Prop Bets for the College Football Junkie is a weekly post that cares not for your silly point spreads. If you have the money and the gumption, we'll lay down a weekly gauntlet of propositions that'll take you from the penthouse to the outhouse faster than you can guess the number of times Lee Corso will say "not so fast my friend." As always, this is for entertainment purposes only.

- We kid because we care, and if Notre Dame is able to win this weekend against San Diego State you can expect Lou Holtz to remind the world that he predicted the Irish to win 11 games this year. We put the over/under for this at five, provided Notre Dame wins. Also, we put the over/under at three for the number of times Mark May will remind Holtz that it was San Diego State. We would say five, but we're sure at least a couple of those times there will be a producer on the set with a look on his face that says "just let him enjoy this moment."

- The punt block that sealed East Carolina's victory over Virginia Tech was poetic justice for all the times the Hokies have won games like that. We're sure it will be replayed multiple times during the game with West Virginia this weekend. But that's now what we're looking at. No, the over/under for this one will be the number of Tech fans actually cheering for West Virginia, and we put that number at five. If you don't know, the catch is that Tech and West Virginia were hated rivals in the Big East days. Being a West Virginia fan, I find it comforting that any Hokie would stoop so low as to cheer for the Mountaineers. Even funnier is that I know of at least one already. Unfortunately, I had to delete his comments on this because he had some derogatory phrases about the Pirates in his comments. I guess it must be my picture.

I was out in Boulder this spring, and for some reason I thought this would be a good picture just in case...well...something like this happened.

Colorado redshirt freshman offensive lineman Ethan Adkins was indefinitely suspended from the football team by coach Dan Hawkins after being cited for driving under the influence Monday in Boulder.

Hawkins also suspended starting guard Devin Head for one game for an undisclosed violation of team rules. It is unclear if Head's violation was connected to Adkins'. Head started at left guard in the season opening victory over Colorado State on Sunday.

Normally this wouldn't be so bad, but Colorado already lost two offensive linemen to academic issues and a torn knee ligament. Colorado shouldn't be tested this weekend against Eastern Washington even being short on offensive linemen, but a date with West Virginia looms on September 18th. As well as Florida State and Texas the following two weeks. Absolutely a great opportunity to jump into the top 25. This is what you're supposed to do in the off season, fellas. Not heading into the meat of the schedule.

Hat Tip: Wiz

Come on, say it with me: Nothing good ever happens to athletes after 2 am. We hear it all the time and it's always because something bad has happened. This time some four hours after Oklahoma had kicked the crap out of a 1-AA team, the bad things went down.

University of Oklahoma basketball player Ray Willis and football player Frank Alexander were stabbed over the weekend during a melee that involved guns, knives and tire irons, multiple sources have confirmed to The Oklahoman.

Both Willis and Alexander are expected to make full recoveries.

About 2:32 a.m. Sunday, Norman police responded to an altercation that erupted into a melee during a private party at Serenade, also known as Sooner Knights, located at 1309 SW 24th Ave. in Norman.

The two Sooners were invited guests of the private party. The attackers were apparently trying to crash the party -- one way or another.

The good news for both, is that despite being stabbed and Willis even having a collapsed lung, they only sustained minor injuries. Their judgment, however, should be questioned. Willis is a freshman and Alexander is a redshirt freshman. What were they doing at a private party at a club at that point and who thought it was a good idea to invite them?

Zen is the only way I can describe the architect of a passing attack that has averaged 5,094 yards per season over the last four years. So what's the secret behind his offensive genius and swashbuckling ways? Acupuncture.

In the last few years, the Texas Tech head coach also has cut out smokeless tobacco and, of more comfort perhaps, mostly freed himself from asthma's grip..."Went for asthma. I felt like it helped asthma," Leach said. "To stop dipping, I thought it worked great. I mean literally, right then, right there. You go (for treatments) three or four days straight and you're done." Leach, who will stop throwing the football before he stops talking with his hands, gestured high and low on his body to point out spots where he's been pricked with acupuncture needles.

Just about everywhere, an onlooker deduced.

"Yeah, pretty much," Leach said. "Well, I've seen that chart there, and I damn sure haven't had them where the chart suggests some of them go. They definitely put them places where I haven't had a necessity to dabble in."

I haven't seen that chart, and after reading that I'm not sure I want to. There's just some places a man shouldn't be poked. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I mean, being open to new ideas has obviously helped him devise one of the nastiest passing attacks in the country and kick quite a few bad habits. If he could get the rest of the coaching staff over their fear of needles, he might be on to something.

As FanHouse previews each BCS conference, the college football songbook will cast an unflattering light on each conference in the only way we know how.



