LSU not a top-3 team (College football week 4)

The SEC flexed some muscle this week, placing four teams in the AP top 6. That's underrated, as I have five  in the top 10.  Here are my top 10 teams for the week.

1) Alabama 4-0 - If anyone could be disappointed with a 40-7 victory, it's Alabama coach Nick Saban,  and rightfully so. The Crimson Tide had to settle for four field goals against a much weaker FAU team and had a two-game shutout streak snapped. All this after Owls defensive end Cory Henry provided the defending national champions with bulletin board material to fire them up. Alabama is traditionally built on defense, however, and were a brick wall up until the final drive.

2) Oregon 4-0 - The Ducks put up a 49-0 blitz over previously-unbeaten Arizona and looked like a complete team in all three phases of the game. About the only knock on Oregon was there were too many times players seemed more interested in individual glory than playing as a team, best exemplified by Colt Lyerla's touchdown run with quarterback Marcus Mariota still holding on to the ball. Regardless, this team can put up some points and should be making BCS Championship noise come December.

3) Florida State (4-0) - The Seminoles piled on  points against lesser competition over their first three games and showed no signs of slowing down against upstart Clemson. Florida State scored 35 second-half points in the 49-37 win over the Tigers and are now clearly in charge of the ACC.

4) Georgia (4-0) - Georgia has jumped out of the gate like rabid Bulldogs, averaging 47.5 points per game. They scored early and often Saturday before easing off the gas in a 48-3 win over Vanderbilt. With meetings against a rejuvenated Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida over the next few weeks, the Bulldogs can mark their territory in the SEC East and could be looking beyond Atlanta this season.

5) LSU (4-0) - Fans usually celebrate a hard-fought 12-10 victory over a division rival but LSU's win over a dysfunctional Auburn squad testified less to improvement on the Plains and more how overrated the Bayou Bengals might be. LSU was exposed against a weaker team but should rebound with a romp over a Tiger with less bite in the CAA's Towson on Saturday. Les Miles best get things turned around soon because three of LSU's next four opponents are South Carolina, Florida and Alabama.

6) Kansas State (4-0) - The Wildcats dropped 50 in their first two games before playing a tighter game against the Sun Belt's North Texas. Kansas State proved it belonged, however, by going on the road Saturday and beating previously unbeaten Oklahoma 24-19. The Wildcats forced three turnovers and John Hubert topped 100 yards rushing for the third time in 2012.

7) South Carolina (4-0) - The Gamecocks poured it on in a 31-10 over Missouri, keeping the Tigers winless in conference play. Connor Shaw was nearly perfect, Marcus Lattimore ran for two more touchdowns and South Carolina began an SEC East gauntlet in impressive fashion.

8) Notre Dame (4-0) - The Fightin' Irish recorded a second straight impressive victory over a Big Ten team, tieing up Michigan's Denard "Shoelace" Robinson in a 13-6 win. Unless it falls on its face the rest of the season, Notre Dame just might have returned to relevancy in college football.

9) Florida (4-0) - The Gators haven't lost to Kentucky since the Regan administration and their 38-0 win Saturday was just the latest in a string of impressive SEC wins. After stumbling out of the gate in an opening victory over Bowling Green, Will Muschamp has Florida primed for a run at the SEC championship.

10) Stanford (3-0) - The Cardinal is still riding high on its victory two weeks ago over Southern Cal. Stanford returns to the field Saturday against a humbled Arizona team and could be primed for a letdown with a trip to South Bend the following week.

Gamecocks-Tigers highlight SEC slate this week

Missouri at South Carolina - Quarterbacks Connor Shaw (South Carolina) and James Franklin (Missouri) are both nursing sore shoulders but are expected to play Saturday. The Tigers are playing their first conference game on the road and desperately seek a better showing than what they put up against Georgia. Franklin missed last week's win over Arizona State and with their signal caller back under center, Missouri should have enough firepower to outlast Steve Spurrier's fun-and-gun attack - Missouri 31-24

Akron at Tennessee - Zips coach Terry Bowden was never able to beat Tennessee while coaching at Auburn, going 0-2 against the Volunteers. He came close in the 1997 SEC Championship Game but Peyton Manning's late 73-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Nash gave the Vols their first conference title game victory. Akron earned its first victory under Bowden last week with a 66-6 thrashing of Morgan State but Tennessee is coming off a tough defeat to Florida and should rebound with an easy win over the visitors from the MAC. Tennessee 41-3

Ole Miss at Tulane - The Green Wave will take the field for the first time since the tragic injury to teammate Devon Walker and will look to win for their fallen brother. The Rebels suffered their first loss last week when they were throttled by Texas at home but should pick up their first road victory in nearly a year. Ole Miss 24-10


FAU at Alabama - The defending national champions vs. a 1-2 Sun Belt team coming off two straight blowout losses. This was sure to be a snoozer until the Owls' Cory Henry woke up the sleeping giants by telling the media the Crimson Tide could be beat. Yes, they can be beat, but it won't be this week.  
Alabama 63-7

