Husker Tickets

It's still at least 6-8 weeks before bowl bids are announced, but that hasn't stopped Rivals.com from projecting who will be among the teams playing in one of this year's 34 bowl games.

According to the Rivals.com website, here's how they see the bowls shaping up:

Non-BCS Bowls

Congressional Bowl -- Dec. 20 at Washington, D.C.: Navy vs. Maryland

New Mexico Bowl -- Dec. 20 at Albuquerque, N.M.: Fresno State vs. Colorado State

St. Petersburg Bowl -- Dec. 20 at St. Petersburg, Fla.: Cincinnati vs. Memphis

Las Vegas Bowl -- Dec. 20 at Las Vegas, Nev.: BYU vs. Oregon State

New Orleans Bowl -- Dec. 21 at New Orleans, La.: Marshall vs. Arkansas State

Poinsettia Bowl -- Dec. 23 at San Diego, Calif.: Air Force vs. Central Michigan

Hawaii Bowl -- Dec. 24 at Honolulu, Hawaii: Arizona State vs. Nevada

Motor City Bowl -- Dec. 26 at Detroit, Mich.: Northwestern vs. Ball State

Meineke Car Care Bowl -- Dec. 27 at Charlotte, N.C.: Clemson vs. South Florida

Champs Sports Bowl -- Dec. 27 at Orlando, Fla.: Wake Forest vs. Michigan

Emerald Bowl -- Dec. 27 at San Francisco, Calif.: Miami (Fla.) vs. Oregon

Independence Bowl -- Dec. 28 at Shreveport, La.: Nebraska vs. South Carolina

PapaJohns.com Bowl -- Dec. 29 at Birmingham, Ala.: Pittsburgh vs. Troy

Alamo Bowl -- Dec. 29 at San Antonio, Texas: Wisconsin vs. Kansas

Humanitarian Bowl -- Dec. 30 at Boise, Idaho: Boston College vs. Boise State

Holiday Bowl -- Dec. 30 at San Diego, Calif.: Texas Tech vs. California

Texas Bowl -- Dec. 30 at Houston, Texas: Rice vs. Minnesota

Armed Forces Bowl -- Dec. 31 at Fort Worth, Texas: Houston vs. TCU

Sun Bowl -- Dec. 31 at El Paso, Texas: Oklahoma State vs. Arizona

Music City Bowl -- Dec. 31 at Nashville, Tenn.: Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt

Insight Bowl -- Dec. 31 at Tempe, Ariz.: Iowa vs. Colorado

Chick-Fil-A Bowl -- Dec. 31 at Atlanta, Ga.: North Carolina vs. Kentucky

Outback Bowl -- Jan. 1 at Tampa, Fla.: Michigan State vs. Georgia

Capital One Bowl -- Jan. 1 at Orlando, Fla.: Illinois vs. Florida

Gator Bowl -- Jan. 1 at Jacksonville, Fla.: Florida State vs. Notre Dame

Cotton Bowl -- Jan. 2 at Dallas, Texas: Texas vs. Auburn

Liberty Bowl -- Jan. 2 at Memphis, Tenn.: Tulsa vs. Ole Miss

International Bowl -- Jan. 3 at Toronto, Canada: Connecticut vs. Buffalo

GMAC Bowl -- Jan. 6 at Mobile, Ala.: East Carolina vs. Western Michigan

BCS Bowls

Rose Bowl -- Jan. 1 at Pasadena, Calif.: USC vs. Ohio State

Orange Bowl -- Jan. 1 at Miami, Fla.: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia

Sugar Bowl -- Jan. 2 at New Orleans, La.: Alabama vs. Penn State

Fiesta Bowl -- Jan. 5, Glendale, Ariz.: Missouri vs. Utah

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP -- Jan. 8 at Miami, Fla.: Oklahoma vs. LSU

When athletic director Tom Osborne announced the hiring of Bo Pelini as the new Husker football head coach, many fans across the state were ecstatic and -- unfortunately -- a little bit delusional.

Pelini was the popular pick almost from the start. Fans remembered his one year as defensive coordinator for Frank Solich and how he turned a lackluster defense into one of the nation's best in the span of 12 months. They also remembered the fire and passion he displayed, particularly during his one-game stint as acting head coach in the Alamo Bowl after Solich was fired by former athletic director Steve Pederson.

Fans remembered what Pelini brought to the table then. And when he went on to LSU and contributed to the Tigers' national championship run last year as defensive coordinator, some fans assumed that his arrival in Lincoln would mean an immediate return to the glory days when Nebraska was king of the hill in the Big 12 North and a consistent player in the national championship race.

