Reuben Droughns is still questionable, but he practiced fully on Friday and should have plenty of room to run against a poor Oakland rush defense…Todd Heap returned to practice on Friday and has been upgraded to probable. Heap is a must-start when he plays…Houston HC Gary Kubiak intends to split the carries between Samkon Gado and Ron Dayne. Hopefully for fantasy owners, one of these guys will separate himself from the other and earn the bulk of the work. If that doesn’t happen, expect this RBBC to continue throughout the season…Donte Stallworth returned to practice Friday and should play against the Packers on Monday night. An MRI revealed a slight strain in his hamstring. Stallworth has had hamstring problems his entire pro career, so this is an injury to watch. Stallworth has a great matchup this week against the Packers…After a strange week, Terrell Owens is officially a game-time decision for Sunday. The Dallas Morning News speculates that he’ll play, but he will be limited…Brian Westbrook returned to practice on Saturday and, barring a setback, looks good to go Monday night. Westbrook owners should have Correll Buckhalter on their roster for the rest of the season as Westbrook insurance…Desmond Clark will be a game-time decision Sunday night…Matt Jones practiced all week and should see his workload increase from last week, when he barely played at all…Kellen Winslow didn’t practice fully all week. He’s listed as questionable and it’s not clear whether or not he’s going to play. There is speculation that the Browns are holding him out to rest his knee…Steve Smith practiced fully all week. This is good news for Smith owners who were worrying about how that hammy would react after Sunday’s game…Frank Gore practiced all week and was upgraded to probable. He needs to hold onto the ball in short yardage to avoid losing those duties to Michael Robinson…Reggie Wayne will play against the Jets in Week 4 after dealing with his brother’s death this week…Corey Dillon is not listed on the injury report and is expected to start against the Bengals…The injury to the knee of Jevon Kearse is not nearly as bad as initially reported. The surgery revealed only torn meniscus and a fractured tibia. Kearse could have returned this season if he hadn’t already been placed on injured reserve.

There are a couple of Top 25 matchups on Saturday, the highlight being the OSU/Iowa tilt, which is the BE College Football Game of the Week. On Sunday, CBS has the better lineup than Fox, with the Patriots/Bengals and the Chargers/Ravens, the latter being the BE NFL Game of the Week.

(All times ET.)

College Football
Fri, 8 PM: (23) Rutgers @ South Florida – ESPN
Sat, 2:30 PM: Purdue @ (12) Notre Dame - NBC
Sat, 3:30 PM: (24) Georgia Tech @ (11) Virginia Tech - ABC
Sat, 8 PM: (1) Ohio St @ (13) Iowa - ESPN

NFL
Sun, 1 PM: San Diego @ Baltimore – CBS
Sun, 4:15 PM: New England @ Cincinnati – CBS
Sun, 8:15 PM: Seattle @ Chicago – NBC
Mon, 8:30 PM: Green Bay @ Philadelphia – ESPN

MLB
Fri, 7:09 PM: Philadelphia @ Florida – ESPN
Sat, 1:20 PM: Milwaukee @ St. Louis – FOX
Sat, 1:20 PM: Philadelphia @ Florida – FOX
Sat, 4:15 PM: LA Dodgers @ San Francisco – FOX
Sat, 4:15 PM: San Diego @ Arizona – FOX

Date: Oct. 1
Time: 8:15pm NBC

Why to tune in:
This is the only other contest on the NFL schedule besides San Diego-Baltimore that features two undefeated teams. Seattle is coming off of a waxing of the Giants at home last week while the Bears squeaked by a tough Vikings team. Last season, both of these squads were ranked 1-2 in the playoffs and if Chicago hadn’t lost to Carolina in the Divisional Round – this would have been the NFC title match. Both teams are averaging 24-plus points a game, but defensively they are equally as strong. The wildcard in this contest is that Seattle will be without reigning MVP Shaun Alexander in its backfield against an already stingy Bears run defense.

When the Seahawks have the ball:
There were rumors earlier in the week that Alexander was going to be healthy enough to play, but head coach Mike Holmgren squashed those thoughts immediately. Seattle is good, but not good enough to risk losing Alexander for an extended period of time – especially with a bye week coming up. Maurice Morris will lineup in the backfield and butt heads with the number four run defense in the league. The Bears are only giving up an average of 82 yards a game on the ground and DT Tommie Harris has been a big part of their success. Harris is disrupting opponents by having a successful running game by breaking through the interior of their line and forcing backs to try and run outside. The Seahawks offensive line is going to have its hand full with defensive ends Alex Brown and Adewale Ogunleye in pass protection. If Morris can’t get going, QB Matt Hasselback (who is throwing the ball extremely well this season) is going to have to rely on one of his many weapons in the passing game. Darrell Jackson is fighting through injuries and is having a nice season while newly acquired Deion Branch is still trying to fit into Holmgren’s system. Branch should eventually be very productive, but if he’s slow to develop, Hasselback still has receivers Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson. The key on defense for the Bears is going to be the secondary staying disciplined. The front seven is certainly good enough to keep Morris in check, so it’s going to be up to the defensive backs to take away Hasselback’s targets.

