SEC Picks - Week 10

 Hey campers, welcome back to another week of Dalton has no idea what he is talking about, it's obvious he doesn't know a thing about college football.  Ok, so what's your point?

For the second week in a row and third time in last four weeks, I took a beating in the early games.  I don't know what it is about those games played with a before noon kickoff.   I mean, I figured Oklahoma had a two percent chance to beat Ole Miss.  Wrong!  Then there was Auburn, with the way the Hogs were scoring points under interim Coach Bobby Petrino, i thought they would put up 40 or 50 easy on snakebit Tigers.  Wrong!   Oh well, I went 4-3, which is still a winning record.....barely.   I am now 25-12 in conference games and overall I am 68-20.  Still not bad, but I expect better.  Judging from the text messages, some of you do as well.

Only six games this week, and one again they are all conference games, so let's take a look.

Vanderbilt at Texas - 11a - ABC - Well, might as well have the best game of the day play first.  Texas has been better the last week or two and they are at home.  Vandy, well Vandy has looked like they sold their soul or something.  They held the high-scoring Missouri Tigers top 10 points last week.  I'm going with Vandy till they lose.  Vandy 33, Texas 27

Georgia v. Florida (at Jacksonville) - 2.30p - ABC - Kick-off for the annual duel of the two schools at the Gator Bowl, begins at 3.30P (EDT), which means the "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" has already begun.  Pace yourself folks, moderation is the key.  Georgia 42, Florida 21

Mississippi State at Arkansas - 3p - SEC - Mississippi State had Texas beat for about 59 minutes last Saturday, only to lose in overtime.  Both teams have been playing better the past couple of weeks and don't have anything to show for it.  I thought Arkansas had Auburn's number, and it wasn't even close.  Blame it on the rain I guess.  Either way, I'm not picking them again until they win.  Miss. State 31, Arkansas 30

South Carolina at Ole Miss - 6p - ESPN - Last week the Gamecocks gave Alabama all they wanted and more.  Unfortunately, Alabama turned it up a notch or two in the second half and won.  I don't think South Carolina has a gear to play with Ole Miss.  Man that 2-0 start they had must seem like a lifetime ago.  Ole Miss 47, South Carolina 24

Kentucky at Auburn - 6.30p - SEC - Since Alabama has the week off, most Tide faithful will spend this Saturday sticking pins in Auburn kewpie dolls.  Hey, keeps them out of the pool hall.  I wonder if Coach/Sen./wannabe Gov. Turbeville will be there soliciting votes.  Hint, "Just say no."  Still Auburn should win easily.  If they lose, well say good-bye Coach Freeze.  Auburn 32, Kentucky 14

Oklahoma at Tennessee - 6.30p - ABC - I'm thinking this might be an enjoyable game.  Say, didn't Tennessee Coach Huepel used to play quarterback for the Sooners?  Nah, no incentive on either side in this one.  Tennessee 38, Oklahoma 34 (Note: If there is a World Series Game 7, it would conflict with this game, so y'all will need to send me texts with updates.  But if Toronto wins Friday night, then I'll be watching football with you. Priorities you know.)

Have a great weekend y'all.  Don't forget to turn your clicks back as far as you want.

Reflections of a Former Shepherd

Good morning to you wherever you are.  I am writing this on a rainy Monday morning in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

M and I worship with the Sherrod Ave. Church of Christ in Florence, Ala.  We have been there for 11 years, ever since we moved to Alabama from Arkansas.  Our Shepherds (elders) recently announced they hope to be adding additional Shepherds by the end of the year.  I applaud that decision and feel we need to add new shepherds.

I have been thinking about writing ever since they made the announcement a couple weeks ago.  I was blessed, honored, humbled to have been a Shepherd for two different congregations for a total of 11 years.  First the West Ridge church in Pocahontas, Ark. and at Sherrod Ave.  My father was a Shepherd for over 25 years.  Her served two congregations as well, one in Missouri, and the West Ridge church in Pocahontas.

As we at Sherrod approach this important decision, I wanted to offer some thoughts, maybe some advice, maybe some regrets of my time as a Shepherd.  I know some of the readers of this blog are currently shepherds, may have been a shepherd, or may be a shepherd in the future.

My two cents.

1 Timothy and Titus are not requirements, merely suggestions - Why do I say that?  Easy, if Paul's writings about the qualifications were to be taken literally, the list would be the same in both books.  They are not.  Yes, some things are mentioned in both places, but many are mentioned in one book, but not the other.  I feel rather than a checklist of qualifications, Paul is giving a list of desired attributes saying you want men with these types of qualities, who demonstrate this type of life.

The appointment should not be forever - Do I have a scriptural basis for this?  No, I don't.  But there is also no scriptural basis saying the appointment is for life either.  We have all known men who served admirably as shepherds but came to a point where they just needed to step aside.  Whether it be for age, for health reasons, or some other personal reason.  I stepped aside for three reasons last year.  For me, it was the right thing to do.  There is no dishonor in stepping aside, just as there is no special honor for staying too long.  As a shepherd, ask yourself why you are serving, is it for your benefit, or the people you are shepherding.

Make sure your wife is on board - I cannot emphasize this enough.  Becoming a shepherd takes a lot of time and commitment, frequently at the expense of time with your family.  This is a partnership; she needs to support you and needs to fully understand what the commitment entails.  Here is a tough part.  With most of us, our wife is our best friend.  As a shepherd, you will be entrusted with information, made aware of situations that you just cannot share with her.  If I needed to talk to someone about a certain situation, I would call my brother-in-law in Arkansas, who was (and still is) a shepherd.  It helped talking to someone who understands what you are going through.

You are shepherding the flock where you attend, not another church - When I was a deacon in Arkansas, we had a situation where the other two congregations in town disapproved of an event we had planned.  One of them even went so far to say if we went forward with it, they would quit supporting the local children's home, the organization the event was raising money for.  One of our wise, seasoned elders spoke up during this shepherds/deacons meeting, and I will never forget what he said.  He told us, "Our salvation does not depend on what another congregation thinks of us."  Guys, that is wisdom.  Do not let another church dictate what you believe is the right thing to do for your flock.  Be strong, be united, don't be afraid.

