DFC VII Week Ten (Thurs Nite Game)

As of Monday night, 812pm, I have recieved picks from: Tyler "Sexy Beast" Campbell, Mikey Nipp, Jason Demastus, Ryan Sherman and Yours Truly

SIX college games, TWO pro games and one THURSDAY NIGHT GAME...

As much as I hate to toss in another Thursday night game... how can you resist...

3. West Virginia Mountaineers (7-0) at 5. Louisville Cardinals (7-0), Thursday, 630p, ESPN

Saturday's Games
times CST, rankings from AP Poll
13. LSU Tigers (6-2) at 8. Tennessee Volunteers (7-1), time TBD

Missouri Tigers (7-2) at Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-3), time TBD

Penn State Nittany Lions (6-3) at 17. Wisconsin Badgers (8-1), 11am ABC

18. Oklahoma Sooners (6-2) at 21. Texas A&M Frannies (8-1), 12pm

16. Boston College (6-2) at 22. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-1), 6pm ESPN2

NFL Games
Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) at Baltimore Ravens (5-2), 12pm CBS

Indianapolis Colts (7-0) at New England Patriots (5-1, play Minn. on Mon. night), 715pm NBC

Tiebreak Game
THURS Night Game, Louisville vs West Virginia, total points scored

DFC Week Nine Results

19. Oklahoma 26, 23. Missouri 10
21. Georgia Tech 30, Miami 23
Maryland 27, Florida State 24
Washington State 37, UCLA 15
Atlanta Falcons 29, Cincy Bengals 27
San Diego Chargers 38, St. Louis Rams 24
Indy Colts 34, Denver Broncos 31 (tiebreak game -- 65 points)
New England Patriots 31, Minnesota Vikings 7

Special Greetings
Before we get to the week's finishes, let me wish a happy anniversary to Jason & Megan Demastus, who celebrated one year together last week, and to David Mark and Angie Mark Osborne, who also reached that one year day. Congrats, and have a happy day.

The Week That Was
Becoming the only DFC'er to ever win at least one week in five different DFC seasons, Michael Nipp walks away with his 5th career weekly win, finishing up at 7-1. He hasn't claimed a weekly victory since DFC V's Week 4, when he went 8-0, besting Yours Truly, who also went 8-0 that week.

Coming in 2nd is Gina Williams, 3rd is David Mark Osborne and 4th is Daniel Powell, all at 7-1. The rest of the top ten finished at 6-2, starting with Jason Duren in 5th, Jason Turnbow in 6th, Ken Mackey in 7th, Tom Johnson in 8th, Garrett Cheney in 9th and Tad Roose in 10th.

Also Finishing
6-2: Jenn Ernst, Tommy McLeod, Demastus, Sarah Hasha, Trey Cartledge
5-3: The Reverend Ty Coffey, Tyler Campbell, Scott Latta, Jon Osborne, Lori Smith, Zack Graves
4-4: Matt Latta, Jason Barnette, Gary The Idol, Tebe Shaw, Mark Gainey, Yours Truly, The Hawbaker, Eddy Jr and Ryan Sherman
3-5: Big Eddy McBroom, Tim Wasyluka

The Standings
Fulaytar Conference
North Division
Matt Latta, 44-28 (12.0)
DM Osborne, 43-29 (18.0)
Tom Johnson, 39-33 (10.13)
Ken Mackey, 38-34 (15.88)
Ty Coffey, 34-38 (23.0)

MidCentral Division
Jennifer Ernst, 48-24 (15.88)
Jason Turnbow, 45-27 (13.63)
Tebe Shaw, 43-29 (15.67)
Jason Barnette, 42-30 (15.63)
Tommy McLeod, 40-32 (14.0)

West Division
Gary Eubanks, 47-25 (13.5)
Drew Morris, 43-29 (11.63)
Sarah Hasha, 41-31 (17.78)
Jason Demastus, 39-33 (23.25)
Eddy McBroom, 38-34 (7.75)
Jason Duren, 37-35 (24.56)

Fulaytar Conference Playoff Race
1. Jennifer Ernst, 48-24 (15.88) (wins MidCentral Division, first round bye)
2. Gary Eubanks, 47-25 (13.5) (wins West Division, first round bye)
3. Jason Turnbow, 45-27 (13.63) (wild card)
4. Matt Latta, 44-28 (12.0) (wins North Division, wild card)
5. Drew Morris, 43-29 (11.63) (wins wild card)
6. Tebe Shaw, 43-29 (15.67) (wins wild card)
7. DMOsborne, 43-29 (18.0) (wins wild card)
8. Jason Barnette, 42-30 (15.63) (wins wild card)
9. Sarah Hasha, 41-31 (17.78) (outside looking in)
10. Tommy McLeod, 40-32 (14.0) (outside looking in)

Latta Conference
East Division
Yours Truly, 45-27 (14.11)
Mark Gainey, 44-28 (15.25)
Tyler Campbell, 43-29 (14.25)
Trey Cartledge, 40-32 (23.67)
James Hawbaker, 38-34 (16.0)

South Central Division
Tad Roose, 50-22 (14.75)
Zack Graves, 44-28 (12.63)
Eddy McBroom Jr, 44-28 (20.11)
Jon Osborne, 42-30 (15.63)
Lori Smith, 41-31 (16.89)
Scott Latta, 39-33 (12.5)

South Division
Daniel Powell, 48-24 (18.11)
Gina Williams, 46-27 (15.38)
Tim Wasyluka, 43-29 (12.88)
Ryan Sherman, 39-33 (17.5)
Michael Nipp, 38-34 (14.25)
Garrett Cheney, 37-35 (18.89)

Latta Conference Playoff Race
1. Tad Roose, 50-22 (14.75) (wins South Central Division, first round bye)
2. Daniel Powell, 48-24 (18.11) (wins South Division, first round bye)
3. Gina Williams, 46-26 (15.38) (wild card)
4. Yours Truly, 45-27 (14.11) (wins East Division, wild card)
5. Zack Graves, 44-28 (12.63) (wild card)
6. Mark Gainey, 44-28 (15.25) (wild card)
7. Eddy McBroom Jr, 44-28 (20.11) (wild card)
8. Tim Wasyluka, 43-29 (12.88) (wild card)
9. Tyler Campbell, 43-29 (14.25) (outside looking in)
10. Jonathan Osborne, 42-30 (15.63) (outside looking in)

The DFC Power Poll Top 12
Rank, Record (TBA) (Last Wk)
1. Tad Roose, 50-22 (14.75) (1 - third straight week)
2. Jennifer Ernst, 48-24 (15.88) (3)
3. Daniel Powell, 48-24 (18.11) (5)
4. Gary Eubanks, 47-25 (13.5) (2)
5. Gina Williams, 46-26 (15.38) (NR)
6. Jason Turnbow, 45-27 (13.63) (12)
7. Yours Truly, 45-27 (14.11) (4)
8. Matt Latta, 44-28 (12.0) (7)
9. Zack Graves, 44-28 (12.63) (11)
10. Mark Gainey, 44-28 (15.25) (9)
11. Eddy Jr, 44-28 (20.11) (10)
12. Drew Morris, 43-29 (11.63) (6)
dropped out... Tim Wasyluka (8th)

...and the bottom five...
29. Ken Mackey (last week-30th)... 30. James Hawbaker (26th)... 31. Garrett Cheney (32nd)... 32. Jason Duren (33rd)... 33. Ty Coffey (34th)

Front runners for the MVP award... Tad Roose... Jennifer Ernst... Daniel Powell... Gary Eubanks (long shot)
Front runners for Rookie of the Year... Gary Eubanks... Zack Graves
Front runners for The Osborne Award (best player to not make the playoffs)... Tebe Shaw... Jason Turnbow... Tyler Campbell...
Leaders for the TBA Title, College Title and Pro Title are broken down in L,DL&S below

So Long Justin
Due to his overwhelming seminary schedule, plus working, plus being a good husband to his awesome wife Jennifer, Justin Glenn, a five year veteran of the DFC, announced his retirement after week 6 of this year's DFC.
Justin's stats, while not astronomical, are impressive nonetheless. Over 5 full seasons, plus half of this one, he's amassed 317 career wins (currently 16th all time, though that will change when Jon Osborne wins one more game), and when you toss in his playoff games, he's got 338 wins, good enough for 11th all time.
He managed to rack up a 180-133 college record, and a 130-85 pro record, both temporarily good enough for 11th all time in each catagory, though that will change in the next few weeks.
He won the North Division in DFC III, to which he made the conference semis; a wild card berth in DFC IV, becoming the first person to ver go 8-0 in the postseason (and then losing in the conference semis); the MidCentral in DFC V, to which he bombed in the conference semis; and managed a wild card appearance last season, losing during Wild Card Weekend.
Justin also lays claim to three weekly wins, two of which he scored 8-0 weeks -- add that to his 8-0 playoff win, and three undefeated weeks is hard to come by.
Are these Hall of Fame stats? We'll know in DFC IX, when the two season waiting period is over, and you the DFC voter can decide.

