to a 21-0 first quarter lead. Detroit fought back and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough and the team lost 28-21 to sink to 0-6.

With Jon Kitna on injured reserve with a bad back, the team’s quarterbacking reins have been handed over to Dan Orlovsky. With the departure of Roy Williams in last week’s trade to Dallas, Calvin Johnson struggled in Houston to break double and triple coverage, but was able to make something happen when he did get the ball. The second year receiver had a season low two catches, but had a season high 154 yards largely because of 96 yards on one catch.

Detroit has been miserable against Washington. Since 1968, the Lions are 2-18 against the Washington Redskins, including postseason play. The two wins for the Lions came in back-to-back years in 1999 and 2000, both played in the Pontiac Silverdome. But those victories were sandwiched around a 27-13 Redskins victory in Washington during the 1999 playoffs. That game marked the most recent postseason game involving Detroit.

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If a Dallas Cowboys‘ fan woke up in August dreaming of their 13 win team from 2007 falling to a pedestrian 4-3 in 2008 after losing to a lousy St. Louis team, whom they decimated 35-7 one year ago, and saw an injured Tony Romo riding the pine and Adam Pacman Jones mysteriously missing, they would have brushed away the cold sweat from their brow consoling themselves it was only a nightmare. Sorry to tell you this Tex, but it is really late October and your gridiron heroes have indeed done exactly what you feared.

The Cowboys have experienced more scandals and setbacks than they have victories this season.  Sandwiched between their losses to Arizona and St. Louis, the Cowboys’ lost their starting Pro-Bowl quarterback, their best cornerback and continue to sputter in the hotly contested NFC East standings. Since starting the season perfect in three games and looking as good as last year’s team which stormed through the regular season, Dallas has lost three out of four and two straight. In fact the Cowboys are just a touchdown against the winless Bengals away from losing four straight and having a losing record.

Even though Romo flirted with coming back for the Rams game, which Dallas (4-3) lost 34-14, it appears the team will have to come to terms with the fact that he will not be back until at least the middle of November.

Things do not get easier for the Brad Johnson-led Cowboys as they play host to the NFC South’s number one team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and attempt to avoid a three game losing streak for the first time since 2004. Johnson appeared rusty in his first start since 2006, throwing for three interceptions. Johnson personally knows it will be a tough test going up against a solid Bucs defense since he was the quarterback who propelled the Bucs to their Super Bowl title in 2002. The Bucs (5-2) are second in the league with 12 interceptions and eighth in total defense.

Tampa Bay continues to impress after winning 27-3 win over division rival Carolina in Week 6 and then beating the visiting Seahawks 20-10 in a solid Sunday night outing last week. The Bucs held Seattle to 176 yards and 7 first downs.

The Bucs had a 402-176 advantage over the Seahawks in total yards, and limited Seattle to seven first downs. One thing Dallas may have going for them is while Tampa Bay has dominated at Raymond James Stadium going undefeated in four game, they have struggled to a 1-2 road record thus far and needed a late rally to get by the Bears in overtime at Soldier Field on September 21.

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Panthers -4 vs. Cardinals

Many teams have started 5-2 and it is not that big of a deal. Sure it's a good start to an NFL season, but it is nothing to celebrate about because 5-2 means there are nine games left in the season and the season can certainly turn south. There have been tons of 5-2 teams over the years that have not made the playoffs. Ask last year's Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns.

But for the Arizona Cardinals (4-2), we might as well indulge them a bit. A victory on the road in Carolina Sunday will put the Cardinals at the magical 5-2 mark for the first time in 32 years. Also if they are able to dispatch the Panthers, one of the NFC South’s top teams, on the road after their blowout of division rival New Orleans last week, they deserve to be lauded.

Barring something unseen, a playoff appearance seems pretty bright for Arizona. Seattle and San Francisco seem hopeless and who knows if St. Louis will continue to win or regress into what they were under Scott Linahan. These factors and the fact that the Cardinals have a two game lead in the NFC West seem to indicate that Arizona is on their way to their first postseason berth since 1998 and only their third since 1982.

On top of all of that, the Caridinals have seemed unstoppable in the two weeks leading up to last week's bye. They topped the previously undefeated Bills on October 5 and then welcomed in the Dallas Cowboys and dispatched them in overtime 30-24.

