Top Ten Teams

1. Florida - A win is a win.

2. Alabama - A little sloppy.

3. Texas - Still in position but will they be at the end of the season?

4. Cincinnati - 100 percent legitimate.

5. Iowa - Why is everyone still surprised when they win?

6. TCU - Big surge in the second half.

7. Boise - Maybe a little more beatable but still unbeaten.

8. USC - Best of the one loss teams.

9. Oregon - As impressive as anyone.

10. Miami - Another big test this week.

Ten Best Games This Week

1. Florida 23, Arkansas 20 - A nail biter in Gainesville.

2. Texas 16, Oklahoma 13 - Gutsy performance by both teams.

3. Arizona State 24, Washington 17 - Overtime.

4. USC 34, Notre Dame 27 - Not sure how it got this close.

5. Kentucky 21, Auburn 14 - Mild upset.

6. Iowa 20, Wisconsin 10 -Another dominant second half for the Hawkeyes.

7. Air Force 10, Wyoming 0 - What can I say? I love defense.

8. Nevada 35, Utah State 32 - The track meet du jour.

9. Georgia Tech 28, Virginia Tech 23 - This one makes things interesting.

10. Arizona 43, Stanford 38 - Another wild one in the Pac-10.

Ten Best Players In Week Seven

1. Joey Elliot - Made all the right decisions.

2. Dion Lewis - Becoming a regular on this list though now people getting to know who he is.

3. Jahvid Best - He's at it again.

4. Montel Harris - Off the charts.

5. Ben Chappell - Welcome to the list.

6. Daniel Thomas - Finding the endzone often.

7. Mark Ingram - The Heisman winner.

8. Jevan Snead - Making the best of it.

9. Josh Nesbitt - Making people forget about the Miami game.

10. Max Hall - Maybe he is the best QB in the country?

Ten Who Would Like To Forget Week Seven

1. Terrelle Pryor - Absolutely horrible.

2. Mark Mangino - You lost to who?

3. Colt McCoy - Gets a win but loses the Heisman.

4. Sam Bradford - Tough not to feel sorry for him.

5. Alex Tejada - Not all his fault but he's wearing the goat horns.

6. Auburn Fans - Tough one to swallow.

7. Ron Zook - The last shred of dignity gone.

8. The Referees - Yesterday was a flag fest.

9. Jim Harbaugh - Let one get away.

10. Charlie Weiss - Needed that one in the worst way.

Ten Teams Ranked or Unranked At The Start Of The Season

1. Miami - Unranked

2. Florida State - Ranked

3. Houston - Unranked

4. Georgia - Ranked

5. Cincinnati - Unranked

6. North Carolina - Ranked

7. Kansas - Unranked

8. Notre Dame - Ranked

9. Texas Tech - Unranked

10. Nebraska - Ranked

Ten Mascots or Nicknames I Still Don't Get

1. Western Kentucky - That Red Blob thing?

2. Akron - Zips?

3. North Texas - Mean Green?

4. Idaho - Vandals?

5. Stanford - The Pine Tree?

6. Wake Forest -Demon Deacons?

7. Duke - Don't understand the "blue" in Blue Devils.

8. Syracuse -Orangemen?

9. Purdue - Boilermakers?

10. Tulsa - What in the heck is with that Captain Kane?

Ten Things I Do Every Saturday Before Kickoff

1. Go for a run - Try and do it before I'm fully awake.

2. Hit the Farmer's Market - Time and money well spent.

3. Go in the Chat Room - Always like to see what everyone else is thinking on the day's games.

4. Shoot Videos for the site - Been doing these outside on the weekends lately.

5. Drink a huge cup of coffee - Intelligentsia, Black Cat.

6. Watch my Tivo'd shows - Usually not enough time to catch all of them.

7. Check the Forum - Usually some insightful conversations happening.

8. Check the forum polls - Usually right about 85 percent of the time.

9. Answer any straggling emails - I try and get to all of them but I get literally 100's a week.

10. Read for any late news and weather updates - makes all the difference in the world.

Ten TV Shows As They Apply To College Football This Year

1. Survivor - What team will be the sole survivor?

2. The Biggest Loser - This would be the fans of course who have no say in what they want to see (A Playoff!)

3. 60 Minutes - Make that a full 60 minutes of effort and excitement.

4. Big Brother - This would refer to the NCAA Rules Committee.

5. ER - Seems like some of the injuries are getting more attention to the games.

6. Curb Your Enthusiasm - Maybe some fan bases should have tried this before the season.

7. The Amazing Race - Every conference race is wide open at this point.

8. Lost - Several head coaches seem to fit the bill.

9. Wheel of Fortune - Never know from week to week who is going to land on "Bankrupt".

10. The Price Is Right - Definitely more important to the NCAA and the schools than what the fans want or what is best in the long run.

Ten Midseason Notes About The Game

1. ESPN and other networks only care about what it takes to get people to tune into their networks to watch, not solid evaluation and prognostication - Remind everyone as often as possible.

2. The SEC is over rated - The top is the tops but after that the decline is quick.

3. The Big Ten is really bad - A huge drop off after Iowa.

4. No one is unbeatable - Everyone looks very beatable.

5. Penn State will replace Iowa with Northern Iowa on the future schedule - It obviously doesn't matter who they play in the rankings so why wouldn't they.

6. Cincinnati is in a BCS conference yet still need to prove they are BCS worthy - But a 3-3 Oklahoma team is in the top 25?

7. Kirk Herbstreit is racking up the frequent flyer miles - Not even he can make Brent Musberger tolerable in the booth.

8. People have a short memory - Ask Bobby Bowden.

9. I haven't heard about Lane Kiffin since the season started - Why was so much time wasted on him in the off season?

10. USC creates it's own anti West Coast bias - lost to the worst team of any highly ranked one loss teams.

Ten Games For The Upcoming Week

1. Clemson at Miami - The one I care about most.

2. TCU at BYU - As big as last year's game.

3. Tennessee at Alabama - If this doesn't say College Football nothing does.

4. Texas at Missouri - No gimme for the Longhorns.

5. Penn State at Michigan - A classic.

6. Boston College at Notre Dame - Usually a good one.

7. Oregon State at USC - Revenge match up.

8. Oklahoma at Kansas - Pretty much a must win for the Sooners.

9. Wake Forest at Navy - Third meeting in about 10 games.

10. Oregon at Washington - Seems like every Husky game is exciting this year.

Visit Mitch anytime at The Sports Chat Place

I am back with my NFL Picks after being laid up for a week. I went 11-3 on Week 4, thus bumping my record up to 43-18 overall.

Houston Texans @ Cincinnati Bengals

This game will be fun. Houston needs to pass to win, while the Bengals key to victory will be running the ball effectively. I can't see this being a high scoring affair, because both teams need this, but it could be.

Texans 27  Bengals 24

Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers

If the Lions are smart, they will sit Matthew Stafford this week. With their bye week approaching the following week, they can rely on Culpepper. Green Bay will be hungry, so no reason to risk the future.

Packers 34  Lions 17

Saint Louis Rams @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The Rams need some good news, but the exclusion of Rush Limbaugh from prospective ownership may be about it right now. The Jaguars are at a crossroads, so head coach Jack Del Rio needs them ready.

Jaguars 34   Rams 14

Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings

The Ravens can stop the run, but can they run it against the Vikings? I like the Minnesota secondary a little better at the end of the day.

Vikings 21  Ravens 17

New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints

Game Of The Week

This matchup has a little of everything. The Jints keep winning despite a beat up secondary. The Saints have won despite an inconsistent running attack. Both teams are a bit healthier, and seeking balance on Sunday. Jeremy Shockey will be looking to beat his former team, and the Saints hope Pierre Thomas is ready to carry the load. The Giants have a balanced offensive attack that could give New Orleans fits. It will be fun to watch.

Saints 45  Giants 41

Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Well, Derek Anderson is the better quarterback as I had stated long ago. The problem with Anderson finally getting Cleveland a win is that he now has to face a Steelers team trying to stay in the upper echelon in the league. Pittsburgh wants this one bad.

Steelers 31   Browns 10

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay has an exciting young quarterback named Josh with a bright future. Too bad they wasted their pick on Freeman, because I am referring to Johnson. JJ likes throwing to the tight end, especially Winslow. I don't like what the Panthers have trying to stop this connection.

