Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune on why Charlie Weis is the wrong face for Notre Dame:

Unfortunately, football tends to overshadow the university's academic excellence and strong commitment to social-justice issues. Notre Dame is significantly more than its football team, but sometimes it seems the bulk of the energy and attention at the school centers on what happens on Saturdays in the fall.

Because of that, for better or worse, the football coach is the face of the university. So here's the only question that matters when it comes to Charlie Weis: Is this the face you want representing the school? The one with arrogance written on every inch of it?

Weis' abrasiveness clearly has cost him points with alums, staff and media. Some of you think it shouldn't matter how he deals with people as long as he wins games. Fair enough. We call this the Bob Knight syndrome. Some of us, however, believe the football coach is an ambassador for Notre Dame and that by any measure Weis is Ambassador Darth Vader.

College Football notre dame, charlie weis

Did you miss today's LIVE FANTASY BLOG. No sweat catch all my gameday takes in our Blog Rewind...

Fantasy Football live blog, week 13

Let's take a look at some injuries to keep your eyes on heading into Sunday's action:

QUARTERBACKS
David Garrard (back) - looks good to go for Monday night
Matt Schaub (knee) - making progress; could play Monday
Marc Bulger (concussion) - expected to start vs. Mia

RUNNING BACKS
Brandon Jacobs (knee) - listed as questionable, but expected to start
Steven Jackson (quad) - barring setback he should be active vs. Mia
Reggie Bush (knee) - expected to get 18-20 touches vs. TB
Willie Parker (knee) - back-to-back full practices; questionable
Clinton Portis (knee) - 50/50 shot of playing; look for him to go
Steve Slaton (chest) - practiced fully on Friday; safe to play
Jonathan Stewart (heel) - no limitations in Friday's practice
Selvin Young (groin) - going to be a game-time decision; not 100%
LeRon McClain (ankle) - limited on Friday, but is probable

WIDE RECEIVERS
Greg Jennings (ribs) - returned to full practice FRI; probable
Roddy White (back) - listed as questionable; should start
TJ Houshmandzadeh (back) - practiced FRI and will start vs. Bal
Plaxico Burress (hamstring) - will not play vs. WAS
Laveranues Coles (thigh) - appears to be a go vs. DEN
Eddie Royal (toe) - listed as questionable; expected to play
Derrick Mason (shoulder) - listed as probable; should start
Mark Bradley (calf) - officially a game-time decision
Josh Morgan (groin) - practiced FRI, but still questionable

TIGHT ENDS
Kellen Winslow (shoulder) - questionable vs. Ind
Zach Miller (groin) - limited all week, but likely to go

Fantasy Football david garrard, matt schaub, marc bulger, brandon jacobs, steven jackson, reggie bush, willie parker, clinton portis, steve slaton, jonathan stewart, selvin young, leron mcclain, greg jennings, roddy white, tj houshmandzadeh, plaxico burress, laveranues coles, eddie royal, derrick mason, mark bradley, josh morgan, kellen winslow, zach miller

From the GoVols.com:

The University of Tennessee has agreed in principle with Lane Kiffin to become the Vols’ next football coach, a well-placed source within the program has told the News Sentinel.

Barring any unforeseen snags, Kiffin will be announced in the coming days, likely on Monday.

The 33-year-old Kiffin will replace Phillip Fulmer who was forced to step down on Nov. 2. Fulmer’s last game will be Saturday against Kentucky at Neyland Stadium.

Media reports surfaced on Wednesday that Kiffin had been offered the job. Athletic director Mike Hamilton denied those reports at the time saying the search was ongoing.

While the timeline is unclear, Kiffin will indeed become UT’s third coach since 1977.

Kiffin is coming off a tumultuous parting from the NFL’s Oakland Raiders in which both parties filed grievances with the league.

****

This is good news for UC fans that were worrying that their coach, Brian Kelly, may be tempted by the University of Tennessee. That no longer appears to be a concern. Although other schools could surface to try to lure the beloved coach away from Cincinnati. 

College Football tennessee, lane kiffin, sec, brian kelly, cincinnati

Watching football on Thanksgiving was about as fun as getting a root canal. At least you get laughing gas at most dentist offices. I don't know what made me more sleepy eating all the turkey or trying to get into the Seahawks vs. Cowboys match-up on the heels of watching the Lions. I was hoping for a better game in the night cap, but a 28-point blowout by the Eagles was the icing on the cake to a day of crappy football. There were plenty of fantasy takes to digest on this day, but here's my final take:

Titans/Lions
CHRIS JOHNSON - Continues to prove that he's my favorite rookie running back. He was up to 84 yards and 2 TD's on his first four carries against the Lions and finished with 125 yards on 16 carries. Just think of how big of a day he could have had if he would stayed in there rather than giving way to others in a blowout.

