Focus on the Real

I'm not thrilled at Missouri's three-point win at Baylor this weekend. The Titans have played better than in today's overtime win. They still won. I need to focus on these "real" results rather than my fantasy ones, because those are terrible.

I lost my first "showdown" game in KCFA3. My Missouri-filled team lost by 71 points. The team I'm playing next week scored more than the team that beat me this week. Feel the pain.

In the AUFL, I'm 2-7. I picked up Ray Rice at the last minute but started Willis McGahee instead. That really cost me. I also picked up Steve Breaston and started him over the rejuvenated (for one week) Donald Driver. So I will have Matt Forte and LaDainian Tomlinson, likely top-five running backs when the season's over, and finish 9th at best. How I can not make the playoffs four years in a row is a mystery.

Missouri is getting the Big 12 North gift-wrapped to them and they barely beat the worst team in the Big 12 South. Hey, a win's a win. Notice the Texas/Texas Tech game as an example of the championship-killing plays that define a season. As Texas Tech drove for the winning score, a deflected pass goes right into a defender's hands. He drops it. Next play, a risky out pattern is caught and Michael Crabtree, instead of going out of bounds to guarantee the winning field goal, breaks a tackle for the winning score. The fans stormed the field not once not twice but three times. It was the best game I've seen this year, and one reason why college football still holds sway over the pro game in many fans' minds.

The Titans didn't have any rhythm on offense today. For the second week in a row, a defense keyed on the run game and mostly shut it down. Still, the defense made plays, holding the Packers to field goals and getting turnovers. The offense got into field goal range at the end of regulation. Jeff Fisher called for the field goal a bit too early in my estimation. Bironas boinked the kick, but in a championship-caliber season, the Titans got another chance. Not only did they make good the second time, the so-called contenders in the AFC South lost key games. The Jags fell a two-point conversion short of the Bengals and the Texans turned the ball over too many times at Minnesota. We're a Patriots win tonight from the Titans having a five-game lead in the division at the halfway point.

Next week will be the tailgating event of the year at the Don Funk Sports Bar. Be prepared.