TOP TEN- 9-18-06

Everybody has a Top 10. NS is no different. But rather than focus just on college football or Major League Baseball, we’ve decided to throw every sport –dancing, dodgeball, drag racing- into the same pool and simply fish out the best athletes/teams each Monday. Let the debating commence…

1. Michigan Wolverines- Most telling fact in the 47-21 thumping of then-No. 2 Notre Dame: The Wolverines were up 26-7 before the Irish got its first first down.
2. The Manning Bros- Where do I begin in talking about the brothers’ super Sunday? The two impressive wins? The 771 combined passing yards? Maybe the six touchdowns?
3. Ohio State- Poor, Penn State, coming over to Columbus to get all beat up and stuff this coming Saturday at the Horseshoe.
4. New York baseball- So, Derek Jeter’s 25-game hitting streak is over. There’s still much to be hyped about in the NYC. For one, both of its teams have 90 wins. For two, there’s less than two weeks of regular season action left.
5. Atlanta Falcons- I don’t care if you’re president of the “Michael Vick is Overrated” club, you have to respect what his team is doing running the ball and defending against it. As for kicking it through the yellow goal posts…
6. Kevin Harvick- This past weekend’s winner in New Hampshire, Harvick’s got a small (but respectable) lead in the Nextel Cup Chase.
7. AL Central race- Detroit still reigns supreme, but the fight the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox are putting up for the wild card spot is nothing short of splendid. The Sox’s Jermaine Dye deserves every MVP mention he gets.
8. West Virginia- Aside from Auburn, the most overlooked great team in the land. The light-on-their-feet Mountaineers look more amazing each passing week.
9. Auburn- It’s funny how folks start to give props after you keep a power like LSU out of the end zone. The Tigers are licking their chops at Buffalo and South Carolina next on the schedule.
10. Chicago Bears- Detroit WR Roy Williams guaranteed victory over the Bears. Of course, they lost 34-7. After the game he said that Chicago “did nothing special.” I knew Bear Brian Urlacher hit hard, but I didn’t know he hit hard enough to cause brain damage.

Almost Made The Cut: Louisville (smacked Miami 31-7), San Diego Chargers (have outscored opponents 67-7), Ben Curtis (won PGA’s 84 Lumber Classic)

Three WORST: instant replay (VERY questionable on-side kick call in Oregon/Oklahoma), Colorado Buffalos (0-3 and UGA this week), Oakland Raiders (haven’t scored a TD yet)