2008 Worst College Football Teams - If it Were Not For Losers, There Wouldn't Be Winners

"Without losers, there wouldn't be winners" - unknown author, but probably a loser. As we approach the climax of the college football season, The Sage of College Football (your humble author) suggests that we turn our attention for a few moments to those programs that once held such promise in the late summer months, only to smack their noodles into the frozen artificial turf of December's reality. For some teams, season ending games conclude with the ritual of tearing down of goalposts. Others result in the school selling off unused hot dogs from the stadium deep freeze to starving students who spent their student loan money on beer.

At the professional level, teams that finish at the bottom refer to this time of year as the beginning of golf season. And given the paychecks of most players and coaches, they don't have to worry much about competing with retirees for tee times. The one disappointment in 2008 has been that in writing about the college game, the Sage can't slam the Detroit Lions. The pitiful old motor city franchise looks as it has finally blown all it's gaskets and not even the team ownership seems to care. At least Lions players get paid something for losing. Professional players have a paycheck coming in and a vacation to look forward to. At the college level though, players on losing teams are compelled to visit their respective Religious Studies Departments to seek inner peace. Their coaches seek employment.

Fans of losing college teams also use the offseason for contemplative reflection. One of the more interesting observations occurs when the over-dedicated fan reviews how much money was spent following the team into the toilet. Season tickets, beer and liquor, nachos and hot dogs and the associated medical bills really add up.

Mental Health experts concluded long ago that dedicating too much time effort and money on one's team is also hard on relationships. For those fans lucky enough to have identified a different-sex partner to share the misery of a disastrous season, this presents a double-edged sword. On one hand, the fan may have someone with whom to share the burdens of recovery. On the other, the left over bills and charge card accounts may run double. And for what? Seeing their team scrape together one or two wins against lower division opponents?

Sports Information Offices use this time to come up with new promotional ideas. The Sage has always wanted to be in on an SIO meeting after a 1 and 11 campaign. The new promo ideas generally center on how to convince alumni to overlook the annual season ticket price increase. Or... how to creatively inform alumni that their reserved parking places that have been in the family for generations, are being discontinued so that the school can construct a new kiln for the Art department. Names of alumni that agree to repurchase their seats at inflated prices are handed over to the University Development Office for immediate inclusion in the fund raising effort du jour.

A common technique used by losing institutions is to cloud the record of the past year by introducing a new head coach. Individuals agreeing to take these jobs generally extract huge sums for this. Standing before confused and bewildered fans and players and promising to right the ship by "changing the way we think" and "bringing in a winning attitude" is something that should generate a huge paycheck by itself. Saying this stuff with a straight face takes talent. The Detroit Lions ownership should be taking notice... this is at least something to try.

The university staff at Washington has a unique challenge this year. The abysmal Huskies competed a 0-12 season capped off by a 48-7 shellacking at the hands of Cal - hardly the kind of game one wants to end a season on. At least they played that one in Berkeley. Adding misery to insult, the Huskies perfect record sets a new mark for futility within the Pac-10. The wise old Sage of College Football (your humble author) can't wait to see how the institution spins this one. The Huskies have already completed their search for a new head coach and have convinced a Mr. Steve Sarkisian to give up some great weather at Southern Cal to take over the Pac-10's doormat program. The Sage wishes Coach Sark a hearty "good luck." He may learn to appreciate the fog that rolls into Husky Stadium. It does make players, coaches and the future difficult to see.

The Huskies however, aren't the only college team with a lot to forget from 2008. And it is indeed time to put the final nail in the 2008 coffin for these teams. Looking ahead, some of these programs will emerge from the ranks of the worst to achieve respectability. Others will trip and fall on their snooters coming out of the locker room for the spring game.

It is will pride then, that the Sage of College Football presents his picks for the worst 10 teams in college football. However, we should first review a few rules. Primarily, only teams that actually harbor any ambition to become BCS qualified or to -gasp- compete for a national championship one day, are included. Secondly, only major conferences are included. When was the last Middle-America or Conference USA team that had a shot at a big time title? The Sage isn't thinking that Eastern, Central or Western Michigan seriously entertain thoughts of a national championship. So.. without further ado, here are the Sage's picks for the 10 worst college football teams of 2008.

1. Washington Huskies -

Obviously....The purple dogs of the northwest found a way to get the job done in all games this year, including some monumental defeats to Notre Dame, USC and UCLA. Admittedly these are cherry-picked games, but the soggy doggies of Seattle lost these games by a combined score of 116 to 14. In the process, the poor purple team sent its fans off to Starbucks early in each home game. Even though the Huskies kept a game or two close for a while, they still gave up a grand total of 136 points more than they scored in seven home games this year.

