Weekend Primer

Your guide to the weekend, SIOC style.

Newhouse Dog Show, Syracuse University, 2 p.m.It's not Westminster, but these kinds of lower-lever dog shows are the perfect confidence builder for less than perfect canines. Syracuse's competition includes unconventional awards for the dogs that most resemble their owners and dogs that perform best in a "wild and wacky" obstacle course.

46th Annual Cyclone Stampede Rodeo, Iowa State University, 7 p.m.Over 200 of the best collegiate cowboys and cowgirls will be in Ames to compete in events such as Tie-Down Calf Roping, Team Roping Header and Bareback Bronco Riding. (For those who just made a mental x-rated joke, shame on you.) Although college rodeo isn't as popular as college basketball, think of how many brackets you can fill out when there are over 200 competitors.

Brian Piccolo Golf Tournament, Wake Forest, 1 p.m.Admit it. Brian's Song made you cry. So did the not-so-good Disney remake with Mekhi Phifer. Now is your chance to make sure those tears weren't shed in vain. Proceeds from the tournament will go to the Wake Forest Cancer Research Center.

NCAA Football: Florida State at Miami, 3:30 p.m.It's our bottom-feeders game of the week! Whoever emerges victorious will no longer have to suffer the ignominy of having fewer ACC wins than Duke.

NCAA Cross Country: Bill Dellinger Invitational, University of OregonOregon has managed to turn the Nike money flowing through its athletic department into the top-ranked men's and women's cross country teams. (If only the Yankees were as efficient with George Steinbrenner's money.) This weekend's meet will be the biggest of the young NCAA cross country season.

NCAA Football: Auburn at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m.What in the name of Jay Cutler is going on in Nashville? The Commodores are ranked, undefeated (2-0 in the SEC) and ready to make a statement (or dash their fans' hopes). Also, earlier in the day Vandy will test its new "severe weather outdoor warning system." I just wanted to let everybody know because it's not pleasant when you're the only person on campus running around yelling "the Russians are coming, we're all gonna die!" Not that anything like that has ever happened to me...

National Collegiate Paintball Association Class A Event 1 p.m.UConn has owned collegiate paintball over the last few years, and this event should be no different (sorry Maryland, Penn State, Drexel, Rutgers and West Point). On another note, I'm not sure how I feel about organized competition with paint-filled firearms being made available to younger people. If you think little league baseball parents are bad, just wait until their 10-year-olds are shooting at each other in paintball leagues.

NCAA Tennis: 2008 ITA Women's All-American Championships, Riviera Tennis ClubThe NCAA's biggest fall tournament is also the most prestigious women's tennis tournament remaining at any level in 2008. Arkansas' Aurelija Miseviciute will be the top seed. Last year she entered the fall season ranked No. 119 and finished it ranked No. 1. That's like Florida International ending up in this year's BCS Championship Game.