I am sitting here right now both humbled and saddened as I type this post, having just heard the news of Stefanie Spielman’s passing and then spending a good part of my early morning reading up on her story.

There were a variety of options for morning posts today, but everything else seemed woefully insignificant when stacked up against the story of Stefanie Spielman.

If you are unfamiliar with Stefanie, she was the wife of Ohio State legend Chris Spielman. She was also a woman who spent more than decade of her life dedicated to leading the fight against breast cancer and to helping improve the lives of those who were living with the disease and their families.

Unfortunately, breast cancer claimed the life of Stefanie Spielman yesterday. She was 42 years old.

Over 11 years ago, when Stefanie was just 30 years old, she discovered a lemon-sized lump in her breast during a routine self-examination. After mentioning the lump to her doctor, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

At 30 years old.

Chris Spielman, then an NFL linebacker after his stellar career as a Buckeye, took a year off from the game to support Stefanie and their family during her treatment.

Chris and Stefanie were very outspoken and public about her battle with breast cancer, which drew a great deal of attention to them and to the broader cause of fighting a disease so nefarious that it could prematurely claim a life as beautiful as Stefanie’s.

Follow this link for more background on Stefanie’s story.

Soon after Stefanie’s diagnosis, the Spielman’s partnered with a local grocery store to raise money for The James Cancer Hospital. It did not take long, however, for the entire state of Ohio to pick up the slack and join the fight. Within six months — six months — The Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research had raised over $1 million.

Since Stefanie’s diagnosis in 1999, the Spielmans have helped raise over $6.5 million for breast cancer research and patient support.

What an amazing testament to Stefanie’s grace and courage in the face of such a daunting disease, as well as Chris’ character and commitment to his wife, family, and community. This really is an incredible story of two incredible people and I simply wanted to take a few minutes this morning to share it.

Last month, we turned our site pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as did many other blogs, websites, and organizations. But October certainly is not the only month when we should be thinking about helping to support such causes.

Breast cancer is a cause I feel strongly about because it has touched my family. Sadly, the stats say that it will touch all of our families at some point in our lives.

In honor of Stefanie Spielman, I am donating what I can this morning to both her breast cancer research fund and her fund for patient assistance. I tell you this only in hopes that it might help inspire you to do the same.

(And a quick note regarding donating that I did not realize/think about beforehand: you will receive a donation verification from Ohio State University in January that will allow you to receive tax benefits. Not that this should be a reason to donate, but if every dollar matters for you as it does for me, this at least makes a donation a little easier to absorb.)

To end this post, I will leave you with a roundup of links about Stefanie, Chris, and their story. Spend a few minutes this morning learning about Stefanie Spielman; you will marvel at what she accomplished over the last decade while fighting breast cancer.

And guys, from what I’ve gathered this morning, whether you donate to her fund or not, I think that there is one thing each of us can do to truly honor the memory of Stefanie Spielman: remind someone that we love to get their routine breast examinations.

There is no greater weapon in the fight against breast cancer than early detection.

Donate to the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research

Donate to the Stefanie Spielman Patient Assistance Fund

For more information:

• Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research
• Learn more about Stefanie’s Champions, which celebrates people like her husband Chris, who provide loving and unwavering support to breast cancer patients.
• In Memory of Stefanie photo gallery
• Ohio State Eye on Alumni interview segments with Stefanie Spielman
• Chris Spielman bio

Thank you for indulging me this morning in something a bit more serious than what we typically cover here at MSF. I think it was a more than worthwhile use of our collective time and hopefully you agree.

Rest in peace Stefanie Spielman. To Chris and the Spielman family, the thoughts, prayers, and condolences of Midwest Sports Fans everywhere are with you.

*********

* – Chris and Stefanie Spielman photo credit: Ohio State Medical Center

Dear Rich Rodriguez,

The University of Michigan players, alumni, and fans have been dying for a win over the hated Ohio State Buckeyes. Please give us a win in what is clearly a “trap game” for the Buckeyes this Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 12:00 pm in Ann Arbor.

The Buckeyes have secured a Rose Bowl appearance and the Big 10 Championship. With all of that already in the bag for them before this game….you never know.

For Michigan, a win would give them .500 record, as they are currently 5-6, with only one Big 10 victory. The Wolverines should throw everything they have into this game that they have available in their playbooks!

Not that I am counting, but the Wolverines are currently on a five game losing streak to the Buckeyes, and have not won since their victory on November 22, 2003. The Wolverines were ranked 4th, and the Buckeyes were ranked 6th. Michigan won 35-21, and countless current NFL players were involved in this game.

For Michigan on that day, Chris Perry carried the load with 154 yards on 31 carries and 2 TD’s in addition to 55 receiving yards. Michigan QB John Navarre threw for 278 yards, 2 TD’s and a pick, and Braylon Edwards had 7 grabs, 130 yards ,and 2 TD’s.

The Buckeyes had Craig Krenzel and Scott McMullen at QB, but the stars of the show for the Buckeyes were future NFL wide-outs Michael Jenkins and Santonio Holmes. Jenkins had 132 yards receiving and Holmes had 121 yards and 2 TD’s.

Since 2003, the Wolverines have failed miserably against the Buckeyes, as seen below:

• 2004 – Michigan at Ohio State – Buckeyes Won 37-21
• 2005 – Ohio State at Michigan – Buckeyes Won 25-21
• 2006 – Michigan at Ohio State – Buckeyes Won 42-39
• 2007 – Ohio State at Michigan – Buckeyes Won 14-3
• 2008 – Michigan at Ohio State – Buckeyes Won 42-7

Last year, Rich Rodriguez referred to the Ohio State game as “just a game.” This game is so much more than a game Coach, and here is why…

Follow the link to read the rest of Fraschetti’s letter to Rich Rodriguez.

**********

* – Rich Rodriguez photo credit: CoachesHotSeat.com

Today is the third Thursday in November, which means one thing and one thing only to me and many of you reading this: we are now officially one week away from the greatest meal of the year.

We are also one week away from a day when it is generally accepted in most households that the TV will be tuned to football all day long.

And, of course, we’re one week away from being able to share a wonderful day with friends and family and let them know that we are thankful for their presence in our lives.

But you don’t need our help with that. You’re here for one thing and one thing only: the Thanksgiving Day TV schedule for the NFL and college football games that will accompany our turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and eventual food coma.

Let’s get right to it.

Keep in mind that I am posting this on November 19th. So, depending on when you view this, some of the information may be incomplete. For example, point spread and over-under info won’t be available until Monday, and I’m not sure yet who is announcing the Texas-Texas A&M game Thanksgiving night.

But bookmark this page and, like we did with last year’s Thanksgiving Day football TV schedule, we’ll get it all worked out for you a few days before Thanksgiving.