Lies, Darn Lies & Statistics

• There are 24 games left in this season (has it gone by that fast??). Its interesting to note that while a record 13 people had 60 or more wins in DFC V, we may see another season like last year, when only one person (Mark Gainey) had 60+ wins. Of those who will probably pass 60: Tad Roose, Jennifer Ernst, Daniel Powell, possibly Gary Eubanks. That's it.
• There are those that either cannot possibly get to 60, or would have to have some ridiculous three week record along the lines of 22-2 or something, and that would include Ty Coffey (34-38), Jason Duren and Garrett Cheney (both at 37-35), and Michael Nipp, James Hawbaker, Mackey and Big Eddy (all at 38-34)
• Sixty wins is like the mystique number, perhaps like 50 home runs--its attainable, its possible, but its darn hard to do. Mark Gainey has had a record 4 straight seasons with at least 60 wins... in fact, he's never had anything but 60+ wins, but he'll have to do no worse than 16-8 in his remaining weeks.
• Of those who've never hit 60? Notably, Matt Latta has never done better than 59, which he's done twice, in DFC III and DFC VI... of course, he's got a ring, being the defending DFC Champion, so I'm sure he's okay with it.
• Also never hitting 60, Tyler Campbell, Jason Duren, Jason Demastus, Sarah Hasha, Ty Coffey, Scott Latta (!), Jon Osborne (!!) and Daniel Powell, a 7 year veteran who looks like he'll break that wall this season. Perhaps.
• Of course, none of our DFC Sophomores (Gina, Teber, Barnie, Ryan, Hawbaker) had more than 53 wins in their first seasons last year, so 54 is the goal for them--and Gina, Tebe and Barnie will probably do it this year.
• As we picked our 640th game this past week, I just noticed that I've entered in 15,311 picks in 7 years. Worth noting.
• Let's look at some all time numbers... The Mighty Gainey hit the 300 win point for his regular season career, Sarah Hasha crossed 250 wins and Ty Coffey sits 3 away from 200.
• Closing in on 100? Gina Williams, who's 99 wins is well ahead of Tebe Shaw's 94, Jason Barnette's 92, Ryan Sherman's 86 and James Hawbakers 75.
• Shawn Sharp is 24th on the all time wins list with 186 victories. #27 is the aforementioned Gina, with 99. In between is a fun little race to watch, as Garrett Cheney is 25th with 148, Tyler Campbell is 26th with 146. Even if either go 8-0, they won't catch or pass Shawn for 24th this year, and of course, Gina couldn't get to either of them, so it will be interesting to see who finishes in the Top 25 All Time DFC Wins.
• Not only did Tad Roose make the 200 win mark in All Time College, he passed Tom Johnson for 8th all time. This is significant, because Tom is a 7 year vet... Tad is a 6th year DFC'er. Tom went 21-21 in DFC I in college, which means it took Tad six whole years to make up the 21 win difference... and he's probably going to keep going.
• Tad also moved into 10th in the All Time Pro Wins, making him only the 2nd Non-Original DFC Player to be in the Top 10 in all three major catagories (all time, college, pro). Eddy McBroom was the first to do it.
• Tim Wasyluka got his 100th pro win this weekend, while Lori Smith is at 99. Sarah will likely pass Wookiee Fulaytar this weekend for 20th in pro, as her 95 wins is 2 behind the hall of famer.
• Leading off for the DFC College Title this season is both Daniel Powell and Tad Roose, who each have a 32-12 record. Right behind them is Gary "The Idol" Eubanks with 31-13 and then a six way battle for third.
• The battle for the pro title is being led by Eddy Jr, who has a pretty good 19-9 record so far, with Jon Osborne's and Jennifer Ernst's 18-10 right behind them.
• While Big Eddy's 7.75 TBA puts him in the running for the TBA title, right behind him are Tom Johnson with 10.13, Matt Latta with 12.0, and Yours Truly, who will have an 11.88 when I drop my tiebreak this week. =)
• Previous College Titles were held by: DFC I - Shawn Sharp (29-13)... DFC II - Wookiee Fulaytar (39-14)... DFC III - Mark Gainey (42-14)... DFC IV - Jennfer Ernst (41-17)... DFC V - Mark Gainey (45-13)... DFC VI - Daniel Powell (36-20)
• Previous Pro Titles: DFC I - Tom Johnson (30-16)... DFC II - DM Osborne & Tommy McLeod (28-15)... DFC III - Big Eddy McBroom (25-15)... DFC IV - Jennifer Ernst, Mark Gainey, Yours Truly and Eddy Jr (25-13)... DFC V - Yours Truly (28-10)... DFC VI - DMOsborne, Tommy McLeod, Justin Glenn, Scott Latta (27-13)
• Previous TBA Titles: DFC I - Michael Nipp (8.2)... DFC II - Vic Paschal (13.3)... DFC III - Tim Wasyluka (8.27)... DFC IV - Tim Wasyluka (9.82)... DFC V - Jon Osborne (10.18)... DFC VI - Matt Latta (11.27)

DFC Week Eight Results

Rutgers 20, Pittsburgh 10
South Carolina 31, Vanderbilt 13
Boston College 24 , Florida State 19
Clemson 31, Georgia Tech 7
Cincinnati 17, Carolina 14
Atlanta 41, Pittsburgh 38 (OT)
Green Bay 34, Miami 24
NY Giants 36, Dallas 22

The Week That Was

Lo and behold, just when we thought he was down, he comes roaring back… Tebe Shaw picks up his second win of the year, and his career, with a great 7-1, with 6 Florida State points away from being 8-0.

Yours Truly was a Tebe Shaw loss away from winning the second time in a row, but alas, I’ll settle for 2nd at 6-2. Matt Latta and Sarah Hasha tie for 3rd, while Ryan Sherman and Tyler Campbell tie up for 5th, all at 6-2, and The Rev’rn Ty Coffey gets 7th, and Trey Cartledge has only the 3rd +.500 week of his young career, finishing 6-2 for 8th.

Both at 5-3, Tom Johnson finishes 9th and Drew Morris is 10th.

