For Who? For What?: The Definition of "Indisputable" is Indisputable

This wrap-up of the weekend in both college and pro football is named after the classic post-game quote immortalized by all-time favorite whipping boy Ricky Watters.

The state of instant replay is a joke right now, and I think it comes down to semantics: Referees do not grasp what the word indisputable means. Seriously. I refs can broken down into two groups: the ones who think “indisputable” means “probably”, and one which thinks it means “Only if the Lord himself appears before you and says “Overturn it”.

In the last two weeks I’ve seen a play get overturned when the replay was dark, shadowy, grainy, and, to my eyes at least, very disputable, and another play stay as called despite a replay clearly showing the call was wrong. You just don’t know what you’ll get in any game – will it be a head ref incapable of convincing, or one who’ll take any excuse to overturn a call.

The added issue of the head coaches being consistently and maddeningly ill-prepared to make the right call about when to use their challenges, and the whole replay experience has become a bit of an eye-sore on the NFL landscape. When a call is clearly butchered a fan has so many things to worry about: "Will the coach challenge?", "Will a replay show conclusive evidence?", "Will the ref be reasonable?"

The more I think of it, a hybrid between the college and pro system might be the way to go. Take the best from the college system (Every play is eligible for booth review, coaches still get their own challenge if booth won’t review, an off-field official in the booth making the calls), and the best from pro system (two challenges, three if you get the first two right), and you have a workable system, where everybody has a chance to right a wrong, and on-field officials aren’t asked to do too much.

College Round-up:

--After another exciting weekend of college football, here’s my new Top 10:

1. Texas Tech (9-0)
2. Alabama (9-0)
3. Penn State (9-0)
4. Texas (8-1)
5. Oklahoma (8-1)
6. Florida (7-1)
7. USC (7-1)
8. Oklahoma State (8-1)
9. Utah (9-0)
10. Boise State (8-0)

Last week, I said Texas or Alabama would lose (and likely both), and it only took me one week to look prescient,. Of course, I also said this loss would allow Penn State to sneak by them and into the top two, so how come I still have them at #3? Well, for two reasons: 1) Texas Tech was too impressive this weekend to keep out of the top spot, and 2) I only said Penn State would make it into the top two by the end of the season, and I still believe that for the same reasons I did then (more on that below).

--Texas/Texas Tech was a game for the ages. The atmosphere was intense, the momentum switches were dramatic and only increased in frequency as the game went on, and the ending was one for the ages. Texas almost withstood one of the great tests a #1 team has ever had – playing the nation’s top passing combo, and a fired-up defense in a tough road venue – and, in doing so, almost overcame one of the great schedule tests a team has ever had – facing four Top 10 teams (Oklahoma, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Tech) all in a row.

Now, Tech is Big 12 team with a bull’s eye on their backs, and they’ve just begun to run their schedule’s Top 10 gauntlet – their next two games are against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. If they get through all that, they can look forward to a date with Missouri in the Big 12 Championship Game. That kind of run of tough teams was the reason I thought Texas would end up with at least one loss, and as good as the Red Raiders looked Saturday, I have to say the same thing about them. Still, I’ll be rooting for Mike Leach’s darkhorses from Lubbock to keep the magic alive, if only so his success can remove the stigma pirate fetishists have long been saddled with.

--Next week’s big game: ‘Bama tries to stay at the top of the polls, by keeping their perfect record intact at LSU. It’s the first of three tough tests, the Tide will have to overcome to play for a championship under Coach SatanSaban.

NFL Round-up:

--In my initial NFL wrap-up column, I touted the Dolphins and especially the Falcons as two young teams on the rise, with impressive rookie coaches, who just might continue to confound preseason expectations. Four weeks later and they still look good.

The Falcons, behind former Jags defensive coordinator Mike Smith, are 5-3 and are a serious threat to win the NFC South, depending on how they play the Panthers and Bucs later in the season. Meanwhile, the ‘Phins are 4-4 behind Parcells chosen one, Tony Sparano, and though they likely won’t make the playoffs (they are last in their division), they seem to be well on the path to competing in the near future.

--Is Dallas dead? They sure look it. Though they still have a winning record at 5-4, they are in last place in their division, are without several key players, and now have a QB controversy on top of everything. With Tony Romo still out, the offense struggling, and both Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger playing give-away with the football, the team appears rudderless. In that division, they can’t afford to sink any further, but there’s no help on the horizon – at least for a couple of weeks until Romo gets back. By then it may be too late.

For Who? For What?: JoePa FTW!

This wrap-up of the weekend in both college and pro football is named after the classic post-game quote immortalized by all-time favorite/whipping boy Ricky Watters.

