Here are the Journal staff’s picks for football games this weekend and Monday:

Week 9 - Oct. 27-Nov. 2
Russo, Andrew, Jeff, Jim, Padraic, Lenn
R.C. Stevens at Aberdeen Central
A.C., RCS, A.C., RCS, A.C., A.C.
S.F. Roosevelt at S.F. O’Gorman
SFR, SFR, SFO, SFO, SFO, SFR
Yankton at S.F. Washington
SFW, SFW, SFW, SFW, SFW, SFW
Pierre at Brandon Valley
Pierre, Pierre, Brandon, Brandon, Brandon, Brandon
Pine Ridge at Todd County
Todd Co., Todd Co., Todd Co., Todd Co., Todd Co., Todd Co.
Belle Fourche vs. St. Thomas More
STM, STM, STM, STM, STM, STM
Mobridge-Pollock at Winner
Winner, Winner, Winner, Winner, Winner, Winner
Herreid/Selby Area at Lyman
Lyman, Lyman, Lyman, Lyman, Lyman, Lyman
Sully Buttes at Harding County
Harding, Sully B., Harding, Harding, Sully B., Harding
Warner at New Underwood
N.U., N.U., Warner, N.U., Warner, Warner

Russo, Andrew, Jeff, Jim, Padraic, Lenn
S.D. Mines at BHSU
Mines, BHSU, Mines, BHSU, BHSU, Mines
Mesa State at Chadron State
CSC, CSC, CSC, CSC, CSC, CSC
SDSU at Youngstown State
SDSU, SDSU, SDSU, SDSU, SDSU, SDSU
Nebraska at Baylor
Huskers, Baylor, Baylor, Baylor, Baylor, Baylor
Texas at Oklahoma State
Texas, OSU, OSU, Texas, Texas, OSU
South Dakota at Northern Colorado
USD, USD, USD, USD, USD, UNC
Southern Cal at Oregon
USC, Oregon, USC, USC, USC, Oregon
Georgis vs. Florida
Florida, Florida, Florida, Florida, Florida , Florida
Michigan State at Minnesota
Minn., Minn., Mich. St., Mich. St., Mich. St., Mich. St.

Russo, Andrew, Jeff, Jim, Padraic, Lenn
St. Louis at Detroit
Rams, Lions, Lions, Lions, Lions, Rams
Miami at N.Y. Jets
Jets, Jets, Jets, Jets, Jets, Dolphins
Seattle at Dallas
Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys
Cleveland at Chicago
Bears, Bears, Bears, Bears, Bears, Bears
Denver at Baltimore
Ravens, Broncos, Ravens, Broncos, Ravens, Ravens
Houston at Buffalo
Texans, Texans, Texans, Texans, Texans, Bills
San Francisco at Indianapolis
Colts, Colts, Colts, Colts, Colts, Colts
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia
Giants, Eagles, Giants, Giants, Giants, Eagles
Oakland at San Diego
Chargers, Chargers, Chargers, Chargers, Chargers, Chargers
Jacksonville at Tennessee
Jaguars, Jaguars, Jaguars, Titans, Jaguars, Jaguars
Minnesota at Green Bay
Vikings, Packers, Packers, Vikings, Packers, Vikings
Carolina at Arizona
Cardinals, Cardinals, Cardinals, Cardinals, Cardinals, Cardinals
Atlanta at New Orleans
Saints, Saints, Saints, Saints, Saints, Saints

NOTE: Making the 32 football picks each week are Journal sports editor Andrew Cutler, assistant sports editor Jeff Budlong, copy editor Josh Russo, reporters Jim Holland and Padraic Duffy, and Journal sports employee Lenn Davis. I select the games each week from high school, local college, national college and NFL schedules.

- Russo

I can write this blog solely off the sports arguments we have up in the office.