What these fans don't understand -- or have simply forgotten -- is that building a championship-caliber team does not happen overnight. The number of coaches that have won titles in their first year on the job are very few and far between, and even in those cases those coaches inherited a wealth of talent and were able to step in and get things going in the right direction immediately (like Larry Coker at Miami, who won a title in his first year with a loaded roster).

When Bob Devaney came to Nebraska in 1962, he inherited a program that, to put it kindly, was not in great shape, but had some quality talent that just needed to be pointed in the right direction. He got Nebraska into the national title picture early, leveled off in the mid 1960's (prompting a petition for his ouster after back-to-back 6-4 seasons in 1967 and 1968), then bounced back and won consecutive national titles before turning the reins over to Osborne.

Nebraska's level of success continued for the better part of two generations from Devaney through Osborne and to Solich, but that foundation of success started developing cracks during the final years of Solich's employment with the program. Pederson felt that a change was needed when Solich was fired after the 2003 season in favor of Bill Callahan, and the program's fall from grace was accelerated after four largely unsuccessful seasons under the former Oakland Raiders coach.

Getting back to the level of success Husker fans enjoyed under Devaney, Osborne and (to a lesser degree) Solich is going to take some time, however. As the old saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither is a championship program.

Need examples? How about Oklahoma? The Sooners were Nebraska's chief nemesis in the old Big Eight Conference, and their program fell on hard times when widespread cheating put the program on NCAA probation and legendary coach Barry Switzer was shown the door. Oklahoma went from being the block bully to the kid everybody picked on throughout much of the 1990's. They went through three coaching changes before Bob Stoops came in and turned the program into a national championship team, and he has been able to sustain that and keep the Sooners at or near the top of the game.

Another example can be found in the Big 12 with Mack Brown at Texas. The Longhorns were an inconsistent player -- great one year, average the next -- and Brown has been able to build Texas into a championship team that now is a consistent contender.

A third example is developinng in the conference, and Husker fans saw it Saturday with the Missouri Tigers. Missouri has always been one of those teams that teetered back and forth between good and lousy, and it looks like Gary Pinkel has finally gotten the Tigers to play at a consistently high level -- after years of erratic, inconsistent play during his first few years at the helm -- that is making them a national contender as well. If Missouri can somehow win the Big 12 title this year and play for a national championship, it would go a long way to verifying their status as a power team.

Nebraska can get back to that level, but it's not going to happen in 2008. Callahan left this program in complete disarray after last year's 5-7 disaster. Touted as a recruiting genius, it's obvious the word on the street about Callahan's reputation was writing checks the coach couldn't cash. Pelini inherited a program that lacks the go-to players a program needs to be competitive on the national level, and for as great a group of coaches as Pelini and his staff are, there is only so much you can do with what these coaches inherited. The kids are playing hard, but as was evident last Saturday, they lack the physical skills needed for this program to get back to the high level fans became accustomed to seeing for four decades.

The Huskers face another very tough and talented team this weekend at Texas Tech, and it could very well be another humbling weekend for Husker fans against the seventh-ranked Red Raiders. Nebraska has lost its last 18 games against teams ranked higher than 20th (a win over 20th ranked Michigan in the 2004 Alamo Bowl is Nebraska's only win over a ranked team in the last six years), and they still have two tough matchups against ranked teams left on the schedule.

What Husker fans will need to understand is that, for as good a coach as Pelini is, he is not going to turn Nebraska's fortunes around overnight. Fans need to be patient and give Pelini a chance to rebuild this program back to the level fans want to see. A national championship is not going to happen overnight, nor is a Big 12 title. Given the opportunity to rebuild the foundation and recruit the kids needed to fit the style he wants to play, Pelini will have Nebraska back in the national picture before long.

After the previous week's round of miscues and upsets, Mikey C was due for a nice little comeback. And come back I did.

It didn't start off well, though -- my pick for BCS Cinderella, South Florida, was upset by Pittsburgh and have fallen permanently out of favor with the BCS gods for 2008. But things went well after that, with Ohio State's come-from-behind win over Wisconsin the only fly in the ointment on an otherwise outstanding week of picks.