Unity does not mean unanimous - Make no mistake, I am not saying there isn't unity.  When a decision is made there must be unity.  Not only is it necessary to present a unified front to the flock, but it is also a Biblical command.  In my 11 years as a shepherd, there were many, many issues we were unanimous on.  In fact, I would say that was true a majority of the time.  But there were also times, when as a group discussing an issue, we were as divided as night and day.  We might discuss it for two hours and no one had changed their position, so the issue might get tabled until the next meeting.  I am against that, stay until it gets resolved.  At Sherrod, for most of my time as a shepherd, there were nine of us.  I remember being on the short end of numerous 7-2 or 6-3 votes.  Was I upset the others did not see it the way several of us did?  Sure I was, and I still maintain to this day the two or three of us were right in our convictions.  But, once a decision is made, a vote is taken, if your stand was not chosen, you swallow your pride, because as I said earlier, it is mandatory to present a unified front.

Pick your battles - This goes along somewhat with what I just said about unity.  My dad was a very, very wise man.  When he passed away in 2009, one of his fellow shepherds came up to me and said, "your dad was an elder's elder."  To me that spoke volumes about his character, which I of course already knew.  Dad and I would have lunch together every Friday, often discussing being a shepherd, what it entailed.  Much like King Charles is grooming Prince William, my dad was grooming me for what was to come.  One of his pearls of wisdom was "pick your battles."  In essence, what he was saying, if there is an issue you feel strongly about, give it everything you have, do what you can to convince the others.  He was saying, there will be a lot of issues come your way, there will be some, that you feel so strongly about, you are willing to throw yourself on the sword.  Be firm in what you believe in.  I have several wounds to show for my battles.

Be prepared for criticism - This is hard, but let's be real, decisions will be made that are unpopular, whether it be disciplining a member of the flock, firing a staff member, or your refusal of a request.  Someone is always going to be unhappy.  This is natural, but as I will discuss later, deal with it in love.  Don't be discouraged just because someone disagrees with you.  I always worried if no one questioned a decision.

You are a sinner - You are not perfect, you make mistakes, some more serious than others, you are a sinner, just like those you lead.  Remember your imperfections, don't be afraid to share them with others.  It certainly helps build trust with the flock when they know you are as imperfect as they are.

Some members of the flock will gravitate to you - There is nothing wrong with this at all.  At Sherrod, the nine of us had differing personalities, and let's be honest, there are personalities we just don't like dealing with.  I'm the same way, and so it is with the flock.  Within weeks of becoming an elder, I had several come to me and say if they had a problem or question, they were coming to me because "I was their elder."  Be humbled by that but embrace it.  There is nothing wrong with members of the flock having "favorite" shepherds.  Remember, they are showing trust in you, and to be an effective shepherd, you have to have the trust of those you are shepherding.  One last thing, I resigned as a shepherd two years ago, and I still have individuals coming to me to talk because they still consider me "their" shepherd.  You know what, I listen and do my best to counsel them.

Be transparent and available - You probably know this more than anything I've said or will say but be available.  That means get there early and be prepared to stay late.    If you miss class because someone needs to talk, praise the Lord, you were there to talk to them.  If someone has a question about a decision or has trouble with sin, explain the decision as best you can, pray with those who need someone to pray with.  This is all part of the job, and let me add, a very rewarding part of the job.

Be humble - You are the leaders of the Lord's church.  Guide, teach, but be humble.  Do not be a Pharisee or a high priest, that is not in the job description at all.  What is it James said, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."  It is an honor to be asked to serve as a shepherd, but that does not mean you act like a boss.

Be diligent in prayer - As a shepherd probably the most important thing you can do is have a healthy prayer life.  Pray earnestly for wisdom, for guidance, for all the saints you have been charged to shepherd.  Pray for God's church, that everything you do as a shepherd is according to His will and is pleasing to him.  Pray for those who are in need of prayer, be specific in your prayers to the Father.  Remember, you can never pray too much.

Love - Our savior said the greatest command was to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our mind and with all of our soul.  The second is like it, to love our neighbor as ourselves.  This is not rocket science.  If we do not demonstrate love in all of our actions, then you have no business being a shepherd.  With every person you engage, with every decision you make, for every discipline you hand out, do it first and foremost with an attitude of love.  Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians, "love never fails."

I hope this writing has been an encouragement to you, whether you are currently a shepherd, or perhaps contemplating your desire to be one someday if asked.  If that is the case, may God bless you in that quest.  But my thoughts come from my time as a shepherd, my observations of growing up in the church, and having a father as a shepherd.

If you have a question, or disagree with anything I have to say, that's fine.  You know how to get hold of me if you want to talk about it.

Blessings my friends.  Be kind to each other.

Blessings

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday; and wherever you are, wherever you attend, I hope you had a great day of worship and time together with the Father.

A few blogs ago I talked some about how as I age, and hopefully grow more mature in the Scriptures, some of the ways I look at things have changed.  My basic beliefs--that God is the creator of all things that he sent his son Jesus to earth to live and die and that he is coming again--those ideas have not changed and will never change.

But as believers and students of the Word, our focus expands and becomes part of our daily study routine.

I am going to brag on my wife Marilyn. She is such a blessing to me I can't even begin to number the many ways in which I am blessed.  In the past couple of weeks, I have learned (I guess I don't pay real good attention), that as part of her daily Bible study, she keeps a gratitude journal, that is, things she is thankful for and the many blessings in her life.

As we were talking this afternoon, I asked her how she got started keeping her gratitude journal.  She mentioned a study in a ladies' class at West Ridge in Pocahontas (where we used to live) focusing on how important it is to have an attitude of gratitude.  M keeps a journal that she faithfully writes in nearly every day filling it with things she is grateful for.  She told me she tries to list at least 10 things every time she writes in it.

In her current journal she has written 1,090 different things she is grateful for.  How many can you list?  Our life is filled with blessings, more than the big things like God and his providential care for us, the homes we have, the food we eat, the friends we have.  It is the little things we need to be grateful for as well.  The little things that are blessings, that are part of our daily lives, all too often go by with little thought of them.

I asked M to pull her book out this afternoon and just share some things to give you an idea of things in this life we can and should be grateful for, things that are a blessing that we should thank God for every day.  Here is a small portion of her list, picked at random, and it is a wide-range of gratitude.  From number one to number 1090, and a few in between.

1 - A warm home

50 - Ceiling fans

102 - Bacon

140 - The peace I have knowing I am covered by the blood of the Lamb

153 - Hot coffee!

