Sunday Trends and Indexes 10/28

[pm530]

Baseball Today - October 28


SCOREBOARD

Sunday, Oct. 28
Boston at Colorado (8:29 p.m. EDT). Jon Lester is set to start against Aaron Cook in Game 4.

PLUNDERED

Three former Pittsburgh Pirates coaches have found jobs with different organizations. Third-base coach Jeff Cox has taken the same job on Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen's staff. Former Pirates bullpen coach Bobby Cuellar will manage the Minnesota Twins' Double-A New Britain Rock Cats club and Rusty Kuntz, who split the season as a coach between Pittsburgh and Triple-A Indianapolis, was hired as new Kansas City Royals manager Trey Hillman's first-base coach.

WAIVED

San Diego waived second baseman Marcus Giles, the younger brother of right fielder Brian Giles, on Friday. The Padres owe Marcus a $500,000 buyout of his $4 million option. Giles hit .229 with four home runs and 39 RBIs.

ROSTER MOVES

The Chicago White Sox reinstated third baseman Joe Crede from the 60-day disabled list Friday after he missed most of the season with a back injury. Coming off a career year in 2006, Crede batted .216 with four home runs and 22 RBIs in 47 games this season. He was placed on the disabled list June 6 with lower back inflammation and underwent surgery on June 12. The White Sox also reinstated infielder Pablo Ozuna from the 60-day DL and outrighted right-handed reliever Ryan Bukvich to Triple-A Charlotte.

A-MEETING?

The New York Yankees are trying to set up a meeting with Alex Rodriguez while they work on picking a manager. Rodriguez has until the 10th day following the World Series to decide whether to opt out of his record $252 million, 10-year contract and become a free agent. The Yankees plan to offer him an extension and say they would drop out of talks if A-Rod opts out.

SPEAKING

"I just know that it works. I've played here enough to know the balls were flying out of here (before). I've watched MythBusters. They proved it works. You know, Discovery Channel?" -- Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew on Friday on the humidor at Coors Field. The steel-walled room behind the Rockies clubhouse is always 70 degrees with 50 percent humidity to keep game balls from shrinking in Denver's dry, thin air.

SEASONS
Oct. 28

1958 -- Construction began on the new ballpark for the Giants in San Francisco. The rocks in the area resembled candlesticks.

1981 -- The Los Angeles Dodgers, behind Pedro Guerrero's five RBIs, beat the New York Yankees 9-2 to take the World Series in six games.

1989 -- The Oakland Athletics swept the San Francisco Giants in the World Series with a 9-6 win.

1995 -- The Braves won their first World Series since moving to Atlanta with a 1-0 win over Cleveland in Game 6. Tom Glavine and Mark Wohlers combined on a one-hitter and David Justice homered in the sixth inning.

Today's birthdays: Jeremy Bonderman 25; Nate McLouth 26; Braden Looper 33.

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[pm530]

Hockey – Long Sheet

NHL
Long Sheet


Sunday, October 28

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EDMONTON (4-6-0-0, 8 pts.) at ANAHEIM (4-7-0-1, 9 pts.) - 10/28/2007, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 32-41 ATS (-26.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 11-17 ATS (-17.1 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 24-21 ATS (-5.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 9-4 (+5.7 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 9-4-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.6 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)

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MINNESOTA (7-1-0-2, 16 pts.) at COLORADO (6-4-0-0, 12 pts.) - 10/28/2007, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 26-21 ATS (-0.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 58-43 ATS (+101.9 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
COLORADO is 252-215 ATS (+252.0 Units) in home games against the puck line since 1996.
COLORADO is 62-71 ATS (-95.7 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 9-8 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 9-8-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.2 Units)

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DETROIT (8-2-0-1, 17 pts.) at VANCOUVER (5-6-0-0, 10 pts.) - 10/28/2007, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 202-166 ATS (-77.8 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
DETROIT is 57-64 ATS (-31.6 Units) in road games after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 205-215 ATS (+205.0 Units) in home games against the puck line since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 15-22 ATS (-18.3 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 5-4 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 5-4-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)

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[Udog]

NFL
Total bias: Week 8 over/under plays


Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals – under 48

The Steelers gave up too many points last week against the Broncos, but Ben Roethlisberger’s three turnovers didn’t do much to help the defense. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin demands better care of the football. Without the help of those interceptions and fumbles, Cincinnati will struggle to find the colored grass.


Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans – under 40 ½

As stated above, I think last week’s Titans-Texans scorefest was a fluke. There’s no refuting the Raiders’ slow-it-down philosophy. First-year coach Lane Kiffin has clearly demonstrated that running the football is how his team has the best chance of winning on Sunday.

The Titans are the same type of team with Young as the starting quarterback. He has a strong arm but he’s not accurate on throws over 20 yards (unlike backup Kerry Collins). The Titans’ defense will be looking for redemption after giving up 29 fourth-quarter points to Houston. Keep in mind Tennessee hadn’t played over the total until last week.


Washington Redskins at New England Patriots – over 48

I haven’t taken the safest over bet in the league yet. You know the Patriots are going to score on at least 80 percent of their possessions and the defense tends to allow late scores once the game gets out of hand.

Sure Washington has a good defense, but do you really think that’s going to stop Tom Brady? This guy tosses touchdown passes like grill masters toss burgers.

I’m not concerned about this trap-game talk. I know the matchup of the year is the following weekend at the RCA Dome – but Bill Belichick is too good a coach to allow his players to think about the Indianapolis Colts before they get past the ‘Skins on Sunday.


Last week’s record: 2-1

Season record: 11-10

[Udog]

Hockey today - October 28


SCOREBOARD Sunday, Oct. 28

Edmonton at Anaheim (8 p.m. EDT). Dustin Penner signed a five-year, $21.25 million offer sheet with the Oilers over the summer, in which the Ducks declined to match.

STARS Friday

-Tomas Plekanec, Canadiens, had two goals and two assists, all on the power play, to help Montreal beat Carolina 7-4.

-Ryan Smyth, Avalanche, scored 23 seconds into overtime to give Colorado a 3-2 victory over Calgary.

-Taylor Pyatt, Canucks, scored twice to lead Vancouver to a 3-2 win at Washington.

-Valtteri Filppula, Red Wings, scored his first goal of the season and added and assist and Detroit beat San Jose 5-1.

GREAT GOALIES

Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo extended his winning streak against Washington to 10 games by making 26 saves in Friday night's 3-2 win. Luongo is 7-0-3 with two shutouts in his past 10 starts against the Capitals dating to the 2003-04 season and includes when he was playing for Florida. ... Detroit's Chris Osgood is 11-0-5 in his past 16 starts after a 5-1 win over San Jose.

HOT WING

Henrik Zetterberg has at least a point in all 11 games this season and leads the NHL with 19 points on eight goals and 11 assists after scoring in Detroit's 5-1 win over San Jose on Saturday night.

LUCKY BOUNCE

Buffalo got a fluke goal from Drew Stafford with 8:48 left and snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 win at Florida on Friday night. Stafford scored when his wrist shot bounced off goalie Tomas Vokoun's blocker high into the air, then fell in behind Vokoun.

INJURY TO INSULT

Washington lost for the fifth time in six games and captain Chris Clark to an injury in Friday night's 3-2 defeat to Vancouver. Clark required stitches in his left ear after being hit by an Alexander Ovechkin slap shot in the final minute of the game. He dropped to the ice and left a small puddle of blood, before skating off with some assistance.

HAB-ITUAL MILESTONE

Alexei Kovalev became the third Montreal player this month to play in his 1,000th game when he took the ice on Friday night, joining Roman Hamrlik and Bryan Smolinski. He scored his fifth goal of the season in the 7-4 win at Carolina.

LOCKED UP

Right wing Dustin Brown, playing his fourth NHL season at only 22, agreed to a six-year extension believed to be worth around $19 million with Los Angeles on Friday, putting him under contract through the 2013-14 season. ... Detroit forward Kris Draper, a winner of three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings, signed a three-year contract extension.

SPEAKING

''When he decides to turn it up, he's one of the top three in the league - and he turned it on at the end. It was tough to watch from our bench.'' - Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault on Washington's Alexander Ovechkin, who scored with 1 1/2 minutes left and nearly set up the tying tally before the Canucks finally won 3-2.

[Udog]

NHL
Sunday's key NHL matchup notes


Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche (-140, 5 1/2)

Minnesota is among the best defensive teams in the league so far, allowing 1.90 goals per game. However, the Wild have given up 10 goals over their last two games.

The Wild have won four of their last five games against Colorado.


Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks (-240, 5 1/2)

Anaheim's title defense has gotten off to a rocky start. The Ducks are near the bottom of the league as they're averaging 2.08 goals per game.

