"My Gators, Step Over Ya"

Dave Chappelle couldn't have said it any better. Tim Tebow and the boys are on a roll so far this year, already dismantling two of its top rivals, Miami and Tennessee. If the Gators get the sweep by beating Georgia and Florida State...well let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Florida is stacked this year. Not only on offense, but swarming on defense as well. Tebow hasn't had to put up gaudy numbers or run the ball 20 times a game to do it either. While it might take him out of Heisman consideration early, it's better for him, and the team, down the road.

As Tebow takes less of a pounding, more playmakers emerge in the spread offense. WR Percy Harvin has been a stud since stepping foot on campus, return specialist Brandon James can go the distance at any moment, freshman RB Chris Rainey might be the fastest kid in the country (LSU's Trindon Holliday would be a great race), and transfer RB Emmanuel Moody could give them a physical runner between the tackles. Tebow hasn't had to do much besides manage the game and make clutch runs and throws to get crucial first downs. While his numbers have been pedestrian, 489 passing yards with 5 passing TDs and 118 rushing yards and no rushing TDs through three games, his leadership is always on display. He is never rattled, always makes something happen, and constantly pushes for more. I think he's wanted to go for it on every fourth down so far this season. He can always be seen looking back, and yelling, in head coach Urban Myers' direction, refusing to come off the field. Players have to thrive off that whenever he's around them, he just has that type of competitive personality.

Florida's schedule can be split up into quarters, with the first having just wrapped up. Preseason, the first three games looked like there could be some pitfalls: start off with BCS-participant Hawaii, up-and-coming Miami (FL), and an always tough, ranked Tennessee game in Knoxville. Although all three of those teams have been letdowns, Florida still made sure to assert its dominance when they played.

Now it's on to a quick second quarter, with two games in which the Gators will be heavily favored: SEC West doormats Ole Miss and Arkansas. Florida has to win these two games without any suspense because after that, it's a grind.

The third quarter features games against three ranked opponents, two of which are in the top five with Florida in both polls: 5 LSU, Kentucky, 3 Georgia and 21 Vanderbilt. It's hard to expect the Gators to come out of that unscathed, but anything is possible. If they do, they can't have any setbacks as they wrap up the fourth quarter and head into the SEC championship.

The fourth quarter is a stretch of games the Gators should win, but tend to make hard on themselves. South Carolina has been a challenge since Steve Spurrier returned and Florida State can never be underestimated as a rivalry game. The Citadel is an exhibition.

With Florida passing the first round of tests, it's imperative for them to keep the pedal to the floor. If they get to halftime with a shutout in the loss column, they can enter the next phase knowing their fate is in their hands. Another national championship is in the crosshairs, it's up to them to finish.

Lett It Slip Away

Although Eagles rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson didn't cost his team with his best impersonation of Leon Lett in Texas Stadium, I will forever remember it as his legacy. In his efforts to get his celebration ready and look as flashy as possible, Jackson released the ball before he broke the plane of the goaline. What's worse is it wasn't the first time he's done it in his career.

So far Jackson has been a big part of the Eagles' potent offense in the absence of starting wide receivers Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown. In fact, Jackson has the most receiving yards of any rookie, and ranks eighth in the league overall. Not bad for a position NFL scouts say takes the longest to master.

Unfortunately, this gumshoe is one of the cockiest players I've seen to date. It could very easily draw attention to him for all the wrong reasons, and he didn't make it any easier on himself by literally throwing away a touchdown in a game where his defense couldn't keep the Cowboys out of the end zone. If the Eagles did not end up scoring a TD on that drive, as Brian Westbrook did on the next play, Jackson would have had that play follow him around for the rest of his life.

For now, he's having a solid campaign. His speed is elite, and he has moves to make even the savviest veteran miss. My knock on him is his size. He's maybe 5'10", 175 lbs. tops. As physical as the NFC East is, I don't think his body will hold up. Consequently, if his size does become an issue, it can turn him into a one-dimensional player in the offense as a vertical threat who can't go over the middle for fear of getting knocked out.