Before we get into this week's agenda, here's a look at last week (my picks in parenthesis):

Pittsburgh 26, South Florida 21 (USF 41-28): Brutal letdown by the Bulls. My hopes of seeing them play Oklahoma for all the marbles go down in flames.
Michigan State 16, Iowa 13 (MSU 30-20): Seriously, Squawkeye fans -- if this fraud of a coaching job were going down in Lincoln, the coach would be run out of town. Oh wait . . . they already DID run him out of town in Lincoln.
Florida State 41, Miami 39 (FSU 27-24): Wow, seems the Seminoles have rediscovered their offensive groove. A great rivalry adds another exciting chapter.
Vanderbilt 14, Auburn 13 (Vandy 21-17): The last time Vandy beat Auburn? The 1955 Gator Bowl. The last time Vandy started the season 5-0? All the way back to 1943. If you haven't made peace with your maker yet, now is a good time.
USC 41, Oregon 10 (USC 42-31): For those of you who thought Oregon State was the beginning of the end for the Men of Troy, I hate to disappoint you . . .
Ohio State 20, Wisconsin 17 (Wisconsin 31-24): Doesn't ANYBODY want to knock Ohio State off the Little 10 (plus IoWHAT???) perch?
Louisiana-Lafayette 44, Louisiana-Monroe 35 (Lafayette 38-35): This pick is proof that even a blind dog can find a bone every once in a while.
Texas Tech 58, Kansas State 28 (Tech 63-17): After watching this game AND the Missouri-Nebraska game Saturday, I've come to one conclusion -- the NU-KSU game could very well determine who finishes last in the North this year.
Kansas 35, Iowa State 33 (Kansas 52-17): Iowa State was up 20-0 at the HALF and choked off what would have been a major upset. Hope that carries over when Nebraska comes to town next week.
Missouri 52, Nebraska 17 (Mizzou 45-24): If I could describe Missouri is one word, that word would be -- wow.

This week: 8-2 (.800). Season record: 41-19 (.683).

A REAL Top 10

The media and the coaches think they know who the top 10 teams in the country are. If you want to know who they REALLY are, here's my opinion:

1. Oklahoma (Texas game Saturday may determine which Big 12 team plays for the national title)
2. Missouri (This team has players with flaws, but Gary Pinkel doesn't play them)
3. LSU (Big test this week for the Tigers as they head to the Swamp to play Florida)
4. Alabama (The Crimson Tide are back, giving Husker fans hope that a turnaround can be done)
5. Penn State (Joe Paterno is reliving his glory days of the 80's -- back when he was in his 60's)
6. Texas (Red River showdown with Oklahoma is going to be a monster of a game)
7. Texas Tech (Red Raiders are looking unstoppable on offense, still a little shaky on defense)
8. Georgia (Bulldogs are still a player in the SEC race, but conference is really tough)
9. USC (If Trojans can get Oregon State out of the Pac 10, they could go undefeated)
10. BYU (My new favorite to crash the BCS party and make an even stronger case for a playoff)

The Picks

This will be a fun week for picks, as there are a lot of great matchups. Here are my 10 shots in the dark for the week:

Clemson at Wake Forest (Thursday) -- Tigers have been a huge letdown this year, but they can make some hay in the ACC with an upset on the road. I've learned my lesson, though . . . never pick the Tigers in a high-profile game: Deacon Dudes 34, Orange Kittens 24

Texas vs. Oklahoma (at Dallas) -- To say these two teams don't like each other would be like saying Democrats and Republicans have a small difference of opinion. This will be a HUGE game and it has tremendous implications, with the winner stepping to the lead of the Big 12 South and the race for the national title. This is a coin flip, and when it comes up heads I always go with the higher-ranked team: Boomer Sooners 27, Texas T-Bones 24

Minnesota at Illinois -- News flash: the Golden Gophers are actually a contender for a bowl this year. Minnesota AND Vanderbilt both bowl-eligible? The end of the world is upon us. And so is another upset in the making: Golden Varmints 28, Midwestern War Chiefs 24

Arizona State at USC -- Now that the Trojans have that upset bug out of their system, they should be able to handle a solid Sun Devils squad. Have faith, USC fans, your team may still find its way to the championship game: Men of Troy 41, Blazing Orb of Satan 24

Notre Dame at North Carolina -- Oh sure, the Irish are racking up a decent record this year. But seriously folks, who have they played? Stanford? The team formerly known as Michigan? San Diego State? They haven't beaten a ranked team on the road in so long, even Lou Holtz can't remember: Home Boys in Blue 31, Grappling Leprechauns 21

Oklahoma State at Missouri -- Hey, don't be hating on Cowboys coach Mike Gundy. After all, he's forty-ONE now. Hopefully he's still man enough to accept this preidction: Roaring Tigers 56, Crying Cowboys 24

LSU at Florida -- There's no such thing as an easy game in the Southeastern Conference anymore. Not that playing in Florida has EVER been easy for opposing teams, but LSU is the better team here and if they play to their capability they should win easy. Seriously: Purple Tigers 24, Swamp Creatures 17

