Watershed Rankings Day 2 (Songs 55-45) by Nick Jezierny

Originally published in 2015 - Watershed plays Columbus August 9-10-11 in the year 2019. Click here for details.

Find and play these songs on Spotify! 

 

Watershed Rankings by Nick Jezierny  Day 2 (Songs 55-45)

Click here to read Day 1 (The Bottom Ten)

Wallflower Child (55): This is probably going to cause some debate. This is my least favorite song on Three Chords II. In fact, I’ve wondered why “New Life,” “Star Vehicle” or “Laundromat” didn’t get on the live record over this. I think about that type of stuff from time to time. I also wonder how certain songs are left off Greatest Hits packages. My two prime examples: "Stone In Love" for Journey, "Gimme Some Water" for Eddie Money. There are three better versions of “Wallflower Child" — Hoarse’s version is excellent, the one from Colin’s "Live From Cleveland” disc I bought from Ricki C. in Raleigh and the original Watershed version from one of the early recordings that I’m not ranking. This is the only case where Watershed made its own song worse!

Watch this! A fan making that version even worse from Comfest Bozo Stage.

Joe O. - I agree with Nick that Hoarse’s cover of this song is the definitive version. It also led to the Watershed/Tim Patalan partnership. The worst version of Wallflower Child is the tattoo that sits on my left shoulder.

Ricki C. - First off, and completely off-topic, regarding Greatest Hits, between the two of them Journey and Eddie Money have exactly ONE good, let alone great, song, that being Eddie's "Two Tickets To Paradise."   On the subject of "Wallflower Child," I remember thinking the first time I heard it WAY back in the day at Ruby Tuesday, "This sounds like a song The Monkees might have sung."  (In my 62 year-old world, a power-pop band writing a song that sounds like The Monkees is a positive notion.)  Plus how many rock & roll bands write songs for and celebrate the shy, retiring members of their audience?  Sometimes I think this is the song that established the Watershed "we're all in this together" persona that they honor to this day.    

I-65 (54): This probably would have made the “Bottom 11” if I hadn’t been driving on I-65 in Nashville when this came on the iPod two years ago. That was pretty cool, and so is the guitar in this song. 

Colin G. - I-65. Hmm. Is it good? Is it bad? Dunno. I do know that we approached our first record on Epic as the start of a musical family tree so that any direction we went after would make some sort of sense if you traced it back to its roots. Watershed never released another song quite like it though I guess the League Bowlers cover this ground. The more I think about it, this never should have been on Twister.  FYI - First performed at the Ronald Koal Memorial Show at the Newport Music Hall. RIP Ronald.

She Picks The Songs (53): This song shows Watershed getting closer to its signature sound. It probably should be higher on this list, but man, this is very hard to do!

Joe O. - Somehow I actually worked the word ipecac into a song. Good for me.

Superstressed (52): It never fails that this song comes on when I’m running late and in traffic. It’s what I get for having an mp3 disc of all Watershed songs in my car’s CD player for the past two years.

Joe O. - I don’t want to speak for Colin, but I think we were all pretty damn stressed at that time, fighting to hang on to the Epic deal. Frank Aversa, the self-proclaimed “King of Huge” got a great drum sound here, and Herb wails on ‘em.

Colin G. - When it's all said and done, Star Vehicle might be the record I am most proud of. It's not our best record, but we were left for dead on the side of the road yet still made a damn good record. Playing for pride. It was the first time but not the last. Plus it just rocks. Who is that on guitar anyway?

Watch this! Live from Slim's Downtown.

Romantic Noise (51): Great lyrics, but a little slow and not quite a ballad.

Joe O. - Not only is this a great song, it’s super-important for us because it’s the first thing we did with Patalan. Probably the single recording session that sticks with me the most.

Colin G. - Yeah Nick, pull your head out of your ass. Didn't you read Hitless Wonder? In all seriousness, the song probably doesn't get it's due because us assholes couldn't really pull it off live. Tim P. just produced it so well we could never make it live up to the recorded version. Great song though. One of my faves. 

Consolation Prize (50): “I’ll tease you like a slug teases a vending machine” is pretty memorable.