2. Washington State Cougars -

It is usually a good season if the Cougars beat archrival and Pac-10 foe Washington in the annual campaign. Unfortunately for the Cougars, that was their only conference win. Interestingly, the only other Cougar victory occurred back in September against a team from Portland State. The Sage is unsure when the Big Sky Conference boasted its last national contender. The state of Washington deserves a honorable mention in the 2008 FirstWorst rankings this year for producing two of the most dismal gridiron performances in history.

3. Idaho Vandals -

The Sage has endured another season waiting in vain for Idaho to change its hapless name. The name "Vandals" would normally inspire images of a wild hoard sacking villages and carrying off opposing cheerleaders. This team doesn't provide much - other than a good excuse to carry off a few cold ones from the local Git N Go. The only Vandal victories (admittedly a contradiction in terms) came in games against other awful programs at New Mexico State and Idaho State.

4. New Mexico State Aggies -

The Sage thought that all programs named "Aggies" had been forced into a change by disgruntled alumni. Particularly for anyone that lives within smelling distance of Las Cruces, you know there isn't a lot of agribusiness taking place there except for the miles of feedlots along I-10. One would think that the school would be anxious to change the name and perhaps try to attract a quality recruit or two. Unfortunately for these Aggies, the 2008 team should have been forced off the field. Despite a decent win against archrival Texas El Paso, the Aggies could only manage more points in games against Alcorn and Nevada.

5. Indiana Hoosiers -

It is alternately a pleasure and a bit of a disappointment to include a Big Ten team in the FirstWorst rankings. One of college football's most storied conferences boasts a tradition of great rivalries and thrilling games. Unfortunately at Indiana, the rivalry is with the basketball program to see who can attract more fans to a single game. Since Bobby Knight's departure, even this has become interesting. Still, basketball at Indiana attracts great athletes who might be able to give the football team a good game. Indiana does deserve credit for trying to follow a proven pathway to respectability. After scheduling games with Western Kentucky and someone called Murray State (also from Kentucky) the Hoosiers minimized travel costs in paying someone to visit the school and lose. After a 2-0 start, the Hoosiers returned to reality, managing only one conference win - their Homecoming Game over Northwestern.

6. Duke Blue Devils -

The Bluish Devils have been a favorite whipping boy for the first worst rankings over the years. As they play in one of the monster football conferences, winning seasons are few and far between. However one would think that with all the brain power at Duke, the program should at least compete for something besides last place. To their credit, Duke did manage a couple reasonably good quality wins over Virginia and Vanderbilt. Imagine calling a win over the Cavaliers and Commodores "quality" wins.

7. Louisville Cardinals -

These Cardinals had a really good schedule in their 2008 campaign to get back into the bowl picture. But by giving up nearly 200 points in their last five games sealed their place in the FirstWorst rankings. The Cards finished strong with a five game losing streak including losses to Syracuse and a 64 to 14 smackdown at the hands of Rutgers.

8. Syracuse Orange -

Teams with singular team names (Orange or in Stanford's case, 'Cardinal') deserve to lose. Football is a team game played by multiple players. Although it may be grammatically correct to call a team a singular name, the practice strays from well established tradition and teams that stray from tradition deserve to get whacked. But we digress... Syracuse did manage to beat #7 Louisville in 2008. They also managed a win over the powerhouse program at Northeastern. For each team, there is one game that justifies the annual season ticket price increase, and Syracuse didn't disappoint, by delivering a solid effort in an exciting win over Notre Dame in late November. Still one quality win does not a season make.

9.San Diego State Aztecs -

Oh Ouch! A season with wins over Idaho and Nevada Las Vegas doesn't qualify as a banner year. Still the Aztecs play in San Diego and the recruits that signed up to play there are thanking their lucky stars that they didn't sign with Buffalo or someplace where it gets cold. And after a loss, Aztec players can still go to the beach and oogle the babes in bikinis. The Aztecs had some decent games on the schedule for 2008 and they came through by losing most of them - including a 21-13 loss to Notre Dame in week two. The Aztec's best effort came against Brigham Young, in which the Aztecs uncharacteristically delivered a strong road win 41 - 12. Alumni should be looking for their price increases in
the mail shortly.

10. Wyoming Cowboys -

Any teams playing in brown home uniforms are going to have trouble on the field. Recruiting players to cold and windswept Laramie is difficult enough without dressing them up in the same colors as -well - the part of the cold and windswept prairie that is used by cows. For many years one of the tallest buildings in the state of Wyoming was the football stadium. And now the Cowboy faithful can expect to pay a bit more for their seats in War Memorial Stadium due to the Cowboys win over (I can't believe I'm writing this) the Tennessee Volunteers. Granted, UT had a difficult year, but losing to Wyoming? Oweee! Anyway.. the Cowboys managed a top ten first worst finish by managing only one Mountain West win and that over San Diego State.

So the 2008 college football season comes to a close for the programs at the bottom. The off season will be filled with coaches looking for work and players looking for cheerleaders. No doubt the Detroit Lions coaching staff will be surveying the ranks of first worst schools scouring for players willing to continue their losing tradition.