When the Bears have the ball:
QB Rex Grossman is continuing to show the Chicago coaching staff that he was the right choice over Brian Griese in the preseason. Grossman is displaying great touch in the deep game and is getting all of his targets involved throughout the game. Muhsin Muhammad is proving to be Grossman’s go to guy, but Benard Berrian is explosive down the field and is excelling at creating separating at the line of scrimmage. Although the Bears have been balanced on offense, they still aren’t running the ball with a great deal of success. That plays into the hands of the Seahawks, because much like Chicago, Seattle’s front seven is good enough to take away the Bears run game without any needed help from the safeties. Without having to worry at all about helping defense the run game, free safety Ken Hamlin is rebounding nicely from a fractured skull he suffered in a bar fight last season and contributed with two interceptions against New York last week. Watch for the Seahawks to make Chicago one-dimensional and get Grossman to force passes into double coverage, which will lead to a possible key turnover for Seattle. A big weapon for Chicago might be tight end Desmond Clark, who up until this year hasn’t been much of a factor. Clark is starting to build a nice relationship with Grossman and that might be key in a match up with SS Michael Boulware, who isn’t overly impressive in pass coverage.

Prediction:
Something just doesn’t sit right with me as I watched Seattle relax on defense and allow the Giants to get back into the game last weekend. The Seahawks knew the Giants had to get back into the game through the air and still couldn’t stop New York. I think these teams match up real well against each other, but not having Alexander in the run game is going to make the Seahawks too one-dimensional in my opinion. Chicago plays extremely well at home and I’m still not sold that Seattle can beat a tough opponent on the road. If this game was in Seattle and Alexander was going to be running the ball for the Seahawks, I would probably predict a different outcome.

Chicago’s defensive backs aren’t going to wilt the way the Giants secondary did last week: Bears 23, Seahawks 17.

Every week in the Pregame, I’ll provide a few players to start and a few to bench. These recommendations are based on that player’s strength of schedule (SOS) for that particular week or that player’s specific situation.

I’m a strong advocate of always starting your studs, so I won’t be telling you about LaDainian Tomlinson’s tough matchup or how Peyton Manning and company will light it up against a bad defense. Anyone can make those calls. I’ll be discussing marginal fantasy starters – guys that can start for you, but only under certain circumstances.

START

A number of fringe starting QBs have good matchups this week. BRETT FAVRE faces an Eagles defense that has yielded 253 yards and 1.7 TD per game…DREW BLEDSOE faces a porous Titans secondary and should have Terrell Owens back in the lineup…DAUNTE CULPEPPER has a nice matchup against the Texans, though it’s tough to excited about a QB that could only put up 13 points on Tennessee…WARRICK DUNN didn’t have a very good game last week, but he’s a must-start against the Cardinals, who have allowed an average of 105 rushing yards and 1.3 rush TD per game…JOSEPH ADDAI also has a nice matchup against the Jets, who can’t seem to stop the run (134 rush yards and 1.7 rush TD per game)…CHRIS CHAMBERS deserves another shot, especially with his juicy matchup with the Texans…REGGIE BROWN also looks like a nice start against a Packers secondary that has yielded 301 yards and 1.7 TD per game through the air.

BENCH

KURT WARNER doesn’t have a good matchup against the Falcons who have allowed just 214 yards per game through the air and have yet to allow a passing touchdown…You should only bench MATT HASSELBECK if you have a good alternative, but his matchup with the Bears looks like a tough one. With Shaun Alexander out, the Seahawks could become one dimensional…JAMAL LEWIS faces a very tough San Diego defense that has had two weeks to prepare for Sunday’s game. The Chargers have allowed just 71 yards per game on the ground and have yet to yield a rushing TD…It’s no secret that THOMAS JONES has been struggling, and I doubt he’s going to find his groove this week against the Seahawks, who are second in the league in rushing yards allowed (59 per game) and haven’t allowed a rushing TD…TROY WILLIAMSON will probably find the going tough against a stingy Bills secondary that has allowed just 169 yards through the air…MARQUES COLSTON and JOE HORN should have problems getting open against the Panthers, who have yielded just 168 passing yards per game this season.

If you have roster questions, be sure to post them on the Fantasy Q & A. We’re happy to give you a second opinion.

When coach Bill Romanowski saw an opponent in a recent Piedmont-Lafayette flag football game trip one of his son’s teammates, he scolded the seventh grader for what he felt was dirty play.

Apparently Lafayette coaches weren’t pleased with what Romanowski had done.

Lafayette officials complained, saying Romanowski wouldn’t be allowed to return to Lafayette to coach when the two teams meet for a rematch next month. But Piedmont Recreation Department director Mark Delventhal met with Romanowski on Wednesday and said he trusts the coach not to engage in out-of-bounds behavior.

