What's worse, knowing reality or holding out a false hope? Bengals fans have to asking themselves that today.

Yep, the Bengals remain alive in the wild card race. But reality says their chances of playing past New Year's Eve are remote. By losing in Denver, the Bengals now have to win and hope the Jets lose. Fat chance on that, as the Jets play a Raiders team that hasn't won a road game all year.

If that doesn't work out, then the Bengals have to hope the 49ers can go to Denver and beat the Broncos AND Kansas City can beat Jacksonville in KC. It's all that and begins with the Bengals beating the Steelers here in Cincinnati Sunday.

I can't see how a Jets team, that had to battle to the final moment Monday night for a win that kept destiny in their own hands, turns around and loses at home to the worst team in the NFL.

And while Denver hasn't been dominant at home this season (just 4-3), I can't see the Broncos stumbling given the fact that they got a gift from the Bengals last Sunday.

Could it happen? Could the Bengals sneak in and grab that 6th seed and the final wild card spot? Sure. But the gap between could and will appears to be rather wide. Logic would dictate that planning for 2007 in Bengal-dom will begin New Year's Day

Thoughts on college football after all the finals are in this Saturday....USC vs OSU in the BCS Championship game. I know that's a lot of letters, but there's no way USC loses to UCLA after beating Notre Dame Saturday night...University of Cincinnati locked up a bowl with their last second win over Connecticut. At 7-5, UC pretty much assured Pitt it won't be going to a bowl. Pitt is 6-6....West Virginia's home loss KO'd the Mountaineers from a BCS bowl....Enjoy playing before Christmas, Morgantown...That loss, coupled with Rutgers win means Rutgers will play in the second Big East BCS bowl game, provided that Rutgers beats WVU this coming Saturday. If Rutgers doesn't, the Big East may get only one of its teams, Louisville, in a BCS game....

You want some NFL teams that have to win Sunday? How about the Jets at home against Houston.? At 5-5. the Jets are out of wiggle room....How about 5-5 Atlanta at home with 6-4 New Orleans? 9-7 might be enough for a wild card in the NFC, but there'll be a lot of 9-7 teams if this schedule plays out like I think it will....How about 6-4 Jacksonville at Buffalo? The Jags will catch a break. The weather is supposed to be decent in Buffalo. But the Jags need four more wins in their final six games to reach 10 wins, the minimum I believe for a wild card in the AFC....How about the 5-5 Bengals at the 3-7 Browns? Same deal as the Jags situation here. The Bengals need to get to ten wins and they have only six games to win five. Two of those remaining six are at Indianapolis and at Denver.

Ken