Here’s how the bracket shapes up now.

Are here are Friday’s results:

-Oklahoma Region: Mustang Golden Ale – 64 percent vs. Choc 1919 – 36 percent

-International Region: Taj Mahal Lager – 52 percent vs. Corona – 48 percent

-USA Region: Shiner Bock – 85 percent vs. Coors Light – 15 percent

-Europe Region: St. Pauli Girl- 59 percent vs. Amstel – 41 percent

-Oklahoma Region: COOP Native Amber – 72 percent vs. Belle’s Blond – 28 percent

-USA Region: Anchor Steam – 77 percent vs. Miller Lite – 23 percent

-Europe Region: Newcastle Brown Ale- 81 percent vs. Carlsberg 19 percent

Cheers!

(Note: If you’re looking to vote in today’s Beer Championship Series match-ups, see the post below this one.)

Oklahoma Region: Choc Basement Batch – 72 percent vs. Belle Isle Power House Porter - 28 percent

International Region: Sapporo – 54 percent vs. Coopers Lager – 46 percent

USA Region: Fat Tire – 62 percent vs. Sam Adams Boston Ale – 38 percent

Europe Region: Hoegaarden – 70 percent vs. Becks – 30 percent

Oklahoma Region: Marshall Atlas IPA- 82 percent vs. Bricktown Copperhead Amber Ale – 18 percent

International Region: Fosters- 56 percent vs. Tsing Tao – 44 percent

Europe Region: Stella Artois- 52 percent vs. Weihenstephaner Lager – 48 percent

For your enjoyment, the updated bracket.

And how about Friday’s match-ups:

-Oklahoma Region: COOP Gran Sport Porter- 72 percent vs. Bricktown Land Run Lager – 28 percent

-International Region: Moosehead- 72 percent vs. James Boag – 28 percent

-USA Region: Leinenkugel Summer Shandy – 75 percent vs. Michelob Ultra – 25 percent

-Europe Region: Pilsner Urquell – 56 percent vs. Harp – 44 percent

-Europe Region: Chimay Red – 55 percent vs. Bass – 45 percent

-USA Region: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – 79 percent vs. Budweiser – 21 percent

-International Region: Dos Equis – 64 percent vs. Kirin - 36 percent

Here’s the updated bracket.

And here are today’s match-ups:

-Oklahoma Region: Marshall McNellie’s Pub Ale – 69 percent vs. Mustang Amber Lager – 31 percent

-International Region: Molson Canadian – 74 percent vs. Lhasa Beer – 26 percent

-USA Region: Boulevard Wheat- 63 percent vs. Leinenkugel Original – 37 percent

-Europe Region: Moretti – 62 percent vs. Heineken – 38 percent

-Oklahoma Region: Marshall Sundown Wheat – 77 percent vs. Choc Miner Mishap – 23 percent

-International Region: Red Stripe- 53 percent vs. Tecate – 47 percent

-USA Region: Blue Moon – 76 percent vs. Bud Light Lime – 24 percent

Here’s the updated bracket.

And let’s see the next round of match-ups:

(Note: If you’re looking for the Beer Championship Series, see the post below this one.)

1. The Thirsty Beagle: First off, you guys are still relatively new in the business; how has it been starting your own brewery?

Eric Marshall: It has definitely been a learning experience! I don’t think a lot of people understand all of the work that is involved just to get it up and running. Since we are regulated by every level possible there is a lot of applications and waiting on those to get processed. There are a lot of reports that are dependent on keeping very detailed records for everything you do. Many people think…oh I do this in my garage all the time, how hard can it be… well it is a completely different monster. Of course, I knew all of this getting into it, because of my prior experience in the industry, but still it is completely different when you are running the show. It has also been a very gratifying experience, we have been fortunate to have overwhelmingly positive support and feedback and that really makes it all worthwhile.

2. TTB: I see your 22 oz. bottles are available at beer stores now. Are you guys selling six packs as well and I just haven’t seen them anywhere?