LSU at Auburn - The battle of two Tigers usually produces memories but the only thing to be memorable about this is how much the Bayou Bengals unload on Auburn. LSU has too much speed, too much strength and too much depth. Auburn, meanwhile, is showing early signs of having the season spin out of control, being taken to overtime by Louisiana-Monroe before earning its first victory. LSU 34-10

South Alabama at Mississippi State - The Bulldogs are riding high with a 3-0 start and host a South Alabama team struggling to form an identity. The is the first time the Jaguars have faced a rank team but the fledgling program can only hope to gain big-game experience along with the paycheck. - MSU 31-0

Vanderbilt at Georgia - Both teams are coming off blowout wins against lesser teams. The difference is that the Bulldogs' was against an FBS school. No. 5 Georgia, winners of 13 straight, has its sights on big things after starting 3-0 while the Commodores are still trying to remain relevant. The Commodores, coming off a 58-0 thrashing of Presbyterian College, is looking to right the ship after two close losses to open the year but this isn't the week to do it. - Georgia 44-23

Kentucky at Florida - The Gators have won 25 straight in the series and look to be headed in the right direction after a few down years. The Wildcats are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Sun Belt's Western Kentucky but lead the SEC in passing and broke a long losing streak to Tennessee last season. Florida is coming off back-to-back road victories are should stay in control of the SEC East with an easy victory if it keeps its focus. - Florida 44-10

Rutgers at Arkansas - Tyler Wilson is expected to return for the Razorbacks and it couldn't come at a better time. Arkansas is skidding out of control after a chaotic offseason, a stunning loss to underdog Louisiana-Monroe and a humbling defeat to Alabama in which Wilson accused his teammates of quitting. The Hogs can go in one of two directions: Rally behind their leader or wilt in the face of his criticism. I expect the latter. Rutgers 31-21

South Carolina State at Texas A&M  - The Aggies say they aren't overlooking the Bulldogs but South Carolina State has done little to prove it deserves to be taken seriously. Texas A&M, led by true freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel throttled old Southwest Conference foe SMU last week, and should do more of the same this week. - Texas A&M 40-0

NFC Worst no more?

The San Francisco 49ers returned 11 starters from 2011's stout defense and through two games in 2012 appear they will remain just as stingy in 2012.

The defending NFC West champions went into Green Bay in Week 1 and did what many teams don't: Leave with a victory. They followed that up by clamping down on Matt Stafford and the Detroit Lions in their home opener in Week 2.

Most (if not all) had the Niners penciled in for another division title but that was largely due to them being a big fish in a small pond. That's not accurate: The 49ers were a Great White in a pond full of tadpoles.

 A funny thing happened, though.

The NFC West hasn't been doormats so far this season.

The St. Louis Rams had five of the first 65 picks in last April's draft and split their first two games. They are the division's only team with a negative point differential but that can be attributed to their opening loss to Detroit, which saw Stafford connect with Kevin Smith for a game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds remaining. They showed some spunk and rebounding against Washington, despite losing Steven Jackson to injury.

The Seattle Seahawks are sharing the basement with the Rams at 1-1 but they have a +16 point differential through their first two games, equal with San Francisco. Their only loss was to division foe Arizona in Week 1 and the Cardinals routed Dallas in their second game. Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson completed 15 of 20 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown and has some Seahawks fans wondering why so much money was shelled out to Matt Flynn.

The Cardinals have been the division's, if not the NFL's, biggest surprise so far. They followed a season-opening win over Seattle by becoming the first team in 11 seasons to defeat New England in its home opener. This was done despite Larry Fitzgerald having just one catch for four yards. The team is 11th in the league in passing yards allowed and faces Philadelphia this week. If Micheal Vick can't stop throwing interceptions, the Cardinals could see their first 3-0 start since 1974.

The division is still San Francisco's for the taking. It is focused on returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1994 season and the NFC West shouldn't be much of an obstacle in that pursuit. At this rate, however, the six division games could give the 49ers a test and a better gauge whether or not they belong in the league's elite.

College football week 3

There was elation and heartbreak and a few upsets in college football's third week but the top of the polls are occupied by teams that are supposed to be there. The biggest impact on the polls was Southern California's loss to Stanford but I'm not sold that was an upset.

Here's my top 10.

1) Alabama (3-0) - At full strength, Arkansas wasn't much of a threat to the reigning national champions. With all-conference quarterback Tyler Wilson on the sidelines with a concussion, many expected this game to be ugly. Still, not many saw a 52-0 drubbing that resulted in the Crimson Tide sending unknown walk-ons onto the field and still moving the ball. The Razorbacks could have salvaged some dignity after an upset loss to Louisiana-Monroe but instead allowed Alabama to turn the game into a glorified scrimmage. Wilson accused his teammates of quitting after the scores began to pile on and I don't know many who would disagree.