Also Finishing:
5-3: DMOsborne, Jason Turnbow, Jon Osborne, Daniel Powell
4-4: Jennifer Ernst, Tommy McLeod, Gary “The Idol” Eubanks, Jason Demastus, Tad Roose, Zack Graves, Tim Wasyluka, Gina Williams
3-5: Jason Barnette, Jason Duren, Lori Smith, Garrett Cheney
2-6: Ken Mackey, Eddy McBroom, Scott Latta, James Hawbaker, Eddy Mac Jr
0-8: Justin Glenn

The Standings
Fulaytar Conference
North Division
Matt continues to hold the lead in the division, despite DMO's attempts to catch him... still, I harken back to last season, when it was the complete opposite--will DMO pull a Latta, or will Latta pull a DMO?
Matt Latta, 40-24 (10.14)
DM Osborne, 36-28 (16.14)
Tom Johnson, 33-31 (8.71)
Ken Mackey, 32-32 (15.86)
Ty Coffey, 29-35 (21.75)

MidCentral Division
Jennifer is back to previous form after taking last year off, seemingly. Rookie Turnbow is only three games behind, though as weeks progress, those games get harder to make up. Tebe proves it only takes one good week to come back (and one bad one to fall), passing Barnie. And where's Justin??
Jennifer Ernst, 42-22 (15.88)
Jason Turnbow, 39-25 (13.43)
Tebe Shaw, 39-25 (14.63)
Jason Barnette, 38-26 (15.43)
Justin Glenn, 35-29 (30.57)
Tommy McLeod, 34-30 (11.86)

West Division
Gary "The Idol" Eubanks keeps his hold on Rookie of the Year honors, still up on Drew Morris, who is making his usual late season charge. Eddy is still struggling from last year.
Gary Eubanks, 43-21 (12.57)
Drew Morris, 40-24 (9.57)
Eddy McBroom, 35-29 (5.57)
Sarah Hasha, 35-29 (16.5)
Jason Demastus, 33-31 (16.0)
Jason Duren, 31-33 (26.38)

The Fulaytar Conference Playoff Race
Keep in mind the use of the Tie Break drop becomes important, as the TBA average breaks ties between two non-division winners or two division winners (division winners get the advantage over other wild cards when the record is the same)
1) Gary Eubanks, 43-21 (12.57) – West Division Champion, first round bye**
2) Jennifer Ernst, 42-22 (15.88) – MidCentral Division Champion, first round bye
3) Matt Latta, 40-24 (10.14) – North Division Champion, wild card**
4) Drew Morris, 40-24 (9.57) – Wild Card**
5) Jason Turnbow, 39-25 (13.43) – Wild Card**
6) Tebe Shaw, 39-25 (14.63) – Wild Card
7) Jason Barnette, 38-26 (15.43) – Wild Card**
8) David Mark Osborne, 36-28 (16.14) – Wild Card**
9) Eddy McBroom, 35-29 (5.57) – Outside looking in**
10) Sarah Hasha, 35-29 (16.5) – Outside looking in
** - has used tiebreak drop already

Latta Conference
East Division
For the first time ever, I'm actually in a position to get a first round bye. And I mean, ever. Of course, this is Mark "DFC's Peyton Manning" Gainey we're talking about here... Tyler's goal is the postseason, and he currently is right on the outside looking in.
Yours Truly, 41-23 (11.88)
Mark Gainey, 40-24 (14.43)
Tyler Campbell, 38-26 (14.0)
James Hawbaker, 34-30 (15.29)
Trey Cartledge, 34-30 (22.25)

South Central Division
Tad is looking more and more like an MVP this year, pulling ahead four games on Eddy Jr, though Eddy Jr's disasterous week didn't help. Zack continues to surprise, and Jon Osborne is beginning to show signs of late season life.
Tad Roose, 44-20 (13.14)
Eddy McBroom Jr, 40-24 (20.13)
Zack Graves, 39-25 (12.57)
Jon Osborne, 37-27 (16.0)
Lori Smith, 36-28 (16.38)
Scott Latta, 34-30 (13.43)

South Division
We can now honestly say this--Daniel Powell looks like a DFC Power to be reckoned with. He's been keeping up with The Wasyluka all year, and has a game on him currently. Ryan Sherman has finally freed himself of the stay-out-of-the-cellar battle between Young Garrett and Mikey Nipp.
Daniel Powell, 41-23 (16.63)
Tim Wasyluka, 40-24 (10.86)
Gina Williams, 39-25 (14.0)
Ryan Sherman, 35-29 (16.86)
Michael Nipp, 31-33 (13.43)
Garrett Cheney, 31-33 (18.38)

The Latta Conference Playoff Race:
1) Tad Roose, 44-20 (13.14) – South Central Division Champ, First Round Bye**
2) Yours Truly, 41-23 (11.88) – East Division Champ, First Round Bye
3) Daniel Powell, 41-23 (16.63) – South Division Champ, Wild Card
4) Tim Wasyluka, 40-24 (10.86) – Wild Card**
5) Mark Gainey, 40-24 (14.43) – Wild Card**
6) Eddy McBroom Jr, 40-24 (20.13) – Wild Card
7) Zack Graves, 39-25 (12.57) – Wild Card**
8) Gina Williams, 39-25 (14.0) – Wild Card**
9) Tyler Campbell, 38-26 (14.0) – Outside looking in**
10) Jon Osborne, 37-27 (16.0) – Outside looking in**
** - has used tiebreak drop already

The DFC Power Poll Top 12
1) Tad Roose, 44-20 (13.14) (1)
2) Gary “The Idol” Eubanks, 43-21 (12.57) (2)
3) Jennifer Ernst, 42-22 (15.88) (3)
4) Yours Truly, 41-23 (11.88) (10)
5) Daniel Powell, 41-23 (16.63) (7)
6) Drew Morris, 40-24 (9.57) (8)
7) Matt Latta, 40-24 (10.14) (NR)
8) Tim Wasyluka, 40-24 (10.86) (5)
9) Mark Gainey, 40-24 (14.43) (6)
10) Eddy McBroom Jr, 40-24 (20.13) (4)
11) Zack Graves, 39-25 (12.57) (9)
12) Jason Turnbow, 39-25 (13.43) (NR)
dropped out: Gina Williams (11)… Jason Barnette (12)

Lies, Darn Lies & Statistics

• If Big Eddy McBroom’s tiebreak average holds, he will by far have the lowest seasonal tiebreak average in DFC history. At 5.57, it would shatter the current record of 8.20, held by Michael Nipp, set SEVEN years ago in DFC I, one of the longest standing records in the DFC.
• Right behind Michael is Tim Wasyluka with 8.27 in DFC III and Mark Gainey with 9.0 in DFC V. James Hawbaker also holds an 8.55 from DFC VI, but that is a partial season.
• Also keep in mind, Tom Johnson’s TBA is 8.71 currently, and if it holds, that would be good enough for 3rd.
• Who has the worst? Jason Demastus with 25.27 from DFC VI, followed by Matt Latta with 23.2 in DFC II and Ryan Sherman, with 22.5, from DFC VI.
• And again, keep in mind this year’s TBA… Jason Duren currently has a 26.38, and Justin Glenn has a 30.57, both enough to break the worst ever record.
• Which got me to thinking… best lifetime TBA, with at least 3 full seasons? Mark Gainey, with 11.03. 2nd is Tim Wasyluka with 11.16, 3rd is Jon Osborne with 11.82, 4th is Yours Truly with 12.01 and 5th is DMOsborne with 12.89
• Tyler Campbell has a lifetime TBA of 11.5, good enough for third all time, but only has two seasons to speak of. If his current 14.0 holds up, he’ll have a 12.33, good enough for 5th before factoring in other’s TBAs.
• Jennifer still leads the all time regular season wins with 383, 17 away from the big Four-Oh-Oh.
• Tad Roose keeps rolling his way to his first MVP crown. He passed Drew, storming into the Top 10 All Time, and at 328-216, he is five away from passing Big Eddy to become the highest ranking Non-Original DFC’er of all time. Oh yeah, and there’s this little thing of 40 straight regular season weeks at .500 or better.
• Mark Gainey is only 3 away from 300, while Eddy Jr is five away. After that, we might wait until next season, because Lori is 17th all time, 34 away.
• The race to 100 is almost complete, as this year’s DFC Sophomores try to hit the mark first… Gina Williams, DFC VI’s Rookie of the Year, is at 92 wins, while Tebe is at 90 and Jason Barnette is at 88.
• To this year’s rookies, legend Vic Paschal is still the number to beat, with a 56-40 record, currently at 32nd all time. That’s the win total to reach for to be listed among the current players, not lost in the retired section. Gary the Idol is most likely to make it first, at 43 wins, he’s 14 away from passing it.
• Out of six Deuce Bowls, only Shawn Sharp, Wookiee Fulaytar, Drew Morris, Tad Roose, Jenn Ernst, Eddy McBroom, Scotty Latta and Matt Latta have ever had the chance to play for it. Wookiee went there three times, with two championships, while Drew went twice with no title. Tad came out of both of his appearances with a title, Shawn won the first DFC title (to never see the postseason again), while Eddy, Jennifer and Scott came up short… and we know that Matt is the defending DFC champion.
• I mention this because only Drew, Wookiee and Jennifer made it back to the postseason the following year after a Deuce Bowl appearance. Matt is on his way to becoming the fourth to do so.
• Out of 24 division titles handed out in six full seasons, only Jennifer Ernst, Eddy McBroom, Justin Glenn, Mark Gainey, Tim Wasyluka, Lori Smith and Drew Morris have returned to the postseason the following year, with only Mark Gainey and Tim Wasyluka doing it as a division champion again.
• Out of last year’s 6 division winners, Mark, Matt, Tommy, Drew, Tim and Scott, we may only see four of the six back, with Tommy and Scott in real trouble.
• First round byes? Do they mean anything? In DFC III, the first year Byes were used, Eddy, Justin, Tim and Gainey had them… and none made it to the Final Four.
• In DFC IV, Jennifer, Eddy Jr, Tad and Gainey had them… and this time, ALL four made it to the Final Four, where Tad went onto to beat Jennifer in the championship.
• In DFC V, Drew, Justin, Lori and Gainey (again) had first round byes… and 50% made it, that being Drew and Gainey, to the Final Four… but it was Eddy and Wookiee, two wild cards, that went to Deuce Bowl V.
• Finally, in DFC VI, Matt and Tommy, and Scott and Tim nabbed first round byes. And, again, 50% made it to the Final Four—that being Matt and Scott, who went on to Deuce Bowl VI.
• One more thing… out of 5, count ‘em, 5 undefeated, 8-0 weeks, FOUR of them took place in Wild Card Weekend (Justin in DFC IV, Wookiee, Eddy and Michael in DFC V).
• The other 8-0 week in the DFC Playoffs? When Tad Roose thrashed Jennifer Ernst with an 8-0 record in Deuce Bowl IV.
• First round byes? A good break, or stops the momentum? You decide.

