October 2008 Archives

This is what we got right now.

Ayala 35, Damien 6
Barstow 16, Sultana 14
Bonita 54, Hacienda Heights Wilson 14
Cajon 48, Pacific 14
Carter 45, Fontana 29
Chino Hills 30, Glendora 28
Covina 41, Pomona 34
Diamond Bar 35, Chino 14
Diamond Ranch 35, Los Altos 13
Hesperia 24, Serrano 17
Kaiser 14, Bloomington 0
Miller 18, Redlands East Valley 15
Ontario Christian 37, Arrowhead Christian 8
Rancho Cucamonga 27, Los Osos 21 (OT)
Redlands 35, Rialto 6
Ridgecrest Burroughs 35, Silverado 33
Rim of the World 32, Apple Valley 28
Roosevelt 35, Riverside Poly 21
San Bernardino 24, Arroyo Valley 15
San Dimas 35, Baldwin Park 25
San Gorgonio 24, Colton 14
Upland 37, Alta Loma 0
Victor Valley 20, Granite Hills 0

The Cougars win 27-21 at Los Osos, putting themselves atop the Baseline League and earning themselves a huge leap in the rankings next week.

Other scores of note right now:
Miller 18, Redlands East Valley 15
Hesperia 24, Serrano 17
San Gorgonio 24, Colton 14
Ontario Christian 37, Arrowhead Christian 8
Kaiser 14, Bloomington 0
Roosevelt 35, Riverside Poly 21
San Bernardino 24, Arroyo Valley 15

Gavin Santos ran for 157 yards and a touchdown and Femi Odalapo had a key 91-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter as Hesperia toppled Serrano 24-17 Friday at Hesperia. Alex Spainhower threw for 199 yards and a touchdown for the Diamondbacks.

Also, via text message from Clay Fowler, Miller took down No. 1 Redlands East Valley 18-15, sewing up their place as the No. 1 team in the Sun next week.

Came back to earth last week, missing four games outright and six games against the spread. Let's see if we can't do better this week.

Washington (+46.5) at USC
The crazy thing about this spread is that it keeps growing despite its enormity. USC did cover a 40-plus point spread a couple weeks ago against Washington State and Washington is bad. However, I see the Trojans falling just short of covering this one, as I think they treate it more like a preseason game than anything else.
USC 42, Washington 3

Oregon (+2.5) at California
These two teams are battling to see who is the best Pac-10 team not named USC. Well, I guess Oregon State should be in that debate too. The Ducks, due to using 14 quarterbacks this season, are basically a run-based team at this point. They are good at what they do, but not quite good enough to beat a Cal team that seems to play well at home.
California 31, Oregon 24

Arizona State (+15.5) at Oregon State
The Sun Devils' fall from grace has been shocking and thorough, as they went from a 10-win team last year to a team that's lost five in a row despite having an acclaimed fifth-year senior quarterback. Oregon State, meanwhile, seems to be doing its second-half surge that its become famous for under Mike Riley. Beavers with the cover.
Oregon State 34, Arizona State 16

Washington State (+30) at Stanford
Washington State is awful. That goes without saying. Stanford is mediocre. That goes without saying as well. Normally I wouldn't touch the Cardinal with a 10-foot pole in this game, but Washington State is pathetic.
Stanford 48, Washington State 10

Texas (-3.5) at Texas Tech
For the fourth straight week, the Longhorns are playing in the game of the week. Such is the life of the Big 12. Tech is in game two of its own hellish four-game stretch, with the Oklahoma schools next on the docket. I think the Longhorns are good but its hard to get up for a big game four weeks in a row. I'm taking a mentally-fresher home team.
Texas Tech 41, Texas 35

Florida (-6.5) vs. Georgia
The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is the world's largest national championship elimination game, at least until next week. Georgia created a buzz last year, throttling the Gators in a game where the entire team came out on the field to celebrate a 1-yard touchdown. The Gators haven't forgotten that and will take their revenge tomorrow.
Florida 30, Georgia 17

Florida State (+2) at Georgia Tech
I've been pretty wrong on Florida State the last few games of theirs I've picked. I picked them against Miami and picked them against Virginia Tech and have whiffed both times. So of course I'm picking Georgia Tech in this game. The Yellow Jackets are good defensively and have taken to the triple-option well. Plus, they are at home. Good enough for me.
Georgia Tech 21, Florida State 17

Wisconsin (+5.5) at Michigan State
Yeah, there wasn't much to go with in the Big Ten this week, with Penn State and Ohio State on byes and Michigan being terrible, so this is what we get. The Spartans were feeling high and mighty after beating the Wolverines for the first time since 2001, even putting out a billboard about it. That kind of hubris isn't treated very well in the world of karma, meaning the Badgers will pull the upset.
Wisconsin 23, Michigan State 21

West Virginia (-3.5) at Connecticut
This week must stink if I'm talking about a Big East game. Oh well, had to happen sometime. The Mountaineers put over 60 points on the Huskies last year, right before they lost to Pittsburgh and lost their coach. WVU isn't quite what it was and UConn will come out pumped. Yep, I'm going with the upset.
Connecticut 26, West Virginia 23

Nebraska (+21.5) at Oklahoma
Back when the Big 12 was the Big 8, this was the premier rivalry in the Heartland. However, it barely makes much of a blip on the radar anymore. A lot of that has to do with Nebraska's mediocrity and a lot has to do with the Big 12's rotating schedule. Either way, don't expect this to be much of a game.
Oklahoma 42, Nebraska 17

Overall record: 63-27. Against the spread: 43-46-1

The Tigers pull off the big win at Colony, putting themselves in prime position for a Mt. Baldy League title.

After trailing 22-6 to Riverside Norte Vista at halftime, the SkyHawks come up with a season-saving 32-28 victory. Also, Chaffey and Colony is currently in overtime.

This is where the season really gets fun. Another fun fact is that I went 21-3 last week and if it wasn't for the San Andreas League, I would have gone 20-1. On to an intriguing Week 8.

Redlands East Valley at Miller
I was at this game a year ago and it was probably the second-best game I've covered since I've been here (Norco's OT battle with Corona Centennial in 2006 barely beats it out). I won't be there this week, but if I could clone myself, I would. Last year's game was offensively oriented, but this game has more of a defensive feel to it. Miller turned some heads last week against Redlands and the Rebels are at home, so I'm going with a minor upset.
Miller 19, Redlands East Valley 16

Serrano at Hesperia
I'll be at this High Desert battle, which should be a good one. Unlike REV-Miller, this game was a defensive struggle a year ago but should have more fireworks this year. Serrano has been the big dog in the MRL for over a decade now, but the Scorpions have the complete team necessary to knock them off. Will they though? I think they will, though it won't be easy.
Hesperia 24, Serrano 23

Rancho Cucamonga at Los Osos
The Grizzlies showed up huge last week, defeating Upland on regional TV. Can they possibly get up for a second straight week? They'd better, as Rancho will be frothing at the mouth to get a piece of Los Osos. The Cougars are undefeated but haven't had that elite win to announce their presence with authority. This would certainly qualify. However, I think Osos wins this, though it will be a battle.
Los Osos 30, Rancho Cucamonga 21

Chino Hills at Glendora
This game has caused some good debate on the blog this week, which I always welcome. Either way, like Rancho, Chino Hills needs a game to announce its presence with authority. Glendora has seamlessly gone from a power-running attack to a wide-open passing attack, showing the explosion necessary to defend its Sierra League title. Yep, you guessed it. I'm picking the home team.
Glendora 35, Chino Hills 27

Chaffey at Colony
The annual Battle for the Mt. Baldy League is taking place in less than 90 minutes. There hasn't been much talk about these teams, which started out a combined 0-5, but they seem to be rounding into form, with Chaffey grinding out five straight wins thanks to its rushing attack and Colony running off four straight, including a win over Serrano. Colony knows how to win titles (its got two CIF in its trophy case) and that will prevail.
Colony 28, Chaffey 18

Twentynine Palms at Yucca Valley
Who would have thought this game would get billing as a key game of the week? If you asked anyone outside of the city of Yucca Valley prior to the season, they would have dismissed the above question as crazy talk. But Yucca Valley has been on fire lately, winning four in a row - including an upset over Big Bear - and can grab an unlikely championship with a win tonight. 29 Palms is the defending champ and won't be so willing to give it up to their bitter rivals.
Twentynine Palms 31, Yucca Valley 20

Silverado at Ridgecrest Burroughs
These programs have ruled the Desert Sky League since Will Smith coined the term "Willenium", exchanging DSL titles. After an 0-6 nonleague start, Silverado seems on its way to a third consecutive league crown, with only the Burros and their high-powered passing attack standing in the way. Burroughs has improved, but the DSL is still Silverado's league.
Silverado 28, Burroughs 16

San Gorgonio at Colton
Yeah, yeah, San Andreas League, you'll get your love too. This is an intriguing game just because it will be interesting to see how Colton reacts to its first San Andreas League loss since rejoining the league. The Spartans are coming off a big win over Arroyo Valley and would love nothing more than to shock the Yellowjackets. However, injuries have taken their toll on San G. Look for Colton to lean on them in the first half and wear them down late.
Colton 27, San Gorgonio 15

Kaiser at Bloomington
There's no Dick Bruich vs. Don Markham in this game anymore, but its importance hasn't lessened. The Cats seem to be settling into their annual second-half groove, while the Bruins got a couple of nice bumps last week from beating Jurupa Valley and having fullback Jayson Allmond commit to UCLA. Bloomington will be pumped but Kaiser is rolling.
Kaiser 33, Bloomington 10

Ontario Christian at Arrowhead Christian
The Christian League gets some love this week, as a struggling Ontario Christian team takes to the road for its league opener against a much-improved ACA squad. The Knights have had issues implementing a spread attack and have lost four straight, but still should have enough oomph to take the Eagles.
Ontario Christian 20, Arrowhead Christian 14

Other games of note:
Redlands 41, Rialto 7
Eisenhower 23, Yucaipa 21
Carter 24, Fontana 16
Apple Valley 27, Rim of the World 21
Upland 34, Alta Loma 14
Etiwanda 37, Claremont 13
Ayala 33, Damien 13
Big Bear 35, Desert Mirage 10
Victor Valley 28, Granite Hills 14
Cajon 40, Pacific 12
Arroyo Valley 37, San Bernardino 6
Summit 28, Norte Vista 12
Aquinas 38, Western Christian 20
Barstow 34, Sultana 7

Overall record: 148-30-4

Because of the transfer from Rialto to Redlands East Valley, word on senior defensive back Gary Walker was slow to spread. But after a successful first seven games in a Wildcat uniform, schools are flocking to REV to see the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Walker in action.

"Arizona State has been by recently, they like him a lot," REV coach Kurt Bruich said. "Oregon State has also been showing a lot of interest. Of course, every mid-major school out there really likes him as well, as they should. He's as good as we've had at that position since I've been here."

Walker has 52 combined tackles (35 unassisted, 17 solo) through seven games and has intercepted four passes, including one that he took back for a touchdown in last Friday's 27-20 victory over Carter. He also has played quite a bit at wide receiver, catching 21 passes for 383 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 152 yards.

His recruitment started off slowly due to lack of film, as a few I-AA schools like Northern Arizona tried to swoop in and get a steal. But the interest has been steady since the REV staff sent out film to over 50 colleges about a month ago.

"He's a Pac-10 caliber player in my mind," Bruich said. "There were some smaller schools trying to get him to commit early because they saw a steal, but its going to be hard for them to do that now. People knew about him but after seeing him, they've really shown the interest."

