A lot going on for the Franz family this weekend.  Luckily there’s nothing college football wise that I really need to watch.  Normally I spend all Saturday night watching all the college football games I’ve missed while hosting the ASU pre-game show.

There’s only one game on Saturday that’s between two top 25 teams and that one has a 22 point spread.  I’ll watch Florida/South Carolina but I don’t see the upset there.  Florida’s playing in the national championship game and Steve Spurrier isn’t standing in the way.

Tonight is ASU basketball.  As soon as I’m done typing, I’m headed to Tempe to watch the game.  I’ll be recording the game on TV as well.  I realize that doesn’t make a lot of sense that I’m going to re-watch ASU/Miss. Valley St. but it’s for my second job.

If you didn’t hear me say it on “D & W Overtime” today, I’ve accepted a position as the back-up play-by-play voice for ASU.  There’s a conflict on Thanksgiving weekend.  Tim Healy, voice of the men, will be in Tempe for the ASU/UCLA football game.  Jeff Munn, who is normally Tim’s back-up, will be in the Caribbean with the ASU women’s team.  ASU asked me to handle the duties.

I need to record tonight’s game on TV and sit in front of my TV and do play-by-play by myself to get familiar with the team.  I’m incredibly passionate about doing a good job for the people that hired me so I’ll need to put in a lot of work between now and Christmas. 

You know I’m committed when I don’t want something free.  We’ll be staying right next to Disneyland but I didn’t want to take the family.  I knew I’d get pulled in too many directions and I can’t get distracted.  If you’re an ASU fan, you’re used to Tim Healy and it’s very important to me that you’re able to enjoy the game even though he won’t be doing it.  Don’t worry, Tim will have the call as soon as the Devils get back from Anaheim.

Saturday is Vienna’s last soccer game.  She was supposed to have her last game last week but there’s an opening on the schedule and they asked us to play again.  I was ready for the season to end but I didn’t want to screw the kids out of a weekend so we’re playing.

After the game we’re in a hurry to get home and drop-off the kids with a baby-sitter.  I’ll be doing the pre-game show for ASU/Wazzu from campus and we’re taking two of Jennifer’s friends to the game.  You know Wazzu is bad when ASU is a 35 point favorite.

Sunday is sitting on my butt watching the NFL.  I’m very interested in AZ/SEA.  I haven’t heard anyone worried about “looking ahead” to the NYG game.  That tells me there’s a great deal of focus on the task at hand.  I think the Cards win but it’s too tough to call on a prediction.  Who really knows what to expect from Hasselbeck and Branch?

Picks time.  I got screwed by the Cards last week.  I like them to cover this week but I’m gun shy so I’m staying away from that game.

Wake - 3 1/2 @ NC State

Easy game to pick.  There’s plenty of Wake kids who thought that they should have been given a longer look by NCST.  Wake will win by 10 in an attempt to hang on for a major bowl in the ACC.

NO -5 1/2 @ KC

Another easy one.  Arrowhead is no longer an advantage for the home team.  I took TB to cover a big number at KC this year and got burned because the Bucs came in to haughty.  NO hasn’t been good enough this year to get cocky.  That’s exactly what I need here.

Miami -10 1/2 v OAK

Do I really need to say anything about Oakland’s ability to play football.  Combine that with the fact the game’s in Miami and it’s another West Coast team traveling.  Easy money.

Wazzu + 35 1/2 @ ASU

Now I’ve moved off the three games I have the most confidence in and I’ve moved into the games I feel good about.  There’s no doubt in my mind that ASU is winning this game.  There’s a lot of national people that think ASU will cover because they need to build some confidence after that 6 game losing streak is still fresh in their minds.  I see their point but I think they’re forgetting something.  Wazzu’s coach was once coached by Erickson at Wazzu.  There’s no way ASU is going 5-wide in the fourth quarter.  If this game gets out of hand early, ASU might cover on accident.  I just think ASU will be up by 17 at half-time and not come out guns a blazzin’ in the second half.  I also think Wazzu showed some spunk last week.

PSU -35 1/2 v IU

Coming off the loss at Iowa and at home against the worst team in the Big 10 should be easy.  The fact that the team wants to make a statement to the voters that PSU still deserves national championship consideration is an issue to.  Add it together and the fact that the team can still go to the Rose Bowl is plenty of motivation.