As college football fans wait for the spring games and look for ways to build false hope for 2009, the Sage will continue to bring you the wild and outrageous side of losing.

For more wit and wisdom, please visit http://www.firstworst.com.

How 5 Great NCAA Football Teams Got Their Fascinating Names

What is in a football team's name? Throughout the NCAA football season, we constantly hear the names of various teams as we watch games, learn scores, and manage our college fantasy football squads. However, we rarely think about the origins of various schools' names. Here are some of the fascinating stories about some NCAA schools' names:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

In the history of NCAA football, Alabama has become one of the most successful teams. However, have you ever wondered about the history of the team's name? Newspapers originally referred to the football name as "Crimson White." This alluded to the school colors. It later became the "Thin Red Line." However, in a 1907 game between Alabama and Auburn, the two teams battled in a sea of red mud. Thus, Alabama became the "Crimson Tide."

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

We are familiar with mountain Lions, but what is the significance of Penn State's "Nittany" Lions? It all began with a Penn State graduate named H.D. "Joe" Mason.

Mason became inspired after seeing a live Princeton tiger on its campus. A Penn State newspaper then sponsored Mason's quest to choose a mascot for Penn State. The school ultimately chose a lion, and it is most likely the first college to have a lion as its mascot. The "Nittany" refers to the school's location at the base of Mount Nittany. According to local Native American legend, Nittany (also Nita-Nee) was an American Indian princess.

3. Arkansas Razorbacks

Before they were the Razorbacks, Arkansas was the Cardinals. Students selected the mascot, due to the school's colors of cardinal and white. The name "Razorbacks" originated from a talk that the first paid Arkansas football coach, Hugo Bezdek, made to the students of Arkansas. Bezdek gave the talk after the school's seventh victory during the season. He observed that the team had played like a "wild band of Razorback Hogs." The rest, as they say, is history. Starting in 1910, Arkansas had a new mascot: The Razorbacks.

4. Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma has become renowned for its play on the gridiron. However, have you ever wondered what exactly a Sooner is? Prior to the U.S. government's opening of regions in the Indian Territory for settlement, Sooners were actually people who entered the lands illegally. "Sooners" first referred to settlers in 1889 who moved onto the Oklahoma Lands prior to 12:00 noon on April 22, 1889.

5. Tennessee Volunteers

We all know what volunteers are. However, to which volunteers does the name of the Tennessee Volunteers refer? During the early portion of the War of 1812, Tennessee earned the nickname, "The Volunteer State." President James Madison ordered General Andrew Jackson to enlist 1,500 volunteer soldiers from Tennessee. The troops were to battle Native Americans and the British, but they never fought during the war. General Andrew Jackson would later become the U.S. president.

Every fact we learn about NCAA football, can help us to appreciate it better. For instance learning the history of NCAA schools' names increases our appreciation for their games.

Rick Grantham is an avid sports fan. Most of Rick's articles focus on Tennessee volunteers merchandise gear. Many articles are related to NCAA College fan shop and other sports related topics. Rick is a contributing author to BooYah Village.

Fantasy Football 1-Week Frenzy Forecast

Just when you think you have this whole fantasy football thing figured out, last week happens. How else do you explain Tom Brady going from playing at a Super Bowl level to playing at a Pop Warner level, or Vincent Jackson breaking the hearts of every fantasy enthusiast who put him in their lineups? Alas, we are still here to do our part to help you put together the best lineup possible.

Quarterbacks 1

1) Peyton Manning (vs. Tennessee): Manning has a great match-up this week against the Titans, who he beat for 36 completions, 309 yards and three touchdowns back in Week 5, and who are second to last in pass defense and passing scores allowed. And yes, we know they've won their past five games, but in that time they've faced three teams currently in the bottom half of the league in passing offense and one team playing with a backup quarterback.

2) Tom Brady (@ Miami): A total of 237 passing yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions last week are shocking totals for Brady, especially considering that he was in the midst of a string of five consecutive 300-yard passing games. But a bounce back this week is very possible against a Miami pass defense that is 23rd in the league, and one that he threw for 310 yards and one score against in Week 9.

3) Drew Brees (@ Washington): Although no one can be blamed for using Brees this week, match-ups matter, and Washington has the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL. Only three opposing quarterbacks have thrown for 200 yards against the Redskins this season, and it's happened just once over their last eight games. And it's not as if Brees is immune to quality pass defenses - three times this season he's been held to fewer than 200 passing yards.

4) Matt Schaub (@ Jacksonville): Schaub is a great choice in any fantasy football scoring format, but considering the amount of completions he racks up, he's an especially good option in this one. He's third in the league in overall completions, and has at least 25 in each of his last four games. Jacksonville is 26th in the league in pass defense, and only six teams have allowed more touchdown passes than they have. In his last meeting with the Jags, back in Week 3, Schaub threw for 300 yards with three scores.

