On any given College Football weekend, there are a plethora of exciting and meaningful games with BCS implications on the slate, and this weekend is no different.   What IS different, is that if you go to the "Pick of the Week" section of the Original Retro Brand website, you will receive 20%  OFF THE NORMAL RETAIL PRICE of the teams featured in this weekend's biggest games, by entering code RIVALS09 @ checkout.   And speaking of checkout, you'll want to see ORB's take on the top 5 games we're talking about featured below.  The action kicks in Thursday night.....

GAME 1:  Folks are taking a good Heisman look at # 8 Cincinnati (5-0) QB Tony Pike, as he leads the Bearcats against # 21 (5-0) U. of Southern Florida and  freshman sensation B.J. Daniels.  Pike is the 9th rated QB in the country and has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 15 straight games.  Daniels dismantled Florida State on the ground and in the air.   Pike too much for the Bulls as Cincy gets big road win.  Bearcats 28, USF 20.

GAME 2: The Texas Longhorns # 3 (5-0) should not be taking the Red River Rivalry for granted, facing a 2-loss # 20 Oklahoma Sooner (3-2) club at the Cotton Bowl.  Colt McCoy has done just enough to get it done so far against a somewhat light schedule (except for a tough win over Texas Tech).   The Sooners lost their 2 games to ranked teams (Miami and BYU) by just 1 point each, and now have QB Sam Bradford back.   Bradford quietly passed for over 400 yards in his return game against Baylor.  Sooners get back in the BCS picture (barely). Oklahoma  35, Texas 24.

GAME 3: Another defining moment arrives for # 25  Notre Dame (4-1) coach Charlie Weis, as he takes on # 6 USC (4-1).  He's got the nation's leading passer in Jimmy Clausen, but the Fighting Irish could easily be 2-3 instead of 4-1, barely squeaking out some nail biters.   Pete Carrol has USC back in step after losing to Washington , with crushing victories over Washington State and Cal respectively.   Despite that, I think Weis gets the hugest win of his career in an upset.  Notre Dame 32, USC 30.

GAME 4: I've learned my lesson (not really, but..).  Picked Miami AND Boston College to knock off the # 4 Hokies (5-1) and was not even close.  Virginia Tech has the # 1 scoring offense, and # 2 scoring defense in the ACC.   # 19 Georgia Tech (5-1) has the home field advantage and a potent running game, but the defense has been inconsistent.  VTech ruins Yellow Jackets Homecoming , and puts a virtual lock on ACC Coastal title.  Virginia Tech 42, Georgia Tech 28.

GAME 5: Previously unbeaten Wisconsin (5-1) got a wake up call at the "Shoe" last week at the hands of an inspired Ohio State team.  They will have their hands full again with the visiting unbeaten, and 11th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (6-0).   Iowa comes off impressive wins against Penn State on the road and Michigan.   The Hawkeyes have not started a season 6-0 since 1985, and the streak won't end in Madison:  Iowa 34, Wisconsin 24.

So there you have it.  If you're keeping score, my expertise on behalf of the ORB team has yielded a record of  3 wins and 4 losses.   I feel confident the record will be 8 wins and 4 losses after this weekend.  I also feel confident you will love the 20% off you will receive by entering code RIVALS09 @ checkout on the greatest, most comfortable, most retro shirts on Earth - Original Retro Brand!

73 days are in the books - only 19 days left in the Original Retro Brand FIGHT FOR THE FIT CHALLENGE.  Hang in with me just 3 more weeks!  My goal was two-fold;  firstly to get my fat a** in good physical condition after an eye opening mid-life crisis moment that occurred back in late Summer (see this post from July for details), and secondly by accomplishing step one, I could then fit comfortably into my old beloved extra-large, extra comfortable, extra durable, extra retro Georgia Bulldog Original Retro Brand shirt that used to fit just fine 4 years ago.  At the time of my mid-life crisis, it fit me like a dang sausage casing (really tight)!!

I think I've attained step one.   After dropping 3.5 more lbs this past week, I feel like I'm truly back in good physical condition.  It was 4 years ago that I actually participated in a mini - triathlon (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike ride, 6 mile run) and yes, it was the "Clydesdale" division, and yes, I came in second to last, but I did finish!   The point is I can run 3 miles a day now with my eyes closed and it feels GREAT!

Step 2 still has not been attained, however.  I may be in good physical condition, but physical SHAPE is another story.  I still have that putrid rubber tire (oh, the shame of being called the "Michelin Man," and " The Round Mound of Rebound" most of your life)!  Losing the remaining 10.5 lbs via extra cardio, serious sit-ups, push-ups, and weight room activity should deflate that tire and get me into the shape I really need to be in - Original Retro Brand shape!!    They have so MANY shirts I want!   Soon the Harlem Globetrotters, Indy 500,  Hamilton Tiger Cats, Texas Longhorns, NY Islanders, and Denver Bears will be mine....ALL MINE I TELL YOU!!