228 - The sound of frogs

326 - Pat's [Riner] lesson on sound Wednesday night

645 - Time to think

719 - A bowl full of freshly picked tomatoes

824 - The life of Stephen Darwin

838 - My nap this afternoon

947 - The hope I have in God

1090 - For Fred's good lesson and class this morning [at the HHI Church of Christ]

Do you see what M is trying to do?  Think outside the box, open your eyes to the things around you, be thankful for them, be thankful on a daily basis.

I have a challenge for you.  Get a small spiral notebook, or a journal of some sort, and write "Gratitude Journal" on it.  Start small as you get used to the concept of writing.  Each day, write down five blessings in your life.  Things you have a heart of gratitude about.  If you think of more than five, super.  But list them.  Put the date down but keep your numbers going from day-to-day.

Count your blessings, name them one by one;

Count your many blessings, see what God hath done;

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

- Count Your Blessings - Johnson Oatman, Jr.  (1897)

My first five you ask?  Easy, a mix.

1.  For God, who loves me 

2.  For M, who loves me 

3.  For Hilton Head Island, my favorite place to be on earth

4.  For the God-given ability to write

5.  For baseball

Take care of each other.  I sincerely love all of you and am very grateful for all of you.  See you next time.

 Lord hath done.

SEC Picks - Week 9

 (Hilton Head Island, SC) - Greetings my fellow SEC lovers from the Low Country of South Carolina.  M and I are here for a bit, but that doesn't mean we are not focused on this week's slate of games.  Though I admit, my attention is on the World Series as well, but more on that later.

Last week we had eight conference games, this week, we have seven, with Florida and Georgia getting to sleep in late on Saturday.  Similar to last week, we have some games this week with meaning, games that could affect which members of the SEC make the 12-team college football playoff.  Afterall, there are five SEC teams in the top 10 so there is going to be some beating each other up.

I got beat up last week, missing badly on a couple of games.  That's ok, live and learn.  Though it did chap me a little that a couple of guys at church last Sunday pointed out my failings.  Grrrr.  Anyway, last week, I went 5-3 in conference games, incorrectly picking LSU, South Carolina and Ole Miss, so I am now 21-9 in conference games and 64-17 overall, so my percentages took a little bit of a hit.

Ok, get the sweet tea made, have some nachos or bowl of chili ready and let's take a look at this weekend's games.

Ole Miss at Oklahoma - 11a - ABC - Both are 6-1 but are coming off entirely different games.  Ole Miss did not play that great in losing to Georgia.  Meanwhile Oklahoma, after laying an egg against Texas, looked strong on the road at South Carolina.  Can the Rebels regroup?  Can the Sooners maintain the momentum?  When in doubt, go with the home team.  Oklahoma 38, Ole Miss 30

Auburn at Arkansas - 11.45a - SEC - I guess we could call this the "Bottom-Feeder Bowl."  of the 16 teams in the SEC, Arkansas is 14th, Auburn is tied for 15th.  Neither one has yet to win a conference game.  That will change on Saturday afternoon.  Neither team is that good, though Auburn has had some terrible luck, which may or may not be due to bad coaching, I'll let you decide.  Arkansas is 0-2 since Bobby Petrino took over, but I will say this for them, they are scoring a boatload of points against two pretty good teams, 31 against Tennessee and 42 against Texas A&M.    I'll take the Hogs.  Arkansas 49, Auburn 37

Missouri at Vanderbilt - 2.30p - ESPN - There are six teams in the SEC that have 6-1 records.  Mizzou and Vandy are two of them.  This is such a big game that ESPN Game Day will be in Nashville.  I spent almost half my life in Missouri, and love the Tigers, and as much as I want to go with my heart, I just can't see Mizzou winning.  Vandy is on a roll, and they are at home.  Vandy 31, Mizzou 26

Alabama at South Carolina - 2.30p - ABC - Good thing the condo has two televisions.  I'll be watching Mizzou, and Miss M will be cheering on the Tide.  After a horrendous opening game against Florida State, Alabama is looking like the Alabama of old.  Alabama 30, South Carolina 17

Texas at Mississippi State - 3.15p - SEC - The Longhorns come to Starkville!  Hope they enjoy their time in east-central Mississippi.  They should go home with a win.  Even though I would love to see the Bulldogs win.  Texas 40, Mississippi State 28

Texas A&M at LSU - 6.30p - ABC - The Tigers started off 4-0 with wins over Florida and Clemson.  But they have lost two out of their last three, losing on the road at Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, but it is Saturday Night in Baton Rouge, and I don't care if the Aggies are undefeated.  "Laissez les bons temps rouler."  LSU 44, A&M 33

Tennessee at Kentucky - 6.45p - SEC - Ok, we all know Kentucky played well last week against Texas.  But can they do it two weeks in a row?  I think not.  I won't be watching this game, I hope to be eating some spicy, blackened seafood.  Geaux Tigers!  Oops, sorry wrong game.  The Vols will prevail.  Tennessee 34, Kentucky 24

Ok kids, your week nine picks have hit the Internet, use caution as always since these picks are for your entertainment only.  No actual wagering should be done based on my questionable train of thought.

World Series Bonus Pick - I will admit I am rooting for the Blue Jays.  I like the Dodgers, they have former Cardinal Tommy Edman and former Brave Freddie Freeman, and I think their manager, Dave Roberts is a good guy.  But their payroll dwarfs the Blue Jays, and the Dodgers have won two of the past five World Series.  I'll take Toronto in seven.

Enjoy the fall like weather.  Be nice to each other.

Looney Tunes

 Saturday morning before the football games started, I was perusing social media, not really looking for anything in particular, when a post on Instagram by somebody I didn't know grabbed my attention.  This particular poster wrote, "It was not officially Saturday until this came on." Below that simple sentence was a short video, less than a minute, that totally summed up my Saturday mornings from the time I was five or six until I was well, I'm not ashamed to admit, well into my 20's, maybe 30.  It was a theme song.  Since I can't play it on this blog, I'll give you the words.  See if you can figure it out.

Overture, curtain, lights.

This is it, the night of nights,

No more rehearsing and nursing a part, 

We know every part by heart.

Overture, curtain, lights.

This is it, we'll hit the heights, 

And oh what heights we'll hit, 

On with the show this is it.

Tonight what heights we'll hit, 

On with the show this is it!

I would dare say any serious watcher of cartoons no matter their age or sex, is already singing along with the above words, brought to us by the brilliant people at Warner Bros., the theme song to Looney Tunes.

