Let it fly: Five players who like to have the ball but they won't hold it long ... because they're going to shoot it. My favorite five chuckers (as we used to call such a player back in the old days in Jersey). I love players like this which is hypocritical of me since I feel team play is the sport's most important asset. Shooters without conscience are charismatic, however.

LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor: He's capable of amazing streaks and, unfortunately, there is the opposite of that sometimes.
Jonathan Tavernari, BYU: He doesn't have the look of a basketball player. Sometimes it's gone so quickly it barely touches his hands.
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall: This season he'll be playing with a higher-caliber of teammates so it's going to be a test for coach Bobby Gonzalez to make him fit it. Last season, they needed him to bomb away.
Rotnei Clarke, Arkansas: He came off the bench most of last season. This season, he's got the all-clear. Hit four of six three-pointers in the Hogs' exhibition game.
Jon Diebler, Ohio State: Sometimes he's criticized for not making enough threes but I think he's going to have a big year behind the arc. In his senior in high school, he averaged 40 points per game.

OK, it's put up or shut up time for the backers of Alabama. For the past few weeks, the Tide's critics have been mounting as Coach Nick Saban's team has won one-dimensional (all defense) close games.

After a week to regroup, the unbeaten Tide deals with a team, LSU, that can beat them -- even in Tuscaloosa. But will they?

We say not this week.

The picks:
LSU at Alabama: Mark Ingram revives his Heisman Trophy chances and the Tide continues its roll toward the SEC title game against Florida
The pick: Alabama 14, LSU 10

Oregon at Stanford: Some people are crowning Oregon as the best team in the country after the Ducks demolished USC last week. Not so fast, my friend. Oregon is good, Stanford is dangerous at home. But this week, at least, it won't matter.
The pick: Oregon 42, Stanford 28

Ohio State at Penn State: In August, this one looked like a potential Rose Bowl berth/BCS title game berth matchup. The BCS thing won't happen, but the Rose Bowl is a possibility for the winner, if Iowa stumbles or stops getting calls in its favor from Big Ten officials. Playing at home will be the difference.
The pick: Penn State 21, Ohio State 17

Vanderbilt at Florida: The Gators seem to have regained focus and momentum. Don't count on Florida coach Urban Meyer to take the foot off the pedal as Gator Tim Tebow continues his Heisman campaign.'
The pick: Florida 56, Vanderbilt 21

Oklahoma at Nebraska: Remember when this used to be THE game in not only the Big 12, but the rest of the country? You're not that old? Never mind. Oklahoma is playing for pride and beating up on Nebraska (the Huskers lost to Iowa State at home) will help.
The pick: Oklahoma 41, Nebraska 14

Last week: 4-1
Season to Date: 29-16

Josh Haden is going home to Maryland this weekend to visit his family. And then he might go down to Florida to see his older brother Joe play for Florida against Vanderbilt.

Other than that, Haden, the sophomore running back from Boston College who left the team last week and announced his decision to transfer, said he wasn't quite sure what his future plans would be

"You don't understand how wide open it is right now,'' said Haden this afternoon as he left Conte Forum, where he had completed paperwork to make his transfer complete. "I want to go to a bigger school, with a little more people. Don't get me wrong., there's nothing wrong with Boston College, but it wasn't the right school for me. I would never tell anyone not to come here, but it just wasn't for me. I wasn't having the time I imagined I would have.''

Haden came to Boston College as a high-profile recruit who was expected to elevate the Eagles' running game.

Haden, along with Montel Harris, who also happens to be one Haden's best friends, did that as a combination. But while Harris developed into the Eagles' primary running back this season, Haden had problems -- on and off the field.

He was bothered by a series of nagging injuries and the feeling of not quite fitting in nagged at him.

"I loved the BC college football team,'' he said. "And I didn't want to leave halfway through the season, but there was just a lot of stress with me and the school and everything.''

Haden said the feeling of unease had lingered for awhile. "It's been like that since last year,'' he said. "I talked to my Dad and he said to try and stay in school for another year. But another year came and then I was hurt. I had all kinds of injuries to my pinkie, my wrist, my ankle.''

