- What the hell has happened to Sammy Sosa? This photo terrifies me.

- Pro Football Talk.com is claiming that ESPN.com plagiarized them on the Joey Porter/Tom Brady story. And they say bloggers are the ones stealing stories, geesh.

- Get a sneak peak at what Ohio State's throwback uniforms will look like this Saturday against Penn State, thanks to SPORTSbyBROOKS.com.

- Here are five MMA Fighters who went out on top, courtesy of CagePotato.com.

- MoonDog Sports says that NFL players need to shut up and play already.

- YARDBARKER hands out their NFL Midseason Awards.

- DEADSPIN has some updates on the Sean Sailsbury lawsuit.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

After his final appeal for reinstatement back into college football was denied, Oklahoma State wideout Dez Bryant has decided to enter the 2010 NFL Draft.

Per ESPN.com:

Bryant was declared ineligible by Oklahoma State after misleading NCAA investigators about his relationship with Deion Sanders.

"This year didn't go the way I wanted it to," Bryant said. "It was so hard. And to be honest I had my head down at times. But the NCAA has made their decision. And I respect that. And now I've made mine."

Bryant said he hopes to live up to the NFL production of receivers such as Randy Moss and Anquan Boldin. He is projected as a first-round pick.

"When I talk to the NFL I'm going to be truthful with them about what happened," Bryant said. "It will be what I'm supposed to tell them, which is the truth."

Bryant has to be diplomatic about the NCAA suspending him, but I don’t.

For the NCAA to suspend a young man for the rest of his junior season for having dinner with Deion Sanders is absurd. I understand that Bryant “misled” them, but considering what goes on behind closed doors on recruiting trips and how most colleges will do anything to keep players eligible for game day, what Bryant did seems minuscule.

That said, he’s going to face some tough questioning from NFL teams and he needs to be honest. Teams are going to know the situation, but they'll test Bryant’s character and whether or not he makes excuses for what happen or if he owns up to the mistake. Either way, he has tremendous talent and here’s hoping he develops into a solid prospect.

I’ve been on a roll of late, going 8-0 straight up the last two weeks and 7-1 against the spread. Let’s hope I didn’t just pour a big cup of jinx over everything this week.

No. 9 LSU at No. 3 Alabama, 3:30PM ET
A win this week secures the SEC West title for Alabama, while a victory for LSU puts them in the driver’s seat in the West, as well as keeps their national title hopes alive. While they eventually won the game thanks to a blocked field goal, there were some glaring issues with Alabama’s passing game in their victory over Tennessee two weeks ago. Mark Ingram is one of the best players in college football, but he can’t be expected to carry the offense week in and week out. Quarterback Greg McElroy must become more efficient in the passing game and test defenses vertically more than he has. The Tide beat the Tigers last year, but they had previously lost five straight to LSU so that’s a concern for Nick Saban. I don’t think the Tigers have enough offense to overcome the Tide’s No. 4 ranked defense, but this game is going to be close throughout and this might be another contest that isn’t decided for ‘Bama until the final seconds.
Odds: Alabama –7.5.
Prediction: Alabama 16, LSU 13.

No. 16 Ohio State at No. 11 Penn State, 3:30PM ET
This was supposed to be the game that decided things in the Big Ten. But with how well Iowa has played this year, one of these two teams will likely be knocked out of contention with a loss. It’s hard to imagine that OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor will walk into Beaver Stadium the way that he has struggled this year and beat a good Penn State defense…with his arm. Pryor isn’t going to win this game throwing for 250 yards (does he ever throw for 250 yards?), but if he can keep the chains moving with his legs and not turn the ball over, I bet Ohio State wins this game with its defense. This is going to be your classic Big Ten defensive struggle and the Buckeyes are due to pull off an upset of this magnitude. Penn State knocked off Ohio State last year on its home turf, and I’m calling for the Buckeyes to return the favor this season.
Odds: Penn State –3.5
Prediction: Ohio State 17, Penn State 16.