5) Philip Rivers (@ Cleveland): Rivers is quietly putting together a very good season, and has an impressive three-game stretch going where he hasn't thrown an interception and has completed at least 75 percent of his passes. Cleveland's horrible pass defense shouldn't offer him a great challenge.

6) Kurt Warner (vs. Minnesota): Though there's optimism surrounding his chances to play this week (concussion), and his match-up is a solid one, there's always a chance he doesn't play at all or gets knocked out of the competition.

Quarterbacks 2

1) Brett Favre (@ Arizona): Favre has been nothing short of remarkable this season, with an unheard of 8:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (24 touchdown throws, three interceptions). Over his last four games, he has thrown 12 touchdowns and hasn't thrown an interception. Against the Cardinals, he should be golden; only three teams allow more passing yards per game than they do.

2) Aaron Rodgers (vs. Baltimore): Rodgers has thrown 14 touchdowns over his last six games, and just three interceptions, and all of those picks came in one contest. In his last two contests he's thrown for over 340 yards in each, and he's completed at least 25 passes in each of his last three games. Baltimore is in the top half of the league in pass defense, but they're not so imposing that you shouldn't consider using Rodgers.

3) Donovan McNabb (@ Atlanta): McNabb has had some very ordinary games of late, and over his last five contests, he's thrown six touchdowns and five interceptions. Though McNabb could very likely be without top receiver DeSean Jackson, he's still a solid option this week because his opponent, Atlanta, is putrid against the pass, ranking 27th in the league in that category and 22nd in passing touchdowns given up.

4) Carson Palmer (vs. Detroit): Palmer isn't putting up numbers like we've seen him do in the past, and in fact hasn't completed more than 20 passes in his last five games, but he's playing Detroit this week. The same Detroit that is dead last in pass defense, and who has allowed more touchdown passes than any team in the NFL.

5) Tony Romo (@ NY Giants): Romo has had a solid season overall, and is seventh in the league in passing yards, ahead of the likes of Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. Yet he hasn't completed more than 20 passes in either of his last two games, and the last time he faced the Giants, he threw for a season-low 127 yards with three interceptions and one score.

6) Ben Roethlisberger (vs. Oakland): Big Ben will suit up this week after sitting out last week's contest against the Ravens with concussion symptoms. This led to some controversy, at least within the Steelers' locker room, but that has since died down. Roethlisberger does have a tough individual match-up this week against Oakland, however; only four teams have allowed fewer touchdown passes than they have.

Quarterbacks 3

1) Joe Flacco (@ Green Bay): IFlacco seemed to have been mired in a slump in Weeks 8-11. He threw for over 200 yards just once in those games, and tossed just one touchdown and three interceptions. But he rallied last week, throwing for nearly 300 yards with one score and no picks, and though his opponent this week, the Packers, are sixth in the NFL in pass defense, only three teams have allowed more touchdown passes than they have.

2) Jay Cutler (vs. St. Louis): Since interceptions aren't a worry in this scoring format, Cutler's transgressions in that area needn't play a role in deciding whether to put him in your lineup, especially against a soft pass defense like the Rams possess. But his confidence does seem to be wavering, and he hasn't thrown for even 175 yards in either of his past two games, and in his past three games he's thrown a total of two touchdowns and eight picks.

3) Vince Young (@ Indianapolis): Young was simply spectacular last week, but don't let that cloud your judgment for his game at Indy this week. He was facing an atrocious pass defense in the Cardinals last week, and the Colts are a much more formidable foe, especially with Young playing on the road. Also, only the Jets have given up fewer touchdown passes than they have.

4) Matt Cassel (vs. Denver): After a truly mediocre start, Cassel seems to have found his footing a bit. He's thrown for 215 or more yards in three of his last four contests, along with five touchdowns and two interceptions during that time. It should also be noted that he'll give you at least a few points running the ball - he's had at least four rushing attempts in seven of his 10 games this year.

5) Matt Hasselbeck (vs. San Francisco): Fantasy football players are justifiably baffled by Hasselbeck, who went from throwing for 315 yards against Arizona three weeks ago to accumulating just 102 passing yards last week against the Rams. He's at home against the 49ers this week, and San Francisco is just 28th in the NFL in pass defense, but it's too difficult to trust Hasselbeck.

6) David Garrard (vs. Houston): Garrard simply doesn't thrown enough touchdowns to be a viable fantasy football option; among the 24 NFL quarterbacks with at least 280 pass attempts, he is tied with Jake Delhomme for the fewest touchdown passes, having thrown only eight.

Quarterbacks 4

1) Kyle Orton (@ Kansas City): Orton's season has been solid, if unspectacular. He's thrown for more than 250 yards just once this season, and over his last five games has just three touchdown passes, but you can't ignore who his opponent is this week - only two other teams allow more passing yards per game than the Chiefs.

