College Football 2009 Week 6 Preview: Cheerleader Edition

Week 6 is upon us in the land of college football, and many campuses are starting to get hit with the colors of autumn, the crisp coldness in the air, and most importantly, the two or three extra shots needed to keep warm in the student section during the game. With a continual whirlwind knocking the top teams out of the rankings each week, expect more of the same this week. The key matchup will center around the health of Tim Tebow, while the rest of the top ten will be looking over their shoulder (directly at the opposing cheerleading squad) hoping not to get knocked off their top 10 perch.

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No. 1 Florida (4-0) at No. 4 LSU (5-0)

Saturday, Oct. 10, 7:00 pm CBS (HD) / Online

Obviously, this is the game of the week and probably the game of the season to this point. And we are hours away from kickoff and still wondering about whether or not Tim Tebow will play and if he does, how effective he will be. Get ready for a great battle in the SEC that could have national title implications down the road.

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No. 2 Texas (4-0) vs. Colorado (1-3)

Saturday, Oct. 10, 6:15 pm, ESPN (HD)

This could be a blood bath. Colorado is having a dismal season that has already seen a loss to Colorado State and a trouncing put on them by Toledo, but they haven’t experienced pain yet like they will this coming Saturday night in Texas.

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No. 3 Alabama (5-0) at No. 20 Mississippi (3-1)

Saturday, Oct. 10, 2:30 pm CBS (HD) / Online

If this matchup occurred prior to Ole Miss’ SEC opening loss at South Carolina, perhaps we’d be talking about it like the Florida/LSU game. But Mississippi did as we all expected and lost to an unranked team while holding on to a top 5 spot. The question is, can they rebound in their first true test since the Carolina game and show the nation that they are an elite team with a victory over Saban’s Tide?

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No. 5 Virginia Tech (4-1) vs Boston College (4-1)

Saturday, Oct. 10, 7:00 pm CBS (HD) / Online

Boston College has been a thorn in the ass for the Hokies in recent past, with the Eagles winning the past three regular season meetings. After big wins over Nebraska and Miami (FL), is this Virginia Tech team battled tested enough to withstand a let down loss to BC?

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No. 6 Boise State (5-0) at Tulsa (4-1)

Wednesday, Oct. 14th, 7:00 pm, ESPN (HD)

This game is not until next Wednesday, but this looks to be a great match-up between the top teams in the WAC and C-USA conferences.

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No. 7 USC (4-1) is on bye

An off week for the Trojans after a big win at Cal, but they open right back up on the road with a tough game against the Irish in South Bend next week.

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No. 8 Cincinnati (5-0) at No. 23 South Florida (5-0)

Thursday, Oct. 15, 6:30 pm, ESPN (HD)

Yes, you read that correctly, the Bearcats are indeed ranked No. 8. Their next game isn’t until Thursday, October 15, where the smart money is on Cincy falling to a very dangerous and undefeated South Florida squad on the road.

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No. 9 Ohio State (4-1) vs. Wisconsin (5-0)

Saturday, Oct. 10, 2:30 pm, ESPN / ABC (HD)

A big game for the Big Ten this weekend as the Badgers take their undefeated record to The Shoe in hopes of burying the Buckeyes back into the middle of the Big Ten race. Ohio State has only allowed 59 points through three games this season and only 14 in the past three. The Wisco run offense vs. Ohio St run defense will be the key to this game.

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No. 10 TCU (4-0) at Air Force (3-2)

Saturday, Oct. 10, 6:30 pm CBSC (HD)

Two of the top rushing offenses in the nation will be battling it out in Colorado Springs this weekend. The Horned Frogs are no. 13 in the land, while the Falcons sit at no. 2. TCU looks to remain the only unbeaten team in the MWC conference.

