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The waiting room…2 days to glory.

Start w/confidence:

QB:

Phillip Rivers: Lost in the due hype surrounding Jay Cutler’s dismantling of the Raiders, Rivers, not Tomlinson, was the benefactor of San Diego’s offense. Rivers is really coming into his since the playoffs last year and will reward owners who start him this week with a couple TDs while Tomlinson deals with a nagging toe injury. Don’t overestimate Gates value to this offense. He is an elite TE, but Rivers is emerging as a legitimate leader and has Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers on the outside.

Aaron Rodgers: Efficient if not flashy week 1 performance and will play against a bad Lions team. He has the weapons to toss a multiple TD game w/225+ yards. If you’ve got Rodgers, you’ve got to be excited about him playing Detroit twice this year. YUM.

Jay Cutler: Every week unless you’ve got Brees, Peyton Manning, Romo or Roethlisberger. He’s going to be a top-5 QB this year. In fact, if you have one of the above studs and Cutler, deal the proven commodity for an upgrade at RB or WR and ride Cutler for 30+ TDs.

RB:

Chris Johnson: Every week until the little guy gets decleated (verb – 1. to have one’s cleats removed by force. Ex. Al Harris being ran over by Adrian Peterson) and doesn’t get up. He’s the only threat on the Titans and they’ve already realized he’s the go to guy instead of Lendale White. Before Johnson left with a cramp in the 4th quarter on Sunday he had 15 carries to White’s 9. If not for White’s gravitational pull sucking him into the end zone he’d be useless. White makes a solid flex now as he might turn into Cory Dillon from ’06 when he had double-digit TDs and about 40 yards a week. BONUS* Johnson gets Cincinnati this week who made a 6’6” guy from Delaware with a 4.8 40 time look like Randall Cunningham in Tecmo Bowl or for the younger audience Mike Vick in ’05 Madden.

Whoever runs for the Ravens this week: Willie Parker scored more TDs against the Texans this past Sunday than all of last year when he had 1300+ yards. It’s hard to tell whether the Lions or Texans are worse at stopping the run. McGahee is supposedly ready for this week making him a low end #1 against the user friendly Texans. If you’re short on RBs and Ray Rice is available he will get some touches while McGahee regains confidence in his knee. Rice makes an interesting flex play because Baltimore will try to keep Flacco’s attempts down to avoid him meeting Mario Williams, but if they get down and have to throw Rice will be limited because rookie RBs usually have trouble w/blitz recognition.

Earnest Graham: This one seems obvious but I wanted to put it out here. Chucky (nee John Gruden) realized the error of his ways letting Jeff Garcia and his Category 1 arm toss the ball 41 times to the likes of Joey Galloway (56) and Ike Hilliard (irrelevant since Danny Wuerffel won the Heisman). 41 TIMES! Anyways, during this Graham managed to pile up 91 yards on 10 carries. Suffice to say Chucky realized when your top back is getting nearly a 1st down on every touch you should give him the rock. The Falcons have proved nothing. I was as excited as anyone who was playing against Michael Turner last week, but this is a big divisional and Brian Griese (yes that Brian Griese) is probably starting at QB. Look for Graham to get 25+ touches and a score or two.

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I'm watching the UNC v. Rutgers game right now, and the ESPN ticker is cycling as follows: NFL, AL, NL, NCAAF, OSU-USC...

NCAAF starts with the news that "Ohio St coach Jim Tressel says RB Chris Wells (foot) is doubtful for Saturday at USC." Simultaneously, Rece Davis breaks into game coverage to tell me that the Pontiac G6 Halftime Report will include "more conversation about the 'Collision at the Coliseum!'" and jokes that "you may have heard a little something about that game coming up." Haha, good one Rece.

After speeding through the rest of the Top 25 games of the weekend, the ticker scrolls over to OSU-USC and informs me 1) Collision at the Coliseum: (5) Ohio State at (1) USC - Saturday, 8 ET on ABC and ESPN Radio, 2) College GameDay Built by the Home Depot - Live from Los Angeles Saturday, 10 AM ET on ESPN, 3) Ohio St: 8-1 vs Pac-10 opp since 1995, 4) USC: Won 5 straight meetings (1st since 1990), and most revealingly, 5) Ohio St coach Jim Tressel says RB Chris Wells (foot) is doubtful for Saturday at USC.

Wait...I missed it, who is playing Saturday night?

Nowhere on the ticker or during the halftime show has it been mentioned that the "Collision at the Coliseum" will be a complete schalacking!

Don't get me wrong. I'm going to watch Ohio State get annihilated just like I did in the last two National Championship Games, but another two days of ESPN shoving this down my throat and I'm going to pull a Kanye on the next photographer I see (and I work at a newspaper). And as much as ESPN wants me to think otherwise, there are at least four games on the schedule that I am much more interested to see:

1. Kansas @ South Florida
2. UCLA @ BYU
3. Auburn @ Miss St
4. Wisconsin @ Fresno St

Declare your freedom from the ESPN hype-machine...hold up, Erin Andrews is giving me an update on Beanie Wells...what was I talking about?