“At this point, I have utmost confidence that Mr. Romanowski will continue to conduct himself in a manner that’s appropriate,” Delventhal told The Associated Press. “I think our players are very fortunate to have Mr. Romanowski as a coach.”

What?

First off all, what in God’s name is Romanowski’s son doing in flag football? Isn’t that like having Barry Bonds’ son enrolled in softball or something?

And Romanowski was upset over one of the kids tripping another player? Isn’t this man who punched one of his teammates in practice and broke his eye socket? A man who spit in the face of an opponent and was regarded as one of the cheapest players in the NFL when he played?

I can hear the conversation between Romanowski and the seventh grader now:

Romanowski: “Listen son, you can’t be out here tripping other players, okay? That’s not right and if you do it again I’ll break your friggen face, kid.”

Seventh grade player: “Okay, Mr. Romanowski, I’m sorry. But I was up late last night watching old film of you when you played with the Raiders, so I got carried away.”

Yikes, well at least he can coach again – I would hate to have a man of his moral cloth not have an influence in these young men’s lives.

Terrell Owens returned to practice on Thursday and apparently looked pretty good. He’s got a great matchup with Tennessee this week, so if he plays, he could have a huge game. Pencil him in for now and check back on Saturday for an update on his status…Mark Brunell did not practice on Wednesday and was not using his throwing hand on the sidelines. He’s iffy for Sunday, though hopefully you aren’t depending on Brunell for anything…Chris Brown should be back in the lineup for the Titans this week, which only serves to muddy the Tennessee RB situation even more…After briefly flirting with the prospects of playing Sunday, Shaun Alexander is listed as doubtful. Seattle has a bye next week, so Alexander may be able to make his return in Week 6.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for The Pregame and on Saturday for injury updates. In the meantime, if you have any roster questions, feel free to post them on our Fantasy Q & A. It never hurts to get a second opinion.

In a somewhat bizarre finish to his tumultuous offseason, Bonzi Wells has agreed to a two-year/$5 M contract with the Houston Rockets. Wells holds a player option for the second year of the contract and fully intends to enter free agency next summer, according to his agent, Merle Scott.

Wells was looking to cash in this summer after a glorious playoff run against the Spurs, where he averaged 23 points and 12 rebounds in the series. He turned down a five-year/$36 M offer from the Kings, which turned out to be a huge financial blunder. He fired his agent at the time - William Phillips - once the free agent market dried up (and the Kings signed John Salmons), so presumably Phillips gave him some bad advice on the Kings’ original offer.

Nevertheless, the Rockets were in the right place at the right time. Landing Wells - even for one year - at $2.5 M is a coup, assuming you’re not worried about his reputation for being a malcontent. He is a very talented player and he will be motivated to produce, as he’s made it clear that he intends to test free agency again next summer.

From the Rockets’ perspective, it’s not clear how Wells will fit into the lineup alongside Tracy McGrady and the newly-acquired Shane Battier. Wells and McGrady both play shooting guard, while McGrady is more than capable of swinging over to small forward, Battier’s natural position. Unless they plan to run Battier at power forward, one of these guys is going to have to come off the bench, and it won’t be McGrady.

Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. is speaking again and guess what? He feels slighted in life.

Winslow told The Plain Dealer that he feels that referees are targeting him for penalties because of his reputation while playing for the University of Miami.

More specifically, Winslow was upset that he got flagged 12 yards for taunting Ravens linebacker Bart Scott in the Browns 15-14 loss to Baltimore last Sunday.

“Of course, it probably carried on from college,” he said. “[They say] ‘This guy likes to jaw, he likes to taunt players.’ I can’t do anything. It’s just tough, man.”

He also said some of his teammates told him to calm down after the penalty.

“But that’s who I am,” he said. “I’m a passionate player, and I’m going to talk some stuff. I’m going to stand over you like I beat you. But [the Ravens] do the same thing, and that’s why they’re great, because they intimidate people.”

Yeah, I’m sure some part time ref who works at a small business Monday through Friday is worrying about flagging Winslow on Sundays.

Why does a player feel like he has to intimidate an opposing player by standing over him after a catch or a tackle? To me, it would drive me more insane if a guy kept beating me over and over again, and didn’t say a word.

Is it me or does Winslow concentrate on anything but just playing football?

In honor of the 2006 College Football Season, Bullz-Eye.com will preview an up-and-coming game of the week, each week, for the entire length of the NCAA season.

Each week a game will be highlighted and broken down by each teams strengths and weaknesses vs. its opponent. Plus, no preview would be complete without a forecasted score – you’ll find a prediction on the game at Bullz-Eye.com as well.

On tap this week: (#1) Ohio State at (#13) Iowa

Great games flood the NFL schedule in week three, but what game is worthy of Game of the Week on Bullz-Eye.com?

One contest will be plucked off the schedule every week and broken down by each teams strengths and weaknesses vs. its opponent. Plus, no preview would be complete without a forecasted score – you’ll find a prediction on the game at Bullz-Eye.com as well.