EM: We have been selling 22 oz. bottles since last December and we should be releasing six packs very soon. We have begun bottling, we are just trying to build up some inventory before we put them out the door. We will be releasing them in waves, Atlas IPA and McNellie’s Pub Ale first and then Sundown Wheat and Old Pavilion Pilsner to follow. Since kegs and 22 oz. bottles have gone so well it has been hard to get the six packs going. We are going to have to do a little expansion very soon, so we have enough tanks full of product to fill demand.

3. TTB:You guys were the first keg tapped at Tulsa’s Oktoberfest, right? Did that mean a lot to you?

EM: Yes, we tapped the first keg at Oktoberfest and it was awesome! I have been going to that festival forever and we tried to get beer out there last year but it just didn’t happen. So, this year we started making contacts early and Oktoberfest was very receptive of having us there and doing the official tapping. Having German roots and having studied so much over there, it was very important to me.  Oktoberfest liked the idea for the local aspect of it and it didn’t hurt that I have a few German casks where you actually hammer the spigot into the cask. They loved it and want to do it again!

4. TTB: You spent a lot of time studying the craft in Germany. Do you miss being in the middle of a place steeped with such beer tradition and history?

EM: I really do miss Germany! I had such a wonderful experience there and yeah the beer tradition and history is top notch. But I am glad I came back to Tulsa and started the brewery here. I love Oklahoma even more than I love Germany. If I would have stayed over there I would never have met my wife or been where I am now. However, I wish I were in a position where I could visit Germany a bit more, I still have “family” there and love it. Hopefully my wife and I will be going this summer and then once the brewery gets a bit more steady I will get to take some business trips there every year!

5. TTB: Oklahoma seems to be in the middle of a beer boom, with several breweries getting into the mix. Do you get the sense that Oklahoma’s beer community is really starting to grow right now?

EM: Yes, Oklahoma is in the middle of a beer boom and it is great! Forever, Oklahoma has been viewed as a beer wasteland, but now we are starting to make some waves and get a little respect. It is great for the guys who have been around for a while like, Choc. They have been doing some cool things for a while but no one wanted to listen to them because they were from Oklahoma. Now as more breweries pop up people are taking note. It also doesn’t hurt that they won a gold medal in a popular category at the beer fest, but that also helps us all. It gives Oklahoma a bit more street cred!

Oklahoma Region: COOP DNR - 68 percent vs. Bricktown Red Brick Ale - 32 percent

International Region: Modelo Negra- 74 percent vs. Labatt Blue – 26 percent

USA Region: Sam Adams Boston Lager – 87 percent vs. Pyramid Apricot Ale - 13 percent

Europe Region: Guinness- 63 percent vs. Peroni – 37 percent.

I’m a little sad to see one of my Canadian beers go down so early, but hey, it’s a cut-throat world in beer bracket competitions.

Here’s the updated bracket.

And here are the match-ups for today (Note: I’m expanding to seven picks a day for the next four days so we can get round one completed by the end of the week. Also, voting will close each day at 10 p.m.)

(Note: If you’re looking for the Beer Championship Series, you can vote in the post below this one)

1. Baylor (3-5, 0-4, lost to Nebraska 20-10; next, at Missouri) The Baylor Bears: Giving Big 12 North teams hope since 1996.

2. Colorado (2-6, 1-3, lost to Missouri 36-17; next, vs. Texas A&M) The Lower Buffs put on a great show for the home faithful on Saturday: Four turnovers, only 23 minutes with the ball, a mere 176 yards of offense. Maybe the players have forgotten that IT’S THE BIG 12! Maybe they should GO PLAY INTRAMURALS, BROTHER!

3. Kansas (5-3, 1-3, lost to Texas Tech 42-21; next, at Kansas State) Oh how the once-kind-of-mighty have fallen. Let’s remember that the Jayhawks only made it to the Orange Bowl a couple years back because they didn’t face OU or Texas that year.

4. Nebraska (5-3, 2-2, beat Baylor 20-10; next, vs. Oklahoma) If Nebraska thinks it’s a whole mess of fun scoring 20 points against Baylor and the week before netting only 7 points against Iowa State at home, the Lincoln faithful will really enjoy it when OU’s defense comes to town. Nebraska gets 10 points, max.