NFL Thanksgiving Day TV Schedule

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions

• Packers-Lions Date: Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26th
• Packers-Lions Kickoff Time: 12:30 PM
• Packers-Lions TV Network: FOX
• Packers-Lions Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman
• Packers-Lions Point Spread: TBA
• Packers-Lions Over-Under: TBA
• Packers-Lions Spread Pick: TBA

Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys

• Raiders-Cowboys Date: Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26th
• Raiders-Cowboys Kickoff Time: 4:15 PM
• Raiders-Cowboys TV Network: CBS
• Raiders-Cowboys Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Raiders-Cowboys Point Spread: TBA
• Raiders-Cowboys Over-Under: TBA
• Raiders-Cowboys Spread Pick: TBA

New York Giants at Denver Broncos

• Giants-Broncos Date: Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26th
• Giants-Broncos Kickoff Time: 8:20 PM
• Giants-Broncos TV Network: NFL Network
• Giants-Broncos Announcers: Bob Papa and Matt Millen
• Giants-Broncos Point Spread: TBA
• Giants-Broncos Over-Under: TBA
• Giants-Broncos Spread Pick: TBA

NCAA College Football Thanksgiving Day TV Schedule

Texas Longhorns at Texas A&M Aggies

• Texas-Texas A&M Date: Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26th
• Texas-Texas A&M Kickoff Time: 8:00 PM
• Texas-Texas A&M TV Network: ESPN
• Texas-Texas A&M Announcers: TBA
• Texas-Texas A&M Point Spread: TBA…but it will be Texas by a lot.
• Texas-Texas A&M Over-Under: TBA
• Texas-Texas A&M Spread Pick: TBA

This is the only game that is actually on Thanksgiving, but there are plenty of intriguing matchups on Friday, including:

• Illinois at Cincinnati (not that Illinois really has a chance, but…)
• Alabama at Auburn
• Pittsburgh at West Virginia
• Nevada at Boise State

We will obviously have all of the information for those games when we post our Week 13 college football TV schedule on Saturday night or Sunday of this week.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving of food, family, and football everyone. I know I will.

**********

* – Lions fan ready for Thanksgiving photo credit: AP via MLive.com

Getting a jump start on next week’s college football TV schedule and point spread post because I don’t want to have to worry about it tomorrow night. Peyton v Brady will have my attention.

Anyway, the schedule is not filled with marquee matchups (Ohio State-Michigan is the headliner, if that tells you anything) but certainly could still be a pivotal week in the overall landscape of the season if any of the top teams stumble.

All will be favored by double digits though, so don’t hold your breath.

NCAA College Football Week 12 Spreads & TV Schedule: Marquee Games

Kansas at Texas

• Kansas-Texas Date: Saturday, November 21st
• Kansas-Texas Kickoff Time: 8:00 ET
• Kansas-Texas TV: ABC
• Kansas-Texas Spread: Texas -28

Ohio State at Michigan

• Ohio State-Michigan Date: Saturday, November 21st
• Ohio State-Michigan Kickoff Time: 12:00 ET
• Ohio State-Michigan TV: ABC
• Ohio State-Michigan Spread: Ohio State -12.5

Purdue at Indiana

• Purdue-Indiana Date: Saturday, November 21st
• Purdue-Indiana Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
• Purdue-Indiana TV: Big Ten Network
• Purdue-Indiana Spread: Purdue -3.5

LSU at Ole Miss

• LSU-Ole Miss Date: Saturday, November 21st
• LSU-Ole Miss Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
• LSU-Ole Miss TV: CBS
• LSU-Ole Miss Spread: Ole Miss -3.5

Kansas State at Nebraska

• Kansas State-Nebraska Date: Saturday, November 21st
• Kansas State-Nebraska Kickoff Time: 7:45 ET
• Kansas State-Nebraska TV: ESPN
• Kansas State-Nebraska Spread: Nebraska -16.5

California at Stanford

• Cal-Stanford Date: Saturday, November 21st
• Cal-Stanford Kickoff Time: 9:30 ET
• Cal-Stanford TV: Versus
• Cal-Stanford Spread: Stanford -7

As usual, all point spread listings are as of Sunday night (or perhaps Monday morning) and certainly are subject to fluctuation throughout the week. I include them here simply for your own entertainment purposes, but here are links to where you can find updated information:

• college football odds
• college football picks

Below is the college football TV schedule and point spreads listing for every game on the Week 10 college football schedule, the majority of which takes place on Saturday, November 21st. Hat tips to this college football tv schedule and this college football tv schedule for helping me put this post together.

Enjoy Week 12 everyone.

College Football TV Schedule and Point Spreads - Week of Saturday, November 21st (Week 12)

Date	Game	Time	TV	Point Spread	Tickets
Wed. 11/18	Buffalo at Miami	6:00	ESPNU	BUF -3	Get Tickets
Wed. 11/18	Central Michigan at Ball State	8:00	ESPN2	CMU -16.5	Get Tickets
Thurs. 11/19	Colorado at Oklahoma State	7:30	ESPN	OKST -16.5	Get Tickets
Fri. 11/20	Akron at Bowling Green	5:30	ESPNU	BGSU -12.5	Get Tickets
Fri. 11/20	Eastern Michigan at Toledo	7:00	TBA	TOL -19.5	Get Tickets
Fri. 11/20	Boise State at Utah State	9:30	ESPN2	BSU -24	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Memphis at Houston	12:00	CSS	HOU -23.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Duke at Miami	12:00	ESPNU	UM -19.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Louisville at South Florida	12:00	ESPN-GP	USF -12	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Maryland at Florida State	12:00	Raycom/ESPN-GP	FSU -19	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Minnesota at Iowa	12:00	ESPN	IOWA -9.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	North Carolina at Boston College	12:00	ESPN2	BC -3	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Ohio State at Michigan	12:00	ABC	OSU -12.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Mississippi State at Arkansas	12:00	SEC Network	ARK -10.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Chattanooga at Alabama	12:21	SEC Network	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	FIU at Florida	12:30	ESPN-GP	UF -43.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Oklahoma at Texas Tech	12:30	FSN	OU -6.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Kent State at Temple	1:00	TBA	TEM -13	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Northern Illinois at Ohio	2:00	TBA	OHIO -1.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Tulane at Central Florida	2:00	BHSN	UCF -19.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Iowa State at Missouri	2:00	TBA	MISS -13.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	TCU at Wyoming	2:00	MTN	TCU -31.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Connecticut at Notre Dame	2:30	NBC	ND -10.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	UTEP at Rice	3:30	TBA	UTEP -6.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Rutgers at Syracuse	3:30	ESPN360	RUT -8	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Air Force at BYU	3:30	CBSC	BYU -10	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	LSU at Ole Miss	3:30	CBS	MISS -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	NC State at Virginia Tech	3:30	ESPNU	VT -21	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Penn State at Michigan State	3:30	ESPN/ABC	PSU -3	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Purdue at Indiana	3:30	Big Ten Network	PUR -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	UAB at East Carolina	3:30	MASN	ECU -10	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Virginia at Clemson	3:30	ABC/ESPN	CLEM -20.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Wisconsin at Northwestern	3:30	Big Ten Network	WIS -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Baylor at Texas A&M	3:30	TBA	TAM -7.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Army at North Texas	4:00	KTXA	UNT -1.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Arizona State at UCLA	4:00	FSN	UCLA -4.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	San Diego State at Utah	4:00	Versus	UTAH -18	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Florida Atlantic at Troy	4:15	ESPN-GP	TROY -16.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	SMU at Marshall	4:30	TBA	MAR -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Arkansas State at Midd. Tenn. State	4:30	ESPN-GP	MTSU -11.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Oregon State at Washington State	4:00	TBA	ORST -32.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Louisiana Tech at Fresno State	5:00	TBA	FSU -10.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Colorado State at New Mexico	5:00	MTN	CSU -4	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Vanderbilt at Tennessee	7:00	ESPNU	UT -17	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Louisiana-Monroe at Louisiana-Lafayette	7:00	TBA	ULM -3	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Tulsa at Southern Miss	7:30	CBSC	USM -7.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Kansas State at Nebraska	7:45	ESPN	NEB -16.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Kentucky at Georgia	7:45	ESPN2	UGA -8.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Kansas at Texas	8:00	ABC	TEX -28	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Oregon at Arizona	8:00	ABC	ORE -6	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Hawaii at San Jose State	8:00	TBA	HAW -3	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	California at Stanford	9:30	Versus	STAN -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/21	Nevada at New Mexico State	10:30	ESPNU	NEV -31.5	Get Tickets

