The weekend is almost upon us and you have miles to go before you sleep, so there's no time to waste and we're burning daylight.  Here, then, is your morning run-down before you get to work:

• The Diamond Dogs begin a critical four-day road trip with tonight's rubber game against Georgia Tech at Turner Field, followed by a three-game weekend series with Auburn on the Plains.  Georgia's current seven-game winning streak has put the Red and Black in a position to challenge Kentucky for the Eastern Division championship, but first the Bulldogs must get by their in-state rivals and win the series with the Tigers.  
• Which college football teams have the best uniforms?  Which squads take the field adorned in the most atrocious attire?  I have expressed my opinions upon the subject . . . and expanded upon them . . . so now it's your turn.  What do you think?  

Oregon versus Oregon State . . . the Ducks against the Beavers . . . "The Civil War" . . . "The Battle of the Webbed Feet" . . . "The What-the-Heck-Are-They-Wearing? Bowl."

• As you know, I continue to be torn over my feelings regarding major league baseball, so it's nice to receive occasional reminders of the things about the sport that remain unsullied.
• One of the keys to being a successful teacher is distracting the student from the realization that he's learning something.  As someone whose opinion of soccer ranges between absolute indifference and open hostility, I must express my admiration for the way L.D. has couched his World Cup preview in terms that make the most popular sport in the Third World seem almost interesting.  Kudos to L.D. for adding geopolitical intrigue to his soccer forecasts for Togo, Angola, and Trinidad and Tobago.  Kanu, who shares L.D.'s fondness for the game, interrupted his postings about soccer long enough to explain why the "Dallas" movie will be unwatchable.  

John, I was really hoping you'd gotten that whole cowboy hat thing out of your system by now.

• It has been a busy time for Dave, as he commemorated the finalizing of the membership of the Midwestern Conference with "a leggy shot of Angie Harmon" and "managed to tick off the Mississippi State Nation" along the way.  
• I can't say enough about the utility of the Dawg Bone.  Not only does the information clearinghouse of Bulldog Nation provide a plethora of links to such articles as Bill King's piece on strengthening the Bulldogs' non-conference schedule, it also includes notes on Mark Richt's recent remarks at the Augusta Bulldog Club, where he reportedly said of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party:  

First of all, I'd like to give that winning-five-in-a-row-over-Florida thing a whirl.  (Actually, right about now, one in a row would be nice.)  Beyond that, though, I must respectfully disagree with our esteemed head football coach on this one.  

I take a back seat to no citizen of Bulldog Nation in my unabashed admiration for Coach Richt and longtime fans of "The Dawg Show" will recall that I publicly advocated his hiring at a time when his was but one name on a long wish list in the immediate aftermath of the Jim Donnan firing.  However, I also am a strong proponent of keeping the Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville and I hope Coach Richt will be persuaded to change his mind before the time comes to renegotiate the contract that would allow the game to remain at its traditional neutral site.  

It doesn't get any better than this.  I mean, except when we win, of course.

• The Realist, taking his cue from S.M.Q., has offered his preview of the Tennessee Volunteers.  Meanwhile, that danged Doug is at it again, assigning roles from "The Simpsons" to various college football programs, and the Alleged Offspring of Uncertain Paternity, choosing not to heed my advice concerning pregame imbibing, have elected instead to offer parenting advice of dubious reliability.  They also gave the Kentucky Wildcats a hard time while they were at it.  
• This has almost nothing to do with anything, but Jmac's list of links includes C. Trent Rosecrans's ruminations on Cincinnati Bearcats athletics.  Although I can't really say I know Rosecrans (or that our limited degree of interaction was altogether pleasant for either of us), we have more in common than merely a pretentious superfluous first initial.  Rosecrans's and my student careers at The University of Georgia overlapped and he was a reporter for The Red and Black while I was a columnist there.  Now that I know he's covering University of Cincinnati sports, I regret that Georgia's series with the Bearcats was canceled.  

The very mention of the word "Cincinnati" requires that I incorporate this photograph.  Well, that or a picture of statesmen returning to the plow.

• Michael has offered his own take on Jim Donnan's addition to the 680 The Fan broadcast team.  Michael's perspective included references to Ray Goff, which, oddly enough, were plentiful in the comments left at Dawg Sports, as well.  
• Finally, Paul Westerdawg has the latest basketball scheduling information . . . and, this time, the rumors are good enough to get Dennis Felton a free pass from the Georgia Sports Blog.  

That ought to get you up to speed as your Thursday morning gets underway.  Now grab yourself a cup of coffee and get to work.  

Go 'Dawgs!