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As we kick off another shot at a PFW this week, Denizens (and I promise I won’t fall asleep during the writing of this post (grin)), we find that my Arlington Heights Yellow Jackets have jumped the gun on us, having defeated the hapless North Side Steers last night, 37-8.

Good on ya, Coach Duke Christian.&#160 You get to keep your job for another week.

Apparently, there will be a playoff next week to see who gets to be the third-place team going into the “hah skrewl” (a little Rush lingo, there) postseason.&#160 Heights is 3-5, but 2-2 in this four-game odyssey that the Fort Worth ISD athletic department decided to call a district schedule.&#160 It is, therefore, eminently possible that the Jackets will go into the playoffs with a losing record – and, as you may recall, I had something to say about such a concept.&#160 In other words…ew.

Saturday, the TCU Horned Frogs have what can be best described, given that they’re playing in Vegas, as a “sure thing”.&#160 The UNLV Rebels stomped Idaho State, 54-10, in Week 1 – then promptly went out and lost its next 7 games by a combined score of 253-99.

Vegas has the Froggies favored by 20&#189.&#160 For the sake of your program’s credibility, Gary Patterson, it’d better be 35.

Also Saturday, eighteenth-ranked Oklahoma travels to College Station for what we call a “double whammy” game – mainly because I don’t have anything better to call it.&#160 (Note to self:&#160 don’t let McCool name anything after he’s had five mugs of Romulan ale again.)&#160 We have a team that I follow against a team that I desperate hate – namely, 21st-ranked Texas A&M and head coach Dennis “The Mercenary” Franchione.&#160 The Ags are 8-1 – but they were calling for Fran’s head earlier after a near miss against Army, among other teams.

OU’s favored by 3, according to Vegas.&#160 Given the creampuff schedule A&M’s played, this scribe wonders why it’s not more.

Thirteenth-ranked LSU heads for Rocky Top Saturday to play the eighth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers.&#160 The Vols haven’t had the best of years, but they’re still expected to give the Tigers and Bo Pelini’s defense all they can handle (the line’s LSU minus 4).

UPDATE:&#160 Yes, even though they’re eighth-ranked, I’m not all that impressed with their play this year.&#160 Sue me.

Turner Gill’s UBuffalo Bulls will be at home Saturday against Kent.&#160 (They used to be Kent State – rumors that snipers took out the “State” part after it kept whining about the Iraq war were unsubstantiated at press time.)&#160 The line is Kent minus 16, so look for Buffalo to get its head handed to them again.

Sunday is Game Two of the Tony Romo era for the Cowboys, as they travel to Warshington Washington (sorry – little too much Texas accent there) to take on the dreaded Foreskins.&#160 This team handled the ‘Skins easily enough with Drew Bledsoe at quarterback, and Joe Gibbs’ charges have pretty much tanked since then.&#160 It’ll be interesting to see how LC John Wardle spins this&#160 beatdown.

We’re back Monday for the recap – Sunday evening if I don’t sleep through it…