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ACC's Surprise Team: Wake Forest is off to a 4-1 start overall, and 3-0 in the ACC. Last week, the Demon Deacons beat Florida State 35-30 at home. This week, Wake hosts Virginia Tech in another big game. Virginia Tech (5-1, 1-1 ACC) has struggled at times this season, most recently nearly allowing Miami to come back in the fourth quarter in Blacksburg. But Virginia Tech pulled out the win when Logan Thomas ran a touchdown in untouched from about 20 yards out. Thomas, who is from Lynchburg and went to Brookville High School -- which is about a two-minute drive from my apartment -- completed an amazing 23 of 25 passes, which was especially surprising considering he had been underwhelming in his first five starts of the year. If Thomas didn't have that good of a game, the Hokies probably fall to 0-2 in the ACC instead.
Wake Forest won the ACC championship in 2006 and also went to bowl games in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the Deacons were 5-7 and last year, only 3-9. But coach Jim Grobe has Wake Forest looking dangerous again this year. Grobe has got to be a solid coach. Is there any coach that does more with less in the ACC?
Also, a nod should go to Clemson, who is 6-0 and has yet to capsize like it usually does when the Tigers start winning and expecations rise. So far so good in Death Valley.
Other surprise teams around the country: In the Big Ten, consistently underachieving coach Ron Zook has Illnois at 6-0. In the Big 12, Kansas State is 5-0. The Wildcats are coached once again by 72-year old Bill Snyder, who came out of retirement a year ago to take over the program he built. Obviously, this guy just knows how to coach. In the Pac 12, the Apple State -- Washington -- has two teams performing well for the first time in what seems like years -- University of Washington and Washington State. The Huskies are 4-1 and I think they could get up to eight wins during the regular season if you look at the rest of their schedule. Meanwhile, the Cougars, who have been one of the worst FBS teams for quite a few years now (2-10 in '10, 1-11 in '09, 2-11 in '08), are 3-2. However, they did just lose to a less-than-stellar UCLA team and they have to face Stanford this Saturday. Still, this is an improvement for this team and I think they could possibly get to six or seven wins and make a bowl this year.
My top 10: Here is what my current top 10 would look like.
1. LSU - The Tigers have beaten Oregon (neutral field), West Virginia (road), Mississippi State (road), and Florida already this year. They have the best resume so far. On Nov. 5, LSU has to travel to Alabama for the must-see game of the year.
2. Alabama - The Crimson Tide is at it again, simply dominating every team on its schedule. They haven't allowed more than 14 points so far this season.
3. Oklahoma - I put them barely ahead of Wisconsin right now. The Sooners' schedule has been a bit tougher.
4. Wisconsin - The Badgers have looked amazing all season with former N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson guiding the offense. They dusted Nebraska in their only tough game so far, 48-17.
5. Stanford - So far, it's been hard to tell Andrew Luck and the Cardinal have fallen off any from last season, when they crushed Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
6. Oklahoma State - The Cowboys can beat any team in a shootout. Mike Gundy has slowly built this team into a force. I hope the rivalry people just call "Bedlam" -- Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State on Dec. 3 -- features two 11-0 teams fighting for a berth in the national championship game. That would be something. The matchup is at Oklahoma State this year.
7. Boise State - The Broncos had a good win over Georgia to start the year and have mostly coasted since then. They struggled a bit with Nevada. They only have one tough team left on the schedule -- TCU at home Nov. 12.
8. Oregon - The Ducks are the first one-loss team in my top ten and I put them in ahead of Clemson and Michigan. Oregon's only loss was to LSU and it gave the Tigers possibly their toughest game of the year so far. Since then, Oregon has crushed every opponent. On Nov. 12, Oregon plays Stanford in the Autzen Zoo in a game that could determine who wins the Pac 12 North.
9. Clemson - It is always hard to trust the Tigers but so far, so good. No slip ups, no losses to teams they should beat. They've won every game, including games people thought they wouldn't win. They go to Maryland on Saturday in what should be considered a "trap" game. It's on the road and right before bigger matchups with North Carolina and Georgia Tech.
10. Arkansas - I'm putting Arkansas, which has one loss, ahead of Michigan for now. I think Arkansas had the same unfortunate fate that Oregon had -- playing what is perhaps one of the national title contenders already. For the Razorbacks, it was Alabama.
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NFL
Just over a quarter of the season has been played as the league heads into Week 6. Some teams have played four games while others have played five. Here are my groupings for the 30 NFL teams and where I think they stand (no particular order within eac group).