Jackson has as much talent as any receiver in this draft class. However, listen up young buck. You have not accomplished anything in this league yet. I know you see how flashy TO and Ocho Cinco are and you want to emulate that, but don't let things go to your head. That's how you fell out of the first round of the draft to begin with. Don't let your bad habits overshadow your production, otherwise you won't be worth the cost of the aspirin to numb the headache you'll become.

Week 2 Pro Picks

Tennessee @ Cincinnati: Titans
Even with the Vince Young situation, the Bengals are still more of a mess. The Titans found a way to beat the Jaguars last week when Young went down with a sprained knee, they'll be fine this week without him.

Green Bay @ Detroit: Packers
The Packers are playing like a complete team with Aaron Rodgers at the helm, and the team seems to have moved on as a whole from Brett Favre. I'm taking the Packers to keep the train rolling against the Lions.

Oakland @ Kansas City: Chiefs
Reports are out that head coach Lane Kiffin will be fired by the Raiders as early as Monday morning. It sure is hard to get your team ready for a game when you already have one and a half feet out the door. I'm going with the Chiefs to get their first win against this struggling Raiders team.

New York Giants @ St. Louis: Giants
The Eagles did it to them last week, and the Giants are going to do it to them this week. The Rams look terrible. Not much has changed from last year till now. Defending champs against a 2-14 team from last season? I'll take the champs.

Indianapolis @ Minnesota: Vikings
Can the Colts start the season 0-2? I'm going with it. The Vikings will be comfortable at home, but either way this game was going to be in a dome. The Colts will be relying solely on Peyton's arm while the Vikings will be relying on that awesome running game. I think the Vikings will be able to control the clock more with their gameplan and keep Manning off the field.

New Orleans @ Washington: Redskins
Call me a homer, but this is a must-win for the Skins. Their offensive struggles have been well-documented, but this week the Saints are without starters DT Hollis Thomas, LB Mark Simoneau, LB Scott Fujita, S Roman Harper, CB Randall Gay and WR Marques Colston. The Saints are missing a lot there, and the Redskins have to pounce on the opportunity in the home opener. Head coach Jim Zorn knows this is breathing directly down his neck, he better get a result, for his sake.

Chicago @ Carolina: Panthers
Both teams pulled off upsets in week one, but who can sustain the momentum? I think this one is really a toss up, I'm going with the Panthers on a whim.

Buffalo @ Jacksonville: Bills
The Jaguars struggled last week, and Marcus Stroud is back in Jax after being traded to the Bills in the offseason. I think the Bills are poised for a breakout year, helped by the injury to Tom Brady, but will Jack Del Rio circle the wagons this week and get his team on track? I'm not banking on it, I'm sticking with the Bills.

San Francisco @ Seattle: Seahawks
Seattle doesn't have any receivers left, but San Fran could be a team in peril. Head coach Mike Nolan has seen his team go from trendy to embarrasing, and it might be too late to revive the situation. I'll stick with the Seahawks at home in that noisy stadium.

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay: Bucs
I know Matt Ryan had a great start last week, but the Bucs have been finding ways to win games, going back to last season. I'm sticking with the home team in this divison rivalry.

New England @ New York Jets: Jets
No Brady, no win. The Jets have put together a team that's ready to win right now with all the free agents they picked up in the offseason. This is not the right week to break in QB Matt Cassel for the Pats.

Miami @ Arizona: Cardinals
The Dolphins still haven't shrugged off the woes of last year, and although the Cardinals aren't a great team, they'll have enough to get through this one.

San Diego @ Denver: Chargers
I think the Bolts get their act together in this one. The Broncos crushed the Raiders last week, but so will a lot of teams this year. The Chargers can't start this season 0-2 and be successful this year.