2) Alex Smith (@ Seattle): Smith's career has been resurrected this season, and fantasy football enthusiasts have taken note. They should again this week as he matches up with the Seahawks, a team that is 25th in the league in pass defense and 27th in passing scores allowed.

3) Eli Manning (vs. Dallas): The last time Manning went up against the Cowboys, he blistered them for 330 yards and two scores, though you should take into account that that game was played back in Week 2. Manning is highly inconsistent and is also playing on a bad foot, so while his match-up is solid, can you really count on him?

4) Jason Campbell (@ Philadelphia): Campbell hasn't been a great quarterback this season, but his numbers haven't been atrocious, either. He's thrown for at least one touchdown in all but three games this year, and the last time he faced Philly, he had a season-high 29 completions, along with 284 yards and two scores.

5) Josh Freeman (@ Carolina): Freeman is getting plenty of accolades, and he's performed admirably in a couple games, but you'll probably want to avoid him this week. The Panthers have the No. 3 pass defense in the league, and are ninth in passing scores allowed.

6) Brady Quinn (vs. San Diego): Simply ignore Quinn.

Running Backs 1

1) Chris Johnson (@ Indianapolis): Johnson has been on a run that's as remarkable as anything the NFL or fantasy football has seen in some time. In his last six games, he's averaged 155 rushing yards on 23 carries (6.7 ypc), just over one touchdown (he has seven total in that span), and close to three receptions and 30 receiving yards per game.

2) Adrian Peterson (@ Arizona): Despite having only three games with at least 100 rushing yards, Peterson is still playing very well. He has 12 touchdowns in 11 games, and has already established a career-high with 27 receptions. Arizona has been killed on the ground of late, giving up 115 or more yards to an individual runner in four of their past five games.

3) Maurice Jones-Drew (vs. Houston): MJD has scored three rushing touchdowns in a game on two occasions this season, and one of them happened to be against the Texans, back in Week 3. He also caught four passes in that contest, one of seven times he's had at least that many receptions in a game. He's always an excellent option.

4) Rashard Mendenhall (vs. Oakland): No team has allowed more rushing yards to opposing running backs than the Raiders have, and only two teams have allowed opposing backs to score more touchdowns.

5) Steven Jackson (@ Chicago): Like Philip Rivers at quarterback, Jackson is quietly having an excellent season, though you can hardly blame anyone for not noticing that Jackson is the NFL's second-leading rusher because he's on a team that has won just one game. Nonetheless, he's always valuable in this scoring format not only because of the yards he piles up, but because of the amount of touches he receives.

6) Frank Gore (@ Seattle): Gore is always solid, but compared to the rest of this group, he doesn't get enough touches. He's carried the ball more than 16 times just twice all season, and has just 92 rushing yards over his past two games.

Running Backs 2

1) DeAngelo Williams (vs. Tampa Bay): Before last week's 40-yard performance, Williams had been averaging 127 yards over his previous six games. But he should come back with aplomb this week against a Tampa team that is 30th in the league in run defense, and against whom Williams had 152 yards and two scores against in Week 6.

2) Ray Rice (@ Green Bay): Over his last eight games, Rice has run for at least 70 yards six times (with one 69-yard effort), and has caught fewer than five passes just once. With receptions being three points each, that kind of production is highly valuable.

3) Ricky Williams (vs. New England): Williams has at least 20 carries, 100 yards and one touchdown in each of his three games since taking over for the injured Ronnie Brown in Miami. New England is tied for fewest rushing scores allowed, having given up just three all season, but one of the backs who found the end zone against them happened to be Williams.

4) Knowshon Moreno (@ Kansas City): Moreno has run for at least 80 yards in each of his past three games, and has a fantastic match-up this week against the Chiefs, who are 27th against the run and 22nd in rushing scores allowed.

5) Cedric Benson (vs. Detroit): Benson has missed two contests with a hip injury, but he's supposed to be back in the starting lineup this week. But Larry Johnson did a solid job filling in last week, and they may not want to overdo it with Benson this week.

6) Joseph Addai (vs. Tennessee): Addai simply is not putting up the numbers the other backs in this group have been; he's only run for 70 or more yards once all season, and has not carried the ball more than 20 times in any game.

Running Backs 3

1) LaDainian Tomlinson (@ Cleveland): Tomlinson has scored five times in his last three games, making up for otherwise ordinary numbers. He's not catching the ball like he used to (three receptions over his last five games), and he's run for at least 75 yards just once this year. But only three teams have allowed more rushing yards than the Browns, and only two teams have given up more rushing scores to opposing running backs.

2) Matt Forte (vs. St. Louis): Only the Bills have allowed more rushing scores to opposing running backs than St. Louis has, and if this were last season, Forte would be No. 1 on this list. As it is, he's struggling mightily this year running the ball. One thing that should be considered in this scoring format - he has averaged over five receptions per game in his last four contests.

3) Laurence Maroney (@ Miami): Over his last six games, Maroney has scored eight times, accounting for all of his touchdowns this season. Unfortunately, he also has lost a fumble in three consecutive games, and any more could mean fewer carries for him.