2) LSU (3-0) - The reigning runner-ups steamrolled their third straight opponent, dropping 63 points on Idaho and probably could have broken 70 if not for a few dropped passes. The Bayou Bengals have  the depth to march into a Nov. 3 match-up in Baton Rouge against Alabama unblemished as they aim for a second straight SEC championship. Even if they lose tothe team that beat them 21-0 in the BCS Championship Game, they have the horsepower to make some noise in Miami.

3) Florida State (3-0) - I was skeptical after the Seminoles opened the season with blowout wins against non-FBS opponents but a 55-0 rout of Wake Forest convinced me to place them in the No. 3 spot. Chris Thompson averaged more than 20 yards per carry against the team that nearly ended his career a year earlier. Florida State has a date with Clemson next week and that game will show if the Tomahawks from Tallahassee are contenders or pretenders.

4) Georgia (3-0) - The Bulldogs are looking for a return trip to the SEC Championship Game and followed up a rout over Missouri in their league opener with a 56-20 win over Florida Atlantic. The Owls don't instill fear into many teams, but Mark Richt's team showed no signs of a letdown after the big win over the Tigers, racking up a school-record 713 yards in the win to jump over Oregon.

5) Oregon (3-0) - The Ducks have piled on some points this season, including 63 over the FCS's Tennessee Tech. Oregon has yet to play a team with some bite so far, with its biggest test being the season opener against the Sun Belt's Arkansas State. Still, points turn heads so they remain in the top 5.

6) South Carolina (3-0) - The Gamecocks are resembling the run-and-gun days of coach Steve Spurrier's years with the Florida Gators and scored 40+ points for the second straight week. Those points came against Conference USA foes, however, and starting quarterback Connor Shaw was injured again. With a brutal conference slate coming up, look for this to be the Gamecocks' peak this season.

7) Stanford (3-0) - The Cardinal proved they don't need Andrew Luck to earn big wins, topping previously unbeaten Southern California 21-14. Heisman candidate Matt Barkley returned to the Trojans with aims of a national championship but the Cardinal earned their fourth straight win over their rival. After a close win over San Jose State in the opener, Stanford brought the pain to Duke heading into the Pac-12 opener.

8) Oklahoma (2-0) - The Sooners were off this week and open Big 12 play Saturday against Kansas State for their first true test of 2012. Oklahoma was tested in its season opener against lowly UTEP but racked up more than 600 yards in a 69-13 rout over Florida A&M in week 2. A win over the Wildcats should vault the Sooners back into the top 5.

9) Southern California (2-1) - The Trojans came into the season off a two-year bowl ban with the AP's top ranking and a chip on their shoulder but ran into a brick wall against an inspired Stanford team. Matt Barkley was sullen when he met with the media after the game and if he channels the Tim Tebow of 2008, he should be able to get Southern Cal back on track.

10) Clemson (3-0) - I was tempted to put Notre Dame here after their win over Michigan State but with starting safety Jamoris Slaughter going down for the season and Sammie Watkins returning to the Tigers, Clemson makes my top 10. The sophomore receiver had a 58-yard touchdown run in Clemson's 41-7 win over Furman and the Tigers look poised to make a run as ACC play begins.

Barefoot Chihuahuas

Not all Chihuahuas are created equal.

Being the adopted father of two of the walking garbage disposals I am more than qualified to make this statement.

I am taking the time to blog about the two little yap traps in response to a blog post from my friend, Heather, lamenting how Lizzie McGuire herself turned one of the little dears into a piece of jewelry. In a nutshell, if Hilary Duff was awake, the dog was being held.

The dog should count his blessings and be thankful he was Duff's accessory instead of Paris Hilton's, but I digress.

One of my little dears wouldn't even walk to pee if she could get away with it. She's in fine health unless chronic laziness is a disease. The running joke in our household was to ask her if she wanted to go out for a carry.

Our other little dear hasn't quite grasped the concept that she's only five pounds and she must sometimes be held for her own safety. She doesn't come up to an average man's ankle yet she has the spunk of a rabid pit bull with a thorn in its hind end.  She once chased an oversized cat underneath an azalea bush and came out covered head to tail in mud. She then proceeded to walk into my house and put miniature muddy paw prints all over the kitchen floor my wife and I had just spent two hour cleaning.

That was the closest I ever came to testing just how far I could punt a small dog.

It's a perfect segue into Heather's actual point in her blog post about human beings losing touch with Earth because we wear shoes. Heather is correct in that shoes can be uncomfortable and the removal of a too-tight pair of shoes can feel better than being on a long road trip and finally finding a bathroom after three hours and two Big Gulps. Seriously, does anything compare to the orgasmic feeling of removing a pair of dress shoes (or better yet, a pair of high heels, right ladies?) after spending too-many hours at a black-tie affair?

It's all about fit. Don't settle. Your foot's comfort trumps your eye's enjoyment. And, if that doesn't work, think about how good it will feel removing your shoes when you arrive home and the look of death from your wife you'll avoid by not tracking dirt over the living room floor on which the baby still plays.

As for the dogs, well, they buy themselves another day of clemency every time they look at me with total adoration and loyalty. Manipulative brats.