The one thing that may stop Arizona's momentum is their issues on the road. They started the season with a victory in San Francisco, after a brief stop in Glendale with a win over Miami, the Cardinals took to the road for a trip that took them to the east coast to take on Washington and New York Jets in two consecutive weeks. Arizona lost both of those games by a combined score of 80-52. The Cards now find themselves on another cross country trek to Carolina to play the Panthers who have yet to lose a home game.

Winning at Carolina (5-2) won't be easy, though, as the Panthers have won all four of their home games -- outscoring their opponents 108-33. Carolina has not won five straight home games since Sept. 18-Dec. 4, 2005.

For the Panthers, it was the tale of two games the last two weeks. On October 12, Carolina traveled to Tampa Bay and were drubbed by the Bucs 27-3. The team picked up the pieces and came out firing on all cylinders at home last week and dispatched the Saints 30-7.

As they did in their postseason years of 2004 and 2005, the Panthers have ridden their tough defense to many of their victories. Carolina is third in the NFL in defense. They will face a tough Cardinals team that leads the league in scoring with nearly 30 points per game.

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Bills -1 vs. Dolphins

Buffalo has come out of the gates with their best start in 13 years, yet they still fight for respect and notoriety within their own division. The sans-Brady Patriots, the Favre-led Jets and even the improving Dolphins have commanded more respect than the Bills.  For Buffalo to improve to 6-1, they can shove that down one of their better known division rivals' throats, their first AFC East matchup of the season. This week they travel to Miami to take on the last place Dolphins.

Many of the cynics of the Bills, who are one game ahead of New England, state that they have not really played any solid teams yet.  With the exception of Jacksonville, they have not beaten a team with a winning record in 2008. Last week they topped San Diego at home 38-17, but the Chargers have had their share of problems this season. Buffalo is the only team in the NFL to not play a game within their division as we enter Week 7. They will certainly be tested the next few weeks as the last half of the year will be heavily peppered with AFC East opponents for Buffalo, including the next three. Buffalo was 4-2 against the division a year ago, but they know that division records rarely mean anything year to year, however the Bills are hoping to extend their dominance over Miami. They have won seven of the last eight contests.

Trent Edwards appeared healthy after the concussion he sustained in Arizona on October 5. The second-year signal caller broke Jim Kelly's franchise record for completion percentage against San Diego by successfully hitting on 83.33 percent of his passes for 261 yards and a touchdown.

Miami has hit the skids after a hopeful stretch in their schedule. After losing the opening game to the Jets at Dolphins Stadium, the heavily underdog Dolphins headed to New England and promptly crushed the Patriots 38-13 in Week 2. After a bye, Miami dispatching San Diego 17-10, but has since lost its momentum by dropping back-to-back games to Houston and Baltimore.

Despite Miami's recent losses, veteran Chad Pennington continues to play with a quiet confidence. In last Sunday's 27-13 setback to the Ravens, Pennington completed 24 of his 35 passes for just under 300 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Pennington currently ranks fourth in the league with a solid 68.6 completion percentage.

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New York -14 vs. Kansas City

If you think the Chiefs (1-5) were a bad team last week, wait until you see the team they will be fielding this week which will feature a third-string quarterback, Tyler Thigpen, and an inactive All-Pro running back, Larry Johnson.

Johnson was inactive for injury in last week's home debacle against the undefeated Titans, losing 34-10.  This week a healthy Johnson will be inactive for an injury to the crime blotter. Kansas City Police have been investigating an allegation involving the star running back, in which he allegedly told a woman he would kill her boyfriend and spat in her face. The Chiefs admirably took the preliminary action of sitting Johnson while the NFL ponders a possible suspension.

This makes Thigpen's job that much harder as he will be handing off to Kolby Smith, who was ineffective a week ago gaining only 20 yards on 10 carries, with 19 of those yards coming on one run.

Former Jets coach Herman Edwards will face his former team for the second time in less than a year and will attempt to win his second game against them despite all of Kansas City's set backs. Kansas City topped the Jets 13-10 in overtime in a game also played at the Meadownlands.