The argument of the day: Assuming Iowa and one other team go undefeated, will the Hawkeyes play in the BCS national championship game over a one-loss team from a tougher conference? The scenario sets up nicely as both undefeated Florida and Alabama will play each other at the end of the season, and Texas may drop a game along the way. Also, USC has only one loss at this point.

Should an undefeated Iowa team get passed over, the BCS implodes on itself. It would just be like Auburn getting skipped over in 2004 or USC getting passed on in 2005. The BCS already has imploded. An undefeated Boise State or TCU would not be in the title game. Boy, I can’t wait.

- Russo

I know its a week or two past Midnight Madness, but the real beginning of the college basketball season is the signified by the release of the AP poll.

From the AP: There was little suspense as to which team would top the preseason poll. Kansas has all five starters and the top nine scorers back from last season’s team that went 27-8 and reached the third round of the NCAA tournament. The Jayhawks also feature a recruiting class considered among the nation’s best.

The Jayhawks received great news when guard Sherron Collins and center Cole Aldrich, last season’s leading scorers, decided to return to school rather than test the NBA draft. Then brothers Xavier and C.J. Henry decided to enroll in Lawrence, making the Jayhawks the early national favorite as well as the choice to win a sixth straight Big 12 title.

Here’s how the poll shapes up:

1. Kansas (55) 27-8
2. Michigan St. (5) 31-7
3. Texas (1) 23-12
4. Kentucky (3) 22-14
5. Villanova 30-8
6. North Carolina (1) 34-4
7. Purdue 27-10
8. West Virginia 23-12
9. Duke 30-7
10. Tennessee 21-13
11. Butler 26-6
12. Connecticut 31-5
13. California 22-11
14. Washington 26-9
15. Michigan 21-14
16. Ohio St. 22-11
17. Oklahoma 30-6
18. Mississippi St. 23-13
19. Louisville 31-6
20. Georgetown 16-15
21. Dayton 27-8
22. Georgia Tech 12-19
23. Illinois 24-10
24. Clemson 23-9
25. Minnesota 22-11
Others receiving votes: Maryland 171, Siena 112, Notre Dame 107, Florida St. 92, Vanderbilt 90, Syracuse 83, Oklahoma St. 65, UCLA 63, Florida 53, Wake Forest 50, Xavier 42, Gonzaga 37, South Carolina 28, Kansas St. 24, BYU 21, N. Iowa 16, Tulsa 16, Mississippi 15, Texas A&M 10, Missouri 8, Boston College 6, Pittsburgh 4, Utah St. 2, Va. Commonwealth 2, W. Kentucky 2, Holy Cross 1, Old Dominion 1.

Philadelphia certainly didn’t bow to the evil empire in the opening game of the World Series Wednesday night. Cliff Lee kept the Yankees’ bats quiet with a masterful six-hitter performance from the mound, and Chase Utley gave Philadelphia the only runs they needed, the first home runs given up at the new Yankee Stadium in the post-season. Philly’s 6-1 win in game one certainly sets the tone for what could be an epic fall classic. I still think this one could go the full seven games, but that pick will go out the window if Philly leaves Gotham with a 2-0 lead. — Jim H.

An age-old question is taking shape with the Tennessee Titans right now.

The winless team’s owner wants head coach Jeff Fisher to start Vince Young in the game against Jacksonville this weekend. Fisher has not named a starter, but the conservative coach is leaning toward starting the struggling Kerry Collins.

Here’s the question: Should the coach work at the wim of the owner? If an owner ‘owns’ something, should he have complete control? Or, should the owner stand back and allow the coach of the team to keep starting his guy? After all, the Titans did have the best record in the league last year and Fisher is the longest-tenured coach in the league.

You make the call.

- Russo

Talk about a raw deal.

The Los Angeles Clippers, who share the Staples Center with the defending NBA champion Lakers, had to open the season with a game against their co-tenants. Not only that, the Lakers had their banner unfurling and ring ceremony on the night.

The Clippers did not watch the ceremony. Coach Mike Dunleavy kept the team in the locker room during the hoopla. I guess you could argue that he did not want his team see something which it could not attain. I would argue that his team should have been out there to watch it.