All of it finally came to a head two weeks ago when he went to BC coach Frank Spaziani and told him of his decision to transfer. Although Spaziani and other Eagles officials tried to tell him to spend more time thinking about the decision, Haden felt he had enough. It was time to move on.

"I could go to another school and redshirt a year, and then I would still have two years left,'' said Haden, whose older brother Joe is finishing his career at Florida and his younger brother Jordan is enrolling in January.

"My options are open,'' he said, although he did rule out going to another ACC school (which would require a two-year wait before he could play) and indicated joining a Football Championship Division school, where he could play immediately, is unlikely. "I thought about that,'' he said. "It's still an option. But I don't think so.''

Haden said he will finish his academic requirements at BC in the next month and then he will be gone, looking for a fresh start.

Five players who will have breakout seasons and become stars:

Soloman Alabi , Florida State: The Seminoles' 7-1 center really came on at the end of last season. His low-post game is a rarity these days, he's also a good shot blocker
Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest: It was probable that the Demon Deacons' 6-9 forward would only play one season and head to the NBA. He didn't and now he'll be the main force in Winston-Salem. Great All-around game.
Herb Pope, Seton Hall: A 6-9 forward who transferred from New Mexico State, he's talented and rugged and will help the Pirates become an NCAA team.
Damian Saunders, Duquesne: He originally was supposed to play at Marquette but ended up in Pittsburgh after some academic troubles.. Now, he has a chance to take the Dukes to the next level with his lethal mid-range game. Great leaper too.
Kemba Walker, UConn: When Walker entered a game last season as a freshman it seemed to instantly make things better for the Huskies. Now, he's going to have the ball most of the time.

Random thoughts: Syracuse lost an exhibition game to LeMoyne 82-79. I guess Jim Boeheim is glad his team got that out of their system and won't lose to somebody like Saint Bonaventure. The most interesting thing from the game, Wesley Johnson, a 6-7 transfer from Iowa State, scored 34 points for the Orange. I guess you'd have to like LeMoyne's chances in Division 2 this season.

All-Americans

The top 10 players in the country:

First team:

Cole Aldrich, Kansas: A big-man (6-11) with an actual low-post game.

Robbie Hummel, Purdue: Tremendous all-around player who makes his teammates better.

Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia: A 6-7 glider who does all his damage within the confines of the offense. So you won't see some outrageous crossover dribble or resounding, posterizing dunk but at the end of the night he's got 20 and his team wins.

Evan Turner, Ohio State: Another 6-7 glider who led his team in every important offensive category.

Jerome Randle: Cal: He's listed at 5-10 but some say he's smaller. He's a point guard but he's looking to score without forgetting about his teammates.

Second team

Manny Harris, Michigan: A 6-5 guard who's a natural scorer.

Luke Harangody, Notre Dame: You could argue he's under-sized at 6-8 for the way he plays but no one tries harder and is more resourceful.

Devin Downey, South Carolina: At 5-9, his most effective play his dribbling into the lane where he score over bigger players or find teammates.

Raymar Morgan, Michigan State: He was slowed by illness last season, I'm expecting a big offenisve breakout season for this 6-8 forward.

Scottie Reynolds, Villanova: Not a great shooter, but he's a player that embraces the big moment. He always finds a way to score.

The depth chart at running back at Boston College became even thinner this afternoon when BC coach Frank Spaziani announced that freshman running back Rolandan Finch had mononucleosis and would be sidelined for three to four weeks. Spaziani said that the doctors would then re-evaulate Finch, a 5-foot-10 inch 201 pound freshman who became ill last week before the Notre Dame game. Without Finch and without Josh Haden, who announced his decision to transfer from BC on Tuesday, the Eagles have to reshuffle their backs.

Spaziani said that senior Jeff Smith and senior James McCluskey would pick up additional playing time for Saturday's game against Central Michigan. Spaziani also listed middle linebacker Mike McLaughlin (leg) and right tackle Rich Lapham (shoulder) as doubtful and defensive left tackle Kaleb Ramsey (shoulder) and left defensive end Alex Albright (ankle)as questionable.

Final Four: A weekly projection of the Final Four teams will continue to be a part of Sully's Court. Here's the first one. What do these teams have in common? Experience, unselfish play, and a commitment to defense.

