Magnificent Seven

     I was just sitting there, eating my sandwich when Cassandra, looking quite irritated, stormed in and flopped into the booth opposite me.
     "Hi," I said. "You're looking radioactive, today," hoping a little levity would cheer here up, a bit. It didn't work.
     "What?" she demanded. "I have to be all sunshine and smiles all day, every day or something?"
     "No. I was just--"
    "Just what? Going to 'cheer me up'. Going to make fun? Take a piss? What?"
     I sat back, pushing my back into the squishy vinyl of the booth. I picked up my coffee and stared at Cassandra through the wisps of steam. "Let it out. Unload. Someone pissed on your cheerios, and even though it wasn't me, you obviously need to vent, so, go for it."
     "Andrew broke up with me."
     "What?"
     "By text, no less. How...what's the word I'm looking for? Infuriating!"
     "Andrew who?"
     "Luck."
     "Andrew Luck?"
     "Yes."
     "Andrew Luck, the Stanford quarterback?"
     "Yes. Have you been paying attention all year, or not?"
     "Well, yeah. I just thought it was something you were just saying. Like when I see a Jaguar XKE and say 'Hey, who stole my car?'"
     "No. He really WAS my boyfriend. Now he says he needs time to concentrate on his classwork."
     "Ouch."
     "Ouch is right. I'll bet it's that Chelsea bitch."
     "Ummm, were rapidly falling into territory I have no knowledge or familiarity with--"
     "You're right. I'm sorry. I should really be talking to someone who's capable of emotional engagement."
     Smart kids are mean. "I feel you," I said, bristling and hoping she'd notice the choice of words. "Since I am obviously incapable of helping you, right now. Let's just go through you're rankings and then you can be on your way. I, on the meantime, will go find a support group to help me get in touch with my inner child, or some shit."
     Sometime during the discussion, the waitress had arrived at the table, placed a coffee mug in front of Cassandra, filled it, and stood patiently waiting to take her order, pen poised over pad. She hit the gap in our conversation like a dogging linebacker. "Can I get you anything, hon?"
     Cassandra looked up at her, smiled and said, "The Coffee's fine. I don't need anything, or anyone else."
     Judy, the waitress, looked over at me. I waved her off and watched as she flipped her pad closed, turned on her heel and headed back to the kitchen.
     "Shall we?" I asked.
     "Fine. I'm down to seven teams that are worth a damn. Clemson is number seven. They have North Carolina State this week. They finish with South Carolina, which could be tough, and then the ACC Championship game, which will probably be a re-match with Virginia Tech."
     "Who do you have at six?"
     "Oklahoma. They have one loss, but it was at home, to a bad team. They have to go to Baylor this week, host Iowa State, next week, and then the Bedlam game with Okie State. They have injuries to major playmakers. Right now, I really don't see them beating OSU, but they could get into a BCS game, how about Oklahoma-Nebraska in the Fiesta?"
     I kind of shuddered at that thought. "Who's at number five?"
     "Arkansas. They'll pound Mississippi State, this week, and a showdown with LSU, next week. Get this, if Arkansas beats LSU, and Auburn upsets Alabama, Arkansas would be in the SEC Championship."
     "That's a lot of ifs. I've also seen a bowl prediction with Arkansas and Nebraska in the Insight bowl. Who is in at number four?"
     "Oregon. They obliterated my poor Cardinal. Made Luck look like the complete jerk he is, and moved into striking distance of a National Championship. They have to beat USC and Oregon State, and get some help, but it's possible. If LSU and Okie State both lose, you could be looking at a Oregon-Alabama National Championship."
     "Is Alabama number three?"
     "Yes. Bama has to beat Georgia Southern. You know, Nebraska should look into scheduling FCS games at the end of the season to catch a break, like the SEC does. They finish the season against Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Check it, they could back into the National Championship game. If LSU were to lose in the SEC Championship, Alabama could slip in to play Okie State, even though both LSU and Alabama would have one loss, and LSU has beaten Alabama. Wouldn't that piss people off?"
     "Speaking of Okie State, are they your number two."
     "Ranked second, I think this may be the highest ranking OSU has ever had. I'd need to check, thoogh. They have an easy game with Iowa State, and an extra week to prepare for OU...get used to the idea of Oklahoma State with their Geritol swilling quarterback playing for a National Championship."
     "Against who? Pray, tell."
     "Louisiana State is number one. They will crush Mississippi, this week. Need to handle a game with Arkansas, and then probably Georgia in the SEC Championship. That will be a tough run, but worth it for a home game for the National Championship."
     "What did you do with Boise State?"
     "Dropped them off the map. The Broncos were an all or nothing deal. I had them at number one until they lost, and lost they did, at home, to a two-loss, unranked TCU team. Now that the bubble has burst, I don't think anyone could make the argument that BSU would survive a Big 10 or SEC or even Pac-12 schedule where you have to play a ranked team every other week."
     "Thanks for the info," I said.
     "I gotta go," she said. She left the coffee Judy had brought, untouched.
     I paid and left a tip for two bottomless coffees.
     Husk-husk and on the QB