Except for the two biggies, it's a fairly thin slate in the college game this week - and the complete opposite in the pros.

Florida and Georgia renew their acquaintances after last year's celebration heard 'round the world, and with both teams aiming to keep their SEC East title -- and SEC title game -- hopes alive for another day.

Meanwhile, deep in the hearta', the Longhorns face another test, this time from in-stater Texas Tech, which is fresh off a 63-21 pasting of the Kansas Jayhawks. My boy Graham Harrell -- for whom I professed my love on Tuesday's show -- is salivating at the chance to dethrone Colt McCoy from the Heisman talk.

By Andy Barch
ABarch@pigskinpodcast.com

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the San Diego Chargers and observed just how great I thought they were, based on a terrific Monday night performance against the Jets.

Little did I know then what a huge difference six weeks would make. Now, they are 3-5 going into their bye week, and after allowing 37 points to the New Orleans Saints overseas, they have decided to part ways with their defensive coordinator, Ted Cottrell.

(Editor's note: Ian Guerin is one of two new voices who will make their Pigskin Podcast debuts in the next week. We're excited to have both of them.)

By Ian Guerin
The Pigskin Podcast

The Tyler Thigpen situation in Kansas City is an interesting one, as it might hint at the Chiefs' plan to draft a high-profile quarterback in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft.

I've known Thigpen for some time, having covered him at Coastal Carolina while working at The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News, and listening to his agent, you'd think the second coming of Dan Marino was now planted in the Midwest. But the honest truth is he is an unknown -- and more importantly, will be for some time.

The king is dead. After his second straight five-point week, Andy Barch has fallen from the Pigskin Podcast's picks contest lead, and a familiar face has taken the top spot.

Also rising: Joe Rosol, whose nine-point week has him four within the lead; and Rich Eucker, who's three back.

In this election season, it's only fitting we have three worthy candidates vying for the 32nd spot in our weekly NFL polls: the Bengals, Lions and Chiefs.

I can see it now. ...

(Editor's note: Headline with apologies to Bowling For Soup.)

By Joel Hammond
JHammond@pigskinpodcast.com

I see the 49ers' luck turning around quickly: Sure, they've had a couple down years, but Joe Montana is getting healthy, Roger Craig has resolved his personal issues and Jerry Rice is just coming into his prime.

Wait. What's that, you say? It's 2008, not 1988?

Oh. Uh, scratch that.

By Erik Bell
EBell@pigskinpodcast.com

Some thoughts after Penn State's 13-6 victory over Ohio State on Saturday...

Buckeye fans: Do you still believe in Jim Tressel in big games? After earning a reputation as a big-game coach, Tressel has lost his last four games against top-five teams -- the last two BCS title games and losses this season to USC and Penn State. The string started with the embarrassing loss to Florida in the 2007 BCS championship game, and you have to wonder at this point if that game still has lingering effects on the program.

Did Oklahoma State help Big XII rival Texas Tech? By showing Texas is at least a little mortal, the Cowboys may have done a helluva lot for the Red Raiders' confidence -- though that pasting of Kansas likely did a lot, too.

We'll find out Saturday night, when the No. 7 Red Raiders play host to the No. 1 Longhorns, just another in a string of fantastic games.

The best part about football is that there's never a weekend where there aren't big games.

That certainly rings true this weekend, with big college tilts in Austin and Columbus and big NFL showdowns in Nashville and Pittsburgh.

Let's preview!

Andy Barch is succumbing to the pressure, it seems. Our from-the-gun leader is under fire from all sides, including our own Erik Bell, who for the second time leads the weekly standings.

Bell and my old pal Tony Rogers each scored nine this week, and Bell has moved within one of Barch, with Rich Eucker surprisingly pulling within three of the leader. Remember: Bell mounted a final-week run last year to force a playoff pickoff, so he has a track record.

For all you also-rans, we've got plenty of time left! Winner, as we all know, gets a $100 gift card to a retailer of their choice.

(Editor's note: I trust you know to what the headline is referring, right?)

By Andy Barch
ABarch@pigskinpodcast.com

Normally, I offer a blog once a week that includes a bunch of numbers to solidify my reasoning on an angle I take on a certain topic. Today, I've got no numbers, I've got no statistics and I've got no interesting nuggets of information.

