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.

Pigskin Pimpin On A Sunday

Your weekly installment of football stuff and gratuitous cheerleader photos after the jump ... has been replaced for this week.

Alright, so I hope no one minds that your weekly blog of cheerleader pictures has been replaced by Walter Payton.

The former Chicago Bears great died 10 years ago today.  I'll never forget the day for as long as I live.  I was a youngster in Chicago who had walked off the school bus, ready to tell my family about my day at school -- specifically -- the candy I acquired in class seeing it was the day after Halloween.

But the smile on my face quickly disappeared when I learned Sweetness had died.  Payton looked sickly for a while, but didn't make his liver ailment public until after Chicago broadcaster Mark Giangreco said Payton looked like Ghandi.  Payton made it public to save his family the ridicule of tasteless jokes like that.

It was typical Payton.  he didn't want the public to pity him.  He just wanted to live his life with his family as long as he could.  more than the greatest running back of all time, Payton worked hard on and off the field.  He did a lot for local charities and causes.  He will go down as one of Chicago's greatest athletes, but really, he will go down as one of Chicago's greatest citizens.

His presence in Chicago is missed.

So, what's the bigger headline going into today's Bears-Browns game.  Is it Tommie Harris' return after being a healthy scratch last week against the Bengals?  Possibly.  When healthy, Harris has been a Pro Bowl caliber defensive tackle.  And even though he hasn't been good this year, his presence in the line-up still demands a double team.  But unlike previous years, Harris has been unable to shed the double team.  Still, the other 10 defenders (especially someone on the D-Line) should be able to get theirs since one of their own is being tag teamed.

Or is the bigger headline the health of Jay Cutler?  OK, so JC6 is completely healthy, but this Bears offense isn't.  In wins, Cutler has thrown 7 TDs against 1 INT.  He only averages 208 yards per game and 6.7 yards per attempt in wins, but his passer rating is a solid 109.8 and his completion percentage is 71 percent.  However, when the Bears lose, he has thrown 9 INTs opposed to only 4 TDs.  His averages in yards per game (276) and yards per attempt (7.1) go up, but his passer rate (61.3) and completion percentage (60.3) plummet.

Chicago could use Matt Forte (c. 2008) and an offensive line that gets a push forward to help Cutler.  There's lots of negativity flowing toward Greg Olsen, but it is clear opposing defenses are scheming against the Bears' biggest threat in the pass game.  It's part of the reason Johnny Knox and Devin Hester are thriving with Cutler under center.

The official fantasy team of TBDS has a pretty good chance of winning today.  We've got Jay Cutler going against Cleveland in a rebound game against one of the worst teams in the NFL.  The receiving unit of Larry Fitzgerald (vs. Carolina), Donald Driver (at Minnesota) and Marques Colston (vs. Atlanta) should provide at least 30 fantasy points.  I picked up Johnny Knox knowing he'd be going up against Cleveland's defense, but there's nowhere to put him.

My only concern is at the running back position, where Frank Gore (at Indianpolis) might not get a lot of carries seeing that the 49ers are playing against the Colts and will likely be playing from behind.  Then there's Pierre Thomas (vs. Atlanta) who is awfully talented, but often is cockblocked by Mike Bell and Reggie Bush.

Thomas and Gore are projected to combine for 26 points, but I fear they won't be as productive as projected.

So much for Indiana State's winning streak.  The SIU football team demolished the Sycamores, shutting them out 33-0.

The No.3 Salukis (7-1, 6-0) allowed less than 100 yards of offense en route to its 12th consecutive Missouri Valley Football conference victory.  SIU has gone 16-2 in its last 18 conference games.  The only losses have been on the road, at North Dakota State in 2008 and at Northern Iowa in 2007.

Paul McIntosh was as good as advertised, but it's really hard to gauge his play when he's up against a team so woefully bad as Indiana State.  Mac was 15 of 22 in the air for 159 yards, gaining another 57 yards and scoring two touchdowns on the ground.

