Pigskin Pimpin On A Sunday

Does the lack of a Bears game got you down?  It shouldn't.  The good news is that you won't be wasting three hours of your life yelling at Jay Cutler, Ron Turner and the Bears defense though the television.  The bad news is that now you will be subjected to chores from the wifey.

Oh well.  Before you hit the mall/grocery store circuit, here are your Pigskin Pimpin picks.

Have you ever been so much better at something than someone that you spotted them a lead, only to crush them anyway?  Well, that's how it felt watching the Southern Illinois football team demolish Missouri State 44-24 to clinch the Missouri Valley Football Conference title outright.

The Salukis (9-1) were tested early after giving up a long touchdown run to find itself facing a deficit for the first time since playing at Northern Iowa.  SIU battled back immediately, scoring touchdowns on five of its first six possessions en route to putting up 34 unanswered points to take complete control of the game.  Senior running back Deji Karim rushed for 117 yards on only 14 carries (8.4 yards per carry) and three rushing touchdowns.

As for the Saluki opponents, a simple LOL is all you need to describe the Missouri State offense.  After scoring a touchdown, this is how the next nine possessions for the Bears ended: fumble, fumble, interception, punt, turnover on downs, punt, interception, punt, interception

The Senior Day win gave Southern its 14th consecutive win versus MVFC opponents.

Without the Bears to make you maddeningly frustrated, I would suggest doing whatever chores you have on your slate early so you can enjoy the made-for-TV match-up between Tom Brady's Patriots and Peyton Manning's Colts.

It might be the best QB rivalry since the Steve Young-Troy Aikman days of the mid-90s.  Like Aikman-Young, Manning-Brady pits a pair of future Hall of Famers, whose teams are in contention and end up crossing paths sometime in the playoffs.  There is a rivalry like this once every 10 years or so, and since I think I took the Cowboys-49ers for granted when I was younger, I will make sure to keep an eye on tonight's primetime match-up.

And yet, I'm trying to figure out what will be the next great QB rivalry.  Jay Cutler-Aaron Rodgers could be good because the Bears and Packers square off twice every year in one of football's premier rivalries, but right now, neither has an offensive line that can keep them upright for more than a split second.  Tony Romo-Eli Manning could be good as well, but both teams would be better served setting up the run rather than getting in a gunslinger showdown.

The Ben Roethlisberger-Carson Palmer-Joe Flacco triumvirate in the AFC North could be the best quarterbacked division, while match-ups between Drew Brees and Matt Ryan could turn into epic showdowns, especially since both teams are in the playoff hunt.

Can you believe a Dave Wannstedt coached team is 9-1.  Sure, they beat Notre Dame, a team I love to watch lose, but it is still a Wannie team.  How could Charlie Weis, he of the Super Bowl winning, quarterback developing past lose to the Wannstache?  Huh?  Wannstedt was the most clueless man in football when he was the head coach in Chicago.

Heck, when he was at the college level he wasn't that great.  He was so looked down upon, Joe Flacco took himself out of Pittsburgh to play his college football at friggin' Delaware.

This has got to spell the end of the Weis regime at ND, right?

(I debated writing about Charlie Weis' future, but that will be an upcoming feature.)

While there is no clear-cut favorite in the Heisman Trophy race, Colt McCoy might be the top choice, if only because it would be a career-achievement award for the University of Texas quarterback.  McCoy was under center for a Longhorns victory for the 42nd time, tying the record for most wins by a Football Bowl Subdivision quarterback.

McCoy completed only 23 of 34 passes for 181 yards (I told you there was nothing impressive about this class) and a pair of touchdowns.  But before you start believing this means McCoy is a lock to be the next great NFL quarterback, if you look at the top five winningest FBS QBs, Peyton Manning is the only one who is currently employed as a starting NFL quarterback.

Again, soccer cheerleaders.  It isn't going to make me like the on-the-field product, but there's nothing wrong with some sideline candy.