Joe O. -The line that I always like to sing is “I’ve been biting off erasers, so I can’t take anything back.”

Colin G. - Love this song. Got squeezed out of set by Anniversary. Herb's finest drumming and check out that tasty feedback before the last chorus. Yum.

On A Broken Radio (49): I like the idea, but I think because it’s the third ballad in a row at the end of “Brick and Mortar” that I don’t appreciate it more.

Joe O. - One of my favorite afternoons of the B&M sessions was hashing out these lyrics with Joe Peppercorn.  

Ricki C. - I TOTALLY disagree with "Broken Radio" being this far down the list.  It made a great closer to the shows on the "Hitless Wonder/Brick & Mortar" summer tour of 2012, coming after all the rock power & command of  "Black Concert T-Shirt" and other ravers during the encores.  Dare I say it brought a new depth to the Watershed show?   Maybe.  While we're on the subject, I'm also surprised to find "Set The World On Fire" so far down the list below at number 47.  Those are the two "Brick & Mortar" tunes fleeting member Joe Peppercorn had the biggest influence on, so maybe a pattern starts to emerge. 

Watch this! Live at the Bluestone.

Watershed reading from Hitless Wonder and playing On A Broken Radio in the CD101 Big Room for Andymanathon 2012.

New Depression (48): I once slid on some ice and my car ended up in a ditch while listening to this song. My car had no damage, until another car hit the same ice patch and T-boned me. What was amazing was I out there waving frantically at the oncoming traffic to watch for the black ice and the first handful of cars obeyed. Finally, the guy who wasn’t paying attention slams into my car about two minutes before my AAA tow truck arrived to pull me out. That wasn’t a good day.

Joe O. - I remember working on this song for months in the basement of 387 W. 4th Ave, where our good buddy Jeff Hassler was living at the time.

Watch This! Live from Frankie's Toledo on the tour that inspired Hitless Wonder. Poochie smokes.

Set The World On Fire (47): This is a good song, but I think so many on the latest record are better. I was a little surprised that this was the second single (or at least I think it was). 

Colin G.- Love playing this song. Sound-checked with it almost every night on Brick & Mortar tour. In retrospect, wish the keys were a bee sting louder in the chorus. Listen for them. 

Below: Live from CD1025 Big Room. Andymanathon 2013.

Watershed in the CD101 Big Room playing Set The World On Fire. Andymanathon 2012.

Give A Little Bit (46): This is still better than Supertramp’s original and the Goo Goo Dolls’ cover, even though they aren’t the same song. But they do have the same title.

Joe O. - For some reason I didn’t care much for this song back when Star Vehicle came out, but now I dig it a lot. The intro snare hit always takes me by surprise—not that I sit around listening to old Watershed albums. Much.

No footage of this song. But enjoy this mystery promo video. Who made this and why?

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Get Over Me (45): Did you ever notice how many pronouns are in the song titles on Twister? I notice that type of stuff for no good reason.

Joe O. - Good call on the pronouns, Nick. Our buddy David Martin noted that same thing way back when. Whenever I hear myself singing this song, I always want to tell myself to “Lighten up, Francis.”

Ricki C. - Our first "Stripes" reference of the countdown. I love it. Can Wicked Scepter be far behind?

Let's wrap up Day Two with the legendary Reverend Todd Baker and his TV Show "What The Hell Was That?" live from Raleigh, NC in 2013. All kinds of great footage including an interview with the even more legendary sound man and longtime Watershed supporter Jac Cain. If you look close you may even catch a glimpse of Nick J. himself. 

Part TWO of the WATERSHED ROCK JUNKET in Raleigh, NC.

Watershed Rankings Day 1 - The Bottom 11 by Nick Jezierny

Originally published in 2015 - Watershed plays Columbus August 9-10-11 in the year 2019. Click here for details.

Find and play these songs on Spotify! 

This six-part series is the brainchild of Nick Jezierny, a former sports journalist who has worked at newspapers in Ohio (including the Columbus Dispatch), Texas and Idaho, and who obviously occasionally has too much time on his hands.  

(Comments on the rankings by Colin Gawel, Joe Oestreich & Ricki C. will be sprinkled liberally throughout the piece, and some videos will be thrown into the mix.)