This online sportsbook currently has the Gators as the odds-on favorite to win the SEC at 5/9, with Alabama sporting odds of 7/5.

The BCS Top 5 teams remain unchanged from the week previous with the Gators at the top, the Tide No. 2 and the Texas Longhorns, TCU Horned Frogs and Cincinnati Bearcats rounding out the Top 5 in that order.

Florida hasn’t deviated from top spot since the BCS rankings first came out a little over a month ago and with two more easy games before the conference championship, there is no reason why the Gators shouldn’t remain at the top of the BCS rankings heading into the big game.

This week, Florida has a tilt against the Florida International Golden Panthers this should be a blowout. It is one of the biggest pointspread margins of the season, with sportsbook listing the Gators as 43-point favorites.

Florida is currently riding an 11-game straight up winning streak. They have recorded a mark of 9-5-1 ATS the last 15 times theyíve been listed as a favorite of 8 points or more, but theyíre only 2-5-1 ATS in the last eight in that spread range. Although 43 points is a wild spread to ask a team to cover.

Sports bettors are still enamored with the #1 team in the nation, as 74% of all the betting volume on this is laying the 43 points.

A quick note on the Total in this one: the last eight times the Gators have been favored by eight points or more, they have a mark of 1 Over, 6 Unders and 1 Push.

The Gators should be able to get by FSU the week after when the cross-state rivals meet.

Since 1995, Florida is 5-2 ATS in seven home games against the Seminoles.

All signs point to the Gators being undefeated going into the early-December SEC title match against Alabama.

With the exception of a blip in early-November, Alabama has been a constant in the BCS two-spot this season.

The Tide also have a powder-puff game this coming week against Chattanooga, but looking ahead, there could have trouble vs. the Auburn Tigers during Thanksgiving weekend.

Bama has struggled in its last eight games against Auburn, going 2-6 SU (these two have recorded 2 Overs and 6 Unders in those games).

In the Tideís last seven road games against the Tigers however, they may be 2-5 SU but are 5-2 ATS.

Alabama has been a great road team in its last nine overall away games, going 8-1 SU and an impressive 8-1 ATS.

This much-anticipated SEC Championship matchup in a couple of weeks will be the biggest game of the year so far in college football.

Good luck this weekend.

This has got to be one of the dumbest things I’ve seen a while.

Three University of Tennessee football players, including much-heralded freshmen Nu’Keese Richardson and Janzen Jackson, were arrested this morning and charged with armed robbery. (Thanks for SEC Rivals for the tip.)

I don’t have confirmation on this yet, but charges of extreme idiocy and operating a human body without a brain could also be forthcoming.

The story is still developing, but here are some of the details of the robbery itself, courtesy of VolunteerTV.com:

Reports from the scene indicate two black men approached the victim in the parking lot and used a small semi-automatic handgun to hold him up. They then fled south on Volunteer Boulevard in a powder blue-colored sedan. At least one of the suspects was described as wearing a black University of Tennessee T-shirt.

According to this message board thread at VolNation.com, each player made off with about $50.

Initially, VolunteerTV.com refused to list the names of the suspects. However, very early this morning a member of the Vols’ SID department did confirm that Richardson, Jackson, and fellow freshman Mike Edwards had been arrested for armed robbery.

Armed freaking robbery.

These three are lucky that being stupid isn’t a felony or they would have been charged with that too.

I don’t want to get too much into this because the guys are “innocent until proven guilty” and I have no idea about their family/life situation, but — at least the way it is being reported — this just seems so senseless and idiotic I can barely find words to describe it. I don’t now much about Edwards, but Richardson and Jackson are both players with tons of talent who were looked at as future stars and potential NFL prospects.

Now, if these charges end up sticking, they will most likely be booted from UT and forced to work their way back through junior college or Division 1-AA channels.

Armed robbery? I mean, underage drinking I could see…everyone does that in college. Maybe even swiping a video game system from someone’s dorm room; I’m not advocating it by any means, but we’ve all heard stories of it happening and is something that dumb college kids sometimes do.

But armed robbery? That’s pretty serious and hints at deeper problems than just simple immaturity.

All three of these guys have some serious ’splainin’ to do. And we’ll get see what kind of a tone Lane Kiffin is going to set for his program with how he responds.

Update: The players involved in this story are actually dumber than I thought.

Via The Tennessee Journalist’s report on the players being arrested for armed robbery:

Jackson served a one-game suspension for disciplinary reasons in Tennessee 56-28 win over Memphis on Saturday.

Richardson missed Sunday practice leading up to the win over Memphis as he dealt with what was reported to be “personal issues”.

Head coach Lane Kiffin later said Richardson had “no situation”.

Pilot is owned by Jim Haslam, a former UT football player and major financial contributor to both the school and UT athletics.