I decided to shake things up, and start writing about the entire weekend in football – college included. Part of this springs from the fact my Niners are stinking it up so bad, I’m having trouble putting too much thought into the NF of L, and part of it has to do with the fact when I started this blog it was too early in the season to seriously discuss who the best teams in college were. As I’ve previous made clear, I’m not a fan of jumping into to bed and ranking teams before we have a chance to get to know each other a little better.

But with the leaves changing colors (I’m assuming, because the leaves in LA are on strike), and the teams coming more into focus, I figured it was time to unleash The EL’s first ever Top Ten in college football:

1. Texas (8-0)
2. Alabama (8-0)
3. Penn State (9-0)
4. USC (6-1)
5. Oklahoma (7-1)
6. Georgia (7-1)
7. Florida (6-1)
8. Texas Tech (8-0)
9. Oklahoma State (7-1)
10(tie). Utah (8-0)/Boise State (7-0)

Notes: A few differences between my list and the polls – both BCS and AP: I have USC over Oklahoma based on their superior defense; I have both Georgia and Florida over Texas Tech based on playing stiffer competition, but if Tech beats Texas this week, you can expect to see some leap-frog action; So as to not slight either of the undefeated teams from the Mountain West, I have Utah and Boise State tied for the final spot.

Penn State may be 3rd on my list –- and 3rd in both the BCS and AP as well –- but after their big win at the horseshoe over OSU this weekend, I feel they may have the best chance of any team in the nation to play for the National Championship in January. Both of the schools ahead of them, Texas and Alabama, still have to each get through a highly-ranked opponent on the road, a rivalry game, and a conference title game. Meanwhile, Penn State has only one speedbump on its schedule, and the Big Ten is one of the last remaining conferences without a championship game gauntlet to run.

#1 Texas is the hottest team in the nation, maybe even it's best, but they are in an epically rough portion of their schedule and the hard work isn't done yet. Coming off a big win over Oklahoma State, the 'Horns have another tough matchup this week, at undefeated Texas Tech. If the ‘Horns can slip past the Red Raiders, they get the Aggies, and while Texas A&M is 1-5 this year, you know the Aggies will save their best game for the Longhorns. get past the Aggies and Texas lands themselves a showdown vs. the Big 12 North Division champ. That’ll likely mean a rematch with #11 Missouri, this time at a neutral site – Kansas City, where there could be a yet another difficult obstacle -- snowy conditions.

Alabama’s schedule isn’t any easier. They have a tough matchup at #19 LSU in two weeks, and a home game against feisty rival Auburn after Thanksgiving. If the Crimson Tide can survive that, they face an even tougher challenge in the Georgia Dome for the SEC Championship Game – either #7 Georgia or #10 Florida.

As good as both the ‘Horns and Tide are, I simply can’t see them both running the table. Penn State, on the other hand, has just one ranked team left to face, #21 Michigan State, and that game’s at home. If they avoid a stumble there – and I can’t think of the last time the Spartans played spoiler to anyone’s title hopes – ol’ JoePa himself will be having a last laugh on critics (like myself) who called him over the hill years ago.

Around the NFL:

--Don't look now, but the Carolina Panthers are the 2nd best team in the NFC. You may want to argue, but I bet you'll have a hard time doing it. It's not that I think the Panthers are dazzling -- they're not. But this is a process of elimination deal here, and besides the New York Giants, I defy you to name me one team you'd be confident in wagering on against them. Last week, I had them behind only the Giants among NFC teams in my power poll, just ahead of Tampa and Arizona. They beat the Cards this week (albeit at home) while Tampa lost to a the limping former juggernaut known as the Dallas Cowboys. The next team down the list is the Redskins, who struggled to beat Detroit.

Then you start to think about their weaknesses, and they aren't too many. Delhomme isn't the best, but he's proven he can get deep in the playoffs. The two-headed running attack of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart is solid. We all know Steve Smith is a beast. And on D, Julius Peppers is looking like he did a few years ago, which is a good thing. There's a lot of time left in the season, and the Panthers have a very tough run toward the end of the season, but suddenly the Panthers look like a solid darkhorse contender for the Super Bowl.

--The Niners aren't really worth talking about right now, and I don't want to force things, but I do have to say a word about Mike Singletary (with more probably to come). He showed more fire today than any coach or player for some time. And he made more moves fans have been dying for than Nolan ever made. "Samurai Mike" may not be a good coach, but at least for one day he made me believe he is. And even if he fails, I'm glad he pulled JustTurnOvers and sent VD to the showers because that's what they deserved, and his passion is what they need.