Saint Xavier...Number 1 at last

Saint Xavier University, my alma mater, is at the top of the NAIA Football rankings, the first time SXU has reached the number one ranking in any sport.

I would have liked for that to have come while I was a student, and seeing Sioux Falls move to NCAA Division II sure aided in the Cougars' eventual rise to the top, but this is still a monumental distinction for a school that has been steadily good, just unable to "get over the hump."

In Women's Basketball, its either a team from Tennessee of California that dashes national championship dreams every year.

In football, it's either Carroll or Sioux Falls putting an end to a dominant Saint Xavier season.

But maybe not this year.

Sioux Falls is gone from the NAIA and Carroll has begun the season 1-1. If SXU can put together an undefeated regular season run like they usually do, the NAIA playoffs may go through Mount Greenwood in 2011.

Post Manning era may begin early

Over the last few years, Colts fans have begun realizing that the Peyton Manning era will come to a close at some point, but nobody had imagined it coming as early as 2011.

But that may be the case, as Manning has already missed his first game to injury last week at Houston and may be out for quite a while.

This is the time for the other Colts to step up. They need to be motivated and give even more of an effort to show that this 10-year run of greatness was not just because of one player.

I think they will be fine. They probably will not make the playoffs, which would be the first time since 2001. But they will not be 2-14 like everyone else seems to assume.

Let Manning take the year off, completely heal, and then come back in 2012 with comeback player of the year on his mind. If that happens, Indianapolis is a force once again.