Let's get right to it, before Hurricane Ike forces me to reschedule this column. 

1. USC:  Didn't play last week, but will prove their dominance this week vs. the Buckeyes

2. Oklahoma:  Rolled up 5 TD passes on a good Cincinnati secondary.  Then broke UC quarterback Dustin Grutza's leg for good measure.

3. Georgia:  Expectedly beat up on Central Michigan.  More importantly, didn't have any significant injuries.

4. Florida:  Miami win moves them up one notch.

5. Ohio State:  O-line doesn't dominate anyone.  That will get them killed against USC Saturday night.

6. Missouri:  Southeast Missouri State was nothing more than a break after having tough Week 1 tilt vs. ranked Illinois team

7. LSU:  Didn't play.

8. Texas:  Good road start to the season against UTEP.  Horns will get unexpected off week this week as game with Arkansas has been rescheduled due to Ike.

9. Alabama:  SEC take note.  Crimson Tide's defense is back, and very good.  10pts. allowed to Clemson, only 6pts to Tulane, and they don't have to run the gauntlet like a Georgia does.

10: Wisconsin:  The Wisconsin Winnebago, P.J. Hill, might be the best runner you never hear about.

BCS Busters:  East Carolina (another huge win vs. West Virginia), BYU

Dorm Room Notes

West Virginia:  Rich Rod leaves for the maize and blue, and the Mountaineers still manage to lose a game per year they have no business losing. 

SEC:  Two weeks in, they are still the best conference in the land.

East Carolina:  These guys are for real.  I guess when Lou Holtz said his son Skip was the best coach in the Holtz family, he wasn't joking.

Cincinnati:  The injury to Dustin Grutza was truly grusome looking.  Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

So many Reds insights, so little time...

THE GOOD

• RHP Ramon Ramirez has been a pleasant surprise... to some.  To others, mainly the sabermeticians, this is no surprise.  Stat wizards have long discounted E.R.A. as a primary measure of a pitcher's worth since E.R.A. depends so much on defense and the bullpen, forces outside a pitcher's control.  Instead, they look at strikeouts per nine innings, walks per nine innings, and home runs allowed.  Ramirez could be their poster boy for this argument.  His combined minor league E.R.A. was a decent, but not eye- catching, 3.70 in 2007 and 3.59 in 2008.  His other minor league numbers in 2008 of 9K/ 9 IP, 3.5 BB/ 9 IP, and 0.9 HR/ 9 are eye- popping and tell us that this kid is a major leaguer.  In his three appearances so far with the Reds, he has 16 IP, 12 K, 6 BB, and 2 HRA- right in line with his minor league numbers.  Ramirez throws a fastball in the low 90s, a below average slider, and a low 80s changeup.  Oddly enough, it is his changeup that he throws the most (58% of the time so far with the Reds) because he throws it for strikes much more often than the other pitches.  Its not all good news though.  His current BABIP (batting average of balls put into play) is a tiny .108, which means that when batters are making contact, they are hitting the ball right at people.  This rate cannot continue- its impossible.  Also, very few starters in the major leagues can make it with just two good pitches.  My prediction?  He develops into a solid mid reliever or setup reliever.
  
  
• Even George Grande can figure out that the Reds need a big bat in the lineup for 2009 or contention seems unrealistic already.  The 2008 free agent slugger list is not an impressive one:  Pat Burrell, Adam Dunn, and Mark Teixeira head the list.  Dunn is not a possibility and Burrell and Teixeira may cost over $20 million a year on a multi-year deal.  That leaves the Reds with just one option- trades.  The Rockies' Matt Holliday has been mentioned as a target and he is a availible this winter because Holliday is a free agent after next year, the Rockies feel like he is already demanding too much for an extention, and the Rockies can get more value for him before the 2009 season.  The Reds could roll the dice and trade multiple young players (Homer Bailey, Chris Valaika, and Chris Dickerson?) for one year of Matt Holliday and then they could maybe win 82 to 85 games if they get a lot brakes.

