Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Drum roll, please.

On second thought, make that, “Taps.”

With some trepidation and much embarrassment it is time for our annual midseason review, where we take time to truly appreciate how poor we are at preseason football predictions. (We’re not that good weekly, either, but that’s another topic.)

The carnage is significant. I’m staring at the San Diego-Dallas Super Bowl matchup I made last month and all I can think to say is, “Am I really worse at my job than Wade Phillips and Norv Turner are at theirs?”

My BCS championship game also got shelled early on: Alabama over Ohio State. It’s not completely hopeless (like the Cowboys’ quarterback situation), but close.

Of my AFC division winners, New England, Baltimore and Indianapolis are in pretty good shape, and then there’s San Diego. Pittsburgh as a wild card should make it; I fear for my other pick, the Fins.

In the NFC, it’s turn out the lights for half of my divisional picks. San Francisco and Dallas are done. Green Bay may make it and the Saints, at some point, may rediscover their offense. Atlanta, one of my wild cards, is OK. The Vikings? Questionable.

Young Jackson picked the same divisional winners as I did, but opted for the Jets and Titans as AFC wild cards (solid), but in the NFC he came up with the Cardinals and the Vikings. So, he’s not gloating too much.

Jackson’s BCS championship – Ohio State over Oklahoma – is on life support. As for his Super Bowl pick, he doesn’t officially have one. His Indianapolis over Dallas guess didn’t make it into print.

Now, of course, he’s free to change his mind. This week, his Super Bowl pick is Giants over J-E-T-S. What a weasel.

Speaking of weasels, they are not among the tasty treats featured in our special Halloween candy edition of the Mighty News-Gazette Top 13, compiled by resident sweet tooth Steve Kraus of our production department:

No. 1: Butterfinger Snackerz. No. 2: Fun size candy bars. No. 3: Reese’s peanut butter cups/pumpkins – milk chocolate only! (Kraus takes his candy very seriously). No. 4: Anything gummy (This is what Tony Romo’s shoulder feels like this week). No. 5: M&Ms/Skittles. No. 6: Tootsie Roll Pops. No. 7: Smarties. Accept no imitations. (I told you he was serious about this.) No. 8: Starburst/jelly beans. No. 9: Movie-type candy (Dots, Milk Duds, Whoppers, Nerds, Airheads). No. 10: Candy corn, candy pumpkins. No. 11: Squishy gummy eyeballs. No. 12: Wax teeth (I threw this one in as a golden oldie). No. 13: Chocolate-covered deep-fried turkey nuggets (Believe me, the kids love to get one of these in their trick or treat bags).

To the picks:

East Carolina at UCF (-7): The Knights are looking dangerously like a championship football team. Knights by 10.

Georgia (-2 1/2) vs. Florida: The Gators are looking dangerously like a train wreck. Good thing they are playing neighboring punching bag Georgia Gators by 2.

Missouri at Nebraska (-7): Did we mention that Editor Marvin Cortner has unbeaten Missouri in his preseason BCS championship game? Sorry, Marvin. Huskers by 4.

Oregon (-7) at USC: This is going to look like a basketball score. Ducks by a bunch.

The paid professionals:

Tampa Bay at Arizona (-3): Our Bucs rallied past the Rams at home last week and are 4-2. That’s enough excitement for now. Cards by 4.

Miami at Cincinnati (-2): The Fins don’t win at home (0-3), but they’re unbeaten (3-0) on the road. Looks like a trend. Fins by 3.

Jacksonville at Dallas (-6 1/2): Here’s your Halloween nightmare. This game is bumping the Fins from TV again tomorrow. Can’t we give the Jags to some far away city as a Halloween treat? Or trick? Cowpokes by 1 Kitna.

Pittsburgh at New Orleans (-1): Bad news for the Saints: Reggie Bush is still a ghost. Spooky Steelers by 2.

Brian “Big Man” McBride’s Super Sniffer Upset Special: Texans by 3.

Young Blood Jackson says: Jawja by 4, Bungles by 6, Saints by 4, and what did I do with my wax teeth?

Last week: Phrightened Philly (6-3, 44-30) still leads Crinkled Cranium (6-3, 39-35).