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Guest blogger Dr. T delivers his first dose of fantasy advice. He does the research you are too lazy to do yourself, so listen up.

The Doctor is in…

A weekly diagnosis of fantasy football's aches and pains. In respect to “Sticky” Ricky Williams I will also offer alternative holistic healing for your fantasy soul. It’s about as effective as Ricky looked against the Jets but it’ll lessen the pain.

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The adminstration is not the only reason Virginia football cannot be taken seriously.

Visit parking lots at schools from the Big 10 to the Pac-12 and you'll find RV's in place two days prior to the kickoff of a new season (most of which open with a D-II school). But host the best team in the nation for a season opener in C-Ville, and you will be lonely if you arrive 3 hours early. There's a word for this...pathetic!

Rage against Colin Cowherd all you want, but where is the evidence to the contrary? Last time I checked, fan was short for fanatic, and I haven't seen fanaticism at a UVA game in...well...ever.

Members of the student body don't control the high dollar parking spaces, so who's to blame here? That would be you, middle-aged, wealthy alumnist who forces your Tahoe into your spot honking continuously while you try to figure out what the people you hit with your SUV are doing here a full 40 minutes before kickoff.

Here's a hint, the few of us in attendance are there to partake in a time honored tradition involving fried food, borboun, cornhole, beer, & more borboun known to the rest of college football fandom as "tailgating". It is quite popular at other schools, but you wouldn't know that because you've never traveled to an away game, let alone a bowl game. In fact, it's such a hit, that most schools actually close their parking lots 3-5 hours before games begin. That's right, you would be parked on the side of 64 while my ears and hips get a break from your horn and bumper.

The whole rich alumni base needs to tighten up. Get to the game early or stay your a-- at home.

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From Heather Dinich's ACC Blog:

Virginia quarterback Peter Lalich will not play against Connecticut on Saturday, coach Al Groh announced today in a statement released by the school.

Sophomore Marc Verica will make the first start of his career.

"We stand by Peter and in talking with him have made a decision which is best in the short term for him, the team, and our University," Groh stated. "We have a strong set of standards and values on our team that reflect those of the University and we do not compromise those values to win football games."

Lalich started the first two games for the Cavaliers and appeared to be their best option after losing Jameel Sewell to academic issues -- Lalich was the only quarterback with experience left on the roster. But Lalich encountered some off-field issues of his own in July when he was arrested for underage purchase of alcohol. Earlier this week, the Charlottesville Daily Progress reported Lalich admitted that he violated terms of his probation, a confession Lalich recanted on Tuesday.

This was all reported last week, but Lalich was still allowed to play last Saturday against Richmond.

"I love my team and my teammates and the way they have let me know that they trust me and have my back," Lalich said in the release. "Because I care so much about our team, it is best for me to step back temporarily from my starting position so that my teammates can focus 100 percent on getting ready for the game."

"Coach Groh and I have frequent conversations and we agree on this. I appreciate that coach sees me first as a person, then as a quarterback. I make mistakes like everyone, but I have followed the terms of my probation and I am committed to our team and the University of Virginia."

Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage supported the decision.

"Peter and coach Groh came to a decision and I fully support it," Littlepage said in the release. "Over the past 24 hours I've had conversations with both Peter and coach Groh. The focus of our discussions shifted from due process and fairness and moved toward what would be best for Peter and the team, at least until such time that matters were cleared up about his probation status."

CavsCorner has an idea of who is really making the decisions.

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I am proof you don’t have to know anything about blogs to get one. This point was emphasized today when I finally learned about these “crazy RSS feeds” I’ve heard so much about. I understand I am way behind the curve on this, but for the benefit of the 2 or 3 other people out there who don’t know, allow me to explain.

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Earlier today, Darryl Slater posted this doozy he received from one of his readers. For those of you who do not know anyone who went to Georgia Tech, this should tell you all you need to know. My question is, how were players convinced to appear in the background of this ridiculousness?

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These are a few highlights from this week's edition of "The Homers." Follow the link to enjoy the dellusions in their entirety:

Homer #1: E-Dubs
There are three certainties in life:
1) Death
2) Taxes
3) 300+ pound men should not ride mopeds…EVER

Homer #2: Moncrieffe
Sure we might have come out weak and only scored 7 in the 1st quarter, but I don't care. We still scored 62 in the final 3 quarters. For all you haters out there that want to look at it and say "Oh you only beat Western Carolina," I return with a firm, "Shut your mouth, when's the last time your loser school scored 69 points." Okay, that may be a little harsh but this is coming from a man who has dealt with many many years of terrible starts and the remaining terrible seasons. I mean the idiots around the world have been trying to take down our God (Bobby Bowden). They've called our program dead, but to that I say, "We weren't dead, just really really sleepy".

Homer #4: Beef & Charlie Chalupa
It's official. Fridge has lost his jolly loveable fatman status. He is now the fat man who sits next to you on the bus with his fat rubbing all over your sides leaving your jeans looking like a greased Five Guys bag.