Buccaneers 24  Panthers 21

Kansas City Chiefs @ Washington Redskins

The battle for the first pick in the draft. Who quits first? It won't be Washington for once.

Redskins 24  Chiefs 17

Philadelphia Eagles @ Oakland Raiders

JaMarcus Russell has more flashes of incompetence than ability. I'm not quite ready to label him a bust, but he might be called damaged goods by seasons end.

Eagles 45  Raiders 17

Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks

Seattle has had two weeks where its defense has been excellent, but the Seahawks are far from consistent. Arizona needs to treat this like a playoff game.

Cardinals 31  Seahawks 27

Tennessee Titans @ New England Patriots

Times are tough for the Titans. Looks like my predicting them last place in their division is looking more solid. The Patriots are still looking for their stride, but the talent still carries them to victory.

Patriots 27  Titans 16

Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets

Buffalo's no huddle offense is a flop. They need to ditch it. The Jets are seeing blood after being embarrassed last week on national television.

Jets 30   Bills 13

Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons

The Bears have a real chance to explore a suspect Falcons secondary. The team that runs the ball will win this game.

Bears 34  Falcons 28

Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers

Denver was 4-1 last year when they faced a 2-3 Chargers team. San Diego won that game. History will repeat.

Chargers 34  Broncos 20

NFL Lucubrations

The mess in Washington has gotten a lot of publicity lately. Talking heads are now trying to goad the gullible Redskins owner, Dan Snyder, into a retread hire like Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Bill Cowher, and even Mike Holmgren.

The issue is compounded by the fact the team probably just lost All-Pro offensive tackle Chris Samuels forever because of a spine issue. Things will get so ugly this year that Snyder will finally be forced to fire Vinny Cerrato. Out of the ambers of hell a miracle can occur.

There are a few teams at their lowest right now. The Redskins, Bills, Raiders, Rams, and Titans are certainly in that group, but perhaps no team has looked as lost as the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns ownership seems to be taking a tremendous gamble on coach Eric Mangini. Mangini quickly pulled the hook on quarterback Brady Quinn after a few weeks, even though Cleveland traded up to get the crying kid in the green room in 2007.

Now Quinn is preparing to sell his house as the trade deadline approaches. There has also be word floated Mangini might trade Pro Bowl return specialist Josh Cribbs. Mangini never came across as a coach with a plan while with the Jets, so it will be interesting to see if he actually has one or is just trying to establish his ego.

After seeing recently traded wide receiver Braylon Edwards contribute immediately with the Jets, you have to wonder if the gamble on the coach is smart.

NFL Power Rankings

1. New York Giants

2. New Orleans Saints

3. Minnesota Vikings

4. Indianapolis Colts

5. Denver Broncos

6. Philadelphia Eagles

7. New England Patriots

8. Cincinnati Bengals

9. Baltimore Ravens

10. New York Jets

11. Chicago Bears

12. Atlanta Falcons

13. Pittsburgh Steelers

14. San Diego Chargers

15. Houston Texans

16. Dallas Cowboys

17. Green Bay Packers

18. Miami Dolphins

19. Jacksonville Jaguars

20. Arizona Cardinals

21. San Francisco 49ers

22. Seattle Seahawks

23. Carolina Panthers

24. Buffalo Bills

25. Washington Redskins

26. Detroit Lions

27. Tennessee Titans

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

29. Cleveland Browns

30. Oakland Raiders

31. Kansas City Chiefs

32. Saint Louis Rams

Bleacher Report's College Basketball writers ranked the top 25 teams in the nation. If you are interested in participating in future polls, e-mail me at jamesonfleming@gmail.com to receive a ballot. 

A first place vote is worth 25, and a 25th place vote is worth one and 21 voters submitted ballots.

Rank, Team, Total Votes (first place votes), Last Year

1. Kansas 418 (18), Lost in Sweet 16 to Michigan State

The Jayhawks have two potential All-Americans, Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, but also a stud freshman in Xavier Henry. Kansas is incredibly deep, but that depth will be challenged early because of recent off the court problems. 

2. Texas 370, Lost in Round of 32 to Duke

The Longhorns bring back a loaded frontcourt, but bring in fantastic freshman scorers Jordan Hamilton and Avery Bradley. Texas is so deep, that former Florida top recruit Jai Lucas is a walk-on this year.

3. Michigan State 363 (1), Lost in Championship Game to North Carolina

The Spartans have one of the most talented backcourts in the country and Tom Izzo teams always rebound. MSU has the perfect mix brewing in East Lansing to win it all.

4. Villanova 355, Lost in Final Four to North Carolina

Scottie Reynolds will emerge to replace Dante Cunningham as this team's leader, but the Wildcats need freshman stud Mouphtaou Yarou to live up to the hype to account for Cunningham's inside scoring.

5. Kentucky 331, Lost to Notre Dame in the NIT

The Wildcats burst into the top five behind one of the best recruiting classes in college basketball history. Few coaches can handle a group of young players like Kentucky's freshman class; coach John Calipari is one of them.

5. Duke 331, Lost in Sweet 16 to Villanova

The Blue Devils are ready to challenge North Carolina for the ACC Title again. Coach Mike Krzyzewski will rely on potential All-American Kyle Singler to lead the charge back to the top.

7. North Carolina 316 (1), Won National Championship

The Tar Heels bring back just two major contributors from last year's championship team, but players returning from red-shirt (Marcus Ginyard) and freshmen (John Henson, Leslie McDonald, and Dexter Strickland) will likely have coach Roy Williams' team back in the top 10.

7. West Virginia 316, Lost in First Round to Dayton

The Mountaineers had a disappointing end to their 2009 season, but after losing just Alex Ruoff and landing a solid recruiting class, West Virginia will be thinking about getting four wins to reach the Final Four this year.

9. Purdue 308, Lost in Sweet 16 to Connecticut

The Boilermakers didn't quite live up to expectations with a roster full of sophomores last year. Those sophomores are now juniors and should be Michigan State's biggest challenge to the Spartans' conference supremacy.

10. Tennessee 258, Lost in the First Round to Oklahoma State

The Volunteers can get redemption for not fulfilling expectations last year by shocking Calipari's Kids and winning the SEC. Tyler Smith is one of the nation's best slashers and the front court he leads is one of the best in the SEC.

11. Washington 219, Lost in the Round of 32 to Purdue

Isaiah Thomas is the best thing to happen to Seattle basketball since Brandon Roy. The combination of Thomas and fantastic freshman Abdul Gaddy gives the Huskies one of the best starting backcourts in the country if coach Lorenzo Romar starts both from day one. 

12. California 215, Lost in the First Round to Maryland

The Golden Bears return every key contributor from last year's 22 win team. Washington and Cal are head and shoulders above the rest of the Pac-10 and will jockey for the league crown all year.

13. Connecticut 188, Lost in the Final Four to Michigan State

The Huskies lose their massive frontcourt of Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien, but return the brilliant backcourt pair of Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker. A bumper crop of high potential freshmen should help Jim Calhoun rebuild, but continue to compete at a high level.

14. Minnesota 170, Lost in the First Round to Texas

It's not taking long for Tubby Smith to turn the Golden Gophers into a nationally feared program. Terrific talent returns to complement a very strong recruiting class. Minnesota could be the third best team in the Big Ten.

15. Mississippi State 162, Lost in the First Round to Washington

The Bulldogs made a miraculous run through the SEC Tournament last season to go dancing, but no surprise championship will be necessary for MSU to punch its ticket to the tournament. Walk-on center Jarvis Varnado is the most feared defender in the country.

16. Michigan 157, Lost in the Round of 32 to Oklahoma

Each year, the Wolverines better execute John Beilein's unique basketball philosophy. With the right components finally in place, Beilein's squad should be a dark horse to knock off Michigan State and Purdue in the Big Ten.

17. Ohio State 155, Lost in First Round to Siena

The Buckeyes are the fifth Big Ten team in the top 17 in the country, showing the conference's depth and strength in 2010. Evan Turner is the nation's most versatile player and sleeper for National Player of the Year honors.

18. Georgia Tech 150, No Postseason, 12-19 record

The Yellow Jackets need their freshmen class to living up to billing. Derrick Favors can dominate a game on both ends of the court. If he messes well with returning stars Gani Lawal and Iman Shumpert, Tech will have a terrific triumvirate.