4) Kevin Smith (@ Cincinnati): Smith hasn't gained 70 or more rushing yards in eight games, and the Bengals are the No. 3-ranked rush defense in the league. The only thing saving him from being ranked last on this list is his ability to catch the ball.

5) Ryan Grant (vs. Baltimore): No doubt Grant has had a solid year, but a lot of things are working against him - Baltimore is seventh in run defense and allows the fewest yards per carry in the league, he doesn't catch the ball with regularity, and he sat out a practice this week with a stinger.

6) Tim Hightower (vs. Minnesota): Not only is Hightower going to lose more and more playing time to Beanie Wells, but he's going up against the team that is second in the NFL in run defense, and the team that is tied in allowing the fewest rushing scores in the league.

Running Backs 4

1) LeSean McCoy (@ Atlanta): Brian Westbrook remains out, and DeSean Jackson is likely to be sidelined as well, leaving McCoy to be an even bigger piece of the puzzle this week. Atlanta's defense is sub-par in every area, and they are just 23rd in the league against the run. Something else to note - only one team has given up more receiving touchdowns to running backs than the Falcons have.

2) Jamaal Charles (vs. Denver): Charles has scored a rushing or receiving touchdown in each of his last three games since taking over after Larry Johnson was cut. He's an explosive player who makes things happen, and now that he's getting an opportunity, he's making the most of it.

3) Cadillac Williams (@ Carolina): The Caddy has a very good match-up against the 26th-ranked Panthers run defense, and it is one he gained 77 yards and scored a touchdown against back in Week 6, but he's also done very little since then. He hasn't rushed for even 60 yards in his past five games, or run for over 3.7 yards per carry.

4) Pierre Thomas (@ Washington): If only he were the clear-cut No. 1. As it is, he shares time with a couple other running backs, and though he's productive with the carries he does get, he really doesn't get enough looks to put up the big numbers he might be able to elsewhere.

5) Steve Slaton (@ Jacksonville): The Texans are still having trust issues with Slaton due to his previous fumbleitis, and he's dealing with a neck malady, so we'll have to see how many touches he gets, and until then, it's not safe to trust him.

6) Beanie Wells (vs. Minnesota): Leave Wells on the bench against one of the best run defenses in the NFL.

Wide Receivers 1

1) Wes Welker (@ Miami): With only six catches for 32 yards, Welker had his worst game of the season last week. He'll right the ship this week against a Miami team that he burned for nine catches and 84 yards in Week 9. Welker leads the NFL in catches, even though he missed two weeks, and with receptions at three points each, you can't go wrong using him.

2) Reggie Wayne (vs. Tennessee): The man with the second-most catches this season is Wayne, and his match-up is beautiful. No team has allowed opposing wideouts to catch more passes or score more touchdowns, and they've also allowed opposing receivers to accumulate the second-most receiving yards (by one yard). Wayne had six catches for 60 yards and one score against the Titans in Week 5.

3) Andre Johnson (@ Jacksonville): Only three teams have given up more receiving yards and receiving scores than the Jaguars have, and Johnson is the perfect person to exploit that weakness. He had four catches for 86 yards against them back in Week 3.

4) Randy Moss (@ Miami): Moss leads the league in receiving yards, but you wouldn't know that by the way he's played the last two weeks. He's accumulated only 101 yards combined in those two games, though a reprieve could very much be in the works this week - he blistered the Dolphins for 147 yards on six receptions (including one touchdown) when he first met them in Week 9.

5) Chad Ochocinco (vs. Detroit): The Ocho has stunk over his last five games, with no more than five receptions in any of them, and not one contest of even 70 receiving yards. Yet he plays the Lions this week, and he can easily fatten up on them - they're dead last in pass defense and have passing touchdowns allowed.

6) Larry Fitzgerald (vs. Minnesota): If Kurt Warner plays, Fitzgerald should be moved up in the rankings, but if noodle-armed Matt Leinart goes again, there are too many other receivers in this group to choose from who have Pro Bowl quarterbacks throwing to them.

Wide Receivers 2

1) Vincent Jackson (@ Cleveland): Jackson's disappearance over the last three games has been troubling. He hasn't scored since in that time, and he's accumulated a total of seven catches and 93 yards. But he has to bust out of it at some point, and it would be no shock if he did so against the terrifically awful Browns.

2) Mike Sims-Walker (vs. Houston): Three times in his past five games, Sims-Walker has accumulated fewer than 50 receiving yards, but he has scored three times in that span, easing the pain that was inflicted by his lack of yards. In his last game against the Texans, in Week 3, he had six catches for 81 yards.

3)Roddy White (vs. Philadelphia): White has not been as productive this season as he was last year in terms of yardage, and if he hadn't been scoring so many touchdowns, he would be a real disappointment. Yet he does have seven on the season, and he scored last week for the first time in three games.