During the Jolly Fatman Era, games against teams like Middle Tennessee State were fun. Fridge would dial up some inventive schemes, freeing Bruce Perry / Chris Downs / Josh Allen to run for 200 yards and E.J. Henderson would rip some poor redneck's head off. In the current Fatman era, the roster of ITT Tech laughs at the Terps' feeble attempts to protect their house.

Homer #6: The Steve Smith
To say Evans has been ineffective in his career would be generous. He has built his career upon two game-winning hail-mary passes from his sophomore season. Since then he has been consistently uneven, and a turn-over machine. With little alternative, O'Brien turned to Harrison Beck. He's the football version of Nuke LaLoosh. Million-dollar arm. Two cent head.

Homer #7: 46 East
The most inspiring moment of the week came around 6:00 on Saturday afternoon when the Grrrrrrrrrroh-rillas!! took an impressive 3-0 lead into the 4th quarter against a I-AA opponent with a new coach, a 5'9" quarterback, and not one name that a recruiting maniac born and raised in Richmond has ever even heard of. Two cheers for Al Groh!!! Let's lock him up for another 4-5 years.

Homer #8: Benny-Who!?!??
Watching ECU take WVU behind the shed filled me with hope for the rest of the season. We may have lost to a quality C-USA team, which, shockingly, may not be an oxymoron.


Homer #9: Erik the Red
Thanks to a leg made of cast iron steel, Wake Forest narrowly escapes becoming the latest ACC school to pull a Hindenburg against an out of conference opponent this season. Not sure what it means, but the best player on arguably the conference's best team is a kicker. That's a position normally associated with Eastern European names that end with the letters "ski" or confused and lonely soccer players. Not so with the Deacons.

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Fantasy dorks and underwear models alike were shaken Sunday afternoon as Tom Brady’s knee crumpled under a low blow from Bernard Pollard. Couple that with a rusty showing by the vaunted Indy offense in their new stadium opener, and it was not a good day for Roger Goodell’s NFL marketing machine. Aside from the United Way contribution that will come out of Pollard’s paycheck, a Farve-led Jets victory in Miami was the lone bright spot at league headquarters.

In a conference where division winners are taken for granted and the real debate starts with who will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, things are about to get interesting. San Diego failed to impress in a home loss to the Panthers, and predictably, Shawne Merriman was done by the second quarter. Pittsburgh had the most notable performance of week one. Fast Willie handled the brunt of the workload with 25 carries for 138 yard and 3 TDs while Big Ben approached perfection going 13 of 14 for 137 yards and 2 TDs. Time will tell if Mike Tomlin’s team emerges as the main contender for the AFC’s top slot with Brady down, Peyton & Vince banged up, and the Jags & Bolts off to a slow start. Or just maybe, will Mangenius’s Jets or, even more improbably, Jauron’s Bills, make a run?

As for the much maligned NFC, its teams started the season 3-1 against AFC opponents, and supposed basement dwellers, Atlanta & Chicago, played extremely well in their openers. The NFC South showed early that it may be the most entertaining division in football while NFC East teams not in Washington showed they may be the most dominant. In other news, the NFC West is still garbage.

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It’s going to be a pretty mediocre Saturday of college football, which may explain why all the commentators already spend most of their time looking ahead to Ohio State at USC next weekend. Still, here’s what the flash flood warnings will be scrolling across on my TV…

Saturday –

11:00 – College Gameday (live from Gainesville, FL)
Fall Saturday morning ritual

11:00 – U.S. Open Men’s Singles Semis (Nadal v. Murray / Federer v. Djokovic)
This will be assigned to the “Last” button on my remote for all commercial breaks prior to when I head to a bar for the afternoon games. I predict a Nadal v. Djokovic final after Federer bows out in four sets.

12:00 – Georgia Tech at Boston College
Definitely the most interesting (and only) all-ACC contest of the day. As stated earlier in the week, I look for GT to pull off the upset.

3:10 – BYU at Washington
I know nothing about BYU and want to see why everyone has them down as a BCS sleeper. Also, I agree with most that Ty Willingham is gone at the end of the year and want to see him in purple lens Oakleys while I still can.

3:30 – Oregon State at Penn State
To better relate to his players, Joe Pa booked Tea Leaf Green for half-time.

3:30 – Mississippi at Wake Forest
Over/Under on Nutt jokes is conservatively set at 42.5.

3:45 – Richmond at Virginia
Mike London, who spends much of his down time at the Village Shopping Center, aims to knock off his former employer. I should not be this nervous about a game against a D-II school.

4:30 – West Virginia at East Carolina
Over/Under on couches burned regardless of the outcome is conservatively set a 12.5.

7:00 – Maryland at Middle Tennessee State
The Hoos played a fun one at MTSU last year. I don’t think the Twerps will be lucky enough to sneak out with the result the Cardiac Cavs did.

8:00 – Miami at Florida
ESPN wants me to think this game will be interesting. However, the only reason to watch passed the first quarter will be to try and spot my Dad (Gators season ticket holder) in the stands.

8:00 – World Cup Qualifier: U.S. at Cuba
Sam’s Army follows the U.S. men’s national team to Havana to play the first qualifier in Cuba in 61 years.

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