The Quack is Back, by Casey Mitchell

Well it's official, we're only one day away from one of the biggest college football openers in years. All of the hype surrounding the off the field issues by both teams have really overshadowed the actual game on Saturday. It's now clear that Jordan Jefferson is not going to play in the game, but it's been said that his backup, Jarrett Lee, is just as good as Jefferson. They say that the only reason he wasn't already starting is because of his accuracy. In his 3 year career with the Tigers, he has thrown 17 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Makes you think that if we had Cliff Harris for this game, we could really make him pay for a poor mistake. I think that one of the keys to the game is whether or not Darron Thomas can make good decisions when push comes to shove. The Ducks offense saw a tough SEC rush defense last year in the Natty when Auburn held them to only 75 yard on the ground. However, I think that we can manage LSU's defense a little better then we did Auburn's. On the other hand, Oregon's defense will really be tested, only returning 2 of their starting front seven from last year against a very physical Tigers rushing attack. Any way you slice it, it's going to be a great season opener that sets the tone for the rest of the year. Prediction-- Ducks 38 Tigers 34.

Panthers Rookie, Cam Newton, was named the starter after Carolina's loss to the Steelers. Newton was in on one drive and threw his first NFL touchdown pass and also had a 19 yard run. The Panthers ended this preseason at 1-3 and it seems to me that this will probably be another rebuilding year for Carolina. In baseball news, Justin Verlander is really making a case for an MVP run. He is now 20-5 with an ERA at 2.30, and also leads the league in strikeouts. Even when the Detroit Tigers have been struggling this year, Verlander has gone out and gave them a great performance every fifth day. He hasn't lost a game since mid July and went 5-0 in the Dog Days of August. If he continues to pitch this way, it will be hard for the voters to overlook him and all of is success.