Way to go fellas. Commit a crime, in the wake of having other issues, at a place of business owned by an alum of your school and team, someone who now doubt has some serious back-channel clout.

I’m speechless. But not because I’m terribly surprised by this, just because this was such a dumb thing to do it’s not worth wasting any more time or words over.

I will just leave you with a more in-depth police report (courtesy of The Big Lead) that provides even more detail into the activities of last night (teaser: marijuana paraphernalia!).

Lane, just remember, no matter how big things get…you can always go home.

**********

* – Lane Kiffin photo credit: Bootlegger Sports

How’s this for a one-week swing.

Last week, Iowa was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, #4 in the BCS, and being talked about as a potential BCS championship contender.

This week, they have an injured quarterback, a loss to Northwestern on their resume, are now out of the top 10, and are 13.5 point dogs to Ohio State.

So much for that BCS title, huh Hawkeyes?

Let’s look ahead to Week 11 with this week’s college football TV schedule and point spread table.

College Football Week 11 Spreads & TV Schedule: Marquee Games

#25 West Virginia at #5 Cincinnati

• West Virginia-Cincinnati Date: Friday, November 13th
• West Virginia-Cincinnati Kickoff Time: 8:00 ET
• West Virginia-Cincinnati TV: ESPN2
• West Virginia-Cincinnati Spread: Cincinnati -9

#1 Florida at South Carolina

• Florida-South Carolina Date: Saturday, November 14th
• Florida-South Carolina Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
• Florida-South Carolina TV: CBS
• Florida-South Carolina Spread: Florida -15

#10 Iowa at #11 Ohio State

• Iowa-Ohio State Date: Saturday, November 14th
• Iowa-Ohio State Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
• Iowa-Ohio State TV: ABC/ESPN
• Iowa-Ohio State Spread: Ohio State -13.5

#2 Alabama at Mississippi State

• Alabama-Mississippi State Date: Saturday, November 14th
• Alabama-Mississippi State Kickoff Time: 7:00 ET
• Alabama-Mississippi State TV: ESPN/ESPN2
• Alabama-Mississippi State Spread: Alabama -15

#16 Utah at #4 TCU

• Utah-TCU Date: Saturday, November 14th
• Utah-TCU Kickoff Time: 7:30 ET
• Utah-TCU TV: CBSC
• Utah-TCU Spread: TCU -17.5

Notre Dame at #12 Pittsburgh

• Notre Dame-Pittsburgh Date: Saturday, November 14th
• Notre Dame-Pittsburgh Kickoff Time: 8:00 ET
• Notre Dame-Pittsburgh TV: ABC
• Notre Dame-Pittsburgh Spread: Pittsburgh -7

As usual, all point spread listings are as of Sunday night (or perhaps Monday morning) and certainly are subject to fluctuation throughout the week. I include them here simply for your own entertainment purposes, but here are links to where you can find updated information:

• college football odds
• college football picks

Below is the college football TV schedule and point spreads listing for every game on the Week 10 college football schedule, the majority of which takes place on Saturday, November 14th. Hat tips to this college football tv schedule and this college football tv schedule for helping me put this post together.

Enjoy Week 11 everyone.

College Football TV Schedule and Point Spreads - Week of Saturday, November 14th (Week 11)

Date	Game	Time	TV	Point Spread	Tickets
Tues. 11/10	Ohio at Buffalo	7:00	ESPN2	BUF -2.5	Get Tickets
Wed. 11/11	Toledo at Central Michigan	8:00	ESPN2	CMU -16	Get Tickets
Thurs. 11/12	Bowling Green at Miami (OH)	6:00	ESPN360	BGSU -3.5	Get Tickets
Thurs. 11/12	Ball State at Northern Illinois	6:00	ESPNU	NIU -17	Get Tickets
Thurs. 11/12	South Florida at Rutgers	7:30	ESPN	Pick 'Em	Get Tickets
Fri. 11/13	West Virginia at Cincinnati	8:00	ESPN2	CIN -9	Get Tickets
Fri. 11/13	Temple at Akron	8:30	ESPNU	TEM -4.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Florida State at Wake Forest	12:00	ESPNU	WFU -4	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Clemson at NC State	12:00	Raycom	CLEM -6	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Texas at Baylor	12:00	FSN	TEX -25.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Georgia Tech at Duke	12:00	ESPN2	GTU -10.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Indiana at Penn State	12:00	Big 10 Network	PSU -21.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Houston at UCF	12:00	CBSC	HOU -5.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Michigan at Wisconsin	12:00	Big 10 Network	WIS -9.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Syracuse at Louisville	12:00	ESPN-GP	LOU -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	South Dakota St. at Minnesota	12:00	Big 10 Network	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Tennessee at Mississippi	12:00	CBS	MISS -3	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	VMI at Army	12:00	CBSC (tape delay)	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Northwestern at Illinois	12:00	TBA	ILL -4	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Michigan State at Purdue	12:00	ESPN	Pick 'em	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Kentucky at Vanderbilt	12:21	SEC Network	UK -3	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Missouri at Kansas State	12:30	Versus	KST -2	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Virginia Tech at Maryland	1:00	ESPN360	VT -17	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan	1:00	TBA	WMU -10	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Colorado at Iowa State	2:00	TBA	IST -5.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	BYU at New Mexico	2:00	MTN	BYU -27	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	UAB at Memphis	2:00	CSS	UAB -1	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	San Jose State at Utah State	3:00	TBA	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Louisiana- Laf. at Mid Tenn St.	3:00	ESPN-GP	MTST -12	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	UTEP at SMU	3:00	TWC Metro	SMU -6.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Washington at Oregon State	3:30	FSNW	ORST -10	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Miami (FL) at North Carolina	3:30	ABC/ESPN	UM -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Florida at South Carolina	3:30	CBS	UF -15	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Iowa at Ohio State	3:30	ABC/ESPN	OSU -13.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Idaho at Boise State	3:30	ESPNU	BSU -28	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Stanford at USC	3:30	FSN	USC -11.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Tulane at Rice	3:30	TBA	RICE -1.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Boston College at Virginia	3:30	ESPN360	BC -5.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Nebraska at Kansas	3:30	ABC/ESPN	NEB -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Delaware at Navy	3:30	CBSC	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Arkansas State at Florida Atlantic	4:00	TBA	AKST -3	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Western Kentucky at Louisiana- Monroe	4:00	TBA	LM -21	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Fresno State at Nevada	4:00	ESPN-GP	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Southern Miss at Marshall	4:30	TBA	USM -3	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	UCLA at Washington State	5:00	FCS Pacific	UCLA -18	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	UNLV at Air Force	6:00	MTN	AFU -17	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Alabama at Mississippi State	7:00	ESPN/ESPN2	ALA -15	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Louisiana Tech at LSU	7:00	ESPNU	LSU -24	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Texas A&M at Oklahoma	7:00	FSN	OU -18	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Auburn at Georgia	7:00	ESPN/ESPN2	UGA -4	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	North Texas at Florida International	7:00	TBA	FIU -2.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Utah at TCU	7:30	CBSC	TCU -17.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Troy at Arkansas	7:30	ESPN-GP	ARK -15	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Notre Dame at Pittsburgh	8:00	ABC (regional)	PITT -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Texas Tech at Oklahoma State	8:00	ABC (regional)	OSU -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Wyoming at San Diego State	10:00	MTN	SDSU -5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	New Mexico State at Hawaii	10:05	Oceanic PPV	HAW -18	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Arizona State at Oregon	10:20	ESPN	ORE -16.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/14	Arizona at California	10:20	Versus	AZ -2	Get Tickets
Sun. 11/15	East Carolina at Tulsa	8:15	ESPN	TULS -6	Get Tickets