Penn State at Wisconsin -- Badgers need to bounce back against another rated conference foe if they don't want this season to start circling the drain. Unfortunately, the Nittany Lions are solid on defense and should come away with a win here: Visiting Cats 30, Bleeding Badgers 21

Vanderbilt at Mississippi State -- If ever a team were ripe for a letdown, it's got to be Vanderbilt. The Commodores are 5-0 for the first time in 65 years, and after beating Auburn for the first time in over a half-century, they could easily come up on the wrong end on the road against 1-4 Mississippi State. I'm going to have faith in the better team, though: Vandy Dandys 45, Toothless Bulldogs 21

Nebraska at Texas Tech -- Yeesh . . . after getting absolutely pummeled by Missouri's high-flying offense, the Huskers face another high-speed attack, and this time have to go on the road to do it. The only saving grace for our boys is the fact that Tech's defense is not nearly as solid as Missouri's, which could lead to a high-scoring game. If that's the case, though, it's still hard to fathom Nebraska coming out of Lubbock with a win. Watch Michael Crabtree do his magic at receiver for the Red Raiders, as this guy is going to be a huge star in the NFL in the near future. Before the season I figured we'd be 3-3 after this one, and I'm afraid I'm going to be right on that preseason assessment: Red Raiders 56, Huskers 38

That's the story for this week, folks. And whatever you do, make sure you follow the advice of Bobby McFerrin -- don't worry, be happy.

Winning with class seems to be a lost art in this day.

Last weekend, the Husker football team was manhandled by Missouri 52-17. The Tigers have their best-ever team assembled and took advantage of each and every miscue the Huskers made Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, showing any remaining doubters that this is a team that can win a national championship.

They also have two of the best offensive talents in the country in receiver Jeremy Maclin and quarterback Chase Daniel, both of whom showed they are worthy of consideration for the Heisman Trophy as the best player in college football for 2008.

Unfortunately, Daniel doesn't seem to be content with showing he is the best football player in the country. He also seems intent on being the biggest jerk in the game as well, and for the second straight year he has decided to spit out some verbal garbage in an effort to add insult to injury.

Last year, Daniel called Nebraska's defensive scheme against the Tigers "high school" ball -- an assessment that, as the year wore on, proved to be an accurate, if not over-the-top, take on Kevin Cosgrove's capabilities as a defensive coordinator.

After Saturday's beating, though, Daniel decided that a 35-point win over a clearly overmatched team wasn't enough for him to leave in Lincoln. He accused Nebraska of being "the dirtiest team ever," claiming that a Husker spit on him and balls were thrown at him during pregame warmups.

Now if a Husker DID spit on him, that's uncalled for and that player should be severely disciplined by coach Bo Pelini. The problem is -- Daniel wasn't man enough to point a direct finger at the alleged assailant (although teammate Sean Weatherspoon claims it was Ndamukong Suh, according to reports).

What's funny about the whole thing is that Nebraska actually got to Daniel more often than any of their previous four opponents. Prior to Saturday's game, Daniel had been sacked just one time. The Huskers got to him twice and pressured him a few more times. Maybe not being used to getting hit as often as he did hurt poor Chase's itty bitty wittle feewings, and he felt the only way he could come back with anything was by pointing a finger at the invisible spitter wearing Husker red.

You really don't hear these things happening with other teams. I'm sure Tim Tebow took more than his share of beatings and spitballs last year at Florida, but did we hear him whine and complain? Nope. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that a significant number of players have had much worse than a face full of loogie done to them, and yet you don't hear word one about those attacks.

That's because football is a mean, vicious, violent game. Bodies are colliding, body parts are being twisted and turned in ways God did not intend for them to go. And it happens to everybody from the guys on the line to the quarterbacks who, on occasion, get hit by opposing football players.

And Daniel thinks getting a little spittle in his face and dodging wayward footballs is dirty? Just wait until you go to the next level, crybaby -- you'll be the target of "dirty" tricks that will make what allegedly happened in Lincoln look like a playground spat. And who will you cry to then, Chase?

There is no doubt that Daniel is one of the college game's best players. Props to him for an outstanding performance between the lines Saturday night. If he can somehow find a way to be a better man and keep his mouth shut the next time somebody gets inside his bubble, he might turn out to be something he isn't right now -- a winner with class.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have been on TV each of the last two weeks, and they will be back on the next two weeks as they continue Big 12 Conference action.

This Saturday, the Huskers hit the road for the first time and will take on the seventh-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. The game will be televised by Fox Sports Net beginning at 2 p.m.