Kansas: Deservedly the nation's top-ranked team. Everyone returns, most notably center Cole Aldrich and point guard Sherron Collins.
Purdue: Injuries detrailed the Boilers last season. This is a group of players that thrive because they play together and guard enthusiastically.
West Virginia: Coach Bob Huggins will push and prod this team to success. Replacing graduated guard Alex Ruoff will be a key factor.
Cal: The Bears were a disappointing first-round loser in the NCAA's last season but they should learn from that with just about everyone returning. Guard play wth Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher is the Bears' strength.

Two other projections:
Breakthrough team: Seton Hall. The Pirates have a coach, Bobby Gonzalez, with a will to succeed and two really talented transfers, forward Herb Pope (New Mexico State) and guard Keon Lawrence (Missouri).
Most overrated team: Kentucky. Coach Cal has in incredible freshmen class but the best of them, point guard John Wall, isn't even eligible yet. Meanwhile, the returning players weren't good enough to make the NCAAs.

FRIDAY

Northeast-10
Stonehill at Assumption, 7
Merrimack at Southern Connecticut, 7

SATURDAY

ACC
Central Michigan at Boston College, 3:30

BIG EAST
Rutgers at UConn, 12

CAA
Northeastern at New Hampshire, 12
William & Mary at Rhode Island, 1
UMass at Maine, 3:30

Ivy
Dartmouth at Harvard, 12
Penn at Brown, 12:30
Yale at Columbia, 1

Patriot
Holy Cross at Fordham, 1

Northeast
Sacred Heart at Robert Morris, 12
Albany at Central Connecticut, 12
Bryant at Monmouth, 1

Northeast-10
New Haven at Saint Anselm, 12
American International at Pace, 12

NESCAC
Wesleyan at Bowdoin, 12:30
Trinity at Middlebury, 1
Bates at Colby, 1
Amherst at Tufts, 1
Hamilton at Williams, 1

NEFC
Fitchburg State at Westfield State, 12
MIT at Plymouth State, 12
Endicott at UMass-Dartmouth, 12
Mass. Maritime at Framingham State, 1
Maine Maritime at Coast Guard,1
Worcester State at Bridgewater State, 1
Western New England at Salve Regina, 1
Curry at Nichols, 1

ECFC
Castleton at Becker, 12
Gallaudet at Anna Maria, 12
Husson at Mount Ida, 1
N.Y. Maritime at Norwich, 1:30

Other
Hobart at WPI, 1
Ithaca at Springfield, 1
Western Connecticut at Montclair State, 6

Dartmouth students rushed Memorial Field in Hanover on Saturday afternoon after the Big Green halted a 17-game losing streak with a commanding 28-6 Ivy League victory over Columbia.

They were just following the lead of Dartmouth sophomore back Nick Schwieger, who ran through, around and over the visiting Lions for a school-record 242 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. The former Bishop Feehan standout from Norton helped sealed the victory with his 66-yard scoring run down the left sideline in the fourth quarter.

On Wednesday, Schwieger received the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston's weekly Gold Helmet for Division 1 from the New England Football Writers. Saint Anselm freshman QB Michael Pierce was the D2-3 winner.

“All the credit [for the record] goes to the offensive line,” said the 5-foot-10, 205-pound Schwieger after the game. “They make it really easy for a back when they open up holes like they did today. It felt great to break some runs, something we need to do for the rest of the year.”

Harvard coach Tim Murphy, whose 4-2 Crimson host 1-5 Dartmouth at the Stadium, called Schwieger "arguably, the best back in the Ivy." He is averaging an Ivy-best 101.3 yards rushing per game.

Pierce delivered also delivered a record-setting performance in a 31-28 Northeast-10 loss against Stonehill. The 6-foot, 200-pound QB threw for 390 yards and three touchdowns on 36 of 74 passing while adding another 106 yards rushing on 15 carries.

A transfer from New Hampshire, he set single-game school records for total offense (496 yards), passing attempts (74), passing yards (390), and total plays of offense (89).