Still not so hot with college though. 12-16-1 in a disappointing year so far.

Click here to see Jerod’s picks from earlier this week and then follow after the jump for this week’s college and NFL picks.

College

Alabama -7.5 vs. LSU
Ever just have a hunch? I have one with this game. I think LSU can come out and win this game. With that being said, my hunches have been horrible so far this college season. Bettors and fans want LSU to win to throw a dagger into the BCS system. LSU has been putrid on offense so far this season, and they will be going against the best D in all the land. Take Bama and lay the points.

Navy +13 vs. Notre Dame
Can you say trap game? I sure can. Looking at the line, one would expect Notre Dame to blow out Navy. ND has both WR back for the first time in weeks which should add fire power to a hot offense to begin with. However one thing Navy can do is run the ball, which is the Fighting Irish’s weakness. Navy controls the clock and keeps it close. Take Navy.

UCONN +17.5 vs. Cincinnati
This is a lot of points to give to a stingy UCONN team. In the last 9 games UCONN has played they haven’t lost to anyone by more than 4 points. I know everyone is on Cincy’s back, they are good, but not good enough to cover the 17.5. Take the Huskies

NFL

Ravens -2 vs. Bengals
I took the Ravens last time, and I will take them again this time. I just can’t see the Bengals beating the Ravens two times in one season. Besides the Ravens after the bye sure looked sharp on Defense last week. I expect that to continue. If the Bengals win I won’t be shocked, but may turn into a believer. Roll with the Ravens

Colts -8.5 vs. Houston
I saw that Bob Sanders is having season ending surgery today. So instead of the Colts winning by 21 they’ll win by 14. Houston has been hot, no doubt, but Indy has their number (9-1 in their last 10 match-ups), and Peyton will have a career day. If you like offensive games, you will love this one.

Carolina vs. Saints
Another trap game here. If anyone has a shot at beating the Saints this year, it’s the Panthers. Lets face it, they have played themselves back into the playoff hunt, Jake Delhome hasn’t been turning it over every other play and those running backs are beasts. Carolina absolutely owns the Saints(7-3 in their last ten), but more importantly they know how to beat the Saints on their turf (5-0 in last 5 meetings.) Carolina may only throw the ball 9 times this game to keep the Saints offense off the field. Which means 17.5 points is a lot to give. Take the Panthers

You can also check out my site at nflandcollegefootball.com

Notre Dame’s game last week against Washington State was the first boring game the Irish have played all year as they swamped the Cougars 40-14. Even though it was a boring, one-sided game, I was happy.

For one time in the season the Irish dominated a team they should have dominated.

This week the Irish play the Midshipmen in a rival that began in 1927. The Irish have a 71-10-1 edge on the rivalry.  The Irish had a NCAA record of 43 straight wins against the Navy, but that was broken in 2007 when the Midshipmen won in OT. Even though the rivalry has been one-sided both teams hold this game in high regard. Both teams respect each other, and that’s what gives this game a little extra meaning.

Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd is expected to play Saturday, but he is going to be limited. This is great news to hear for the team and fans. Floyd suffered a broken collarbone Sept. 19th in 36-33 win over Michigan State. The Irish’s backup QB will be out for the next four to six months leaving the backup duty to fifth year senior Evan Sharpley.

The Navy come in a little banged up as three of their defensive starters will be sitting out, but that doesn’t mean they will stop playing hard. The Navy only need one more win to clinch playing in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 31st.

With all these factors it’s hard to pick the Navy over the Irish in this one. The Irish are a better team than they were in 2007. I expect Notre Dame to win and to win easily.

The game is on Saturday, November 7th, at 2:30pm est. You can see the game on NBC.

In Major League Baseball, teams in the race looking to make a late-season push will make a deadline deal to improve their roster. Case in point: the Phillies acquiring Cliff Lee.

In the NFL, teams looking to overcome longshot playoff odds get inventive with their playbook, like the Miami Dolphins did last year in using the Wildcat to power them to a playoff berth.

In college basketball, coaches will often loosen the reins on talented freshman during the second half of the season in an effort to unleash the potential of their teams, hoping it sparks a March run.

In college football, our national paragon of amateurism and integrity, schools and conferences hoping to achieve their postseason goals actually seek areas outside of their actual performance on the field to get a leg up on their competition.

Today’s example is Boise State, via the WAC, which has reportedly hired a PR firm to help the Broncos in their quest to make the BCS.

Yes, this is what is has come to in college football. Public relations firms are being held on retainer by conferences to help individual schools politic for BCS berths.

The saddest aspect of all this is that you cannot blame the WAC one bit.

A BCS berth for Boise State would be create a huge financial windfall for the entire conference. You could make the argument that the WAC would be negligent by not taking this extra step to put Boise State and its conference in the best possible position to make the BCS.

We see coaches at the big time schools politicking for all the time through the media. Coaches like Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll, and Mack Brown have the ability (you could even call it the bully pulpit) to do this.

A guy like Chris Petersen, however, does not have the same national forum because his school has nowhere near the status of a Florida, USC, or Texas, regardless of how good the Broncos may be. He can yell, scream, and hold press conferences until he’s blue in the field face and it won’t make a difference.

Engaging a professional PR firm at least levels the playing field a little bit.

Kudos to the WAC for showing its member schools that it is completely behind them and for doing what is in the best interest of the conference, but shame on college football for allowing its environment and landscape to get to this point.

A team’s public relations and postseason future should be determined on Saturdays, on the field. To the WAC’s credit, at least they understand the realities of the world in which they operate.

**********

* – Chris Petersen photo credit: Darin Oswald via Idaho Statesman

Standing at 4-4 on the season, the Lane Kiffin Project has been somewhat successful.