Criteria: I took 66 Watershed songs from the major releases, beginning with Twister. I started this probably a few weeks after the release of Hitless Wonder. I was driving to Whitefish, Montana from my current home in Boise, Idaho for a vacation. On the trip, I listened to every Watershed song on random shuffle. It’s a 12-hour trip from Boise, so that definitely helped make the drive less painful. Anyway, two songs get reviewed twice because of the different versions ("Black Concert T-Shirt" and "If That’s How You Want It"). I took into account live versions of songs because “Three Chords II” is such a great record it wouldn’t be fair to rule out live songs. (Seriously, do you EVER hear the studio version of Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do?”) The live versions of some Watershed songs totally make them sky-rocket up on my list. Here we go, I’m sending these in groups of 11 so the list will last six days on Pencilstorm, should it be approved for publication.

Day 1 (The Bottom 11)

Studio Stuff (66): Total cop out, but let’s face it, no Watershed song deserves to be called the worst Watershed song, right? This isn’t really a song, just a bunch of noise that separates the good stuff on “Star Vehicle” from the rest.

Didn’t Exactly Lie (65): A little too country and slow for my liking, and the song is just too damn long.

Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn It Loose (64): This probably should have been recorded by the League Bowlers. Just doesn’t work for Watershed that well.

Colin G. - Just to clear things up, the previous two songs were never considered actual studio tracks. To make a boring story just as boring, at one point the record Star Vehicle was changing labels and we had the masters in our hand for exactly one night so we decided to slip on a couple of B-sides before it went out to be re-pressed. The art work kind of makes them look like they belonged but "Star Vehicle" as intended was only ten songs. The bonus tracks were added as a sweetener for people who had already bought a copy. All three songs were recorded at Captured Live studios in Durham, NC where we spent a week and cut about 10 demos. Only these tracks have ever seen the light of day outside of Biggie's iPod.

Click here for info on The League Bowlers "Some Balls". The lost Watershed record.

What Would I Need You For (63): This is where the list gets hard. This song really could be 20 places higher, but for me, it’s the low point on the debut record.

I’ve Been Looking Everywhere / Born To Run (62): I love the song “Born To Run,” and if you’re going to cover it, give it some of your own personality. Needs a little Watershed-ification. The “I’ve Been Looking Everywhere” part is interesting and I gained appreciation for it while seeing it performed live at Slim’s in Raleigh, N.C., last year.

Colin G. I don't know how much more personality you can give Born To Run than taking a song originally cut as a Spector wall of sound rip-off and doing it as a three piece garage band. Just the song and no frills. I suspect Little Steven would love this version. And the fact we just slipped it in on the end of the record, spliced to another track….

Watch This! Live December 2012

Don’t Give A Damn (61): I’m not an Ohio State football fan. Living in Columbus (which I did from September 1991 to May 1998) was very difficult in the fall when you were overwhelmed by the Buckeye fans and media. This is the only Watershed song my wife will skip when it comes on in the car, and I don’t stop her. Of note, I do think it’s awesome it was recorded considering Watershed is a Columbus-based band that roots for Ohio State.  Watch This! 

Paint The Town Red (60): When I first downloaded this song, I didn’t realize it was a cover. Learning that made me feel better. Why? Because I found this after “Fifth of July,” and to me, this was a step backward for the band. As a cover, it makes sense. I still haven’t heard the original version. Listen Here!

I Deserve You (59): This is an excellent vocal performance, but it just gets lost on "Side 2" of Twister.

Watch This! No footage of this song, but very rare cover of Sinead O'Conner "Last Day of Our Acquaintance" after band plays "Johnny 99." Film from infamous Endo/Exo three night stand in Jacksonville, FLA.  The band refuses to talk about what happened, to this day.

Going Through The Motions (58): The only song I really don’t like on “Fifth of July.” I do like the execution of an idea. The song is called “Going Through The Motions” and the tempo is so monotonous, and the lyrics are spot on. Very well done, but it’s out of the 3-minute, up-tempo song structure of the rest of the album.