I can still remember Saturday mornings, my brother and I would get up early, say seven or so, get a bowl of Cheerios or Frosted Flakes, and head to the couch in the family room and sit transfixed for the next 90 minutes watching Looney Tunes and the latest adventures of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck Sylvester and Tweedy, Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd and others.

As silly as the cartoons were, we laughed hysterically every time Elmer Fudd shot Daffy Duck's beak.  Daffy would always have to manually readjust it.  Or when Wile E. Coyote would get a package from ACME.  We just knew whatever contraption was inside, he would put it together, be outsmarted by Roadrunner, and with a "beep, beep," it would blow up in his face, and he would drag the remnants back to wherever to try again.

60 years later I can still recall some of my favorite lines from these characters.  I quote these lines so often, M has turned the tables and used them on me a few times.  Ever have your wife call you an "ultra-maroon?"

The Looney Tunes were far ahead of their time, starting in the '40's and running for over 50 years on CBS and ABC.  They can still be seen on various cable channels, or do what I do, watch episodes on YouTube.   They were good because of the direction of Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Bob McKimson, Bob Clampett and Tex Avery.  They gave the characters life and Mel Blanc's voice gave them personality.  Which meant we wanted to watch them over and over and over.

Like we all had our favorite Beatle, we all had our favorite Looney Tunes character as well.  Here are some of mine, and why I liked them, with maybe a quote or two.

Bugs Bunny - The star of the show.  The wise-cracking bunny who sounded like he came from the Lower East Side in New York, could always be seen chomping on a carrot.  Bugs gave the world, among other great quotes, "eh, what's up doc?"  How about popping out of his hole with a map and announcing, "Pismo Beach, and all the clams you can eat."  Not seeing the beach anywhere, he scratches his head and says, "I knew I should have made that left turn in Albuquerque."  He also gave us, "of course you know this means war," and as I mentioned earlier, "what an ultra-maroon."  Bugs is timeless.

Foghorn Leghorn - Whoever created Foghorn must have really liked him, because in my opinion, he has the best lines, some of which, if you were a devoted watcher of Looney Tunes, you can probably still quote.  Doing battle with dog next door or the chicken hawk, our favorite character uttered these beauties.  "Go, I say go away boy, you bother me."  How about, "That dog is as subtle as a hand grenade in a bowl of oatmeal."  Talking to the chicken hawk, "Pay attention to me boy! I'm not talking to hear my head roar."  Finally, "Now who's, who is responsible for this unwarranted attack on my person?"  I do love Foghorn Leghorn.

Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote - The coyote's endless pursuit across the barren desert landscape of the quick roadrunner.  Every segment between these two had no dialog, just music, except for Roadrunner occasionally saying "beep-beep."  That's it.  No dialog was necessary.  In each 10-minute cartoon, Wile E. Coyote would invariably run off a cliff, get hit by a train or bus, or crushed by an anvil.  Every time he would fall off the cliff, his eyes would get big, and his body smaller and smaller, until you couldn't see him.  Then a second later, there would be a puff of dust coming up off the desert floor.

Yosemite Sam - Yosemite Sam was short, I mean, seriously short and had a gigantic, small-man complex.  He had red hair and a huge red moustache and an oversized 10-gallon cowboy hat on his head, and always carried a pair of six-shooters.  A tough guy in the old west, who after being outsmarted by Bugs, would nearly always say, "You rackin', frackin' varmint!"  I'm not sure what rackin' frackin' means, but it still makes me laugh.  One time I remember after a rough battle Yosemite Sam finds himself in Hell.  Looking around and not knowing where he is, he uttered this classic, "man, it's hot in here, where am I, Dallas?"  Finally, in another episode, he found himself in the company of some folks who didn't understand him.  His response, "Great horny-toads, I'm surrounded by idjits."  I'm sure he meant idiots, but that is not the way it came out of his mouth.

Stay with me, only three more.

Elmer Fudd - Poor Elmer, he was just too innocent and was always being outsmarted by Bugs, and Daffy for that matter.  I cannot look at Elmer Fudd without thinking of his signature line.  Like before, I'm going to type it as it sounded coming out of his mouth.  "Shhhh, be vewwy, vewwy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits."  Elmer is so much fun, even though he is always on the short end of the joke, he rarely gets angry.

Daffy Duck - Finally we get to the co-star of the show.  The foil of Bugs' jokes, he gets fed up with Bugs in nearly every episode and reminds him, "You're despicable."  Mel Blanc's interpretation of Daffy was to give him a slight lisp, while the animators had him spewing saliva every time he hurled an insult. Daffy is always trying to outsmart Bugs, which gave us great lines like, "I'm so crazy I don't know this isn't possible."  Actually I kind of like that one.  Along that same line he said, "obviously no one understands the level of insanity I operate at."  Last one I'll leave you with from Daffy is actually good advice.  "You can't control who comes into your life, but you can control what window you throw them out of."

Speedy Gonzalez - I mention the little Hispanic mouse because when my age was still in the single digits, I learned my first two words of Spanish from Speedy.  he was always running around yelling, "Andale! Andale! Arriba! Arriba!"  For those not familiar with Espanol, he was saying "hurry up, hurry up, let's go, let's go!"

As Porky Pig would say at the end of every show, "That's All Folks!"

I really hope I didn't bore you with my recollections of Looney Tunes.  M was watching a British murder mystery on BritBox or Acorn or Prime, something, and I kept imitating Mel Blanc.  Be glad you weren't here for that.  It wasn't pretty.  One thing they did, was make me laugh, and now, 60 years later, they still make me laugh, and really, that is not such a bad thing.

Have a great week.  Be kind to each other.

SEC Picks - Week 8

 Hey kids, welcome back to the eighth week of the college football season.  We are more than halfway through the season, and picking games is getting a little bit tougher, with this week being no different.  The 16 teams that make up the SEC will all be playing each other this week.  That's right, no non-conference games, just eight pure, fierce conference games.  As M said, "a week of cannibalization."  I couldn't have put it better myself.

Last week was a so-so week for your friendly prognosticator.  I went 5-2 overall, giving me a season record of 59-14, which is a winning percentage of .808.   I can live with that.  In conference games last week, I went 4-2.  I thought Mizzou might beat Alabama at home.  They didn't, losing by three at Faurot Field.  I also thought Oklahoma would handle Texas at the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl.  Boy, I really blew that one.  The Longhorns played like most thought they would play all year.   But going 4-2 in the SEC last week gives me a season record of 16-6, or a winning percentage of .727, which is fairly decent.