Next week, the Huskers are back on the road again, heading east to Ames, Iowa to battle longtime foe Iowa State. That game will be televised by the Versus network, with kickoff set at 11:30 a.m.

Get your Husker football tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker game is ever sold out.

If ever there was a year for a rebuilding team like Nebraska to face a killer schedule, this would certainly qualify as the year.

Nebraska's 52-17 loss to Missouri on Saturday was a real letdown for Husker fans hoping for a quick turnaround from last year's 5-7 debacle. It was clearly obvious, though, that such a turnaround is going to be difficult, especially considering the strength of the Big 12 conference at this point.

The latest AP and USA Today ratings show that the Big 12 has clearly defined itself as the best conference in major college football. Four conference teams are ranked in the top seven in each poll this week, with Oklahoma and Missouri holding down the top two spots in the USA Today coaches poll.

Texas is ranked fifth in both polls and Texas Tech is sitting at No. 7 in each poll. Nebraska has three of those four teams on its schedule this year, with Texas the exception. And the Huskers face one of those teams this week with a road trip to Texas Tech for a 2 p.m. matchup Saturday in Lubbock.

And it doesn't stop there for the Big 12, as two more teams are ranked further down the list this week. Kansas is 15th in the USA Today poll and 16th in the AP poll, while Oklahoma State is ranked 17th in both polls.

This week's polls are as follows:

Associated Press

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Missouri
4. LSU
5. Texas
6. Penn State
7. Texas Tech
8. USC
9. BYU
10. Georgia
11. Florida
12. Ohio State
13. Vanderbilt
14. Utah
15. Boise State
16. Kansas
17. Oklahoma State
18. Virginia Tech
19. South Florida
20. Auburn
21. Wake Forest
22. North Carolina
23. Michigan State
24. Pittsburgh
25. Ball State

USA Today

1. Oklahoma
2. Missouri
3. LSU
4. Alabama
5. Texas
6. Penn State
7. Texas Tech
8. BYU
9. USC
10. Georgia
11. Ohio State
12. Florida
13. Utah
14. Vanderbilt
15. Kansas
16. Boise State
17. Oklahoma State
18. Virginia Tech
19. Michigan State
20. South Florida
21. Wake Forest
22. Northwestern
23. Auburn
24. Wisconsin
25. California

November 11, 1978 was one of the greatest days ever to be a Husker fan.

Nebraska was playing longtime Big Eight rival Oklahoma on a cold fall afternoon in Lincoln, and as had become the custom during the 1970's and 1980's, this one was for the Big Eight championship and a trip to the Orange Bowl. And, as had become the custom during that time as well, this one was for a shot at the national title.

Nebraska won that great matchup, forcing six OU turnovers -- including a late fumble by Billy Sims on the Nebraska 5-yard line -- to win 17-14 and give Tom Osborne his first-ever win over the hated Sooners. I remember jumping up and down and cheering and yelling in our family room, along with the rest of my family, as we knew a trip to the Orange Bowl was forthcoming and a shot at a third national championship in the decade.

Of course, there was one small bump on the road to Miami, a rare season finale against Missouri. OU was the traditional last game of the season, but for some reason the Missouri game wound up being the swan song for the 1978 season and a nice little final tune-up before a sure national title game against Penn State. We didn't really worry much about that game -- my dad and I spent the day doing some Christmas shopping in Lincoln while the Huskers battled the Tigers.

As it turns out, it would not only be one of the best games of the year in college football -- it would also be the one that turned national title hopes into broken hearts.

We listened to the game as we drove into town that afteroon. On the first play, Rick Berns broke through on an 82-yard run on his way to a then-school record 255 yard afternoon. Huskers 7, Tigers 0 -- everything's going to be just fine and we're going to be 11-0 and playing for all the marbles this January, my dad and I both thought.

Turns out, though, that Missouri had other plans. James Wilder had a super day, rushing for over 180 yards and four touchdowns. We stared at the radio each time Missouri would bounce back and hang with our beloved Huskers -- this CAN'T be happening, can it?

Of course, we had forgotten that Missouri had come to Lincoln and won each of its two previous games, upsetting Husker hearts along the way, and it had suddenly become a home away from home for the Tigers as they continued to match the Huskers' high-powered ground game. Berns was running wild, but Wilder was able to do him one better.

As the final seconds ticked away and we heard Lyle Bremser describe the action, we couldn't believe our ears. Missouri had just upset Nebraska 35-31 and blown away our hopes of playing for a national title. As bad as that felt, it got worse later that night when we saw the 10:00 news and they showed video of then-athletic director Bob Devaney and coach Tom Osborne as they were on a teleconference call with officials from the Orange Bowl. The Orange Bowl called to inform Osborne that his Big Eight champions would be hooked up against -- Oklahoma???