Other Wildcats garnering interest are defensive back Jerel Kyles and defensive lineman James Adams. Both Kyles and Adams are getting interest from I-AA schools, according to Bruich.

I think this has made most of the necessary rounds, but the Sunkist League battle between Summit and Norte Vista is Thursday at Norte Vista High School in Riverside, not Friday as has been published earlier.

Also, the Rialto-Redlands game at Redlands HS is Friday and not Thursday. Maxpreps had it on Thursday, but a quick call to Jim Walker cleared up that misinformation.

Because of a shortage of qualified, available referees on Friday nights, quite a few games have been moved around since the original schedules were released. We try to peg all the moves, but any help that you guys can give would be awesome. Just drop a comment or e-mail me personally at tj.berka@inlandnewspapers.com with whatever games have been moved to Thursday or Saturday. Help me help you, as they say.

Nothing too crazy at the top, but a lot of non-BCS schools in lofty places. Definitely tough to rank after No. 13 or so.

1. Texas (1) - Longhorns got a bit of scare from Oklahoma State, but they are 3-for-3 in their Big 12 gauntlet. A trip to Texas Tech awaits though.

2. Alabama (2) - A ho-hum victory over Tennessee, as Bama pummelled the lousy Vols. Its good to see them dominate a mediocre or worse team though.

3. Penn State (3) - Big win for the Nittany Lions, as they win at Ohio State for the first time in 30 years. Now it looks like smooth sailing to an undefeated record, as their toughest opponent (Michigan State) is at home.

4. Texas Tech (5) - I had them jump back over Oklahoma because quite frankly, I was impressed by them hanging 63 at Kansas. If Tech beats the Longhorns, it could be No. 1 next week.

5. Oklahoma (4) - Did nothing wrong, as they hung 55 in the first half on Kansas State. But Tech did enough to jump. I'm a little concerned with Oklahoma's defense at this point though.

6. USC (6) - Didn't look great against Arizona and I was considering jumping Florida here, but the Wildcats have improved and a win is a win.

7. Florida (7) - 63-5 over Kentucky looks good. If they beat Georgia this week, the Gators will jump some people.

8. Georgia (9) - A huge win at LSU bumps the Dawgs up and gives them some real momentum going into the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

9. Utah (11) - A bye gets the Utes into the top 10. But in a formidable Mountain West with an undefeated record, the praise is warranted.

10. Oklahoma State (10) - I'm not dropping the Cowboys for losing by 4 at Texas. Plus, there weren't any teams below them that I really thought should pass them.

11. Boise State (13) - Boise is undefeated too, but I'm not quite ready to put them in the top 10 yet. Another win or two should do the trick though.

12. TCU (15) - A one-loss Mountain West team this high? What am I smoking? Well, TCU is smoking everyone it plays, and its loss is to Oklahoma. Not bad.

13. BYU (16) - Yes, another Mountain West team. Its nuts, as the Mountain West has three teams this high, more than the Big Ten (1), Pac 10 (1), ACC (0) and Big East (0) and equal to the SEC.

14. Ohio State (8) - Ohio State is the top two-loss team, at least for this week. The Buckeyes did blow a huge chance to sneak back in the title race though. Guess those are the travails of a true freshman QB.

15. Ball State (17) - There's no way Ball State has ever been ranked this high. But David Letterman's alma mater can play, led by junior QB Nate Davis.

16. Tulsa (20) - The Golden Hurricane was the reason I delayed this top 25, as they didn't play until tonight. Tulsa is good, but not good enough to share with the NFL. Jerks.

17. Missouri (21) - What's a good way to take out frustration for two straight losses? Beating the crud out of Colorado 58-0 apparently.

18. Florida State (25) - The big leapers in the poll this week, the Seminoles showed some spunk in beating Virginia Tech. If they do the same against Georgia Tech this upcoming weekend, they'll jump some people.

19. LSU (12) - The Tigers not only lost at home, but gave up 50+ points for the second time this season. The defense is definitely an issue on the bayou.

20. Oregon (24) - The Ducks are kind of boring and kind of unimpressive, but there's really not that much better out there. Trust me, I looked.

21. Minnesota (NR) - The Gophers, 1-11 last year, are now 7-1 and a borderline player in the Big Ten race. Tim Brewster deserves some coach of the year recognition for that.

22. California (NR) - Cal looked good against UCLA so it gets its spot in the rankings back. Plus, after the scare Zona gave to USC, Cal's loss to them doesn't look as bad.

23. South Florida (14) - I was tempted to keep the Big East out of this poll entirely. But South Florida sneaks in despite losing to Louisville. They are on watch though.

24. North Carolina (NR) - Throwing up 45 against Boston College is enough to impress me. Plus, Virginia's surge makes that loss not seem as bad.

25. Michigan State (NR) - Yes, Michigan stinks. But the Spartans overcame some demons to the beat the Wolverines and are as good of choice as any for this spot.

Under consideration: Maryland, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame

Dropped out: No. 18 Pittsburgh (lost to Rutgers), No. 19 Kansas (lost to Texas Tech), No. 22 Georgia Tech (lost to Virginia), No. 23 Boston College (lost to North Carolina).

I'll admit, anywhere from No. 4 to No. 7 was absolutely brutal to rank this week. Luckily, there are a lot of games between top 10 teams this week that will clear things up.

1. Redlands East Valley (7-0)
I was ready to drop the Wildcats if Upland had won. Los Osos won though, giving REV a stay of execution despite struggling with Carter. However, if the Wildcats can oust Miller this week, their legitimacy for the top spot won't be questioned.

2. Miller (7-0)
The Rebels have been arguably the most impressive team in the CBL this season and I almost made them No. 1 after their 31-7 trouncing of Redlands. But with the Wildcats coming to town this week, I'll let the Rebels earn their ranking.

3. Los Osos (6-1)
The Grizzlies jumped Hesperia and quite frankly, could have jumped Miller. Their win over Upland was just that good. With Cajon, Kaiser and Bishop Amat coming on, the Grizzlies' resume is pretty strong. A win over Rancho Cucamonga Friday would only add to that.

4. Hesperia (7-0)
I gave the Scorpions the benefit of the doubt and didn't drop them, because quite frankly, they haven't done anything wrong. However, Upland, Cajon and Rancho could easily be in this spot. Hesperia will get its chance to cement its ranking with Serrano this week.

5. Upland (6-1)
I had the Scots down to seventh at one point, but I couldn't justify dropping them five spots for a loss at a very-good Los Osos team. Plus, earlier wins over teams like Glendora, Colony and Serrano can't be dismissed.

6. Cajon (6-1)
I had to be consistent here. I flipped Rancho over Cajon last week for a big win against a quality opponent, challenging the Cowboys to do the same. Cajon got a bigger win against maybe even a better opponent, so here it is. The loss to Los Osos looks better by the day.

7. Rancho Cucamonga (6-0-1)
I'm cowering in the corner, preparing for the inevitable tongue-lashing from the Cougar faithful. The reason I put Rancho here was the lack of quality wins, as Etiwanda is the only real standout win. However, a win over Los Osos Friday would launch Rancho over everyone else except the REV-Miller win.

8. Chino Hills (7-0)
This has to be the quietest undefeated team in a good league in memory. Chino Hills isn't flashy, but the Huskies are extremely efficient. A preseason win over Colony is looking better by the day, but Chino Hills doesn't quite have bang in that category as some of the teams above it. A win over Glendora this week would help that tremendously.

9. Serrano (5-2)
The Diamondbacks' offense has been pretty explosive this year and Serrano prepped for its big showdown with Hesperia by smacking around a good Apple Valley team. It'll be interesting to see if Serrano can keep MRL supremacy on the road.

10. Ayala (6-1)
The Sierra League gets another team in the rankings, and to be honest, this was a long time coming. Ayala has been right on the rankings fence for a month now and finally jumped over it with a 40-0 win over Diamond Bar.

Just missed the cut: Colony (4-3), Colton (4-2-1), Kaiser (3-3-1)
Dropped out: No. 8 Colton (4-2-1), No. 10 Summit (6-1)

Yay, I'm to .500 this season overall. I got so excited I almost forgot to pick this week. Here we go with a quickie version.

Oakland (+8) at Baltimore - Baltimore 19, Oakland 13
San Diego (-3) vs. New Orleans, London - San Diego 37, New Orleans 24
Kansas City (+14) at N.Y. Jets - N.Y. Jets 28, Kansas City 10
Buffalo (-1) at Miami - Buffalo 21, Miami 14
Tampa Bay (+2) at Dallas - Tampa Bay 26, Dallas 21
Atlanta (+9.5) at Philadelphia - Philadelphia 31, Atlanta 20
St. Louis (+7.5) at New England - New England 23, St. Louis 17
Arizona (+4) at Carolina - Carolina 28, Arizona 17
Washington (-8) at Detroit - Washington 24, Detroit 10
Cleveland (+7) at Jacksonville - Jacksonville 23, Cleveland 14
N.Y. Giants (+3) at Pittsburgh - N.Y. Giants 21, Pittsburgh 20
Seattle (+5.5) at San Francisco - San Francisco 24, Seattle 20
Cincinnati (+9) at Houston - Houston 27, Cincinnati 13
indianapolis (+4) at Tennessee - Tennessee 20, Indianapolis 17

Overall record: 51-51. Against the spread: 47-54-1

Nice bounceback this week, going 6-4 against the spread. Hopefully we can keep it up this week and finally move past .500.

USC (+15.5) at Arizona
The Trojans looked pretty good last week in throwing 69 points up against Washington State, but then again, I think anyone would put up points against Wazzu, including some of our better high school teams and Division III colleges. Arizona should be a tougher test and will get some punches in, but USC will ultimately prove to be too much.
USC 38, Arizona 20

UCLA (+18) at California
The Bruins have quietly gotten better as the season has gone on, with that progress resulting in a last-second victory over Stanford last week. Cal is just one of those faceless teams that seem to populate the Pac-10 - pretty good, capable of giving anyone a game or giving up a game to anyone. I'll take the Bruins to keep this competitive but fall short.
California 28, UCLA 17

Oregon (-3) at Arizona State
Arizona State is possibly the biggest underachiever in the country. While teams like Michigan and Tennessee and Clemson have gotten most of the underachieving hype, ASU has gone from a 10-win season last year to a four-game losing streak this one despite returning much of their personnel. Oregon has had the Sun Devils' number lately, something I don't expect will change.
Oregon 30, Arizona State 14

Notre Dame (-10) at Washington
Notre Dame past vs. Notre Dame present takes hold at Husky Stadium, as embattled Washington coach Tyrone Willingham goes against his old team. Maybe that fact will get the Huskies primed for the upset, but I don't really think it matters. The Irish aren't great, but they are miles ahead of where Washington is.
Notre Dame 27, Washington 14

Oklahoma State (+12) at Texas
The Longhorns have quite a gauntlet going right now, having passed the Oklahoma and Missouri tests with fighting colors and having Texas Tech looming next week. But this test against undefeated Oklahoma State could be the toughest yet. Okie State tends to get off to big leads against Texas (28 points in 2004, 19 points in 2005, 21 points last year) but blow it. Expect a little of the same in this one.
Texas 38, Oklahoma State 28

Georgia (+1.5) at LSU
There's something about Georgia I just don't like, but I can't put my finger on it. They aren't doing bad at all - 6-1 with their only loss coming to No. 2 Alabama - but it still seems like they are underachieving. LSU is a tough place to win and although the Tigers may not be what they were last year, they are good enough to take Georgia with the home crowd behind it.
LSU 21, Georgia 14

