Poll running right now on ESPN's College Football page: which team least deserves to play for the national championship? Oklahoma leads by a wide margin, with over 7,700 total voters thus far. The team with the fewest votes--meaning they most deserve to play for the title? My alma mater, of course.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: the BCS is a bunch of hooey. It happens to be the best the NCAA can do right now, even if their best isn't good enough. I find it hard to believe that LSU and USC aren't playing in the Sugar Bowl. I thought that my reasons for LSU being #2 sort of hinted at why Oklahoma shouldn't be going to the Sugar Bowl. Over twelve thousand voters on an ESPN.com poll agreed; they all wanted to see a USC-LSU match-up, one I believe would have favored LSU greatly. Granted, I think OU-LSU will be much more entertaining football game, and that Michigan is going to crush USC. So all you Trojan fans can just get those thoughts of a split championship out of your pretty little heads.

GEAUX TIGERS!!

LSU should play in the national championship game as the #2, maybe even the #1 team in the country. Here's why: 1. Oklahoma lost to Kansas State tonight, and lost quite convincingly. They lose to an opponent ranked 14 spots below them, and do not emerge as the Big 12 Conference champs. 2. LSU has beaten more Top 25 teams than OU or USC. With the win tonight over Georgia in the SEC Championship, the Tigers have now beaten a ranked team four times, versus only two wins each over ranked opponents by the Sooners and Trojans. Sure, LSU beat Georgia twice, but if you want to use the BCS's own rankings against it, the Bulldogs were a better team the second time around and the Tigers crushed them. 3. LSU and OU had to play one more game this year than USC. Both the SEC and the Big 12 have a championship game, while the PAC 10 does not. OU lost its championship game; LSU won theirs--over a Top 5 opponent. USC annihilated an unranked team in yet another gimme game. Both LSU and OU will end up with one more win than USC. Hello, BCS geniuses...having to win more games counts for something. 4. You can take USC's "strength of schedule" and go bury it in the backyard. Going back to winning against ranked teams, LSU has a 2-0 lead over the Trojans. Not to mention that Syracuse helped LSU out today with a win over the Fighting Irish (who lost to USC), and at the time of this posting, Boise State was winning against Hawaii (who lost to USC). Suddenly, USC's schedule isn't looking too impressive. UPDATE, 9:45 AM: Boise State crushed Hawaii, 45-28. Of course, it's all left up the subjectivity of the pollsters, since the NCAA refuses to institute a playoff system in college football to determine the national champion. With the way the Tigers have been playing since the Auburn game and that convincing win, I'd put them up against anyone in the country right now.

GEAUX TIGERS!!

I think most people would agree, with the possible exceptions of decade birthdays (30, 40, 50), that year-to-year, they really don't feel that much different on their birthday. It's only when you compare, say, your thirty-third birthday to your twenty-third birthday that you "feel old." Likewise for yours truly. This birthday is a bit different, however, and that is completely due to my four month-old son. Maybe it's just psychosomatic, but being a new dad does bring with it certain feelings of getting older. Not that that's a bad thing. No, not in the least. Becoming a dad is one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me, and if that brings with it feelings of growing older, then that's fine by me. In the mean time, if you're so inclined, I'm always open to the receiving of presents and swag. ;-)

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my family and friends! Major Thanksgiving wishes are extended to the forward-deployed men and women of our armed forces, who sacrifice time from their own loved ones to defend our nation. We thank you for your service, and you are continually in our thoughts and prayers.

Have you seen the latest Subway commerical with the Airborne Ranger type talking about pulling the ripcord and nothing happening? I've seen this one about four times now, and it cracks me up every time.