Tier 1 - Contenders - These teams are looking like playoff teams in the early going
Green Bay Packers (5-0) - No. 1 in the NFL until they lose.
Detroit Lions (5-0)
New Orleans Saints (4-1)
Buffalo Bills (4-1)
New England Patriots (4-1)
San Francisco 49ers (4-1) - Looking like the clear-cut favorite in a poor division.
Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
San Diego Chargers (4-1) - Most vulnerable of this group.
Group 2 - Fringe contenders - These teams would already be looking like playoff teams if a couple things had went a little differently in a couple games or if they tweak something in their remaining games
Washington Redskins (3-1) - Not ready to put Washington or any NFC East team for that matter into Group 1. The Redskins defense has been good, but Rex Grossman and the offense has been suspect.
Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
New York Giants (3-2)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
Houston Texans (3-2)
Tennessee Titans (3-2)
Oakland Raiders (3-2)
Group 3 - Work still to be done - These teams are teams that have been surprising so far but I'm not buying into them yet, or have underachieved. Some of these teams could get to the playoffs as well.
Philadelphia Eagles (1-4)
Chicago Bears (2-3)
Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
New York Jets (2-3)
Cincinnati Bengals (3-2)
Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) - Started off horribly, but have come on in the past couple weeks and the AFC West isn't that strong.
Group 4 - Looking to the future - Unless a miracle happens, these teams probably aren't making the playoffs this year. They should work on just trying to get better each game and build toward next season.
St. Louis Rams (0-4) - Call me crazy, but I think these guys could still make a run. They've had a brutal early schedule (Eagles, Giants, Ravens, Redskins) but they play in a weak division (although it is getting harder to come back with the 49ers looking strong) and the Rams have a MUCH softer second-half schedule.
Minnesota Vikings (1-4)
Carolina Panthers (1-4)
Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
Cleveland Browns (2-2) - They are .500, but their wins are against the Colts and Dolphins, the two worst teams in the league.
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4)
Group 5 - Sucking for Luck - The worst (or best?) group to be in: The Andrew Luck Sweepstakes. These teams have a shot at getting the No. 1 pick in the draft, likely to be Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
Denver Broncos (1-4) - No identity for this team. They are a mess. Tim Tebow is going to start this Sunday agianst the Dolphins but the Broncos don't have a legitimate starting quarterback.
Miami Dolphins (0-4) - After playing the Jets, the Dolphins play the Broncos Oct. 23 in what could be an elimination game for Luck. And both teams need him.
Indianapolis Colts (0-5) - They are in an interesting position because it looks like what everyone said is true -- though they have improved in recent weeks, the Colts are a really bad team without Peyton Manning. But with him, they are a playoff team, as we have seen in years past. If they end up with the No. 1 pick in the draft, do they take Luck even though Manning just signed a long contract and should be around for awhile yet? Jim Irsay, Colts owner, has said he would consider taking Luck if given the opportunity. Andrew Luck is not supposed to be just any QB prospect. He is supposed to be a once-in-a-generation type quarterback.
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MLB POSTSEASON
In the League Championship Series, the Rangers are up 3-1 on the Tigers while the Cardinals are up 2-1 on the Brewers. I think both the Tigers and Brewers are in trouble. The Tigers are in trouble for obvious reasons -- they are down 3-1 and the Rangers have looked like the most impressive team so far in the playoffs. I also think the Brewers are in trouble because they lost tonight with their ace on the mound -- Yovani Gallardo. Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter, meanwhile, won and has beaten Gallardo and Phillies superstar Roy Halladay in his past two starts -- not bad. And the Brew Crew lost Game 2 in Milwaukee and they were the best home team in baseball all year. Meanwhile, they have two more games in St. Louis before they can get back to Milwaukee and they were a sub-.500 team on the road. If the Cards win these next two at home, they'll be going to the World Series. And the Cards fit the mold of that team that got hot at the end of the year and made it as a wild card. Sometimes, those teams go all the way and win a championship, like the the Packers last year.
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UVA'S OWN MONICA WRIGHT WINS WNBA CHAMPIONSHIP
I'm not going to pretend to like the WNBA or pay much attention to it, but I do know that Monica Wright, who is the all-time leading scorer in Virginia women's basketball history and played there while I was a student at UVa, and her team, the Minnesota Lynx, wrapped up an impressive season by winning the WNBA championship over the Atlanta Dream last Friday. So that was cool to see. She was fun to watch in college (and I did quite a few times) and she was an easy and fun interview (which I got to do a couple times).