Penn State (-2.5) at Ohio State
I can't honestly remember the last time the Buckeyes were a home underdog. If it's happened in the Jim Tressel era, it must have come during his first season of 2001. Penn State has looked extremely impressive this season, but going to the Horseshoe at night is an entirely different beast. Its not a beast they have solved since joining the Big Ten, which is why I'm going with Ohio State.
Ohio State 24, Penn State 23

Texas Tech (+1) at Kansas
The Red Raiders are one of only five undefeated BCS conference teams, but they have been rocked a bit in the past two weeks, being taken to overtime by a mediocre Nebraska team and being challenged by a bad Texas A&M team. Tech seems ready for a fall and Kansas, with its explosive offense, is a team capable of making that happen.
Kansas 41, Texas Tech 35

Virginia Tech (+5.5) at Florida State
Last time people started buying into the Seminoles, they only scored 3 points against Wake Forest. I don't know, but I'm not really sure that Florida State has earned my trust. Virginia Tech is a flawed team and it lost at Boston College last week, but the Hokies are good at winning ugly. That's something Florida State hasn't quite mastered.
Virginia Tech 20, Florida State 16

Alabama (-5) at Tennessee
This is the most interesting line of the week, as it keeps moving down in Tennessee's directon. The main question I have for that is why? Tennessee has been mediocre to bad all season and Alabama has risen up for its big games - Clemson and Georgia. Tennessee-Alabama is one of the fiercest rivalries in the South, which makes me feel as if the Tide will be properly motivated to treat Tennessee badly.
Alabama 27, Tennessee 17

Overall record: 57-23. Against the spread: 39-40-1

Several local athletes and coaches are in Los Alamitos as we speak, receiving CIF "Character Counts" awards for their pursuit of "Victory with Honor" during the last school year.

Local athletes awarded are Carter senior 119-pound wrestler Steven Melara, Cajon senior basketball player Layshia Clarendon, Colton basketball player Reann Ragoo, Yucca Valley basketball player Lauren Bushong, Alta Loma three-sport athlete Kevin Gannuscio and Upland Christian volleyball player Kylie Edgemon. Colton girls soccer coach Diego Garcia was also honored.

As for Melara, the senior is coming off an impressive summer where he qualified for the U.S. Junior National wrestling team after finishing fourth in the Greco-Roman state championships.

After going 20-4 last week, i'm now 100 games over .500. Cue the ticker-tape parade. Huge games all over this weekend makes me wish I had a satellite dish and live television feeds everywhere around the county.

Colton at Cajon
Quite frankly, this is what the Cowboy seniors have been prepping for the last 10 years, for their shot at San Andreas League glory. Well, Cajon has it, and on its home field to boot. Couldn't ask for a much better set up for that. Colton's offense finally broke out against San Bernardino, which was perfect timing. However, I'm taking Cajon to break the Colton stranglehold on the SAL, if just for this year.
Cajon 23, Colton 20

Upland at Los Osos
This is actually a game you can see on television, as Fox Sports Prime Ticket will show the battle between Upland QB Josh Nunes (Stanford) and Los Osos QB Richard Brehaut (UCLA). In the battle between their future schools last weekend, UCLA prevailed late. I expect that result to foreshadow what's going to go on this week, as the Grizzlies slow down Nunes just enough to let Brehaut pull one from the fire.
Los Osos 27, Upland 26

Summit at Kaiser
NoFo vs. SoFo. Besides being fun to say, it should make for a great matchup, as the newcomers from the North Side (Summit) takes on the established power on the South Side (Kaiser). The SkyHawks' ascent from infant program to burgeoning juggernaut has been impressive in its speed, but Kaiser and Dick Bruich will knock them down a notch.
Kaiser 28, Summit 10

Miller at Redlands
This game is the first of a three-week tag-team battle royale between the CBL's top three teams. One team, Miller, is 6-0 but is relatively untested while the other, Redlands, is 3-3 but has played a rough schedule to date. To be honest, this game is a toss-up to me, but I think the Rebels' offense is stout enough to slow Redlands just enough.
Miller 21, Redlands 17

Barstow at Silverado
Another matchup that will likely decide a league title, as Barstow established itself as the most viable challenger to the two-time defending champion Hawks with its win over Ridgecrest Burroughs last year. Barstow likes to make me look bad on my picks, and I'll give them an opportunity to do the same, as I like Silverado to make it two wins in a row.
Silverado 28, Barstow 25

Apple Valley at Serrano
After a rocking beginning, Frank Pulice seems to have his young team at Apple Valley moving in the right direction with three wins in their last four games. A win over Serrano would be a big step. However, it seems as if the Diamondbacks worked extensively on defense during its bye week, as they blanked Rim of the World. Serrano won't shut out Apple, but it will do enough to grab the win comfortably.
Serrano 24, Apple Valley 6

Chino at Chino Hills
The Cowboys have a stingy enough defense to stay in this game, as they held Ayala to under 200 yards of offense last week. However, Chino lost to Ayala, which underlies their problem - lack of playmakers on offense. Chino Hills has been making plays all year, something I don't expect to change this week.
Chino Hills 30, Chino 12

Arroyo Valley at San Gorgonio
This game might resemble a hospital ward more than a football game, as both teams have had awful luck with injuries. The Hawks are optimistic that RB Demarcus White will be back in action, which would be huge for Arroyo. San G's optimism about Tre Meadors is a little more tempered. Either way, this is the likely battle for third and I'll go with the optimistic team.
Arroyo Valley 21, San Gorgonio 16

Redlands East Valley at Carter
It must be nice to be getting flak for shutout wins. But that's exactly what's happening with the Wildcats, who haven't exactly dazzled on offense the past couple of weeks. Carter, while decent on defense, won't be able to move on the REV defense. So this basically serves as REV's last warmup before a back-to-back with Miller and Redlands.
Redlands East Valley 24, Carter 3

Big Bear at Ontario Christian
I'll delve out of league play on this one, because these are two teams that could use some win and some good karma. Injuries have taken their toll on the Bears, who dropped in an upset loss to Yucca Valley last week, while the Knights have struggled in their transition to the spread offense. I think Big Bear gets well this week.
Big Bear 19, Ontario Christian 13

Other games of note:
Etiwanda 26, Alta Loma 16
Rancho Cucamonga 42, Claremont 10
Eisenhower 23, Rialto 13
Yucaipa 17, Fontana 16
Twentynine Palms 37, Desert Mirage 14
Yucca Valley 20, Desert Hot Springs 18
Ridgecrest Burroughs 38, Granite Hills 13
Rim of the World 30, Sultana 6
San Bernardino 14, Pacific 6
Ayala 31, Diamond Bar 20
Bloomington 20, Jurupa Valley 17
Aquinas 48, Anza Hamilton 6
Hesperia 33, Victor Valley 14
Arrowhead Christian 28, Huntington Beach Brethren Christian 14

Overall record: 127-27-4.

Bloomington senior fullback/linebacker Jayson Allmond made his college choice tonight, committing to UCLA just a few hours ago. Allmond, who had been in contact with UCLA pretty heavily since the start of the season, received the offer from Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel this evening and didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

"This is like a fairy tale," Allmond said. "I've been a Bruin all my life and I'm just so excited right now. I announced by commitment over the phone and the coaches were clapping and cheering. It was great to hear."

Allmond, a 6-foot-1, 262-pound senior, is a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com. He has done pretty much everything for the Bloomington Bruins in his varsity career, from running the ball at fullback to catching the ball out the backfield at tight end to knocking around opponents on the defensive side of the ball. And while UCLA has indicated that they'll use him at fullback, Allmond is willing to play wherever.

"I'm just happy to be at UCLA and will play whereever they want me," Allmond said. "I've been working hard my whole time and I'm going to continue to work hard, whether I'm at fullback, tight end or linebacker."

Allmond was also offered by Nevada and received interest from Pac-10 schools such as California and Oregon.

As an FYI, the Desert Sky League showdown between Ridgecrest Burroughs and Granite Hills is Thursday at 7 p.m. at Apple Valley High School. It has been published as being played on Friday in the past, but it's Thursday. So add that to the Bloomington-Jurupa Valley game at JVHS as things to possibly do on Thursday.

Despite missing the first four games of the season with shin spints and a torn calf muscle, Division I-A colleges aren't backing off of Colton cornerback Nat Berhe. In fact, its starting to pick up.

"We've had recruiters on campus the last couple of weeks checking out Nat," Colton coach Harold Strauss said. "UCLA's been by and I know Arizona State is interested."

That interest is a relief to Berhe, a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com who received scholarship offers from Minnesota, New Mexico and San Diego State over the summer. With the injury, therefore the lack of senior film to send to coaches, Berhe was starting to stress a bit.

"He wanted to play earlier because he felt pressure to get some film up out there and keep the recruiters' interest," Strauss said. "But I told him that he's have over a half-season of film and that he'd make a better case for himself at full strength. He's really played well these last two weeks back."

Berhe is already planning official visits to UTEP and Boise State, with UTEP coming up in the next couple of weeks. Recruits get five official visits, and Berhe plans to use his final three on schools that show an increasing amount of interest these next couple of weeks. Strauss thinks that Pac-10 schools such as Arizona State, who he thinks may be on the verge of offering, will comprise those last visits.

"I think the Pac-10 schools are just waiting for one school to offer," Strauss said. "That offer could come any day. When it does, I bet you'll see the rest follow shortly."

Not much movement this week, as everyone who was in the poll stayed in the poll. I made one switch and that's it.

1. Redlands East Valley (6-0)
Another kind of ugly win for the Wildcats and I was tempted to drop them to No. 2. But can I really drop a team that has shut out two straight opponents, no matter how overmatched said opponents are? I don't think so.

2. Upland (6-0)
The bye week certainly didn't disrupt the Highlanders' momentum, as they wasted Claremont this weekend. With a trip to Los Osos that will be televised Friday, its safe to say that if Upland wins, it will make a jump up.

3. Miller (6-0)
No offense to the opponents that the Rebels have already faced, but Miller's season starts this week at Redlands and intensifies even more with a Halloween tilt with REV. Should be exciting.

4. Hesperia (6-0)
The Key Game wasn't much of a game, as the Scorpions put up a 50-spot on a defenseless Sultana squad. Signs point to an eventual title showdown with Serrano, but the Scorps will go out of league to face Victor Valley this week.

5. Los Osos (5-1)
Second half against Vista Murrieta aside, the Los Osos defense has been solid and it was again against Alta Loma. But the Grizzlies will receive their biggest test against Upland on Friday.

6. Rancho Cucamonga (5-0-1)
Hey Cougar fans, I told you I'd keep moving Rancho up if they kept winning. This week's win against Etiwanda was huge, as the Cougars' defense showed up against an elite offense.

7. Cajon (5-1)
Cajon didn't drop behind Rancho because of anything it did. In fact, the Cowboys should be happy about a 38-12 victory over San Gorgonio. Colton's coming in this week with the San Andreas title likely in the balance.

8. Colton (4-1-1)
Harold Strauss told me that he wished that the Yellowjackets didn't score 71 points against San Bernardino Friday. But to be honest, Colton needed to reinforce the fear that the rest of the SAL has had toward it in the past.

9. Chino Hills (6-0)
The Huskies kept rolling, dispatching of recent nemesis Damien and killing some ghosts in the process. It seems as if the battle of Chino Hills with Ayala could be the battle for the Sierra League title.