4) Marques Colston (@ Washington): Colston caught one of Drew Brees' five touchdown passes last week, which was one of his four receptions and 121 yards. It was his first score in three weeks, but don't be too confident he can repeat that feat this week. The Redskins have allowed the second-fewest catches by opposing wide receivers.

5) Anquan Boldin (vs. Minnesota): Boldin is, surprisingly, not among the top-25 players in receiving yards, and possibly even more surprisingly, has just two touchdown catches this season. He was starting to play better before Kurt Warner went out, and if Warner does play this week, Boldin is a much more viable option than if the weak left arm of Matt Leinart has to play.

6) Steve Smith (CAR) (vs. Tampa Bay): He had one reception for five yards last week. Five yards! Jake Delhomme is likely out, and though that's probably a good thing in the long run, it means the Panthers will simply rely more on the running game than usual this week.

Wide Receivers 3

1) Brandon Marshall (@ Kansas City): Just four teams have allowed more yards to opposing wide receivers than the Chiefs have, and Marshall typically destroys soft defenses. In two games against the Chiefs last season, he had 18 catches for 168 yards and three touchdowns.

2) Steve Smith (NYG) (vs. Dallas): After a bit of a three-game lull, Smith is back to catching oodles of passes. He's amassed seven or more receptions in three of his last four games, and has 65 or more yards in four of his last five games. And the last time he faced Dallas, he went ballistic, scoring once on one of his 10 receptions for 134 yards.

3) Santonio Holmes (vs. Oakland): Holmes finally did something that his fantasy owners have been waiting for since Week 1 - he scored his second touchdown of the season last week! Holmes has actually been playing very well of late, and that finally paid off. He has had at least six receptions and 74 receiving yards in each of his last four games.

4) Pierre Garcon (vs. Tennessee): Garcon is clearly the No. 2 man behind Reggie Wayne on the wideout depth chart in Indy. He had five receptions for 63 yards and one touchdown last week, and has at least 50 receiving yards in each of his last five games.

5) Robert Meachem (@ Washington): What hurts Meachem in this scoring format are his lack of receptions. And he also has a tough match-up this week, going up against the No. 1-ranked pass defense of the Redskins.

6) T.J. Houshmandzadeh (vs. San Francisco): If he can't get it done against the Rams, who can he get it done against? He's been a fantasy football bust all season.

Wide Receivers 4

1) Sidney Rice (@ Arizona): Of the top 15 players in terms of receiving yards, only Miles Austin is averaging more yards per reception than Rice's 17.2, a number that has catapulted Rice to third in the league in receiving yards despite just 56 receptions.

2) Derrick Mason (@ Green Bay): Mason has now had three very productive games in a row after his seven-catch, 62-yard, one touchdown performance last week against the Steelers. His opponent this week, the Packers, are sixth in the league in pass defense, but have also allowed more touchdown passes than all but three other teams.

3) Nate Burleson (vs. San Francisco): Burleson came up very short last week against the Rams, a team he should have torched. He managed just four receptions for 46 yards against a bad pass defense, and he failed to score for the sixth straight game. Burleson has a solid match-up against the 49ers, who are 28th in the NFL in pass defense.

4) Hines Ward (vs. Oakland): Ward apologized after being critical of Ben Roethlisberger last week after Big Ben didn't play due to a concussion. He insists there are no lingering hard feelings among the two, which is good, because that means Ward can go back to being one of the most productive wideouts in the NFL.

5) Santana Moss (@ Philadelphia): He's far too unreliable. There are much better options in this group.

6) Braylon Edwards (@ Buffalo): Edwards should not be used.

Wide Receivers 5

1) Calvin Johnson (@ Cincinnati): If you're going to take a chance on Megatron, now is as good a time as ever. He only caught two passes for 10 yards last week, but he did score a touchdown for the second straight week, and also has at least five receptions in five of the nine games he's played this season.

2) Percy Harvin (@ Arizona): Harvin's best game as a pro came last week, as he caught a touchdown for the second week in a row while setting career-highs in receptions (six), receiving yards (101) and rushing yards (45). Against the Cardinals' 30th-ranked pass defense, more career-highs are possible.

3) Donald Driver (vs. Baltimore): Driver tore up the Lions on Thanksgiving and has had a nice layoff since then to rest his 34-year-old body. He's only caught fewer than four passes in a game just one time this season, and has scored in three of his last six contests.

4) Devin Hester (vs. St. Louis): Hester is in a big-time slump, and although the Rams can break any offensive player out of their malaise, his inconsistency should be worrisome. Hester has only 86 receiving yards in his last three games.

5) Donnie Avery (@ Chicago): Avery plays in an inconsistent offense with a quarterback that is named Kyle Boller. Probably best to avoid him.

6) Greg Jennings (vs. Baltimore): He's being outplayed by his teammate, the far more consistent Donald Driver.