We have a lot of games to look at, almost all of them should be exciting, as only one game, Texas-Kentucky, has a point spread greater than 10 points.  No cupcakes this week.  On to the picks!

LSU at Vanderbilt - 11a - ABC - I never, ever would have believed both teams would be 5-1 at this point.  The Tigers had a struggle win at home against South Carolina last week, while Vandy had the week off.  Vandy is favored in this one by a couple of points, but I cannot pick against LSU, as much as I don't like Brian Kelly.  LSU in a squeaker.  LSU 27, Vandy 25

Oklahoma at South Carolina - 11.45a - SEC - You would think the Sooners would be favored, and they are.  But after the egg they laid in Dallas last week, and the way the Gamecocks looked against LSU on the road, I'm going with the upset.  SC wins at home.  South Carolina 30, Oklahoma 28

Texas A&M at Arkansas - 2.30p - ESPN - They used to play this game in Arlington at Jerry Jones House, but now back to campuses, at least for a bit.  The hogs showed a little spark at Tennessee last week under Bobby Petrino.  The offense looked rejuvenated.  The Aggies dusted off Florida to remain undefeated and ranked fourth.  I don't care if the game is in Fayetteville, this is a much tougher challenge for the Razorbacks, and I just don't think they have the pigs to do it.  Aggies remain undefeated.  A&M 38, Arkansas 24

Ole Miss at Georgia - 2.30p - ABC - Well, well, well, the Rebels are still undefeated, and Lane Kiffin is looking like a genius bringing in a Division II quarterback from Ferris State.  Trinidad Chambless is looking like the second coming of Eli Manning.  Georgia is still good, their only loss coming to a rejuvenated Alabama squad.  I'm not a brainy, football guy, so I can't quite put my finger on it, but something just seems amiss with Georgia this year.  They are not dominating opposing teams which we have come to expect.  With all that being said........ Ole Miss 42, Georgia 28

Mississippi State at Florida - 3.15p - SEC - The Bulldogs are 4-2, the Gators are 2-4.  Records mean nothing as Florida is favored by nine.  Even if I didn't know that I would have picked Florida at home in the Swamp.  Florida 37, Mississippi State 25

Texas at Kentucky - 6p - ESPN - Texas should win, they should win easily.  'Nuff said.  Texas 52, Kentucky 17

Tennessee at Alabama - 6.30p - ABC - After watching Ole Miss beat Georgia, you should have enough time to put some burgers and hot dogs and brats on the grill, maybe some corn on the cob as well.  Don't forget to grill some onions as well.  You will want to watch this game, and not get up, except during halftime.  Both teams had tough games last week but survived.  Tennessee is looking good, but Alabama is looking really good.  Alabama 35, Tennessee 28

Missouri at Auburn - 6.45p - SEC - Mizzou did not look good against Alabama last week and still only loss by three.  Auburn, oh Auburn, you need direction, you're just so listless.  This is Mizzou's first road game of the year, so that may be a factor, but I don't really think so.  I, taking the Tigers at Jordan-Hare.  Mizzou 30, Auburn 21

Ok fellow SEC buddies, eight games, eight winners (we hope).  Should be a good day of football.  Keep the snacks handy and the beverages cold.  See you next week from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Home

 M and I spent this past weekend with her sister Paula and her husband, Mike.  After spending their working years primarily in the Little Rock area, they now live in a cabin on a ridge just outside Mountain View, Arkansas.

Located at the end of a gravel road off a dirt road, their place has magnificent views and more importantly, peace and tranquility.  When we are there, one of my favorite things to do is sit in a rocker on their front porch and watch the world go by.  Actually, nothing goes by except some birds, the gentle breeze, a stray dog, and occasional deer.

If I'm out there early in the morning, say before seven, it is not uncommon to see fog in the valley, hear the roosters down the road welcoming in the new day, or one of the mules a bit farther down the road stretching out their lungs.  It is not uncommon, say after midnight, to hear a pack of coyotes walking through the woods, letting the surrounding countryside know they are up and looking for dinner.  Mike, whom I have known since our freshman year at Harding fifty years ago, says hearing multiple coyotes howl at once will make your hair stand up on the back of your head.  It certainly gets your attention.

Did I mention it is just a few miles from White River, where there are plenty of trout waiting to be caught?  After Hilton Head, Mountain View is probably our favorite getaway, and we enjoyed this past weekend immensely.

But changing subjects slightly.  As we were making the 300-mile drive home on Monday afternoon, M and I were chatting about any number of things to pass the time.  Sometimes we listen to Sirius (Classic Vinyl, Beatles Channel or Radio Margaritaville), but other times, we just like to talk, and it really doesn't matter what the topic is.

Now I could pretend I am a family psychologist and extol the many virtues of spousal communication, but I'm not, and besides, almost all of you know that already.  Communication is not only a necessary thing, but also a healthy habit, a must for strong marriages.  

But while we were driving, I asked M if she was enjoying living back in Alabama.  It wasn't a trick question at all, and I think I knew the answer, but wanted to hear what she said.  After all, when we moved to the Shoals in the fall of 2014, M had spent the previous 42 years living in Arkansas.  Things have changed, which she acknowledged as she started telling me her thoughts.  She said moving back to the Shoals took some getting used to, but she was happy to here.  Then she said something I want to dwell on for a bit, she said, "Alabama will always be my home."

She has spent 29 years of her life in Alabama and 42 in Arkansas, and while she admitted she loved Arkansas, made wonderful friends and had great experiences, it wasn't home; Alabama was home.

She then turned the table on me, which surprised me a little, asking me how I liked living in Alabama.  I was honest, I told her I loved living in Alabama, a lot more than I thought I would.  But then she said, "but it's not home is it?"  No M, it's not.  She then answered for me, "Missouri is your home," and she is right, my home is Missouri.  But while I grew up there, unlike my wife, I have no desire to move back there.  I go back frequently and see my mother, who by the way, has a birthday on Thursday the 16th. I love seeing my 102-year-old great Aunt Roxie, perhaps the most amazing woman I've ever known.  She still lives in her home by herself and still cooks!  She has however given up driving.

I subscribe to MLB.com so I can watch the Cardinals, I can watch most Blues games on ESPN+, and watch Mizzou on the SEC Network.  The Weather Channel gives me the forecast every morning.  There is no need to go back.