The real test comes next Saturday at No. 9 South Dakota State in a game that will likely decide the MVFC championship.

Pigskin Pimpin On A Sunday

Your weekly installment of football stuff and gratuitous cheerleader photos after the jump.

 

The alma mater kept the ball rolling in a 27-8 win against Youngstown State.  In the last two games between the Salukis and Penguins, Southern Illinois has outscored The Fightin' Tressels (h/t for the nickname goes to Jon. I) 61-7.  However, SIU's win comes at a cost.

Junior quarterback Chris Dieker suffered a broken collarbone on his non-throwing arm and looks as if he might be out indefinitely.  Listening to head coach Dale Lennon's post-game radio interview wasn't encouraging as Lennon noted Dieker was very emotional after finding out the injury and that he couldn't blame him for being so emotional because of the extent of the injury which could be season ending before changing course and saying he wasn't sure if it was that serious yet.

In his stead, Paul McIntosh completed 10 of 14 passes for 133 yards -- including an 86-yard pitch-and-catch from McIntosh to Joe Allaria, the guy Dieker beat out for starting QB job last year.  It wasn't a classic bomb, but it was a sideline route in which the speedy Allaria used some fine footwork and some downfield blocks to explode into the end zone.

Before anyone goes jumping off the clocktower on campus, McIntosh is a more-than-capable back-up.  In fact, there were some people in some circles that thought McIntosh was a better fit for Phil Longo's pseudo-spread offense.  In addition to his 133 passing yards, McIntosh rushed for a team-best 81 yards on 12 carries.  It's just another wrinkle tSIU could use down the stretch.

Running back Deji Karim, who was held under the 100-yard mark for the first time this season, surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau and became the third fastest Saluki to do so.  However, he missed a chunk of the fourth quarter and will be watched very closely as the Dawgs will square off against Indiana State which actually won a game, defeating Western Illinois 17-14.

While Illinois' best college football team improved its record despite losing its starting quarterback, Illinois' biggest school continued its free fall.  The Fighting Illini fell to Purdue 24-14 on Saturday.  At this point, that magical Rose Bowl run is nothing but a figment of your imagination.  Juice Williams, other than the drive that cut the Illini's deficit to 21-14, looked like a shadow of his old self.  And to think, this is his senior year.

The calls for Ron Zook's head are starting to get louder and louder, and there is reason.  The U of I has seen a decrease in production since the Rose Bowl year despite several highly touted recruiting classes.  And while Illini AD Ron Guenther says there won't be any changes at the top, but I think Illinois needs a little more than some window dressing to take this team out of the gutter.

Think SIU has a shot to knock 'em off at Memorial Stadium next year?  You bet your ass I do.

Cedric Benson has been talking $#!% again and claims the Bears lowballed, blackballed (and blueballed?) him.  He said the Bears went out of their way to make him look bad.  How?  By showing game tape?  Benson struggled in Chicago because he was so concerned about getting his mula.  That is it.  That's where the story begins and where it ends.

Why is Benson the NFL's third leading rusher right now?  Well, it's not as if the talent wasn't there when he was in Chicago.  But the effort and the desire weren't.  Things change when you blow a $17 million signing bonus, and Benson is a better football player because of it.  Do I wish he would have put it together in Chicago?  Yes.  Would he have been able to do so?  Absolutely not.  Benson is a changed man on the field, off of it, it's the same old Ced.

There are seven undefeated college football teams competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision.  Florida and Alabama will likely represent one half of the national championship scenario, but it takes two to tango.  Texas is in the driver's seat despite the Big Twelve Conference having a down year compared to what it was a year ago.  And even though it plays in the Big Ten, Iowa has a legit case to a spot in the national title game.  Same can be said about potential Big East representative Cincinnati.  Then there's Boise State and TCU, who has no other big time opponents in the wings, so there is a distinct possibility that the Broncos and Horned Frogs could go the rest of the year without losing a game and still be on the outside looking in -- possibly to a one-loss team.