THE BAD

• Even if the Reds do win 85 games next year with Matt Holliday, that total can no longer win the NL Central or NL Wild Card.  A few years ago, 85 wins would surely mean the playoffs, but with the drastic improvements of the Cubs, the Brewers, the Phillies, and the Mets over the last year, 85 wins gets you a seat on the couch in October.  Yes, the Brewers may lose both C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets to free agency and the Mets are an old team, but the Brewers' farm system is loaded and the Mets' financial resources usually put them in contention.  The bottom line?... there is too big of a gap to close between the Reds and playoffs for the Reds to gamble on Matt Holliday.  I would trade away Brandon Phillips, Aaron Harang, and Bronson Arroyo for a ton of young talent that can help in two or three years.  The Oakland A's subscribed to this theory this past year as they traded away Dan Haren, Rich Harden, Nick Swisher and Joe Blanton for loads for top minor league talent because they figured they could not catch the Angels this year.  Now the A's have realistic hope that they may catch the Angels in 2009 or 2010.


• The Reds did not dump the city of Sarasota in its bid for a better Spring Training complex.  The city of Sarasota dumped the Reds.  Sarasota voted to not expand and update their baseball facilities for the Reds, thus forcing the Reds to Arizona.  They are, however, going to vote to expand and update their facilities if the Boston Red Sox commit to moving to their city.  Sarasota figures that the Red Sox will bring in a lot more fans (and that means more money) than the Reds ever will.  How sad is that?

THE UGLY

• The local media, which has been mostly kind and patient with Dusty Baker, has started to show some dissatisfaction with Baker in that he did not live up to their expectations.  I, on the other hand, am very satisfied that Baker lived up to my expectations.  The difference here is that I expected Baker to be the worst manager in the Major Leagues and he did not disappoint.  And continues to not disappoint... 1.)  On August 30th, Ramon Ramirez went seven innings, giving up three earned runs against the Giants, while striking out six and allowing seven baserunners.  The rookie's reward?  Baker sent him to the bullpen in favor of Josh Fogg.  Luckily, Fogg, who will never pitch for the Reds again, hurt himself in his next start and now Baker is forced to take a look at Ramirez as a starter.  2.)  Why is Baker playing anyone will not be with the Reds next year?  Corey Patterson, Andy Phillips, Paul Bako and Javier Valentin should never see the field so we can evaluate Wilikin Castillo (he's terrible), Danny Herrera, Ryan Hannigan, Paul Janish (put Jeff Keppinger at third and Edwin Encarnacion in left field), Adam Rosales, and Drew Stubbs (why is he at home?).  Baker wants to play the veterans to "(keep) the integrity of the races and the game".  What?  Who is that helping?  The Cubs?  The Phillies?  The Brewers?  It sure is not helping the future of the Reds.
  
  
• When Baker puts a lineup on the field that includes Patterson, Bako, and any pitcher, he is giving away eight to twelve at bats to the opposition before the game even starts.
  
  
• Another reason why I would trade the veteran stars on this team over the winter and stockpile young talent is because I believe the Reds have no hope for contention while they have a stubborn, uniformed, misdirected manager who has never, ever, learned from his mistakes.  Start building for the post- Dusty era.

I know, many of you are letting this day get you down.  Maybe you missed out on (fill in your week one undrafted star here).

Take heart, because there is still hope.

Now, many of you play in leagues with an all-hardcore owner group.  Many of you do not, and now is the time to take advantage - quietly, I might add - of newer owners who are desperate.