Compounding the Clippers’ woes was the fact that the No. 1 overall pick in the last NBA draft, Blake Griffin, will be out six weeks with a broken kneecap. The Clippers then went on to lose the game to the Lakers.

- Russo

The winner of the picks this week was Andrew, finishing 23-9 to take the overall lead in the standings by a game.

Good pick of the week: Andrew picked Iowa State over Nebraska, though he has picked against Nebraska all season.

Bad pick of the week: Every one of us picked Black Hills State to rebound and defeat Jamestown. Every one of us was wrong.

Here are the results of last week’s picks (Winners in bold):

Week 8 - Oct. 20-26
Russo, Andrew, Jeff, Jim, Padraic, Lenn
Hill City at Custer
Custer, Custer, Custer, Hill City, Custer, Custer
Wall at Lyman
Lyman, Lyman, Lyman, Lyman, Lyman, Lyman
Belle Fourche at St. Thomas More
STM, STM, Belle, STM, STM, Belle
Douglas at Hot Springs
Douglas, Douglas, H.S., Douglas, H.S., Douglas
New Underwood at Jones County
N.U., N.U., N.U., N.U., J.C., J.C.
R.C. Central at R.C. Stevens
RCS, RCS, RCS, RCS, RCS, RCC
Sturgis at Spearfish
Sturgis, Sturgis, Sturgis, Sturgis, Sturgis, Sturgis
Philip at Kadoka Area
Philip, Philip, Philip, Philip, Philip, Philip
Cheyenne-Eagle Butte at Lead-Deadwood
L-D, L-D, L-D, CEB, L-D, L-D

Russo, Andrew, Jeff, Jim, Padraic, Lenn
Jamestown at Black Hills State
BHSU, BHSU, BHSU, BHSU, BHSU, BHSU
Valley City State at S.D. Mines
Mines, Mines, Mines, Mines, Mines, Mines
Chadron State at Colorado Mines
CSC, Mines, CSC, CSC, CSC, Mines
Northern Iowa at SDSU
UNI, SDSU, UNI, SDSU, SDSU, SDSU
South Florida at Pittsburgh
Pitt, Pitt, USF, USF, USF, USF
Auburn at LSU
LSU, LSU, LSU, LSU, LSU, LSU
Iowa State at Nebraska
Huskers, Iowa St., Huskers, Huskers, Huskers, Huskers
Penn State at Michigan
Penn St., Penn St., Penn St. , Penn St., Michigan, Michigan
Boston College at Notre Dame
ND, BC, BC, ND, ND, ND
Iowa at Michigan
MSU, Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, Iowa

Russo, Andrew, Jeff, Jim, Padraic, Lenn
Minnesota at Pittsburgh
Vikings, Vikings, Steelers, Steelers, Steelers, Vikings
San Francisco at Houston
Texans, Niners, Niners, Niners, Niners, Texans
Indianapolis at St. Louis
Colts, Colts, Colts, Colts, Colts, Colts
San Diego at Kansas City
Chargers, Chargers, Chargers, Chargers, Chiefs, Chiefs
New England at Tampa Bay
Patriots, Patriots, Patriots, Patriots, Patriots, Patriots
Green Bay at Cleveland
Packers, Packers, Packers, Packers, Packers, Packers
Buffalo at Carolina
Panthers, Panthers, Panthers, Bills, Panthers, Panthers
N.Y. Jets at Oakland
Jets, Jets, Jets, Jets, Jets, Raiders
Atlanta at Dallas
Falcons, Falcons, Cowboys, Falcons, Falcons, Falcons
Chicago at Cincinnati
Bears, Bengals, Bears, Bears, Bengals, Bengals
New Orleans at Miami
Saints, Saints, Saints, Saints, Saints, Saints
Arizona at N.Y. Giants
Giants, Giants, Giants, Giants, Giants, Giants
Philiadelphia at Washington
Eagles, Eagles, Eagles, Eagles, Eagles, Eagles

