| Was it really just a week ago that Texas beat | | | | consecutive poll appearances is Duke, with a |
| USC 41-38 in the Rose Bowl? Can Vince Young | | | | mere 176! U Conn is now second with 49.Both |
| possibly be as good in the NFL as he was in | | | | Duke and Florida play tonight, while |
| his two Rose Bowl appearances? Is the | | | | Pittsburgh plays Thursday (home versus |
| 'monkey' finally off Mack Brown's | | | | DePaul). Duke hosts Maryland tonight on ESPN |
| back?Putting to rest the CFB season, note | | | | at 9:00 ET and the Blue Devils are favored by |
| that Texas' 83 wins the last eight years are | | | | 14 points with a total of 156 1/2. Florida is |
| the most of any school. The Longhorns are | | | | home to an 11-3 Miss St team but the gators |
| also the ONLY school to have finished in the | | | | are still favored by 18 1/2 points!ESPN2 |
| final BCS standings in EACH of the last seven | | | | features a triple-header tonight beginning |
| years. Texas is also the only BCS-affiliated | | | | with Syracuse at Notre Dame at 7:00 ET. That |
| school to win at least 10 games in each of | | | | game is followed by Texas A&M at Oklahoma |
| the last five years.My free play for | | | | State (9:00 ET) and TCU at New Mexico (11:00 |
| Wednesday is the Min T-wolves over the Chi | | | | ET). Prior to the Maryland/Duke game, ESPN |
| Bulls in the NBA at 8:05 ET. I've jumped to a | | | | opens its coverage with Indiana at Michigan |
| 3-0 start with my CBB 15* plays in '06 and | | | | State at 7:00 ET (Spartans are favored by |
| offer another 15* play tonight (rare | | | | five with a total of 146 1/2).NBA fans get a |
| back-to-back 15*s!). Also, I feature my 10* | | | | busy 10-game slate tonight and all eyes are |
| SEC Game of the Month and my 10* NBA Favorite | | | | in Portland, as Kobe tries to get 45 points |
| of the Month. Get them ALL, right now!Putting | | | | or more for the 5th consecutive game. |
| to rest the bowl season, 16 of the 28 games | | | | However, he's got a little more work to do if |
| were decided by a TD or less, with EIGHT | | | | he plans on catching Wilt, who set an NBA |
| decided by three points or less (two in OT). | | | | record in 1964 of NINE consecutive 45-plus |
| Fifteen of the 28 winning teams came from | | | | games!Who ever said 13 was an unlucky number? |
| behind to win, with EIGHT of them erasing | | | | It surely wasn't for Bruce Sutter. Sutter |
| double-digit deficits!The average margin of | | | | became just the 4th reliever to get elected |
| victory was 10.9 PPG, the lowest in the | | | | to baseball's Hall of Fame, joining Hoyt |
| BCS-era and the lowest since 1992. Next year | | | | Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley. |
| sees the addition of 5th BCS bowl game but | | | | However, Sutter is the ONLY one of the four, |
| there is NO playoff plans in the near future. | | | | to have NEVER made a major league start!His |
| Speaking of which, it's BASKETBALL | | | | 'election' in his 13th year of eligibility, |
| season!Tonight's college hoops schedule | | | | is the latest of any player since Ralph Kiner |
| features 46 games. Last week was a bad week | | | | was elected in 1975. Jim Rice fell 53 votes |
| for top-25 teams, as 15 ranked teams lost, | | | | short in his 12th year on the ballot and |
| including two losses by Michigan St. FOUR | | | | Goose Gossage 54 votes shy, in his seventh |
| teams fell from the ranks of the unbeaten | | | | year of eligibility. Sutter's election was |
| last week. Connecticut, Illinois, Ohio St and | | | | long-overdue but I wouldn't expect 13 to be |
| Villanova.That leaves Duke (14-0), Florida | | | | the charm for Rice next year.First-timers on |
| (14-0) and Pittsburgh (12-0). Duke's been | | | | next year's HOF ballot will be Tony Gwynn |
| ranked No. 1 all season but was a unanimous | | | | (lock) and Cal Ripken Jr (lock), not to |
| No. 1 this week, for the first time all | | | | mention a member of Sports Illustrated's |
| season. Florida, unranked at the beginning of | | | | so-called "Liars Club", Mark McGwire. Just in |
| the year, has to be the season's biggest | | | | case the voters have forgotten, Rice has 382 |
| surprise team, in Billy Donovan's 10th year | | | | career HRs, 1,451 RBI and a .298 LT batting |
| at Gainesville. Pitt is 12-0 but ranked just | | | | average. He topped .300 seven time, knocked |
| 12th. Kentucky fell out of the AP poll for | | | | in 100 runs eight times, while winning three |
| the first time this week, after 88 straight | | | | HR titles, two RBI titles and the AL MVP in |
| rankings, as did Wake Forest (60 straight | | | | 1978.Larry Ness is a documented member of the |
| appearances). The current leader in | | | | Professional Handicappers League. |