College Football 2009 Week 5 Preview: Cheerleader Edition

As we mention on a weekly basis, no team or cheerleader is safe as they appear on COED’s college football preview.  A top 10 ranking has been a gauntlet for teams to stay on pace for a shot at a BCS bowl, as four more top 10 teams fell last week (10 total in four weeks) – Mississippi, Penn State, California, and Miami (FL) – and Cal got absolutely shattered by Oregon. Read more

College Football 2009 Week 4 Preview: Cheerleader Edition

After an excellent Week Three that saw the perpetually overrated USC Trojans drop out of the top 10 after falling to an unranked Washington team and an enormous leap by Miami into the nine-slot after slaughtering a talented Georgia Tech team, we look forward to an even better week as conference play opens up across the rest of the college football nation.  Cheerleaders beware, this is a dangerous week for upsets since only one of the top 10 teams will be facing a ranked opponent. Read more

College Football 2009 Week 3 Preview: Cheerleader Edition

Top 10 inhabitants beware.  Four of the preseason top 10 have already suffered losses and we are only two weeks into this new young season.  True, true – two of them lost to fellow top 10 elites, but one of them (cough, Oklahoma State, cough) decided to get stomped out by an unranked team.  As conference play begins in the Big 12, COED plans to get you amped up to start pre-gaming with beer pong, sorority raids, 3-story beer bongs, and hours and hours of cheerleader stretching prior to kickoff of Week 3 in college football (all TV times CST).  Read more

College Football 2009 Week 2 Preview: Cheerleader Edition

With two new teams cracking the top 10 in Week Two, we have an epic non-conference battled surrounded by a bunch of pushover games for the nation’s elite.  Obviously headlined by the classic Big Ten/Pac-10 matchup, Week Two will give the teams in the top 10 a chance to try out trick plays, give time to some freshman, and iron out any kinks in their armor prior to conference play.  COED is setting the stakes with an over/under of a 37.5-point average margin of victory for all teams in the top 10…and yes, that includes USC vs. Ohio State. (note: all TV times Eastern Time Zone) Read more

College Football 2009 Week 1: Cheerleader Edition

Welcome back, college football fans!  What better way to kick off the 2009 NCAA football season than to take a look at COED’s Top 10 Week One Football Preview: Cheerleader Edition?  It’s been a long hot summer and these girls have prepared their bodies, freshened their tans, and worked on some important techniques to do their part to ensure their team will stay atop the polls throughout the season.  Sit back and enjoy as COED walks you through the first week back on the gridiron.

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No. 1 Florida (0-0) vs Charleston Southern (0-0)

Tim Tebow and the defending champion Gators look to make it three out of four this season, and what easier way to start it off than a home slaughtering of the Charleston Southern Buccaneers.  The Bucs are 0-16 against FBS opponents all-time and got shattered by Miami in last season’s opener, 52-7.  This game opens with Charleston Southern as a 73-point underdog!  And you almost have to expect the “classy” Urban Meyer will do his best to cover.

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No. 2 Texas (0-0) vs. Louisiana-Monroe (0-0)

The Longhorns will once again open with a non-BCS opponent when they will host the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe.  Colt McCoy will open up his Heisman campaign without Michael Crabtree and hopes to improve upon last season’s 3859 passing yards and 34 touchdowns.

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No. 3 Oklahoma (0-0) vs. No. 20 BYU (0-0)

Two of the nation’s top 25 will open up this season on a neutral site, playing at the brand new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Oklahoma hopes to avenge last year’s national title game defeat by getting off to a good start – and what better way than beating a constant thorn in the BCS’s side like BYU on a national stage in college football’s first ever game in Jerry Jones’ latest stadium
masterpiece.  Hopefully for Jones, there won’t be too many punts that come close to puncturing any pixels on his ridiculous HD TVs.

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No. 4 USC (0-0) vs. San Jose State (0-0)

With a brand spanking new defense and a true freshman, Matt Barckley, at the quarterback position, questions continue to swirl around the USC Trojans this season.  How will coaching genius Pete Carroll keep up the pace and contend for a national title with a largely untested crew?  He should have no problem with San Jose State, as the Trojans
are 28-1 all-time against WAC opponents.

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No. 5 Alabama (0-0) vs. No. 7 Virginia Tech (0-0)

In perhaps the biggest of the opening week games, we have an epic 5 vs. 7 battle when the Tide takes on the Hokies to kick off the new season.  Bama was riding high last season before running into a wall
known as Florida and then got wiped off the mat by the surprising Utes of Utah in their BCS bowl game.  Bama looks to get off on the right foot this year and a convincing win over Tech is exactly what the doctor ordered.

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No. 6 Ohio State (0-0) vs. Navy (0-0)

While Buckeye constituents will argue that they have USC on their docket, we all know that the Scarlet and Grey have arguably the most boring schedule in the top 10.  Aside from the fact that they aren’t that good, there is a lot going against the Midshipman in this season’s opening tilt in Columbus.  The Buckeyes won the last meeting between these teams in the 1981 Liberty Bowl and they haven’t dropped a home opener since 1978 to Penn State.  Expect Terrelle Pryor to run rampant over the nation’s finest sailors.