The Volunteers have put two different teams on the field this year: one has been reminiscent of last season’s mediocre squad, with a sputtering offensive attack; the other has been a motivated SEC contender that can play with any team in the nation.

A week ago, the Vols had a chance to knock off one of the top teams in the country in Alabama. Tennessee dropped the game 12-10 after a last second blocked field goal by Alabama’s gargantuan defensive tackle Terrence Cody. Finishing games in the fourth quarter has been an Achilles heel for Kiffin’s squad.

This past Saturday, a different Vols team stepped onto the field in Knoxville. Tennessee played in black jerseys for the first time and manhandled South Carolina. From start to finish, Tennessee completely controlled the Gamecocks, beating them easily 30-13. Monte Kiffin’s defense left “head ball coach” Steve Spurrier shaking his head.

So far this season for the Volunteer offense, it has been a tale of two quarterbacks, yet both of them are Jonathan Crompton. The senior quarterback has been up and down all season and Tennessee’s record reflects that.

Crompton has performed extremely well in all four of UT’s victories because the majority of his throws came on rollout plays. When the Vols are able to move the pocket outside and cut the field in half for Crompton, he has been able to make better decisions. When Crompton has been forced to drop straight back and pass, he has had trouble being accurate.

With four games left in their season, the Vols look like they will return to a bowl game this year. Three of the last four games look to be sure wins for UT, playing against Memphis, Vanderbilt and away at Kentucky. The tough game will be in two weeks when the Volunteers play at Ole Miss. The Tennessee defense will have to apply pressure on Rebel quarterback Jevan Snead.

And as always, Crompton’s play will be the deciding factor for the Vols.

Prediction: Tennessee will face Memphis for UT’s homecoming game this weekend. The Vols take this one easy, 38-10

Sidenote: For those who are fans of Lane Kiffin’s wife Layla. Shirts were being sold on the UT campus with the words “Our coach’s wife is hotter than yours!” printed on the front, before the South Carolina game.

**********

* – Tennessee players photo credit: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober

]]> http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/11/tennessees-4-4-record-reflects-the-two-different-teams-kiffin-has-put-on-the-field-this-season/feed/ 0 http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/11/college-football-point-spreads-odds-tv-schedule-week-10-november-7-ncaa-lsu-alabama-penn-ohio-state/ http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2009/11/college-football-point-spreads-odds-tv-schedule-week-10-november-7-ncaa-lsu-alabama-penn-ohio-state/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:03:07 +0000 Jerod http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/?p=6126

The college football Week 11 TV schedule and point spreads, for the week of Saturday, November 14th, have been posted!

Follow the link to view the college football TV schedule and point spreads for the week of November 14th.

—————

The plot is beginning to thicken, as they say, now that the calendar has turned to November.

Florida, Texas, and Alabama still appear to be the class of college football, with people still wondering exactly how good teams like Iowa, Boise State, and TCU really are.

And then there are the Oregons — teams written off because of an early season loss that have rebounded — who are charging up the top 25 and looking to play spoiler, if not outright BCS party crasher.

Let’s look ahead to Week 10 and the tv schedule and point spreads for Saturday, November 7th. LSU-Alabama is obviously the biggest game on the schedule, but there are some other ones that you’ll want to keep your eye on as well.

Below, we’ve provided everything you need to know about the upcoming college football Saturday (November 7th). The TV schedule and points spreads are below, with a few of the most important games highlighted before we get to the game-by-game rundown.

College Football Week 10 Spreads & TV Schedule: Marquee Games

Virginia Tech at East Carolina

• Virginia Tech-East Carolina Date: Thursday, November 5th
• Virginia Tech-East Carolina Kickoff Time: 7:30 ET
• Virginia Tech-East Carolina TV: ESPN
• Virginia Tech-East Carolina Spread:

Northwestern at Iowa

• Northwestern-Iowa Date: Saturday, November 7th
• Northwestern-Iowa Kickoff Time: 12:00 ET
• Northwestern-Iowa TV: ESPN
• Northwestern-Iowa Spread:

Navy at Notre Dame

• Navy-Notre Dame Date: Saturday, November 7th
• Navy-Notre Dame Kickoff Time: 2:30 ET
• Navy-Notre Dame TV: NBC
• Navy-Notre Dame Spread:

LSU at Alabama

• LSU-Alabama Date: Saturday, November 7th
• LSU-Alabama Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
• LSU-Alabama TV: CBS
• LSU-Alabama Spread:

Ohio State at Penn State

• Ohio State-Penn State Date: Saturday, November 7th
• Ohio State-Penn State Kickoff Time: 3:30 ET
• Ohio State-Penn State TV: ABC
• Ohio State-Penn State Spread:

Vanderbilt at Florida

• Vanderbilt-Florida Date: Saturday, November 7th
• Vanderbilt-Florida Kickoff Time: 7:15 ET
• Vanderbilt-Florida TV: ESPNU
• Vanderbilt-Florida Spread:

As usual, all point spread listings are as of Sunday night (or perhaps Monday morning) and certainly are subject to fluctuation throughout the week. I include them here simply for your own entertainment purposes, but here are links to where you can find updated information:

(Note: Uncharacteristically, the point spreads were not available as I prepared this post Sunday evening. I will check back later tonight or update this post in the morning.)

• college football odds
• college football picks

Below is the college football TV schedule and point spreads listing for every game on the Week 10 college football schedule, the majority of which takes place on Saturday, November 7th. Hat tips to this college football tv schedule and this college football tv schedule for helping me put this post together.

Enjoy Week 10 everyone.

College Football TV Schedule and Point Spreads - Week of Saturday, November 7th (Week 10)