Pittsburgh @ Cleveland: Steelers
The Steelers still have the edge in this rivalry, even though the Browns are a much improved team. I'm going with RB Willie Parker to have another big week running the ball.

Philadelphia @ Dallas: Cowboys
Tough one to call, but the Cowboys looked like the real deal last week. The Eagles came out of the gates firing, but it was against the Rams. I think Dallas pulls this one out in the home opener.

Week 2 College Picks

13 Kansas @ 19 South Florida: Kansas
South Florida looked rough around the edges last week against Central Florida. I think Kansas can be just as good as last year, they just aren't deep. One major injury can derail their season. Lucky for the Jayhawks, it's only week two and the injury report is still clean. I'm taking Kansas in a shootout.

23 California @ Maryland: California
The ACC is awful this year. Even worse? Maryland is at the bottom of the ACC. Cal wins this one big.

16 Oregon @ Purdue: Oregon
I thought the loss of Nate Costa would really hurt the Ducks, but it looks like they've taken it in stride. I'm going with Oregon, with a lot of combined points on the board in this one.

UCLA @ 18 BYU: BYU
Can the Bruins pull off another upset? I don't think UCLA can bring the same fire to the field away from the Rose Bowl. Moreover, BYU has a lot to play for with the criticism of that gimme-15-yard penalty to help beat Washington. I'm picking the Cougars.

2 Georgia @ South Carolina: Georgia
I hate to go against my Gamecocks, but Georgia has too much on the line for this one. South Carolina-Georgia is always a great game, usually down to the wire, but the way South Carolina gave that Vanderbilt game away last week and with their terrible offensive line, I can't pick the upset here. Georgia is so fast everywhere on the field. Chris Smelley will have his hands full, especially if preseason All-SEC wide receiver Kenny McKinley is limited with a hamstring injury.

Michigan @ Notre Dame: Michigan
What a downer this one is going to be this year. Two usual institutes of college football are in the process of rebuilding. Home field means nothing here as the fans really won't stay in it if Notre Dame doesn't come out firing. I can see Michigan winning this one 10-6.

9 Auburn @ Mississippi State: Auburn
Upset watch for this one. Mississippi St. feeds off the cowbells and Sylvester Croom is finally getting this program together. Auburn's lack of a standout QB for the first time in years leaves question marks around the Tigers, but I don't think Mississippi St. has the offensive firepower to pull this one off. Be prepared for a defensive battle, turnovers and a lot of field goals. The Tigers barely escape.

Virginia @ Connecticut: UConn
Virginia is another weak link in the ACC this year with a lethal combination of talent lost to the NFL, academic and off-the-field issues. The Wahoos lost starting QB Jamell Sewell to academic ineligibility and his backup-turned-starter Peter Lalich can't travel to away games because of an underage drinking arrest. With UConn on the up and UVA on the downslide, I'm taking the Huskies at home.

3 Oklahoma @ Washington: Oklahoma
The Huskies are at a crossroads this week. Does last week's loss on a game-ending blocked extra point motivate them to come out stronger this week, or do they collapse in pity? Oklahoma isn't the team you want to find out against. Sam Bradford is too steady to let the crowd rattle him and the committee of tailbacks allows the Sooners to dictate the tempo of the game if things get hairy.

5 Ohio State @ 1 USC: USC
If Beanie Wells can't go, this one will be painful. Maybe the Buckeyes were caught looking ahead in their game against Ohio last week, or maybe they just can't play without Wells. Either way, the Coliseum will be rocking for this and Pete Carroll will have his team ready. Call me an Ohio State hater, but it's time to show something. The winner of this game should be ashamed of themselves if they don't make it to the national championship with their respective cake-walk schedules. I'm going with the Trojans in L.A..