19. Georgetown 119, Lost to Baylor in NIT

The 2010 Hoyas are a product of addition by subtraction with the graduation of Jessie Sapp. DaJuan Summers' defense or lack thereof won't be missed either because John Thompson III has a tough to top threesome with center Greg Monroe, wing Austin Freeman, and point guard Chris Wright.

20. Syracuse 75, Lost in Sweet 16 to Oklahoma

No Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf, and Paul Harris has some pundits thinking the Orange won't be a factor in the Big East. But a fantastic frontcourt that star transfer Wesley Johnson will lead will give almost every Big East school trouble.

21. Butler 73, Lost in the First Round to LSU

The Bulldogs have the Horizon League's two best players, Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard. Hayward has the potential to be a third or fourth team All-American.

22. Siena 70, Lost in Round of 32 to Louisville

The Saints should be even better than last year which they hope will translate into a more manageable NCAA Tournament seed. Siena is good enough to reach the Sweet 16, but the MAAC's best team has to do enough in the regular season to earn a tournament seed that will allow them to reach the third round.

23. Maryland 63, Lost in Round of 32 to Memphis

The Terrapins' Greivis Vasquez is hated in almost every ACC gym. Finally, Vazquez has a team capable of shutting those opposing fans up. Maryland could finish as high as third in the ACC.

24. Oklahoma 48, Lost in Elite Eight to North Carolina

Keith "Tiny" Gallon won't make Sooner fans forget about Blake Griffin, but the 300 pound center should have a calming influence in Norman. Gallon, fellow freshman Tommy Mason-Griffin, and super sophomore Willie Warren form the nation's youngest superior trio.

25. Illinois 39, Lost in First Round to Western Kentucky

The Illini complete the Big Ten's dominance in the top 25 as Bruce Weber's club is the sixth club from the league to find a home in the rankings. Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale could be the second Mike & Mike pairing to be household names.

Others Receiving Votes

Gonzaga 38, Dayton 36, Clemson 27, Louisville 24, Texas A&M 24, Florida State 21, Cincinnati 16, LSU 15, Notre Dame 15, Vanderbilt 15, Tulsa 10, UCLA 8, Kansas State 6, Xavier 6, South Carolina 4, Seton Hall 3, Memphis 2, Western Kentucky 2, Florida 1

Participating Voters

Jameson Fleming, Henry Ball, Justin McTeer, Tryvon Paige, Sam Silverman, Dan Scofield, Dino Nicandros, Caleb McConachie, Daniel Abbas, Kurt Wirth, Joe Slowik, Joshua Concon, Mark Fodor, Pete McMullen, Nick Rall, Kevin Trahan, George Barnette

On Oct. 17, the USC Trojans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take the field to continue a heated rivalry that began in 1926.

While USC has dominated the recent years of these gridiron battles, it has not always been this way.

Much of the 1980s and 1990s saw the Irish, led by Lou Holtz, beat the Trojans with the same regularity that USC enjoys over Notre Dame in this decade.

Every year, the USC-Notre Dame game captures the imagination of college football fans throughout the nation, and many of those years found the winner of this game vying for the national championship.

This year, the game may not feature a national championship winner, but it will figure prominently in both the Trojans' title game hopes and perhaps the future of Charlie Weis as Notre Dame's coach.

In honor of this long-running contest that has provided so many sterling moments and memories, here are my top 11 USC-Notre Dame games throughout the years.

11) 1930: Notre Dame 27, USC 0

While this game wasn't a classic for the on-the-field exploits, it merits distinction as the last regular season game coached by Notre Dame's legendary Knute Rockne.

Coach Rockne, who won six titles in 12 seasons as the Fighting Irish coach, died in a plane crash at the age of 43, but not before he guided the Irish to a 10-0 season and his last national championship before he boarded that airplane for his ill-fated flight.

10) 1948: USC 14, Notre Dame 14

A hard-fought game that saw the Trojans break Notre Dame's 21-game winning streak. This game cost the Irish the AP national championship, which elevated the Michigan Wolverines to the top spot.

9) 1929: Notre Dame 13, USC 12

Another classic, hard-fought game played in front of the largest crowd ever to witness a college football game.

8) 1964: USC 20, Notre Dame 17

Notre Dame came into this game 10-0, undefeated, and ranked No. 1. Meanwhile, USC, under the tutelage of the legendary John McKay, was a lackluster 6-3.

John Huarte, Notre Dame's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback of that year, led the Irish to a 17-0 halftime lead, and from all appearances it looked like Notre Dame would roll to another victory and perhaps another national championship—but it was not meant to be.

Craig Fertig, USC's much less heralded quarterback, led a stirring USC comeback, and with 1:35 left in the game, he hit wide receiver Rod Sherman on a spectacular fourth down pass that gave the Trojans the lead. Huarte then marched the Irish down the field, but a last second pass to Jack Snow fell incomplete as time ran out.

7) 1968: USC 21, Notre Dame 21

USC, led by O.J. Simpson, came into the game undefeated and ranked No. 1. Notre Dame was 7-2, and when Irish quarterback Terry Hanratty was injured, it marked the beginning of the Joe Theismann era; he promptly threw an interception that USC returned for a touchdown.

Theismann shook off that mistake and led Notre Dame to a 21-7 halftime lead. USC came back with two touchdowns in the second half, and when Notre Dame missed two field goals that same half, the game ended in a tie. Simpson, who would go on to win the Heisman, was held to 55 yards that game.

6) 1986: Notre Dame 38, USC 37

In Lou Holtz's first year as the Irish coach, Notre Dame trailed 37-20 in the fourth quarter before staging a furious rally capped by John Carney's (isn't he still kicking somewhere?) field goal as time ran out.

Although the Irish would only finish 5-6 that year, it was the start of Notre Dame's return from the woeful Gerry Faust era, and only two years later Holtz would lead the Irish to a national championship.

5) 1996: USC 26, Notre Dame 20

After 11 straight years of futility against the Fighting Irish, the Trojans finally broke through in the first overtime game in the long series.

Coming off of a heartbreaking double overtime loss the week before against rival UCLA, Trojan quarterback Brad Otton's pass to Rodney Sermon gave the Trojans a 27-20 lead, and when Ron Powlus' last gasp pass fell harmlessly to the Coliseum turf, the Trojan faithful finally had some thing to cheer about in an otherwise dismal Trojan season.

4) 1988: Notre Dame 27, USC 10

This game was special for the circumstances that surrounded it. Notre Dame came into the game undefeated and ranked No. 1, while USC was also undefeated and ranked No. 2.

Notre Dame, playing without suspended stars Tony Brooks and Ricky Watters, beat a Rodney Peete-led Trojan team behind the stellar play of Tony Rice. The Fighting Irish would go on to win the national championship that year.

3) 1970: USC 38, Notre Dame 28

Interestingly enough, this game was memorable not for the final score, which saw USC, a pedestrian 5-4, end Notre Dame's national title hopes, but rather for the remarkable performance of Joe Theismann, who passed for a school record 526 yards in a driving rain.

Although Theismann's heroics would fall short of a Notre Dame victory, his performance nonetheless was one for the ages.

2) 2005: USC 34 Notre Dame 31

With a tip of the cap to Vincent and Sean, who "slapped me up" for forgetting about the famous "Bush push," I include this game and install it as my #2 alltime game in this revised top eleven.

USC came into the game riding a 27 game winning streak, which included three straight 30+ point beat downs of Notre Dame. However, Brady Quinn led an inspired Irish offense who took the Trojans down to the wire.

Key plays included a fourth and nine pass from Matt Leinart to Dwayne Jarrett that covered 61 yards with 1:37 left in the game. Two rushes by Reggie Bush brought the Trojans to the Irish two yard line and on the next play, Leinart rolled out with seven seconds left when the ball was knocked out of Leinart's hand out of bounds. The timekeeper let the clock run out and frenzied Irish fans stormed the field thinking they had won. However, time was put back on the clock setting the scene for Leinart's quarterback sneak, assisted by a well place shove in the back from Reggie Bush that propelled Leinart into the end zone and this game into the annals of alltime great USC-Notre Dame games.

1) 1974: USC 55, Notre Dame 24

Simply known as "The Comeback," the Fighting Irish raced out to a 24-point lead, but with 10 seconds remaining in the first half, USC quarterback Pat Haden threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to running back Anthony Davis to finish the half.

On the second half's opening kickoff, Davis returned the ball 102 yards to spark the Trojans to 55 straight points in a mind-boggling 17 minutes. Davis would go on to score two more touchdowns, while Haden would throw for two.