***

A moment of silence was held at the weekly New England Football Writers luncheon Wednesday at Harvard's Dillon Fieldhouse for Marine Captain Kyle Van De Giesen, the former Saint Anselm quarterback who was killed in Afghanistan on Monday. The North Attleborough High graduate was the starting QB on the college's first varsity team in 1999, when the college restored the program after a 58-year hiatus and threw for 308 yards in his first game.

A moment of silence will be observed in his memory Saturday, when the Hawks host New Haven. In addition, a red, white and blue ribbon with his number 12 below it will be painted onto the Grappone Stadium field, and the Hawks will wear his initials, KV, on their helmets for the remainder of the season.

Here's a listing of all of the New England college football games Saturday:

ACC
BOSTON COLLEGE at NOTRE DAME, 3:30

BIG EAST
UCONN at WEST VIRGINIA, 12

CAA
TOWSON at NORTHEASTERN, 1
NEW HAMPSHIRE at HOFSTRA, 3
RHODE ISLAND at VILLANOVA, 3:30
UMASS at RICHMOND, 3:30

IVY
PRINCETON at HARVARD, 12
BROWN at CORNELL, 12:30
COLUMBIA at DARTMOUTH, 1:30
YALE at PENN, 3:30

PATRIOT
COLGATE at HOLY CROSS, 1

NORTHEAST
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT at BRYANT, 1
SACRED HEART at WAGNER, 1

NORTHEAST-10
MERRIMACK at AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL, 1
SAINT ANSELM at STONEHILL, 1
PACE at NEW HAVEN, 1
ASSUMPTION at BENTLEY, 2

NESCAC
COLBY at HAMILTON, 12
BOWDOIN at TRINITY, 12:30
MIDDLEBURY at BATES, 1
WESLEYAN at AMHERST, 1
TUFTS at WILLIAMS, 1

NEFC
FRAMINGHAM STATE at MAINE MARITIME, 12
COAST GUARD at WORCESTER STATE, 12
WESTERN NEW ENGLAND at ENDICOTT, 12
NICHOLS at UMASS-DARTMOUTH, 12
SALVE REGINA at MIT, 12
PLYMOUTH STATE at CURRY, 1
MASS. MARITIME at FITCHBURG STATE, 1:30
BRIDGEWATER STATE at WESTFIELD STATE, 1:30

ECFC
HUSSON at CASTLETON, 12
BECKER at GALLAUDET, 1
MOUNT IDA at N.Y. MARITIME, 1
ANNA MARIA at NORWICH, 1:30

OTHER
WPI at ROCHESTER, 12
BROCKPORT STATE at WESTERN CONNECTICUT, 12
SPRINGFIELD at HARTWICK, 4

You can hear it in the distance: Bouncing basketballs on college campuses. Practice has begun and the college basketball season will begin on Tuesday, Nov. 10. To get things started, Sully's Court will once again try to predict the NCAA field in October. We'll re-visit this in March to see how it came out.

Here's how it looks now:

Multi-bid leagues (9 leagues, 43 teams)
ACC (8): North Carolina, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Boston College, Florida State, Wake Forest
Atlantic 10 (3): Dayton, Xavier, Duquesne
Big East (8): Villanova, Syracuse, West Virginia, UConn, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Louisville, Seton Hall.
Big Ten (5): Michigan State, Purdue, Minnesota, Ohio State, Northwestern
Big 12 (5): Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State.
Conference USA (2): Memphis, Houston.
Missouri Valley (2): Northern Iowa, Bradley,
Pacific 10 (4): UCLA, Washington, Cal, Oregon State
SEC (7): Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Vanderbilt

One-bid leagues (22 teams)
American East: Boston University
Atlantic Sun: Mercer
Colonial: James Madison
Big Sky: Weber State
Big South: Radford
Big West: Fullerton State
Horizon: Butler
Ivy: Cornell
Metro-Atlantic (MAAC): Siena
Mid-American: Akron
Mid-Eastern (MEAC): Morgan State
Mountain West: BYU
Northeast: Sacred Heart
Ohio Valley: Morehead State
Patriot: Holy Cross
Southern: Charleston
Southland: Texas A&M Corpus Christi
SWAC: Jackson State
Summit: IUPUI
Sun Belt: Western Kentucky
Western (WAC): Utah State
West Coast: Gonzaga

I love college basketball, BUT: While checking the channel guide on the DirecTV last week, I noticed college basketball on Fox Sports Cincinnati. I knew what it was, a replay of Kentucky's midnight madness program. Without a doubt, it was a testimony to the over-hyped, over-the-top idolization of coaches and players coupled with an overzealous desire to impress recruits. It's not good for the game.