Colin G - The song was deliberately placed on the album to set up "Best is Yet to Come", which was deliberately placed last on the record. This wasn't necessarily a safe/smart choice but we felt it made the entire 5th of July record more interesting and still do.

Never Could Have Made It (57): A little too sappy for me, but it isn’t a bad song by any means.

Colin G - No sir. Joe Peppercorn shines. Sucks the sap right out of it Lindsey Buckingham style.

Wreck It (56): A very raw song that should have been the theme song for the recent movie of the same name.

Ricki C. - Let me say this, right at the outset of this list: I have NO MEMORY whatsoever of more than half of the tunes thus far, and I've been seeing Watershed since 1990.  Let me also say this at the outset: I've been a FAN of the band way longer than I've been an employee of the band.  (Point of fact: as late as 2005 I was still being referred to as "that Neil Diamond-looking guy who's always hanging around talking to Colin" by no less a personage than Michael "Biggie" McDermott.)  I have an insider's view of the outside, an outsider's view of the in.     

Watch this! We couldn't find much footage for these songs, but click here for a full pro shot Watershed Concert from the LC in Columbus in front of 1,500 people.

The Watershed Rankings series will continue on Pencilstorm for the next five Saturdays. 

Stay tuned.

Ricki & Colin's Strange Tales from the Cheap Trick Merch Table

This piece originally ran back in October of 2014, and Pencilstorm management is reprinting it now to encourage all of our readers to travel to the Ohio State Fair this Saturday, August 4th, to see the mighty Cheap Trick open for Styx.  (And let's face facts, it's gonna be an early night for ya, NOBODY in their right frickin' rock & roll minds would stay for Styx's entire set.)

The Watershed show opening for Cheap Trick at the House Of Blues in Myrtle Beach, S.C. last week went great, there'll be various blogs about different aspects of the trip over the next coupla weeks, here's the first installment. 

Tale # 1

Ricki C. - Classic merch moment: At a bar adjacent to the Myrtle Beach House of Blues where we're all kicking back after the show, Watershed drummer Dave Masica walks up to me with a "Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock & Hall of Fame" t-shirt draped over his shoulder.  He pulls it off, hands it to me and says, "That guy over there wants to buy this, but I didn't know what to tell him, or how much they cost.  I told him to talk to you."

"Where did you get this?" I ask Dave.  (We had WICTITR&RHOF t's at the show, but weren't selling them.  We brought them for Colin to throw out into the audience as prizes during a quiz in the middle of set-ender "The Best Is Yet To Come.")  "I found it on the floor of the dressing room," Dave answers.  I shrug my shoulders, walk over to the guy and charge him 20 bucks for the shirt we normally sell for $15.  (I had come up $10 short on my merch totals that night according to Watershed road manager extraordinaire Michael "Biggie" McDermott, and figured this was my best shot at turning that deficit into a surplus.)  (By the way, I probably came up short because I left Colin in charge of the merch table while Biggie & I loaded out the gear after Watershed's set and Colin gave stuff away.)

Later that night, at yet another bar, Colin asks me if I picked up his WICTITR&RHOF shirt from the dressing room and I realize that I have unwittingly sold the sweaty, crummy t-shirt Colin had been wearing most of that day to some unsuspecting Rick Nielsen fan, who thought he was getting high-quality Cheap Trick merch.  Ooops.  Open message to random drunk Myrtle Beach guy: I'll make it up to you someday down the road.  

Tale # 2

Colin G. - So after we finished our set opening for Cheap Trick, I fight my way through the crowd to head out by the merch table because sometimes it helps to sell stuff if a band member is there bullshitting.  Ricki C. uses this opportunity to jam me there alone while making sure Biggie didn't need help backstage. I suspect he was going to the dressing room to make a peanut butter sandwich, but I can't prove it.

Anyway, it's kinda slow because people are waiting for Trick to come on, but one middle-aged woman is slowing picking up Watershed CDs and very thoroughly looking them over. Eventually she looks up at me and asks, "Which one has all the songs I know on it?"

"Come again?" I reply.

"Which one of these CDs has the songs I know on it?"

"Uh…."

This was a tricky question. See, with a band of our stature people usually know all of our songs or, as is much more likely, none of our songs. Thankfully, she could see I was struggling and added, "What's that one…..'I Want You to Want Me.'"