When it was all over, Notre Dame's then-president Theodore Hesburgh told Trojan coach John McKay that what he did to the Irish "wasn't very nice." McKay, known for his biting wit, replied, "That's what you get for hiring a Presbyterian" (Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian's religion of choice).

So there you have it: my 11 greatest USC-Notre Dame games in this memorable rivalry.

I tried to be fair (this coming from a rabid Trojan fan), but lists are always subjective, and I hope you forgive any unconscious transgressions.

There have been many, many great games in this series, and I am sure that I have slighted many games that possibly deserve inclusion in this list.

On Oct. 17, the Trojans and Fighting Irish renew the series once again in South Bend.

Let's hope that this game barges its way into my top 10 Trojan-Irish games next year.

As long as it features a USC "W."

BACK IN THE DAY

First, I would like to thank Kristi, Marlisa and Andrew at Talladega Superspeedway for faxing me a list of the nominees for the 2010 induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

When I look at the picture in this article, I see men who helped the sport of automobile racing get to where it is today. Most are retired, one is not with us anymore and a few are still active.

There on the end of the front row, sits a man who seems to be non existent. He is small in stature at 5' 4" and 135 pounds, but a giant in Nascar's record book.

That man is Rex White and next year will be the 50th Anniversary of his winning the 1960 Nascar Grand National Championship. I met Rex when I was twelve years old and he treated me like his son.

My grandfather was a retired railroad engineer and his long time friend, Alf Knight, had taken on the task of building Atlanta International Raceway

Anyone who knew Alf knows how hard he worked to build and then run the race track in Hampton, GA. It was through Alf that I meet White.

White was the reining champion of Nascars top series back in 1961. He put me in the back of his pick-up truck and drove by the gates and into the garage area at AIR.

Holy s___, I was talking to some of the greatest drivers in Nascar history. In the day when Fireball Roberts wore a black Winn's Friction Proofing jacket, Fast Freddie Lorenzen had a satin silver Pure Oil jacket and the legendary Curtis Turner wore his familiar black leather motorcycle jacket with the collar turned up.

These were THE MEN that drove almost purely stock automobiles over 160 miles per hour wearing t-shirts and jeans.

In today's Nascar, the car either has a cut tire or the tire has irregular wear. The drivers can feel a tire losing air, but the inner liners let them get back to pit road.

Back in the day, you would hear a sound like a shotgun going off and look in the direction of the noise to see a car spinning or actually going over the guard rail. I witnessed Paul Goldsmith going out of AIR in the mid sixties.

This story is about a man who overcame Polio as a child and then lived his dream of driving a race car.

That man is White. It has been over 42 years since White gave me a job at a local car dealership.

I have followed Nascar and most other forms of auto racing for 49 years and ever since I became disabled from blotched spinal surgery in 2006, all I could do was sit on the sofa and read on the Internet.

Last month, I decided to call White and see how he was doing. He said he was still very active, so I said that I wanted to be a part of his Golden Anniversary. He said fine, just stay away from Nascar.

Stay away from Nascar? This was a man who in the years 1959 thru 1963 won 28 races in his Gold and White #4 Chevrolet Impala.

More than Lee Petty, Richard Petty, Fireball Roberts, Joe Weatherly, Curtis Turner or any other driver in the sport!

A man who won a Championship and was voted Nascar's Most Popular Driver in the same year! Only six other drivers can say that they did it.

At 79 years old, White is the oldest living member of Nascar's 50 Greatest Drivers and is still in the top 25 of Nascar's winning-est drivers with 28 wins.

And yet here is a man that has never been voted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on the grounds of Talladega Superspeedway.

If you haven't been to the museum there, make plans to do so, as it is full of history from Back in the day to the current era.

You will see winning race cars, wrecked race cars and historical race cars, plus a lot of special exhibits including a race car simulator. 

There were four pages of names for the class of 2010 and White had page No. 4 all by himself.

I thought wouldn't it be fitting to induct him into the IMHOF 50 years after his Nascar Championship.

I wish I could send this article to every voting member, but that is not possible.

What is possible, is for the voting members of the Hall of Fame to vote White in while he is still active and can enjoy it.

The sport owes it to him!

 William Corley

The small forward position is the most diverse position in the NBA, mainly because the job descriptions of small forwards vary with each of the NBA’s 30 franchises.

Rashard Lewis is asked to put up points from the outside, Corey Maggette does the brunt of his work inside, while Luol Deng is a mid-range maestro. Ron Artest and Paul Pierce are ferocious two-way players who dominate both ends of the court, while Kevin Durant specializes in offense and Tayshaun Prince’s priority is defense.

Hedo Turkoglu does his best work with the ball in his hands, Matt Harpring is at his best with the ball not in his hands, and Trevor Ariza is adept at causing the ball to change hands.

This list does not take into account a player’s future prospects or past salad days. The criteria is simple: Which NBA center would be best suited to winning a championship with a random collection of starting-level talent. For example, if Andris Biedrins, Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson, and Beno Udrih are your teammates, who would you want as your small forward?

Due to the way some NBA lineups are presently constructed, a handful of potential small forwards will be asked to play different positions this year. For that reason, Boris Diaw is listed as a power forward, while Shane Battier, Andre Iguodala, Josh Howard, and Stephen Jackson are considered shooting guards.

No rookies made the list, as neither you nor I have seen them play in meaningful games against meaningful competition to know where they should be ranked.

With the formalities over and done with, the list:

1) LeBron James—Cleveland Cavaliers

An awesome combination of speed and power, LeBron is a force unlike any other in NBA history. Sure, other great wings have shared his phenomenal  athleticism, but Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Julius Irving, and Kobe Bryant can’t simply run through people, and Karl Malone can’t run and jump the way LeBron can.

What’s more, James has taken it upon himself to work on his defensive game, which is leaps and bounds better than it was at this point two years ago. He’s an unselfish star, an almost unstoppable force, and has the potential to rewrite the NBA history books before his career is over.

The frightening part is that James can still improve so much.

His post skills are shockingly rudimentary for a player with his size and strength. James also tends to massage the ball too long in pressure situations, his jump shot is streaky, and he has almost no mid-range game to speak of.

Plus, while James’ defense is very good, he still tends to play too off-balanced where quick players can attack his first step or change direction on him far too easily. This, among other reasons, is why Rafer Alston scored with so much ease during the Eastern Conference Finals, and why conversations imploring James as the best defender in the NBA are totally bogus.

Still, considering James’ defensive improvement the past two years, it’s fair to expect similar strides to be made this year. He’s already easily the best small forward in the game. If he continues to add to his repertoire, he might become one of the best players of all-time.

2) Paul Pierce—Boston Celtics

There are a couple of reasons why Pierce takes the two spot away from Carmelo Anthony. One, while Anthony is certainly clutch, he has an alarming habit of disappearing against good teams in the postseason, as he did over the final five games in Denver’s series against the Lakers. Contrast this with Pierce who steps his game up in the playoffs.

Secondly, while Pierce and Anthony are both adept at being their teams’ top scorers and top playmakers, Pierce doubles as Boston’s perimeter defensive stopper while Anthony’s defense isn’t up to par. If Carmelo’s the better raw scorer, Pierce is more reliable in huge games.

3) Carmelo Anthony—Denver Nuggets

Anthony is right on the cusp of greatness. His ability to put the ball in the basket is phenomenal, he’s reliable late in games, and his shot selection is worlds better since Chauncey Billups arrived in Denver. If only he’d stop checking himself out of contests when a defense prevents him from simply showing up and dominating. The ability to transcend great opposing defensive gameplans is what’s holding him down from being an MVP-caliber superstar.

4) Ron Artest—Los Angeles Lakers

Rough and rugged, Artest is a monster near the basket since he’s simply too strong for most opposing wings to handle. He can also knock down standstill threes, occasionally can create offense off the dribble, and is one of the three best perimeter defenders in the game.

Artest will tend to make brainless decisions on both ends of the court—gambling for steals on defense, while dribbling away the shot clock on offense—and he isn’t reliable under pressure situations. Still, he’s one of the finest two-way players in the league regardless of position.

5) Caron Butler—Washington Wizards

Butler’s defense slipped last year as he was asked to carry more of an offensive role for Washington, but you can count on Butler to use his quick hands to rip away steals by the bushel while scoring timely baskets on offense. Butler is a below average shooter, and he doesn’t have the raw talent to single-handedly take over games, but because he’s tough, athletic, and hard-working, he constantly makes plays at both ends of the court.