Make no mistake, this was not a good week for the Jets either. It began with New York's inability to win a third straight game with an incredibly disappointing overtime loss in Oakland. Then during the week, each day was full of the news about Brett Favre sharing news about his former mates with one of their division rivals.

Foxsports.com reported that Favre had lengthy phone conversations with Matt Millen and Detroit Lions coaches giving them a tutorial on the Green Bay Packers' offense prior to the teams' Week 2 game. Favre spent much of the week denying the report, while Fox stood behind the report and the Lions did not issue a denial. This came after Favre's poorest performance as a Jet. He threw for two interceptions and only compiled 197 yards. The bright spot for New York was running back Thomas Jones who had 159 yards on 24 carries.

The series of original AFL teams is basically a draw.  Kansas City leads 16-15-1.

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Philadelphia -9 vs. Atlanta

"Welcome home Matt Ryan, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Ryan, a hometown Philadelphia boy, should not expect a heroe's welcome as his Atlanta Falcons travel to the City of Brotherly Love for Sunday afternoon battle at Lincoln Financial Field.

Certainly any love Philly fans may have for a local boy who has made it will evaporate around 1pm Sunday.  After a promising start to the season the 3-3 Philadelphia Eagles find themselves the losers of three of their last five games and find themselves in last place of the competitive NFC East. The Eagles need this game to take advantage of slumping Washington and Dallas and climb back into the heart of the playoff race. To do this, Philadelphia, who is in the upper echelon of the NFL in sacks, more than likely has a game plan probably involves planting the local boy into the turf.

Philadelphia is actually coming off a win in their last time out, two weeks ago. Before last week's bye, the Eagles scored 23 late points to beat the 49ers in San Francisco 40-26. Philly hopes this is the game that will get their season turned around.

Meanwhile the surprising season in Atlanta continues, largely on the play of rookie quarterback Ryan. The Exton, Pennsylvania native and alumni of Philadelphia's Penn Charter School has noticeably picked his game up recently. He has thrown for four touchdowns against one interception over the past four games, three of which were Atlanta victories. The Falcons will look to claim a road victory to extend their winning streak to three games. Last week Atlanta enjoyed a week off after an energizing last second field goal win over Chicago, 22-20, on October 12. The win over Chicago was the second straight impressive victory, after the Falcons beat the Packers in Lambeau. Atlanta probably wishes for NFL realignment with placement in the NFC North. The Atlanta Falcons have feasted on the division this season, going 3-0 against Detroit, Green Bay and Chicago with one more game at Minnesota on the horizon.

Odds are San Diego is upset they let Michael Turner get away. With Ladanian Tomlison's injury issues this year, the Chargers have had virtually no running attack. Not so in Atlanta as Turner is third in the NFL with 597 yards and six touchdowns.

Bye weeks have been good for Andy Reid and his Eagles. During his tenure he has never lost following a bye in nine seasons. The team is getting healthier as running back Bryant Westbrook and receiver Kevin Curtis are hoping to go. For Curtis it will be the first time he has hit the field all season long, which should greatly help Donovan McNabb and the Eagles' offense.

The Eagles have not lost to the Falcons in Philadelphia since 1988 in four contests including two postseason games in 2002 and 2005.

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Nittany Lions -2 vs. Buckeyes

Ohio State has arrived. The team has struggled through many of their contests this year and seemed listless in most of them. This all changed last week when the Buckeyes traveled north to meet the Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans were in a three way tie with Ohio State and Penn State and any hopes they had at being in a two-way tie for or sole possession of first place was sunk about midway through the first quarter. Ohio State (7-1, 4-0) played their most complete game of the year and dominated in every aspect of the game as they stomped Michigan State 45-7 in East Lansing.

Over in Happy Valley at roughly the same time, a similar story was developing. Not that Penn State (8-0, 4-0) was playing their first complete game of the year; they have had many of those, but that they took their frustrations out on an opponent. This time it was the Michigan Wolverines who they had not beaten since 1996. Michigan stormed out to a 17-7 lead and it seemed the Wolverines were going to once again come in as an inferior opponent and destroy another Penn State season. Coach Joe Paterno stated before the game that Michigan was not in their heads, but it appeared early on that they were firmly in the Nittany Lions heads. Penn State turned on the burners in the second half and did not allow Michigan to score as they lit up the score board for 39 straight points on way to a 46-17 rout.