10. Summit (6-0)
I saw the SkyHawks for the first time and quite frankly, I was blown away by their speed and athleticism. However, their first real test of whether they are fit to sit at the big boy table comes Friday at Kaiser.

Just missed the cut: Serrano (4-2), Ayala (5-1), Redlands (3-3).

This week might have been the hardest rankings yet, as almost every team from 16-25 lost or weren't playing. We have six new teams in the rankings, some leaping pretty high from the status of the unranked.

1. Texas (1) - The Longhorns proved that last week wasn't a fluke, totally destroying Missouri and leaving no doubt to their legitimacy. But of course the schedule doesn't get any easier with Okie State.

2. Alabama (2) - The Crimson Tide have an annoying habit of letting mediocre competition hang out. That's going to eventually cost them.

3. Penn State (3) - It took awhile for Penn State to wake up, but it eventually had its way with Michigan. Huge game coming up at Ohio State.

4. Oklahoma (5) - The Sooners overcame any hangover they might have had by disposing of a good Kansas team. That, plus Texas' success, knocks them up a rung.

5. Texas Tech (4) - The Red Raiders are still unbeaten, but they aren't exactly winning style points, struggling with a bad Texas A&M team after going overtime at home against a mediocre Nebraska squad.

6. USC (6) - USC earned some style points, putting 69 up on hapless Washington State. Too bad Wazzu might be the worst team in Division I-A.

7. Florida (7) - Gators got to take a step back and observe some of the carnage. Florida is still in pretty good position.

8. Ohio State (10) - The Buckeyes finally broke out and played the way they were expected to in the preseason, drilling Michigan State. Big showdown with Penn State awaits.

9. Georgia (9) - Kind of like Texas Tech, Georgia isn't exactly doing itself favors in the style point department.

10. Oklahoma State (11) - No letdown for the Cowboys, who dispatched Baylor easily. They have a huge showdown with nemesis Texas upcoming.

11. Utah (13) - Utes have been quiet, but they keep winning and now seem to be the next BCS buster possibility.

12. LSU (14) - It won't make headlines, but the Tigers' win over South Carolina was definitely no joke.

13. Boise State (16) - Another team that's quietly moved up the ranks, Boise State made short work of Hawaii Friday.

14. South Florida (20) - Talk about being in the right spot at the right time, the Bulls make a huge jump up, thanks to everyone else around them losing, by beating a bad Syracuse team.

15. TCU (NR) - A humongous jump for the Horned Frogs, but a well-deserved one. They kicked the living stuff out of undefeated BYU, and their only loss is to Oklahoma.

16. BYU (8) - Had to place the Cougars here below TCU on priniciple. Still, its crazy to see three Mountain West teams this high in the poll.

17. Ball State (22) - Another mid-major, the Cardinals moved up five slots without playing. Of course, being undefeated will do that for ya.

18. Pittsburgh (NR) - The Panthers jump up pretty high from the masses of the unranked thanks to a fifth straight win, blowing out a good Navy team, plus a lot of chaos.

19. Kansas (15) - I didn't drop the Jayhawks much, as they performed pretty well in a losing effort at Oklahoma. However, a loss vs. Texas Tech next week will probably dump them from the rankings.

20. Tulsa (NR) - The Golden Hurricane may have the most prolific offense in the nation, as they put up nearly 500 yards in the first half Saturday against UTEP. FYI, Division I-A schools in Oklahoma are a combined 20-1 this year.

21. Missouri (12) - I penalized the Tigers more than Kansas because they weren't even in the game with Texas. It was 28-0 early in the second quarter and Mizzou was never within 25 from that point on.

22. Georgia Tech (NR) - The ACC is a jumbled mess of decent but not spectacular teams. The Yellow Jackets get the nod due to quality road victories over Boston College and Clemson.

23. Boston College (NR) - The Golden Eagles never get any hype, but come every October, they seem to be right in the mix.

24. Oregon (25) - The Ducks didn't play, which was probably a good thing considering all the carnage in this area of the rankings.

25. Florida State (NR) - The Seminoles aren't impressive, but they have won three straight since looking meek against Wake Forest. That's good enough for now.

Under consideration: Virginia Tech, Minnesota, California

Dropped out: No. 17 Virginia Tech (lost to Boston College), No. 18 California (lost to Arizona), No. 19 Michigan State (lost to Ohio State), No. 21 Wake Forest (lost to Maryland), No. 23 North Carolina (lost to Virginia), No. 24 Vanderbilt (lost to Georgia).

Still not very good at this. I'm sure my readership for this particular service has gone down to a quarter of a person. Just bad times. We'll keep grinding though.

Tennessee (-9) at Kansas City
The league's best team against possibly one of the league's worst. When we had this scenario last week, the Rams somehow beat the Redskins. However, the Titans are great on defense and the Chiefs don't have an interim coach yet. I'll go with Tennessee to win a not-so-entertaining one.
Tennessee 23, Kansas City 10

San Diego (+1) at Buffalo
Are the Chargers ready to stop messing around and put together a run of a few wins? Their talent is undeniable, but San Diego doesn't really seem to play until it has to. With Denver struggling a bit now, it doesn't really have to. So expect Buffalo to eke one out, especially with Trent Edwards starting.
Buffalo 24, San Diego 21

Pittsburgh (-9.5) at Cincinnati
The Bengals haven't been that horrible the past two weeks, but at 0-6 and without Carson Palmer, morale isn't exactly high. The Steelers have had injury issues of their own, but their defensive front seven should make life for Cincy QB Ryan Fitzpatrick horrible.
Pittsburgh 27, Cincinnati 10

Baltimore (+3) at Miami
Ravens rookie QB Joe Flacco has one touchdown pass and seven interceptions. Even with as good as the Baltimore defense is, it can't withstand that type of quarterback play. The Ravens' O is a non-factor, so the Dolphins should do just enough to win here.
Miami 17, Baltimore 12

Dallas (-7) at St. Louis
Will Romo play? Will Terrell Owens have a fit if Roy Williams catches the first touchdown pass Sunday? Will Pacman ever play again? The Cowboys seem to be at a crossroads, but St. Louis isn't the team that will test their resolve. At least, it shouldn't be. Then again, the Redskins might beg to differ.
Dallas 28, St. Louis 17

Minnesota (+3) at Chicago
The Vikings are one team I can't figure out. When they are supposed to win, they struggle, like they did against Detroit. When they are supposed to lose, they thrive, like they did at New Orleans. Minnesota should lose this on the road, so I'm going the other way. Whatever.
Minnesota 23, Chicago 16

New Orleans (+3) at Carolina
The Saints are a team I look at and wonder how they could be 3-3. Even with Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey injured, they still have an obnoxious amount of offensive talent. But something's missing with them, which is why I'm picking Carolina at home.
Carolina 28, New Orleans 24

San Francisco (+10.5) at N.Y. Giants
The West Coast team playing the early game on the East Coast is almost always an easy cover. Considering that the Giants are going to be peeved after their Monday night stinker in Cleveland, this cover is basically a lead-pipe lock.
N.Y. Giants 31, San Francisco 13

Detroit (+9.5) at Houston
Dan Orlovsky running out of the back of the end zone while going out for a pass has to be a signature moment in Lions history, especially since the two points given to Minnesota ended up costing Detroit the game. Houston got a hard-earned win last week and will get another one this week, though I think Detroit covers.
Houston 23, Detroit 16

N.Y. Jets (-3) at Oakland
I was joking when I called the 49ers-Giants game a lead-pipe lock. This game is the lead-pipe lock. There's no way the morale-lacking Raiders are staying with Brett Favre and the Jets. No way at all.
N.Y. Jets 30, Oakland 14

Cleveland (+7.5) at Washington
Are the Browns of 2007, namely Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards, back? Or was Monday a tease. Cleveland picked up an enormous win against the defending champs, but a short week coupled with a perturbed Redskins team isn't exactly the ideal way to follow it up.
Washington 31, Cleveland 20

Indianapolis (-1) at Green Bay
The Colts finally looked like the Colts last week, just obliterating Baltimore. The Packers broke a three-game losing streak as well, but it just seems that Green Bay is a little off, even though Aaron Rodgers isn't playing that bad. The Colts continue to surge.
Indianapolis 25, Green Bay 20

Seattle (+10.5) at Tampa Bay
The Seahawks are bad, dreadfully bad. It's been a pretty sudden fall from grace for a team that won the previous four NFC West titles. Tampa Bay seems to be all right now that Jeff Garcia is back at quarterback and with Seattle stuck with Seneca Wallace at that position, Tampa should roll.
Tampa Bay 26, Seattle 10

Denver (+3) at New England
Kind of a tricky game. The Broncos' offense has slowed down immeasurably since setting the world on fire for the first three weeks, but the Patriots are extremely up and down under Matt Cassel. That and the New England D seems older and more vulnerable. That last fact will give Denver, which traditionally plays well against the Pats, the win.
Denver 24, New England 14

Overall record: 43-45. Against the spread: 40-47-1

UCLA freshman tight end Cory Harkey, a Chino Hills graduate, caught the game-winning touchdown from Kevin Craft with 10 seconds left to give the Bruins a 23-20 victory over Stanford.

Well, last week stunk, as I only nailed half of the winners. I guess I thought I was picking NFL games last weekend. Ah well, lets see if we can't get back to the realm of the mildly competent this week.

USC (+42.5) at Washington State
Don't frantically refresh this page. That spread is real, swear to God. USC fans are probably getting the shakes right about now, as the last time they were favored by this much saw the shocking loss to Stanford. However, Wazzu is horribly bad. The Cougars have been outscored 223-33 in its four Pac-10 losses and with the Trojans already having lost a game, Wazzu won't get much sympathy at all here.
USC 62, Washington State 7

Stanford (-2.5) at UCLA
Stanford has flummoxed me all year, but it seems to enjoy staying within a game of .500. So at 4-3, I guess this week means a loss to the Bruins, who actually played pretty well at Oregon and are slowly but surely improving. We'll see if the Cardinal ruin me again, but I'm going with UCLA to win a tight one here.
UCLA 21, Stanford 17

California (-2.5) at Arizona
Just when I jump on the Arizona bandwagon and consider them a true force, they lose at Stanford. Pretty typical if you ask me. However, Cal isn't what I would call great either, despite an opening-game victory over Michigan State, and this is a type of game - on the road against a middle-of-the-road conference team - that they blow. And I think I will. I'm here for ya Zona.
Arizona 34, California 27

Oregon State (-16) at Washington
It must be depressing to be a sports fan in the state of Washington. Seriously, look at the landscape of that state right now. Your two college teams are arguably the two worst BCS-conference teams in the nation. The Seahawks have fallen off the face of the Earth. The Mariners had one of the worst records in baseball and the Sonics are now in Oklahoma and are called the Thunder, which is uber-lame. You see where I'm going here.
Oregon State 34, Washington 13

Missouri (+4) at Texas
This spread has plummeted quite a bit this week, as it opened at 6.5 after Texas' big win and Missouri's loss to Okie. State. People are big on the Tigers for good reason, as their offense is still potent and it will be hard for Texas to get as sky-high as it was against Oklahoma last week. This should be a classic and I'm picking the upset, as Texas' run at No. 1 will be short and sweet.
Missouri 35, Texas 31

Kansas (+19.5) at Oklahoma
For continuity's sake, we'll stay in the Big 12 for now. There are two schools of thought on this game. One is that Oklahoma, after losing a hard-fought game with its archrival and ceding control of No. 1, will come out flat and are prone to the upset. Two is that Oklahoma is going to be extremely agitated and pluck the Jayhawks feather by feather. Ok, that's a little graphic, but it's in cahoots with my thought process.
Oklahoma 38, Kansas 16