ACC's Surprise Team: Wake Forest is off to a 4-1 start overall, and 3-0 in the ACC. Last week, the Demon Deacons beat Florida State 35-30 at home. This week, Wake hosts Virginia Tech in another big game. Virginia Tech (5-1, 1-1 ACC) has struggled at times this season, most recently nearly allowing Miami to come back in the fourth quarter in Blacksburg. But Virginia Tech pulled out the win when Logan Thomas ran a touchdown in untouched from about 20 yards out. Thomas, who is from Lynchburg and went to Brookville High School -- which is about a two-minute drive from my apartment -- completed an amazing 23 of 25 passes, which was especially surprising considering he had been underwhelming in his first five starts of the year. If Thomas didn't have that good of a game, the Hokies probably fall to 0-2 in the ACC instead.
Wake Forest won the ACC championship in 2006 and also went to bowl games in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the Deacons were 5-7 and last year, only 3-9. But coach Jim Grobe has Wake Forest looking dangerous again this year. Grobe has got to be a solid coach. Is there any coach that does more with less in the ACC?
Also, a nod should go to Clemson, who is 6-0 and has yet to capsize like it usually does when the Tigers start winning and expecations rise. So far so good in Death Valley.
Other surprise teams around the country: In the Big Ten, consistently underachieving coach Ron Zook has Illnois at 6-0. In the Big 12, Kansas State is 5-0. The Wildcats are coached once again by 72-year old Bill Snyder, who came out of retirement a year ago to take over the program he built. Obviously, this guy just knows how to coach. In the Pac 12, the Apple State -- Washington -- has two teams performing well for the first time in what seems like years -- University of Washington and Washington State. The Huskies are 4-1 and I think they could get up to eight wins during the regular season if you look at the rest of their schedule. Meanwhile, the Cougars, who have been one of the worst FBS teams for quite a few years now (2-10 in '10, 1-11 in '09, 2-11 in '08), are 3-2. However, they did just lose to a less-than-stellar UCLA team and they have to face Stanford this Saturday. Still, this is an improvement for this team and I think they could possibly get to six or seven wins and make a bowl this year.
My top 10: Here is what my current top 10 would look like.
1. LSU - The Tigers have beaten Oregon (neutral field), West Virginia (road), Mississippi State (road), and Florida already this year. They have the best resume so far. On Nov. 5, LSU has to travel to Alabama for the must-see game of the year.
2. Alabama - The Crimson Tide is at it again, simply dominating every team on its schedule. They haven't allowed more than 14 points so far this season.
3. Oklahoma - I put them barely ahead of Wisconsin right now. The Sooners' schedule has been a bit tougher.
4. Wisconsin - The Badgers have looked amazing all season with former N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson guiding the offense. They dusted Nebraska in their only tough game so far, 48-17.
5. Stanford - So far, it's been hard to tell Andrew Luck and the Cardinal have fallen off any from last season, when they crushed Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
6. Oklahoma State - The Cowboys can beat any team in a shootout. Mike Gundy has slowly built this team into a force. I hope the rivalry people just call "Bedlam" -- Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State on Dec. 3 -- features two 11-0 teams fighting for a berth in the national championship game. That would be something. The matchup is at Oklahoma State this year.
7. Boise State - The Broncos had a good win over Georgia to start the year and have mostly coasted since then. They struggled a bit with Nevada. They only have one tough team left on the schedule -- TCU at home Nov. 12.
8. Oregon - The Ducks are the first one-loss team in my top ten and I put them in ahead of Clemson and Michigan. Oregon's only loss was to LSU and it gave the Tigers possibly their toughest game of the year so far. Since then, Oregon has crushed every opponent. On Nov. 12, Oregon plays Stanford in the Autzen Zoo in a game that could determine who wins the Pac 12 North.
9. Clemson - It is always hard to trust the Tigers but so far, so good. No slip ups, no losses to teams they should beat. They've won every game, including games people thought they wouldn't win. They go to Maryland on Saturday in what should be considered a "trap" game. It's on the road and right before bigger matchups with North Carolina and Georgia Tech.
10. Arkansas - I'm putting Arkansas, which has one loss, ahead of Michigan for now. I think Arkansas had the same unfortunate fate that Oregon had -- playing what is perhaps one of the national title contenders already. For the Razorbacks, it was Alabama.
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NFL
Just over a quarter of the season has been played as the league heads into Week 6. Some teams have played four games while others have played five. Here are my groupings for the 30 NFL teams and where I think they stand (no particular order within eac group).