Kentucky and other schools need to re-think this. What a colossal waste of money for Kentucky to have a stage set up like it's the MTV Awards, introducing players like they are WWE world champions, and indoor fireworks. I could only stand so much of it, but I did hear about 15 seconds of Coach Cal's first speech. What I heard wasn't very articulate. It's no wonder basketball players suffer from self-absorption more than any other sport (with tennis the only competitor).

Boston College has been horrible on the road this season. Two games, two blowout losses to Clemson and Virginia Tech. On Saturday, the Eagles travel to Notre Dame to face a very good Irish team. More of the same.

We don't think so. In fact, we think that Coach Frank Spaziani's Eagles can make it 7 in a row over ND.

The picks:
Boston College at Notre Dame: BC QB Dave Shinskie has always dreamed of playing at Notre Dame Stadium. Dreams come true and it won't be a nightmare.
The pick: Boston College 38, Notre Dame 35

Clemson at Miami: Boston College needs a Clemson loss to put them in total control of their destiny in the ACC Atlantic Division race. The Canes and QB Jacory Harris will provide that courtesy, with the proviso that pay back may be in the ACC championship game in Tampa when the Canes could very well show up on the other sideline.
The pick: Miami 31, Clemson 23

TCU at BYU: If TCU wins this game, the Horned Frogs are very much BCS bowl contenders. The problem is that BYU has been embarrassed once already at home (FSU) this season. It won't happen again.
The pick: BYU 21, TCU 17

Penn State at Michigan: Michigan is having a good year and is a year away from being really good. Penn State is having a good year and is really good right now. Nittany Lions roar is just a little bit louder.
The pick: Penn State 17, Michigan 10

Oregon State at USC: USC might lose a game to a team from Oregon this season, but it won't be Oregon State and it won't be in the LA Coliseum. Next week's Halloween match up at Oregon might be tougher. This one is going to be a breeze for Coach Pete Carroll's guys.
The pick: USC 35, Oregon State 17

Last week's record: 4-1
Season to Date: 23-12

Call this Risk-Reward Saturday. The Top 25 teams begin squaring off and playing Bowl Championship Series bingo, eliminating teams each week as they move towards the every elusive BCS bowl slots.

We have Texas vs. Oklahoma in Dallas. We have Southern Cal at Notre Dame in South Bend. We have Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech. We have Cincinnati at South Florida. In each case, the winner will advance and move up, and the loser will take two giant steps backward.

Southern Cal at Notre Dame
Southern Cal has beaten Notre Dame seven straight times. Most of the time the Trojans have been much better than the Irish. This year the gap is smaller, but USC is still better, although Notre Dame should be playing with a sense of urgency, knowing that the overall success of their season is very much on the line. It won't be enough.
The pick: USC 27, Notre Dame 21

Oklahoma at Texas
The Red River Rivalry is a bit tarnished with the Sooners coming in with two losses. But quarterback Sam Bradford (last season's Heisman winner) is back from injury. The Longhorns have not been tested yet, but they do have Colt McCoy at QB, who could be this year's Heisman winner.
The pick: Texas 29, Oklahoma 24

Cincinnati at South Florida
How good is Cincinnati? How good is the Big East? How good is Bearcats QB Tony Pike? We will find out in a matchup with a surprisingly tough South Florida team. Our gut feeling is that Cincinnati is better -- maybe much better -- than the Bulls.
The pick: Cincinnati 24, South Florida 10

Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech
The Hokies destroyed Boston College last week. Georgia Tech outlasted Florida State. Virginia Tech features quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who is getting better each week. Georgia Tech has Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer. Looks like a tossup game, but we think Virginia Tech is a little tougher.
The pick: Virginia Tech 17, Georgia Tech 10

South Carolina at Alabama
Alabama is due for a letdown game and South Carolina is a few plays away from an unbeaten season. We know the ol' ball coach Steve Spurrier still knows how to put together game plans. Will it be enough to spoil the homecoming party for the Tide? Prabably not, but it will be close -- very close.
The pick: Alabama 17, South Carolina 15

Last week: 3-2
Season to date: 19-11

The debate in Gainesville all week has been whether Florida QB Tim Tebow (who suffered a concussion two weeks ago against Kentucky) should play in Saturday night's Southeastern Conference showdown against LSU.

