For two years I have been really impressed with the Crimson Tide, but always put an asterisk next to them. Scholarship reductions and probation has affected their depth. This also is a team that cannot afford any injuries. If quarterback Brodie Croyle had stayed healthy last year, Alabama would have given Auburn everything it could handle in the SEC West. Mike Shula's Crimson Tide is the team to beat, not only in the SEC West but the SEC -- as long as Croyle doesn't get hurt again....

No. 11 Purdue at Minnesota -- Both teams are unbeaten and thinking about making a run at a Big Ten championship. Minnesota has the best running game in the country (335 yards per game), while the Boilermakers have the best run defense in Division I-A (allowing 18.0 rushing yards per game)...

Florida State should be 8-0 heading into November, but I don't think the Seminoles are a legitimate national title contender until they develop more of an offense. FSU is a team with great athletic ability and its front seven is one of the best in the nation. But with cornerback Antonio Cromartie out for the season, their secondary is vulnerable against a good team....

Last year we pointed out how successful Double-Digit Home Dogs (DDHDs) were, winning at a near 70 percent clip. This season there have been few the first three weeks and they are 3-2-1 to this point. But this week there are eight DDHDs, and we're grabbing three of them and taking our chances against one. This week's DDHDs are Army, New Mexico State, Illinois, South Florida, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Washington and Oregon.

• Both Army and New Mexico State were DDHD last night and covered.
  
• Illinois may have its hands full with Michigan State, or the Spartans may lose it outright, based on their performances last year against unranked teams.
  
• South Florida and Louisville square off tonight in their first Big East Conference clash (the two were both C-USA last year). USF may have the defense and running game to keep this one within three touchdowns, but both the Bulls quarterbacks are easily rattled and Louisville will bring all kinds of heat.
  
• Georgia plays its first road game of the season tonight against Miss State, who played Florida well in a night, home game last year.
  
• Kentucky hosts the Gators in a sandwich game, as UF gets Alabama in their next game.
  
• That Washington game is against Notre Dame, so there's all kinds of things going on there.
  
• And Oregon hosts USC, so it's just a matter of chance because both teams are going to score a lot.
  
  So after a 2-0 night yesterday, DDHD's ill probably need to be lucky to go 3-3 today.
  But there may be one outright winner lurking among them.