LENDALE WHITE - Coming off a huge disappointing effort in Week 12 in which he lashed out against head coach Jeff Fischer to reporters, White gave fantasy owners that gave him a chance in a favorable match-up plenty to be thankful for. The veteran amssed 125 yards and a pair of TD's on 25 carries.

JUSTIN GAGE - Gage is a bit overhyped right now and Thursday only provided more evidence of this. The Titans are a run-first team and with a big lead Gage disappeared. He had a blow-up game in Week 11, but now has managed just 3 catches for 77 yards over his past two games. He's simply to risky to count on for your line-up.

KEVIN SMITH - Smith has finally emerged as the Lions' primary option out of the backfield and finally appears to be at 100%. The problem is that he still plays for the Lions. He struggled mightily against the Titans, generating just 22 yards on 12 carries. Smith is only worth considering as a RB3 and only in prime match-ups.

CALVIN JOHNSON - Despite playing for the lowly Lions the gifted receiver remains a must-start option. He only managed 5 receptions for 66 yards, but Johnson did get 11 targets and remains one of the most dangerous receivers in the league. He's a must-start option down the stretch.

Cowboys/Seahawks
TONY ROMO - He completed 22-of-34 passes for 331 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Romo got great protection and showed that he's capable of producing big numbers despite the splint on his throwing hand. Start him with confidence as you enter the playoff drive.

MARION BARBER - His day was cut short after suffering a dislocated pinkie toe. X-rays came back negative though, so he should be a go next week against Pittsburgh. He finised the day with only 32 yards on 10 carries, but he did manage to score a touchdown.

TERRELL OWENS - T.O. made a couple of great catches and posted solid numbers as he pulled in five balls for 98 yards and a TD. After five straight games in which he failed to eclipsed 40 yards receving, Owens has now tallied 311 yards receiving over his past two games. How can you think about sitting him in the playoffs?

MATT HASSELBECK - The veteran had no time behind Seattle's makeshift offensive line, but he did show that he's nearing 100%. He completed 22-of-38 yards for 287 yards with 0 TD's and 1 INT. He does have some favorable match-ups ahead (NE, @StL, NYJ) so he's worth keeping on your roster as a backup.

MAURICE MORRIS - I am still trying to figure out why a guy coming off a game in which he had 113 total yards and a TD the week before takes a seat the following game. He didn't get much action until the second half, but I have to think that the starting job is going to be his heading down the stretch. Either way he's backup material at best.

Eagles/Cardinals
DONOVAN MCNABB - Left for dead, McNabb lived up to my tabbing him No. 8 on the Cheat Sheet coming into the week. After being benched just four days earlier, McNabb posted stellar numbers vs. the Cards. He completed 27-of-39 passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns.

BRIAN WESTBROOK - Patient owners were finally rewarded on Thanksgiving night as Westbrook busted out with a four-touchdown performance. He finished with 25 touches for 130 total yards, but did sit out some of the game with an ankle injury. He should be good to go in Week 15, but he's still struggling to finish a game heatlhy.

DESEAN JACKSON - The rookie wideout pulled in five balls for 76 yards and a touchdown. After a mid-season slump Jackson now has four straight games with at least four catches and has a good chance to finish the season with over 1000 yards receiving. He's a nice WR3 option to finish out the year.

KURT WARNER - He looked flustered and his team got drilled, but Warner continue to produce for fantasy owners in the loss. He did throw three costly interceptions, but still finished with 235 yards and three TD passes. He did have his 300-yard game streak snapped at five, but did throw for multiple TD's in 9 of his 12 games this year.

TIM HIGHTOWER - It was another disappointing effort by the Cards' rookie runner as he mustered just 7 yards on 7 carries and now has gained just 85 yards on 42 carries over his past four contests. He's nothing more than a flex option at this point and only in favorable match-ups.

chris johnson, lendale white, justin gage, kevin smith, calvin johnson, tony romo, marion barber, terrell owens, matt hasselbeck, maurice morris, donovan mcnabb, brian westbrook, desean jackson, kurt warner, tim hightower

Fantasy Football fantasy sports girl, playoff outlook, wide receivers

Here is our Line-Up Locks for Week 13. Three games on turkey day and they could all be turkeys, especially the afternoon games. This means that's there good match ups and good reason to watch football closely on Thanksgiving. Here's a quick look at those who has favorable matchups (LOCK IN) and those who deserve a spot on your bench this week (LOCK OUT):

QUARTERBACKS
Lock In:
--Tony Romo vs. Sea
My take: Romo will likely be munching on one of those freakish 8 leg turkeys Fox serves after the game. Romo will have a fantastic statline against a miserable Seahawk team.