Vanderbilt (+14.5) at Georgia
Well, Vandy didn't exactly handle prosperity well, as it celebrated its historic win over Auburn by going in the tank against Mississippi State. Meanwhile, Georgia slogged through an uninspiring win over Tennessee, which is in league with UCLA and Michigan for worst highly-regarded BCS school. Anyway, Georgia wants to make a statement and I think it will.
Georgia 27, Vanderbilt 9

Mississippi (+12) at Alabama
Very interesting game. For as well as Bama has done in its big games, blowing out Clemson and Georgia, they tend to let everyone else hang around for longer than they should. Ole Miss is definitely capable of pulling a shocker, already winning at Florida and almost winning at Wake Forest. Expect Alabama to be pushed by the Rebels, but eventually prevail.
Alabama 24, Mississippi 20

Ohio State (-3.5) at Michigan State
Its a Big Ten powerhouse against a school looking for an elusive big-time mid-to-late season win. Ohio State's offensive struggles of late gives hope to the Spartans, as the Buckeyes are the worst passing team in the nation and can't seem to keep RB Beanie Wells in one piece. However, the Spartans are known for starting out hot and fading away in October. While MSU may not do that ultimately, I don't think they are balanced enough to score much against a very good Ohio State defense. It'll be a slobberknocker though.
Ohio State 17, Michigan State 12

Virginia Tech (+3) at Boston College
Kind of a strange spread if you ask me, as the Hokies have won five straight and the Eagles, while 4-1, aren't exactly a powerhouse this year. Virginia Tech wins ugly and struggles offensively, which might explain the lack of consumer confidence right now. However, I think that Tech has enough to continue its winning ways, especially since former BC QB Matt Ryan is in Atlanta.
Virginia Tech 16, Boston College 14

Overall record: 49-21. Against the spread: 33-36-1

League play gets going in almost every league in the county tonight, save the Christian League. I had another good week last week, going 15-2-1 and only missing on Aquinas and Victor Valley.
We'll see how this week treats us as I cherry-pick games throughout the county.

Redlands at Yucaipa
The Terriers have been rolling on offense, riding quarterback Josh Logan and running back Cam Phillips to 96 points in two CBL teams. Yucaipa isn't bad defensively, but its offense has struggled, only scoring 3 points during that time. The unstoppable offense vs. the stationary one won't be much of a contest.
Redlands 34, Yucaipa 7

Carter at Miller
The Lions broke out in a big way against Rialto, putting up 34 points on the Knights after being shut out in their league opener. What does that mean against Miller? Probably not much, as the Rebels have been almost an inpenetrable force this season. The Lions will take a step back after their step forward against Rialto.
Miller 24, Carter 3

Rancho Cucamonga at Etiwanda
For a few weeks I've been looking for the Cougars to get a test. Well, they'll get that, and then some, from Etiwanda. Expect lots of points and a prolific aerial assault from Rancho Cucamonga QB Greg Watson and Etiwanda signalcaller Angel Santiago. I'm taking the home team in what could be the best game of the weekend.
Etiwanda 34, Rancho Cucamonga 31

San Gorgonio at Cajon
This is the game I'll be at tomorrow and quite frankly, it should be a good one. Both of these teams can score from anywhere on the field, with Marlon Pollard and Walter Kazee leading the Cowboys and T.J. Smith and Tre Meadors leading the Spartans. I think the Cajon defense is a tinge better though.
Cajon 30, San Gorgonio 21

Rim of the World at Serrano
A good, solid Mojave River League matchup between two teams that like to pound the ball. However, the Diamondbacks have shown a propensity for big plays that goes against their typical 4-yards-and-a-clump-of-grass offensive philosophy. Rim will stay close for a while, but Serrano has a little too much firepower.
Serrano 33, Rim of the World 17

Jurupa Valley at Summit
This is where I'll be in a few hours. It will be interesting to see how Summit, who has backhanded every team it has played this year, does against league competition. This Jurupa Valley team isn't what it was last year, which was a league co-champion. Summit slowly pulls away and makes history yet again.
Summit 27, Jurupa Valley 6

Silverado at Victor Valley
You look at the records, see 0-6 by Silverado's name and assume that the Hawks have no chance at doing anything. That assumption would be wrong though, as Silverado dealt with a murderer's row in the non-league season. They have also beaten the Jackrabbits six years in a row. Never bet against a streak.
Silverado 24, Victor Valley 20

Ayala at Chino
We'll give the Sierra League some love here, as this game will be going on in a couple of hours. The Bulldogs, with star RB Courtney Samuel, look to finish the job and improve on their second-place finish in league a year ago. Chino is building under new coach Greg Setlich, but isn't quite ready to topple Ayala.
Ayala 30, Chino 13

Montclair at Chaffey
This Mt. Baldy League opener didn't look that compelling when the schedule came out, as the Cavaliers were 0-10 last year and Chaffey was 9-2. However, Montclair has shown some spunk in going 2-3 in the nonleague schedule. They'll need more than spunk against Chaffey, which has stabilized nicely at 3-2 after dropping its first two games.
Chaffey 34, Montclair 12

Big Bear at Yucca Valley
It's been a brutal nonleague season for the Bears, who are 3-1-1 despite an injury outbreak that has seen their starting QB and RB miss significant time and LB Sutton Burnard suffer a life-threatening head injury. Yucca Valley comes in on a roll with two wins in a row, but Big Bear will be too much.
Big Bear 35, Yucca Valley 16

Other games of note:
Redlands East Valley 45, Rialto 0
Eisenhower 23, Fontana 12
Los Osos 27, Alta Loma 10
Upland 38, Claremont 13
Colton 34, San Bernardino 6
Arroyo Valley 28, Pacific 0
Hesperia 30, Sultana 18
Kaiser 20, Riverside Norte Vista 10
Bloomington 17, Riverside Patriot 15
Ridgecrest Burroughs 27, Barstow 25
Apple Valley 31, Granite Hills 14
Chino Hills 36, Damien 17
Twentynine Palms 23, Desert Hot Springs 18
Arrowhead Christian 26, Los Angeles Salesian 15

Overall record: 101-23-4.

Bloomington High School's league-opening football game with Riverside Patriot, originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, was moved up to 7 p.m. Thursday according to Bruins coach Tom Conner, who cited a shortage of available officials Friday night as reason for the change.

Conner also said that next week's game at Jurupa Valley has also been moved from Friday to Thursday for similar reasons.

The top of the rankings stayed static, but there was a good bit of shuffling toward the bottom. Aquinas falls out after losing to Twentynine Palms, with Summit taking its place.

1. Redlands East Valley (5-0)
The Wildcats weren't really challenged by Fontana, but 17-0 isn't a score that will strike fear in the hearts of Miller or Redlands. The REV defense continues to impress though.

2. Upland (5-0)
Conceiveably could have moved up to No. 1 had it played. But the Highlanders spent this week resting up for a killer Baseline League, though it does get a break by opening with an improved but still inferior Claremont team.

3. Miller (5-0)
REV may be ranked higher, but the Rebels arguably have looked more impressive in CBL play. The offense continues to gain confidence and the defense just blanked Yucaipa.

4. Hesperia (5-0)
Another week, another close call for the Scorpions, who pulled out a tricky road game at Ridgecrest Burroughs. It doesn't get easier, as although Sultana is 0-5, the Key Game always brings out the Sultans' best.

5. Los Osos (4-1)
Arby Fields broke out nicely in Friday's win over Valencia West Ranch, just in time to get the Grizzlies going for league. They start with a tricky game against Alta Loma.

6. Cajon (4-1)
The Cowboys got a nice breather after a pretty good nonleague season. With sophomore QB Thomas Carter finding his groove, Cajon will be tough to beat in the SAL.

7. Rancho Cucamonga (4-0-1)
The Cougars continue to win and, predictably, continue to move up the poll. A tough opener at Etiwanda this week will be Rancho's first real stern test to 2008.

8. Colton (3-1-1)
I'm dropping the Yellowjackets a couple spots for their tie against Kaiser because realistically, it should have lost. However, Colton shows tenacity and grit, especially for a young team.

9. Chino Hills (5-0)
Forget about Silverado's 0-6 record - Chino Hills got a quality road win on Friday. These Huskies aren't as star-studded as they have been, but seem to be more effective at this point.

10. Summit (5-0)
After toeing around the periphery of the top 10, the SkyHawks finally earn their spot, despite giving up points for the first time all season. It will be interesting to see how this success translates in league.

Just missed the cut: Serrano (3-2), Ayala (4-1), Aquinas (5-1).

A lot of movement in the rankings near the top this week, including a brand-new No. 1. Hook 'em.

1. Texas (5) - You beat the No. 1 team, you deserve to be No. 1, plain and simple. The Longhorns have a long way to go, but thus far they deserve this ranking.

2. Alabama (2) - It was extremely tempting to put the Tide in the top spot, but a bye this week and a shaky week against Kentucky has them still at 2. Not a bad place to be though.

3. Penn State (6) - I don't care if Wisconsin is struggling or despondent or what, any time you can whip the Badgers by 41 in Camp Randall, you are good. Beating Michigan this week for the first time since 1996 seems to be a formality at this point.

4. Texas Tech (7) - Kind of a shaky No. 4, as the Red Raiders had to overcome a lot of mistakes to take out a scrappy Nebraska team in overtime. However, a win is a win, and Tech got it done.

5. Oklahoma (1) - I'm not going to punish the Sooners severely by losing to Texas. Quite frankly, the game was closer than the 45-35 score represents. OU isn't dead by any means.

6. USC (8) - Must be nice to turn over the ball 5 times and still win by 28 points. It wasn't pretty for the Trojans, but they have to be encouraged by the defense.

7. Florida (12) - Tim Tebow finally played like a Heisman winner this week, leading a beating of a trash-talking LSU squad. Note to future Gator opponents - don't make Tebow mad.

8. BYU (11) - As far as wins go, the Cougars' victory over New Mexico won't be particularly memorable. But BYU now has won 16 games in a row, tops in the nation, and is in great BCS position.

9. Georgia (9) - Typically a win over Tennessee holds a little more juice. But the Vols are bad and the Bulldogs' win pales in comparison of what Florida did to LSU.

10. Ohio State (10) - Another ugly win for Ohio State keeps the Buckeyes stagnant. They have a tough game coming up at Michigan State next Saturday.

11. Oklahoma State (17) - The Cowboys take a huge jump forward, and rightfully so, as they went into Columbia and held Chase Daniel and the Tigers down. No one is laughing at Mike Gundy now.

12. Missouri (4) - After last weekend's destruction of Nebraska, I don't think the Tigers expected to be ambushed by Okie State. But they were, throwing a monkey wrench into the Big 12 hierarchy.

13. Utah (13) - The Utes stay undefeated, but stay still in the rankings this week. Beating Wyoming just doesn't really do much for anyone at this point.

14. LSU (3) - Someone had to take a dive this week, and LSU was nice enough to volunteer. I realize Florida is darn good (hence their ranking), but you can't lose by 30 to anyone and expect not to suffer for it.

15. Kansas (15) - The Jayhawks got a nice win against Colorado this week and have been keeping relatively quiet lately. Not that being quiet is always bad.

16. Boise State (16) - Southern Miss isn't what it used to be, so Boise isn't going to get myany style points for its victory over the Golden Eagles. But its right where it needs to be right now.