This game is a matchup of the top Big Ten teams and the number three and nine teams in the nation will go along way in clearing up the Big Ten picture as well as the national title picture. While Penn State put a stop to one streak by finally beating Michigan, they must buck a couple of other trends to keep their undefeated season going. The Nittany Lions have not won a road game against a top ten team in ten tries. In addition, Penn State must win in Columbus for the first time since 1978.

For the Lions to win, Daryll Clark, an Ohio native, must be his best. He has been most of the season as he is the conference's second-highest rated passer and has tossed and ran for 19 touchdowns. Clark has done a stellar job, but it is a possibility he could be riding the pine if it were not for Ohio State's signal caller.  Chances are if Pennsylvania's own Terrelle Pryor had chosen Penn State over Ohio State, he would be the starting quarterback in Happy Value, much like he is in Columbus.

Pryor had his best game of his young career last Saturday in East Lansing. Coach Jim Tressel had Pryor on a short leash because of his recent struggles, but he appeared to solidify the starting position with 116 yards through the air, 72 yards on the ground and a touchdown pass.

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Jayhawks -1 vs. Red Raiders

One of the more interesting matchup of this weekend's college football schedule which is chalked full of interesting Top 25 matchups, is the game which will take place in Lawrence, Kansas when the undefeated and eighth ranked Red Raiders of Texas Tech head north to battle the Kansas Jayhawks Saturday at noon.

Texas Tech (7-0, 3-0) is riding high as they are undefeated this late in the season for the first time since 1976. Cynics will point to the easy schedule Texas Tech has played so far, not having played another Top 25 team, but the Red Raiders will get the chance to silence everyone with a road victory over the 23rd ranked Jayhawks in Memorial Stadium. They will also get that same chance the next four weeks. Texas Tech can certainly control their own destiny and perhaps find themselves in the BCS Championship game if they can get through Kansas, then number one Texas, number seven Oklahoma State and number four Oklahoma. If a team gets through that daunting schedule, they should just crown them champions there and then! Of course Texas Tech is saying all the right things and will say they are preparing for each game one at a time.

Kansas has grown accustomed to matching up with ranked teams dating back to last season. This season has been no different, albeit still as difficult. On September 12, Kansas lost a tough road game to then-number 19 South Florida and were spanked by Oklahoma 45-31 last week.

Kansas will look to avoid two straight losses for the first time since a four game losing streak in 2006 and look to buck the current trend of nine losses in their 10 meetings with Texas Tech, their only victory coming in 2001.

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Tigers -1 vs. Bulldogs

Georgia and LSU have both had to climb back up after horrendous blowout losses this season. Each team has had a few weeks since those losses and they have achieved wins to put them back into SEC and BCS contention. One thing is certain though, the loser of the game between the SEC powerhouses will have their hopes derailed. This intriguing matchup not only matches two of the top teams in the conference but also number 7 at number 13 Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge.

Perhaps the pressure of being a preseason number one team for the first time in school history was too much for Georgia (6-1, 3-1) who appeared shaky in many of their early season games before losing to Alabama 40-31 on September 27, in which the Bull Dogs feel behind—way behind 31-0.

That game seemed to shake Georgia's confidence as they have sputtered though two wins. Last week Vanderbilt kept the game within striking distance until a late field goal sealed the game for the Bulldogs 24-14. The week prior, a listless Tennessee team was able to keep the affair close until Georgia, with some late scores, pulled away 26-14.

Their opponents for this week, LSU (5-1, 3-1) have had less time to recover from their drubbing by Florida 51-21 on October 11. Much like Georgia, LSU has not played its best football since their defeat. Midway through the fourth quarter the Tigers were down 17-10 and appeared to be heading for their second straight defeat in the SEC for the first time since 2001. But LSU scored on its final two possessions, largely because of the running game to claim a thrilling but flawed 24-17 victory. Charles Scott's move from running back to full back opened the door for more carries for Keiland Williams and proved a lethal duo for the Gamecocks in the fourth quarter last week.

Meanwhile Georgia's running game is nothing to sneeze at either. Knowshon Moreno is the top back in the SEC with 109 yards per contest and 11 touchdowns.  Last week against the Commodores, Moreno rushed for 172 yards, a season best.