--Brett Favre vs. Den
My take: The Jets are hot and are being led by Favre. Champ Bailey might play, but don't expect that to hinder Favre's numbers who will shred a terrible Bronco defense and connect for at least two TDs.

--Matt Ryan @ SD
My take: This just in, the Chargers cannot stop the pass. The strong Falcon's running game does hurt Ryan's statline, a little, but it also means less blitzing and more open receivers. Ryan will throw two TDs this week.

Lock Out:
--Matt Cassell vs. Pit
My take: Cassell has been an absolute stud the last two weeks. He makes for a tough choice of whether to start him or not, but this week it's such a tough match up that Cassell should take a seat on the bench this week.

--Donovan McNabb vs. Ari
My take: The late night Thanksgiving Day game could be a real turkey for the Eagles quarterback. He was benched last week after yet another terrible performance. He's desperate and angry and has an inept offense, that spells trouble.

--Tyler Thigpen @ Oak
My take: Thigpen has been pleasantly surprising, throwing for multiple TDs in multiple games. However, this week he goes against a very underrated Raider defense.


RUNNING BACKS
Lock In:
--Chris Johnson/Lendale White @ Det
My take: Football on Thanksgiving is a great tradition, but Titans versus the Lions is not good football, unless you own the Titan running backs. Lendale White only touched the ball three times in Sunday's loss, and he complained, look for the Titan TD machine to remedy the situation while Johnson will rack up the yardage.

--Ronnie Brown @ StL
My take: The Dolphins are still stinging from the beatdown the Patriots gave them. They will get well and Ronnie Brown will rack up the stats versus the Rams.

--Michael Turner @ SD
My take: Turner is a fantasy stud and has made the surprising Falcons a dangerous team. In this match up, you cannot sit Turner.

Fantasy Football tony romo, brett favre, matt ryan, matt cassell, donovan mcnabb, tyler thigpen, chris johnson, lendale white, ronnie brown, michael turner, reggie bush, willie parker, larry johnson, anquan boldin, larry fitzgerald, roddy white, derrick mason, tj houshmandzadeh, marques colston, plaxico burress, dustin keller, jason witten, dallas clark, kellen winslow, owen daniels, heath miller

The No. 16 Cincinnati Bearcats (9-2, 5-1) are on the verge of winning their first BIG EAST Conference title. They can do so with a win over the Syracuse Orange (3-8, 1-5) this Saturday or if Pittsburgh beats West Virginia Friday afternoon. Both the Bearcats and the Orange are coming off big wins with Cincinnati beating PITT for the first time ever and Syracuse upsetting Notre Dame in South Bend. On paper Syracuse shouldn't stand a chance this weekend, but crazier things have happened.

The series between these two teams is tied 4-4, with the Bearcats winning the last three including a 52-31 thrashing last year in Syracuse. No game in this series could end up being more important than the one this weekend. Cincinnati could very well be playing for the conference title should WVU beat PITT. Syracuse is playing for both pride and for their head coach, Greg Robinson, who will coach his final game for the Orange Saturday afternoon.

The Bearcats have been led by the strong quarterback play of Tony Pike over the last few games. Pike had a career day against PITT last weekend going 26-for-32 for 309 yards and three touchdowns. His solid play has made many forget the fact that he broke his non-throwing arm earlier in the season and missed a couple games. He leads an offense that ranks first in the BIG EAST in passing yards per game (258.9) and passing efficiency (142.4). Best of all, he showed in the PITT game that he's not afraid to take a hit on that broken arm that's being held together with a plate an six screws. He has also showed some mobility in the last couple games, scrambling out of the pocket to make plays either with his arm or his feet. Pike is mixing the ball around well, but his two favorite targets are still his big playmakers in Mardy Gilyard and Dominick Goodman, both of which were on the receiving end of a score this past week.

The Bearcats' defense has had a stretch of tough games in the last month or so, but they have risen to the challenge and shut down big name players like Pat White, Noel Divine, and even LeSean McCoy last week. The defense is led by defensive end, Connor Barwin, who leads the BIG EAST with 10 sacks and ranks seventh in the country in that category. Unfortunately the defense will be without their biggest playmaker, Mike Mickens, for a second straight game. He will be out the rest of the regular season after having knee surgery earlier this week.

Syracuse has had a really rough go of it this year. Their three wins have come against Notheastern, Louisville and Notre Dame, none of which are really anything to brag about considering the seasons those teams are having. Running back Curtis Brinkley leads the Orange offense. Without him, there really wouldn't be much offense. The team as a whole is only averaging 275.5 yards of offense and less than 19 points per game. Compare that to Cincinnati's 376.8 yards and almost 27 points per game, and you can see why Syracuse is having such a bad season. In addition to the offense not putting up very good numbers, the defense has struggled as well giving up almost 33 points per game. Unfortunately for coach Robinnson, all these numbers combined with a bad last few seasons led to his demise at the school.

