"Should I drop Kerry Collins?" "I'm dropping Marc Bulger." "Did you pick up anybody when you dropped him?" "Yeah, I picked up Jonathan Stewart." "You suck." "Yeah, I know." "There is nobody good to pick up." "You can pick me up." "No, I don't want some idiot named Lee Murtha on my team." "Fine." "Boom, baby!" "What a hit."
That was the conversation going on around me when I sat down to write this column, evidence that it is indeed football season. Baseball is over, the NBA regular season isn't worth watching at this stage, and college basketball doesn't have a marquee matchup for a couple weeks.
Mr. Schmidley and I have seemingly gone back and forth about football-related topics all fall, and this week will be no different. It was the National Football League last week, and it's college football this week.
Next weekend features a matchup that could easily be an instant classic. Big-12 powerhouses Texas Tech and the University of Oklahoma meet in Norman, Okla., on Saturday to determine who has the inside track to the BCS title game.
No. 2 Texas Tech, led by Heisman frontrunner and quarterback Graham Harrell, will look to extend its undefeated season while No. 4 Oklahoma, led by Heisman candidate and quarterback Sam Bradford, would love to hand the Red Raiders their first loss.
The stakes couldn't be much higher, and the matchup couldn't be much better. We have two of the best quarterbacks in the game leading two of the best offenses in the country.
One team will leave the stadium one step closer to the national championship. The other team will leave with their title hopes crushed.
My position on this may be predictable. Several weeks ago, I picked Oklahoma to win the national championship. While the Sooners' shot at getting the opportunity took a hit when it lost to Texas, they are still in the hunt after Penn State lost.
Just two weeks ago, I picked Oklahoma's Bradford for the Heisman trophy. I seem to be all for the Sooners, and this column won't deviate from that trend.
I think the Oklahoma Sooners will beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday, and it's primarily because the game is taking place in Norman.
Home-field advantage is one of those terms that gets overused. The Dartmouth football team does not have much home-field advantage. The Dartmouth basketball team does not have much home-court advantage. This is no fault of the Dartmouth sports teams.
Home field advantage comes from the passion of the home fans, and the Dartmouth home field advantage cannot compare to that of programs like the Indiana Hoosier basketball team or the seismic atmosphere in the Ohio State Horseshoe.
The reason: math (or maybe science). I can't remember and, quite frankly, it doesn't matter. A student population of roughly 4,000 undergraduates, secluded 200 miles from civilization, provides a great learning environment but does nothing for home-field advantage.
My point is, there's mad people excited to watch this game in Norman. With 20,000-plus students and a town of 100,000 Sooner fans cheering him on, it should be nearly impossible for Sam Bradford to blow this golden opportunity.
