Well, we are at the quarter pole and it is a wide open race. And by race I mean races and by wide open I mean really wide open. In honor of this weekend’s Breeder’s Cup, I simply had to make a horse racing reference. Okay, switching gears.

There is a lot of football left to be played and one thing to remember is that all these teams are vulnerable this time of the season. Do not get carried away thinking any of these undefeated teams are unbeatable. If history has taught us anything, it is that the BCS is a never-ending game of musical chairs and the music does not stop until after championship Saturday in December.

What to watch for this next month:

1) Oregon will show their true colors. Dr. JZ could be wrong, but the Ducks will stumble and it will cost them dearly. However, it won’t be this weekend against a feeble Washington Huskies team. Especially with 4th round draft pick, Jake Locker, out with an injury.

2) The winner of the Iron Bowl will go to the BCS title game. I know, not that brave of a prediction, but it’s the truth.

3) TCU rides the momentum off the beat down they will lay on the Utah Utes, and they earn a spot in the national title game versus the SEC winner or maybe even Nebraska…see note 6.

4) Boise State is playing against the computers and no one else. There is nothing they can do but hope the teams in front of them stumble. Look for them to play in another BCS bowl and most likely complete a second straight undefeated season. Earning a #2 AP ranking to end the season.

 5) Wisconsin stumbles against Northwestern or Michigan, opening the door for the winner of Iowa and Ohio State to book a trip to Pasadena.  

6) Don’t fall asleep on Nebraska. They need Oklahoma to win out and the Cornhuskers will need to beat them in the Big XII title game. They might be able to pull a Bob Stoops like slither move into the title game if things fall into place. Missouri will also need to win out to help Nebraska in the computer rankings. This will take a miracle to pull off, but stranger things have happened. (SEE: USC’s meltdown versus UCLA, West Virginia’s epic choke versus Pittsburgh, etc.)

7) The ACC and Big East get skipped over by the MAC and Sun Belt in the conference power rankings….no need to say more.

8) Finally, lots of bowl hungry teams pull of upsets in search of their elusive sixth victory of the season, leaving unfortunate handicappers like Dr. JZ scratching their heads. My advice, take the points in these late season conference games, especially if your team is playing at home. These predictions could be laughable, but at least Dr. JZ puts his thoughts down in writing, unlike the ESPN clowns that change their tune weekly.

With one month left in the regular season, here is Dr. JZ’s BCS breakdown:

Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Iowa

Fiesta Bowl: Boise State vs. Stanford

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Nebraska

Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs. Pittsburgh

BCS Title Game: Alabama vs. TCU

Champion: TCU

And we are back, right in the middle of a very, very hetic and wild time in college football.

-Oklahoma lost on the road as predicted, setting up further “Big Game Bob” jokes as Oklahoma gave up on the game according to their head coach, and their national championship hopes took a disastrous turn.

-Speaking of disaster, did anyone see Florida State’s defensive coordinator, Mark Stoops, on ESPN last night?  The angry, yelling, meathead coaching approach only works if your team is actually good.  His antics belong on Monday Night RAW.

-Nebraska won as expected at Oklahoma State, but the defense gave up more points than usual.  Nevertheless, the season’s first 5 KEG play was a winner.

-Tough loss for Hawkeye fans as special teams continue to be their Achilles heel. Also, how you mismanage 3 timeouts with one minute left and clock stoppage for first downs will remain a mystery.

-On Tuesday night, Boise State wowed us with another last minute victory.  Dr. JZ was thinking upset because oddsmakers only had the Broncos as a 38-point favorite, a very low number for them this time of the season.  They are usually favored by at least 45 points when their conference schedule starts to heat up. Yes, I said, “heat up.”

And now on to this week…

Trick or treat? Dr. JZ is saying trick for a few of the undefeated road teams this weekend.

-Michigan State and Missouri are heading on the road and both will go back to campus with that fatal “number 1″ in the loss column.  Their undefeated dream season ends tomorrow, although Sparty still has a solid chance in the Capital One Mascot Challenge.  Someone check him for HGH.

-Look for the Air Force to rebound after taking it on the chin against TCU. They always seem to play a close game against Utah and I expect to see it once again.

-Oregon at USC is a last second coin flip and Dr. JZ is staying away.  Logic says take USC as the home team in this series has won the last four matchups.

-Staying in the PAC 10, Arizona might lose outright to UCLA, so take the points with the Bruins.  By betting UCLA you guarantee yourself some great comedy with a post game Neuheisel rant.

-Will we see Jeckl or Hyde when Cal shows up to face Oregon State?  Who knows?  And more importantly, who cares? Both teams suck.

-Some intriguing matchups in the SEC as well.  Auburn is on a level red upset alert and Houston Nutt knows how to get his teams up for big games.  His only problem is finding a way to compete in the other nine games his team plays each year.  Look for Ole Miss to keep it close, and if they win the turnover battle, the BCS will see its fourth #1 team in as many weeks.  “

-The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” resumes tomorrow and Georgia hopes to win for only the third time in the last eleven tries.  A free tip from Dr. JZ: if the Bulldogs wear their black uniforms, bet the over.

The crystal ball is getting clearer and clearer by the week, so let’s take a trip down free money lane…..

5 Kegs:

Nebraska (-7) vs. Missouri

Iowa (-6 ½) vs. Michigan State

Ole Miss (+7) vs. Auburn

4 Kegs:

Kansas State (+5) vs. Oklahoma State

Indiana (+3.5) vs. Northwestern

Air Force (+7) vs. Utah

UCLA (+9) vs. Arizona

Texas (-7) vs. Baylor

Kansas (+19) at Iowa State

Mississippi State (-6) vs. Kentucky

Dr. JZ is back and ready to roll. I was out of commission last week and it was probably for the best considering the rough outing I posted the week before.  That is a thing of the past, however, and this week’s trend is home dogs!

Quick recap of what is going on in college football.  Alabama continues to impress, although they will be in for a duel this weekend with the “ol’ ball coach”.  Oregon jumped Boise State in the polls, but do not buy them as BCS title contenders just yet.  They are always good for a late season collapse.

BYU is picking a good time to go independent.  Next year they can compete with Notre Dame for the lowest rank independent team, because as of now Navy and Army are more respectable programs.  Overrated ranked teams: Miami, Utah, Arizona, and Michigan.   Look for them all to lose in the next few weeks.

And now for this weeks picks…

5 Kegs

Iowa State (+6) vs. #10 Utah

4 Kegs

Rutgers (+6) vs. Uconn

Kentucky (+7) vs. #8 Auburn

#19 South Carolina (+7) vs. #1 Alabama

3 Kegs

Georgia (-11) vs. Tennessee

California (-8) vs. UCLA

#23 Florida State (+6) at #13 Miami