17. Virginia Tech (18) - Didn't play, so I don't have much to say. Best team in the ACC by default really.

18. California (19) - The Golden Bears also move up without playing, which is pretty cool for them. The better Michigan State does, the better Cal looks.

19. Michigan State (23) - The Spartans handed previously-ranked Northwestern its first loss. Now it hosts Ohio State in a unlikely Big Ten first-place showdown.

20. South Florida (20) - I refuse to move up the Bulls during a bye week. Considering their last game was a loss, they are stuck for the time being.

21. Wake Forest (21) - It was ugly, but Wake got an important win against a Clemson team that typically gives it problems. However, the win wasn't impressive enough to prevent a Sparty leapfrog.

22. Ball State (25) - The Cardinals are 7-0 and looking pretty good. Now is the time they should start climbing.

23. North Carolina (NR) - Yeah, the Tar Heels are ranked. No, its not basketball season. Butch Davis seems to have things rolling in his second year in Chapel Hill.

24. Vanderbilt (14) - The Commodores dealt with something that is extremely rare - a letdown thing against an opponent hyped to play them. Vandy didn't handle it too well against Mississippi State.

25. Oregon (NR) - The Ducks move back in the rankings barely by outlasting UCLA. Ranked here more on the quality of their losses than their wins.

Under consideration: Tulsa, Florida State, Pittsburgh.

Dropped out: No. 22 Northwestern (lost to Michigan State), No. 24 Auburn (lost to Arkansas).

Not a bad week, but still lagging overall. Oh well, I guess there's plenty of season to go.

Oakland (+7) at New Orleans
The Saints are extremely close to 5-0, but instead need a win to get to .500. Luckily, they have the Raiders coming to town. The circus which is Al Davis can't be helping the Raiders and new coach Tom Cable. Look for New Orleans big.
New Orleans 31, Oakland 10

Baltimore (+4) at Indianapolis
The Colts pulled the ultimate Houdini act last week (thanks in large part to Sage Rosenfels), eliminating a 17-point deficit in the final five minutes to beat Houston. Will that give Indy enough momentum to win their first game at brand new Lucas Oil Stadium? I say yes, it'll pull through in a low-scoring, ugly game.
Indianapolis 16, Baltimore 13

Cincinnati (+9) at N.Y. Jets
I have to admit, Cincy surprised me by hanging with the Cowboys. However, a loss is a loss and who knows what their mentality is after falling to 0-5. I think Brett Favre may still be throwing touchdown passes against the Cardinals. He'll get a few against the Bengals too and without Carson Palmer, Cincy won't be able to reply.
N.Y. Jets 27, Cincinnati 10

Carolina (+1.5) at Tampa Bay
The NFC South has quietly become a division to be reckoned with, thanks in large part to these two teams. Both the Panthers and Bucs are solid veteran squads, but the main difference to me is the steadiness of Jake Delhomme versus the volatility of Brian Griese. I'll play it safe.
Carolina 23, Tampa Bay 17

Detroit (+13) at Minnesota
The Lions are planning on starting Dan Orlovsky in this game. Before you ask who, he was a fifth-round draft pick out of Connecticut in 2005. I think Lions fans would rather have Rip Hamilton at QB right now. The Vikes are flying high after a big Monday night win and will take this going away.
Minnesota 28, Detroit 3

Chicago (-3) at Atlanta
Whoever wins this game will move to 4-2. That's pretty surprising, especially for a Falcons team led by a rookie quarterback. However, I think the Bears are just a little more solid all-around, as they'll continue to lead the sad-sack NFC North after this game.
Chicago 24, Atlanta 17

Miami (+3) at Houston
This game is weird to me. The Dolphins have beaten two juggernauts in the Patriots and Chargers, but I don't entirely trust them. However, Houston blew a 17-point lead against Indianapolis thanks to some pretty shoddy decision-making by Sage Rosenfels. I think that'll have some hangover.
Miami 20, Houston 16

St. Louis (+13.5) at Washington
The Rams were arguably the worst team in the first four weeks of the NFL. The Redskins were arguably the second-best behind the Giants. Maybe Jim Haslett provides some sort of inspiration to St. Louis, but I'm not seeing it against the red-hot Skins.
Washington 28, St. Louis 13

Jacksonville (+3.5) at Denver
The Jaguars definitely have their backs to the wall, and Denver is never where a team like that wants to go. The Broncos' offense has slowed down a bit after a torrid start, but the defense seems to have stabilized as well. I'll take the home team here.
Denver 27, Jacksonville 21

Philadelphia (-4.5) at San Francisco
Another judgement day for a 2-3 team, as the Eagles have Donovan McNabb blogging and Brian Westbrook with broken ribs. Hey, at least the Phillies are winning right? It'll be interesting to see how the Eagles react to the McNabb drama. I think they'll be Ok, if only for this week.
Philadelphia 30, San Francisco 19

Dallas (-5) at Arizona
I must admit, my faith in the Cowboys has been shaken a bit lately, as Dallas lost to Washington and barely held off Cincinnati. Arizona, while the best team in a bad NFC West, has a hard time defending the pass (see Brett Favre, 6 TDs). I look for Dallas to win a shootout.
Dallas 37, Arizona 34

Green Bay (+1) at Seattle
This seems to be easy money right now. The Seahawks have been absolutely brutal and Matt Hasselbeck will be less than 100 percent - if he even plays at all. I know the Packers have had their issues, but they are much better than Seattle at this point.
Green Bay 27, Seattle 16

New England (+5) at San Diego
The Patriots fans that were threatening to jump off the ledge after the Miami loss are back after Matt Cassel showed some big-play ability last week in San Fran. The Chargers are 2-3 and need a win and although the Patriots have broken their hearts time and again, they'll get it - but not by much.
San Diego 21, New England 17

N.Y. Giants (-7.5) at Cleveland
Is it me, or does it look like Eli Manning is a whole new quarterback. Winning that Super Bowl seems to have lifted some heavy weight off his shoulders, as Manning is simply dissecting teams. With an aggressive defense, a deep stable of running backs and Manning, the Giants are legit. The Browns, however, are not.
N.Y. Giants 24, Cleveland 12

Overall: 36-38. Against the spread: 35-38-1

I'm consistent if nothing else, going 7-3, 5-5 for what seems to be the 100th week in a row. Let's see if we can't finally crack .500 against the spread.

Arizona State (+28) at USC
This spread seems really huge, too huge. I realize the Sun Devils have lost three in a row and seem permanently destined to never have two good years in a row, but Mark Sanchez's knee seems to be an issue for the Trojans. Look for USC to treat that situation, and this game, with kid gloves. They'll win and win easily, but not cover.
USC 31, Arizona State 14

UCLA (+19.5) at Oregon
It's amazing that UCLA shut out the Ducks last year. Of course, Oregon was on its fourth or fifth-string QB at the time and Karl Dorrell was desperately fighting for his job. Well, Rick Neuheisel has job security, UCLA seems incapable of scoring more than 10 points against a decent team and Autzen Stadium will be rocking. Seems like a bad combo for the Bruins.
Oregon 35, UCLA 10

Arizona (-7) at Stanford
I was completely wrong about Arizona last week - or I was just completely wrong about how bad Washington was. I said Arizona wasn't ready to cover a 20-plus point spread, and they kill Washington by much more than that. Now comes a Stanford team that is seems extremely average, hence the 3-3 record. I say Zona takes another big step.
Arizona 34, Stanford 23

Washington State (+30) at Oregon State
This spread looks stupid, but then again, this game is kind of dumb. I realize that last sentence was completely sophomoric, but Washington State is bad. So bad that it lost by 25 to UCLA. I have no faith that the Cougars are capable of covering any sort of spread and quite frankly, I am dreading the Apple Cup battle between Wazzu and U-Dub next month.
Oregon State 48, Washington State 7

Texas (+6) vs. Oklahoma
This is the premier matchup of the weekend, with the No. 5 Longhorns and the No. 1 Sooners playing in one of the better rivalries in the nation. Seriously, Dallas during Texas-OU week is a celebration of alcohol, corn dogs and trash talk. For all the accolades these teams get though, their games tend to be pretty lopsided. I think the Red River Shootout is overdue for a classic. It'll get one.
Oklahoma 30, Texas 28

LSU (+6) at Florida
This is one of those lines that just makes me shake my head. What is Vegas seeing from this game that I don't? LSU is a defending national champion with a lockdown defense and a quickly maturing QB in redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee. While Florida has gloryboy Heisman winner Tim Tebow, it seems a little off and is a few weeks removed from being beaten by Ole Miss. I'm not only taking the Tigers to cover here, but to win.
LSU 23, Florida 20

Oklahoma State (+14) at Missouri
Another undefeated showdown between two Big 12 teams, this game is definitely flying under the radar. It shouldn't though, as this game should have more fireworks than a Fourth of July celebration in Washington D.C. The over/under for this game is 76.5 points, which is ridiculous, but definitely realistic. I think Missouri pulls away late in a game that will definitely be worth the price of admission.
Missouri 54, Oklahoma State 31

Michigan State (-1) at Northwestern
This biggest game in the Big Ten this week is this one. No, I'm not kidding. The Spartans and Wildcats are a combined 10-1 right now and the winner of this could set up to be a darkhorse in that conference. This matchup has been entertaining in recent years, with MSU recovering from a 38-3 deficit to win two years ago and NW winning in OT at East Lansing last year. I think the Wildcats are a little more well-rounded than the Spartans.
Northwestern 27, Michigan State 24

Penn State (-6) at Wisconsin
This was the game expected to be the headliner on the Week 7 Big Ten slate. But the Badgers have had two stomach-punch losses in a row, blowing a 19-0 lead at Michigan and giving up a game-winning drive at home to Ohio State last week. I guess conceivably the Badgers are due, but Penn State is playing at an entirely different level right now.
Penn State 28, Wisconsin 17

Notre Dame (+9) at North Carolina
This line keeps swelling, going up 2 points from what it was Tuesday. It represents a general skepticism with the Irish, despite Notre Dame getting off to a 4-1 start. North Carolina seems to have it rolling under Butch Davis and look to be on their way back to the way they were in the 90s under Mack Brown, but I think Notre Dame hangs tough in this one.
North Carolina 28, Notre Dame 24

Overall record: 44-16. Record against spread: 29-30-1

A little late on the draw, with games starting within the hour. Let's get it on. Not a great week last week with a 15-6 record.