Date	Game	Time	TV	Point Spread	Tickets
Tues. 11/3	Bowling Green at Buffalo	7:00	ESPN2	BUF -3.5	Get Tickets
Thurs. 11/5	Virginia Tech at East Carolina	7:30	ESPN	VT -12	Get Tickets
Thurs. 11/5	Miami (OH) at Temple	7:30	ESPN360	TEM -13.5	Get Tickets
Thurs. 11/5	Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois	7:30	ESPNU	NIU -21	Get Tickets
Fri. 11/6	Boise State at Louisiana Tech	8:00	ESPN	BSU -20.5	Get Tickets
	Note: The following four games will be played on Saturday but times have not yet been confirmed.
Sat. 11/7	Connecticut at Cincinnati	TBA		NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Oklahoma State at Iowa State	TBA		OSU -7.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Oklahoma at Nebraska	TBA		OU -6	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Florida State at Clemson	TBA		CLEM -8	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Virginia at Miami (FL)	12:00	Raycom	UM -13	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	UCF at Texas	12:00	FSN	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Northwestern at Iowa	12:00	ESPN	IOWA -17.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Syracuse at Pittsburgh	12:00	ESPNU	PITT -19	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Louisville at West Virginia	12:00	ESPN-GP	WVU -19.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Wisconsin at Indiana	12:00	Big 10 Network	WIS -11	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Western Michigan at Michigan State	12:00	Big 10 Network	MSU -18	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Purdue at Michigan	12:00	Big 10 Network	MICH -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Illinois at Minnesota	12:00	Big 10 Network	MINN -6	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	South Carolina at Arkansas	12:21	SEC Network	ARK -5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Kansas at Kansas State	12:30	Versus	KU -2.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Maryland at NC State	1:00	TBA	NCST -7.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Tennessee Tech at Georgia	1:00	ESPN-GP	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky	1:00	ESPN-GP	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Furman at Auburn	1:30	ESPN-GP	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Texas A&M at Colorado	1:30	FCS Central	TAM -5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Baylor at Missouri	2:00	TBA	MIZZ -16	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Florida Atlantic at UAB	2:00	TBA	UAB -5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	BYU at Wyoming	2:00	MTN	BYU -13	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Navy at Notre Dame	2:30	NBC	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Duke at North Carolina	3:00	ESPN360	UNC -7.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Rice at SMU	3:00	TWC Metro Sports	SMU -18	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Oregon at Stanford	3:30	FSN	ORE -5.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Ohio State at Penn State	3:30	ABC	PSU -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Wake Forest at Georgia Tech	3:30	TBA	GT -15	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Washington State at Arizona	3:30	FCS Pacific	ARIZ -31	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Washington at UCLA	3:30	FSPT	UCLA -4	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Army at Air Force	3:30	CBSC	AFU -17	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Kent State at Akron	3:30	FSOH	KSU -3	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	UTEP at Tulane	3:30	FCS Atlantic	UTEP -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	LSU at Alabama	3:30	CBS	ALA -8.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	TCU at San Diego State	4:00	Versus	TCU -24	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Louisiana-Monroe at North Texas	4:00	TBA	LMU -1	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Florida International at Middle Tennessee State	4:30	ESPN-GP	MTST -13.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Troy at Western Kentucky	5:00	TBA	TROY -24	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	New Mexico at Utah	6:00	MTN	UTAH -27	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Oregon State at California	7:00	FSN	CAL -6	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas State	7:00	ESPN-GP	ARST -11.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Memphis at Tennessee	7:00	ESPN	UT -26	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Vanderbilt at Florida	7:15	ESPN or ESPN2	UF -32.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Houston at Tulsa	7:30	CBSC	HOU -2.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Northern Arizona at Mississippi	7:30	ESPN-GP	NL	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	USC at Arizona State	8:00	ABC	USC -11.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Colorado State at UNLV	10:00	MTN	CSU -1.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Utah State at Hawaii	10:05	PPV	UTST -3	Get Tickets
Sat. 11/7	Fresno State at Idaho	10:30	ESPNU	FRES -6.5	Get Tickets
Sun. 11/8	Nevada at San Jose State	8:30	ESPN	NEV -13.5	Get Tickets

As a preview, I want to highlight a great line a few minutes ago in a story that I found while making my way towards today’s Hot Clicks (starring the lovely Minka Kelly). The line is from SI.com college football Stewart Mandel and sounds like the kind of observation we’d hear in a Jerry Seinfeld stand-up routine.

We entrust computers to protect our credit card information, deliver important documents and identify potential dating partners — but to evaluate football teams? Now that makes us leery.

The quote is from this week’s mailbag and comes during a discussion of the Iowa Hawkeyes’ surprising (to some) jump to #4 in the most recent BCS polls. He also discusses why too many people are reserving a spot at the Downtown Athletic Club for Tim Tebow, despite Tebow’s underwhelming performance to date.

Here are a few other random links to satiate your sports blog appetite since we aren’t delivering quite as many goods today:

• Great review of the Muhammad vs Larry 30 for 30 documentary. I watched most of it and concur with Ty Duffy’s assessment on The Big Lead.
• Ironic: ESPN memo instructing employees not to “snitch” and/or leak sensitive information gets leaked to Deadspin.
• It’s not good to be Ted Ginn right now.
• Josh Q. Public is excited about what he saw out of Paul Pierce last night. Cleveland fans aren’t.
• If you’re in the mood for some midday eye candy, Straight Pinkie has a nice gallery of Sofia Vergara.
• MoonDog details the woman who tried to exchange sex for World Series tickets on eBay.
• The guys at Rumors and Rants discuss Tim Tebow’s ever-plummeting draft stock.
• Are friends at NQTC have the Derrick Rose/Dwigth Schrute commercial.
• i94sports compares the ‘96 Packers and Favre with the ‘09 Vikings and Favre.

(Editor’s Note: The Sports Agent Corner is our periodic Q&A with Dallas-based sports agent Gary Glick of Synergy Sports, Inc. Learn more about Gary and see his list of past and present clients at the Synergy Sports website.)

MSF: Give us an update on your players currently on NFL rosters.

Gary Glick: Interesting year so far.  We had several that were released and several doing well.  One of the ones to watch is Mike Adams at Arizona (#27).  He is small at 5’8” but has been very effective on special teams and is a very sure tackler.

MSF: How does the beginning of the UFL influence your  landscape? Is this a place where you are going to actively direct your clients who cannot make it on an NFL roster right now? Is the UFL immediately on par, better than, worse than the CFL?

Gary Glick: I was unsure about the UFL until I started talking with some of the coaching staff. In particular, I have gotten to know and have a lot of respect for Coach Fassel. It doesn’t appear that the UFL is trying to compete with the NFL.  In fact, in some instances, it looks like a place for players as well as coaches who would like another opportunity in the NFL.  I have placed several players so far and watched the games. It’s a good brand of football and I hope it takes off.

The UFL and CFL have their pros and cons.  The CFL is widely scouted by the NFL teams but is an 18-game season.  Also, once a player enters a contract, they cannot break the contract even if an NFL wants them. Along those lines, most CFL teams try to have the player sign a two-year deal.  That would lock the player out of the NFL for a significant time.

The UFL is new and currently only has a six-game season, so players are free to try for the NFL much quicker than they would if they were in the CFL.

On the other hand, the CFL is more established than the UFL. I guess time will tell the success of the UFL and the players who choose to participate.

MSF: Regarding the Dez Bryant story, there has been speculation that Deion Sanders might be working as a de facto “runner” for Eugene Parker.  I know that you cannot comment on the specifics, but can you at least describe to our readers what a “runner” is and what the NCAA’s rules are to prevent “runners” and agents from getting close to college athletes.