One shirt that won't be mine, will be going to the winner of this week's FREE Original Retro brand shirt....Veronica By of Katy, Texas, guessed 224.5 exactly!   She has chosen a Northwestern Wildcats shirt from the College Vault, and we will send it out immediately.  The Cats are an impressive 4-2, and hopefully the shirt will bring Katy and Northwestern good luck against a tough Michigan State team this Saturday.

As I've mentioned often in my previous posts, one of the driving motivational tools I've been using in this challenge has been the Bodybugg, donated generously by my friends at 24HR Fitness.   Remember, they have donated another Bodybugg to be given as a grand prize to the person who comes closest to guessing my weight for the final weigh-in, scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2009 - Halloween.   I've also been donating $5 a day to the American Cancer Society's Relayforlife.  It is a great cause - please check them out.

WEEK BY WEEK FIGHT FOR FIT LOSS/GAIN RESULTS:

Week # 1 : Starting weight:  244  Weigh-In:  241.5   - 2.5

Week # 2: Starting weight:  241.5  Weigh-In: 239.50   -2

Week # 3: Starting weight:  239.50  Weigh-In: 237   -2.5

Week # 4: Starting weight:  237   Weigh-In: 235  -2

Week # 5: Starting weight: 235    Weigh-In: 233   -2

Week # 6: Starting weight: 233   Weigh- in: 229  -4

Week # 7: Starting weight: 229   Weigh-in: 232  + 3

Week # 8: Starting weight: 232   Weigh-In: 229  -3

Week # 9: Starting weight: 229   Weigh-In: 231  +2

Week # 10: Starting weight: 231  Weigh-In: 228  - 3

Week # 11: Starting weight:  228   Weigh-In: 224.5  - 3.5

Week # 12: October 19th   ?

Week # 13: October 26th   ?

week # 14: October 31st - FINAL weigh-in

"When I was 8 or so, we got our first color TV and one Saturday, out ran the Texas Longhorns in their all white unis with the subtle rust stripes and all white helmet/facemasks and just the right size steer – that STEER! I was “hooked” as a Longhorn fan right then and there, for no other reason than that these dudes looked bad ass."     That quote came from a blog post I wrote about the coolest Original Retro Brand logos ever back in June, and fitting for re-print in today's post on BIG 12 favorites.   Since then, ORB has brought in some new Texas gear and the feeling about the steer remains (let's be clear that Texas is my # 2 team behind Georgia).  

Another team that has come out of the gate strong at 2-0 besides the Longhorns is Nebraska.  If I have to choose one mascot tee over another, I prefer the older Herbie Husker to the newer Lil' Red even though I can relate to a kid in overalls (my son Paulie Walnuts looks damn cute in his!).

The bird (Kansas) , the buffalo (Colorado), and the bear (Baylor) are all classics, but the interlocking OU and Sooner Schooner, make me feel like bustin' out my cowboy hat and cap guns.    And speaking of Cowboys, how can Oklahoma State womp on Georgia and then lose to Houston?  Regardless of the womp on Georgia and the loss to Houston, the Cowboy ORB gear is the real winner.   The "Pistol Pete" logo tee, and the bronckin' buck logo tee are simply outstanding.

Any logo that has an image of an old mascot and a pennant, really drives home the old retro - prep college feel, and the Iowa State Cyclones tee fits the bill in this case.

While the double capital TT shirt for Texas Tech is interesting for several reasons, and the Texas A&M capital T stands out on their logo, it is the cartoon image of  Ol' Sarge that brings a twinkle to my eye.  Cartoon images from the 1940's like this, have a specific "look" to them that you just don't see on any current mascot logos.  That does NOT mean the Kansas State Wildcat isn't cool!  Another cool cat belongs to the Missouri Tigers, but I prefer the simplicity of their MU logo.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the Original Retro Brand PICK OF THE WEEK! We will feature one of the BIG 12 shirts mentioned above.  As always, you will be able to enjoy the shirt @ 25% off the normal retail price and learn a little history about the team picked too!