WEEK 8
Russo, Andrew, Jeff, Jim, Padraic, Lenn
20-12, 23-9, 20-12, 20-12, 20-12, 18-14

OVERALL
Russo, Andrew, Jeff, Jim, Padraic, Lenn
169-97, 188-68, 181-75, 180-76, 178-78, 187-69

NOTE: Making the 32 football picks each week are Journal sports editor Andrew Cutler, assistant sports editor Jeff Budlong, copy editor Josh Russo, reporters Jim Holland and Padraic Duffy, and Journal sports employee Lenn Davis. I select the games each week from high school, local college, national college and NFL schedules.

- Russo

The NBA regular season opens today, and while there are some intriguing match-ups, I’d instead like to focus on the whole season while I am in preview mode.

In my mind, six teams have a good shot at the NBA title, and they all got better in the offseason. First off, the defending champion Lakers added Ron Artest, and they will benefit from a healthy roster to start the season.

Of course, I have to mention that the Cavaliers added Shaq. Could he be the piece that, alongside 25-year-old LeBron James, could bring a title to Cleveland? I don’t know. But he will take a little pressure off the King.

The Orlando Magic went to the NBA Finals last year, and although they could not afford to keep Hedo Turkoglu, they managed to pick up Vince Carter. Just like Shaq, I do not know how much Carter has left in the tank. But, Dwight Howard, and the Carter addition, keep the Magic as title contenders.

Then, there are the champions from two years ago. But, everything depends on the health of Kevin Garnett and how he comes back from last season’s knee injury. Also, I am wondering if Ray Allen can have a big impact this season because it seemed like he was tailing off last season.

The Spurs showed their age last season. But most of the team was injured last year. When healthy, the Spurs are a dangerous team, and they added Richard Jefferson.

The Nuggets made the Western Conference Finals last season for the first time since the 1980s. They do not lose much from the team and Chauncey Billups showed the league just how much of a leader he could be. The Birdman, Chris Anderson, is also fun to watch.

To take a guess: Lakers out of the west, Cleveland out of the East. Taking a leap, I’ll say the Lakers are the favorite.

- Russo

A good match-up in the World Series begins Wednesday with the Yankees and the defending champion Phillies.

Consider:

- There should be some good hitting as each team has a potent lineup. Both teams lead their respective leagues in home runs.

- Both teams have star power. Among others, the Phillies have Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins. The Yankees have a playoff-resurgent Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees’ best offseason acquisition, Mark Texiera.

- Games at the new Yankee stadium should be interesting. The Yankees play better than anyone at home. The Phillies play better than anyone on the road. I’m just as anxious to see how each team does in Philadelphia.

- Both teams have good pitching. The Yankees have CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. The Phillies have Cliff Lee and last year’s top postseason pitcher, Cole Hamels.

- The Phillies could be the first repeat champion since the Yankees of a decade ago. The Yankees could win the World Series in their first season in a new ballpark.

- The Yankees, as always, have baseball’s top payroll. Will it pay off?

This could be the best World Series in years. Are there any other good reasons to watch this series?

- Russo

Timing is everything, as they say. I’m sure those who left Saturday night’s Rapid City Rush game early, only to learn later that the Rush had rallied from a 3-1 deficit with two goals in the final 2:38 to tie the game, then score the game-winner in overtime, are rethinking that call.
In sports, anything can happen and frequently does. Obviously.
But then I suffered from a similarly decision. In making picks for the Journal’s weekly football poll, I originally chose Iowa State to beat Nebraska. Then thought the better of it. No way the Cyclones could beat the Huskers, right? I have been burned by sticking to my guns before, so, I violated a personal rule about changing a pick, and changed one. We all know how that turned out.
Yeah, I probably would have left the Rush game early considering how the first 57:22 had gone. But you just never know. That’s what makes this so much fun. — Jim H.