My First Mention of the Jazz

1. The Utah Jazz is my favorite NBA team. Obviously, since I am a Utahn. I was very optimistic going into last season, but the Jazz were hampered by injuries and an underwhelming season by Carlos Boozer. This year, my excitement and expectations were much lower, and I am glad that I didn't set myself up for disappointment, as the Jazz have started out 2-4.

The Jazz improved to 3-4 tonight, though, by kicking off their four-game Eastern Conference road trip with a win over the New York Knickerbockers, 95-93. Of course I am hopeful that the Jazz can rebound from their slow start and pick up a bunch of wins en route to a deep playoff run. But mostly I am excited tonight that the Knicks have started 1-7, and the Jazz get the Knicks' draft pick next summer.

Next up for the Jazz is a road game at the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Celtics are on fire to start the season, leading the NBA with a 7-1 mark.


2. Here are some of the big storylines in college football this upcoming weekend:

ACC: None of the top ACC teams play one another this weekend. But all of the top contenders are on the road, which should make things interesting. One or two of these teams are bound to lose. Georgia Tech and Clemson both control their own destiny to the ACC championship game, and they have games at Duke and North Carolina State, respectively. The Yellow Jackets can clinch their spot in the championship game with a victory.

Big East: Easily the biggest game this week is on Friday night, when West Virginia visits the undefeated fifth-ranked Bearcats of Cincinnati. The Mountaineers need a win to stay in the BCS hunt. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh hosts Notre Dame in a huge game to improve their BCS resume. A loss to the Fighting Irish would mean that they would need to win the Big East for any hopes of a big-money game.

Conference USA: Though all eyes are on #15 Houston and their star quarterback Case Keenum, the game of the week is probably on Sunday when Tulsa hosts East Carolina. Tulsa is in a down year, but they still have the firepower to defeat the Pirates. ECU is precariously positioned atop the East Division, and this would be a big win for them to keep their status as frontrunners.

MAC: Nothing jumps out as a big game here, but I'm keeping an eye on Temple, who is putting up a great season at 7-2 (5-0 MAC). They play at Akron on Friday, and a win would put them on the brink of the MAC championship game.

PAC 10: Every game is big in the Pac 10, but the Game of the Week here is Arizona at California. The Golden Bears have been disappointing, living up to their annual tradition of over-hype. But the Wildcats are 4-1 in the conference, and as they hit the toughest part of their schedule, this road game will help determine whether or not this team is for real.

Sun Belt: Troy currently sits atop the standings here, but they have a big non-conference road game at Arkansas. This game provides the Sun Belt with their last chance to gain a small measure of national respect.