I turned 68 earlier this summer. Of those 68 years, I spent 33 of them living in Missouri, 21 in Arkansas, 11 in Alabama and three in Florida.  But why is Missouri home for me?  Why is Alabama home for Marilyn?

I have a simple theory.  It is where we grew up.  I believe in our minds, when we think of "home," we think of happy times, times when we were surrounded by family, by friends, by good memories.  Home is where we went to church, grade school, middle school, high school, where we learned to drive, had our first date, our first kiss, and probably, if we are all honest, committed our first misdemeanor.  To my way of thinking, that is where home is, and I spent those young, impressionable years in Missouri.

Growing up, my lifetime friends were almost all from church.  A few are like me, Bruce Chilton, Sam Bates, my brother Barry, Linda Richardson, Sandy Frazier, Paige Staggs, Kim Holland, Kevin Uebelein, Sandy Smith, Leslie Davis.  We all grew up and went to church together in the St. Louis area, but for most of our post high school lives, we left "The Lou," and went to college and had careers elsewhere.  I wonder if I asked each of them, where is your home?  I wonder how many would say Missouri, or where they live now, out-state Missouri, Arkansas or Texas or Alabama or Tennessee or Virginia or Florida.

Home right now is Tuscumbia, Alabama; that is where M and I live.  But home, the home that shaped me, had such an influence on me, well, that home is about 375 miles to the northwest.

Thank you for spending some time with me.  Be kind to each other this week.  See you down the road.

SEC Picks - Week 7

 Hey kids, welcome to another week of college football.  We have seven games involving SEC this weekend, and I would guess at least five of them will be interesting.  By the way, six of the seven will be conference games.

I am doing my picks a day early this week as M and I will be on the road tomorrow, heading to Arkansas for a few days.  We will be in Mountain View at her sister and brothers-in-law.

Last week was a good week, which I needed after the debacle the week before.  Your favorite prognosticator went a tidy 5-0 last week, which included a 4-0 conference record.  Yes I correctly picked Alabama over Vandy and Florida to beat Texas in The Swamp.  I really felt good about it.   For the season, my record now stands at 12-4 and 54-12 in all games.  As Adam Sandler would say, "not too shabby."

Let's get right to this week's tussles.

Alabama at Missouri - 11a - ABC - As you know, these are my two favorite SEC teams.  The Tigers are 5-0, Bama is 4-1, and has looked very good the last couple weeks.  Alabama has already played Florida State, Georgia and Vandy.  Mizzou has played Kansas and South Carolina.  I think it is fair to say this will be the best offense either team has faced thus far this year.  I have gone back and forth on this game a lot, and to be honest, it will be no surprise if either team wins.  When in doubt, go with the home team.  Mizzou 30, Alabama 27

Washington State at Ole Miss - 11.45a - SEC - The Rebels are number four in the country, and they really should not have in problem at home on Saturday.  Ole Miss 49, Washington State 10

Oklahoma at Texas - 2.30p - ABC - Is there a better place to be on the second Saturday in October than the Texas State Fairgrounds in Dallas to watch the Red River Classic between Oklahoma and Texas?  The Sooners are undefeated and one of five SEC teams in the Top 10, while the Longhorns, who at one point were atop the standings, have now fallen completely out of the top 25.  Sounds like an upset could be in the works, eh?   As Coach Corso would say, "Not so fast."  Oklahoma 37, Texas 24

Arkansas at Tennessee - 3.15p - SEC - M and I will be in Arkansas this weekend at her sister Paula's, so I would imagine the entire household will be rooting for the Hogs.  I probably will as well, even though the thought of Bobby Petrino back coaching the Razorbacks makes me want to gag.  I think Tennessee will win, but I also believe the Hogs will give them all they can handle.  Tennessee 35, Arkansas 33

Florida at Texas A&M - 6p - ESPN - The Gators stunned everyone (except yours truly) by knocking off the Longhorns last week.  Will lightning strike twice?   Nop, no it won't.  A&M 42, Florida 24

Georgia at Auburn - 6.30p - ABC - I am just a bit surprised the Bulldogs are only a 3.5-point favorite over Auburn.  Sure, Georgia has not looked invincible, but they sure look better than Auburn don't you think?  Might be a good game to watch, but then again, who wants to see Hugh Freeze get beat again.  Georgia 31, Auburn 21

South Carolina at LSU - 6.45p - SEC - Saturday night in Death Valley, the best setting in all of college football.  Feel free to text or email your disagreement, maybe it's the white jerseys, or perhaps the dual-post goal posts, the fives on the yard-lines (e.g. 10, 15, 20, 25, etc) on the field, maybe its crawfish, the char-broiled oysters, the beignets, the Mississippi River Delta, watching the sunrise at Grand Isle, or all of the above.  Maybe it is just because I was born in Louisiana.  Geaux Tigers!  I hope we are watching this game in Arkansas. LSU 45, South Carolina 18

Carpe Diem my friends.  Have a great weekend.  Enjoy some red beans and rice or gumbo.

My Faith and Beliefs - Thinking Differently

 I have a lot things on my mind these days; some are trivial, some are serious, and many are somewhere in the middle, depending on the day.  Does your life work that way?

I am not going to get into everything that is on my mind; that would bore most of you and probably scare my mother to death (Mom, you have been warned).  But I am going to touch on a serious subject, my faith and beliefs, that I hope many will agree with, and some, may question.  That's ok, I'm a big boy and can take whatever is thrown back.  

As most of you know, I grew up in the Church of Christ (C of C) and remain there to this day.  To be honest, I have no plans on going anywhere else, as I am comfortable in what believe.  My dad was an elder for many years, and I have served as a youth minister, a deacon and an elder.  I have been on mission trips and taught numerous classes.  But that doesn't mean I don't have questions and take everything that is said as fact, and I don't "agree" with everything that we teach. 

While we strive as leaders to show unity, because I do believe that is what God wants, I have been in meetings where there were disagreements on how things should be done, disagreements on what exactly scripture was trying to say.  The fact is none of us were alive in the first century when the New Testament was written. We might have some context, given the surrounding text, but we cannot hear a tone of voice or see facial expressions.  I'm saying even after much prayer, it is at times difficult to discern exactly what God is saying; and in my life, in my study, I have often wondered "are we doing the right thing?  Did we get this point wrong?"

The late Jim Hackney, was the preaching minister at the Midtown (now Heritage) C of C in Fort Worth for over 40 years.  He preached at Overland, where I grew up, for a couple of years back in the 1970's.  We renewed our friendship in his later years, and I appreciated his insights.  A few years back he did a sermon series (it might have been a Bible class) on "Does God's grace cover doctrinal error?"