Of course, the first-ever bowl rematch of two conference foes would go the Sooners' way, as they won 24-17 in Miami to extract a certain measure of revenge from their defeat in Lincoln two months before. But that upset by Missouri has gone down in history as one of the most surprising upsets Husker fans have had to witness in Memorial Stadium. It's also the last time a Missouri team visited Memorial Stadium and walked out with a "W" -- Nebraska has won each of the previous 14 matchups in Lincoln since then.

Will the Huskers be able to continue that dominance of the Tigers? Or will Missouri finally break that long losing streak in Lincoln? On paper, Missouri clearly has the better team and should be able to continue its push for a possible national championship. Then again -- maybe it's Nebraska's turn to play the spoiler role for once and throw a wrench into an opponent's national title hopes.

Tickets are still available for this game at Ticket Express -- where no Husker home game is ever sold out.

Last year, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a colossal upset in college football. Being the No. 1 or No. 2 team in the polls was like the kiss of death -- and plenty of programs saw their title hopes deep-sixed as a result.

So far this season, the HUGE upsets weren't happening. That is . . . until No. 1 USC walked into Corvallis and got waxed for the second straight time by the Oregon State Beavers. That set off a chain reaction that saw Top 10 teams like Wisconsin, Georgia and Florida fall victim to the upset bug (although Georgia's loss was to another top-10 team in Alabama, so that could hardly be considered a big upset. Florida losing to Ole Miss AND Wisconsin falling to Michigan, though . . . peee-yewww).

The upset express made a stop in my ratings last week as well, causing my first losing week of the year and making me rethink my strategy for the rest of the season. While I ponder that new attack, here's a look back at last week's train wreck (my predictions in parenthesis):

Texas 52, Arkansas 10 (Texas 63-14) -- At least Bobby Petrino didn't quit on the Hogs to go back to the NFL -- for this week, anyway.
Connecicut 26, Louisville 21 (Louisville 31-27) -- Just when you thought the Huskies were a flash in the Big East frying pan, they look like they might be legit.
Michigan 27, Wisconsin 25 (Wisconsin 38-17) -- Obviously, the Badgers were looking ahead to that REAL big game with Ohio State. How else would a team blow a 19-0 lead to Michigan?
Florida State 39, Colorado 21 (FSU 24-21) -- Wow, the Seminoles actually found their offensive groove.
Oklahoma 35, TCU 10 (OU 52-24) -- Horned Frogs just not in Oklahoma's league right now. In fact, it's hard to say if ANYBODY is.
Alabama 41, Georgia 30 (Georgia 21-20) -- The only shocking thing about this was how quickly Alabama took control of the game. The final score is not much of an indicator for how the Tide dominated.
Notre Dame 38, Purdue 21 (Purdue 31-21) -- Just when you thought the Irish were dead . . .
Central Michigan 27, Buffalo 25 (Buffalo 24-21) -- I'm still a believer in the Bulls. They will be bowl bound this December, just watch.
South Florida 41, North Carolina State 10 (USF 34-14) -- I believe in these Bulls as well. Would love to see them crash the BCS party and play for all the marbles.
Penn State 38, Illinois 24 (Penn State 27-21) -- Maybe the Nittany Lions will take over the Little 10 (plus IoWHAT???). Ohio State is overrated and Wisconsin doesn't seem to want the gig.
Virginia Tech 35, Nebraska 30 (Huskers 31-21) -- Silly mistakes cost the Huskers, and they can't do that and expect to get back to the top in this day and age.

Week's record: 5-6 (.455) Season record: 33-17 (.660)

They don't give Mikey C a vote in either of the polls, but we're far enough along in the season that I could tell you who my top 10 teams are at this stage of the season. They are:

1. Oklahoma (Sooners are five tough wins and several pillow fights away from a national title)
2. LSU (Until the defending champions prove otherwise, they should be playing for it all again)
3. Missouri (Only team, at this point, that has the talent to beat anybody)
4. Alabama (Big statement win over very good Georgia team last week)
5. Penn State (Hate putting a Little 10 team up this high, but Nittany Lions are deserving)
6. Texas (As good as the Longhorns are, they're a distant third in the Big 12 right now)
7. Texas Tech (Only question is whether their defense can stop Texas and Oklahoma)
8. South Florida (My choice for this year's BCS gate-crashers, and they could win it all)
9. Georgia (In spite of getting waxed by Alabama, Bulldogs are still one of the nation's best)
10. USC (Still talented enough to get back into the championship picture)

And now, here's how I see this week's 10 picks unfolding . . .