The Ducks could benefit from the return of Ryan Getzlaf, the team's leading scorer with seven assists and 10 points. He missed Thursday's game with an upper body injury. Rob Niedermayer also sat out with a groin injury and is day-to-day.


Detroit Red Wings at Vancouver Canucks (+105, 5)

Detroit has outscored its opponents 17-7 during its current four-game winning streak.
The Canucks have won six of their last nine home games against the Red Wings.

[Udog]

NHL
Hot Lines


Ice picks: Sunday's best NHL wagers


Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche (-140, 5 ½)

The total has gone under 5 ½ in the last three meetings between these Northwest Division rivals. Don't expect that trend to continue this afternoon. Minnesota's No. 1 goalie Niklas Backstrom is dealing with a groin injury and won't be between the pipes. Backstrom's backup, Josh Harding, allowed four goals in his latest outing and the team has recalled Nolan Schaefer from the minors to take Backstrom's spot.

Minnesota is finishing up a three-game road trip and is winless during the previous two games. It is known as a very defensive team, but Jacques Lemaire's squad has given up 10 goals in the last two games and total bettors cashed in both times.

Pick: Over 5 ½


Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks (-240, 5 ½)

These teams have had off-ice issues with each other since 2006. It started when All-Star defenceman Chris Pronger basically forced the Oilers to trade him to the Ducks following Edmonton's run to the '06 Stanley Cup final series.

Then, this past summer, the Oilers signed Ducks restricted free-agent Dustin Penner to an offer sheet that Anaheim refused to match. The move by Edmonton's G.M. Kevin Lowe angered Ducks boss Brian Burke and the two are no longer on speaking terms.

Without Penner and non-official retirees Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, the Ducks have struggled and don't look anywhere close to the team that most recently took a sip out of Lord Stanley's mug.

"I think the biggest thing is for us not to panic and start pointing fingers," Pronger told The Associated Press. "We're all making mistakes out there. It's a fine line between winning and losing. Those little mistakes we're making are costing us games."

Pick: Oilers +200


Detroit Red Wings at Vancouver Canucks (+105, 5)

The Red Wings dominated the Canucks this past Wednesday at home, winning 3-2 behind the goaltending of Dominik Hasek. But the Detroit goaltender won't be suiting up tonight. He is battling a hip injury and is out indefinitely.

Just because the Dominator isn't playing doesn't mean it's time to fade Detroit. Hasek's backup Chris Osgood has been fantastic in limited action this year. He has won all four games he's appeared in and has surrended just six goals on 85 shots.

Pick: Red Wings -125

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Boston at Colorado
The Rockies made a game out of it last night, but when pushed it was the unlikely pair of Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia who responded. The Red Sox rookies combined for seven hits and four RBI to put Boston one game away from its second WS championship in four years. With 15 more hits last night, the Boston lineup is now batting .352 (38-for-108) in the Series with 16 doubles. They have erupted for six runs in an inning an astounding five times this postseason. Given the job of taming this lineup tonight is Aaron Cook. While Cook was the Rockies opening day starter, he hasn't pitched since August 10 because of a strained left oblique. This is a tough assignment in his first game back and the Red Sox look like the pick (-125) to close this one out according to Dunkel, which has Boston favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Boston (-125). Here are all of today's games.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28

Game 907-908: Boston at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lester) 18.534; Colorado (Cook) 16.329
Dunkel Line: Boston by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Boston (-125); 10
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-125); Under

[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel


Minnesota at Colorado
Holes have suddenly appeared in Minnesota's defense as the Wild have given up 10 goals in back-to-back losses at Calgary and Edmonton. Regular goalie Niklas Backstrom, who is 4-0 with a 2.13 GAA in his career against the Avalanche, will not dress because of a groin injury. Returning home after a four-game road trip, the Avs look like a good pick (-125) to take advantage according to Dunkel, which has Colorado favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-125). Here are all of today's games.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28

Game 51-52: Edmonton at Anaheim
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 10.445; Anaheim 11.815
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-240); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (-240); Under

Game 53-54: Minnesota at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 11.532; Colorado 12.473
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Colorado (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-135); Over

Game 55-56: Detroit at Vancouver
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 12.567; Vancouver 11.623
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-130); 5
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-130); Over

[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet


Sunday, October 28th

Edmonton at Anaheim, 8:05 EST
Edmonton: 5-2 SU at Anaheim
Anaheim: 11-17 SU playing with 2 days rest

(TC) Minnesota at Colorado, 3:05 EST
Minnesota: 14-3 Under after playing a game where 8+ goals were scored
Colorado: 1-6 SU at home off a division win

(TC) Detroit at Vancouver, 10:35 EST
Detroit: 10-2 Under Away off a home win by 2+ goals
Vancouver: 31-14 Under at home off a road game

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Kaptain]

Wire Alerts

10/28/07
11:47 AM Lineups
NFL
Panthers declared WR Dwayne Jarrett, DEs Charles Johnson and Otis Grigsby inactive.