On tap for Week 4: Chargers (2-0) at Ravens (3-0)

As reported earlier, there was a story out of Dallas that Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens apparently tried to commit suicide by taking 35 pain pills Tuesday night.

When the story first broke, there was information that Owens’ publicist, Kim Etheredge, called a rescue service after physically taking pills out of Owens’ mouth. When the rescue team reached the scene, they assisted Owens and then called the Dallas Police Department.

At some point, Owens was asked if he took the pills with intent to harm himself and Owens responded, “yes.” From there, Owens was rushed to the hospital and the ingested pills were reportedly pumped out of him.

It was also reported that Etheredge told the police “that he was depressed.”

From there, Ethridge has told various media outlets in interviews that the Dallas media has gotten the story wrong and that T.O. never attempted to kill himself. ESPN.com’s Michael A. Smith told ESPN’s Trey Wingo on SportsCenter that he spoke with one of Owens’ friends (who wanted to remain anonymous) that T.O. just had a bad reaction to the pain pills. As publicly reported, Owens is a gym rat who takes various amounts of health supplements, so it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that T.O. did get sick when the pain pills were added to his normal dietary intake.

In a 3:35pm press conference on Wednesday afternoon, T.O. himself spoke out on the situation and denied repeatedly that he took pills to kill himself. Owens also stated that he wasn’t coherent when he was asked if he took the pills to harm himself and that he only took a few pain pills (he commented that the rest of the pills from the empty bottle was in a drawer). He also said that he never got his stomach pumped.

Etheredge then spoke and basically (in my opinion) sounded exactly like a publicist would sound. She stated that “he is a very strong human being” so that when he wasn’t responding like he normally does, she immediately called 911. Etheredge also responded to questions as if she was disappointed that the story broke the way it did and that she feels like “people are trying to take advantage of Terrell.” Etheredge went on to deny that she removed pills out of his mouth and that Owens told her that he was depressed. However, she also made it known that “it has been a really long day” and that “she doesn’t remember everything that happened.”

Her best statement of the day: “Terrell has 25 million reasons why he should be alive.”

Now, I’m not a doctor, psychologist and I obviously wasn’t there when Owens digested these pills. It appeared to me that Owens was in fine health and he stated that he worked out with Drew Bledsoe and Tony Romo, so I believe him at this point. It didn’t appear that Owens was lying, but that doesn’t mean that Etheredge’s story isn’t full of holes.

It just amazes me that the Dallas police and fire department would make written statements as detailed as they did and Etheredge comes out and states that they basically lied. What advantage does the police and, or fire department have in lying in that given situation?

The thing about all of this is that, there have been several reports in the past of him telling teammates that he is alone and that “nobody has his back”. It has been reported that he has abandonment issues and that both the 49ers and Eagles offered to get him psychological help, which he refused.

Maybe he’s telling the truth, but if he’s not and Etheredge is hiding something (maybe more will come out once the 911 call is revealed), that means that this guy is not getting the help he needs.

As far as a football standpoint is concerned, Owens may practice tomorrow and if he does, there is a good chance he will play in Tennessee this Sunday.

Dallas coach Bill Parcells held his weekly press conference about an hour and a half before Owens spoke, but he revealed nothing, stating that he “didn’t know enough at this point.”

A Dallas police report was released Wednesday stating that Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver Terrell Owens attempted suicide Tuesday night.

Apparently Owens told Dallas police and rescue workers “that he was depressed.”
The rescue worker “noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth,'’ the police report said.

The worker attempted to pry them out with her fingers, then was told by Owens that before this incident he’d taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he’d emptied. The worker then asked Owens “if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, ‘Yes.’”

Owens got the pills after he fractured a bone in his hand the Cowboys victory over the Redskins in week two.

The craziest thing about all of this is that Cowboys coach Bill Parcells stated earlier this week that Owens might have had a chance to play this weekend against Tennessee. Now this comes out?

Parcells released a statement this morning that Owens was having stomach problems due to the medication, but mentioned that it was more of a bad reaction – not a suicide attempt.

For as much public debate as Owens receives because of his antics and actions, obviously this goes beyond the football field. Owens needs help and I’m not saying that to be condescending in any way.

Sadly what comes to mind is how media hungry and desperate for attention this guy always is. If by some sick way this was all for attention – than he needs help more than any of us could ever imagine.

Either way he doesn’t need to be anywhere near a football field, because the game is secondary to his health right now. This man is in serious need of some help and hopefully the NFL and Dallas Cowboys take the necessary arrangements to get him that support.

This guy is in serious pain right nowm, but none of us can really say what he is going through in particular. I don’t know what he grew up with, how is life is now and what he believes is in his future.

I just wish him the best and hopefully he can get himself healthy again.

The contender/pretender picture is starting to get a little clearer after three weeks in the NFL, but of course there is still a lot of football to be played.