What a difference a week, and losses by perennial "contenders," makes. As Miami fell to Tennessee, Virginia Tech lost to Pittsburgh, and unranked Clemson knocked off Florida State in a stunning upset, upward goes the stock of the Fighting Tigers in the BCS rankings. Both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll and the AP poll have LSU ranked at #3 this week. (The Tigers did not play this weekend.) The BCS ranking system has the Tigers at #4, behind Ohio State, flip-flopping positions with the Buckeyes from the other major polls. I can live with that. The Big 10 is a powerhouse conference, and Ohio State is the defending national champion, not a pretender like the Hurricanes or Seminoles. Now the Tigers have a tough, SEC-only schedule for the rest of the season. This Saturday will be the Crimson Tide, in Alabama, on national television, courtesy of ESPN. Alabama has been pretty weak this season, but you can never discount a SEC opponent. I confess to being a bit worried; the last time the Tigers came off a bye week, they suffered their only loss of the season to Florida, the difference between #4 in the BCS and #2. Should LSU prevail, the game of their season to date would be the following week, at Ole Miss. After this past weekend, the Rebels are undefeated in the SEC, 6-0, and currently sit atop the SEC West. Looking at the Ole Miss schedule, the only thing I see stopping them from going to the SEC Championship is LSU. Not that all three remaining games aren't must-wins for the Tigers, but this will be the game, should LSU ride in to Oxford at 9-1. (Something that could work to the Tigers' favor: while LSU plays Alabama this coming weekend, Ole Miss is off.) And should LSU enter their last regular season game at 10-1, the Razorbacks of Arkansas are always looking to spoil the Tigers' chances in the postseason. As far as the SEC championship is concerned, the Tigers control their own destiny; win all three remaining games, and they're headed to Atlanta on December 6th. Win the SEC championship, and there is the slim chance they could actually play for the national title. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening; like I said, it's a slim chance. Oklahoma is going to finish the season undefeated, with the Big 12 championship. USC has Arizona (2-8) and UCLA (6-4) left in its season; the Trojans will roll over the Wildcats, leaving the Bruins as the only potential spoiler. It could happen, but again, the chances are slim. Ohio State does have its work cut out for it, however. The Buckeyes, like LSU, have a tough schedule to finish on, first taking on Purdue, then arch-rival Michigan. Should Ohio State cap off their season with wins in these two games, I believe you'll see them in New Orleans defending their title against Oklahoma, no matter what USC does. I'm sorry, BCS, but you can't compare the Pac-10 to the Big 10 when it comes to schedule strength. So, here's hoping that the Bruins down the Trojans, and I'll be rooting for the Boilermakers and the Wolverines. Should LSU wrap up all three of its remaining games, and any of the above happens, they would end the season as the only one-loss team. (The TCU Horned Frogs notwithstanding; I like TCU--they're a hometown favorite--but they're not in the same league.) Which means the Tigers would head to New Orleans to be promptly crushed by the Sooners. Hey, I love my Tigers, but I'm a realist. Unless there's a football miracle out there that none of us can see, Bob Stoops will win his third national championship this season, no matter who Oklahoma faces in the Big Easy.

That's City Creator. Currently there are three different styles to choose from: Blankton, a modern metropolis, Snoland, your typical snowy village, and what I know will be Rick's favorite, Medieville, which should need no explanation.

Both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, and the AP sportswriters' poll have LSU at number 4, yet because of the "computer averages" used in their determination, the BCS still has them at number 7. At least the Tigers have finally vaulted past Georgia, something they should have done after the Bulldogs barely scraped by a second-tier team like UAB. LSU, by contrast, had no trouble with their second-tier-team gimme game of the year. Both Georgia and LSU have had their troubles with those pesky Gators, though, haven't they?

I dare anyone to show me how Virginia Tech, Florida State, and Miami have tougher schedules than LSU. (This is one of the things the BCS computers use to determine rankings.) The toughest teams these three face each year is each other! Miami owns the Big East, and VT and FSU own the ACC. Next year, all three can happily beat up on everyone else and one another in the ACC. Again, by contrast, SEC teams have to beat up on one another week after week, with the occasional gimme game. For Miami, practically every game, week after week, is a gimme game, and I was happy to watch VT stuff them in to the ground. Granted, LSU has traditionally had a problem winning the "big one," or blowing their chances at getting to the "big one." With a #4 ranking, and the rest of their games all televised (not always a variable that plays to the Tigers' favor), the strength and resolve of Nick Saban's team will be tested like never before since he assumed the head coach's mantle.

GEAUX TIGERS!