10/28/07
11:33 AM Weather
NFL
Almost all of today's games have clear and sunny weather.

10/28/07
11:12 AM Weather
NFL
Jags @ Bucs: Mostly cloudy; 40% chance of showers; east winds at 15 mph.

10/28/07
11:03 AM Lineups
NFL
Panthers RB DeShaun Foster (toe) is active for today's game.

10/28/07
11:02 AM Lineups
NFL
Vikings RB Adrian Peterson is expected to start today.

10/27/07
09:26 PM Lineups
NFL
49ers QB Alex Smith (shoulder) and RB Frank Gore (ankle) are both expected to play on Sunday.

10/27/07
09:23 PM Injuries
NFL
Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew (knee) has been limited in practice this week, and is questionable for Sunday's game.

10/27/07
09:22 PM Lineups
NFL
Jaguars backup QB Quinn Gray will start on Sunday.

10/27/07
09:20 PM Injuries
NFL
Texans QB Matt Schaub (hip) says he will play on Sunday, and has been upgraded to probable.

10/27/07
09:18 PM Lineups
NFL
Bengals RB Rudi Johnson (hamstring) is not expected to play on Sunday.

10/27/07
09:16 PM Lineups
NFL
Vikings backup QB Kelly Holcomb is the expected starter on Sunday.

10/27/07
09:14 PM Lineups
NFL
Titans QB Vince Young (quadriceps) is expected back for Sunday's game.

10/27/07
09:13 PM Lineups
NFL
Giants RB Derrick Ward (ankle) and S James Butler (hamstring/ankle) are likely to miss Sunday's game.

10/27/07
09:11 PM Injuries
NFL
Panthers starting RB DeShaun Foster (toe) has missed practice this week, and is questionable for Sunday.

10/27/07
09:09 PM Lineups
NFL
Panthers QB Vinny Testaverde will start on Sunday, but David Carr is expected to be available as well.

10/27/07
09:08 PM Lineups
NFL
Rams RB Steven Jackson (groin) will make his return on Sunday, but will be limited depending on how he feels.

10/27/07
09:05 PM Injuries
NFL
Browns RB Jamal Lewis (foot) has been limited in practice all week, and isn't sure if he'll be able to play on Sunday.

10/27/07
09:03 PM Info Alert
NFL
Sunday: Giants/Dolphins game will be played at Wembley stadium in London.

10/27/07
08:47 PM Lineup Alert
NFL
Colts WR Marvin Harrison (knee) has been downgraded to out of Sunday's game.

10/27/07
08:32 PM News Alert
MLB
The Yankees will offer Alex Rodriguez a four- or five-year extension worth $25 million-$30 million per year.

10/27/07
08:31 PM Injury Alert
NFL
Jets placed LB Jonathan Vilma on injured reserve with an undisclosed knee injury, ending his season.

10/27/07
11:54 AM Info Alert
NFL
Pats RB Laurence Maroney says he's ready to take on a larger workload going forward.

[pm530]

Baseball – Write up

MLB
Write-up


Sunday, October 28

World Series

Red Sox won their last six games by combined score of 55-12; they're 3-2 in road playoff games this fall. This could be fourth year in row World Series ends up in a sweep. To avoid a sweep Colorado turns to their Opening Day starter Cook, who hasn't pitched in real game since August 10 (been hurt). Cook lost 2-1 at Fenway June 12, giving up two runs in 7.1 IP. Red Sox are 8-1 when Lester starts this season, winning his last six in row (3-0, 5.22), but his last start was Sept. 12. Red Sox outscored Rockies 25-7 in winning first three games of this series.

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[pm530]

National Hockey League – Write up

NHL
Write-up



Sunday, October 28

Today's NHL analysis

Hot Teams
-- Colorado is 4-0 at home: 4-3/6-2/5-1/5-4SO. Minnesota is 6-2 this season, with both losses in shootouts.
-- Red Wings won last four games, outscoring foes 17-7.