Rest assured that if your team is anything but 0-3 or the Oakland Raiders - you have a shot to see your squad playing in Miami in a couple of months.

Here is a look at the class and trash with nothing in between after Week 3:

1. Indianapolis Colts (3-0)
Previous Rank: 1
Hard fought win for Tony Dungy’s squad against division rival Jacksonville. As mentioned in the intro, however, this team has some glaring weaknesses. The Colts rank in the bottom half of the league in both rushing and stopping the run - not necessarily a good combination for a Super Bowl contender. Peyton Manning throwing for 750 yards a quarter doesn’t hurt at this point in the season though, and he’ll carry this team throughout the regular season.

2. Cincinnati Bengals (3-0)
Previous Rank: 2
The Bengals were dominated in virtually every aspect of the game last week in Pittsburgh, but it doesn’t matter – they won. Cincinnati got its annoying monkey off of its back once again and made Ben Roethlisberger look just as bad as he did in Jacksonville. Despite during their best Portland Trailblazer impersonation with the number of convicts they employ – the Bengals are tough and playing solid defensively.

3. Seattle Seahawks (3-0)
Previous Rank: 4
Once again a team falls to the Madden curse – what an impressive, consistent jinx that no player can escape from. Reigning MVP Shaun Alexander will be out several weeks with a broken bone in his foot and now Maurice Morris takes over in the Seahawks backfield. Call me crazy, but with the success in which Seattle throws the ball and how much Mike Holmgren likes Morris, I think the Seahawks are going to be just fine. They are virtually unbeatable at home, but going into Chicago on Sunday night will be a true test of how good this team can recover from setbacks (something they didn’t endure that much last season).

4. Chicago Bears (3-0)
Previous Rank: 5
They had every chance to lose to Minnesota on Sunday, but the Bears didn’t. They didn’t fold on offense – something they have been prone to doing over the years – and still played stiff defense on the road. As noted above, the Bears will have a great advantage of getting Seattle at home this weekend. The Seahawks will gamble a lot on defense to get the game-changing turnover, so if Rex Grossman can stay out of Seattle’s danger zones, he can have a lot of success against a unit that is ranked 22nd in the league.

5. Baltimore Ravens (3-0)
Previous Rank: 3
This is the only team that fell in the rankings after a win. Once again the Ravens defense saves a game, but the Browns really exposed how bad Baltimore’s passing attack could be. If it wasn’t for WR Derrick Mason going after balls like a child possessed, Steve McNair looks less than ordinary. I’ve got a hunch that the San Diego Chargers will be sitting in this spot come next weekend after their tilt in Baltimore this Sunday.

28. Detroit Lions (0-3)
Previous Week: Unranked
I’ve been giving these guys the benefit of the doubt after watching them hang with Seattle – but not after getting shredded once again by Brett Favre for the better part of nine decades. If Favre quarterbacked Nicholls State he would beat the Lions.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3)
Previous Week: Unranked
How ironic is Chris Simms’ injury in Tampa? I don’t want to make light of the situation, because the kid is as tough as a dog’s chew toy after playing an entire half with a ruptured organ. But, last year Brian Greise goes down for the count and Simms takes over for the Bucs and leads the team to a division title. I’m not saying lightening will strike twice, but Jon Gruden has raved about former Toledo stud Bruce Gradkowski and gets a week off to prepare the kid before heading into the most dangerous situation known to man – New Orleans (seriously, who wants to play there after what the Saints did to Atlanta Monday night?).

30. Houston Texans (0-3)
Previous Rank: 30
Amazing how QB David Carr is one of the best (statically speaking) quarterbacks in the league right now and Houston is still winless. The Texans are just plain awful defensively. They can’t stop the pass, can’t stop the run and I’m not even sure if they could burn toast right now. Mario Williams watch – eight tackles, no interceptions and continuously wishing that Reggie Bush never existed.

31. Tennessee Titans (0-3)
Previous Rank: 31
Tennessee actually played pretty tough in Miami last weekend. Though, I don’t know if that had more to do with the Titans or the Dolphins just showing the rest of the free world that they aren’t quite there yet. Jeff Fisher has said that he will stick with QB Kerry Collins and not turn the keys of the car over to rookie Vince Young yet. I guess that isn’t a bad idea with a tough Dallas defense on the schedule this weekend.

32. Oakland Raiders (0-2)
Previous Rank: 32
Congratulations Oakland – your problems are right where you left them.

Reggie Wayne is in Louisiana for his brother’s funeral and his availability for Week 4 is unknown at this point. Obviously, what he’s going through is much more important than your fantasy lineup, so assume he’ll be out and plan accordingly…After ESPN and the NFL Network reported that Kurt Warner would be benched in favor of Matt Leinart, ESPN News is now reporting that Warner will start in Week 4…According to Bill Parcells, Terrell Owens may return to practice on Wednesday, increasing his chances of playing this week…Jeff Fisher told the AP that Kerry Collins is the starter heading into Week 4. There was some conjecture that Vince Young may get the start.