6) Kevin Durant—Oklahoma City Thunder

Even with only two seasons in the league, Durant has already proven to be an explosive scorer. His shooting stroke is flawless, and because of his 6’9” height, his jumper is seldom contested.

Besides having a superior jump shot, Durant is also a gifted athlete, with a dynamite first step, the ability to leap small buildings, and the wingspan of a pterosaur. There’s no doubt that Durant is the league’s next gifted scorer.

Where can Durant improve? He’s still too frail to be a dominant scorer in the paint, his defensive instincts are poor, and he doesn’t have much of a back-to-the-basket game. His pass work and court awareness also aren’t up to snuff. But if Durant’s body fills out the way it should, and if he continues to learn from his mistakes, he’ll put up prodigious numbers for at least a decade.

7) Danny Granger—Indiana Pacers

Last season, Granger showed that he’s a pure point-producer from near, far, and anywhere in between, though he does most of his work from the perimeter. He’s a tough cover because he’s bigger than most shooting guards, and faster than most forwards. His next step is improving his defense to make him a complete player.

8) Richard Jefferson—San Antonio Spurs

Jefferson’s an interesting case study because of his uneven career. When asked to be a team’s major scorer he’s responded by taking plays off defensively and lounging around the perimeter. When Jefferson’s been a supporting option, he’s played ferocious defense, and smart, fearless offense. Given that he’s once again surrounded by elite talent, it’s fair to expect to see the Jefferson from the Nets’ championship runs, as opposed to the average star who’s stagnated the past several seasons.

9) Gerald Wallace—Charlotte Bobcats

Wallace can run, jump, score, and defend, making him an extremely valuable commodity. He’s not a good enough scorer to carry a team, mostly because he’s an erratic jump shooter, but would be an exceptional complementary. Defensively, Wallace uses his quick feet and quicker hands to intercept any wayward pass or dribble in his vicinity. Plus, he’s a solid positional defender who doesn’t have to brazenly gamble to make a defensive impact. Consider Wallace the Bobcats’ version of Caron Butler.

10) Hedo Turkoglu—Toronto Raptors

Turkoglu’s a gifted playmaker, an accurate shooter, and one of the game’s most clutch performers when a contest’s final seconds are trickling down. Turkoglu’s exceptional at reading screens and punishing opponents that aren’t coordinated in their defense. Because of Turkoglu’s 6'10" height, he can simply shoot over most defenses, and a tricky first step, combined with his length, allows him to beat defenders to the rim.

All this being said, Turkoglu isn’t a gifted athlete and can be slowed down one-on-one by quick perimeter defenders. Also, good screen defense limits his effectiveness popping off picks to shoot, drive, or pass. Plus, since he isn’t particularly athletic or strong, he’s a deficient defender.

Despite those deficiencies, Turkoglu is a terrific playmaker. Without Dwight Howard setting crushing screens, and three-point shooters enveloping the perimeter, it’ll be a wonder to see just how creative Turkoglu is, though, without the perfect system for him.

11) Rashard Lewis—Orlando Magic

A mad bomber extraordinaire, Lewis has the capability to sink the opposition under a deluge of three-balls. If the flood gates aren’t opening for Lewis from downtown, he’s a capable slasher who can also post up, and who has become a hard-working defender.

Lewis’ offense is very streaky and he’ll turn into a missing person if his shooting hand isn’t running hot. His defense, while improved, isn’t anything special, and he goes through too many dry spells offensively to be a superstar. Lewis is a very good player, but he hasn’t been worth the exorbitant $118 million contract the Magic shelled out for him.

12) Shawn Marion—Dallas Mavericks

While Marion built his reputation as a scorer in Phoenix’ free-flowing seven-seconds-or-less offense, his best attribute is his ability to play strong individual defense against most small forwards, and some power forwards and shooting guards.

Marion’s effectiveness has declined the past few seasons because he can’t find a way to fit into half-court systems. His inability to succeed in the half-court keeps him out of the top 10.

13) Tayshaun Prince—Detroit Pistons

One of the premier wing defenders in the business, Prince’s wingspan swallows up the majority of the players he’s assigned to guard. If Prince has a defensive weakness, he’s not particularly strong, so scorers with muscle can go through him, instead of the nigh-impossible task of trying to get around him.

Offensively, Prince can handle, shoot, and has a left hook he likes to put up from the right box, though his calling card is clearly on the defensive end.

14) Andrei Kirilenko—Utah Jazz

Kirilenko may be the most versatile player in the NBA. His length makes him a good on-ball defender, and his athleticism allows him to be an ace shot-blocker, steals-generator, and finisher in the open court.

He’s an able rebounder, passer, slasher, and shooter as well, sampling statistical categories for his box score, the way wine-tasters sample new bottles. A glass of rebounds here, a sip of blocked shots there, Kirilenko’s penchant for filling up different stat categories plays to his all-around utility on the court.

Unfortunately, besides playing long-armed defense, there aren’t many things in which Kirilenko excels at. He’s not a particularly tough defender, he’s not an exceptional offensive player in any category, and most damning of all, he has a reputation of not competing with games on the line.

Kirilenko’s confidence wavers too easily, preventing him from being a special player, and preventing the Jazz from being a special team.

15) Wilson Chandler—New York Knicks

Chandler is the real deal. He’s a prime-time athlete that can handle and finish, he makes good decisions with the ball, and plays above average defense considering New York’s laissez faire attitude on that end of the court. With more experience and more confidence, Chandler could easily become a 20-point scorer.

16) James Posey—New Orleans Hornets

Posey’s a tough, rugged defender, probably the best in the business at roughing up perimeter scorers and throwing them off their game. He’s also one of the most clutch playoff shooters of recent history, with his big-time shot making helping to capture two titles this decade.

As Posey approaches his 33rd birthday, his quickness has lost a step, preventing him from being able to hang with speed guards on the perimeter. Worst, Posey has a bad habit of not playing as hard after successful seasons, reasons why his defense has regressed every other year since his breakout 2003-2004 campaign.

Posey’s still a very good defender because of his strength and attitude, but he’s beginning to show signs of slippage.

17) Trevor Ariza—Houston Rockets

Ariza’s emergence during last year’s postseason was a boon to the Lakers’ championship hopes. He has tremendous length, quickness, and defensive instincts, which allow him to defend quicker, faster players, and to pick up steals when defenses get careless.

He showed himself to be a reliable three-point shooter during the postseason, though it’s difficult to know if he’s evolved into a knock-down shooter, or if it was an aberration considering his career three-point percentage is under 30 percent.

Ariza’s not a good defender against power scorers, he’s not capable of creating offense off the drive, and if his shooting in last year’s postseason was an anomaly, he doesn’t provide anything offensively besides a high-flying runner and cutter.

Ariza’s definitely an interesting subject—this season will be a strong indicator as to how good he really is.

18) Rudy Gay—Memphis Grizzlies

Gay can run, jump, and score in a broken field, but he’s lost defensively, has no clue as how to play structured offense, and is an inefficient scorer with no idea how to play without the ball in his hands. There’s a lot of style, but very little substance to his game.

19) Mickael Pietrus—Orlando Magic

Pietrus is a talented athlete who can knock down threes, fill lanes, and defend exceptionally well. Focus has been the biggest detriment to his career, but the older he gets, the wiser he becomes. He still needs to improve his court vision, as he often panics when he dribbles, not trusting his ability to see the court and make proper passes. But Pietrus is one of the game’s better two-way players.

20) Luol Deng—Chicago Bulls

Injuries have curtailed the past two seasons of Deng’s career, preventing from fully blossoming into his full potential. He doesn’t have all-NBA range, and he’s not a terrific finisher or defender. Instead, he has an advanced mid-range game with good touch on his jumper and cleverness when driving to the hoop. He doesn’t get to the free throw line very much though, which hurts him as a designated scorer, and he hasn’t been a defensive factor at any point in his career. Coming off a fractured leg, it’s fair to expect a drop in Deng’s athleticism and offensive production.

21) Thaddeus Young—Philadelphia 76ers

As Young grows and matures, it’s clear to see the potential he has. He’s an athletic slasher and finisher who isn’t afraid to take big shots. He’s also a respectable defender, though he’s a surprisingly poor shot blocker. As time goes on, expect him to creep farther and farther up the top small forwards list.