And as much money as college football makes by having bowl games, I wonder why it can't bring in that kind of dough by using those bowl games as playoff sites.  College hoops rakes in the greenbacks hand-over-fist when the NCAA Tournament rolls around.  Not to mention the lucrative television deal it has not only with the Big Dance ... but also with the NIT. 

Then there is USC, who always falls flat out of the gate with some sleeper Pac 10 team, but always seems to get better on a week-by-week

Soccer doesn't excite me.  But the idea of soccer cheerleaders does.  Sometimes the best action is on the sidelines, and not on the field.

Pigskin Pimpin: Week 4

Football stuff and gratuitous cheerleader photos after the jump.

Just because the Detroit Lions actually picked up a win for the first time since 2007 does not mean these ain't your daddy's Lions.  I guess I'll have to be he who brings the bad news.  The Lions -- despite the win -- have still been outscored 86-59 in the season's first three weeks.  And other than the mild success the team enjoyed against the Redskins, the Lions are still cowardly in my eyes.

In Week 1, Drew Brees torched Detroit's "D" for 358 yards and six (!) touchdown passes.  Mike Bell rushed for 143 yards.  Against the Minnesota Vikings, Brett Favre had a pedestrian 155-yard passing game in which he threw two touchdowns without throwing a pick.  Adrian Peterson gained only 92 yards and a touchdown.

Just looking at the box scores is making Matt Forte -- and his fantasy owners -- foam at the mouth.  As for Jay Cutler, he could fatten up on the Lions as well.  But this might be the week in which Forte busts through the wall that has met him thus far in his sophomore season.

For more advice see our special guest blog by Scott Mieszala, "Who's Burning Detroit?"

One of my favorite football players I never got a chance to cover was Deji Karim.  OK, well, I kinda covered him.  Karim wore a medical red-shirt last season -- only one year after ranking third on the football Salukis in rushing touchdowns.  Now that he is 100 percent healthy, Karim is showing why head coach Dale Lennon and the training staff is a genius for talking him into redshirting last season.

Karim opened Southern Illinois' 30-10 win against Western Illinois with a 92-yard touchdown run from the team's first play from scrimmage.  He would go on to pick up 282 all-purpose yards in the 20-point win that helped move the Dawgs to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference play.  The win was the school's 400th in the school's history.

Deji is one of those rare backs that combines power and speed.  While a lot of the pre-season focus was directed at SIU's highly touted defense, Karim is turning out to be the offense's "X-factor" early in the 2009 campaign.

More on Karim in the coming days.

Then there's this for friend and faithful TBDS reader Marcus, whose Michigan State Spartans defeated my Michigan Wolverines.

My Michigan Wolverines, you ask?  Allow me to explain.

As a child, the state of Illinois didn't have any good college football teams.  Northwestern had its Rose Bowl run with Gary Barnett before he skipped town for Colorado.  Then there was the Ron Turner Era at Illinois.  So, I latched myself to Michigan's bandwagon because they were on TV every week.  I found myself cheering for guys such as Brian Griese and Charles Woodson.  That carried throughout my high school and collegiate years.

Last season, I un-latched myself from the Big Blue bandwagon because of the hiring of Rich Rodriguez.  As much as I love watching the spread offense, I have two issues with the whole situation.  Issue No. 1 is Rodriguez himself, who comes off as un-trustworthy as your local used car salesman.  I have a slight problem with someone so willing to leave their alma mater at a whim.  My second issue is with the spread offense.

Again, don't get me wrong, I like the spread.  It's fun to watch and fun to write about.  But the spread is like the fad all the kids make so popular, adults find a way to like it and implement it in their lives.  Watching teams like Michigan and Ohio State, who have thrived with pro prospects in pro-style offenses, convert to a modified spread formation is like finding out your mom listening to Drake's mixtape.

The so-called little guys used to use the spread in an attempt to create the match-up problems that come with pitting linebackers against wide receivers.  Now, with everyone running the spread, not only will it hurt some of the game's fundamentals ... it will also hurt pro football as well.  No one runs the spread in the NFL.  Do you know why?  That's because everyone is big and fast.