DFC Week Nine

Now that we're back on track, let's get to the final 1/4 of the 7th edition of the Deuce Football Championships...

College Games
All times CST, all ranks from the USAToday/Coaches Poll

19. Oklahoma Sooners (5-2) at 23. Missouri Tigers (7-1), 11am, ABC
I'm not sure about either one of these teams, except two years ago, Troy beat Missouri, ruining Brad Smith's Heisman hopes and destroying any thought if Mizzou winning the Big 12. Oh, and Oklahoma is nowhere near who they used to be. Could Bob Stoops be overrated, having just benefited from having really good players for a short while?

Miami Hurricanes (5-2) at 21. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-2), 230pm
ACC Coastal!! How do you almost lose to Duke? Oh, sorry, Bama fans... um... anyway, two programs headed in different directions--the Canes falling apart, the Ramblin' Wreck on the rise.

Florida State Seminoles (4-3) at Maryland Terrapins (5-2), 6pm
ACC Atlantic!! What kind of world is this where not only is Florida State at the bottom of the ACC Pile, but this kind of thing is going on?!?! And hey, how can you dis the Terps? Fear the Turtle.

Washington State Cougars (5-3) at UCLA Bruins (4-3), 6pm, ABC
Pac 10!! Fresh off their smackdown of Oregon, they go visit the Bruins, who should have beaten the Fightin' Irish last weekend

NFL Games
All times CST, all games regional

Atlanta Falcons (4-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-2), 12pm, Fox
I'll be honest with you--I've always liked the Bengals. Its nice to actually see them in a game where the words "Crap" and "O'the Week" aren't used... but sometimes, its still hard to pick 'em. After all, they are the Bengals. Then again, this is the Falcons...

St. Louis Rams (4-2) at San Diego Chargers (4-2), 305pm, Fox
The Rams blew it against Seattle, costing me a large victory. So, can I depend on Philip Rivers and LT?

Indianapolis Colts (6-0) at Denver Broncos (5-1), 315pm, CBS
Mike Shanahan says that Jake Plummer is still the man in Denver. And Manning is still the man in Indy, as he will be until he retires, or he gets traded at age 43 to the expansion Vegas Gamblers because he doesn't know how to hang it up respectfully (Jerry Rice? Emmit Smith? Ric Flair? Anyone?).

New England Patriots (5-1) at Minnesota Vikings (4-2), Monday Night Game, 730pm, ESPN
And Brady will be the man in New England forever. Minnesota is still looking for a man.

Tiebreak Game
Indianapolis at Denver. Total Points scored.

DFC Update

Hey... in case it seems strangely quiet on the DFC Front this week, thats because my computer just caught cancer, and the tumor is spreading. We're hopefully operating on Saturday night. For the full story, you can click here.

Meanwhile, I'm setting up a satellite branch office of the DFC at the Hoover Public Library, so you'll get a reminder tomorrow, and if I have to do it on pencil and paper, then darn it, we'll keep moving. The DFC survived 9/11, it will survive this. Not to equate the 2 in any means, but you get the point. =)

DFC Admin

DFC VII Week Eight

I'm sitting here watching Boise State beat up on the New Mexico State Aggies. We didn't pick this game. I have nothing riding on this. Why am I watching it? I love college football. Feel the burn.

College Games
All ranks from AP Poll, all times central

19. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-0) at Pittsburgh Panthers (6-1), 11am
So, its not going to happen, but can I tell you that I'm giddy about the slight possibility that Rutgers might play in a BCS bowl? They are flippin' 16th in the BCS rankings!! Yeah, they'll probably lose to Louisville in a few weeks, then probably to West Virginia, but as of right now, they have a shot. However, Pittsburgh leads the Big East with a 2-0 conference record, which is why this game is so big.

South Carolina Gamecocks (4-2) at Vanderbilt Commodores (3-4), 2pm
They lost to the now-#2 team in the country, Michigan, by 20. Then they lost to Alabama by 3, then a now-we-know-is-tough Arkansas team by 2. They blew out both Tennessee State and Temple, before dropping an egg to Ole Miss by 7. And then, Vandy goes and beats Georgia. Now... it would seem that the Gamecocks will come in and blow out the Dores, 'cause surely they aren't good enough to beat two good teams in a row, right? I mean, with UGA, they practically sat on the 50 and tried their best to give the game to the Dawgs. SC will win, right? Right? Pick 'em.

20. Boston College Golden Eagles (5-1) at Florida State Seminoles (4-2), 230pm, ABC
I had typed "Alabama" and "Tennessee" in this paragraph, intending on having that game be one of our picks. However, I think we all realize that Alabama might just get killed. And for those few of you who pick The Tide no matter what, that just wouldn't be fair, it would be like a gimme for the rest of us. So... BC and FSU go at it for your picking pleasure, so you may enjoy the UA/UT game with no worries. Other than the outcome, that is.

13. Georgia Tech Jellow Jackets (5-1) at 12. Clemson Tigers (6-1), 645pm, ESPN
One look at the ACC Conference Standings tells you that this just might be the preview of the ACC Championship. I'm trying to talk Tyler, my bro-in-law and East Division mate, into going to Clemson, just so I could visit him and go to a Clemson game. How cool would that be? I'm also trying to talk to my friend Launi in Atlanta about going to a Georgia Tech game. I have no idea where I'm going with this.

NFL Games

Carolina Panthers (4-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (3-2), 12pm, Fox

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3) at Atlanta Falcons (3-2), 12pm, CBS

Green Bay Packers (1-4) at Miami Dolphins (1-5), 12pm
Crap Alert! Crap Alert! You might actually be in pain watching this game!