There should be no debate. Let Tebow sit for another week, another two. The Gators can lose the game and still win the national championship.

Still, it is an SEC showdown weekend with Alabama visiting Mississippi.

The picks . . .

Florida at LSU: Biggest game in Baton Rouge in 50 years. Florida can win, but LSU wants to prove it even belongs in the elite. And feeling is that Tebow won't play.
The pick: LSU 17, Florida 10

Alabama at Mississippi: Ole Miss was exposed big time at South Carolina a couple of weeks ago. Rebels fall into the "good, but not great'' category. Alabama may be close to being great -- relatively speaking this season.
The pick: Alabama 24, Ole Miss 13

Michigan at Iowa: OK, Michigan lost a game it shouldn't have last week against Michigan State, and Iowa looked disinterested in beating Arkansas State. We think the Wolverines are a little better than most people think and we think Iowa isn't quite as good as they think.

The pick: Michigan 18, Iowa 15

Wisconsin at Ohio State: Ohio State lost to Southern Cal and has been quietly re-booting its reputation. Wisconsin is unbeaten (did you know that?) and has no reputation yet. At least not this year's team. The game is in Columbus. That should be the difference.
The pick: Ohio State 24, Wisconsin 14

Nebraska at Missouri: ESPN's Thursday night special. The Huskers used to eat Missouri for lunch. Those were different days. Now the Tigers live up to their nickname and playing at home will be a big edge. Is it big enough to keep them going in the wide open Big 12 North Race? We think so, but it is indeed a toss-up, last team with the ball type of game.
The pick: Missouri 27, Nebraska 24

Last week: 1-4
Season to date: 16-9

Was last week a speed bump or a pot hole which will damage the frame? We will find out on Saturday when Miami finally completes its marathon month of football against Oklahoma.
The Canes stumbled at Virginia Tech in the rain last week. The Miami bus is moving much faster these days since so many "followers'' jumped off.

We will stick around for another week at least.

The Picks...

Miami 27, Oklahoma 21---OU QB Sam Bradford will probably be back this week, which is bad news for the Hurricanes. Miami QB Jacory Harris will still be around for the Canes, which is bad news for the Sooners. Should be fun to watch.
The pick: Miami 28, Oklahoma 24

LSU at Georgia---The internal war amog top SEC schools beating each other has started.
Georgia will beat up LSU this week. LSU will beat up Florida next week and so it goes.
Georgia is very close to being unbeaten. LSU is very close to having at least one loss.
The pick: Georgia 33, LSU 25

UCLA at Stanford---Funny thing happened on the way to the San Francicsco Bay area for the two Los Angeles Pac-10 teams. USC and Stanford went from the main attraction to the JV game. Which leaves unbeaten UCLA against once beaten Stanford for first place in the Pac-10.
Stanford is playing at home, but UCLA is just a little bit better. Could this be the year of the Bruin?
The Pick: UCLA 17, Stanford 10

USC at California---At the start of the year, this had Game of the Year in the Pac-10 written all over it. USC was exposed at Washington. Cal was exposed at Oregon--badly.
The hunch here is that Cal is still a better team with RB Jahvid Best back in form. But it is a shaky hunch call
The pick: Cal 21, USC 17

Michigan at Michigan State---Michigan is surprisingly unbeaten, Michigan State has looked mediocre at best the past few weeks. The game is at Michigan State which should give the Spartans an edge. But we think that Michigan is a legitimately good team. Not great. Not yet.
The pick: Michigan 17, Michigan State 13

Last week's record 4-1
Season to date: 15-5

Boston College coach Frank Spaziani doesn't vote in the USA Today Coaches poll. As the new kid on the block, no one asked the rookie Eagle coach to take part in the voting process.