5. Iowa State (5-4, 2-3, lost to Texas A&M 35-10; next, vs. Oklahoma State) That speech Paul Rhoads gave after the Cylcones win at Nebraska, the one about how proud he was to be Iowa State’s coach… can he take that back now?

6. Missouri (5-3, 1-3, beat Colorado 36-17; next, vs. Baylor) I don’t really have anything to say about Missouri, so let’s take a short beer detour. I tried Bud Light Golden Wheat at my tailgate on Saturday; I was actually mildly surprised. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was great, but it was, you know, not terrible. And it was free. So that was nice, too.

7. Texas A&M (5-3, 2-2, beat Iowa State 35-10; next, at Colorado) A few weeks ago, the Aggies were being touted as the worst team in the conference; now they have winnable games left against Colorado and Baylor and are looking at a possible seven-win season. Definitely an upgrade.

8. Texas Tech (6-3, 3-2, beat Kansas 42-21; next, bye) Apparently Texas Tech players were sufficiently angry that their coach called their girlfriends fat; how else to explain their uprising against the Jayhawks? Except that the Jayhawks are terrible. That could also explain it.

9. Kansas State (5-4, 3-2, lost to Oklahoma 42-30; next, vs. Kansas) Somehow Kansas is a 2.5-point favorite on the road for Saturday’s game, but mark my words, the Jayhawks will be sorry they crossed Old Man Snider this weekend.

10. Oklahoma State (6-2, 3-1, lost to Texas 41-14; next, at Iowa State) I wrote on the blog last week that I found it hard to believe how one BCS computer didn’t have OSU ranked in its top 25. After Saturday, I see how that could happen.

11. Oklahoma (5-3, 3-1, beat Kansas State 42-30; next, at Nebraska) Kansas State exposed some cracks in OU’s defensive armor, but Sooners seem to be picking up momentum as the season rolls along. They’ll have a chance to play themselves into the Cotton Bowl.

12. Texas (8-0, 5-0, beat Oklahoma State 41-17; next, vs. UCF) Somewhere along the way, Texas developed one of the best defenses in the country. The secondary, which unfortunately for the rest of the league, is very young, is also pretty freakin’ good. OSU receivers pretty much had to fight off interceptions to even make a catch.

 
The

The collection includes three beers:

-New World Tripel, described as “Pale gold in color, this ale is big, flavorful and complex. A special Belgian yeast strain adds tropical fruit and spice notes to the crisp dry ale, while Saaz hops add a subtle herbal note. (~10% ABV)”

-American Kriek, described as follows: “The intense black cherry character in this beer comes from Balaton cherries, which were discovered in Hungary and are now grown in Michigan. These special cherries are prized for their depth of flavor. The tartness from the cherries is balanced by a rich, malty character with toasted oak notes added from the barrel aging. (~7% ABV)”

-Stony Brook Red, described like this: “This unique brew defies traditional beer style definition. The rich, malty brew combines notes of tart fruit from the yeast with a toasty oak character from the barrel aging. The long dry finish is almost wine-like. This is a beer that is satisfying on its own and also pairs well with many foods such as braised or roasted meats, beef stews and strong salty cheeses. (~9% ABV)”

The beers are only available in select states as of right now, SA officials said, with the closest to Oklahoma being Colorado. I’ll keep you updated if they become available in-state.

If you’re interested in a beer you can find a little more readily, Mustang Brewing Co. reports bottles of its Mustang Amber Lager will arrive in Oklahoma tomorrow (Friday).

And on a couple Thirsty Beagle notes, remember you can follow my blog and get updates about new posts at twitter.com/thirstybeagle; and stay tuned tomorrow for the release of my Beer Championship Series bracket. Check out the match-ups and get ready for voting to start Monday.

-Team A is 6-1. Its one loss came against a team that is also 6-1 and is ranked within the top 20 of the current BCS. The loss came in week two of the season, theoretically giving Team A plenty of time to climb up the polls by reeling off five straight wins. Two of the teams Team A has faced now have losing records, compared with five opponents with winning records. Combined, the record of Team A’s opponents is 25-25.