Monday Night Game
NYGiants (3-2) at Dallas Cowboys (3-2), 730pm ESPN

TieBreak Game
Crap alert! Total points scored, Green Bay & Miami.

DFC Week Seven Results (in progress)

Boston College 22, 17. Virginia Tech 3
Wake Forest 25, North Carolina State 23
Alabama 26, Mississippi 23
11. Auburn 27, 2. Florida 17 (tiebreak game, 44 points)
Carolina 23, Baltimore 21
NYGiants 27, Atlanta 14
Seattle 30, St. Louis 28
Pittsburgh 45, Kansas City 7

The Week That Was
Well, it happened in Week 9 of the very first season of the DFC, that being a week won with a 5-3 record. Wookiee Fulaytar did it, and 68 regular season weeks have gone by since its happened... and Yours Truly managed to do it. I've taken the week, winning my third week ever, at 5-3.

It was a bugger of a week, actually, with 2 through 7 also finishing at 5-3. Tad Roose takes 2nd, while Eddy Jr, Mackey, David Mark and Gina Williams all lock up at 3rd. Tebe Shaw finishes 7th. In 8th is Jason Turnbow, tied with Mark Gainey, at 4-4, and in 10th is Jonathan Osborne at 4-4.

Also Finishing:
4-4: Gary Eubanks, Sarah Hasha, Daniel Powell, Matt Latta
3-5: James Hawbaker, Zack Graves, Justin Glenn, Barnie, Jennifer Ernst, Tommy McLeod, Eddy McBroom, Jason Duren, Drew Morris, Jason Demastus, Tyler Campbell, Trey Cartledge, Scott Latta, Lori Smith, Tim Wasyluka, Garrett Cheney, Ryan Sherman
2-6: Ty Coffey, Michael Nipp

Standings
Fulaytar Conference
North Division
Matt Latta, 34-22, (9.17)
David Mark Osborne, 31-25 (15.0)
Ken Mackey, 30-26 (14.67)
Tom Johnson, 28-28 (8.0)
Ty Coffey, 23-33 (21.14)

MidCentral Division
Jennifer Ernst, 38-18 (15.29)
Jason Barnette, 35-21 (15.5)
Justin Glenn, 35-21 (26.0)
Jason Turnbow, 34-22 (10.17)
Tebe Shaw, 32-24 (15.14)
Tommy McLeod, 30-26 (10.83)

West Division
Gary Eubanks, 39-17 (11.67)
Drew Morris, 35-21 (8.17)
Eddy McBroom, 33-23 (6.17)
Jason Demastus, 29-27 (18.33)
Sarah Hasha, 29-27 (16.57)
Jason Duren, 28-28 (27.14)

Latta Conference
East Division
Mark Gainey, 36-20 (13.83)
Yours Truly, 35-21 (11.57)
Tyler Campbell, 32-24 (12.5)
James Hawbaker, 32-24 (15.67)
Trey Cartledge, 28-28 (20.0)

MidCentral Division
Tad Roose, 40-16 (13.17)
Eddy McBroom Jr, 38-18 (19.71)
Zack Graves, 35-21 (11.33)
Lori Smith, 33-23 (16.14)
Scott Latta, 32-24 (13.17)
Jon Osborne, 32-24 (15.33)

South Division
Tim Wasyluka, 36-20 (9.67)
Daniel Powell, 36-20 (15.71)
Gina Williams, 35-21 (12.83)
Ryan Sherman, 29-27 (15.83)
Garrett Cheney, 28-28 (18.71)
Michael Nipp, 28-28 (11.83)

If The Playoffs Began Today:
Fulaytar Conference
First Round Byes: (1) West Division Champion Gary Eubanks, (2) MidCentral Division Champion Jennifer Ernst
Wild Card Weekend: (3) Drew Morris... (4) Jason Barnette... (5) Justin Glenn... (6) North Division Champion Matt Latta... (7) Jason Turnbow... (8) Eddy McBroom

Latta Conference
First Round Byes: (1) South Central Division Tad Roose... (2) Eddy McBroom Jr
Wild Card Weekend: (3) South Division Champion Tim Wasyluka... (4) East Division Champion Mark Gainey... (5) Daniel Powell... (6) Zack Graves... (7) Yours Truly... (8) Gina Williams

The DFC Power Poll Top 12
Rank, Record, (TBA) (Last Wk)
1. Tad Roose, 40-16 (13.17) (2)
2. Gary Eubanks, 39-17 (11.67) (1)
3. Jennifer Ernst, 38-18 (15.29) (3)
4. Eddy McBroom Jr, 38-18 (19.71) (5)
5. Tim Wasyluka, 36-20 (9.67) (4)
6. Mark Gainey, 36-20 (13.83) (8)
7. Daniel Powell, 36-20 (15.71) (9)
8. Drew Morris, 35-21 (8.17) (6)
9. Zack Graves, 35-21 (11.33) (7)
10. Yours Truly, 35-21 (11.57) (NR)
11. Gina Williams, 35-21 (12.83) (NR)
12. Jason Barnette, 35-21 (15.5) (10)
dropped out: Justin Glenn (11)... Eddy McBroom (12)

...and... the Bottom Five...
30. Michael Nipp (24th)... 31. Garrett Cheney (31st)... 32. Trey Cartledge (32)... 33. Jason Duren (33rd)... 34. Ty Coffey (34th)

If I May Mention This...
Notably, this is just the results email, and most people just scan it, looking for their record, perhaps looking to see what their division looks like, and so on.
However, since I know that most, if not the entire league, is bonded by a common belief in Christ, I wanted to present to you a prayer request. One of our own, Jennifer Ernst, who has been in the DFC since season 1 and has been a friend of the Deuce for longer, has a need.
She and her husband have been trying to have a baby... and without going to details, they've had struggles, both frustrating and tragic, and are now with a final option that they are going to. So, to the DFC, please mention Jenn's name in your prayers--if everyone does this once, thats 33 voices lifted to Him for the Ernst family... and I'm sure it will be felt. She will definately keep us posted. Thanks -- DFC Admin.

Lies, Darn Lies & Statistics

• Inching closer to 400 regular season victories, Jennifer now has 379. To reach that milestone, one has to assume she'll win at least 59 games this year... and you can probably assume that. At 371, I'd have to get 64 wins... and that may not happen.
• Mark Gainey has 293 wins, 7 away from 300. Little Eddy is 12 away.
• The race to 100 continues, with Gina Williams at 88, Jason Barnette at 85 and Tebe Shaw at 83
• Looking at all-time wins (regular + playoffs), only Yours Truly and Jennifer have crossed 400 wins lifetime. Big Eddy is racing towards that milestone, at 386, while DMOsborne is at 385.
• Daniel Powell is slowly making his way up the All Time College ranks as well, as he passes Tommy McLeod this week for the #6 spot all time.
• In All Time Pro, Tim Wasyluka passes Wookiee Fulaytar for #17 all time, placing Wookiee into 18th... though Lori is only 2 games behind him, and will probably take him this week.
• Oh what a torrid week it was... arguably the worst week in the history of the DFC, with 20 people finishing 3-5 or worse. I went back and looked at all the weekly finishes in the DFC past seasons... the only one that comes close to this was Week 3 in DFC IV (2003!), where 17 people finished 3-5 or worse. Take into consideration that there were 24 in the DFC that season as opposed to 34, but yet, its still not a good thing.
• Tad Roose, however, had no issues, with his 5-3 week extending his .500+ record now to 39 weeks.

DFC VII MidSeason Report Card

It's our second annual Mid-season report card... where you can find out how you're doing, if you've met the hype or are falling short of everything. :

Last Season's Midseason Report Card:
A+: Justin Glenn
A: David Mark Osborne, Jason Duren
A-: Jonathan Osborne, Tim Wasyluka, Matt Latta, Tommy McLeod
B+: Angie Mark Osborne, Daniel Powell, Ty Coffey
B: Eddy McBroom Jr, Tyler Campbell
B-: Tad Roose, Sarah Hasha
C+: Mark Gainey, Ryan Sherman, Jason Barnette
C: Garrett Cheney, Tebe Shaw, Tom Johnson
C-: Yours Truly, Eddy Mc, Drew Morris
D: Jennifer Ernst
F: Michael Nipp, Willis Watkins

You can read the full DFC VI's report here...