Pittsburgh at South Florida -- Last year, the Panthers spoiled West Virginia's national title hopes on the road. This is a much better USF team, though, and the Bulls aren't about to get upset at home: Golden Bulls 41, Pitty-Kats 28
Iowa at Michigan State -- Believe it or not, the Kirk Ferentz Unemployment Watch has yet to catch on in Iowa City. We don't know if it's because Squawkeye fans' standards aren't that high or if it's the fact Ferentz has some inside dirt on the athletic director. It CAN'T be because they think he's doing a good job, can it? Green Men of Sparta 30, Black Wrens of Iowegia 20
Florida State at Miami (Fla.) -- Remember back in the day when this game MEANT something? All the pagentry and intensity of one of the great rivalries of the 90's has fallen by the wayside as both teams have seen their fortunes diminished in recent years. Even though nothing is on the line from a championship perspective, it'll still be a whale of a game to watch: Northern Warriors 27, Southern Blowhards 24
Auburn at Vanderbilt -- The three signs of the apocolypse are: 1. Oil prices going above $100 a barrel, 2. A minority AND a woman involved in the race for President of the United States, and 3. Vanderbilt playing a meaningful football game in October. If you haven't made peace with your maker, now is a good time: Dandy Vandys 21, Auburned 17
Oregon at USC -- What is it with the state of Oregon that has Southern Cal so flummoxed? Must be the opposing uniforms . . . and Oregon's are some of the worst when it comes to fashion. If Oregon State's were a distraction, we shudder to think what Oregon's will do to the Trojans' state of mind. Still, when it's two ranked conference foes hooking up, you usually go with the home team: Men of Troy 42, Quackers 31
Ohio State at Wisconsin -- This was supposed to be the death knell for the Fraudeyes. Wisconsin is clearly the best team in the Little 10 (plus IoWHAT???), but they stumbled and let a 19-0 lead get away at Michigan. I still like the Badgers, but this one has me feeling a little more uncertain than I was a week ago: Cheeseheads 31, Fraudeyes 24
Louisiana-Lafayette at Louisiana-Monroe (Somebody's Gotta Win Special) -- Both teams are 1-3 with losses to a good team, an OK team and a stinker. Lafayette almost came back to beat Kansas State on the road. That's enough for us to tip the scale the Rajun Cajuns' way: Laugh-a-lots 38, Mon-Whoas 35
Texas Tech at Kansas State (Gimme of the Week) -- My only question is whether or not Mike Leach will call off the dogs or if he's just going to run up the score to put a scare in Nebraska fans for next week. The thing is, I'm not sure the Mildcats' defense is good enough to stop a Red Raider offense that's taking it easy on them: Red Storm 63, Mildcats 17
Kansas at Iowa State (Gimme of the Week runner-up) -- The nice thing about football in Iowa is that it's a great warm-up for wrestling season. Good thing for Kansas they don't have a wrestling program: Blue Birds 52, Stiff Breeze 17
Missouri at Nebraska -- If you know anything about Mikey C, you know that first and foremost I am a Husker fan. Always have been, always will be. Having said that, though, I've gotta say -- based on what I've seen so far out of both teams' first four games -- the Tigers are just way too loaded, on both sides, for the Huskers to handle. Defensively, the Huskers would have to find a way to get to Chase Daniel early and often, something no team has even come close to doing. Offensively, Nebraska would have to play 100 percent perfect football and find a running game, something no team has been able to do against Missouri's defense so far this season. Maybe this will be this week's version of USC getting beat at Oregon State -- but as much as I'd love to see it happen, I just don't think it's going to: Tigers 45, Huskers 24

That's all we have time for this week, folks -- don't forget to help the pet population and have your pets spayed or neutered. And make sure you feed the fish . . .

The Husker football team opens up Big 12 Conference play with a tough one, as Nebraska hosts fourth-ranked Missouri Saturday night at 8 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers are the defending Big 12 North Division champions and come to town with a 4-0 mark and a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. They are led by 2007 Heisman Trophy finalist Chase Daniel, who has quarterbacked the program to unprecedented heights during the past three seasons.

Missouri is amazing offensively, boasting the nation's second-ranked offense. They average 595 yards and 54 points per game and have been all but unstoppable so far this season. In fact, they have yet to be held to a three-and-out offensively -- in 40 possessions they have scored 22 touchdowns and four field goals. They have punted just five times, turned the ball over five times (four on fumbles), turned the ball over on downs three times and missed one field goal.