With College Football season around the corner, I am finding it difficult to think of ANYTHING ELSE! …. Ok, I’m thinking NFL too, but I live in SEC country, and simply put, College is King in these parts.   So with that in mind, I will be posting a TOP TEN College list every week for the next ten weeks,  starting with the best College running backs of all time (Ok, it's my FAVORITE of all time.)   You can click on the highlited colleges to view the Original Retro Brand selection of apparel for that school.  So with all due respect to Red Grange of Illinois,  Emmitt Smith of Florida, 2-Time Heisman winner Archie Griffin of Ohio State, and countless other great College running backs, here is my list:

10. Eric Dickerson, SMU Mustangs:  Part of the famous "Pony Express," with Craig James, Dickerson ran for over 4,000 yards in his career.  He would go on to be an NFL Hall of Famer.

9. Greg Pruitt, Oklahoma Sooners: This all-purpose back was perhaps the most dangerous punt and kick returner in College football history.  inducted into College football Hall of Fame in 1999.

8. Earl Campbell, Texas Longhorns:  The "Tyler rose" won the Heisman Trophy in 1977 and finished his college career with 4,444 yards rushing.  He was ranked #12 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list.

7. Mike Garrett, USC Trojans:  Sorry O.J, Charles, Reggie, Marcus and the rest of tailback U, but mighty Mike did it all:  Ran,  caught passes, returned punts and kicks, and even threw the ball on several occasions.  The 1965 Heisman Trophy winner would return to USC as the current Athletic Director.

6. Bo Jackson, Auburn Tigers:  Bo batted over .400 for the Tigers baseball team the same year he won the Heisman Trophy in 1985.

5. Jim Brown, Syracuse Orangemen: Brown should have been a lock for the Heisman Trophy in 1956, but sadly, the country  was still in segregation mode (Paul Hornung was the winner for a losing Notre Dame team).  Brown also kicked extra points and was All-American in Track and LaCrosse.

4. Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State Cowboys:  Ran for over 300 yards in a game FOUR TIMES and averaged 7.6 yards per carry for the 1988 Heisman Trophy winning season.

3. Gale Sayers, Kansas Jayhawks:  The "Kansas Comet" finished with over 3,000 all purpose yards and was a 2-time All-American and was considered the best open field runner in College football history by many experts.

2. Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh Panthers:  led the Panthers to the National Championship in his 1976 Heisman Trophy winning season, and finished his career with a then record 6,082 yards (broken in 1998 by Ricky Williams of Texas -not on this list!)

1. Herschel Walker, Georgia Bulldogs:   1980 National Champion and 1982 Heisman Trophy winner.  Yes, I am biased for the Bulldogs, but Herschel's memorable pile-drive over Bill Bates of Tennessee makes him #1 in my book.   The dude STILL does 500 push-ups and sit-ups a day!

Look for the next TOP TEN LIST featuring the TOP TEN College Linebackers!

As long as I can remember, I've always been drawn to sports logos and uniforms.   Other than the birth of my son, I cannot think of anything that gets me more emotional than the site of two teams (with cool uniforms) getting ready to battle on any field of play!   Every little stinkin' detail MATTERS;  the jock tags, the colors, the sleeve patches, the stripes, the vests, the tiniest logo on the side, front, back, belt loop, glove, spike, sock, facemask, helmet all MAKES ME CRAZY!   The entire marriage of team color, mascot, and tradition all  play a big part,  but in many cases it simply comes down to one thing:  DO I LIKE THE WAY IT LOOKS?   Did I cry like a baby when the Jets beat my beloved Colts in Super Bowl III?  I sure did, but DAMN did Joe Willie look cool in those white cleats!   I hate Notre Dame with a passion, but the little leprechaun dude putting up his dukes,  is one of the best logos ever!  When I was 8 or so, we got our first color TV and one Saturday, out ran the Texas Longhorns in their all white unis with the subtle rust stripes and all white helmet/facemasks and just the right size steer - that STEER!   I was "hooked" as a Longhorn fan right then and there, for no other reason than that these dudes looked bad ass.   I confess now that I am a Georgia Bulldog fan, but Texas will always be my # 2.   Speaking of Georgia, that brings me to my first pick in what will be an endless series of favorite Original Retro Brand Logos.   The Slobbering, honkering down bulldog featured on this shirt below is what one might describe as SICK (meaning extraordinarily pleasing to the eye in younger folks terms, but the way THIS old person feels about it).   Unfortunately I haven't been able to find out exactly what year this was used, but it appears to be from the late eighties.  A similar logo came into play in the late nineties, but the sweater and cap were stripped away.  This is one of many reasons the logos and unis of today piss me off (with a few exceptions) - they mess with tradition and change what is all good with the world.   While the traditional Bulldog - Bulldog logo is fine, this baby gets me salivating for College Football season.   I am eager to find out what your favorite(s) Original Retro Brand tee is and why.   Shoot me a comment and a GOOD reason why you like the shirt, and I'll get the folks @ ORB to give you 25% off your next purchase!  You have until 6/24/09 to take advantage so let's hear it -