This is the Bulldogs first invasion into Tiger Stadium since 2003, when LSU won 17-10, and they have not met since the 2005 SEC title game, with Georgia winning 34-14.

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Crimson Tide -6 vs. Volunteers

Tennessee's miserable season took a week off last week as the Volunteers looked more like the Volunteers with a 34-3 route of Mississippi State. If the home standing Tennessee (3-4, 1-3) can see its way to upsetting second ranked Alabama and beating the Crimson Tide for the third time in a row at Neyland Stadium, it will go a long way to hitting the reset button their season and starting a late season push for a good bowl game.

Alabama (7-0, 4-0) will put their undefeated record on the line as they take on Tennessee Saturday night. The Tide knows that their destiny is in their own hands. This week's BCS rankings set them at number two as well and if they win out, they most certainly will play for the National Championship. On paper, Alabama should easily beat Tennessee, but as we all know games are not played on paper.

Alabama has not exactly routed their last two opponents. Last week, they allowed Mississippi to climb back into the game late before holding on to a 24-20 victory. Two weeks before that game, the Tide edged Kentucky 17-14.

Alabama will be missing a key defensive cog this week as nose guard Terrence Cody nurses a sprained knee. This will hurt the Tide, but they have had several impact players which has allowed their defense to become the 14th best in the nation. It should prove as a good matchup as the Volunteers rank last in the SEC in offense by averaging 19 points per contest.

Tennessee's strong point this season has been their defense as well, particularly Eric Berry. The sophomore cornerback returned a 72 yard interception for a touchdown and with the pick he became the All-time SEC interception returner leader with 397 yards.

The Crimson Tide lead the series 45-38-7, including last year's 41-17 rout last season. However Alabama has not posted a victory in Knoxville since 2002 and have not beaten Tennessee twice in a row since 1992.

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Golden Bears -17 vs. Bruins

So far, the season could not have gone worse for UCLA and California. Luckily for the Pac 10 rivals, they play each other this week, so one season will get a slight upgrade.

UCLA (3-4, 2-2) in particular has had a tough and disappointing season, especially after the Bruins upset Tennessee 27-24 in overtime in their opening game on September 1. UCLA then went on to lose their next three games and four of five after that game. And judging from the way Tennessee's season has gone, the victory has lost some of its luster since the massive celebration at the Rose Bowl in early September.  Perhaps the Bruins stopped some of the bleeding last week when they beat Stanford 23-20.

Up the coast a bit, California (4-2, 2-1) has also struggled to establish themselves this season. Predicted for greater things, Cal finds itself outside looking into the top 25. After a grueling opening victory over Michigan State at home and an opening Pac 10 victory over Washington State, the Golden Bears lost their much hyped cross country trip to Maryland 35-27 in a game that was a blowout until a late Bear comeback fell just short. California seemed to right their ship by winning two straight until last week when they fell to Arizona 42-27 on the road.

UCLA tailback Kahlil Bell looks to be ready to go this week despite his sprained ankle. Bell has been splitting time with freshman running back Derrick Coleman. The combination has not been particularly lethal however, as the Bruins rank 116th in rushing offense. Much of the burden has fallen upon junior quarterback Kevin Craft who has thrown for 1518 yards and 7 touchdowns. To be fair to Bell and Coleman, UCLA has been so far behind in so many games that have had to take to the air to attempt to catch up.

Cal has a stellar passing attack of its own, averaging 254 yards per game led by Senior Nate Longshore and sophomore Kevin Riley splitting time under center.

The visiting team has not won in this series since 1999 when California traveled to Pasadena to shut out UCLA 17-0. The last time UCLA won in Berkeley was the year before, 1998, a 28-16 triumph.

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Rays -162 vs. Phillies

Bucking the trend of recent LCS victors with long layoffs, the Phillies rode their ace Cole Hamels to draw first blood with the victory in Game 1 of the World Series. The NLCS MVP Hamels continued his October dominance Wednesday night as he shut down the explosive Tampa Bay Rays to win 3-2. This was the lefthander's fourth victory in the postseason.

