The Wiz of Odds

Game(s) of the Weak

Mike Hlas is an award-winning columnist with the Cedar Rapids Gazette and force behind The Hlog. Each week, he will break down the worst matchups in college football. Considering the increasing number of uncompetitive and uninteresting games, Mike's task is harder than getting Levi Johnston, Jon and Kate Gosselin, and anyone named Kardashian to just go away.

Here's how it is done in most major football conferences:

You play your nonconference games against designated victims in September, then you play your conference games after that. It's only logical. You wouldn't open a rock festival with U2, then bring out a bar band three-fourths of the way through the event.

The Southeastern Conference does things a little differently. Sure, the league has the marquee game of the week in Louisiana State at Alabama. But look at what else the conference is trotting out on the 10th Saturday of the season:

Tennessee Tech at Georgia
Furman at Auburn
Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky
Northern Arizona at Mississippi

That's right. Four — count 'em, four — games between SEC teams and Division I-AA teams. In November. That's just wrong. So each gets one quarter of this week’s Game of the Weak.

Crashing the 1959 Halloween Party in Baton Rouge

Halloween always brings out the crazies, but it will take some doing to top what happened 50 years ago in the most famous game in Deep South history.

Rick Cleveland of the Clarion Ledger tells the story of No. 1-ranked Louisiana State, the defending national champion, playing host to No. 3 Mississippi on a damp Halloween night in 1959 at Tiger Stadium.

Bill Rogers, 29, of Jackson, Miss., traveled to Baton Rouge with two buddies, who had tickets to the long sold-out game. Rogers didn't have a ticket, but he planned to scalp one upon his arrival at Tiger Stadium. In case that didn't work, he had a backup plan, which he carried in a duffel bag.

Rogers quickly realized nobody was selling tickets, so it was time for Plan B.

A high school referee, Rogers brought his uniform in the duffel bag. He ducked into a bathroom, changed into his referee's uniform, put a whistle around his neck and headed for the main gate.

The Finalists for Readers' Choice Poster of the Year

The Wiz is happy to present the 10 finalists for Readers' Choice Poster of the Year.

Each of these teams have survived a rugged primary to reach this point, and now it's your turn to select a winner. Voting will close on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at midnight (Eastern). You get only one vote. Repeat voters are blocked by IP address.

The finalists: Iowa State, Texas Tech, Michigan State, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Penn State, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, USC and Mississippi. View all of the finalists after the jump and click an image for a closer view.

Mississippi

The Rebels opened with a victory at Memphis, then had last week off, which turned out to be a good thing. Up to 30 players came down with flu symptoms, including quarterback Jevan Snead, who is front and center in the poster. Mississippi plays its home opener Saturday night against Southeastern Louisiana, one of two Division I-AA teams on the schedule. A reminder to click any poster schedule for an enlarged view. Thanks to Erik at Deep South Sports and Brandon.

Mississippi's Powe Told Police That 'He Couldn't Read'

Mississippi defensive lineman Jerrell Powe told police early Sunday that "he couldn't read" after he was cited for a noise violation after playing loud music in his apartment at The Exchange in Oxford.

Officer Zachary White said in his report that when his finished writing the citation, he asked Powe to read the bottom of it and then sign. Powe responded that "he couldn't read."

Powe was a member of Mississippi's 2005 recruiting class but was declared academically ineligible by the NCAA because he had not completed 14 core high school courses. He attended Hargrave Military Academy and applied for eligibility in 2006, but the NCAA still wouldn't clear him. Powe was allowed to enroll and receive academic and financial aid in 2007, but the NCAA still ruled him ineligible to practice or play.

Rebel Yell

Mississippi fans will be proud. Check out this Reuters photo of President Obama's personal bag being carried off Air Force One by an aide at Andrews Air Force Base on Feb. 27. Click the image for an enlarged view. Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State.