Instead, I've got a pat on the back for one of the game's hardest-hitting safeties, who called out the NFL last week. When Steelers safety Troy Polamalu criticized the NFL for being a little too protective of its best investments by fining those who do only what they're supposed to do, he was saying what many of us have been thinking.

By Brian George
BGeorge@pigskinpodcast.com

Let's continue my rundown of the three greatest players from each team in each of the six BCS conferences, based primarily on the players' accomplishments in college.

Feel free to agree or disagree by sending us an e-mail. We may even use your e-mail and response on an upcoming show! We'll continue this week with our final installment, part II of the SEC, with Notre Dame added in at the finish line.

(Archive: Big Ten I; Big Ten II; ACC I; ACC II; Big XII I; Big XII II; Big East; Pac 10 I; Pac 10 II; SEC I)

We nearly had two perfect teams this week -- each in their own unique and special way.

The Titans received five of seven first-place votes -- the Giants were tapped as No. 1 by two other voters -- and Cincinnati received five of seven 32nd-place votes; Detroit got the other.

Again, we've got new faces, which seems to be a weekly occurrence: In the Terrific 10, we've got three new teams: New England, off a hammering of Denver; and Carolina, which whipped New Orleans. Green Bay, which pasted Indianapolis, was on the verge.

(Editor's note: We're men of the people here at The Pigskin Podcast. We care for our fellow men and women, so please take under advisement this public service announcement.)

By Joel Hammond
JHammond@pigskinpodcast.com

We ditched the mailbag on this week's early show, with two guests from major newspapers stopping by to chat about the BCS.

But I won't ignore our readers totally; I'd like to address a question we got in our mailbag -- remember, you can participate by e-mailing us -- about the parity in the NFL.

By Erik Bell
EBell@pigskinpodcast.com

Ohio State and Penn State both did their parts on Saturday to set up their showdown this weekend at the Horseshoe in Columbus.

The Buckeyes finally came to life and played by far their best game of the season in a 45-7 dismantling of Michigan State. Granted, some of the credit goes to the Spartans, who again continuously shot themselves in the foot against Ohio State. But the Buckeyes' offensive and defensive lines dominated for the first time this season, and defensive coordinator Jim Heacock finally called an aggressive game which led to a lot of pressure in the Spartan backfield.

Meanwhile, after struggling in the first half, the Nittany Lions roared back in the second half for a decisive 46-17 victory over Michigan, their first win against the Wolverines in 10 tries. But can they clear another hurdle and win for the first time as a Big Ten member in Columbus?

Here are the keys to the battle on Saturday night:

It's a new bottom third of the Pigskin Podcast top 25, with five new teams entering the poll from No. 15 down. TCU, 32-7 winners over BYU, which was No. 8 in our poll, shot from unranked to No. 15, with 46 points.

Meanwhile, BYU dropped a staggering 10 spots with that Thursday night no-show.

This week's schedule is delicious, with games that will go a long way to determine who plays for the title; chances are, this poll looks quite different next Monday morning.

Each Friday, we'll get you set for the weekend with our morning podcast and our afternoon look at the top games.

Today, we're mourning the Tampa Bay Rays' Thursday night gag job and BYU's BCS shot evaporating, so let's get right to it.

By Joel Hammond
JHammond@pigskinpodcast.com

Tommy Bowden was mercifully fired on Tuesday - wait, let me start over.

Tommy Bowden asked Clemson to let him out of his contract on Tuesday, citing what was best for Clemson University.

That's better.

No matter how the Clemson administration and Bowden want to portray it, it was a merciful end to a tenure that was too long for its own good. Bowden, after an undefeated 1998 season at Tulane, went to Clemson in search of college football's holy grail.

By Andy Barch
ABarch@pigskinpodcast.com

Without looking it up on Wikipedia, or doing a Google search, name the only five coaches who have taken two different teams to the Super Bowl.

Time's up, and if you guessed Bill Parcells, Dan Reeves, Don Shula, Dick Vermeil and Mike Holmgren, then congratulations, you've won ... absolutely nothing.

Holmgren will retire at the end of the season. My guess is he will go down as one of the most underrated coaches of all time, and he's certainly been one of the best during this era of football. He was the mastermind behind the juggernaut that was the 49ers' offense during the Bill Walsh era before he was given his first head coaching job in Green Bay.