22) Jarvis Hayes—New Jersey Nets

Hayes is a tough, veteran two-way player who plays hard-nosed positional defense and hits timely threes on offense. After a disappointing season in Detroit, Hayes responded by playing the best ball of his career in his first season in New Jersey. With his defensive pedigree and ability to knock down triples, his skills are best suited to a winning team than the rebuilding Nets.

23) Michael Beasley—Miami Heat

After an underwhelming rookie campaign, Beasley will take over a new position as a small forward in 2009. Beasley has a quick first step and great size (6’9”) for a combo forward, and his three-point shooting as a rookie was exceptional.

Now it’s just a matter of Beasley putting his talent together and improving his basketball IQ. He has no idea how to play defense because he was never asked to play any defense in high school or at Kansas State. Because of that, Beasley had to spend the majority of his rookie campaign coming off the bench or else Miami’s defensive identity would be compromised.

Beasley is also a selfish scorer, as once he goes into attack mode on offense, he won’t give the ball up no matter how improbable his chance of scoring becomes.

However, despite being asked to come off the bench, Beasley took it all in stride and genuinely seems to care to improve his game.

As he continues to improve his awareness, work harder on his weaknesses, and get his personal life in order, we should see Beasley quickly climbing up the small forward charts.

24) Al Thornton—Los Angeles Clippers

Thornton’s a volume scorer who can’t pass or defend. He is capable of huge performances, but he needs to be more consistent and well-rounded. His talent is unquestioned, and his future is bright, but teams with inefficient volume scorers usually don’t accomplish very much.

25) Grant Hill—Phoenix Suns

Hill is still an effective scorer between the three-point line, whether he’s running the break, hitting mid-range jumpers, or driving along the baseline to score. He’s never been a good defender and his aversion to playing a grind-it-out defensive style is reported to be one of the main components that led to the Terry Porter firing. Hill still has a bit of game and a lot of wisdom to offer, but he’s past the point of being a difference maker on a championship-caliber team.

26) Travis Outlaw—Portland Trail Blazers

Freakishly athletic, Outlaw’s mastered his pet move—a step back jumper from the right wing that’s un-guardable unless game planned for. However, Outlaw’s too soft, and his bag of tricks are too limited for him to be effective when his step-backs are taken away.

27) Corey Maggette—Golden State Warriors

Besides having one of the more ridiculous basketball nicknames (Uh-Oh-Maggettios!), Maggette’s best known for hogging the ball, committing turnovers, sleepwalking on defense, and displaying sloppy fundamentals. Shame, because with his strength, talent, and ability to out-muscle opponents on drives and cuts, he’s a bear of a scorer.

28) Ryan Gomes—Minnesota Timberwolves

While he doesn‘t possess a huge amount of talent, Gomes does a lot of things well. He’s a good ball mover, a capable point-maker, and an earnest defender. He plays hard, and he plays smart—talents that would shine through on a more veteran team.

29) Marvin Williams—Atlanta Hawks

After four seasons in the league, Williams still hasn’t found a niche. He’s more athletic than most fours, but as a three he’s only average. No matter what position assigned to him, he’s soft and has an inconsistent jumper. With the way the Hawks get up and down the court, his athleticism allows him to make plays here and there, but when he’s forced to slow down, he struggles. A mediocre player, Williams wouldn’t start on most teams in the league.

30) Matt Harpring—Utah Jazz

A Rhino disguised as a football player, Harpring’s made a career of playing harder than his opponents. Nobody cuts harder away from the ball, and he won’t give an inch defensively. He is also a reliable mid-range jump shooter popping off of screens and can score in the post.

Knee and ankle ailments wrecked his 2008-2009 season, and may cause him to retire before this season starts. Even when healthy, Harpring is only average athletically. Still, if he does call it quits, the NBA will lose one of the toughest players in the entire league.

This article first appeared on ballerblogger.com

Some people weren't too happy with my decision to include the UFC heavyweight champ in last month's installment of the pound-for-pound rankings, clinging to the usual arguments made against Brock Lesnar.

This month, I counter with this: Lesnar had the same size advantage in his first fight against Frank Mir that he had the second time they met, yet the outcomes were different.

Why? Lesnar is evolving; he's learning to combine his massive size with his freakish athleticism and hands the size of lunch boxes.

As he continues to pick off top contenders, Lesnar will continue to climb these rankings, no matter how much his detractors dislike the idea.

Keyboard Kimura Pound-for-Pound Rankings (as of Sept. 24, 2009)

1. Anderson Silva—UFC Middleweight Champion (Last Month: 1)

He dominates two divisions and has put together a 10-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC. What more could you possible ask for?

Vitor Belfort appears to be the next man to try and take Silva's middleweight title, and while "The Phenom" has exhibited quick hands and a renewed dedication to the sport, a lot of fighters people thought would present a challenge to "The Spider" have been laid to waste in recent years.

Belfort will be no different.

2. Georges St-Pierre—UFC Welterweight Champion (Last Month: 2)

He's getting awful close to Anderson Silva territory, having cleaned out the welterweight division and done so in impressive fashion as of late.

Yes, there is the Matt Serra incident, but since that time, St-Pierre has been untouchable. Whether he's hesitant to get clipped again a la Serra or not, "Rush" has steamrolled (in order): Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes, Serra, Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn, and Thiago Alves in a little over two years.

The only question that remains is "Who's next?"

3. Fedor Emelianenko—No. 1 HW Contender, Strikeforce (Last Month: 3)

Evan Shoman said it well when I interviewed him last month:

Come on...Fedor. No one is even close. People who know the sport, know this. Here’s why:

1. He’s never lost.
2. He’s never lost to someone he shouldn’t have.
3. Has been in wars and on the brink of defeat only to pull out the win.

Other P4P arguments are GSP or Silva. Numbers 1 and 2 don’t apply to GSP. Numbers 1, 2, and 3 don’t apply to Anderson.

That being said, he also hasn't challenged himself against the best in the world the same way St-Pierre and Silva have, so he remains at No. 3.

4. Lyoto Machida—UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 4)

The next time we see the UFC on pay-per-view, Machida will be making his first title defense against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

They say you're not a true champion until you defend the belt, so the pressure is on "The Dragon" to continue his undefeated career and silence any last remaining critics.

If we see the "Shogun" Rua who once dominated Pride, this will be an outstanding fight. If we see anyone else, we'll see another brilliant display of Machida's tactical excellence and surgical striking ability.

Both sound good to me.

5. B.J. Penn—UFC Lightweight Champion (Last Month: 5)

What makes Diego Sanchez any different from Kenny Florian, Joe Stevenson, or Sean Sherk?

All three came into their fight with "The Prodigy" in the best shape of their life, ready to dethrone the champ and show that he could be beaten at 155.

All three left defeated, forced to regroup and recover from being dominated by the best lightweight in the history of the sport.

Yeah, I said it...

6. Mike Brown—WEC Featherweight Champion (Last Month: 7)

The American Top Team product climbs a spot after a month of reflecting on his run of success in the WEC and a comment on last month's rankings:

"There are bigger, stronger, and more athletic featherweights than Mike Brown, but Brown is still the best," said the Flyin' Hawaiian.

Sounds about right to me; the blue-collar Brown has dominated everyone he's faced in the WEC. Next on the schedule is the faster, more athletic Jose Aldo in November.

7. Miguel Torres—Former WEC Bantamweight Champion (Last Month: 6)

One loss doesn't bump you from the charts, especially when you're 17-1 over your last 18 fights.

What needs to happen, however, is Torres returning to the ring and dominating the next man he faces, setting up a rematch with Brian Bowles.

How you respond to adversity says a lot about who you are; time to see what kind of fighter Miguel Torres truly is.

8. Gegard Mousasi—Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 8)

This man needs to get away from M-1 Global and their stupid grappling exhibitions! Nothing like injuring yourself in a meaningless demonstration with Fedor...

Injury or not, North America got their first taste of Mousasi when he starched "Babalu" Sobral in his Strikeforce debut.

The sky is the limit for this impressive 24-year-old. Within two years, you'll see him at the top of these charts.

9. Rashad Evans—Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 9)

With all the Rampage rumors and retirement drama going on, it looks as if the TUF 10 coach will take on Thiago Silva at UFC 108.

Evans has expressed interest in the fight and can gain an ounce of revenge for his friend Keith Jardine. For that to happen, the Greg Jackson protegee needs to get back to blending his fast hands with the standout wrestling skills that helped him win TUF 2.