No. 8 Oregon at Stanford, 3:30PM ET
This is right around the time that the college football gods send everything into a tailspin and Oregon is a prime target this week. They’ve coming off an emotionally home win over previously No. 5 ranked USC and now have to go on the road to play a Stanford team that is only 5-3, but has played opponents tough this season. This has trap written all over it but I’m actually going to go against my gut and stick with my head. The Ducks have been so explosive offensively the past two games and know that one slip up will cost them a chance to play in the title game since they already have one loss on their schedule. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli will once again carry his team and while Stanford might keep things close for a while, I see Oregon pulling away in the second half.
Odds: Oregon –6.5
Prediction: Oregon 37, Stanford, 27.

Northwestern at No. 4 Iowa, 12:00PM ET
I can’t decide whether or not the Hawkeyes are the most impressive 9-0 team I’ve ever watched, or the least impressive. Either way, this team is battle tested and overcomes adversity better than any team in the nation. After Indiana gave them a scare last week, some believe that Northwestern could do the same, especially with the way the Wildcats hung with Penn State in the first half last Saturday. But I don’t see it. Just as I figured Florida would against Georgia last week, it’s high time Iowa blows somebody out and I think it’ll be this Saturday at home. While their passing game is decent, Northwestern won’t be able to run the ball on Saturday and once they fall behind early, I think the Wildcats will start turning the ball over. The Hawkeyes should cruise.
Odds: Iowa –16.5.
Prediction: Iowa 38, Northwestern 17.

FOX Sports.com ranked the 10 most disappointing teams of 2009:

1. USC
A loss to Washington was the beginning of the end. Still, we've almost come to expect the Trojans to lose one game every year that they shouldn't. While USC was slightly favored to beat Oregon, the manner in which they lost was downright ugly. Pete Carroll's signature unit -- the defense -- got embarrassed by the Ducks. Sure, USC had to replace eight defensive players who are now playing on Sundays, but the Trojans always have reloaded, and the expectations were high this year despite those defensive losses. USC fans accustomed to "settling" for the Rose Bowl may need to aim a little lower.

2. Virginia Tech
The class of the ACC is now fighting Miami for third place in the Coastal division behind Duke and Georgia Tech. Let that sink that in. The Hokies' consecutive losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina have probably ended their Orange Bowl dreams. Either Beamer Ball isn't working anymore or parity in the ACC has finally caught up to Virginia Tech. Either way, 2009 will be a major disappointment for Gobbler Nation.

3. Ohio State
The Buckeyes' loss to USC wasn't that shocking, but their loss to Purdue was. With Navy, USC, Toledo and New Mexico State on their non-conference schedule, the expectations of a special season were pretty high in Columbus. But plenty of fans are starting to question whether Tressel's offense will work with Terrelle Pryor as quarterback. With Penn State, Iowa and an imploding Michigan still left on the Buckeyes' schedule, Ohio State fans should start making travel plans for Tampa, site of the Outback Bowl. Now.

A lot of people thought they were overrated coming into the season, but I think Ole Miss (which ranks No. 7 on FOX’s list) should be in the top 5. I know they lost a couple of key defenders from last year’s squad, but for the Rebels to currently be 5-3 is surprising to say the least.

Big Ten haters aren’t surprised, but Ohio State wasn’t expected to be this inconsistent either. Some thought that Terrelle Pryor would progress as a passer and lead the Buckeyes to at least a Big Ten title, but he’s actually regressed and now people are questioning whether or not he should remain OSU’s starting quarterback.

Personally, I’m not shocked that the Trojans are where they are right now with a freshman quarterback. They always lose a game every year that they’re not supposed to and the writing was on the wall last week for them in Eugene. Oregon is playing better football right now and is tough to beat at home.

DRAFT ZOO thinks Florida’s Tim Tebow and Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen’s stock has risen again in this year’s Heisman race.

1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
There it was, that’s what he needed. A vintage Tebow game from the Gators’ QB. Two touchdowns through the air, two touchdowns on the ground. All against a rival team. Tebow has the most impressive stats of any of the preseason “big three,” and his play finally has Florida looking like the number one team in the nation. If he can go on another run and continue to drive the UF offense to the SEC title, he’ll have the inside track to winning his second trophy. This award has become more about being the face of the best team than being the best player in the nation.

2. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
If only, if only. If only Clausen had beaten USC then he’d be atop the list. Still, like always, he’s got the best stat line of any BCS quarterback and the voters have been dreaming of giving this award to a Notre Dame player since Tim Brown won it back in ‘87. Clausen may lose out to a player on a better team, but right now he’s a lock for an invite. If he can somehow get the Irish to the BCS, he’ll have a puncher’s chance of winning the award. More than likely, he’ll have to settle for being the top pick in next April’s draft.

I’m interested to see how Clausen finishes the year and whether or not he bolts for the NFL. The fact that he plays in a pro style system for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame will endure him to some scouts, but fair or unfair he’ll draw comparisons to Brady Quinn, which could hurt him given how bad the Browns’ QB has played this season in the NFL.

I’m also interested to see if Alabama running back Mark Ingram can continue to play as well as he has, because to me (and I think our friends at DRAFT ZOO would agree given that they had him in their top spot last week) he is leading the Heisman race right now.

I know Tebow played well last week against Georgia, but the Bulldogs haven’t stopped anyone this year and have one of the worst defensive backfields in the SEC. I’m still waiting for the Gator quarterback to play more consistently and he only has a month to do it.

Along with a complete list of point spreads and odds for Week 10’s action in college football, here is a quick-hit look at some of the marquee matchups:

No. 9 LSU at No. 3 Alabama, Saturday, 3:30PM ET
After losing to Florida in Baton Rouge three weeks ago, LSU has rattled off two wins in impressive fashion. While Auburn and Tulane aren’t powerhouse opponents, the Tigers combined to score 73 points in those games and showed an offensive pulse. But can they do the same against a worthy defensive opponent like Alabama? The Tigers only mustered three points against the Gators and will certainly have their hands full trying to move the ball against a Tide defense that ranks No. 4 in the nation and should be well rested coming off a bye.
Odds: Alabama –7.5.

No. 8 Oregon at Stanford, Saturday, 3:30PM ET
Oregon is one of the hottest teams in the nation right now, but will they suffer a letdown after beating No. 5 USC last week? Stanford has been solid at home this year, beating previously ranked Washington 34-14, UCLA 24-16 and a decent Arizona State team 33-14. They had defensive troubles in road losses to Oregon State and Arizona this season (and also lost to a pesky Wake Forest team earlier in the year), but otherwise the Cardinal has been competitive. The Ducks’ offensive attack is firing on all cylinders right now, but the game this week in Stanford is far from a gimmie.
Odds: Oregon -6.

No. 16 Ohio State at No. 11 Penn State, Saturday, 3:30PM ET
If either of these teams wants to keep Iowa in their sites in the Big Ten, a win is a must this Saturday in University Park. Since his brutal display in Purdue three weeks ago, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has looked better the past two weeks. But Minnesota and New Mexico State don’t have the kind of defensive prowess that Penn State has and Pryor could be in for a long day on Saturday. The Lions have been outstanding since their loss to Iowa in late September, rattling off five straight wins while beating opponents by a 176-43 margin. The Buckeyes’ defense should be up for the challenge, but will Pryor?
Odds: Penn State –4.

Week 10 College Football Point Spreads & Odds:

Thursday, November 5
No. 23 Virginia Tech -12
East Carolina +12

Friday, November, 6
No. 7 Boise State -21
Louisiana Tech +21

Saturday, November 7
Vanderbilt +34.5
No. 1 Florida –34.5

UCF +36.5
No. 2 Texas –36.5

No. 9 LSU +7.5
No. 3 Alabama –7.5

Northwestern +16.5
No. 4 Iowa –16.5

Connecticut +16.5
No. 5 Cincinnati –16.5

No. 6 TCU –24.5
San Diego State +24.5

No. 8 Oregon -6
Stanford +6

Wake Forest +16
No. 10 Georgia Tech -16

No. 16 Ohio State +4
No. 11 Penn State -4

No. 12 USC –11
Arizona State +11

Syracuse +22
No. 13 Pittsburgh -22

New Mexico +27.5
No. 14 Utah –27.5

No. 15 Houston –1.5
Tulsa +1.5

Virginia +13.5
No. 17 Miami –13.5

Washington State +33
No. 18 Arizona -33

No. 19 Oklahoma State –7.5
Iowa State +7.5

Oregon State +7
No. 20 California -7

No. 21 Wisconsin –10.5
Indiana +10.5

Navy +11
No. 22 Notre Dame -11

No. 24 Oklahoma -6
Nebraska +6

For expert picks and daily free picks, visit HIS Sports!