I have thought about that a lot.  Do we as a body make mistakes without ever realizing it.  I don't know, perhaps we do.  If we do, they are honest errors, but back to the question, does God's grace cover doctrinal error?

You know I am a firm believer God gives us a lot of freedom in our worship, in the way we do things in evangelizing, in spreading the gospel.  Christ was asked in Matthew 22, "What is the greatest command?"  His answer was simple and direct.  It was also short.  He replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest command.  The second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."  The two greatest commands did not include anything on how we worship, on the checklist for being saved, on which version of the Bible we must use, is ok for my wife to pray?  None of that, Christ simply said, "Love God and love your neighbor."  That's it.

I bring all of this up because of something I read recently.  It was a quote from Pope Leo XIV, the current head of the Catholic church.  It read, "We are one family, with the same Father, who makes the sun to rise and send rain on everyone.  We live on the same planet and must care for it together.  I renew my heartfelt appeal for unity and for peace."  

You know what?  As the saying goes, that will preach.  I don't care if he is Catholic, or if it was said by someone who is not C of C, truth is truth.  I am a firm believer that we (the C of C) do not have a monopoly on good ideas, and we are missing golden opportunities to learn from those who might have a different perspective.  With many of the same organized religions and those that are non-denominational, we serve the same God, we recognize that he sent his son Jesus to the earth, that he lived, he died, he rose and is coming back again.  We should be rejoicing in that unity.  Do we see some things differently?  Sure we do.  My wife and I see some things differently.  My friends and I don't always agree, and that is ok.  The apostles didn't always agree

Many of today's well-known C of C ministers and leaders, Patrick Meade, Max Lucado, John Mark Hicks, Rubel Shelley, Don McLaughlin and others teach and write what they believe God is trying to tell us; we learn from all of them.  To reject them or authors like Frances Chan, or Philip Yancey, Charles Swindoll, or Beth Moore, or C. S. Lewis and others just boggles my mind.

Many of the friends I grew up with still regularly attend worship.  Many do so at non-denominational; or as they are sometimes called, "Bible or Community churches."  They believe in the same God, they believe in Christ, that he died and is coming back.  Know what?  So do I.  They are my brothers and sisters, and I fully expect to be rejoicing with them in heaven.  News flash, we will not be the only ones in heaven.  I know the majority of you believe that.

We all should be firm in our faith from our study, from Bible classes, from lessons from the pulpit.  Know what you believe and why you believe it.  It is ok to disagree but try not to be disagreeable.  We can learn from others outside of our "tribe" as Patrick Meade calls it. If you have a friend who is a Free Will Baptist minister and he wants to share his insights on the cross or whatever, praise The Lord!  Hear what he has to say.  Celebrate the unity of the gospel you share with him or whomever you cross paths with.

To sum up, I am a Christian, a believer, who attends worship at the Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ.  It is a place for me to praise God, to study, to fellowship with my fellow believers.  We learn and share together, and if we disagree, praise God for challenging each other.  I also believe, we can learn from those outside our "tribe" whom we share beliefs with, especially believing in one God, his Son, and the Holy Spirit.  

Just my thoughts. I have cleared my conscience and am happy and confident in the salvation that awaits me.

Blessings my friends.  Be kind to each other.

October 4th

 More than any other day of the year, this day stands out for me.  I am always cognizant of it.  It doesn't matter if it is February 21st or October 3rd, it is always on my mind.

In November 1859, Charles Dickens' classic, A Tale of Two Cities was published.  I would imagine anyone with even a passing knowledge of world literature can repeat the first line of the epic novel.  "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

In a single line, Dickens has summed up October 4th.

Three separate and life-changing events in my life all happened on October 4th.  Two can be classified as the best of times, one was definitely one of the worse.  The aftermath of all three shaped my life and do so even today.

October 4, 1964 - Sportsman's Park - St. Louis, Missouri - You guessed it, baseball was involved.  It was the last game of the 1964 regular season, the Cardinals, in a tie for first-place with the Cincinnati Reds, are hosting the lowly, last-place New York Mets.  Coming into the season-ending weekend series, the Redbirds had won eight in a row, while the Metropolitans had lost eight in a row, and were sitting in last place, 40 games out of first, with a dismal 51-108 record.  

On Friday night, southpaw Al Jackson outdueled Bob Gibson and the Mets won, 1-0.  On Saturday, the Mets clobbered 20-game winner Ray Sadecki and beat the Cardinals 15-5.  It came down to Sunday.  If the Cardinals beat the Mets and Cincinnati beat Philadelphia, the Cardinals and Reds would tie for first. If there Cardinals won and Phillies won, the Cardinals would win the pennant, but if the Cardinals lost and the Phillies won, baseball would have its first ever three-way tie for first.

For a first baseball game, my dad and grandpa had picked out a good one.  You see, back in June or July, they bought tickets to this season ending game, not knowing the importance it would carry.  No one did, because on July 1st, the Cardinals were in sixth place 9.5 games out of first.

My love for baseball is well documented and continues to grow as it has for all my 68 years.  This first game just cemented the foundation dad and grandpa had laid.  Of course, the Cardinals won, 11-5, and the Reds lost, so not only did the Cardinals win the first game I ever saw in person, but they also clinched the National League pennant with that win.  And you wonder why I am so passionate about baseball.

October 4, 1998 - My parent's home - Pocahontas, Arkansas - Another great day, and I can emphasize this enough, it was a really, really good day.   I was working for TWA in St. Louis and had told mom earlier I was going to come down my next "weekend", which was actually a Monday and Tuesday.

As I am sure all of you are aware, just a couple of years before this, my wife Trish and I had divorced.  This occurred while we were living in Naples, Florida.  She and the boys would eventually move to the Atlanta area and I moved back to St. Louis.

My folks had moved to Pocahontas about a year earlier after my dad retired from McDonnell Douglas.  The last three years dad was with McDonnell, he worked with Alenia Aerospace in Torino, Italy working as an advisor as they built McDonnell fighters.  They moved to Pocahontas because that is where my mother grew up and also because her mother, my Granny Dalton was still alive, so she could be there to help take care of her. (Granny would live 15 more years, dying at 98).

So earlier in the week when I told mom I was going to drive down on Sunday afternoon from St. Louis after I got of work, she said, "Great, there is someone I want you to meet."  I said, "ok", and unbeknownst to her I was rolling my eyes thinking "whatever."