Otherwise, he'll be staring at the stars again and gone from these rankings.

10. Brock Lesnar—UFC Heavyweight Champion (Last Month: 10)

Some feel that if Brock Lesnar was a welterweight, he wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the heap. I disagree.

His athleticism is matched only by the current welterweight champion and no one in the UFC can match the wrestling ability the former Division I champion possesses, GSP included.

Even at a lighter weight, Lesnar would still be agile, athletic, and incredibly strong—a definite handful for anyone who stood across from him.

Just because he's 280 on fight night, all those things go out the window? Not for me.

Also considered: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Urijah Faber, Brian Bowles and Vitor Belfort.

This is my 10. What does your pound-for-pound list look like? Let me know in the comments section.

Or you can simply tell me whom I missed, who should be higher or lower, or anything else you need to get off your chest.

I'm here to listen.

Grand Slams always result in a reorder of the power rankings, and this week is no different. For the first time since Bleacher Report started with its Power Rankings, we have a person not named Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal at the top. 

The Top 10

1. Juan Martin del Potro  (1207 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [Winner], Canada Masters [Final], Washington [Winner], Wimbledon [R64]

He becomes only the second person other than Federer and Nadal to win a Slam in the last four years. His five-set win in the final showed character and resolve to fight it out, and the interview at the post-match presentation gave indications of a stable head above the tall frame.

Things are looking promising for the Tandilian, but his true test begins now as the expectations rise and he becomes the center of attraction.

ATP Ranking: 5. Last Power Ranking: 4

2. Roger Federer (1068 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S.Open [Finalist], Cincinnati Masters [Winner], Canada Masters [Quarterfinalist], Wimbledon [Winner]

This year has been nothing short of remarkable for the Swiss Master, as he added further jewels to his already sparkling crown. His 22nd consecutive Grand Slam semi, 21st major final, and a 16th Masters title meant that he had a good U.S. hardcourt series even though he lost in the finals at the Big Apple.

The Federer family has doubled, but the motivation and hunger to win has not dropped.

ATP Ranking: 1. Last Power Ranking: 1

3. Novak Djokovic (579 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [Semifinalist], Cincinnati Masters [Finalist], Canada Masters [Quarterfinalist], Wimbledon [Quarterfinalist]

The stars of the celebrity from Serbia are finally aligning themselves as his performances post-Wimbledon have improved considerably. He made it deep into the last two tournaments, and lost to a genius playing at his absolute best. A short and funny stint with John McEnroe was enough to get himself back into the good books of New York.

This confidence should be taken to the indoor season, where he would be looking for his first Masters shield of the year. Del Potro is lurking dangerously for his No. 4 spot, so this will be a good time to start his winning ways once again.

ATP Ranking: 4. Last Power Ranking: 3

4. Rafael Nadal (498 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [Semifinalist], Cincinnati Masters [Semifinalist], Canada Masters [Quarterfinalist], Roland Garros [R16]

The bull from Mallorca has started firing once again, even though not at his best as we saw in Australia. The match against Monfils was 'Rafa'-like, but Del Potro's magical performance and his continued abdominal strain cut short his march towards the career golden slam.

Nevertheless, he would take solace from reaching the semis and continue his quest towards his first Year End title.

ATP Ranking: 2. Last Power Ranking: 5

5. Andy Murray (445 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [R16], Cincinnati Masters [Semifinalist], Canada Masters [Winner], Wimbledon [Semifinalist]

After having a superb pre-U.S. Open series, he was looking strong to grab his first major title, but an injured wrist cut short his campaign. A risky involvement in the Davis Cup has only aggravated the wound, and there are doubts over his participation for the rest of the season.

ATP Ranking: 3. Last Power Ranking: 2

6. Fernando Verdasco (284 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [Quarterfinalist], New Haven [Winner], Cincinnati Masters [R64], Canada Masters [R16]

Verdasco may have failed to repeat the spectacle at Australia, but he has played consistently enough to have satisfactory results at majors. He had a pretty good run in the U.S. Open series by winning his year's first title at New Haven, but the abdominal tears that he gathered during the quarters might affect his performance in the coming months.

ATP Ranking: 9. Last Power Ranking: 6

7. Fernando Gonzalez (231 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [Quarterfinalist], Cincinnati Masters [R64], Canada Masters [R16], Washington [Semifinalist]

Gonzo keeps on showing signs of brilliance marred with inconsistency. His breakdown in the third set against Nadal was frustrating, to say the least. However, he still did well enough to repeat his best performance at the year's last Slam title (QF in 2002).

ATP Ranking: 12. Last Power Ranking: [Outside Looking In]

8. Robin Soderling (203 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [Quarterfinalist], Cincinnati Masters [R64], Washington [Quarterfinalist], Hamburg [R16]

His performances post Roland Garros have been good, but Federer continued to haunt him after he became the first person to beat Nadal at Roland Garros. He broke his racket and buried himself in his towel to put up a big fight in sets three and four, but he could not avoid losing to the eventual finalist for the 12th straight time.

The indoor season is when we see the Swede at his best, and he will be hoping to gain a couple of titles to book a seat to the London Tour Finals. He is not that far.

ATP Ranking: 11. Last Power Ranking: [Outside Looking In]

9. Andy Roddick (178 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [R32], Cincinnati Masters [R32], Canada Masters [Semifinalist], Washington [Finalist]

Disappointments continue for the Texan after his epic match against Federer at Wimbledon. Close defeats against del Potro at Washington and Canada, and a fifth-set tie-breaker against Isner at the U.S. Open will be tough to swallow, but Roddick has been known for his fighting ability and hard work over the years.

Having a supporting wife will help a lot. Twitter plays its small part too.

ATP Ranking: 6. Last Power Ranking: 9

10. Jo Wilfried Tsonga (173 points)

Last four tournaments: U.S. Open [R16], Cincinnati Masters [R32], Canada Masters [Semifinalist], Washington [R32]

He beat Federer for the first time to reach a semis at Cincinnati but lost to Gonzalez at the U.S. Open. He continues to show flashes of brilliance with traits of inconsistency, but at present the latter is more visible than the former.

He has a Masters title at Paris to defend in the coming weeks, so he better reverse the trend to keep his hopes for another appearance at the Tour Finals alive.

ATP Ranking: 7. Last Power Ranking: 7

 

Outside Looking In

Nikolay Davydenko (164 points)

A thigh injury forced his withdrawal against Soderling at the U.S. Open, though things were not looking good anyway. Barely managing to hold his ranking at eight, he will need to show more consistency to have any hope to remain inside top 10 this year. He has points from the tour finals to defend, after all, and they are a lot.

John Isner (140 points)

His fifth-set tie-break victory against Roddick made tennis fans to look up and take notice, but he bowed out against Verdasco in the very next round. Things are looking promising for the 24-year-old American, though.

Radek Stepanek (131 points)

He may have nothing substantial to boast about in the ATP tour this year, but he will definitely remember his struggle against Ivo Karlovic in the Davis Cup semis between the Czech Republic and Croatia. He emerged victorious in a marathon that lasted a minute short of six hours, four tie-breaks, a 16-14 fifth-set win and 78 aces from Karlovic.

First Team

PG John Wall - If Derrick Rose can come into John Calipari's dribble-drive motion-offense and turn into an All-American, then John Wall, a player just as much, if not more talented than Rose can do the same. The similarities between Rose and Wall continue as they are both penetrate first point guards that struggle from the perimeter.

Wall has NBA size, and like Rose, should also be one-and-done off to the NBA. The Kentucky freshman will likely be the SEC Player of the Year as well.

PG Sherron Collins - In two years, Sherron Collins will go from the Big 12's Sixth Man of the Year to potentially the National Player of the Year.

Collins was the first man off the bench during Kansas's National Championship team two years ago and could be the team's top star on a National Title winning team this year as the Jayhawks are the preseason favorites.

Collins will fight with teammate Cole Aldrich for the Big 12 Player of the Year award and it won't be surprising if the two share the award.

PF Luke Harangody - The supporting pieces around Luke Harangody will change this season, but his dominance in the post won't waver. 'Gody has had another offseason to expand his ever growing offensive repertoire. Last season, the Notre Dame senior showed off a long list of post moves, some unstoppable, some not so much.

If Harangody's post game develops at the same rate it did last season, Harangody could see his scoring jump to over 25 points per game. He'll likely be the Big East Player of the Year.

