Last night, I made an "investment" that there would be less than 70 total points scored in the Oklahoma State-Iowa State game. I've been "investing" on Okla State all year but the line was 28 on the road, so I laid off. On my mind was the news earlier in the day that Oklahoma St.'s head woman's basketball coach and his assistant had died in a plane crash. I was thinking if it is on my mind, I imagine it was on the mind of the Okla St. athletes.

Okla. St., who was positioned to play in the BCS championship game if they could beat Oklahoma at the end of the season, lost in 2OT to Iowa State last night. The BCS is yet again in disarray. We need only one more occurrence to make it perfect chaos - LSU losing to Arkansas. Then you would have 3 one loss SEC West teams. There should be a playoff, and the players should be paid with the windfall.

Here are my picks today - Missouri -18 over Texas Tech, Cal +19 over Stanford (3 units), Miami (Fla) -1 over South Florida, Cinn. -3 over Rutgers, Oregon -15 over USC (3 units), Ohio State -7 over Penn State (3 units), Tennessee +1½ over Vandy (2 units), BC +25 over Notre Dame (2 units), Florida State -17 over Virginia (2 units), Texas A&M -31 over Kansas (2 units)

5pm update - forgot the best bet - Oklahoma (-16) over Baylor (10 units). Game is tonight.

Open Thread.

Busy day. Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Matt Yglesias:

The strange thing about the “super committee” process is that it’s been clear from the beginning that the Democrats will end up surrendering one way or the other. That’s because of the way the “trigger” has been structured. The automatic cuts are supposed to be evenly divided between domestic programs that Democrats want to protect and defense programs that Republicans want to protect, but Democrats also favor protecting those defense programs. [. . .] That means Democrats have merely re-created the original debt ceiling problem for themselves. They don’t want to agree to an all-cuts deficit reduction, but they really don’t want to experience the alternative.

You don't say.

Open Thread.

Really long day at work -- just getting home, haven't seen the news and I'm going to watch the X-Factor and Harry's Law and call it a night.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Ezra Klein:

Over the past year, Republicans have learned something important about negotiating budget deals with Democrats: If you don’t like their offer, just wait a couple of months.

See also The Madman Theory of Political Bargaining.

Open Thread.

Bloomberg flattens OWS Zucotti Park site. Reports available all over.

Discussions of Penn State all over.

Other stuff. Reports all over.

Open Thread.

Showtime's Homeland is getting really intense. The Good Wife has an episode on the death penalty. For lighter fare, there's Pan Am and The Next Iron Chef.

In the real world, Mexico says the helicopter crash that killed Interior Minister Francisco Blake Mora and others was likely an accident. No signs of engine failure or mechanical problems, no explosion. Here's the transcript of today's press conference (in Spanish, but you can use google translater.) That hasn't stopped suspicions from running high.

A new scandal on Congress and insider information is brewing.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Atrios:

I'm not one to get on people for being impure in their failure to boycott all the evil institutions in the world, if for no other reason than it's pretty much impossible. But I admit I'm a bit puzzled about the number of self-admitted really hardcore college sports fans who admit the entire enterprise is completely abusive and corrupt.

Regular readers know that I am a hardcore fan of college athletics, particularly college football. I do believe it is "corrupt" (in the sense that the major players in the sport regularly violate the rules and the BCS is a slush fund for a privileged few that deprives the "less well off" in the system of needed funds - see Junker, John) and I believe that players should be paid. I'm not sure what Atrios means by "abusive." Football is a violent sport, but I feel positive that most of the participants are playing because they want to, not because they are forced to. I played football and very few things in life gave me more satisfaction. I loved it. I do not see how recognizing the terrible flaws in the system requires foregoing enjoying the sport. FTR, I also love boxing but also accept that it probably should be banned. Also too, concussions in the NFL.

Atrios' comment perplexes me.

Open Thread.

We've got big snow in the mountains and fierce winds in Denver. If you're in the neighborhood of either and looking for something to do tonight, and a fan of vintage clothing or the Bachelor/Bachelorette, head up to Breckenridge for the opening party for Vintage Sweet and Chic, at 215 South Main. (photo here).

The store is co-owned by former Bachelor contestant Ann Csincsak, married to former Bachelorette winner and snowboarder Jesse Csincsak, and Katie Meyer. A bunch of former Bach/B'ette contestants will be there, as well as Evel Dick from Big Brother and some current and former Survivor contestants. [More...]

William Cellini, a co-defendant of Rod Blagojevich who went to trial separately and was convicted a few weeks ago, will file a motion for a mistrial based on a juror's lying about her past criminal record. She had two felonies and denied having any both on her questionnaire and in jury selection.

Illinois automatically restores the right to sit on a jury to felony and misdemeanor offenders once they have been released from jail or prison or discharged from probation.

Illinois law does not exclude convicted persons from jury service, nor is a prior conviction grounds for a juror challenge for cause, though jurors must to be “[f[ree from all legal exception, of fair character, of approved integrity, [and] of sound judgment.” 705 Ill. Comp. Stat. 305/2.

Federal law only disqualifies convicted felons from serving on juries if their right to do so has not been restored by the state. This juror's rights were automatically restored.
[More...]

Here are my picks:

I've ridden Stanford all year. But I am taking Oregon +3½ today, BEST BET (9 units). In other important BCS games - Oklahoma State -17 over Texas Tech (4 unite) and Boise State -15 over TCU (5 units).

They will play a game today in Happy Valley. Without commenting on whether they should, I believe Penn State will play extremely well and Nebraska will be unnerved. I like Penn St(+4).

Other games-Notre Dame -21 over Maryland, Arizona State -11 over Washington State, Nevada -16 over Hawaii, Alabama -18 over Mississippi State, UCLA +7 over Utah (3 units), Idaho +21 over BYU, Cincinnati -3½ over West Virginia, Louisville -3 over Pittsburgh (3 units),Army +7½ over Rutgers, Missouri +1 over Texas (5 units), Clemson -17 over Wake Forest, USC -12 over Washington, Illinois +1 over Michigan, Colorado +11 over Arizona, Michigan State -3 over Iowa (4 units), Miami (Florida) +9 over Florida State (5 units), Auburn +13 over Georgia, Kansas State +5 over Texas A&M, Baylor -20 over Kansas (3 units.)

Go Gators!

President Obama today at Arlington National Cemetary:

"My fellow Americans, our troops are coming home..."After a decade of war, the nation we now need to build is our own."

..."the 9/11 Generation will play a pivotal role in rebuilding America...On this Veterans Day, I ask every American: recruit our veterans."

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.