Some notes from Randy Edsall's conference today: Cody Endres and Lindsey Witten practiced Wednesday and are fine. A few others got hit with the bug Tuesday, but it seems to have passed. Wide receiver Michael Smith is out with a knee injury. He was hurt last week in practice, but played through it for the UNC game. He doesn't need surgery, but will have to rest. Scott Lutrus is questionable still. He did a few things in practice, but it will be another game-time decision.

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Pretty crazy morning here in the Register newsroom with an arrest being made in the murder of a Yale graduate student. There's a bulldog edition of the paper that just hit the press and should be hitting the streets soon.

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As unimportant as these things seem, especially on days like this, the live chat is still on for 2 p.m. through http://www.nhregister.com/. You just won't see my face plastered across the top of the website for the chat promo like the last two weeks (a good thing, for sure).

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On to the picks.

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Game 1: NORTH CAROLINA (-7.5) over East Carolina - Tar Heels tight end Zach Pianalto may never want to sniff the end zone again. He's the guy who was carted off the Runway last Saturday with a dislocated foot after celebrating (mildly) catching the tying TD late in the fourth quarter. During the only other touchdown of his career, last November against Georgia Tech, Pianalto, in his zest to get to the end zone, caught a helmet that dislocated his fibula and ended his season. That's two touchdowns, two major injuries.

Game 2: KENTUCKY (-14) over Louisville - Louisville knocked off Indiana State by 20 points in their opener. That would be encouraging for the Cardinal fan base if that was basketball. And it was 1979.

Game 3: VIRGINIA TECH (-5.5) over Nebraska - Tyrod Taylor is the difference.

Game 4: Navy (+7) over PITTSBURGH - Pitt's Adam Gunn has five sacks in two games after missing last season with a broken neck. He was named Big East defensive player of the week following a three sack effort against Buffalo. Congrats. (Kanye West grabs microphone). "Yo, I'm really happy for you, Adam Gunn. But Lindsey Witten had one of the best defensive games of all time. One of the best games of all time!"
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Game 5: SYRACUSE (+4.5) over Northwestern - Syracuse has a killer communications program. Ditto Northwestern with journalism. So while players on both sides may be stuck on bottom-feeders, at least the can one day look forward to covering good college football programs.

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Game 6: AUBURN (-7.5) over West Virginia - Expect lots of offense.

Game 7: Connecticut (+7) over BAYLOR - Husky faithful making the trip to Waco, Texas can plan to celebrate at the Double Deuce over on Highway 17. The cooler there is the best in the business. Goes by the name of Dalton. Likes his coffee leaded, cigs unfiltered and does shirtless Tai chi in the meadow behind Brad Wesley's place.

Right boot.

Game 8: OREGON STATE (+1) over Cincinnati - Beavers. Bearcats. Next on Animal Planet.

Game 9: RUTGERS (-16) over Florida International - Just to continue with the "Roadhouse" theme, how could the owner of the Double Deuce afford to pay Dalton $5000 up front, $500 a night and all medical expenses? It would have taken a month, bare minimum, to clean up the seedy clientele at the place and at least another month to shake the unfavorable reputation. Dalton would have bankrupted the place quicker than Brad Wesley.

Game 10: California (-14) over MINNESOTA - No mentions of annoying human turnover machine Brett Favre more than enough reason for Vikings fans to switch allegiances to the Gophers this fall.

Game 11: Yale (-3.5) over GEORGETOWN - A new era at Yale. Tom Williams takes over as only the third coach the Bulldogs have had since the early 60s.

Last week's results:

1. uconnhuskies86: 7-4

2. Gary 6-5

pete 6-5

uconnbob 6-5

will 6-5

6. govphelan 5-6

JZ 5-6

sean O 5-6

sammy 5-6

rick c 5-6

11. vinny 4-7

ian 4-7

13. chip 3-8

rich 3-8

15. caleb 2-9

standings 2 weeks

1. UConnBob 13

2. Gov.Phalen: 12

Sean O 12

sammy 12

wil L 12

JZ 12

7. Pete 11

Gary 11

9. Rick C 10

10. Chip 9

Rich 9

ian 9

13. Caleb 7

Vinny 7

15. salami 6

Mike B 6

See you on the chat. Enter your picks by clicking the comments link below.