"Oh, that is a Cheap Trick song. That CD you are holding says Watershed on it. See right there? (I pointed to the big word Watershed on the front cover.) That means it's a Watershed CD, not a Cheap Trick CD."

"So you aren't in Cheap Trick?"

"No, I'm in Watershed" 

Never mind I had just come off stage and was still wearing my Watershed Hitless Wonder blue jumpsuit 

"Do you have any Cheap Trick CDs to sell?"

"No ma'am."

"Ok, goodbye."

Tale #3

Colin G. - So now I am standing at the merch table with Ricki,  Dave and Joe after Cheap Trick is done and it is mayhem. People are stacked three deep buying CDs, books, T-shirts, etc. and being good rock soldiers we are chatting with folks, offering to sign stuff and all that.

A woman leans forward and says loudly above the din of post show chaos, "Do you know who Richard Petty is?"

"Excuse me?" I said, not quite sure I was hearing her right.

"I said, DO YOU KNOW WHO RICHARD PETTY IS???" This time she said it quite loudly and seemed a little upset.

"Uh, like Richard Petty the race car driver?" was my unsure reply, spoken like a clueless Yankee.

"Yes, that one. You know, he told his sons that if they ever wanted to be famous they needed to write their names legibly so people can read them."

"You want me to sign my name more like Richard Petty's sons?"

"You already signed but I can barely read it. And you never even asked my name."

I mounted a weak defense: "Well, at least we are out here signing and being friendly. Doesn't that count for something? Besides, see that guy right there, he is an author and is really smart, I bet he will ask your name."

"Well, if you want to be famous and get on TV you better learn to write your autograph better, like Richard Petty's kids do."

Right then Joe O. leaned in and asked who he should sign this book to.

"Ha! Told you he would ask," I said, triumphant at the end.

Learn more about Ricki and Colin and the rest of the Pencilstorm contributors by clicking here.

Tommy Stinson - The George Harrison of The Replacements by Colin G.

Tommy Stinson's Cowboys in the Campfire will be performing at Used Kids Records Monday March 26th, 7 pm. He will also be taping a Big Room segment with Brian Phillips on CD1025 airtime TBA. This story was originally published in the past. 

It's Replacements week here at Pencilstorm. Along with my Watershed pals - Hitless Wonder author Joe Oestreich and the living literary legend, "Biggie" - I have been invited to St. Paul, Minnesota, to witness The Replacements' homecoming show on Saturday September 13th at Midway Stadium in St. Paul, MN. In honor of this we decided to knock out some 'Mats-related material for your enjoyment. - Colin G.  Click here for previous Mats' story.

Here are three facts about Tommy Stinson:

1) He joined one of the most notoriously dysfunctional bands in rock history just as he was entering puberty. Even as his older brother was kicked out of the band and eventually died of alcoholism-related complications, and as the Replacements fell apart, he emerged from the mess as a completely functional adult as if he was raised in a New England boarding school.

2) He is the only person never to have been fired from Guns n Roses by Axl Rose.

3) Tommy Stinson always looks like a rock star.

On the merits of those three facts alone, I think one could argue that Tommy Stinson deserves admission into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. But you know what hardly anybody mentions when they talk about Tommy Stinson? He is an amazing musician who makes GREAT solo records. 

In fact, I think if you put Tommy's post-Mats' solo output head-to-head against Paul Westerberg's, Tommy has a higher percentage of great songs. No knock on Paul, he is on the Mt. Rushmore of great rock songwriters, but Tommy - simply put - doesn't release sub-par albums. Unlike Paul at times, it obvious Tommy he puts everything he has into each of his records.

His three full-length records in the past twenty years are: Bash n Pop - Friday Night is Killing Me, Tommy Stinson - Village Gorilla Head and Tommy Stinson - One Man Mutiny. Perfect is good as well, but we will stick to the full-lengths.(* Author's note: Since this story was published, Tommy released the record Anything Could Happen with his band Bash and Pop. I think it's his best record yet. )

These records all age well and there isn't a weak track in the bunch. More so, a number of tracks are as good as the best of any Replacements records. If Paul is the Lennon/McCartney of the 'Mats, Tommy Stinson is the George Harrison.