-Team B also is 6-1. Its one loss came against a team that is now 3-5 and not ranked in the BCS. Clearly a worse loss than Team A’s one loss. Team B’s loss came in week three of the season, theoretically giving Team B less time than Team A to climb back up the polls by winning four straight games. Three of the teams Team B has faced now have losing records, compared with four opponents with winning records. Combined, the record of Team B’s opponents is 25-25, the same as that of Team A’s opponents.

So which team is which, and more importantly, which team is ranked higher in the current BCS standings? You’d probably guess it would be Team A. After all, Team A’s one loss was against a far tougher opponent, Team A has had more time to climb back up the polls after its loss and Team A has played more teams with winning records. And since both teams have played teams with a combined record that is equal, it should seem quite obvious that Team A would be ranked higher in the BCS standings, shouldn’t it?

Well, if you thought that, you’d be dead wrong. Team A is Oklahoma State, and it is ranked 14th in the BCS. Team B is USC, which is ranked fifth. Even more unbelievable, one of the computers has USC ranked seventh in its formula and doesn’t even have OSU in its top 25! How does that happen? How does a team that’s 6-1 and boasts four of its six wins over major conference opponents not even sniff the top 25 of any ranking?

Now I get that there are arguments for why USC should be fifth and OSU should be 14th, like how you can’t technically compare their opponents’ records on an even field because what if one team’s opponents have played tougher opponents than the other team’s opponents? But isn’t the fact that that is one of the arguments for putting USC so far ahead of OSU just plain crazy in and of itself?!

Like Bill Simmons would say: Ladies and gentlemen, your BCS system! It’s arbitrary, it favors traditional powers who annually start higher in the rankings, it is generally not understood by the teams and fans that it is supposed to serve, and of course, it’s two-thirds decided by people who may or may not even watch football games on a weekly basis. The answer, as always, is a playoff. The Thirsty Beagle prefers a 16-team bracket, with automatic entry granted to the top two teams in each of the six BCS conferences and four wild-card spots for the Boises, Utahs and TCUs of the world. Any chance that’ll happen sometime soon? Probably not. But guess what? You’re in my world now, grandma!

Here at The Thirsty Beagle, we don’t need no stinkin’ Bowl Championship Series. That’s because we’ve got our own BCS: The Beer Championship Series! By the end of the week, I’ll unveil the 64-beer bracket. And next week, voting will open for the match-ups. You the reader will decide which beers survive and advance through the playoff. And like any good 64-competitor bracket, we’ve got regions: The International Region; the USA Region; the Europe Region; and the Oklahoma Region.

So stay tuned for the bracket-unveiling blog post and come back Monday to vote for Oklahoma’s favorite beer!

-Tibet will boost U.S. shipments of its Lhasa Beer because of strong demand.

- Beer-maker Carlsberg said Russia’s plan to triple beer taxes may result in the loss of 100,000 jobs.

-Another warning is being issued about the connection between swine flu and beer pong.

-A nice analysis of stout beers here, courtesy of The New York Times.

-A former Anheuser-Busch executive has sued the company, saying women receive less pay in salary and bonuses.

-Very interesting read here. Water makes up most of beer, so you can understand why craft brewers are deeply concerned about the future of the country’s water supply.

1. Nebraska (4-3, 1-2, lost to Iowa State 9-7; next, at Baylor) The Thirsty Beagle is not afraid to hand the bottom/top spot in this poll to a team with the history and tradition of the Corndroppers, I mean Cornhuskers. Let’s just say that when you’re Nebraska and you lose 9-7 at home to Iowa State, that deserves some recognition. Nebraska’s challenge for this week’s game at Baylor: More points than turnovers.

2. Baylor (3-4, 0-3, lost to Oklahoma State 34-7; next, vs. Nebraska) Poor Baylor. After all the high hopes they had of finally getting to a bowl this year. Well you know who didn’t have high hopes? This guy! I predicted Baylor would be Baylor this year, and voila, Baylor is Baylor this year. Baylor making a resurgence in football? Let’s keep the natural order of the universe in line, thank you very much.

3. Colorado (2-5, 1-2, lost to Kansas State 20-6; next, vs. Missouri) The Lower Buffs thought they had perhaps turned a corner by beating Kansas last week. No soup for you, Buffs fan! And now with Kansas looking thoroughly exposed as a contender, that win doesn’t look so good either.