But now that Michigan (despite Saturday's loss) is starting to reap the benefits of its new system, I might re-latch myself to the Wolverines' bandwagon.

Maybe.

Pigskin Pimpin' On A Sunday

Ohhhh snap it's another edition of your favorite snarky and sarcastic football segment.  Catch it if you can ... after the jump.

Get your Kurt Cobain vigils ready, Da Bears are traveling to Seattle.

Dave Krieg's Strike Beard has attempted to rally the troops in an effort to make the Bears' time in Seattle a traumatic experience.  It's Seattle.  Consider that feat already accomplished.

T.J. Houshmybabydaddy came off as a bitter, jilted ex-lover earlier in the week as he threatened that Jerry Angelo would rue the day he refused to sign.  While talented, it seems as if the Bears GM has taken a cue from his Chicago baseball counterparts by not paying top money for a second-rate talent.  Upon hearing TJH's comments, the Bears secondary turned the other cheek -- and if they play well enough on Sunday, The Housh might be planting a pair of lips on said cheek.


As for the gameday festivities, Da Bears are coming off a feat the Seahawks and their fandom would be jealous of --  and that's beat the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.  They did so by  stumping the run without Brian Urlacher and providing that classic bend-don't-break pass defense in the guts of the game against Ben Roethlishotdogpolishberger, but they did the job at its most crucial moments.  Thankfully, the Bears won't have to deal with Big Ben or Matt Hasselbeck.  Seneca Wallace provides his own set of issues, primarily, what the heck kind of name is Seneca?

Contrary to my original opinion, today might not be a Jay Cutler kind of day.  Did you see what Frank Gore did to the Seahawks last week? Next week at this time, we'll be able to replace Gore's name with Matt Forte.

If the Bears lose, it might be due to colorblindness as the Seahawks will apparently debut a set of uniforms that even the Oregon Ducks football team thinks is a bit of an eyesore.

BISON BUSTERS

Revenge is a dish best served with a side of Bison.  It was my first thought after the SIU football team was able to hold off North Dakota State 24-14 on Saturday at McAndrew Stadium.

It was a game in which the Saluki defense did a bulk of the heavy lifting.  Kyle Walker came away with three quarterback sacks, fellow linebacker Brandin Jordan collected 10 tackles and safety Marty Rodgers picked off a fourth quarter pass that would eventually spell the beginning of the end for a Bison offense that came into the game averaging 40 points per game.

Quarterback Chris Dieker rallied from a slow start to throw a pair of touchdown passes, including a 61-yard strike to Jeff Evans.  Dieker's struggles can be a cause of concern for a Saluki squad that has their eyes set squarely on a national championship.  But it seems as if Dieker is always doing just enough to put up Ws week-in and week-out.

SIU will travel to Western Illinois for its next Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown.  The Salukis will be going up against a familiar foe that will have a few new wrinkles.  Southern should eb expecting the unexpected as the Leathernecks will likely try to rally around their coach Don Patterson, who recently resigned as he is fighting health concerns.

TIM TEBOW GOT KNOCKED THE F*** OUT




Tebow's been released from the hospital.  You can resume your lives.  And now, meet your heir apparent to the Tebow Dynasty ... John Brantley?

These fans don't seem to thrilled.

FANTASY UPDATE

After two weeks, everyone in my fantasy league owns a 1-1 record.  For the second straight week, Trent Edwards -- a late round draftee for yours truly -- gets the start over one of my top picks Jay Cutler.  I'm not feeling the Cutler-Seattle match-up and feel that Matt Forte is going to have a monster game against the Seahawks.

Unfortunately, TBDS' own Johnny Sole has Forte going for him.

Other fantasy bench warmers include TJH, Darren McFadden, Pierre Thomas, Benjamin Watson and Percy Harvin.

Yahoo!'s exit polls project me to narrowly fall to the Soleman.  Do I have a shot with what I've got to pull of a minor upset?