Tier 1 - Contenders - These teams are looking like playoff teams in the early going
Green Bay Packers (5-0) - No. 1 in the NFL until they lose.
Detroit Lions (5-0)
New Orleans Saints (4-1)
Buffalo Bills (4-1)
New England Patriots (4-1)
San Francisco 49ers (4-1) - Looking like the clear-cut favorite in a poor division.
Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
San Diego Chargers (4-1) - Most vulnerable of this group.
Group 2 - Fringe contenders - These teams would already be looking like playoff teams if a couple things had went a little differently in a couple games or if they tweak something in their remaining games
Washington Redskins (3-1) - Not ready to put Washington or any NFC East team for that matter into Group 1. The Redskins defense has been good, but Rex Grossman and the offense has been suspect.
Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
New York Giants (3-2)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
Houston Texans (3-2)
Tennessee Titans (3-2)
Oakland Raiders (3-2)
Group 3 - Work still to be done - These teams are teams that have been surprising so far but I'm not buying into them yet, or have underachieved. Some of these teams could get to the playoffs as well.
Philadelphia Eagles (1-4)
Chicago Bears (2-3)
Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
New York Jets (2-3)
Cincinnati Bengals (3-2)
Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) - Started off horribly, but have come on in the past couple weeks and the AFC West isn't that strong.
Group 4 - Looking to the future - Unless a miracle happens, these teams probably aren't making the playoffs this year. They should work on just trying to get better each game and build toward next season.
St. Louis Rams (0-4) - Call me crazy, but I think these guys could still make a run. They've had a brutal early schedule (Eagles, Giants, Ravens, Redskins) but they play in a weak division (although it is getting harder to come back with the 49ers looking strong) and the Rams have a MUCH softer second-half schedule.
Minnesota Vikings (1-4)
Carolina Panthers (1-4)
Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
Cleveland Browns (2-2) - They are .500, but their wins are against the Colts and Dolphins, the two worst teams in the league.
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4)
Group 5 - Sucking for Luck - The worst (or best?) group to be in: The Andrew Luck Sweepstakes. These teams have a shot at getting the No. 1 pick in the draft, likely to be Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
Denver Broncos (1-4) - No identity for this team. They are a mess. Tim Tebow is going to start this Sunday agianst the Dolphins but the Broncos don't have a legitimate starting quarterback.
Miami Dolphins (0-4) - After playing the Jets, the Dolphins play the Broncos Oct. 23 in what could be an elimination game for Luck. And both teams need him.
Indianapolis Colts (0-5) - They are in an interesting position because it looks like what everyone said is true -- though they have improved in recent weeks, the Colts are a really bad team without Peyton Manning. But with him, they are a playoff team, as we have seen in years past. If they end up with the No. 1 pick in the draft, do they take Luck even though Manning just signed a long contract and should be around for awhile yet? Jim Irsay, Colts owner, has said he would consider taking Luck if given the opportunity. Andrew Luck is not supposed to be just any QB prospect. He is supposed to be a once-in-a-generation type quarterback.
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MLB POSTSEASON
In the League Championship Series, the Rangers are up 3-1 on the Tigers while the Cardinals are up 2-1 on the Brewers. I think both the Tigers and Brewers are in trouble. The Tigers are in trouble for obvious reasons -- they are down 3-1 and the Rangers have looked like the most impressive team so far in the playoffs. I also think the Brewers are in trouble because they lost tonight with their ace on the mound -- Yovani Gallardo. Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter, meanwhile, won and has beaten Gallardo and Phillies superstar Roy Halladay in his past two starts -- not bad. And the Brew Crew lost Game 2 in Milwaukee and they were the best home team in baseball all year. Meanwhile, they have two more games in St. Louis before they can get back to Milwaukee and they were a sub-.500 team on the road. If the Cards win these next two at home, they'll be going to the World Series. And the Cards fit the mold of that team that got hot at the end of the year and made it as a wild card. Sometimes, those teams go all the way and win a championship, like the the Packers last year.
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UVA'S OWN MONICA WRIGHT WINS WNBA CHAMPIONSHIP
I'm not going to pretend to like the WNBA or pay much attention to it, but I do know that Monica Wright, who is the all-time leading scorer in Virginia women's basketball history and played there while I was a student at UVa, and her team, the Minnesota Lynx, wrapped up an impressive season by winning the WNBA championship over the Atlanta Dream last Friday. So that was cool to see. She was fun to watch in college (and I did quite a few times) and she was an easy and fun interview (which I got to do a couple times).
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