Marc Stein...watch your back!

Some good football games this weekend are making me less than productive at work today but, then again, its Friday...the perfect day to waste your employer's money.

Auburn vs. Georgia: This should be a classic, the oldest rivalry in the south hasn't meant this much to BOTH teams in quite some time, probably during the Pat Dye era was the last time. I personally think that Auburn is a much better team than Georgia but alot of that has to do with my complete and total lack of respect for David Greene as a big-time QB. I'm sorry, I just don't see it. Sure he makes plays here and there but I can't ever remember thinking, "Oh wow, David Greene this weekend. What are we gonna do?". Then again, he's been consistently better throughout his career than the suddenly not so bipolar Jason Campbell. Auburn OC Al Borges should get a medal for what he's done with this kid this year. Of course, having two of the most talented backs in all of America doesn't hurt either. For those of you who haven't really watched Auburn this year, pay attention to all the different things that Ronnie Brown does during the game tommorrow. He's an unbelievably complete player who would be a top tier Heisman candidate at about any other school in the country.

I think Auburn's D will be too much for Georgia and they'll win by a touchdown or more. For the sake of those at Auburn, win or lose, lets just hope this game doesn't end up like the Auburn-Ole Miss thriller last year around this time. For those that missed it, Auburn mounted a furious late game comeback only to have Ben Obomanu snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by being unable to snatch a wide open touchdown pass. Suffice it to say, I'll be rooting for Auburn...one of the few SEC teams that doesn't make me want to puke in my own mouth.

Miami vs. Virginia: Two of the most overrated teams in the country. Everybody was ready to annoint the Miami D as the second coming of the steel curtain after the FSU game...I guess that people forgot that Chris "Corky" Rix was under center during the game. Well, the jig is up in Coral Gables as that D has been thrashed on the ground of late while the offense has gone back to the trainwreck it was last year which, surprisingly enough, isn' really due to anything that Brock Berlin has done wrong. Maybe its just me but I always get the feeling that Larry Coker runs a really loose program which is the absolute last thing you can afford to do in Miami...too many temptations, too many shady characters around that program and, lets face it, Miami doesn't exactly recruit from areas of Florida that I would say reside in the moral high ground. Its not their fault but you have to counterract all of that with a coach who will at least instill discipline while ON the field.

Virginia on the other hand, has been able to slide by because of a ridiculously easy schedule. They run the ball well and play good enough defense but are just not an elite level team yet...not even close. They totally crumbled against a Wyatt Sexton led FSU team that has proven to be VERY beatable. I'd like to think that UVA's run game can keep this thing close long enough for Miami to cough up a key one, but I just don't think Virginia is any good...though it is for lovers, which is nice.
One prediction: Devin Hester will have an INT and a touchdown, they may come on the same play or not but both WILL happen.

There are plenty of other games that I'll be watching tommorrow and Sunday but those were the two that inspired me to ramble on with no real point...aren't you lucky.

Now...some randon thoughts to mull over while laying on your couch this weekend...

On this Maurice Clarett thing: Maybe Dick Tressel isn't evil at all and he just gets a bad rap because he doesn't look nearly as snazzy in the sweater vest-tie combo. Also, do people really get excited to be a booster of a Div. I-AA football team? I mean, I can see how people could get excited about having influence on a Div. I-A program, even a crappy one, but Div. I-AA? Really? That is almost as bad as being a die-hard (see: face/body painter) fan for an NBDL team. These kind of people should be sterilized.

Apparently somebody told Jeff Garcia that he was having a good year in Cleveland. I know that two models were fighting over him a couple of months ago, and that must be really good for your ego, but when you've thrown for just over 1500 yards with 9 TDs and 8 INTs at this point in the season, you're not exactly in the postion to be caling people out now are you.

With regards to both of my previous topics: Have I ever mentioned that I absolutely HATE the state of Ohio? Nothing redeeming about that place whatsoever. If you haven't been, don't go. Trust me.

I haven't been this nervous about a Florida-South Carolina game since the infamous "blackout" game in 2001. If this game turns out anywhere close to that one I will probably throw up (in a good way) by 1 AM on Saturday night. Of course, if it is like last year's game I will probably throw up (not in a good way) by halftime.

I wonder if Darren Sharper is having people over to his house to watch the William & Mary game this weekend. What? You mean its not going to be on TV? That's ludicrous. They play Div. I-AA...and I'm a BIG (prepare for $100 handsake) supporter.

ESPN had footage of Women's Field Hockey on their nightly top ten list a couple of nights ago...What the fuck? Did somebody in production have a daughter playing in this game? Are you really trying to tell me that there wasn't at least one more NBA highlight that we could've put in that slot? It wasn't even a "wow" play. I hate ESPN.

Speaking of ESPN...has Greg Anthony ever been wrong? And don't you get the feeling that Anthony and Stephen A. Smith are gonna rough up Marc Stein at the company Christmas party? I haven't seen that kind of palpable hostility since Kerry Collins spoke at that NAACP rally a few years back.

Nothing puts a hop in my step like seeing Rick "don't call me Casey" Clausen under center for Tennessee.

I may be biased but Jabar Gaffney is going to be the Alvin Harper to Andre Johnson's Michael Irvin in a couple of years. Speaking of the immortal Alvin Harper, did anybody ever actually make him "run around the streets of Dallas naked" when he attempted a comeback with Dallas? Do we have proof? Jerry Jones seems like the kind of guy who would've had this taped.

I'm a little disapointed that Spurrier isn't coming back to Florida for two reasons 1. The hilarity that was his post game show. Spurrier had such disdain for the whole thing and its host, Mick Hubert, that he didn't even attempt to hide it, often going whole shows without makig eye contact with 'ole Mick. Classic stuff. 2. Nobdoy will be around to make LSU wear their purple jerseys on the road. For those of you unfamiliar with the SEC, LSU wears white jerseys at home which is very abnormal. Well Spurrier hated this tradition and would lobby the SEC to let UF wear their white jerseys at home when LSU came to the swamp for no other reason than to piss off LSU and their fans. God, I'll miss that crotchety old bastard.

Who would've guessed that 4 years later, the only member of the three-headed Milwaukee Bucks monster of Allen, Robinson, & Cassell that would still be relevant in the NBA would be Cassell? I guarantee you could've made some money on that bet in Vegas. Also, when will Cassell pass the torch of NBA's ugliest man to Hedo Turkoglu? Will they televise the ceremony?

Did anybody see Steven Hunter go ape shit during the third quarter of that Cavs-Suns game on Wednesday? How did he look? I would know but I was busy stabbing my eyes out with a salad fork.

If 'tweener ever officially becomes a word, I fully expect to see Antawn Jamison's picture next to it in the dictionary. Speaking of Jamison, now that he is reunited with Brendan Haywood on the Wizards, couldn't they just sign Ed Cota and Ademola Okulaja, you know, for old times sake?

Yep. Time to go get drunk. Wish me luck.