As for this year:

A+
Tad Roose... he's got two DeRamus Plates to his name, and looking for an unprecedented third this season. Caught fire the last few weeks, carrying his 39 week .500 streak with him.
Jennifer Ernst... what a difference a season makes. Not only is she looking for another playoff berth, she's looking for that second division title.

A
Gary "The Idol" Eubanks... the only reason he didn't get an A+ is we're still determining if its rookie-luck or skill. Remember, Garrett Cheney won 65 in his first year, still missed the playoffs, and has been struggling ever since. Still, though, he's done impressive this year.
Tim Wasyluka... he's been here before. Division titles, low TBAs, impressive win totals. How much before we say the regular season is not enough--win a title?

A-
Jason Barnette... its finally time for someone besides Gina Williams from last year to roll. After finally proving to Tebe he's... well, just better... Barnie can set his sights on a real goal, that being a playoff berth and possibly a championship
also receving an A: Eddy Mc Jr, Mark Gainey, Drew Morris

B+
Daniel Powell... after seasons of on-and-off success, it looks like he might have gotten some consistantcy in his game
Zack Graves... two weeks ago, Zack could have gotten an A+, but took a slight misstep in a division that cannot afford missteps this week.
also receiving a B+: Gina Williams, Matt Latta, Justin Glenn

B
Jason Turnbow... started strong, but has let the division slightly slip away from him. Now, with the playoffs no longer a foregone conclusion, he's got to play the 2nd half of the season smarter than the last week or so.
Eddy McBroom... it was hard seeing the first playoffs without a McBroom last year, at least since DFC I, so hopefully that will change this go around.
also receiving a B: Tyler Campbell

B-
Yours Truly... while I was depending on late season heroics and a stumble by a playoff contender to get in last year, I'm hoping that won't be an issue. My goal is to finally unseat four-time East Division champ Mark Gainey
also receiving a B-: James Hawbaker, Lori Smith

C+
Michael Nipp... whereas this might seem like a dis, this is much better than the F he received last year. Perhaps he's coming out of his rebuilding year, and might actually make a run for it in the next six weeks.
David Mark Osborne... not doing as well as expected in a division that can be easily won with a few good weeks put together
also receiving C+: Garrett Cheney, Ryan Sherman

C
Tom Johnson... losing the lead to All Time NFL standings is just one thing not going right with Tom's year... he can't shake Ken Mackey, who's been right there with him all year.
Scott Latta... could last season, which we thought was finally a rise to power, just be a fluke for young Latta? Could he be the Clint to his brother's Ron Howard, or perhaps the Frank to his brother's Sylvester Stallone? Maybe the Don to his brother's Patrick Swayze?
also receiving a C: Mackey, Tommy McLeod

C-
Jonathan Osborne... we expected better
Trey Cartledge... there's potential there, but perhaps not this year.

D
Tebe Shaw... this would have been much higher had he not shown us what he could accomplish (14-2 in first two weeks) as opposed to what he's done (13-19 since)
Jason Demastus... he's not doing bad. But after all this time, he should be a contender every year.

F
Ty Coffey... in a division where he could be a contender with some wins here and there, he is still struggling to get to .500
Sarah Hasha... this is where figured all the girls should be. only, she's the only one here.
Jason Duren... Like Jon Osborne, we expected better this year

DFC Week Six Results

5. Florida 23, 9. LSU 10
7. Texas 28, 16. Oklahoma 10
13. Tennessee 51, 10. Georgia 33
16. California 45, 11. Oregon 24 (69 points total)
NYGiants 19, Washington 3
Jacksonville 41, NYJets 0
Philadelphia 38, Dallas 24
San Diego 23, Pittsburgh 13

The Week That Was
Two people have gone 8-0 in the same week... but never 3. Until this week.

Becoming the 16th, 17th and 18th people to go 8-0 in a DFC Regular Season Week, Tad Roose, Eddy Mc Jr and Lori Smith finish 1, 2 and 3 this week. This is Tad's 4th weekly win, his first since Week 10 of DFC IV.

The Mighty Mark Gainey makes a huge comeback this week, after last week's debacle, to finish 4th at 7-1, while Drew Morris and Jason Barnette tie for 5th place, both at 7-1. James Hawbaker takes the 7th spot at 7-1, Justin Glenn, 6-2, gets 8th, Gary "The Idol" Eubanks is 9th at 6-2, Tommy McLeod finishes 6-2 to round out the 10.

Also Finishing:
6-2: Jenn Ernst, Eddy McBroom, Daniel Powell, Ryan Sherman (!)
5-3: Matt Latta, DMOsborne, Tom Johnson, Ken Mackey, Jason Demastus, Yours Truly, Scott Latta, Jon Osborne
4-4: Ty Coffey, Tebe Shaw, Jason Turnbow, Trey Cartledge, Zack Graves, Tim Wasyluka, Garrett Cheney, Gina Williams
3-5: Sarah Hasha, Tyler Campbell, Michael Nipp
2-6: Jason Duren

The Standings
Fulaytar Conference
North Division
Matt Latta, while only ranked 6th in the conference, has a good sized lead on DMO, trying to win his 2nd division in a row. However, remember that DMO ran the division until Week 12 last year, when Matt came up, yanked it out from under DMO, and to add insult to injury, was beaten by Matt in the Final Four, en route to the DFC Championship.
Matt Latta, 30-18 (9.6)
David Mark Osborne, 26-22 (16.2)
Tom Johnson, 25-23 (8.4)
Ken Mackey, 25-23 (15.8)
Ty Coffey, 21-27 (24.33)

MidCentral Division
She's only got one division title, but she's trying to amend that. Watch out for Barnie, though, putting some wins together and getting himself ranked this week. Justin Glenn is keeping pace, while Turnbow is struggling a bit to keep up.
Jennifer Ernst, 35-13 (16.83)
Jason Barnette, 32-16 (17.4)
Justin Glenn, 32-16 (22.4)
Jason Turnbow, 30-18 (11.4)
Tommy McLeod, 27-21 (11.2)
Tebe Shaw, 27-21 (15.5)

West Division
The Idol aims to become the first rookie to make the postseason since Mark Gainey did it in DFC III, but Drew is catching up slowly... and Big Eddy is showing signs of his old--really old--self, hoping to make the 2nd half of the season like the first
Gary Eubanks, 35-13 (10.8)
Drew Morris, 32-16 (9.8)
Eddy McBroom, 30-18 (7.2)
Jason Demastus, 26-22 (15.8)
Sarah Hasha, 25-23 (15.5)
Jason Duren, 25-23 (31.0)

Latta Conference
East Division
Like last year, he started slowly, but it looks like Mark Gainey has taken the East Division again. Yours Truly is only 2 games back, but 2 games behind Gainey is like 50. Tyler, the self proclaimed "Sexy Beast of the DFC", had a disasterous week, allowing James to catch up.
Mark Gainey, 32-16 (15.8)
Yours Truly, 30-18 (13.5)
Tyler Campbell, 29-19 (13.2)
James Hawbaker, 29-19 (16.2)
Trey Cartledge, 25-23 (21.83)

South Central Division
Here comes two time DFC Champion Tad Roose. Flying to the top five of the DFC Power Poll, he puts a few games distance between he and Eddy Jr and Zack Graves. Lori is coming back with a vengeance, after a slow start, while Scott and Jonathan both are struggling to get going.
Tad Roose, 35-13 (14.8)
Eddy McBroom Jr, 33-15 (21.5)
Zack Graves, 32-16 (10.4)
Lori Smith, 30-18 (17.33)
Scott Latta, 29-19 (14.6)
Jon Osborne, 28-20 (17.2)