With the new AP and USA Today Top 25 polls posting over the weekend, it’s time to take a look at the top 10 in college football.

Nothing shifted in the top six of both polls – although the biggest mover in the top 10 was Georgia with the Bulldogs barely surviving Colorado over the weekend. UG dropped from seventh to ninth in the USA Today poll, while dropping from nine to 10 in the AP poll.

Here is how I see the Top 10:

1. Ohio State (4-0)
Little bit of a scare from Penn State over the weekend, but the defense shut the door when it had to. Here’s an interesting story that came out of this contest - apparently one of the Buckeyes players lost his wristband with some plays typed on it and a PSU’s player found it. The Nittany Lion returned the wristband immediately to OSU’s sidelines, however, and nothing more came out of it. Interesting considering how valuable that piece of information would have been to Penn State in a tight contest – but what an admiral thing to do.

2. Auburn (4-0)
Not much of a test from Buffalo, but boy did the Tigers get it done on the ground this weekend. Freshman RB Ben Tate finished with 111 yards on just seven carries and Brad Lester contributed with 82 yards and two touchdowns. Auburn rushed for a total of 237 yards and will be tough to beat if they can get contributions like this from Tate and Lester to go along with starter Kenny Irons.

3. USC (3-0)
The Trojans were another team that had their hands full on Saturday. It wasn’t until early in the third quarter when USC built a 10-point lead over unranked Arizona. They stayed unbeaten, but the Trojans took a huge hit with loss of WR Dwayne Jarrett for two to four weeks with a shoulder sprain.

4. Florida (4-0)
Chris Leak is continuing to show the NCAA that he is a Heisman candidate. Leak now has 12 touchdown passes on the year and has a QB rating of 173.77. Big SEC test for the Gators comes up this weekend against 3-1 Alabama, but playing the game in the swamps should carry Florida.

5. Michigan (4-0)
Here is the telltale sign of how much Michigan has improved this season on defense – the Wolverines are ranked number one in the nation at stopping the run. Incredible considering how much U of M struggled last year halting teams on the ground. WR Mario Manningham continues his barrage on defensive backs this season – the sophomore now has six touchdowns on the season and is averaging 20.1 yards per reception.

6. West Virginia (4-0)
The Mountaineers impressed me by winning a game in which RB Steve Slaton only had 72 yards on the ground last weekend. But is WV good enough to beat Florida and Michigan? I’m not buying it like the AP and USA Today polls are – both polls has West Virginia at No. 4.

7. Texas (3-1)
The Long Horns true test comes next week when they travel to Oklahoma to take on the Sooners. For now, Texas beating Rice, Iowa State and most likely Sam Houston State this Saturday, keeps the Long Horns right here at seven unless any one of six teams loses this weekend.

8. Louisville (4-0)
Louisville’s perseverance is amazing. The Cardinals lose running back Michael Bush for the season and then lose QB Brian Brohm for a few weeks, but yet they keep pushing on. Louisville is still the top ranked team in the nation in the scoring department.

9. LSU (3-1)
With Georgia having to pull off a last second miracle over unranked Colorado over the weekend, LSU gets to slip past the Bulldogs and into the ninth spot. The Tigers crushed Tulane last week and in doing so, they rebounded from the 7-3 loss to Auburn and got themselves refocused. This week, Mississippi State, but next weekend – top rated Florida in Gainesville.

10. Georgia (4-0)
All right Georgia, this is your warning shot. I know all teams go through games like that, but the Bulldogs better settle on a quarterback (and why not frosh Joe Cox who saved the season for Georgia?) fast or else the defense is going to have to pitch shut outs from here on out.

Here are your college football players of the week,

Remember, if you feel that another player was worthy of higher honors than the two I chose, post the athlete and let me hear why you think he or they were more deserving.

Remember though, the two athletes I pick are usually going to be on a team that played somebody other than St. Mary’s School of Art.

That’s just how I roll – here are your top performers of the week:

Offensive Player of the Week: Brady Quinn, QB Notre Dame
I’ll be honest, I wish the guy I’ll mention after this won his game on Saturday night, because Quinn’s team should have been beaten by about three touchdowns by MSU and his numbers are inflated with the amount of times he had to throw to get the Irish back into the game. However – 20 of 36 for 319 yards and five touchdowns is hard to argue with.

QB Colt Brennan of Hawaii actually had little bit better numbers than Quinn if you can believe that. But Brennan’s performance was in a losing effort to ranked Boise State, so in my opinion the nod has got to go to Quinn for saving Notre Dame’s season (for the moment). Brennan threw for 388 yards, five touchdowns and completed five more passes than Quinn with the same amount of attempts (25 of 36) in Hawaii’s 41-34 loss to the Broncos.