Yes, once again this is where I ask the question: why is Miami in contention for the national championship? Why is Miami ranked #2 in the country by the BCS? I mean, what a wimpy schedule this school has. It would be pretty easy for most Division I NCAA teams to romp to a 7-0 record to this point in the season with this schedule. Let's break down the Hurricanes' twelve games: 1. Louisiana Tech: a gimme game, and every big school has one or two of these. Heck, LSU is playing LaTech next week for homecoming. 2. Florida: a serious contender early in the season, and a game Miami struggled in, only winning by five points. A sure sign to yours truly that mighty Miami might not be ranked so highly if they played SEC- or Big 12-caliber teams each week, instead of those in the not-so Big East. 3. East Carolina: raise your hand if you've heard of East Carolina before. Yeah, Miami crushed them by 35. 4. Boston College: not really a championship contender in any year, they lost to the Hurricanes 33-14. 5. West Virginia: shockingly, Miami had trouble here as well, winning by only two points. West Virginia seems to be the shocker team of the year, knocking off national contender Virginia Tech last week. 6. Florida State: at least Miami plays both of the other Florida schools each year, and both of those have traditionally strong programs. But really, how hard is it to get your team up for two or three big games a year? 7. Temple: yes, that's right, Temple is in the Big East. Now do you see why the BCS thinks Miami is deserving of #2 and a shot at the national title? 8. Virginia Tech: that game is today next week, and will be Miami's big test pretty much for the rest of the season. Go VT. Miami then faces Tennessee, which has disappointed this year, Syracuse, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh. None of the latter three are, or have been, serious contenders, and Miami will likely roll right over them, as they do every single year. It appears Vanderbilt will be leaving the SEC after this season. Let's bring in Miami, where they can face Tennessee every year, as well as powerhouses like Georgia, Auburn, Arkansas, and yes, since Nick Saban became the head coach, LSU. When Miami is consistently beating the likes of these teams, year after year after year, then I would certainly agree they deserve a national title shot. Or slot them in to the Big 12 or Big 10, where they can go up against Oklahoma more frequently than the BCS national title bowl game, and play traditionally strong teams like Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Michigan, Ohio State, and more. When Miami is in a conference where going undefeated really means something, then their contention for the national championship will really mean something. Until then, it is just a pathetic attempt to get two undefeateds in to a bowl game for the attention ratings of the football-watching nation. Better yet, let's dump the flawed, computer-generated BCS ranking system, and establish a playoff system based on the various bowl games. Every other major collegiate sport has a playoff system to determine a national champion. Why can't football? Seems pretty easy: take your conference champions, plus a smattering of independents that have a minimum of two losses for that year, and mix it up. Spread the bowl games out over four weeks, instead of trying to pack them all in to two, and voila! A football playoff system for college athletics. Too bad no one in the NCAA is listening.

The now-running theatrical trailer for The Matrix Revolutions is available online. QuickTime format only, as it should be.

If you've been watching The Bourne Identity on Encore, or have the DVD, and you want to know the song that plays in the alternate ending, it's "In the Sun" by Joseph Arthur, from his album Come To Where I'm From. Thanks to a poster on the Amazon page for the movie's soundtrack. I really like this song; it's almost a lullaby in some respects, and I found myself singing it to the little one night before last: I picture you in the sun wondering what went wrong
And falling down on your knees asking for sympathy
And being caught in between all you wish for and all you seen
And trying to find anything you can feel that you can believe in May God's love be with you
Always
May God's love be with you I know I would apologize if I could see your eyes
Cause when you showed me myself I became someone else
But I was caught in between all you wish for and all you need
I picture you fast asleep
A nightmare comes
You can't keep awake May God's love be with you
Always
May God's love be with you Cause if I find
If I find my own way
How much will I find
If I find
If I find my own way
How much will I find
You I don't know anymore what it's for
I'm not even sure if there is anyone who is in the sun
Will you help me to understand
Cause I been caught in between all I wish for and all I need
Maybe you're not even sure what it's for
Any more than me May God's love be with you
Always
May God's love be with you

LSU is ranked #13 in the nation after stomping UL-Monroe 49-7 in their gimme-game season opener in Baton Rouge. So now TBS is carrying college games on Saturday nights, and they kick off their coverage with LSU taking on Arizona in the desert the night of the 6th. This is good and bad for the Tigers; good that LSU is playing at night, bad that it's on national television. I suppose in this case it's a wash, and hopefully the Tigers can take down Arizona in Tuscon. Geaux Tigers!

Dan notes what we can expect from The Man in Black later this year. Very cool!