It will be senior day down at Nippert Stadium this weekend. Look for senior quarterback Dustin Grutza to get some play time, possibly early on if Cincinnati can jump out to a big lead. Another way Grutza may get a lot of playing time this weekend is if PITT beats WVU Friday. If that happens, this game will be just a formality for the Bearcats.

The winner of the BIG EAST will likely go to the Orange Bowl, but there is a chance that they go to the Sugar Bowl as well. It would be fitting and ironic if the game this weekend ended up mattering and the Bearcats beat the Orange to go earn a trip to the Orange Bowl.

College Football cincinnati bearcats, syracuse orange, pittsburgh, west virginia, greg robinson, tony pike, mardy gilyard, dominick goodman, connor barwin, mike mickens, curtis brinkley, dustin grutza, big east, bcs, orange bowl

  FANTASY PLAYBOOK PODCAST - Catch Dan Clasgens all season long for his fantasy takes on GetSportsRadio.com

**UPDATED ON SATURDAY WITH INJURIES CONSIDERED AND THURSDAY GAMES REMOVED**  

QUARTERBACKS 1 P. Manning-@CLE 2 D. Brees-@TB 3 P. Rivers-ATL 4 B. Favre-DEN 5 J. Cutler-@NYJ   6 Roethlisberger-@NE 7 M. Ryan-@SD 8 A. Rodgers-CAR 9 C. Pennington-@STL 10 D. Garrard-@HOU

RUNNING BACKS 1 A. Peterson-CHI 2 T. Jones-DEN   3 M. Turner-@SD 4 J. Addai-@CLE 5 R. Brown-@STL 6 M. Lynch-SF 7 F. Gore-@BUF   8 L. Tomlinson-ATL 9 C. Portis-NYG 10 B. Jacobs-@WAS

WIDE RECEIVERS 1 A. Johnson-JAX   2 R. Wayne-@CLE 3 B. Marshall-@NYJ 4 R. White-@SD 5 G. Jennings-CAR 6 S. Smith-@GB 7 R. Moss-PIT 8 L. Evans-SF   9 J. Cotchery-DEN 10 B. Berrian-CHI

TIGHT ENDS 1 T. Gonzalez-@OAK 2 Da. Clark-@CLE 3 A. Gates-ATL 4 D. Keller-DEN 5 K. Winslow-IND 6 O. Daniels-JAX 7 T. Scheffler-@NYJ 8 C. Cooley-NYG 9 K. Boss-@WAS   10 V. Shiancoe-CHI

COMPLETE RANKINGS

Fantasy Football cheat sheet, week 13

Through twelve weeks of the season I have picked 120 out of 175 (68.6%) possible winners, including my 12-4 effort last week in which I scored 114 out of a possible 136 points... My Survivor Pick of the Steelers hit again, but for the second straight week my "Out On A Limb" pick laid an egg (Broncos lost to Raiders)... Against the spread I nailed both of my straight wagers. I had the Jets right in the parlay, but the Chiefs let me down...Here are my picks for this week's action:

CONFIDENCE POOL	SURVIVOR PICK	AGAINST SPREAD
16. COLTS (@Cle) 15. COWBOYS (vs. Sea) 14. TITANS (@Det) 13. JETS (vs. Den) 12. RAVENS (@Cin) 11. DOLPHINS (@StL) 10. CARDINALS (@Phi) 9. GIANTS (@Was) 8. BILLS (vs. SF) 7. VIKINGS (vs. Chi) 6. STEELERS (@NE) 5. HOUSTON (vs. Jck) 4. PACKERS (vs. Car) 3. FALCONS (@SD) 2. RAIDERS (vs. KC) 1. SAINTS (@TB)	MY PICK: COLTS - With Derek Anderson back in due to Brady Quinn's injury and Braylon Edwards dropping balls. The Colts are a lock to get a much-needed win. Peyton Manning is too much for the Browns to handle. OUT ON A LIMB: BILLS - This one is a bit on the limb for sure, but I love the trend of West Coast teams traveling East for the early game. I am sticking with it here!	Balance Heading Into Week: +$323 $55 Colts -4.5 $55 Bills -6.5 $30 - 2-Team Parlay --Saints +3.5 --Falcons +5.5 $20 - 3-Team Parlay --Titans -11 --Seahawks +13 --Under 47 Ari/Phi *All lines from Caesar's Palace

Just For Fun nfl picks, confidence pool, survivor, against the spread