On the offensive side, the Phillies were almost equally stymied by Rays starter Scott Kazmir, but were able to push across one more run to win. The bulk of Philadelphia's offense came in the first inning, one of the few innings that Kazmir seemed to struggle though. Chase Utley made him pay when he parked a changeup deep into the right field stands of Tropicana Field. Utley became a part of an exclusive fraternity of now 34 players who have hit a homerun on their first World Series at bat.

The pressure is clearly on Tampa Bay as they prepare for tonight's Game 2. A loss tonight would be devastating for the Rays who face the next three games on the road. The Rays are a cool bunch, however, and have weathered any storm that has come their way. Just over a week ago, the Rays lost to the Red Sox in Game 1 of the ALCS at home and still clinched the series in 7, taking 2 out of 3 games in Beantown. And while Citizens' Bank Park will allow the Philadelphia home town fans to show their love to their National League Champion Phillies as they play at home for the first time since October 10, the Rays may be salivating at the chance to get their offense healthy and tee off in a hitters park, much like they did in Boston.

As much as Philadelphia would love to throw Hamels out on the mound for every game, they will turn to Brett Myers. In turn the Rays will turn to their solid number two starter Steve Shields to be the stopper and gain Tampa Bay a split as they head to Philadelphia for the next three games beginning Saturday night.

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Bruins -200 vs. Maple Leafs

Two ancient rivals renew their battle this Thursday when the Toronto Maple Leafs travel abroad to visit the Boston Bruins. The Bruins have lagged behind the success of their Beantown sports brethren. Six titles this decade for Boston have not included a Stanley Cup and the Bruins have not won the Cup since 1972.

This season has been more of the same for Boston as they have struggled to achieve their 2-1-3 record. The Bruins have hung tough in their losses, but have ultimately lost three of those contests in a shootout, including their last two games against Pittsburgh and in Buffalo. Boston has lost four of their last five, three of those coming in shootouts since starting the season 1-0 with a victory in the Pepsi Center over Colorado.

Toronto (1-2-3) has been in free full since their quality opening game victory over Detroit on the night the Red Wings raised their Stanley Cup championship banner. The Maple Leafs have dropped five straight since besting Detroit on October 9. Much like the Bruins, the Leafs have hung tough in many of their losses, with three of them going to a shootout. Toronto's troubles have a lot to do with the fact that they cannot score.  In their five losses, the Leafs have been held to one goal or less three times and are averaging only 1.83 goals per game this season and that average was greatly skewed by a four goal performance against the Blues on October 13. Their defense has not been much better giving up an average of 3.50 goals per game.

Boston has played a little better on offense and defense but it has not been able to allow them to win in regulation regularly. The Bruins' leading scorer is Marc Savard with his 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists). Boston's net minder Manny Fernandez boasts a stellar 2.62 goals against average.

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Coyotes -110 vs. Capitals

The Washington Capitals continue their western road trip as they drop into Phoenix to visit the Coyotes. The western trip started rather rudely for the Capitals as they lost to the Calgary Flames 2-1 Tuesday night as Mika Kiprusoff stymied Washington's scoring attack by stopping 30 of the 31 shots that the Calgary net minder faced. The lone goal came off the stick of Sergei Federov. The loss dropped the Caps to 3-2-1 and dropped them into a tie for the Southeast Division lead with Carolina.

Phoenix (2-3-0) has gotten off to its usual disappointing start. After winning their first game at home, the Coyotes ventured on a four city road trip which spanned a seven day period. The Phoenix Coyotes won their first road game in Anaheim and then promptly dropped the next three as they visited Chicago, Ottawa and Montreal. Tonight Phoenix returns home hoping for the home cooking that got them their first victory of the season on October 11, taking advantage of a Washington team who have dropped two of their first three home games.

Though pointless in Calgary, the Capitals leading scorer continues to be Alex Semin with 10 points consisting of 6 goals and 4 assists. Jose Theodore has been solid in goal for Washington with a 3.17 goals against average. Meanwhile Ollie Jokinen leads the Phoenix scoring barrage with 6 points, five of which are assists. Shane Doan leads the team in goals with six.

The Coyotes own a slight edge in the series since 1999 with a 4-3-3 record. The teams did not play in the 2007-2008 Season; the last contest went in favor of Phoenix 3-2 on New Years Day 2007.

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