Defensive Player of the Week: Daymeion Hughes, DB California
What a weekend by the senior defensive back from California. Hughes intercepted two passes in the Golden Bears 49-21 victory over previously ranked Arizona State. Hughes returned his second interception 47 yards for a touchdown to give California a 42-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter and also had 10 tackles (seven solo). He now has five interceptions on the season.

So how are you feeling about your team? Are you riding high at 3-0? Doing fine at 2-1? Moderately frustrated at 1-2? Or ready to jump off a cliff at 0-3?

Take it from a guy who’s got a team in each of those situations…it’s early. There is still plenty of time to get it together.

Post all of your fantasy questions here.

QUARTERBACKS

Chad Pennington, David Carr, Jon Kitna, Rex Grossman, Alex Smith, Charlie Frye
I covered all of these QBs on last week’s WWW and they all played well enough in Week 3 to merit a roster spot. They aren’t yet safe to put in on a weekly basis, but they are all capable of putting up very good numbers against poor to mediocre defenses.

J.P. Losman, BUF
Losman played well against a decent Jets defense, throwing for 328 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT, while also rushing for a TD. Is this a one-week flash or could he put up these numbers consistently? The Bills have a pretty conservative attack, so I wouldn’t expect them to throw this much (38 attempts) on a regular basis.

Vince Young, TEN
There are some rumblings that Young will be starting for the Titans, even as early as Week 4 against the Cowboys. I have my doubts that Young will be able to light it up this early in his career, but the team has some weapons and Tennessee will be constantly trying to come from behind, so he may hold some value to fantasy owners in dire straits at the QB position.

Bruce Gradkowski, TB
Chris Simms is out for a while recovering from his spleen operation. (That still boggles my mind.) Gradkowski will get first shot at replacing him, but he’s a rookie, so it’s hard to expect too much. The Bucs have a bye week to get him ready, and then they face the Saints in New Orleans before playing the Bengals and Eagles at home, so the schedule isn’t exactly favorable. Tampa Bay should be playing quite a bit of catch up, so you never know.

Andrew Walter, OAK
Aaron Brooks is out for a little while longer, so Walter will have his chance to shine. He’s got a big arm, but no mobility, so the key to his success will be how well the Oakland offensive line can protect him. Considering how badly they looked against the Chargers, it’s not an enticing prospect. Still, with games against the Browns and the 49ers the next two weeks, the schedule isn’t exactly tough.

RUNNING BACKS

It is highly unlikely that Laurence Maroney, DeAngelo Williams or Jerious Norwood are available in your league, but if they are, stop reading and go pick them up. Seriously – stop reading. Go.

Still here?

Maurice Morris, SEA
With the news that Shaun Alexander is going to miss a few games with a broken foot, expect a mad rush to the waiver wire to grab Morris, who instantly becomes the starter in Seattle. He isn’t as talented as Alexander, but he’s quick and he can catch the ball. Smart Alexander owners would have already secured him, especially after the news that Shaun was suffering from a sore foot, but Morris will be out there in a few leagues. Go get him.

Travis Henry, TEN
Does anyone truly know what’s going on in the Titans backfield? I certainly don’t. One thing’s for sure: Henry will get some work if he’s healthy. I was expecting he and LenDale White to split the carries, but Henry turned 23 touches into 70 yards, while White only had two touches for four yards. Chris Brown is waiting on the injury report to screw with your head some more.

Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX
Drew turned 17 touches into 135 yards and a touchdown, and it’s clear that the team wants to use him to keep Fred Taylor fresh. He didn’t do anything in the first two games, but this performance probably earned him some touches in the next few weeks. He is a must-handcuff for any “Fragile” Fred Taylor owners, though it’s not clear how many carries LeBrandon Toefield would get in that scenario.

Michael Robinson, SF
Frank Gore should be back for Week 4, but now his owners know who exactly is backing him up. Gore has struggled his whole career with injuries, so it would be a very good idea to grab Robinson, who rushed five times for 29 yards and two touchdowns in Gore’s absence.

Ron Dayne / Samkon Gado, HOU
Dayne got the nod and the load this week, rushing 14 times for 58 yards while also turning one reception into 13 yards. Gado just got one carry. Is Gary Kubiak a big Dayne fan? Maybe, but it’s hard to ignore his history of disappointment. I think Gado is the better back, but Kubiak is in control of the carries. Forget about Wali Lundy, at least for now.

WIDE RECEIVERS

I mentioned Jerricho Cotchery, Marques Colston, Bernard Berrian, Reggie Williams and Chris Henry, and if they are still on your waiver wire, they are good options for your lineup. I’d probably pick them up in the order listed. Obviously, if Amani Toomer is still out there, he would top that list.

Mark Clayton, BAL
Clayton may have been drafted in your league and then dropped. He’s playing opposite Derrick Mason and Todd Heap, so he’ll see lots of one-on-one coverage. He caught eight passes for 74 yards against the Browns, snagging three passes on the Ravens’ game-winning drive.

Mike Furrey, DET
Furrey has supplanted Corey Bradford on the Lions’ depth chart and has caught 14 passes for 160 yards in three games. These numbers could grow as the team gets more comfortable with Mike Martz’ offense.