South Division
Tim has 3 division titles, 2nd only to Mark Gainey's 4, while Daniel Powell is striving for his first. Fiancee of Tad, Gina, is a few games back, while Mikey, Ryan and Garrett stay deadlocked to keep out of the cellar.
Tim Wasyluka, 33-15 (10.4)
Daniel Powell, 32-16 (16.83)
Gina Williams, 30-18 (13.6)
Michael Nipp, 26-22 (12.4)
Ryan Sherman, 26-22 (17.2)
Garrett Cheney, 25-23 (20.83)

The DFC Power Poll Top 12
1. Gary Eubanks, 35-13, (10.8) (2)
2. Tad Roose, 35-13, (14.8) (5)
3. Jennifer Ernst, 35-13, (16.83) (3)
4. Tim Wasyluka, 33-15, (10.4) (1)
5. Eddy McBroom, 33-15, (21.5) (NR)
6. Drew Morris, 32-16 (9.8) (11)
7. Zack Graves, 32-16 (10.4) (4)
8. Mark Gainey, 32-16 (15.8) (NR)
9. Daniel Powell, 32-16 (16.83) (9)
10. Jason Barnette, 32-16 (17.4) (NR)
11. Justin Glenn, 32-16 (22.4) (10)
12. Eddy McBroom, 30-18 (7.2) (NR)
dropped out: Matt Latta (12); Jason Turnbow (6); Gina Williams (7); Tyler Campbell (8)

And... The Bottom Five: 30. Mackey (29th)... 31. Garrett Cheney, (30th)... 32. Trey Cartledge (31st)... 33. Jason Duren (22nd)... 34. Ty Coffey (34th)

If The Playoffs Began Today:
Fulaytar Conference
(1) West Division Champion Gary Eubanks and (2) MidCentral Division Champion Jennifer Ernst would get the first round byes.
Wild Card Weekend would include: (3) Drew Morris, (4) Jason Barnette, (5) Justin Glenn, (6) North Division Champion Matt Latta, (7) Eddy McBroom and (8) Jason Turnbow

Latta Conference
(1) South Division Champion Tim Wasyluka and (2) South Central Division Champion Tad Roose would get the first round byes
Wild Card Weekend would include: (3) Eddy Mc Jr, (4) East Division Champion Mark Gainey, (5) Zack Graves, (6) Daniel Powell, (7) Yours Truly and (8) Gina Williams

Lies, Darn Lies & Statistics

• Eddy Jr and Lori take heart... its not the first time someone has finished with an 8-0 record, yet not win the week. In DFC V, Michael Nipp won his week with an 8-0 record... leaving my first, and only 8-0 in 2nd place, due to tiebreak scores.
• Speaking of the two time world champion Tad Roose, he's up to 38 weeks now without a losing record. That's pretty darn good.
• Jennifer still has the 2nd longest active streak with 9, and since Tim went 4-4 this week, the next rank falls to Daniel Powell, with 7 weeks and counting.
• And since we're on the subject of Jennifer, she now owns all the charts by herself. She's #1 in all three major catagories, including All Time Wins, All Time Pro and All Time College. And its a chick. Thats ridiculous.
• Rookie of the Year race? Though Zack Graves and Jason Turnbow may make a run at it later, I'm picking Gary "The Idol" Eubanks thusfar... though it won't happen, he's actually on pace for 70 wins, which would shatter the previous rookie record of 65, set by Mark Gainey in DFC III (plus it would also shatter Mark's single season win mark record of 68, in DFC V)
• For MVP? That's a different story... some names that pop up would be The Idol, but also Jennifer Ernst, possibly Tad Roose, or even Tim Wasyluka.
• Obviously there is plenty of time, with the season only half over, but his current 28-20 record and his 13th rank in the conference asks the question...Could it be possible that Jonathan Osborne misses the playoffs again? This is his 6th season in the league, and a postseason at home this time puts him picking a staggering 576 football games, with nary a single one being a playoff game. Mind boggling.
• Congrats to James Hawbaker, who recorded the first 7-1 of his career. He now joins Gina and Barnie, who also have one in their careers. Tebe has 2, the first two weeks of this season, but his season has collapsed around him, so didn't do much good. Ryan Sherman is still waiting for his first 7-1 mark.
• By the way, for the three year veterans, Tyler Campbell doesn't have one either. He went 8-0 once last year, but never has he had a 7-1 week.
• Looking at regular season wins, Jonathan Osborne got to #300. He sits at #14 all time with 302. Mark Gainey is next with 289, while Eddy Jr has 288.
• Ty Coffey is up soon for 200 wins, with 184, while Jason Duren is right behind him at 180.
• As for 100, the race is on to be the first DFC VI rookie to get there, with Gina lodging her 83 career win this week, and Jason Barnette at 82.
• Over in college, it looks like its a Tyler vs Garrett race to 100, with Garrett leading 83-80. I only say this because in 2 seasons, Tyler has made up about 12 wins on Garrett, which is really tough to do.
• And now, truly the stat some of you have been waiting a reeeeeeeaaally long time for... I finally took postseason wins, and add them to all time wins to come up with a definitive All Time Win List. From here on out, I'll specify "regular season wins", which is just regular season and "all time wins", which is regular season plus postseason. For some of you, this won't matter, having never seen a playoff game in your life (cough cough Jonathan Osborne cough), but for others, like Drew who's one win shy of having the highest playoff win total ever, this means alot...
• To Ten All Time Winners, regular season + playoffs: (1) Jennifer Ernst, 418-262... (2) Yours Truly, 404-268... (3) David Mark Osborne, 380-276... (4) Eddy McBroom, 378-222... (5) Matt Latta, 373-275... (6) Drew Morris, 369-234... (7) Tom Johnson, 358-274... (8) Michael Nipp, 358-282... (9) Tommy McLeod, 356-276... (10) Daniel Powell, 355-261
• The best winning percentage of all time (with at least two full seasons in the DFC): (1) Mark Gainey, 66%... (2) Wookiee Fulaytar, 64%... (3) Eddy McBroom, 63%... (4) Eddy Jr, 62.1%... (5-tie) Jennifer Ernst & Tad Roose, 61.5%... (7) Drew Morris, 61.2%... (8) Lori Smith, 60.3%... (9) Yours Truly, 60.1%... (10) Justin Glenn, 59.5%

DFC VII Week Seven

I have received games from: David Mark Osborne, Daniel Powell, Tebe Shaw, Ty Coffey, Tyler Campbell, Mikey Nipp, Ryan Sherman & James Hawbaker

College Games
All rankings from USA Today Coach's Poll, all times CST

THURSDAY NIGHT GAME
17. Virginia Tech Hokies (4-1) at 25. Boston College Eagles (4-1), 630pm
One heckuva ACC battle, and its even bigger because its pretty much a done deal that neither Miami nor Florida State will be winning the ACC... leaving it to GaTech, Clemson, BC, VaTech... perhaps Wake Forest?

Saturday Games
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1) at NCState Wolfpac (3-2), 11am
Why this game? Because NCState is undefeated in the ACC, and leading the Atlantic Conference, and Wake Forest seems like they are much better, a game behind the Wolfpack in the ACC. NCState just beat Florida State. Wake Forest blew a big lead to Clemson and lost their first game on Saturday. Pick 'em.

Ole Miss Runnin' Rebels (2-4) at Alabama Crimson Tide (4-2), 230pm, CBS
Monday Night Raw is coming on the WWE, and though I don't anticipate it, I would love to see The Rock come back for one more match. Its live tonight at the U of South Carolina. Why couldn't Troy host Raw? Oh! My main man John Cena is coming out... rock on. He's got the coolest entrace music since WCW's Wolfpac (not to be confused with the NC State Wolfpack) I only bring this up because I really have nothing interesting or caring to say about either one of these teams. Except... Duke?