The funny thing is, nobody listens to Tommy Stinson records. Especially Replacements fans, it seems. Hell, even I took over a year to press one single button on my phone so I could check out One Man Mutiny. I don't know why it took so long. It just didn't seem important. Then, within the first thirty seconds of the the opening track that familiar light- bulb went off, "Oh yeah, I forgot, I fucking love Tommy Stinson. Why did I wait so long to play this?"

I have since played One Man Mutiny about 100 times and loved every spin. Great songs. Great vocals. Great sound. You know what would be really cool? If somehow the "new" Replacements could let Tommy slide over to center stage every night a-la Keith and do a couple of solo songs. I think that after all Tommy Stinson has lived through, survived and meant to rock and roll, he deserves a little glory all to himself. - Colin Gawel

Colin Gawel plays in the band Watershed and was once kissed on the lips by Tommy Stinson onstage for covering a Kinks songs at Stache's in Columbus,OH. You can read about that and whole bunch more in the best-selling book "Hitless Wonder- A Life in Minor League Rock n Roll" by Joe Oestreich   

Secret Bonus Track. A Tommy Stinson Primer.

Click here for a massive Tommy Stinson playlist some maniac put together on youtube. Songs, videos, and interviews. Below are some of my picks.

Tommy Stinson - One Man Mutiny

Listen to This! "All This Way For Nothing"     

Watch this! "It's a Drag"  

Listen to This!  "Meant To Be"     

Listen to this! "Destroy Me" 

Tommy Stinson - Village Gorilla Head

Listen to This! "Without a View" (opening track on record)  

Watch this! "Someday" (fan video with a bunch of cool pics)  

Listen to this! "Not a Moment Too Soon" 

Bash n Pop - Friday Night is Killing Me 

Listen to this! "Friday Night is Killing Me"

Listen to this! "Tiny Pieces"

Watch this! 'Bash n Pop' on Letterman                                                                    

FAIR USE NOTICE: This video may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C.

Who's Behind Center Against the Badgers? Baver Answers Colin's Questions

Colin: Do the Buckeyes beat Michigan without Haskins subbing in for the injured Barrett?

Baver: Yes, but what a performance by Dwayne Haskins. Everyone always knew that he had a cannon that JT lacked, but who knew Haskins would play with the poise he did in that kind of game. It also helps when the Buckeye coaches suddenly remember that they have big-time tailbacks after JT goes down. So many similarities to 2014, it’s scary.

Colin: Speaking of the QB’s, who plays against the Badgers? JT had surgery Sunday and Urban tells us he will play Saturday? Really?

Baver: I know; I am not buying it either. Arthroscopic knee surgery can be minor, but Urban seems to be begging people to believe that JT will be behind center Saturday night. As of 48 hours before the B10 title game, I am expecting it to be Dwayne Haskins running the show. We shall see; I could be wrong.

Colin: In other news, JT is first team all Big Ten again. Ho-hum. Thoughts on who were honored (or not) by the media and coaches...

Baver: JT deserved it, no doubt. And it appears that about 80 guys from the Badgers were chosen, and most deserved it. I’m told that this is the first year since 1989 that OSU didn’t have an LB selected 1st or 2nd tm. The Bucks didn’t have any LBs picked 3rd tm either. Honestly? No Buckeye ‘backer deserved it. Guess the Bucks are missing Raekwon and former LB coach Luke Fickell more than I thought they would. Current LB coach Bill Davis’ seat is warming.

Colin: Seems like Bucky Badger vs Buckeyes in a dome is a bad match for them but people said the same thing about Sparty versus OSU a couple years back and they pulled the upset. What do you see happening in this game?

Baver: I realize Wisconsin hasn’t played anybody, but all they can do is beat up on the teams they have on their schedule, and that they’ve done. The Badgers lead the nation in multiple defensive stats, and they pound the ball with Jonathan Taylor, behind an O-line where only the center is shorter than 6’6”, with no linemen weighing less than 315 lbs.