Sure, they got a great pickup on the waiver wire.  But be sure to check out who they might have dropped to get that so-called gem.  I am in four different fantasy leagues (all with 12 teams); here is a summary of who is currently available as free agents or as waiver pickups effective tomorrow:

Willis McGahee

Ryan Grant

Fred Taylor

Chad Johnson

Marques Colston

Laveranues Coles

Ronnie Brown

Jake Delhomme

Bernard Berrian

Felix Jones

Jamal Lewis

Joey Galloway

Chester Taylor

I know that some people on that list have valid arguments for dropping them as well as for keeping them, but some of them should by no means be dropped.  Four of those are starting running backs on their respective teams; a couple of others are getting enough playing time to be viable from a fantasy perspective.

So, maybe you didn't get your Dante Rosario waiver request processed, but there's gold to be found...one man's trash is another man's treasure, right?

It was a decent opening week for me in the confidence pool (11 of 16 winners/102 out of 136 possible points) and against the spread (won $80 with Denver and the Over/Under in PIT-HOU game panning out), but both Survivor Picks (IND and CIN) turned out to be flops. I would be eliminated in most pools, but that is the fun of this I keep picking. Here's my picks to help you for the decisions awaiting in Week 2 of the NFL season... 

Judging by the events of the opening week in the NFL, it looks as though the NFC has got back up to and perhaps surpassed the AFC in talent again. Consider that perennial AFC power New Englad is now without the Golden Boy, and the playing field is level. Here's a quick breakdown of AFC teams that were thought to be contenders and some NFC teams that could re-emerge this year.

In the AFC:

Indianapolis - The Colts looked awful against the Bears (see below). Peyton Manning looked rusty and the highly touted Colts defense looked very pedestrian. I'm not predicting their demise by any stretch, but they can't be considered the favorites either.

Jacksonville - The Jaguars frankly stunk up the place on Sunday. They couldn't run the ball with either Fred Taylor or Maurice Jones-Drew. And, their nasty defense had no bite against a pathetic Titans offense. The AFC south is up for grabs, for sure.

San Diego - Boy do I always hate the talk of how great the Chargers and how they're so close to a Super Bowl. They are the Chicago Cubs of the NFL. They will find a way to lose big games. See this past Sunday. They dropped their home opener to Carolina (see below) and now their best defensive player Shawne Merriman has come to his senses and is going to have season-ending surgery. The Chargers have LT and what else? Exactly.

New England - Tom Brady is done for the year and everyone wants to write them off. I can't say that I blame them for doing that. I don't think the Pats miss the postseason this year (they still have a great system that's set up to win regardless of personnel), but I don't think they scare anyone any longer.

Now for the NFC:

Carolina - Jake Delhomme is back. Big deal, right? Wrong. As Jake goes, so goes the Panthers. Delhomme has the chance to finish in the top 5 in the NFL in passing this year. And, next week his favorite target - Steve Smith - returns from suspension. Don't understimate how big their win was on the road against the Chargers. They have the offense (running and passing) and the defense to make some serious noise.

Chicago - Da Bears defense is back and Devin Hester wasn't even a factor. They stymied the high powered Colts offense and did so in impressive fashion, and on the road.  Kyle Orton won't be a world beater, but this team reminds me of the Ravens team that went to the Super Bowl with a very average Trent Dilfer.

Philadelphia - Wow was that Eagles defense impressive or what? And boy was Donovan McNabb lights out or what? For a team with no wide receivers, they sure looked good. Imagine what will happen when Reggie Brown comes back healthy. The Eagles could be a very strong sleeper in the NFC, if they can slip past their division foes the Cowboys.

Dallas - Okay, everyone saw this coming. The Cowboys were one of the preseason favorites to make it to the Super Bowl. I saw nothing yet to indicate that that won't be their final destination. The Cowboys are the most complete team in the NFL. They are potent on offense, and assuming that Marion Barber's rib injury won't limit him too much, they can kill you passing or running. On defense, they are aggressive and can stop the run and stop the pass.

New Orleans - Look out for the Saints. If their defense can just make some plays and get some stops, the Saints can really be a force. They have the best offense in the NFL. That alone makes them a team to be reckoned with.