C Cole Aldrich - The mammoth half of the Jayhawks' inside-outside combination, Cole Aldrich, not Sherron Collins, will be the reason Kansas will win the 2010 National Championship. Collins will have plenty of support in the backcourt from Tyshawn Taylor and freshman Xavier Henry.

Aldrich doesn't have that same luxury. If Kansas has a weakness, it is a lack of front court depth. The Kansas junior center has dealt pretty well with being the only real big man in the Jayhawks' front court, but with rival Texas sporting a gigantic front line, Aldrich will have his work cut out for him if Kansas is going to win a Big 12 title.

C Derrick Favors - The Yellow Jackets have had some professional level talent come through the program recently, but haven't produced a lot of winning teams. Favors will likely be playing professional ball next year and should also help turn Georgia Tech into a very successful club in 2010.

Favors could be the most dominant two way center in the country in his first year of college ball. He's a threat to score from all over the court, but can also change the opponent's offensive game-plan with his ability to control the paint.

Second Team

PG Kalin Lucas - Michigan State typically wins without All-Americans, but that will change in 2010 when Kalin Lucas excels in his junior season. The point guard is one of the best pure floor generals in the country. Lucas will be a front runner for the Big Ten Player of the Year and will be on the league's First Team

Lucas has one area that needs improvement. The junior shoots below 40 percent from inside the arc despite being an above average three-point shooter. Lucas needs to work on his shot selection when he gets into the paint.

SF Evan Turner - Ohio State has the conferences best all around player in Evan Turner. The junior wing player can do it all. He'll rebound, distribute the ball, score, and play defense for Thad Matta's squad.

Turner rarely left the court last season for the Buckeyes, but with more talent around him, his minutes may drop, but he should be fresher and his production likely won't drop much at all. Turner will be on the All Big Ten team and a preseason favorite to be the league's Player of the Year award.

SF/PF Da'Sean Butler - West Virginia's best player and star is Da'Sean Butler, but he should be looking over his shoulder as sophomore Devin Ebanks could overtake Butler in that role. But for now, Butler should be the club's best player and national super star.

Butler will pick up some of the scoring lost with the graduation of Alex Ruoff and also has two experienced point guards to feed him the ball in the post. Butler will challenge Luke Harangody for the Big East Player of the Year award and will land on the conference's all-league team.

SF/PF Kyle Singler - Mike Krzyzewski needs a player to turn into a superstar in 2010 after his top playmaker, Gerald Henderson, left for the NBA. Kyle Singler is that player.

A gifted scorer with good size, Singler is a tough player to guard and could turn into a 20 point per game scorer in his junior season. Singler's biggest competition for the ACC Player of the Year award will come from Georgia Tech's stud freshman Derrick Favors.

PF Patrick Patterson - One of Kentucky's biggest problems last season was the under-utilization of power forward Patrick Patterson. The junior big man didn't see enough touches in Billy Gillispie's offense last season. Patterson still dominated the post, averaging over 17 points per game.

Patterson's numbers will not jump much this season because of the increase of talent around him, but because of the efficiency at which he scores. Patterson will be an SEC performer and whoever has the better season, Patterson or John Wall, will likely be the league's player of the year.

Third Team

SG/SF Manny Harris - There is really only one knock against Manny Harris; his weakness is a major problem in coach John Beilein's system. Harris is an inconsistent three-point shooter, but plays in an offense that stresses the ability to knock down the long bomb consistently. 

If Harris can become a better three-point shooter, Beilein will be able to effectively use Harris and his entire offensive repertoire. If Harris takes that step forward, he'll likely be the Big Ten Player of the Year.

SG Greveis Vazquez - It seems like Greveis Vazquez has done something to annoy every ACC fan base at one point or another for things he's said, but Vazquez has reached the point in his career where he'll start annoying opponents with his dominance. Vazquez may finally please his home crowds, but also beat the Blue Devils he's longed to defeat.

PF Craig Brackins - There are few players in college basketball as dominant as Craig Brackins. He's got a few notable performances in his career including a 42 point outburst against the Jayhawks.

Brackins has flown under the radar because his Cyclones have been at the bottom of the conference. This season may be a bit different as Iowa State should be good enough to get Brackins some national exposure.

PG/SG Willie Warren - After Blake Griffin left for the NBA, another Oklahoma sophomore will take the role he abandoned. Willie Warren will be this year's Sooner super sophomore and squad's leader with stud freshman forward Keith Gallon poised to take Griffin's role in the front court.

C Jarvis Varnado - The NCAA supposedly stresses the STUDENT in student-athlete. During this offseason, Jarvis Varnado greatly exemplified that concept as he gave up his scholarship in order to give another deserving teammate the scholarship.

Mississippi State was one player over the number of maximum scholarships, so Varnado recognized he had a large pro contract waiting for him down the road and decided to become a walk-on.

Varnado will likely become one of the best walk-ons ever as the center is the country's best shot blocker and is slowly developing a potent post game to compliment his game-changing defense.

Fourth Team

PG Jerome Randle - California brings back all its core players, but none better than Jerome Randle. The point guard is the Pac-10's best returning player and favorite to win the league's Player of the Year award.

PG Kemba Walker - Connecticut has been known recently for their unstoppable trees beneath the basket, but this year point guard Kemba Walker should emerge as the conference's best guard.

SF/PF Al-Farouq Aminu - Wake Forest's Al-Farouq Aminu will have a starring role after not playing second fiddle, but third fiddle to James Johnson and Jeff Teague. Aminu's freaky athleticism has made him one of the most un-guardable players in the country.

SF/PF Lazar Hayward - Marquette has a number of strong freshmen to replace a trio of senior guards that graduated, but the one key player that coach Buzz Williams returns is going to be an All-American candidate.

Lazar Hayward has been forced to play big in an undersized lineup for three years, but finally Hayward will be allowed to play his more natural position of small forward this season. Hayward scored over 16 ppg last season, but as the first option this year, the senior could drop 20 ppg for the Golden Eagles.

PF Ed Davis - Ed Davis is going to feel like an old man next to most of his teammates in 2009. With five freshmen figuring to fit into the Tar Heels' rotation, sophomore Ed Davis will be one of the most experienced players in Roy Williams' lineup.

Davis has shown a bevy of beautiful offensive moves that few defenders have a remote chance of stopping. As Carolina's top option, Davis could score 20 points per game.

Fifth Team

PG Devan Downey - The nation's best tempo setter will likely get the Gamecocks back into the NCAA Tournament. Devan Downey finishes nearly 60 percent of his team's offensive possessions with either a shot or an assist. Downey will likely have more pressure on him to score with the departure of second leading scorer Zam Frederick.

PG Nic Wise - Arizona hasn't missed the NCAA Tournament in over two decades, but that streak will likely end despite having one of the best point guards in the country. Nic Wise lost his running mates, Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger, which means he'll be a sagura cactcus in a desert full of Blossfeldia liliputana cacti.

PF Trevor Booker - One the nation's most thunderous dunkers is a monstrous force in Littlejohn Coliseum for coach Oliver Purnell. Trevor Booker could end up being the ACC's most dominant post player and has an outside shot to be the ACC's Player of the Year.

SF/PF Tyler Smith - Last season, Tyler Smith was projected to be one of the nation's five or 10 best players. But Smith and his Volunteers struggled throughout the season and didn't live up to lofty preseason expectations.

This year is much of the same as Tennessee might be ranked in the top 10, but few pundits have Smith listed as a potential All-American.

SF/PF Damion James - The Longhorns have so many good players that it might be tough for one to stand out enough to make an All-American team. Damion James is the best Texas candidate to shine in the Long Star State as he'll be the most dominant player in Rick Barnes' stacked front court.

Sleepers: Florida State's Soloman Alabi, Oklahoma State's James Anderson, Nevada's Luke Babbitt, Gonzaga's Matt Bouldin, Florida's Kenny Boyton, Texas's Avery Bradley, Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney, Baylor's LaceDarius Dunn, Arkansas's Courtney Fortson, Butler's Gordon Hayward, Seton Hall's Jeremy Hazell, Tulsa's Jerome Jordan, Kansas State's Wallace Judge, Virginia's Slyven Landesberg, Georgetown's Greg Monroe, Villanova's Scottie Reynolds, Louisville's Samardo Samuels, Virginia Commonwealth's Larry Sanders, Washington's Isaiah Thomas, Cincinnati's Deonta Vaughn

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