Chad Jackson / Doug Gabriel, NE
Gabriel caught six passes for 65 yards and a score against the Broncos, while Jackson missed the game with an injury. They have to contend with Troy Brown and Reche Caldwell, but Jackson and Gabriel will probably be starting by year’s end.

TIGHT ENDS

Eric Johnson, SF
Vernon Davis is going to miss some time with a broken leg, so look for Eric Johnson to step in and provide good production for a TE. You probably won’t get the 7-87-1 that he put up against the Eagles every week, but he and Alex Smith already have a rapport, so good numbers aren’t out of the question.

Owen Daniels, HOU
Daniels has a TD catch in each of the last two weeks. He’s a rookie, so he’ll struggle at times, but he should be a decent backup over the course of the season.

Chris Baker, NYJ
Baker caught three passes for 15 yards and a TD this week. That was his second TD of the season. He’s a bye week filler at this point in the season.

George Wrightster, JAX
Wrightster was only able to turn eight targets into four catches for 25 yards. Still, eight targets for a TE is a lot, so expect his numbers to improve if he keeps getting that much opportunity.

Impressive, remarkable and utter jubilation can only be described in the Saints 23-3 win over the Falcons on Monday night.

ESPN.com certainly did all they could to make sure that the city of New Orleans and what they went through last year was well documented. The best thing that the network did was show how the city is rebounding and rebuilding from tragedy and how much the Saints mean to the Big Easy. For one night, those folks got to take their minds off of Hurricane Katrina and just watch their football team play great football.

As for the game – what an incredible job by New Orleans on so many accounts. A lot of people questioned how good this team really was after beating Cleveland and Green Bay.

After completely dismantling the Falcons – I think we got our answer. Are they a top 10 team in the NFL? I don’t know about that, but it doesn’t matter, because for one night – they were certainly the talk of the league and they clearly exposed how to beat the Falcons.

Lets jump into my quick thoughts about the game:

- How about a blocked punt for a touchdown just four plays into the game for the Saints? Storybook start…

- Speaking of the start of the game – why in the world would Jim Mora choose to receive the ball and put his offense into that emotional state so early in the contest? I completely understand about getting your potent offense on the field first and try to take the crowd out of it. However, football is such an emotional game and especially in a game like this – Mora should have got his defense on the field first and not put so much pressure on his offense to score right off the bat.

- Amazing job by the Saints defense tonight to hold Michael Vick and Warrick Dunn in check for the entire game. The defensive line led by DE Charles Grant, lived in the Falcons backfield and the coaching staff of the Saints really did its homework in defending the option attack that Atlanta runs.

- Drew Brees is not only what New Orleans needs on the football field, but in its city as well. It’s been well documented that Brees has set up shop inside New Orleans and wants to give back to the city that gave him a home. Excellent story.

- Another why for the Falcons in this game - why did Atlanta come out throwing the ball? You have had the best rushing attack for the past two years and have run all over defenses like Carolina and Tampa Bay, so why do you start off chucking the ball down the field?

- The Saints defensive backs stuck like glue to the Falcons receivers all night.

- WR Marques Colston was a steal in the seventh round of April’s draft and he has really stepped up since the team traded away Donte’ Stallworth in the offseason.

- Here’s another brain fart by Atlanta’s coaching staff. Early in the second quarter with the game still in reach at 17-3, the Falcons get a first and goal from the Saints two-yard line. Instead of hammering the ball with Dunn, they call a pass and Vick gets sacked. Then they run the ball from the eight and Dunn gets nothing. On third down, Vick throws an incomplete pass and on fourth the Saints block a FG attempt. Once again – best running team in the NFL, trying to throw to set up plays.

- Did I mention how good the Saints defense played tonight?

- Speaking of blocked kicks, how can Joe DeCamillas still have a job? Five blocked field goals and one blocked punt for a touchdown is what his special teams unit has done thus far in three games for the Falcons. Staggering.

- I don’t think it’s out of question what Joe Theisman said about the field tonight. He kept reiterating that the brand new turf wasn’t matted down yet and that was causing the players to lose their footing. Reggie Bush and Vick sure looked like they were running in mud to me.

- Speaking of Bush, I felt bad for him when he didn’t score his first touchdown early in the third quarter from the goal line. You know that crowd would have gone nuts if he were able to score his first touchdown of his career on that stage.

- Tony Kornheiser summed it up best tonight – the Atlanta Falcons were completely overwhelmed with what was going on surrounding this game and the New Orleans Saints beat them in every faze.

Congratulations New Orleans, this was certainly your night.

Shaun Alexander has a “cracked foot” (?) and could miss a month, according to ESPN’s John Clayton. Mike Holmgren confirmed the injury.

Maurice Morris will take over lead RB duties while Alexander recovers. Obviously, his value skyrockets with this news.

I guess there is something to that Madden Curse after all.