By Brian George
BGeorge@pigskinpodcast.com

Let's continue my rundown of the three greatest players from each team in each of the six BCS conferences, based primarily on the players' accomplishments in college.

Feel free to agree or disagree by sending us an e-mail. We may even use your e-mail and response on an upcoming show! We'll continue this week with part I of the SEC.

(Archive: Big Ten I; Big Ten II; ACC I; ACC II; Big XII I; Big XII II; Big East; Pac 10 I; Pac 10 II)

As Erik Bell said to me when he e-mailed me his ballot, these are getting impossible to compile. On my ballot, the first team to win was No. 8, Minnesota -- and the Vikings BARELY beat the hapless Lions!

It's a strange, strange time in the NFL, folks.

Without further adieu:

(Editor's note: Busy days here at the podcast, which is why there's no blog this afternoon. We'll hit it hard the rest of the week.)

Each week, we'll post the results from the previous week's games, monitoring the favorites for the Pigskin Podcast's first picks crown (and the accompanying $100 gift card).

Andy Barch holds onto his lead, and I've remained in second. But, there are some folks closing fast.

It's still early, so it's anyone's ball game still, folks.

By Erik Bell
EBell@pigskinpodcast.com

For the second straight week I am writing an angry blog. Whether that is a good thing or not, I don't know. But this week, I'm taking out my anger on my Cleveland Browns.

Not only are they off to a disappointing 1-3 start, they apparently don't know when to shut up. Defensive end Corey Williams -- who by the way should worry more about how poorly he has played after his new team gave up a second-round pick for him -- had this to say about Giants' running back Brandon Jacobs in preparation for tonight's game:

Whomever thought last season's nuttiness was an aberration, and not the new norm - a group including me, I admit -- is being proven horribly wrong.

Another wacky weekend saw the Pigskin Podcast Top 25's top three teams get knocked off and another new No. 1.

How can next week top this one?

Every Friday, we'll get you set for the weekend's football action, with quick-hitting previews -- including handy-dandy spreads for you gamblers! (if that were legal, of course) -- of the top games.

COLLEGE

Texas (+7) at Oklahoma: This is the biggie, and we're stoked about it. Two of the nation's top teams, featuring two of the nation's top quarterbacks, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy. The winner has the fast track to the Big XII title game, which in this great season for the conference, is likely a ticket to the BCS.

Each week, we'll post the results from the previous week's games, monitoring the favorites for the Pigskin Podcast's first picks crown (and the accompanying $100 gift card).

Andy Barch and I keep rolling along up top, but Rich Eucker is making a move on us: He led the field last week and chimes in with the second-highest score this week. He's one to watch, certainly.

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville fired offensive coordinator Tony Franklin Wednesday afternoon, 10 months after being hired to install the spread offense that worked so well at Kentucky and Troy before Auburn.

Instead, the Tigers ranked 105th in scoring average (18.7) and 104th in yardage (322.3 ypg) and were 4-2 overall, 2-2 in the Southeastern Conference through their first six games. That mark includes a miserable 3-2 win over Mississippi State and a 14-12 win over Tennessee, when the Tigers scored a touchdown by recovering a fumble in the end zone. Last week, against upstart Vanderbilt, Auburn scored 13 points, zero in the last 48 minutes of the game.

By Andy Barch
ABarch@pigskinpodcast.com

Five weeks into the season, teams are putting up some points and aerial attacks and long runs are headlining SportsCenter.

But one thing still remains the same: Defense still wins.  That old adage, offense wins games and defense wins championships? So far this season, it's been proven that defense wins. Let's take a look at the top five teams in overall defense.

By Brian George
BGeorge@pigskinpodcast.com

Let's continue my rundown of the three greatest players from each team in each of the six BCS conferences, based primarily on the players' accomplishments in college.

Feel free to agree or disagree by sending us an e-mail. We may even use your e-mail and response on an upcoming show! We'll continue this week with part II of the Pac-10.

(Archive: Big Ten I; Big Ten II; ACC I; ACC II; Big XII I; Big XII II; Big East; Pac-10 I)

The Giants spanked the Seahawks, and were a perfect 7 for our rankings this week.