CITRUS BELT LEAGUE

Eisenhower at Redlands
The Terriers broke out last week for their first win. Of course, they did it against Fontana, who is rebuilding, but a win is a win. Ike slogged through last week to beat Carter in a 3-0 game that I was at and QB Anthony Lucero is questionable. The Eagles need Lucero to have a shot in this game and even then, I don't think it will be enough.
Redlands 24, Eisenhower 10

Redlands East Valley at Fontana
Kurt Bruich played for his father, Dick Bruich, at Fohi during the glory dates. That connection to Bruich is the closest thing the Steelers will have to success today, as the Wildcats have too much firepower for Fohi. On a positive note, at least Fohi gets the Redlands schools out of the way.
Redlands East Valley 48, Fontana 0

Yucaipa at Miller
Scoff all you want, but Yucaipa gave Miller quite a tussle last year, holding an A.J. Springer-led Rebel offense to 14 points in a 14-7 Miller victory. The Rebels don't have Springer, but their offense took a big step up last week against Rialto. That step is probably out of Yucaipa's range at this point.
Miller 26, Yucaipa 7

Rialto at Carter
This game will basically eliminate the loser from playoff contention. I know that seems presumptious with five weeks to go after this, but both of these reeling teams with questionable firepower need a win bad. Neither offense has shown much, so I'll go with the Carter defense here.
Carter 13, Rialto 7

NONLEAGUE

Kaiser at Colton
With 503 combined wins between Dick Bruich and Harold Strauss, the coaching matchup in this game is impressive, hence, why I'm going to it. Colton will be playing its home opener (I didn't mistype that) and I expect an inspired performance. Kaiser will be stingy, but Colton gets just a few more plays.
Colton 17, Kaiser 12

Hesperia at Ridgecrest Burroughs
Another tough test looms for the Scorpions, who were thankful to survive by one point last week against Barstow. While Barstow pummeled the Hesperia front seven in the double-wing, Burroughs likes to take to the air. It'll hit a couple, but I'm taking the Scorpions to stay undefeated.
Hesperia 27, Burroughs 23

Twentynine Palms at Aquinas
The Falcons have been an offensive juggernaut, averaging 468 yards per game, including going over the 500-yard barrier the last two weeks. 29 Palms has its share of weapons as well in Jared Demoss and Montreal Harris, but if it tries to fight fire with fire, it'll get burned. Lame cliche aside, I'll take the Falcons.
Aquinas 38, Twentynine Palms 27

Chino Hills at Silverado
At this point, you have to start feeling sorry for Silverado coach Carl Posey. The non-league schedule that the Hawks put together was absolutely brutal, hence the 0-5 start. And Chino Hills, which seems to be rolling under new coach Derek Bub and new QB Ryan Verdugo, won't be any sort of break.
Chino Hills 28, Silverado 16

Summit at Sultana
Summit still hasn't given up a point this season. Sultana has had a hard time scoring any points, and defending teams from scoring points, as they've been outscored by an average of 31.2 points per game. I don't think Summit will win by that much and they may give up a point, but the SkyHawks continue to roll.
Summit 24, Sultana 6

Apple Valley at San Gorgonio
After destroying San Bernardino up at Newton T. Bass Stadium, the Sun Devils try for the San Berdoo sweep this week against the Spartans. Even though San G is 1-3, its hard to fault their losses against Hesperia, REV and Chino Hills. I was wrong on San G last week, but I'm stubborn.
San Gorgonio 21, Apple Valley 20

Other games of note:
Los Osos 30, Valencia West Ranch 16
Rancho Cucamonga 36, Temecula Valley 14
Charter Oak 27, Etiwanda 23
Arrowhead Christian 32, Xavier Prep 9
Big Bear 34, Rosamond 14
Rim of the World 30, Granite Hills 17
Victor Valley 21, Patriot 18
Paloma Valley 24, Bloomington 15

Overall record: 86-21-3.

Pretty standard this week, as everyone won except for Serrano, who was edged out of the poll. Everyone else either stayed the same or moved up one. Boring I know.

1. Redlands East Valley (4-0)
The Wildcats had perhaps their most impressive performance of the year against Yucaipa. They seem to be getting better, but this week should be a slamdunk against a struggling Fontana team.

2. Upland (5-0)
The Highlanders took care of Bloomington easily, giving them a bye before they start a brutal Baseline League slate. I wish I had more to say, but Upland's play speaks for itself.

3. Miller (4-0)
The offense erupted against Rialto, which doesn't have that bad of a defense. If the Miller offense plays at a consistently high level, watch out, because the defense has been a rock all season.

4. Hesperia (4-0)
The Scorpions got a huge scare this week, having to hold off a Barstow 2-point conversion attempt to escape with the victory. A massively-improved Ridgecrest Burroughs team this week won't be a picnic either.

5. Los Osos (3-1)
The Grizzlies slug past Kaiser and move up a pinch in the rankings, showing some resolve after the tough loss to Vista Murrieta.

6. Colton (3-1)
The Yellowjackets' double-wing offense showed a little more life against Silverado. If they can continue getting 27 points per game, as they did against Silverado, their defense should be able to deliver Colton to a good place.

7. Cajon (4-1)
I know La Quinta is down, as the Blackhawks have been defeated by Colton and Norco as well. But putting up 40 against La Quinta is nothing to be scoffed at.

8. Aquinas (5-0)
Another week, another 500-yard performance. Falcons coach Josh Henderson gets borderline giddy when talking about this team and its hard to blame them, as Aquinas can come at you from all angles.

9. Rancho Cucamonga (3-0-1)
The Cougars are slowly, but surely, moving their way up. If they stand up during Baseline League play, they'll be at the top or near the top of these rankings.

10. Chino Hills (4-0)
I was tempted to put Serrano here and keep it in the poll, but Chino Hills beat the team (Colony) that most recently beat Serrano. There was no logical reason not to put the Huskies in this place.

Just missed the cut: Serrano (3-2), Summit (4-0), Ayala (4-1).

Not nearly as much movement this week at the top, but the bottom got altered quite a bit.

1. Oklahoma (1) - The Sooners celebrated their first week as No. 1 with a rout of Baylor. But the true test of their pedigree comes this upcoming weekend against Texas in the Red River Shootout.

2. Alabama (2) - The Tide was pretty ho-hum this week against Kentucky, but a letdown is to be expected after the huge win over Georgia last week.

3. LSU (3) - Tigers chilled this week, but a big matchup with Florida this week awaits.

4. Missouri (4) - 30 years of frustration at Nebraska was erased pretty emphatically tonight. Mizzou might have the most lethal offense in the nation right now.

5. Texas (5) - Longhorns handled a potential landmine game against Colorado with ease. Oklahoma next week is the true legitimacy test, though.

6. Penn State (6) - Not a pretty win, but the Nits took out Purdue and stayed undefeated. Next up is a wounded and desperate Wisconsin team.

7. Texas Tech (7) - The Red Raiders did pretty well against their first opponent with a pulse, drilling Kansas State by 30 on the road.

8. USC (9) - The Trojans looked like national contenders again by destroying Oregon. Makes you wonder what the heck could have possibly happened against Oregon State. Still a mystery.

9. Georgia (8) - Bulldogs move down based on USC's blowout win than anything else. They'll have opportunities to reprove themselves down the road.

10. Ohio State (10) - Very good road win against a Wisconsin team that really, really needed to win. The game-winning drive could have been Terrelle Pryor's coming of age.

11. BYU (11) - 15 wins in a row and counting for the Cougars. However, playing Utah State isn't going to make me jump them up.

12. Florida (12) - The 38-7 win over Arkansas was deceiving, as the Razorbacks were actually within 10 points to start the fourth quarter. LSU next week presents a great opportunity to win back respect.

13. Utah (15) - Normally a escape of a win against a 2-3 team isn't much to crow about. But ask USC how effective a 2-3 Oregon State can be.

14. Vanderbilt (18) - The Commodores got perhaps their biggest win in 50 years by beating Auburn and moving to 5-0. Vandy is actually leading the SEC East right now, which is trippy in itself.

15. Kansas (16) - Kansas moved up a bit because of losses by surrounding teams, but were jumped by Vandy due to the last-ditch nature of their Iowa State victory.

16. Boise State (19) - It truly is amazing how consistent Boise State is. The Broncos plug in players and continue to win. A finely-tuned system if there was one.

17. Oklahoma State (23) - The Cowboys keep winning, keep scoring and keep moving up. They get a huge test this week with Missouri.

18. Virginia Tech (21) - The Hokies may be the most awkward, most visually-displeasing 5-1 team there is - and I'm not talking about the maroon and orange color scheme. But 5-1 is 5-1.

19. California (NR) - This is probably higher than most have Cal, but the Golden Bears have a quietly solid team. I bet they wish they had a mulligan for Maryland though.

20. South Florida (13) - This might be the hardest team to rank right now. True, they lost at home to Pittsburgh, but the Bulls did win against Kansas. Losses and bye weeks keep USF ok for now.

21. Wake Forest (24) - I don't like moving up teams due to byes, but there was really no choice this week. Plus, Navy, who upset Wake, validated itself a bit more by beating a good Air Force team.

22. Northwestern (25) - The unbeaten Wildcats continue their slow rise. Next week's game with Michigan State will filter out one of the Big Ten upstarts.

23. Michigan State (NR) - The Spartans have won 5 in a row since losing to Cal in the opener, and RB Javon Ringer is in the top 5 for the Heisman right now. Northwestern game starts brutal second half of the season.

24. Auburn (14) - A 10-spot drop may be severe considering the quality of Vanderbilt, but the Tigers' offense just isn't good. At all. The D however, is stout.

25. Ball State (NR) - The Cardinals, who are 6-0 right now, crack the Top 25, and deservedly so. Their early-week win at Navy keeps looking better and better.

On the cusp: Florida State, Pittsburgh, Oregon

Dropped out: No. 17 Wisconsin (lost to Ohio State), No. 20 Oregon (lost to USC), No. 22 Fresno State (lost to Hawaii).

It's October and I'm still below .500 in the NFL. Either I take too many risks or I really stink. I'm going with the latter. Anyone who uses these picks for anything besides mocking is really misguided. But I'm going to press on anyway.

Indianapolis (-3) at Houston
Something was seriously off for the Colts before their bye. Except for one quarter against the Vikings, Indy has been beaten down in the early part of this season. The Texans played well enough to win in Jacksonville last week and are finally at home for the first time. An emotional Houston crowd makes the difference.
Houston 23, Indianapolis 20

Tennessee (-2.5) at Baltimore
The Titans, with the aged Kerry Collins at quarterback, weren't expected to be undefeated. In fact, I think I've picked against them twice. Well, I'm not doing that. While Baltimore has a good D, Tennessee's is tops in the NFL right now, which should do the trick against Joe Flacco.
Tennessee 17, Baltimore 10

San Diego (-6.5) at Miami
The Chargers still aren't clicking on all cylinders, but they seem to be going in the right direction. I thought Miami's use of the "Wild Hog" offense with Ronnie Brown at quarterback was great, but something tells me the Chargers will be ready for it.
San Diego 31, Miami 20

Kansas City (+9.5) at Carolina
The Chiefs surprised everyone last week by beating the undefeated Broncos. It's an aberration though, as I don't see any way KC repeats that performance against Carolina. Panthers will romp.
Carolina 28, Kansas City 10

Washington (+6) at Philadelphia
This game pretty much hinges, at least from spread concerns, on Brian Westbrook. The Skins were impressive last week at Dallas and would get major kudos for winning in Philly. However, the Eagles can't afford to fall any further behind in the brutal NFC East. They'll win a close one.
Philadelphia 23, Washington 21

Chicago (-3.5) at Detroit
Amazingly the Lions swept the Bears this year. It's not amazing because the Bears were good, but because Detroit very rarely is competent enough to sweep anything. At least Matt Millen is gone from the Lions, but they'll have to be satisfied with baby steps for now.
Chicago 27, Detroit 19

Atlanta (+3.5) at Green Bay
Normally this would be an easy pick for the Packers, but Aaron Rodgers' up in the air status could make this game a Matt Ryan vs. Matt Flynn QB matchup. Still, I think the Pack have enough to cover this spread even with Flynn. They'll depend on Ryan Grant and the defense.
Green Bay 20, Atlanta 13

Seattle (+7) at N.Y. Giants
The Seahawks are still a hot mess, even after the bye week. They are basically reduced to either running the ball 50 times, which shouldn't work against the Giants, or throwing the ball strictly to their tight ends. Plaxico Burress is out, so the Giants will grind out a low-scoring win.
N.Y. Giants 21, Seattle 13

Tampa Bay (+3.5) at Denver
With the frequency that these two teams put the ball in the air, this game could take nearly four hours. Denver is basically reduced to winning in shootouts, which they should be able to do at home. Count on Brian Griese to throw a crucial interception for Tampa as well.
Denver 34, Tampa Bay 28

New England (-3) at San Francisco
The Pats were embarrassed by Ronnie Brown and the Wild Hog two weeks ago, so you know that Bill Belichick was doing everything short of ritualistic abuse during New England's bye week. Frisco has improved, but I'll take the Pats here.
New England 19, San Francisco 14

Buffalo (+1.5) at Arizona
Everytime I pick the Cardinals I look stupid. Then again, you could replace the word Cardinals with 10 other names and the statement would still be factually correct. I'm picking Buffalo out of pure spite.
Buffalo 27, Arizona 21

Cincinnati (+16.5) at Dallas
The game will stink, but seeing Chad Ocho Cinco and Terrell Owens clash in a touchdown celebration contest would sure be entertaining. T.O. will be happy, for this week at least, as the Cowboys should roll over the pourous Bengals defense.
Dallas 41, Cincinnati 17

Pittsburgh (+5) at Jacksonville
The Jaguars seem to do really well against the Steelers, who have Mewelde Moore starting at running back this week. Mewelde Moore went to Tulane, which got killed by Army this week. I'll take the Jags and the points.
Jacksonville 21, Pittsburgh 14

Minnesota (+3) at New Orleans
Quite frankly, I'm sick of picking the Vikings just to have them lose - or picking against them just to have them win. I'm messed up either way, but I'll take the home team as a default.
New Orleans 28, Minnesota 20

Straight up: 28-31. Against the spread: 27-31-1.