Daniel has been outstanding in leading the Missouri offense. At one point this season, he directed them on 15 consecutive scoring drives. He has been named the O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week in back-to-back weeks and broke the school record for passing yards. He is at 9,592 going into the game and could very well eclipse the 10,000-yard mark if he has a good outing Saturday night.

One of his favorite targets is the multi-talented sophomore Jeremy Maclin. He is the conference leader in all-purpose yards and can do damage at wide receiver and in the kick return game. He has already caught 20 passes for 340 yards and three scores and has returned a kick for a touchdown as well. He is certainly one of the top receivers in the country and a good bet to achieve All-American status this year.

Daniel also has an outstanding tight end to work with in senior Chase Coffman, who has stepped in and performed well for graduated All-American Martin Rucker. Coffman has had a pair of 100-yard receiving games already this year and caught 10 balls for 84 yards in Missouri's last game, a 42-21 win over Buffalo.

But Missouri can run the ball as well. Sophomore back Derrick Washington has stepped in and performed quite well for the Tigers, and he's been the go-to guy when Missouri is looking for its first touchdown, having been the first into the end zone in each of the Tigers' first four games.

For all the talk about Missouri's offense, though, their defense is pretty salty as well. They are led by linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who is quickly distinguishing himself as one of the best linebackers in the conference, if not the nation. He had an amazing 20-tackle effort against Buffalo two weeks ago and was named conference Defensive Player of the Week.

Defensively, the Tigers have done very well against the run, giving up less than 100 yards per game. They have allowed just one rushing touchdown so far this year, one of seven in Div. I to have allowed one or fewer touchdowns via the run.

If there is anything Husker fans can take comfort in with this game, it's the fact that Memorial Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Tigers over the years. This is the 102nd matchup between the two schools overall, and Nebraska holds a 29-13-1 edge over the Tigers in games played at Lincoln. Missouri had won three in a row at one point in the 1970's, including a colossal 35-31 upset in 1978 that killed Nebraska's hopes of playing for a national title. Since then, the Huskers have owned Missouri in Memorial Stadium, winning the last 15 matchups in Lincoln.

It wasn't that long ago that the know-it-alls in the mainstream media were making light of the Big 12 Conference.

Texas, Oklahoma and everybody else is what they were saying not that long ago, claiming the North Division was a joke and the South Division was a two-team race.

Nobody's laughing at the Big 12 right now, though. In fact, those same pundits that were chastizing the conference are now singing its praises and showing their respect with half of the conference listed in this week's AP and coaches polls. That number could have been seven had Nebraska been able to come from behind in its 35-30 loss to Virginia Tech, as the Hokies have moved back into the ratings after their win Saturday in Lincoln.

Oklahoma leads the parade right now as they moved into the No. 1 spot in both polls after USC was upset by Oregon State on Saturday. The Sooners lead a group of four Big 12 teams that are ranked in the top 10 this week. Missouri is ranked third in the coaches' poll and fourth in the AP poll, Texas is fifth in both polls and Texas Tech is seventh in the AP and eighth in the coaches poll.

Two conference schools are also ranked this week. Kansas is 16th in both polls and Oklahoma State is 21st in the AP and 22nd in the coaches poll.

This week's major polls are as follows:

Associated Press

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. LSU
4. Missouri
5. Texas
6. Penn State
7. Texas Tech
8. BYU
9. USC
10. South Florida
11. Georgia
12. Florida
13. Auburn
14. Ohio State
15. Utah
16. Kansas
17. Boise State
18. Wisconsin
19. Vanderbilt
20. Virginia Tech
21. Oklahoma State
22. Fresno State
23. Oregon
24. Connecticut
25. Wake Forest

USA Today Coaches

1. Oklahoma
2. LSU
3. Missouri
4. Alabama
5. Texas
6. Penn State
7. BYU
8. Texas Tech
9. USC
10. (tie) Georgia and South Florida
12. Ohio State
13. Florida
14. Auburn
15. Utah
16. Kansas
17. Wisconsin
18. Boise State
19. Vanderbilt
20. Oregon
21. Fresno State
22. Oklahoma State
23. Connecticut
24. Virginia Tech
25. Wake Forest

Things aren't going to be easy for the Huskers, obviously, as their next two games are against teams ranked in the top 10. Saturday, they will face Missouri at Memorial Stadium at 8 p.m. on ESPN, and the following week they hit the road for the first time for a 2 p.m. game against Texas Tech on Fox Sports Network.

You can get tickets for all the Husker games from your number one ticket source, Ticket Express -- where no Husker game is ever sold out.