3. Florida Gators (6-0) at 10. Auburn Tigers (5-1) , 645pm, ESPN Full Circle
If you were to ask me "Hey Dave, what college team are you for?" I'd say Troy. If you said "No, Dave, a real team", I'd say Auburn. If you said, "Okay, who's your #2?" I'd probably say Florida. I'm rooting for Auburn. But, I also personally think that Florida will play Michigan for the national title (Ohio State goes down to Michigan--you heard it here). This is tough for me, because I'm a fight in the East Division where every game matters. I'm torn. Of course, this is the kind of game where Jon Osborne pops up and says "I personally hope that the stadium blows up and takes both teams out, but since I have to pick one..."

NFL Games
Carolina Panthers (3-2) at Baltimore Ravens (4-0)

NYGiants (2-2) at Atlanta Falcons (3-1)

Seattle Seahawks (3-1) at St. Louis Rams (4-1)

Kansas City Chiefs (2-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3)

TieBreak Game:
Aw, what the heck. Auburn vs. Florida, total points scored.

DFC VII Week Six

All Picks are in, save Barnie's NFL picks

College Games
All Times CST, all rankings from Coaches Poll

9. LSU Tigers (4-1) at 5. Florida Gators (5-0), time TBD, CBS
I'd say LSU all the way on this one, except that they are playing in the Swamp. That's gotta count for something.

7. Texas Longhorns (4-1) at 16. Oklahoma Sooners (3-1), 230p, ABC
Texas was lit up 63-13 in 03, then lost 12-0 in '04... this Oklahoma is not that good. Last season, Texas laid 45 on the Sooners, en route to the national championship. Well, this Texas team is not that good. Pick 'em.

15. Tennessee Volunteers (4-1) at 10. Georgia Bulldogs (5-0), 645pm, ESPN
Between the hedges, the Vols don't seem that bad... can Georgia shake off their issues, though?

14. Oregon Ducks (4-0) at 20. California Bears (4-1), 7pm, ABC
Gotta hand it to the Bears of Cal... ever since they were beat down by the Vols in week 1, they've gone on to score an average of around 45 points, while only giving up around 20 points per game. And unfortunately, for the Quackers, both teams are from the Pac-10--no ref advantage.

NFL Games
All times CST

Washington Redskins (2-2) at The New York Football Giants (1-2), Noon, Fox
With six divisional games on the schedule, this is the last big divisional weekend for a month. You have to wait until Nov. 12 for a weekend in which there are more than four such games, which makes these divisional contests even more special. Any weekend in which the four NFC East teams are playing each other is special because they keep knocking each other off. For the Giants, this could be the crossroads of their season. While tight end Jeremy Shockey has called out the coaching staff, Tom Coughlin still has control over this team. But this is a must win as another loss could cause more players to turn critical. The Giants are giving up 30.7 points a game and they can't get their defense off the field. Opponents are averaging 71.6 plays a game against the Giants and quarterbacks have kept their linebackers off-balance with quick offenses and no-huddle plays, leaving huge gaps in their pass coverage.

Coughlin had the bye week to fix the problem, but he faces a Redskins' offense that is gaining momentum after starting slowly. Two opening losses had everyone wondering about the offensive changes of Al Saunders but the Redskins scored 67 points in the past two weeks and Mark Brunell is one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league. Critics are silenced. Further complicating Coughlin's mission is the slight pectoral tear that will sideline linebacker Carlos Emmons for a couple of weeks. The Giants already were struggling at linebacker and losing Emmons' leadership isn't going to make it easier.

The New York Football Jets (2-2) at the Jacksonville Jaggy-wires (2-2)
Of the first-year coaches, Eric Mangini is doing one of the best jobs. At 2-2, his Jets have been surprisingly competitive and they might be catching Jacksonville at the right time. The Jaguars are on a two-game losing streak and coach Jack Del Rio has major problems along the defensive line. He played defensive tackle Marcus Stroud the past couple weeks with a bad ankle. But the injury has gotten worse so Stroud might sit out this week.

The Jaguars already lost defensive end Reggie Hayward for the season. Backup end Marcellus Wiley probably won't play because of a groin injury. Those problems leave the defensive line thin and unable to sustain much of a pass rush. That plays into the hand of Jets quarterback Chad Pennington. Pennington doesn't have a running game yet to bail him out, but he's had success working the short passing game and his heady leadership has kept the Jets' offense moving. Though they looked to be a two- or three-win team in the preseason, the Jets might now have a chance to get to seven or eight wins this year. For the Jaguars, it's a must win because if the Colts beat the Titans and the Jaguars lose, the Jags could be three games out of first in the AFC South.

Dallas Cowboys (2-1) at the Philadelphia Eagles (2-1), 315pm, Fox
T.O. return to Philadelphia is the most anticipated scene of the 2006 season. He helped to take the Eagles to a Super Bowl in 2004. His selfishness helped to rip the team apart in 2005. A former hero to the Eagles fans, Owens is now public enemy No. 1. Owens even jokes that fans will twist his recent hospitalization for a bad reaction of pain medication to "O.D., O.D." cheers.

Yet, the game itself might even exceed the hype. Both teams have emerged as the early front-runners to win pro football's most competitive division. For the Cowboys, it was expected. In the last two years, Bill Parcells has put together one of the most physical, aggressive 3-4 defenses in the league. Despite the loss of Owens, Donovan McNabb has spread the ball to receivers in no-huddle sets and is averaging 312 passing yards a game and leads the league with nine touchdown passes.

Though the focus will be on Owens, who is coming off recent ring finger surgery in his right hand, the pressure is on the Eagles. They haven't won an NFC East game since 2004, losing all six last season and their home opener this season against the Giants after blowing a 17-point second-half lead.

The Eagles' schedule was favorable early with games against the Packers and 49ers, but that just means the Eagles need to start strong in the division because they have one of the toughest closing schedules in the league. Plus, a loss to the Cowboys would mean they would have lost two of their three home NFC East games.

Injuries are a concern for the Eagles. Cornerback Lito Sheppard is trying to come back from an ankle injury that sidelined him the past couple of weeks. Third cornerback Roderick Hood is doubtful with a heel injury. For this game, the Eagles could get by without a top third cornerback because the Cowboys use more two tight end-two receiver sets, but having Sheppard back is vital.

The Eagles receivers are banged up. Donte' Stallworth is doubtful with a hamstring injury and Reggie Brown is questionable with a shoulder injury. If neither can go, McNabb will be without his starting receivers going against a defense that could frustrate a tight-end dominated offense.

Another key injury to follow is to Brian Westbrook, who is considered the X factor in the Philly offense. Eagles coach Andy Reid revealed Tuesday Westbrook has a bone bruise on the knee and that some cartilage might be damaged. The Eagles don't have a bye week until Nov. 5 so it's not as though they could scope the knee and get him back without a missed game.

Reid made Westbrook a last-minute scratch for Monday night's game against the Packers, hoping he could make it to the Cowboys game. So far the swelling is down, which is a good sign. But if he can't play, the Eagles could head into this key matchup understaffed on offense. Which is just what Owens wants to see.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) at the San Diego Chargers (2-1), 715pm, NBC
Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer took a lot of heat the past couple of days for playing too close to the vest in last Sunday's loss to the Ravens. With a young quarterback, Philip Rivers, Schottenheimer is back to playing "Marty Ball." With the lead, Schottenheimer is taking the air out of the ball and just running it. That backfired against the Ravens when a couple of mistakes led to the Ravens getting field position in the fourth quarter and scoring nine points to win the game. Going against his close friend Bill Cowher, Schottenheimer isn't going to turn the Chargers' offense into Air Coryell. Expect a close game. This is a critical game for the Steelers. If they fall to 1-3, they could fall out of the hot AFC North race. Hines Ward has been slowed by a hamstring injury that won't go away. Ben Roethlisberger made it through the bye week without a surgery, so that's a good starting point. But Roethlisberger is at the bottom of the NFL starters with a 34.3 quarterback rating and he knows it's time for him to step up.

Tiebreak Game
A good ol fashioned West Coast Offense showdown--Oregon vs California... total points scored