Spaziani says that if asked, he would decline, contending that just dealing with BC and their next opponent is all he has time to focus on during the regular season.

Good point, Spaz. Yet the BCS system--which means no playoffs and two human polls (coaches and The Harris Poll) and the computers decide who will play in the BCS title.

No problem, you say. Maybe. But if you check out the latest results from the two human polls deciding the BCS rankings, you will see some curious results.

Item 1: Oregon 42, California 3 (last Saturday)
Item 2: Latest coaches poll: California No. 19, Oregon No. 25
Item 3: First Harris poll: Cal No. 21, Oregon No. 23

Both teams each had a loss.

Both polls also still have Oklahoma State ahead of Houston, even though Houston is unbeaten and beat Oklahoma State in Stillwater and just beat another Big 12 team Texas Tech last week.

The voters will argue that the top of the polls are what count and they have that right: Florida, Texas., Alabama.

Fine. But the point is this: this season, does anyone really know who the best two teams are, which is reason No. 10,000 why there needs to be a playoff in college football.

We will now step off our soap box and watch the rest of the regular season, which each week produces highlight after highlight. Why not continue that into a post season?

Another week, another major showdown for the University of Miami. Ho Hum. Florida State, Georgia Tech. This week at Virginia Tech. Next week Oklahoma.

Nothing like easing into a season. People are at least paying attention as coach Randy Shannon's Hurricanes vault in the polls with each win.

When did college football install a playoff system?

Anyway.

Miami at Virginia Tech -- Subplot is Miami offensive coordinator Mark Whipple vs. Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster. That is a great football chess match of innovative minds working. Still, the key will be the Miami defense and turnovers.

The pick: Miami 28, Va Tech 24

California at Oregon -- California is the sleeper Pac-10 team, lurking for USC next week. And that's what will get the Golden Bears. Oregon coach Chip Kelly gave a fan his money back for a trip to Boise after the Ducks' disastrous opener. This time the money for the game will be well spent.

The pick: Oregon 41, California 38

Notre Dame at Purdue -- Irish survived last week at home against Michigan State. They should do it again this week and it will be easier than expected as the Irish put their game faces on once again.

The pick: Notre Dame 35, Purdue 17

Arizona State at Georgia -- Georgia won a wild one on the road at Arkansas last week. We go back and fourth on this game, which is dangerous since the Bulldogs' mindset is in the SEC, not Pac-10. Georgia QB Joe Cox is the difference.

The pick: Georgia 41, Arizona 31

Fresno at Cincinnati -- Fresno wasn't good enough to handle Boise State at home last week They won't be good enough to handle the Bearcats on the road this weekend.

The pick: Cincinnati 35, Fresno 21

Last week: 4-1
Season to date: 11-4

We waited three weeks for our first true rant. But now we have one: the fact that the football coaches vote in a poll which decides who plays in the BCS title game.

Conflict of interest? Probably not. At least not if the coaches did their job and paid attention to what was going on each week in college football. Some of them do. But a lot of them obviously don't, and its embarrassing.

Latest case in point:

Florida State 54, Brigham Young 28, in a game played at BYU, which gave the Cougars their first loss of the season. Florida St. also has a loss -- a last second defeat to Miami at home.

Sunday's Coaches poll: BYU is No. 21, FSU is No. 25.

If that weren't bad enough, a week before Houston went up to Oklahoma State and beat the Cowboys in somewhat convincing fashion (45-35). The next day's coaches poll: Oklahoma State is No. 7, Houston No. 27.

Since the AFCA won't allow the coaches poll to be released, we don't know which coaches were part of this travesty. But the AFCA needs to take a look at the ballots, pinpoint the coaches (or sports information directors who are voting for the coaches) and tell them to do a better job and pay attention or you won't vote any more.

The guess here is that most coaches would say, 'Fine, I don't need to vote.' And that is probably true. Coaches during the season have enough on their plates without worrying about who won the BYU-FSU game.