How good is the NFC East? That's a rhetorical question, though at least one fella thinks the Cowboys are third best. Someone from that division will miss the playoffs, and I'm still not entirely sure it'll be the now-2-3 Eagles. Stay tuned!

By Joel Hammond
JHammond@pigskinpodcast.com

On today's show, in an interview with Jimmy Morris of MusicCityMiracles.com, Brian George asked just how valuable Albert Haynesworth is to the Titans' defense, which is currently ranked first in the NFL in scoring average and fifth in yards allowed.

"It's impossible to say everything that he does," Morris said of Haynesworth. "He missed three games last season with a hamstring injury. (The Titans) were allowing 50 or 60 yards rushing per game, and in the first two games he missed, they allowed over 150 yards rushing a game."

In that vein, I thought it'd be a good time to check in around the league and identify six of the league's most indispensable players.

By Erik Bell
EBell@pigskinpodcast.com

I really wasn't going to write about this topic this week. In fact, I already had planned about talking about this issue only once later in the college football season because I could write a 2,000-word blog on this every week.

But then I received the new issue of The Sporting News, and became so angry reading an article in it that I nearly decked the poor person next to me riding a bike at the gym. So, now you readers will have to suffer through a rant now and undoubtedly at the end of the regular season. Or, maybe the readers will just skip my blog altogether as usual, which seems more likely.

This weekend was kind of the calm before the storm, with some huge matchups coming next weekend: Missouri-Oklahoma State, Texas-Oklahoma and LSU-Florida, to name a few.

We'll have it all covered for you!

Every Friday, we'll get you set for the weekend's football action, with quick-hitting previews -- including handy-dandy spreads for you gamblers! (if that were legal, of course) -- of the top games.

As we said on this morning's show, there's somewhat of a weak slate in college. Be sure to join us on Tuesday as we break down the weekend as only we can. Enjoy your weekend!

By Andy Barch
ABarch@pigskinpodcast.com

With Week 5 in the NFL right around the corner, there are only three undefeated teams remaining; two of the three had little expected of them entering the season.

As much as I've talked about the changing of the guard, with the power shifting to the NFC, two of the three unbeatens are in the AFC. I'll take a look at their remaining schedules here, and try to predict their future. My crystal ball has been known to be a bit foggy at times, so take these predictions with a grain of salt.

Each week, we'll post the results from the previous week's games, monitoring the favorites for the Pigskin Podcast's first picks crown (and the accompanying $100 gift card).

Our very own Andy Barch keeps rolling along after another solid week, and now holds a four-point edge on his nearest competitor. As I've said all along, though, there's no rhyme or reason to picking against the spread, so folks can close the gap -- or Andy can widen it -- quickly.

Good luck to everyone this week, another difficult slate!

Tomorrow morning, we'll have Raider Greg from the Raider Nation Podcast -- a former guest on the Pigskin Podcast -- on the show to dissect what's happened in Oakland and to predict what will and what has to happen in the future for the franchise to be successful.

(Hint: It's not that Al Davis needs to be committed.)

As a primer, here are some links from across the country on the saga that has at times seemed unending. Enjoy!

By Brian George
BGeorge@pigskinpodcast.com

Over the past few weeks, I've started a rundown of the three greatest players from each team in each of the six BCS conferences, based primarily on the players' accomplishments in college.

Feel free to agree or disagree by sending us an e-mail. We may even use your e-mail and response on an upcoming show! We'll continue this week with part I of the Pac-10.

(Archive: Big Ten I; Big Ten II; ACC I; ACC II; Big XII I; Big XII II; Big East) 

There's a pattern here, folks, and it doesn't take a genius mind line mine to figure it out: Win, and we'll reward you. Lose, and we'll knock ya down a peg.

Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Washington each had big wins over top competition this week, and each jumped in our weekly Terrific 10 and Fearful Five rankings. Meanwhile, Dallas, Philadelphia and Denver all lost, and each had a corresponding drop in our poll.

On the fearful side, Kansas City only jumped four spots after its big win over Denver, and Cleveland managed to get out of the cellar with a win over the hapless Bengals.

There's another big-time slate this weekend, so be sure to check in again Wednesday morning for the new rankings!