Many expected this game to be closer, but the Longhorns easily handled the Cowboys.

Curtis Brown and Earl Thomas each returned interceptions for touchdowns, and Cody Johnson had two short TD runs as the No. 3 Longhorns routed No. 13 Oklahoma State 41-14 on Saturday night to establish themselves as the clear frontrunner in the Big 12 South.

McCoy had an efficient 171-yard performance and threw his 100th career touchdown pass, and the Longhorns avoided the kind of letdown on Halloween weekend that cost them a chance to play for the Big 12 and national championships a year ago.

Texas (8-0, 5-0) came in with the nation's toughest defense against the run, then played havoc with Zac Robinson and the Oklahoma State (6-2, 3-1) passing attack. Robinson came in as the conference's top-rated passer after breaking the Cowboys' record for accuracy in a game last week, but threw a career-high four picks against the Longhorns.

Texas scored 28 points off of Oklahoma State's five turnovers, with Brown and Thomas cashing in immediately and Johnson scoring on runs of 2 and 1 yards after two other takeaways.

Let's see. Texas cruises by a talented opponent. In the meantime, USC is upset by Oregon, college football's dark horse. The Longhorns are looking better by the game, while USC is at a standstill. The Longhorns are obviously one of the best teams in the nation, but do they deserve to make the National Championship Game?

Maybe. As for USC, this day couldn't get any worse.

"There's a new king in the Pac-10."

That's what many pundits will be saying after Oregon's daunting victory over USC. A couple games remain on the schedule, but Oregon is clearly the best team in the Pac-10 at this point. Oregon is still only undefeated Pac-10 team in conference play, while USC now has two losses. You can't argue with that.

The Ducks came fully prepared to play this assumed Pac-10 championship game at the Autzen Zoo. Chip Kelly did something magical to this squad after their loss to Boise State, because the Ducks have been on a tear ever since. The Trojans, on the other hand, have recently looked shaky against Notre Dame and Oregon State. Strangely, their offense has been clicking while their defense has surrendered at least 27 points in their last two contests.

Many have ignored these performances but continued to criticize Oregon's defense. Fact is, the Ducks have gotten it together on both ends of the field. Facing their toughest opponent yet in USC, the Trojans could only muster 109 yards rushing 160 receiving. Their quarterback Matt Barkley did throw two touchdown passes, but USC couldn't convert third downs, as they finished 3-12 for the night.

Oregon quarterback Jermiah Masoli has taken a fair amount of criticism for his passing game. Like Tim Tebow, he likes to run the ball, but is often ineffective at involving his entire offense, unlike the Heisman winner. While four of Oregon's five touchdowns came off rushing, Masoli did throw for 220 yards, including a nice touchdown pass to Jamere Holland. Most importantly, he looked confident out there, going great lengths to utilize his teammates.

Take a look at this: Oregon had over 600 yards of total offense. So much for USC's impenetrable defense. We'll see where Oregon ends up, but they truly should be proud of this win.

This game wasn't pretty. Actually, it was downright brutal at times. There were nine turnovers in total, but this isn't to say either Indiana or Iowa's defenses were stellar. Indiana exposed the Hawkeyes' defensive weakness throughout the first three quarters. Yet, Iowa's offense exploded out of nowhere in the fourth, leading their team to a 42-24 victory.

Nevertheless, people will continue to downgrade Iowa's high ranking. Now with a 9-0 record, it's tough to devalue their season. We'll see how the rest of today's games play out, but Iowa is currently one of seven undefeated teams in the Top 25. They don't demonstrate great football by any means, but damn are their games exciting to watch. They have trailed in eight of their nine competitions this year, and have managed to come back to take each one.