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Photo Credits:

Angry Orange 55

I'm A Man I'm 40

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Last season's biggest rags to riches story, Kansas is hoping to buck history and assemble another top 10 team. Hard enough to do in basketball, but nearly impossible in football. To heck with that though, they'll sure try but things get tougher with Oklahoma and Missouri both expected to be improve.

WHY THEY'LL WIN

Crafty quarterback Todd Reesing is back. Expectations are high but in a place like Kansas, the pressure isn't out of control. Last year taught them how to win consistently and a projected 15 starters are back. Lots of good indicators there.

More importantly, Kansas can run the ball (4.8 yards/carry last year) and stop the run (just 3.1 yards/carry). Three defensive line starters return, but bruising tailback Brandon McAnderson who was tremendous late last year, is gone. Jake Sharp has some nice bounce and totaled 800 yards of his own on the ground but he could use some help from a yet-unknown stablemate.

These guys are among the small handful of preseason favorites for the national championship. Easy call putting them in the Contender category today, no? We make no promises on their ability to deliver, given the whole hot stove human behavior thing whereby Oklahoma has lost big in so many different ways in bowl games lately we know better than to bet on crimson anytime after early December.

But there's always that victory over Texas to fall back on, right? Assuming they beat Texas this year, of course.

Why They'll Win

Talent. It's the lifeblood of all college football programs and Oklahoma's fairly deep with it. The guys the NFL loves are on the lines, but college football fans can appreciate great players with diminished NFL prospects like one Sam Bradford. This guy's just got the knack for making accurate throws, on time, and making the right reads. His freshman season is simply the best statistical freshman season ever.

Oklahoma will continue to do what it always does, play fast on defense, and find ways to get the ball down the field on the ground and in the air. Leading rusher Allen Patrick departs but the exciting DeMarco Murray has arrived and he will be pushed in a big way from frosh back Jermie Calhoun. The offensive line is also widely considered the nation's finest.

Dude! We're awesome! Jeremy Freaking Maclin! Psst ... did last year really happen? And psst! Are we really ranked No. 6 in the preseason AP poll? Why yes, we are. Also: why didn't this happen a few years ago under Brad Smith?

Welcome to the manic world of Missouri football where, yes Virginia, it really did happen last year. But uh, let's try and beat Oklahoma this time boys?

Why They'll Win

Momentum. After years of frustration, of big tease 6-0 type starts before collapses, Missouri turned the corner last year. The psychological value of that is immeasurable.

A total of 14 starters return including Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback Chase Daniel and All America quality defenders William Moore and Sean Weatherspoon. Missouri showed a lot of poise in beating Illinois and Mississippi early, then hanging close to Oklahoma to open at 5-1. They never lost again until the Big 12 Championship Game.

The schedule actually lightens up a bit this year, as Oklahoma is replaced with Texas and the non-conference slate includes Southeast Missouri, Nevada and Buffalo.

The teams you don't normally want to read about or hear about but since there's no football there's nothing you'd rather do than read this. Please. Not that I'm begging. Although I may be willing to bribe.

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS

Big Red hasn't been so big lately, although they're certainly a little red (in the face) after the embarrassing collapse last year that led to the termination of coach Bill Callahan.

Like a stiff prairie wind legendary former coach Tom Osborne arrived, taking the athletic director's job and replacing Callahan with former Nebraska assistant Bo Pelini. With him comes promise of a tough defense and a commitment to returning to what makes Nebraska, Nebraska. In-state recruits are getting more favored looks, the walk-on program is being dusted off and hopes for some return to glory are proffered.

That's all well and dandy but Nebraska right now is just another team in the Big 12. Pelini's a winner and has the graces of Osborne, but contending football isn't likely this very moment. Quarterback Joe Ganz showed something last year and we all know about back Marlon Lucky, so there is promise for the offense. Let's just not kid ourselves about a Big 12 Championship quite yet.

Bill Callahan's nationwide recruited boosted the overall athleticism of the program, but Nebraska still has a ways to go at various position groups. Give this one some time.

Echoing Messr. Cook's sentiment's, it's difficult to single out many overrated players so we'll mix it up with one player and several "concepts" if you will. You know what's not overrated? This list. Dig in.

TEXAS

Watch, they'll go out and prove me wrong this year, but we need something to talk about, right? Texas has earned this though. This year aside, they start nearly every year in the top five and do well for themselves but rarely look like world beaters. I sort of predicted this a few years ago, that once the program got its title it'd get fat and happy and cruise for a good long while. Yeah, Vince Young's departure has something to do with Texas' step down from the elite, but there's more at work. They'll be talking about that 2005 team for several decades, it might as well have happened yesterday which makes it difficult to move on, psychologically. Once again they'll be a good football team this year, maybe even break into the top 10 at the end of the year, but they're no longer scary good on a consistent basis. Oh, and the helmets are overrated, too. Give me Michigan's, Florida State's, Alabama's or Notre Dame's anyday.