All of which leads to a simple conclusion: Have a playoff so the polls become meaningless and for entertainment purposes only.

EXTRA POINTS:

Cincinnati is the best team in the Big East and is probably going to go 12-0, which will get it to the Orange Bowl but no further. And Brian Kelly might not be coaching the Bearcats past this season if that happens since he will be become one of the top two or three coaching prospects to move up . . . The SEC likes to claim that it is the best conference in the country, with three teams in the Top 5 (Florida, Alabama and Mississippi) and four in Top 10 (LSU). Who's going to argue? . . . Rant 2 is guaranteed to come if Miami beats Virginia Tech this week, Oklahoma next week, starts 4-0 and is not No. 1 or 2 in the polls.

By Julian Benbow, Globe Staff

The obvious question for the Boston College men’s basketball team going into the 2009-2010 season was who would fill the leadership role left by guard Tyrese Rice.

Head coach Al Skinner announced his captains yesterday, tapping senior forward Tyler Roche and junior guard Biko Paris.

Neither player was a starter a year ago, but they’re both two of the most well-liked players on the team, and in Paris' case his skills as a pure-point guard were always highly-regarded by the coaching staff.

Paris averaged 3.4 points and 1.7 assists in 34 games last season, shining brightest in when he scored a season-high 15-points against Duke in the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament. Several times throughout the season Paris would run the point while Rice was on the floor. He and sophomore guard Reggie Jackson developed an instant chemistry and could likely see a lot of minutes in the back court together.

Tyler Roche, the only senior on the roster, averaged 3.5 points and 1.5 rebounds a year ago. He and Josh Southern were the Coaches Award winners a year ago, earning the honor for their intangibles. After seeing Roche score 15 points in against South Carolina-Upstate last December after he had waiting patiently on the bench for much of the Eagles first eight games, Skinner praised Roche, saying, "You're talking about a guy that's started for this program. He could have been a little upset. He probably was. He could have quit, too. But he didn't."

The Eagles, who went 22-12 a year ago falling to Southern Cal in the first round of the NCAA tournament, open the season Nov. 13 against Dartmouth.

Call this revenge weekend. Or something like it.

Tennessee and Lane Kiffin have to deal with the Florida in Gainesville. That would be the same Lane Kiffin who suggested last spring that Florida coach Urban Meyer might have broken some rules recruiting. (Kiffin later said he was wrong.)

Texas Tech visits Texas, where the Longhorns still remember last year's loss in Lubbock, which cost Texas a spot in the BCS title game.

TONIGHT

Georgia Tech at Miami -- The Miami offense, led by QB Jacory Harris, will be the key. We wonder about the 'Cane defense, which was porous in the opener against Florida State. Still, playing at home should help, which should give the 'Canes' the edge. The pick: Miami 35, Georgia Tech 24.

SATURDAY

Tennessee at Florida -- This could get ugly folks. Meyer has neither forgiven nor forgotten what Kiffin said. Plus, Tennessee is an SEC East rival and Florida needs to tune up against better competition after two "scrimmages.'' Meanwhile, Tennessee has yet to prove it can score against anybody. The pick: Florida 56, Tennessee 13.

Texas Tech at Texas -- The Longhorns looked distracted before they put away Wyoming last week That won't be the problem this week as Colt McCoy and the boys get some revenge against the Red Raiders for ending the Longhorns' BCS title hopes last season. The pick: Texas 38, Texas Tech 14.

USC at Washington -- Normally, USC could expect a letdown after a big road victory at Ohio State, especially as freshman QB Matt Barkley has not practiced for most of the week while he deals with a bruised shoulder. Throw in the fact that new Washington coach Steve Sarkisian came from USC and knows the Trojans as well as anybody. Plus, the Huskies may have the best QB in the Pac-10 in Jake Locker. The pick: USC 23, Washington 17

Michigan State at Notre Dame -- Both teams have to bounce back from bad losses. But more is expected from Notre Dame. The Irish are playing at home -- although that hasn't helped them in the past against the Spartans. Still, Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen and company look ready to pick up the pace and should play with more of a sense of urgency. The pick: Notre Dame 31, Michigan State 10.

Last week: 3-2. Season to date: 6-4.