Nevertheless, Iowa and quarterback Ricky Stanzi were shoddy at best until the fourth quarter. People will cite this as justification to knock Iowa down a few slots in the rankings. I completely agree with that sentiment. Iowa, the No. 4 team in the nation, should not trail a meager Indiana squad for most of the game. Stanzi threw five (I know) interceptions today. That's inexcusable -- he would be benched if it wasn't for their record. But how in the hell have they managed to remain undefeated? The fourth quarter.

Somehow, Stazi came out with an undeterred confidence and immediately connected with star receiver Marvin McNutt for a 92-yard touchdown pass. Minutes later, Stanzi found Derrell Johnson-Koulianos for a 66-yard touchdown. By then, Iowa had found their groove. Stanzi continued to feed the ball to running back Brandon Wegher, who is subbing for the injured Adam Robinson. Wegher exceeded expectations, scoring three touchdowns on 119 yards and 25 carries.

While Iowa fans are drunk on happiness, detractors of the BCS system are fuming. With their improbable season, Iowa's game against Ohio St. is going to be essential viewing. Who expected that?

The SEC has decided that it will fine and/or suspend coaches that criticize game officials.

Per ESPN.com:

Commissioner Mike Slive, in his eighth season with the conference, was given full discretion by the league's athletic directors and presidents to hand out the punishment. He will determine the amount of fines and lengths of suspensions on a case-by-case basis.

"On rare occasions over the last seven years there were several private reprimands and that took care of the matter," Slive told the AP in a telephone interview. "On occasion there were public reprimands and that took care of it. It became clear to me after last week that I was no longer interested in reprimands and the conference athletic directors and university presidents unanimously agreed.

"For the foreseeable future there will be no reprimands," Slive added. "We will go right to suspensions and fines."
The Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10 and Mountain West conferences also use public reprimands, fines and suspensions as possible penalties for coaches who are publicly critical of officiating.

I don’t blame SEC head coaches for griping about the refs, because the officiating has been brutal in that conference. But I also don’t think this is a bad decision for the higher ups in the SEC to muzzle their coaches as long as they’re going to do their part to punish officials that don’t call the games fairly. If most of the top conferences use public reprimands, I don’t see why the SEC shouldn’t either.

Plus, let’s be honest – it’s never a bad idea to keep Lane Kiffin from running his mouth at all times.

According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen won’t discuss his possible future in the NFL until after the Irish’s regular season is over.

So the Notre Dame coach laid out the plan for discussing an NFL future with junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen: It won't be discussed until the regular season is over.

"We're not even going to address the subject until the first week in December," Weis said Thursday night. "We've already addressed the fact that we're not going to address it. So we're just worrying about the next five games, starting with Washington State. First of all, let's see how we play. But we'll revisit it then."

Clausen is currently the nation's No. 2-rated passer. After the jump, there are more Weis words on Thursday's pertinent topics, including who will punt for the Irish this weekend...

I agree with Weis in that Clausen should wait until the season is over to figure out whether or not he wants to enter the draft. With a month left in this year’s college season, Clausen has enough on his plate these days and doesn’t need to worry about the NFL quite yet. (Even though he’ll obviously need plenty of time to make a decision like that.)

Whenever Clausen does decide to turn pro, I hope he’s ready for all the comparisons to Brady Quinn. I’m not saying they’re the same player, but the media will immediately compare the two and how Quinn has struggled so far in the NFL.

- SHUTDOWN CORNER passes along a Milwaukee sportswriter's suggestion that Packer fans show their distaste for Brett Favre not by booing him, but by being completely silent when his name is announced. I like it.

- SPORTSbyBROOKS has photos of Vikings coach Brad Childress dressed up as a (female) flight attendant. I'm not sure that this is the way to keep the respect of your players.

- Over on ESPN, Geoff LaTulippe discusses what it's like being a hard luck sports fan in Cleveland.

- Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach dislikes his players' "fat little girlfriends." Seriously. WITH LEATHER has the video.

- GAWKER has excerpts from an interview with a ticket scalper broker they found via Craigslist.