Gary Glick: In general, “runners” work for agencies and are usually persons who will attend games and work behind the scenes to meet players for the agencies.  It’s a way to bend (break) the rules as to when an agenct may make contact with a player.  It’s widespread and really places agencies on uneven playing fields, especially if the person serving in the “runner” capacity is a famous athlete.

I am not saying Deion is doing this but it does raise eyebrows when Deion was involved with the Crabtree decision to choose Eugene Parker as his agent and now offers training to another highly sought after prospect in Dez Bryant.  Not coincidentally, Eugene Parker was Deion’s agent so there is a natural connection.

MSF: In your experience, speaking generally, have you seen former NFL players use their stature and “cred” to cozy up to athletes with the implicit or explicit goal of “handing” them to specified agents? Is this typically something they are compensated for, either over- or under-the-table?

Gary Glick: Yes to both.  It’s a very common practice for agents’ clients to use their stature to recruit athletes-especially at their alma mater.

MSF: One of the most disappointing developments of the college football season so far has been the injuries to Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham, both of whom would have been top 10 picks had they come out prior to this season.  What would you have advised them to do last year? Do you think their injury problems this year will prompt players currently on the fence to go pro? Do you think it should?

Gary Glick: It’s easy in retrospect.  Honestly, I would have advised Bradford to come out.  He was a lock to be the 1^st overall pick.  As we can see, there is a huge injury risk in returning.  That’s not to say that he still won’t be recognized as the best QB in the country (in my opinion he is) but we will have to see what longer range effects his injury will have.

Gresham, on the other hand, is a TE, and although he is widely thought to be the best TE in the country, there was no guarantee as to where he would have been drafted.  I would have advised him to give it serious thought but do what he felt he should do.

I am fairly high on players getting their education and developing in college unless the player will be a top 5 or 10 pick.  It seems like every year players who should stay in do just the opposite and come out and, vice versa, those that probably should come out choose to stay in (see Matt Leinert).

The college football Week 11 TV schedule and point spreads, for the week of Saturday, November 14th, have been posted!

Follow the link to view the college football TV schedule and point spreads for the week of November 14th.

—————

It’s time to look ahead to this Saturday with this weekend’s college football TV schedule and point spreads.

The majority of this weekend’s games will be played on October 31st, which is, of course, Halloweeen. With top teams like Florida, Iowa, and Texas all being favored by nine points or more, their fans are certainly hoping that Saturday does not turn out to be a night of terror.

As usual, all point spread listings are as of Sunday night and certainly are subject to fluctuation throughout the week. I include them here simply for your own entertainment purposes, but here are links to where you can find updated information:

• college football odds
• college football picks

Below is the college football TV schedule and point spreads listing for every game on the Week 8 college football schedule, the majority of which takes place on Saturday, October 31st. Hat tips to this college football tv schedule and this college football tv schedule for helping me put this post together.

Enjoy Week 9 everyone.

College Football TV Schedule and Point Spreads - Week of Saturday, October 31st (Week 9)

Date	Game	Time	TV	Point Spread	Tickets
Tue. 10/27	East Carolina at Memphis	8:00	ESPN2	ECU -4.5	Get Tickets
Thurs. 10/29	North Carolina at Virginia Tech	7:30	ESPN	VT -16.5	Get Tickets
Fri. 10/30	West Virginia at South Florida	8:00	ESPN2	WVU -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Cinncinnati at Syracuse	12:00	ESPNU	CIN -14.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Indiana at Iowa	12:00	ESPN	IOWA -17	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	New Mexico State at Ohio State	12:00	Big 10 Network	OSU -39.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Purdue at Wisconsin	12:00	ESPN2	WIS -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	North Carolina State at Florida State	12:00	RAYCOM	FSU -7.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Rutgers at Connecticut	12:00	ESPN-GP	CONN -8	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Ohio at Ball State	12:00		OHIO -7.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Louisana- Lafayette at Florida International	12:00		FIU -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Akron at Northern Illinois	12:00	ESPN-GP	NIU -10	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Mississippi at Auburn	12:21	ESPN-GP	MISS -4	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Nebraska at Baylor	12:30	VERSUS	NEB -12.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Southern Miss at Houston	12:30		HOU -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Missouri at Colorado	1:00	FSN	MISS -4	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Coastal Carolina at Clemson	1:30			Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Southern Methodist at Tulsa	1:30		TULS -17	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Western Michigan at Kent State	2:00		WMU -1	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	San Jose State at Boise State	2:00		BSU -34	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Western Kentucky at North Texas	3:00		UNT -10	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	UAB at UTEP	3:00		UTEP -6.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Georgia at Florida	3:00	CBS	UF -16	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Miami (FL) at Wake Forest	3:30	ABC	UM -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Kansas at Texas Tech	3:30	ABC	TTU -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Arkansas State at Louisville	3:30	ESPN-GP	LOU -4.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	California at Arizona State	3:30	ABC	CAL -6.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Central Michigan at Boston College	3:30	ESPNU	BC -4.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Toledo at Miami (OH)	3:30		TOL -6	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Iowa State at Texas A&M	3:30		TAM -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Duke at Virginia	3:30		UVA -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Michigan at Illinois	3:30	ESPN2 or ABC	MICH -7.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Temple at Navy	3:30	CBSC	NAVY -7	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	UNLV at TCU	3:30	VERSUS	TCU -33	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	UCLA at Oregon State	4:00	FSNW	-9	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Air Force at Colorado State	4:00	MTN	AFU -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Middle Tennessee State at Florida Atlantic	4:00		FAU -1.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Hawaii at Nevada	4:00			Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Penn State at Northwestern	4:05	ESPN	PSU -14	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Louisana Tech at Idaho	4:30		ID -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Utah State at Fresno State	5:00		FRES -15.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Kansas State at Oklahoma	5:00	FSN	OU -24.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Eastern Michigan at Arkansas	7:00	ESPNU	ARK -36.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Mississippi State at Kentucky	7:00	FSS	UK -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Louisana- Monroe at Troy	7:00		TROY -17	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Georgia Tech at Vanderbilt	7:30	ESPN-GP	GT -13.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	New Mexico at San Diego State	7:30	CBSC	SDSU -17	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Washington State at Notre Dame (in San Antonio)	7:30	NBC	ND -29	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	South Carolina at Tennessee	7:45	ESPN	UT -5.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Texas at Oklahoma State	8:00	ABC or ESPN2	TEX -9	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	USC at Oregon	8:00	ABC or ESPN	USC -3.5	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Tulane at LSU	8:00	ESPN-GP	LSU -34	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Wyoming at Utah	8:00	MTN	UTAH -16	Get Tickets
Sat. 10/31	Michigan State at Minnesota	8:00	Big 10 Network	MSU -6.5	Get Tickets
Sun. 11/1	Marshall at UCF	8:15	ESPN	UCF -4.5	Get Tickets