If it’s JT behind center, he needs to have some success through the air. If it’s Haskins, he’s going to have to avoid INTs. With Haskins’ big arm, he has no fear of throwing into coverage, and that’s a double-edged sword. Regardless of who the Bucks go with, the OSU coaches have to trust their tailbacks. It’s a crime that they have kept a leash on Dobbins. Wisconsin is not going to make many mistakes and they are going to test the Buckeye linebackers in the short passing game.

I think the Buckeyes are the safer bet (to win), but I think it’s a toss up. I’ve got it Ohio State 31 Wisconsin 27, but little would surprise me in this one. The 5½ pt spread is a bit high, especially if OSU is without JT. I think Ohio State can win or lose this game with either QB.

Colin: Let's say the Buckeyes win the game convincingly; do you, in your heart think this squad deserves a spot in the playoff?

Baver: Not sure it’s fair to look at Ohio St (by themselves) and ask, “Are they deserving?” If Oklahoma and Ohio St win, then I’d probably give the nod to Bama for the 4th slot, despite the Tide’s lack of quality wins, and them not having a conference title. If TCU beats Oklahoma and Ohio St beats Wisconsin, then yes, I think Ohio St would be more deserving than the other school in consideration.

Colin: Related, Alabama has a really weak resume and the SEC has 5 head coaching positions to replace. Is this really the year to have two teams from the same conference?

Baver: Again, I think the real question is….is someone else more deserving? But if the SEC is part of the debate, I see Sagarin has the SEC West as the top division in CFB again this year....like any other year.

Colin: How do you see the major games playing out this weekend and who makes the big dance when the dust settles?

Baver: I think Georgia wins the rematch against Auburn. I see TCU playing much better in their rematch with Oklahoma, but coming up just short. It’s tough to beat good teams twice, so I think OU and Auburn are in for battles. I like Clemson to advance, but like the Canes to cover the 9½. So against the spread, I like the dogs in those title gms. If OSU and OU win, then it’s a toss-up with Ohio St and Bama for the 4th playoff spot. Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia and Bama are my playoff picks.

Colin: Bonus question: Do you feel four teams is the right amount for the college football playoff or what do you think would be a better system? I'll give my answer: I like four. The regular season really matters which is more than what other sports can say. 

Baver: I am with you; love the 4-team format and the fact that every Saturday means something. I dread the day they expand to 8 teams, and you and I both know that day will come.

Ray Davies is the Best Songwriter Ever. Exhibit B - Thanksgiving Day

Sure, Ray and The Kinks recorded arguably the greatest Christmas song ever but is that enough for Ray? Surely not. He just had to go ahead and write a Thanksgiving song. Who does that? Nobody except Ray Davies. Happy Thanksgiving!  Lyrics and video below

                          Click here view Ray Davies is the best songwriter Exhibit A

                               

                               Thanksgiving Day by Ray Davies

Are you going on Thanksgiving Day
To those family celebrations?
Passing on knowledge down through the years
At the gathering of generations

Every year it's the same routine
All over, all over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day

Papa looks over at the small gathering
Remembering days gone by
Smiles at the children as he watches them play
And wishes his wife was still by his side

She would always cook dinner on Thanksgiving Day
It's all over, it's all over
It's all over the American way
But sometimes the children are so far away

And in a dark apartment on the wrong side of town
A lonely spinster prays
For a handsome lover and a passionate embrace
And kisses all over, all over
All over her American face

It's all over, it's all over, it's all over

'Cause today she feels so far away
From the friends in her hometown
So she runs for the Greyhound
She'll spend hours on the bus but she'll reach town
For Thanksgiving Day

Come on over, come on over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day
Come on over, come on over
Come on over, come on over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day

At a truck stop a man sits alone at the bar
Estranged in isolation
It's been a while now and he seems so far
From those distant celebrations

He thinks back to all the mistakes that he made
To a time when he was so young and green
Innocent days when they both looked forward to that
Great American dream

Now it's all over, it's all over, all over
And all over America people are going home
On Thanksgiving Day

Now Papa looks out of the window
The sight brings a smile to his face
He sees all his children coming back home
Together on this special day

Come on over, come on over
Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day

2005, promoting his EP 'Thanksgiving Day' and LP 'Other People's Lives'