Tight Ends 1

1) Tony Gonzalez (vs. Philadelphia): No team has allowed opposing tight ends to catch more passes than Philly has, and only one team has allowed more receiving yards and touchdowns to players at that position. Even with Matt Ryan sidelined, Gonzalez should not be penalized.

2) Dallas Clark (vs. Tennessee): Clark, who has caught a touchdown in two straight games, last played the Titans in Week 5, a game in which he caught nine passes for 77 yards. He's caught seven or more passes in seven of his 11 games this season, and that can add up to huge points in this scoring format.

3) Antonio Gates (@ Cleveland): Only six teams have allowed more touchdown passes to opposing tight ends then Cleveland, and Gates recently broke out of a funk last week against the Chiefs, catching seven balls for 118 yards and two scores.

4) Vernon Davis (@ Seattle): When Alex Smith made the transition to starting quarterback, he undoubtedly wanted to get his tight end involved. That's most certainly happened, as Davis has had at least one touchdown reception or 100 receiving yards (or both) in all but one of the six games the 49ers have played since Smith took over.

5) Jason Witten (@ NY Giants): Witten had his first 100-yard game of the season last week, and it was a long time coming for the preseason No. 1 fantasy football tight end. He has been consistent in catching the ball this season, catching exactly five passes in each of his last three games, and he doesn't have fewer than four receptions in any contest this year.

6) Visanthe Shiancoe (@ Arizona): Over his last eight games, Shiancoe has scored seven times. That's a great number, but within the context of this group of tight ends, he's not the top option on his team the way the other players here are.

Tight Ends 2

1) Brent Celek (@ Atlanta): Celek just signed a $33 million extension, and is certainly facing the right opponent in which to do prove he deserves that contract. Atlanta has allowed opposing tight ends to catch more passes than all but four other squads, and only three teams have allowed opposing tight ends to gain more receiving yards.

2) Greg Olsen (vs. St. Louis): Olsen is a solid play each week due to the fact that the Bears have a dearth of options at the receiver position, and the Rams have certainly been beaten by opposing tight ends before.

3) Kellen Winslow (@ Carolina): Winslow managed only 29 yards on three receptions the last time he squared off against the Panthers, but with rookie quarterback Josh Freeman at the helm, the situation is different this time around.

4) Zach Miller (Oakland Raiders): Bruce Gradkowski has really been beneficial to Miller - after little production over most of the season, he's combined for 10 receptions and 136 yards the last two weeks.

5) John Carlson (vs. San Francisco): With six catches for 46 yards in Week 2, one of Carlson's most productive games of the season came against San Francisco. That statistic alone should tell you how disappointing he's been this season.

6) Heath Miller (vs. Oakland): Despite how bad Oakland is, they completely shut down opposing tight ends - they are one of just two teams not to have allowed a touchdown reception by someone at that position.

Different Types of Fantasy Football Leagues

Interest in fantasy football is growing by leaps and bounds. If you are interested in owning a fantasy football team, one of the most important decisions you will need to make will be in regards to the type of league you should join. There are many different types of fantasy football leagues and it is important to make the right decision. Read on for tips to help you understand the different types of teams and decide which one is right for you.

The most popular type of leagues are the standard draft leagues. These types of leagues are begun with teams in which the players are selected in a serpentine style of draft. Lineups can then be selected by the owners on a weekly basis. This is usually based on the number of players per position as allowed by league rules. There are actually two different types of standard draft leagues. These are total points and head to head. The difference between the two is that with a head to head league each team is matched up against a different team each week. The team that receives the most points is recorded as the winning team. Teams with the best records at the end of the season play in playoff games at the end of the season in order for a final champion to be determined. With a total points league, wins and losses are not tracked. Instead, points are accumulated on a continual basis. Standings are then determined according to the total points of the teams. At the end of the regular season, the teams with the highest number of total points meet for playoff games.

The auction draft league can also be comprised of either a total points system or a head to head system. Unlike the standard draft league; however, the auction draft league utilizes owners who have an amount of money that is predetermined that they can bid on for players to complete their rosters.

With the dynasty league, players are on the same roster from one season to the next unless they are released or they are traded. Drafts are held for rookies only after the first season.

Keeper leagues combine some of the features between dynasty leagues and standard draft leagues. A draft is held before the beginning of every regular season in order for many of the players to be drafted; however, owners can keep a select number of players from the prior season.

IDP leagues use defensive players in an individual manner rather than in defensive units. This type of league can be a bit harder to organize for the owners because it means more thought will usually need to be given to filling the other positions.

A survivor leagues uses just about any kind of draft you wish; however, they most commonly use auction or standard style drafts. The main difference between this type of league and all of the other leagues is that each week one team is eliminated based on who scores the least number of points.

Joe Kenny writes for the UK soccer forum [http://footballtalk.org/forums] site, FootballTalk.org. Join the football forum [http://footballtalk.org] for free today and have your say!

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