10 Wisconsin @ 21 Fresno State: Wisconsin
This is one of the best teams Pat Hill has had at Fresno St. in his time there, but I'm going with Wisconsin for one reason. They have the advantage of not playing until 10:30 pm. Therefore, they will be able to watch Ohio St. fall to USC and see that the Big Ten is their's for the taking. The Badgers will be too motivated if the Buckeyes lose, knowing they can hop up the rankings.

Preemptive Strikes

Turn the lights out. No NFL MVP for the Patriots' second run at perfection. No Pro Bowl stud for the defending Super Bowl champs. Boy, this season has already lost a lot of star power. After the preseason and the first week of the regular season, players like Tom Brady, Shawne Merriman, Ed Reed and Osi Umenyiora, just to name a few, are dealing with career-threatening injuries.

I don't know about you, but I want to see the best athletes on the field. There are teams I don't like, but I would never wish injury upon anyone in sports. The fact of the matter is, when players like the aforementioned list aren't in the game, the product on the field and the quality of the game isn't the same. When you watch a game, especially if your favorite team is involved, and think about what could have been because your star player is out, it totally licks bursa sac.

I'm sure other story lines will come to the forefront and the show will go on, as has always been the case in the NFL. With heavy doses of Brett Favre, Tony Romo, division rivalries, emerging rookies, and the Manning Brothers' Double-Stuft Oreos commercials, you might just forget all about it. However, I have to say I can't remember any other season where I've seen this many injuries to so many star players.

The weekly injury reports read like a who's who of pro football: Tom Brady (torn ACL, MCL), Shawne Merriman (torn LCL, PCL), Osi Umenyiora (torn lateral meniscus), Ed Reed (shoulder/neck nerve), Chad Ocho Cinco (partially torn labrum), Marques Colston (torn thumb ligaments), Vince Young (sprained MCL, not to mention his therapist said he's suicidal), the entire Seahawks' receiving corps, and I'm just getting warmed up.

People wait months and months for the season to start, and for some, their chances at winning it all have been severely damaged after just one week. It's hard to take, but everyone has to move forward. Let's wish those players luck in their attempts to get back on the field, the source of so much excitement for diehard fans. Good luck guys, I want to see you all back out there.

Quick Hits

I want to commend Michael Strahan for staying retired in the face Osi Umenyiora's season-ending knee injury. The Giants threw a lot of money at him and as tempting as that can be, I think there is a lot to be said for going out on a high note. Very few players get to end their careers with a championship in hand, and I think Strahan really did the classy thing by sticking to his original decision. Instead of coming back, potentially having a down year and leaving your fans with a bad taste in their mouths, everyone will remember you for that great Super Bowl win, a lasting legacy to go along with your NFL record of most sacks in a season.

Chad Johnson is now legally Chad Ocho Cinco and I love it. Right now, both college and pro football are putting the clamps down on fun-loving creativity and I can't stand it. Let people play and have a good time. If the league can chew players up and spit them out, at least let them dance a little bit and joke around. There's no harm in it.

Hats off to Shawne Merriman trying to play this season with two torn knee ligaments. He's now going on season-ending injured reserve, but how tough is this guy to even make an attempt to play? Here's to a speedy recovery Shawne, I hope you come back as the "Lights Out" everyone knows you to be.

John Clayton recently wrote an article about the best modern rivalries in the NFL and mentioned the Eagles-Cowboys as the premiere rivalry in the NFC East. He went so far as to question, "Where is the Cowboys-Washington Redskins rivalry?"

It's right here, John, wake up. The media loves to shower the Cowboys with praise over their recent, regular-season success (they still haven't won a playoff game in over a decade), but why don't you look at the numbers? The Redskins have won four of the last six in the rivalry. Five of the last eight have been decided in the final minutes. The Redskins prevented the Cowboys from making the playoffs in 2005, and last season the Redskins beat the Cowboys to make the playoffs. In fact, the last four Redskin victories have been two blowouts, and two last-second comebacks. This rivalry hasn't gone anywhere.