BCS vs. Playoffs

Normally we focus on the NFL but there is a great Sports Saturday this weekend that demands our attention.

The Showcase game is of Course No. 2 Michigan at No.1 Ohio State at 3:30 Eastern. But there is also Cal at USC Saturday evening.

And you can start things off with Liverpool looking to improve their recent shoddy away form at Middlesborough at Noon on Fox Soccer Channel.

Of course, I'll be lucky to see any of those games because Saturday is Martha's birthday and I doubt watching twelve hours of sports is what she has in mind.

Hyman raised the BCS vs. playoffs issue. I have favored the 12 team playoff since graduate school. This gives the top four teams byes, rewarding conference champs and limiting (in most cases) the extra games being played. I think the first two rounds would have to be at the home site of the higher seed so there would be travel only for the semis and the Championship. When I was at Miami thee was some opposition because of back-to-back weekends of travel and the difficulty that would place on fans getting to games, especially not knowing if your team was going to advance. Perhaps keeping teams in the East or West if possible would help things, though it could impact the seedings in some ways.

Still it would be better then the current system which could put an undefeated Rutgers team on the outside looking in. If Rutgers is able to beat West Virginia then deserve to go to the front of the line, ahead of all the one loss teams.

On to the Pick'em, where we had worse then usual attrition I suppose Adam is sad because the Steelers have been so bad, though they upset Lock of the Week with a seven point win over the Saints. PJ was in Hawaii so we have no sympathy for him.

Jeff's poor showing looks bad on paper, but he forgot until after the early starts. Still he submitted picks for the late, Sunday Night and Monday games. Effort points (if there were such things) are well deserved.

Otero and the mystery faux James team win the week with 8. The real James and I both got seven right to tie for third.

In the overall Walt picked up a game on Craig for the overall lead. Both men had extra reason toe celebrate as the Jets upset the Pats -- apparently Mangini also knows where the soft spots in the infamous Gillete Stadium field are. The Pats responded by replacing the grass with field turf. And Walt's Eagles dismantled the Redskins who are throwing in the towel, putting Portis on IR and starting Jason Campbell.

Again apologize to the group for leading everyone astray since you all joined me in taking the Saints who promptly made Willie Parker look like Barry Sanders. At least I was right about the Lions.

Otherwise there was no real consensus, though Hyman stands out as being punished for not having faith in the Panthers at home. Steve Smith really is that good.

Also, all three teams favored my double digits failed to cover, with two (Jags and Pats) losing out right.

This week features the Texans as favorites over the Bills. The Saints hope to punish the staggering Bengals and Arizona risks the number one overall pick at home against the Lions.

Still we'll take Peyton and the Colts giving 1.5 to the Cowboys in Big D.

Next week -- do you get the NFL Network? You'll be sad on Thanksgiving night if you don't.