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The NCAA has a rule regarding postseason participation:&#160 A team has to win a minimum of six games to be bowl-eligible.

If only that were the case with Texas high schools.

We’re now in the playoffs in Texas “hah skrewl” (a little Rush lingo, there) football, and we have a matchup in Class 4A, Region I, Division I.&#160 I am going to cut & paste, for your edification, this playoff pairing (the school’s season record is in parentheses):

Sherman (3-7) vs. Stephenville (10-0)
7:30 Friday at Denton ISD Stadium

Now, I researched this a bit, and it seems that Sherman tied with Wichita Falls for second in their district with a 3-2 record.&#160 Sherman advanced based on head-to-head; they beat WF, 30-14, back in October.&#160 But Wichita Falls at least won a couple of non-district games, while Sherman posted a big honkin’ oh-fer.&#160 Oh-fer as in 0 for 5.

Seems to me that Wichita Falls, which missed the playoffs entirely, might have been a better representative at 6-4 than Sherman is at 3-7.&#160 This makes the BCS look positively sane by comparison. (sigh)

On to the PFW.&#160 Speaking of playoffs, my Arlington Heights Yellow Jackets have a return engagement with the Azle Hornets Friday at 7:30 in Burleson.&#160 Heights barely won the season opener against the Hornets, 24-21, so Gang Green – yeah, their colors are really green & white – will be out for revenge.&#160 Heights hasn’t been much of a playoff team the past couple years, either, so this game worries me.

Saturday night, I’ll be at eighteenth-ranked TCU’s “victory lap” game in Fort Worth as they celebrate their Mountain West Conference championship by taking on the UNLV Rebels in a tuneup for whatever bowl game they eventually play in.

Saturday afternoon, Bob Stoops’ Oklahoma Sooners are at home, where they will take part is what is, for me, a “double whammy” game.&#160 This is a game where one of my teams takes on one of my “anti-teams”.&#160 And in this case, that anti-team is – who else? – Dennis “The Mercenary” Franchione’s Texas A&M Aggies.&#160 A&M is having a tough time getting out of its own way this year (snicker), but they’re still talented enough to pull one off vs. OU, if the Sooners aren’t careful.&#160 I’ll take OU and you can have four points.

Later that afternoon, fifth-ranked LSU will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to take on the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide.&#160 If this were in Baton Rouge, I’d feel a lot more comfortable – as it is, give me LSU and seven-point-five.&#160 Straight up, I just think Bama has more talent.

The Dallas Cowboys have a second straight Sunday off.&#160 Because Monday night, they will be in the City of Brotherly Shove, aka Philthydelphia, to take on the Beagles, who have said bye-bye to Widdle Terri Owens.

Owens, who was dismissed from the Eagles on Monday, had 20 touchdowns in 21 regular-season games with Philadelphia. Losing the All-Pro wideout puts more pressure on McNabb, running back Brian Westbrook and the rest of the offense.

“Everyone wants to say we didn’t win championship games without a big-play receiver. Well, our big-play receiver was hurt last year and we won a championship game,” cornerback Sheldon Brown said Wednesday.

Yeah.&#160 And your hula-skirted, Mommy-feed-me-Campbell-soup QB is hurt this&#160 year.&#160 And hopefully, the ‘Boys can plant his ugly ass in the FieldTurf&#153 a few more&#160 times Monday night.

Still, the Beagles are at home, and that’s worth something.&#160 Give me the Cowboys and 10.

We’re back on Tuesday for the recap. (Incidentally, that means the PFW recap will be Tuesday.&#160 I’ll still be here ripping on Demoscum the rest of the weekend, mkay?&#160 So make sure you stop by.)

Feel free now to praise or bust on your favorite teams.&#160 Let the tailgate party begin!