I really hate that the college football season is two weeks ahead of the high school football season. With colleges starting in late August and high schools choosing to use the dumb "Zero Week" moniker, it messes me up every week.

My college picking was pretty bleh last week, as I went 5-5 against the spread and slightly better overall. I did pull the reverse jinx on Wisconsin though. Boo ya!

Oregon (+16) at USC
The Trojans probably hate the word Oregon after last week. Luckily, its a word that's not easily used in sentences or that sounds like anything. However, anyone who asks Rey Maualuga what his "country of oregon" is will likely be punched in the face. Two things could happen - USC could punch out the Ducks at home or slog around and play a boring game. I'm going with the punch.
USC 42, Oregon 20

Washington State (+17) at UCLA
This game has been slated for the late game on FSN, which means that Fox is hoping to draw in the intoxicated bar crowd in the East and Midwest and hope they don't realize what this game actually is - a matchup between two unwatchable teams. Actually, UCLA played pretty well against Fresno, though I'm hesitant about giving them over two touchdowns against anyone, no matter how awful Wazzu is.
UCLA 23, Washington State 9

Arizona State (+9) at California
The Sun Devils are fresh off a necessary week off, as they needed time to get over consecutive losses to UNLV and Georgia, or hang out at "The Library" and ogle some co-eds. Quite frankly, ASU needs to steal this game, as Oregon and USC - and a possible 2-5 start - looms if it doesn't. I really have nothing to say about Cal, though I do think they win, but not cover.
California 28, Arizona State 20

Washington (+22.5) at Arizona
If I'm a REV fan, I would hop in a car Saturday morning and drive to Tucson. Former Wildcats QB Ronnie Fouch is making his debut as a starter for the Huskies. There's really no other reason to watch the Huskies, who have been bad under dead-man-walking coach Tyrone Willingham. I do think Washington will cover though - Arizona isn't quite ready to lay this many points.
Arizona 38, Washington 23

Stanford (+6.5) at Notre Dame
According to my sources (Clay Fowler), Norco coach Todd Gerhart is skipping his team's game with Riverside Poly tonight to go to this game and watch his son Toby, a sophomore running back. You can't blame Gerhart for this, as Stanford has a rare chance to steal a game at venerable Notre Dame Stadium. I think they will, as the Irish, while 3-1, have been maddeningly inconsistent.
Stanford 24, Notre Dame 21

Auburn (-4) at Vanderbilt
I never thought I'd be picking a Vanderbilt game in this space. But hey, the Commodores have been part of a huge resurgence from the academic powers of the BCS (Northwestern, Vandy, Duke, Stanford). Auburn has been shaky offensively and are apparently scrapping the spread offense which they brought in during the offseason. Kind of a sign of panic if you ask me. I'm probably stupid for doing this, but I'm taking the 'Dores.
Vanderbilt 17, Auburn 16

Ohio State (-1.5) at Wisconsin
With last weekend's collapse at Michigan, the Badgers could be staring 0-3 in the Big Ten in the face, as they have Penn State after this week's matchup with the Buckeyes. Ohio State freshman QB Terrelle Pryor will get his first road start in a brutal environment, as contact with the Madison locals at night can get you the drunk version of a contact high. I've said too much there. Anyway, I'll go with a desperate home team, though i'm not ecstatic about it.
Wisconsin 20, Ohio State 17

Florida State (+2) at Miami (Fla)
Remember when this game was the end-all, be-all of college football? In the 90s, this was the game to go to, with rappers and former athletes alike wanting to be a part of these showdowns. Now, its a mere footnote on the schedule, one that I almost didn't pick. Too bad, so sad. Anyway, both of these teams have athletes but are extremely raw or incompetent at the quarterback position. I'll take raw at home over incompetent on the road.
Miami (Fla) 16, Florida State 13

Missouri (-10.5) at Nebraska
This should be a gimme. The Tigers have one of the more dynamic offenses in Division I and the Heisman Trophy frontrunner in Chase Daniel. Nebraska, meanwhile, is still a work in progress. But for all of Mizzou's accolades, they still haven't won in Lincoln in decades. Expect the Huskers to come out pumped, but for Missouri to have too much oomph in the second half.
Missouri 44, Nebraska 28

Kentucky (+15.5) at Alabama
This could be called the Bear Bryant Bowl, as the late legendary coach headed both of these programs back in the day. He had his Junction Boys time with Texas A&M, but that's a whole other story. Anyway, Nick Saban has the Tide looking as dominant as it did under The Bear. However, Kentucky has quietly built a good defense and a 4-0 record. There will be a bit of a letdown after the big win at Georgia, so while Bama wins, the Cats cover.
Alabama 24, Kentucky 13

Overall record: 37-13. Record against spread: 24-25-1

Going into the season, Rim of the World coach Bob Gradillas thought that sophomore Dillon Pretzinger would be important in lessening the workload on junior running back Nick Toner, who ran for 961 yards and 15 touchdowns last year.

But with Toner missing most of the first three games due to nagging soreness in his right knee, Pretzinger has been forced to carry most of the load. Not that its been much of a problem.

The 6-foot-0, 166-pounder ran for 310 yards on 32 carries with three touchdowns in the Fighting Scots' 48-23 victory over Bishop last Friday and already has 542 yards on the ground for the season. Not bad for a guy who Gradillas was somewhat unsure about.

"We knew that Dillon had the ability, but we never expected him to start the way he has," Gradillas said. "It's not something you expect out of a sophomore. It's been quite a lift and gives us some options once Nick comes back."

Because of the way Pretzinger has played, Rim has the option of getting Toner fresh for Mojave River League play. Gradillas indicated that Toner, while almost ready to play, might sit against Indio tonight and Granite Hills next week to allow further healing - a luxury he might not have without Pretzinger's emergence.

The games start counting for real this weekend, with the Citrus Belt League starting its season. That means that my picks will start counting for a bit more this week, at least emotionally.

I fell off from my one-loss performance of week 2 with a 17-5-2 mark last week, but I'm giving myself bonus points for nailing the exact score of the Etiwanda-Carter game (36-10 for those wondering). Anyway, here we go for Week 4.

CITRUS BELT LEAGUE

Yucaipa at Redlands East Valley
The Wildcats' D has gotten stingier as the season has gone on, giving up only six points to Compton Dominguez last week. The Dons are down from what they normally are, but good defense is good defense. Yucaipa has shown some explosion at times this year and while REV is still a work in progress offensivley, it will stay undefeated.
Redlands East Valley 24, Yucaipa 12

Miller at Rialto
Apparently the Orkin man has come to Rialto High School and expunged the pesky ants from the football field. The Knights have been pestered by a lack of offense, as they have been blanked during the last two games. That doesn't bode will against a Miller team with some sting in it.
Miller 23, Rialto 3

Carter at Eisenhower
Big status game for both. While the Lions aren't considered the elite of the league, they do have two consecutive playoff berths. To get to the playoffs, something that hasn't been done at Ike since 2004, Carter is a team the Eagles need to beat. I think they will, though it won't be easy.
Eisenhower 24, Carter 20

Redlands at Fontana
One team has a win coming in and surprise, its not the Terriers. However, Redlands played three tough teams in Vista Murrieta, Clovis East and LA Carson, so Fontana's 28-0 win over San Bernardino won't have much of an impact. Redlands gets in the W column in a big way.
Redlands 33, Fontana 7

NONLEAGUE

Colton at Silverado
This game gets going in an hour, so I'll pick it now. I saw the Yellowjackets pull victory from the jaws of defeat (cliche' alert) against Palm Springs last week and realize that while Colton has a ways to go, they have some heart. Silverado has got to be sick of playing good teams, a sickness that will continue as the Hawks become the best 0-5 team in the state.
Colton 14, Silverado 6

Barstow at Hesperia
I think Barstow goes out of its way to mess with me. I'm 100 percent convinced of this. I finally jump on the Aztec bandwagon and they fall to Quartz Hill. Quartz Hill is good, mind you, but still, throw me a bone. Barstow hopes Hesperia throws them a bone this year, but the Scorpions are flat pile-driving people right now.
Hesperia 30, Barstow 13

Serrano at Colony
The two-time defending Central Division champion Titans finally got their first win of the 2008 season last week. That's the good news. The bad news is that they have to play Serrano, who backhanded them 49-14 last season. That may serve as some motivation to Colony, but they are too young to do much about it.
Serrano 28, Colony 14

Los Osos at Kaiser
While it was a nonleague game against a very good Vista Murrieta team, Los Osos has to be somewhat peeved in blowing a 21-7 lead on the road last week. Kaiser, as usual, has a beast of a nonleague schedule, making Los Osos a perfect fit. The Cats don't quite have the firepower necessary to hang with the Grizzlies.
Los Osos 20, Kaiser 9

Chino Hills at San Gorgonio
This Chino Hills team isn't nearly as star-studded as last year's version, but they might actually be a good thing for the Huskies, who have shown quite a bit of grit in going 3-0. San G has dazzled at times during its first three games in going 1-2 and will have to continue to do that. I think it will, as I'm picking the upset.
San Gorgonio 24, Chino Hills 22

Alta Loma at Arroyo Valley
In many leagues, the Braves would be a playoff contender. But unless something drastic happens, I think Alta Loma is destined for fifth in the Baseline League. Arroyo Valley has done a good job with a patchwork offense and should be able to tough this one out as well.
Arroyo Valley 17, Alta Loma 13

Other games of note:
Arrowhead Christian 23, Yucca Valley 17
Upland 45, Bloomington 3
Cajon 16, La Quinta 10
Etiwanda 31, Chino 20
Granite Hills 27, Cathedral City 6
Twentynine Palms 28, Oak Park 16
Chaffey 36, Pacific 7
Indio 27, Rim of the World 23
Apple Valley 24, San Bernardino 6
Aquinas 34, San Pedro Mary Star of the Sea 14
Victor Valley 24, Sultana 21

Overall record: 71-15-3