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No. 8 Ole Miss (0-0) at Memphis (0-0)

With expectations at Ole Miss higher than the days of Eli Manning, star quarterback Jevan Snead looks to lead his Rebels through the city of Memphis and leave a path of destruction in his wake.  Snead looks to improve on his 2008 season that saw him throw for 2762 yards and 26 touchdowns, not to mention the two passing and one rushing touchdown he had in a memorable win over the Florida Gators.

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No. 9 (tie) Oklahoma State (0-0) vs. No. 12 Georgia (0-0)

In another huge matchup between two teams in the top 12, the Georgia Bulldogs will take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys who are ranked in a ninth-place tie with Penn State – the highest pre-season ranking in OK State team history.  Expectations are high for the Cowboys, who look to take advantage of a Georgia team that just lost star quarterback, Matt Stafford, and running back, Knowshon Moreno, to the NFL.

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No. 9 (tie) Penn State (0-0) vs. Akron (0-0)

Okay, I digress in my thoughts that Ohio State’s schedule is the most shoddy of the bunch.  Penn State’s schedule is pathetic and the only way they can be considered for the national title is if they win each game – including the only “tough” game home against Ohio State – by 40 points.  I mean, wow, sure they are a talented team, but a non-conference schedule that is highlighted by Akron, Temple, Syracuse, and Eastern Illinois is sad for a team returning stars like Daryll Clark and Evan Royster that hopes to reach the national title game.

The Bulls Must Really Hate Tim Thomas

For the second time in the past four years, “Whiny” Tim Thomas has been bought out of his contract by the Chicago Bulls. Thomas was traded by the New York Knicks to the Bulls for Eddy Curry in 2005, and again sent by the Knicks to the Bulls for Larry Hughes in 2009.

The fact that this is the second time a Bulls/Thomas buyout has come directly after the Knicks plopped him into their laps as part of a salary dumping trade makes this situation comical.

But what takes this to maximum comedy levels is the fact that his 2005-06 buyout was approximately $15M, and this week’s buyout will cost Da Bulls another $6.5M.

So for those scoring at home, that means that the Bulls have paid Thomas a grand total of nearly $21.5M to NOT be a member of their team.

Breaking it down even further, Whiny Tim has basically gotten as much money from the Bulls to go home and play video games as the 2008 Florida Marlins paid their entire team of 25 guys to play 162 games (Their team payroll was approximately $22M).

Who Wears the Pants In The Turkoglu Household?

Last week, highly coveted Orlando Magic free agent Hedo Turkoglu visited the Portland Trail Blazers, and apparently left the Pacific Northwest after agreeing to a 5-year, $50M deal. Or so they thought.

Over the next 48 hours, Turkoglu backed out of his verbal commitment to Portland and instead agreed upon a five-year, $53M deal with the more Euro-friendly Toronto Raptors organization. But why this sudden change of heart?

Yahoo! Sports sources believe that Hedo’s wife may be the culprit for this blatant reneging of his deal in Portland. Apparently, his wife refused to accompany the talented small forward on his recruiting trip to Portland, sending him alone to make his own decisions.

Upon hearing that he had made an agreement to sign there, she insisted that he choose to sign in a more cosmopolitan city that is littered with European diversity that will provide the couple with a bevy of Turkish shops, restaurants, and fellow inhabitants.

Can you blame a guy for exercising his right to use free agency as an opportunity to move to a city where he’d rather live for five years? No.

But you can blame a guy for agreeing to be a key cog in a team’s quest to build a contender, then backs out of a deal with his tail between his legs, all because his wife stole his manhood and forced him to go to another city (of her liking) that he didn’t even visit on a recruiting trip!?  I think the answer is yes.

Pistons Pounce On A Pair of UConn Huskies

When the bell rung to signify the start of the 2009 NBA free agency sweepstakes, the Detroit Pistons were standing at the front of the line with approximately $19M in cap space available to upgrade their team after saying goodbye to Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace, and possibly Antonio McDyess.  They wasted no time by agreeing to terms with two former UConn standouts, shooting guard Ben Gordon and hybrid forward Charlie Villanueva – brought in to join another fellow Huskie, Richard Hamilton.  Both Gordon and Villanueva signed five-year deals, valued at $55M and $35M respectively.