Cold Teams
-- Oilers are 1-4 on road this season, outscored 16-8. Anaheim lost its last three games, scoring three goals.
-- Canucks lost four of their first five home games.

Series Records
-- Home side won five of last six Anaheim-Edmonton games.
-- Avalanche lost four of last five against Minnesota.
-- Red Wings beat Canucks 3-2 Wednesday, their first win in last seven tries against Vancouver.

Totals
-- Under is 9-3 in Anaheim games this season.
-- Three of last four Colorado games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Detroit-Vancouver games.

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[Udog]

MLB
Long Sheet


Sunday, October 28


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BOSTON (106 - 69) at COLORADO (97 - 76) - 8:20 PM
JON LESTER (L) vs. AARON COOK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 97-76 (+28.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 54-32 (+16.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
COLORADO is 97-73 (+31.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 69-54 (+19.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
COLORADO is 42-33 (+11.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
COLORADO is 63-38 (+37.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
COLORADO is 42-20 (+27.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 106-69 (+10.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 31-8 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 78-46 (+13.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COOK is 20-37 (-18.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COOK is 20-36 (-17.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COOK is 10-23 (-13.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 2-4 (+0.3 Units) against BOSTON this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

JON LESTER vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

AARON COOK vs. BOSTON since 1997
COOK is 0-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.541.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)


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[pm530]

Six-pack for Sunday

NFL trends for Week 8............

-- Houston covered four if its last twelve road games.

-- Jets are 8-3-1 vs spread in last dozen tries as home fave.

-- Bucs are 13-6-2 vs at home vs AFC teams.

-- Saints covered seven of last nine non-division road tilts.

-- Washington is 2-5-1 vs spread vs AFC teams.

-- Packers covered seven of their last eleven road games.

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[pm530]

Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up college football Saturday

13) There are motivational tactics, then there is what Georgia coach Mark Richt told his team this week...........he told Tracy Wolfson of CBS at halftime that he told his kids, "I'd be very disappointed in them if they didn't get a penalty after their 1st touchdown Saturday." They didn't disappoint him.

12) Not sure why Rutgers wore black jerseys; they're Scarlet Knights, for Pete's sake. Wear scarlet. Wearing different set of uniforms for a big game seems counter-producitve.

11) Speaking of Rutgers, the mother of star RB Ray Rice sits at game wearing her son's jersey and a helmet (no facemask). She looks like she wants to hit someone.

10) Ron Zook took care of a potential QB controversy; Juice Williams played whole game against Ball State, Illinois won a game and ended their brief skid at two.

9) Arizona State continued their dominance in second half of games when they shut Cal out 17-0 in second half of a 31-20 win. Sun Devils have trailed 14-0/19-0/13-0 in home games in '07, and didn't come close to losing any of them.

8) UConn took over top spot in Big East, upsetting USF 22-15 in game where Bulls outgained UConn 440-353. Bulls missed two FGs, gave up defensive TD and were stopped on downs deep in UConn territory twice late in a rainy game.

7) Arizona's Willie Tuitama was 38-51 for 510 yards; Arizona won 48-41 at Washington, despite giving up 572 total yards. Remember last year, when Jim Mora Jr said he'd love to coach at Washington, his alma mater? Well, he may get the chance, as Huskies haven't won since second game of season.

6) Matt Forte of Tulane had another huge game, Green Wave ran ball for 350 yards, but lost 28-27 to Memphis.

5) When did the Heisman Trophy become an award only for guys on good teams? Couldn't the best player in country be on a team that isn't contending for a national title?

4) Michigan State continued another lateseason slide, losing in OT at Iowa after they led 17-3 at halftime. Spartans are 5-4 and have red-hot Michigan up next.

3) Texas ran ball for 364 yards, rallied to win 28-25 after being down 10-3 at halftime. My Nebraska experts prefer Bo Pellini as the new Cornhusker coach. Most rumors you hear finger Buffalo's Turner Gill as frontrunner for the job.

2) How does UCLA beat Cal, but lost to both Notre Dame and Washington State? Very erratic team, impossible to figure.

1) Oregon's Dennis Dixon deserves serious consideration as Heisman Trophy candidate; he is away from most media, but if they take the time to see the Ducks play, they'll see he is a better player than Ryan kid at Boston College, for sure. So is Tim Tebow, for that matter.

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