It turned out this gal, a schoolteacher they went to church with, was in their small group, which my mother had conveniently arranged to have at their house, not knowing exactly when I would arrive.  This teacher had never been married, and mom was playing matchmaker.  You might know this gal, her name was Marilyn Horsman.

After our Bible study, mom asked Marilyn if she had had anything to eat since lunch, as I had not had time to eat after I arrived.  "I thought I'd make Dalton a hot roast beef sandwich, would you like one." As M recalls, "I knew what she was doing, but I also hadn't eaten yet and I knew what a good cook she was, so I stayed."  Once the hot roast beef sandwiches appeared along with some sweet tea, mom and dad disappeared to the family room, leaving Marilyn and I alone in the kitchen.  I discovered she liked baseball and travel, she discovered I liked books and Coca-Cola, we had both gone to Harding, and she already loved my mom and dad.  God had definitely done his homework

Before I knew it, I was driving to Pocahontas every weekend.  The following summer, July 17, 1999, we said "I do."  Here we are, 27 years later, more in love than ever.

October 4, 2009 - Springhill Suites Hotel - Kennesaw, Georgia - It was shortly after 4 a.m. when my cell phone rang.  I was sleeping in one of the queen-size beds in the room, with my younger son Clayton, who had just turned 18 a month earlier was asleep in the other bed.

My mother was on the other end.  Before she said one word, I knew why she was calling.  "Dalt, dad is gone."  My dad, age 74, had succumbed to cancer after a 21-month battle with the deadly disease.  I was in Georgia visiting Clayton for the weekend.

Before I left Pocahontas to go to Atlanta, I went by to see dad on Thursday afternoon.  His time was short, and he knew it.  I sat by the hospital bed set up in his and mom's bedroom.  I had planned this trip to Georgia a month or two earlier, not knowing this would be the weekend he would die.

We chatted for a bit, he talked softly, but clearly.  I asked him if he wanted me to stay home.  He shook his head no.  "No," he said, "you go see the boys, they need you, and you need to be with them."  He was right.  I had seen him almost every day the previous 21 months, he didn't need me, so I went ahead and headed to Georgia.

Mom called me Saturday afternoon and let me know the end was near for dad.  Marilyn was there with him, as were my brother Barry and his wife Sheila, who, being an RN, and at the time was a member of the Nursing School faculty at Harding. Her presence and calmness were a blessing to all.  I called Barclay, who was attending Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, several hours away.  I told him the situation with his grandpa, and to be ready to meet me somewhere.

After Mom called, I woke Clayton and then called Barclay.  He had a ride lined up and we agreed to meet in Macon at eight, about three hours later.  Time moved quickly, Clayton and I gathered our stuff and drove to Macon to meet Barc.  He arrived about 10 minutes later, and off we went to Cartersville, north of Atlanta on I-75 where they lived with their mom.  We made it to Pocahontas about 7.30 that evening, worn out, but happy to be there.  The house was filled with friends and family, food, hugs, laughter and tears

It does not seem possible that dad has been gone 16 years.  I literally think about him every day, wishing I could take advantage of his practical wisdom.  He was kind, thoughtful, an encourager to everyone he met, and had the gift of always saying the right thing at the right time.  My brother and I were blessed to have him as a father.

Baseball, Marilyn and my dad.  I loved and still love all three, even today, the day all three share, October 4th.

Thanks for spending some time with me as I reminisce.  Be kind to each other.  I do love all of you. 

SEC Picks - Week 6

 As I have heard from some of you as early as last Saturday night, last week was a disaster.  I readily admit, I was getting a little too big for my breeches and thought I knew more than I actually did.  In a word, I was humbled.  Big time.

First, I picked Arkansas to upset Notre Dame.  But, in my defense, if you look back at last week's prediction of the game, I said, come Sunday, I may regret picking the Hogs.  I did.

I also thought LSU would beat Ole Miss.  They didn't.  This bothered me for three reasons.  I picked LSU I hate seeing LSU lose, and I really dislike seeing Lane Kiffin win.  Ugh.

I also thought Georgia would beat Alabama, and let me add, I'm glad I was wrong on that one.  Roll Tide!  I also thought Mississippi State would beat Tennessee.  They should have but didn't.  Oh well, for the week I went 2-3 in SEC games and went 4-4 for the week.  Which means after five weeks, my record stands at 8-4 in SEC games and 49-12 overall.  Still not too bad, but pride got in the way.  Ugh, I need to do better.

Amazingly, we only have five games this week, four conference and one non-conference.  Seven of the schools will be working on their October tans in the Gulf Shores/Destin area.  I take that back, only six will be.  Arkansas is off, but since they hired (re-hired) Bobby Petrino as interim coach, players and boosters alike are buy hiding all the available motorcycles in the Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers/Bentonville area.

As a gentle reminder following last week's disastrous week, these picks are for entertainment (ha!) purposes only.  No actual wagering should be done based on my ignorance.

As I mentioned, we have five games.  Grab some wings and your favorite cold beverage and let's take a look.

Kentucky at Georgia - 11a - ABC -  As we were reminded last week, Georgia has trouble beating Alabama.  They have no such problem with Kentucky.  Georgia 48, Kentucky 14

Vanderbilt at Alabama - 2.30p - ABC - No one, I mean no one who is honest thought going into week six of the season Vandy would have fewer losses than Alabama.  If they say otherwise, they are lying.  We are having a 100th anniversary celebration at church going on all weekend.  I may be absent for a couple hours.  I need to watch what will be one of the more incredibly, unexpected, must-watch games of the year.  Go figure.  Alabama 31, Vanderbilt 29

Texas at Florida - 2.30p - ESPN - Ok, I said I learned my lesson last week, but I just don't think Texas is that good, and I don't think Florida is that bad.  Yes, a mild upset.  Florida 34, Texas 30

Kent State at Oklahoma - 3p - SEC - I wonder how many of these Kent State players have actually been to our 46th state?  Welcome to Norman.  Just take your check and go home to Ohio.  Oklahoma 56, Kent State 7

Mississippi State at Texas A&M - 6.30p - SEC - The Bulldogs are better than anyone thought they would be.  It would be ok with me if they beat the Aggies.  I just don't think they will.  But it should be entertaining.  A&M 37, Mississippi State 24

That's it, just five games.  Hope you have a terrific weekend.  Be nice to each other.