There goes the Piston cap space, and there goes their ability to sign anyone from the fabled 2010 free agent class next summer.  Was this a wise investment by Joe Dumars?  Both Gordon and Villanueva have been solid starters at times, but more often are viewed as spark-plug sixth men.  Next summer, many superstar players are available and can and will be had at a similar price tag.

But hey, maybe Joe D will continue this trend and propose a trade to bring in Josh Boone.

Pistons Fire Curry; Laimbeer To Restore Bad Boy Era?

The Detroit Pistons fired coach Michael Curry after one disappointing season that saw the Pistons fall from six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances to a 39-43 record and a treacherous four-game exit in the first round of the playoffs.

There is no debating this decision by the organization’s point man, Joe Dumars, especially after Curry’s questionable benching of team leader, Richard Hamilton, and the league-wide perception that he lost the respect of his entire team by season’s end.  But could Joe D look to his former teammate to fill the coaching void in the Big D?

Bill Laimbeer mysteriously stepped down from his WNBA head coaching position just three games into the season on June 15, 2009, citing the fact that he wanted to become an NBA head coach.

After watching the Pistons embarrassing season from the girl’s locker room, perhaps the three-time WNBA champion coach of the Detroit Shock knew the writing was on the wall and considered that maybe his former two-guard would be willing to pass him the ball with a shot at his dream job.

Spurs Send Message To Lakers, Acquire Richard Jefferson From Bucks

Just two days before the 2009 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs made an aggressive move that suggests they are trying to one up the Los Angeles Lakers and win a fifth title in the Tim Duncan Era.  Knowing that their window of opportunity is quickly coming to a close, the Spurs acquired small forward Richard Jefferson from the Milwaukee Bucks for three aging scraps – Fabricio Oberto, Bruce Bowen, and Kurt Thomas.  Jefferson immediately makes the Spurs a dangerous team, whether or not the hobbled Manu Ginobili comes back at full strength.

Jefferson, a 19.6 point scorer in Milwaukee last season, will team with the Big Three of Duncan, Ginobili, and Tony Parker to form one of the most feared and dynamic foursomes in the league.  This puts the Spurs on par with Boston’s quartet of Rondo-Allen-Pierce-Garnett and immediately makes them a threat to take down the Lakers next season while fighting for Western Conference supremacy.

[Image via: M. David Leeds/NBAE via Getty Images]

Brace Yourself Boston: Papelbon in Pinstripes?

In a recent Sirius XM radio interview, Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon admitted that he will sign “not only the Bronx, but anywhere, I think anywhere is a possibility,” in 2011 if the Sox choose not to retain him over the long haul. While hearing this may send shivers down the spine of Red Sox Nation, don’t be too quick to dismiss these words unleashed by the talented fireballer.

Wade Boggs was a legendary member of Boston baseball, until he was seen riding a horse at the end of the 1996 World Series celebration in New York. One of the greatest pitchers of all time made his name (and nickname) in Boston, but then Roger “Rocket” Clemens was getting fitted for a World Series ring in the Bronx. And worst of all, no one ever thought that team catalyst and primary spark for the 2004 Curse-killing Sox would ever don the pinstripes, but look where Mr. Johnny Damon is now. It’s gotten to the point where everyone almost expected Manny Ramirez to head back east and join the Yanks. Read more

Top 10 College Prospects of The 2009 NBA Draft

With the 2009 NBA Draft set for June 25th at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, COED is here to bring you up to speed on the top ten collegiate prospects that are ready to make the leap from the dorm cafeteria to the luxury revolving restaurants atop city skyscrapers.  This is not a mock draft that dares to predict where each player will be selected, but rather an evaluation of the top prospects heading from the NCAA to the pros.

P.S. In case you have an awkward mancrush on Ricky Rubio or Brandon Jennings, don’t expect to see your boy below. Read more

Is Sidney Crosby Really ‘The Next One’?

Now that the Detroit Red Wings have finished off the Chicago Blackhawks in the West, the NHL is looking forward to its iconic figurehead avenging last year’s Stanley Cup Finals loss against the league’s marquee franchise – Sidney Crosby and Co. vs. the Detroit Red Wings, who are now at 1-2 in the Stanley Cup Finals, which game four schedule for Thursday.  This represents the league’s first rematch in 25 years when the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers did battle in consecutive years (1982-83 and 1983-84). Read more