4. (tie) Kansas (5-2, 1-2, lost to Oklahoma 35-13; next, at Texas Tech) I struggled mightily on the order I would rank Kansas, Missouri, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, so I called it a draw. I present my analysis in alphabetical order, starting with Kansas: Did you see the throw in the first half that OU intercepted and ran in for a touchdown? Absolutely terrible. It’s like Reesing took a lesson last week at the Cody Hawkins School of Lazy Passes That Any Cornerback Will Jump on and Return for a Touchdown.

4. (tie) Missouri (4-3, 0-3, lost to Texas 41-7; next, at Colorado) Tigers look more like kittens in conference play. Looking bad against Texas and not-so-good against Oklahoma State are two things, but looking atrocious against Nebraska in their conference opener? That only looks worse now.

4. (tie) Texas A&M (4-3, 1-2, beat Texas Tech 52-30; next, vs. Iowa State) Texas A&M avoided an all-out disastrous start to conference play by whipping Tech in Lubbock. I did not see that one coming.

4. (tie) Texas Tech (5-3, 2-2, lost to Texas A&M 52-30; next, vs. Kansas) This loss was so bad, Mike Leach made a post-game reference to coaching the Swedish bikini team and called his quarterback “slow and statue-like.” Ouch if your Taylor Potts. And on the bikini team, get in line Mike, I signed up for that job several  years ago. Still waiting by the phone.

8. Iowa State (5-3, 2-2, beat Nebraska 9-7; next, at Texas A&M) If you open up the dictionary and look for the definition of “being handed a game,” you’d find a picture of Iowa State players celebrating on Nebraska’s field on Saturday. Seems like if your opponent commits eight turnovers and you only score nine points, you should actually be credited with a loss. That being said, I had to rank Iowa State in this spot based on how terrible all the other teams are.

9. Kansas State (5-3, 3-1, beat Colorado 20-6; next, at Oklahoma) What kind of ancient wizardry is Bill Snider practicing? I wasn’t even sure if Snider would live through the season, with the old age and all. When Kansas State lost to Louisiana-Lafayette, I thought he might keel over. Then when KSU opened the conference schedule by losing 66-14 to Texas Tech, I was pretty sure he’d croak. But somehow, that old codger not only hasn’t died, he’s actually got the team thriving!

10. Oklahoma (4-3, 2-1, beat Kansas 35-13; next, vs. Kansas State) Is the Sooners defense really amazing, or is the Kansas offense really terrible? While I think OU’s defense is solid, I’m going to lean more toward Kansas being terrible. Did I mention earlier that the interception return for touchdown in the first half was a terrible throw. Repeat: terrible. Still, OU appears to be fortune’s least-favorite son this season.

11. Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-0, beat Baylor 34-7; next, vs. Texas) Zac Robinson’s increase in efficiency is likely tied to his rediscovering how to throw the ball in a spiral. Good stuff. Maybe if OSU can do what it hasn’t done since 1997 — beat Texas — the Cowboys can crack the top 25 in that one computer poll they’re unranked in.

12. Texas (7-0, 4-0, beat Missouri 41-7; next, at Oklahoma State) After a couple scuffling results in conference, Texas put together a solid game against Missouri. Have they rounded into form as the dominating team in the conference? If they can beat OSU on Saturday, it looks like an easy ride to an undefeated season.

In other blog news, get ready for The Thirsty Beagle’s take on the BCS: the Beer Championship Series. I’m working up the bracket — a 64-brew beer playoff — as we speak, and will post it soon and open voting.

-The maker’s of Sam Adams and venerable German brewer Weihenstephan have announced they are teaming up to create and brew a new beer. The yet-to-be-named beer will feature on ABV of 10 percent and come with corks as opposed to caps. The makers describe it as a “crisp pale brew.” Added Boston Beer CEO Jim Koch: ”We’re creating a brand, a product that never existed before, a very premium brand.”

-So did you hear the one about the black bear in Wisconsin that sauntered into the grocery store and headed straight for the beer cooler? That’s not a joke.

-Here’s a review of George Wendt’s book “Drinking with George: A Barstool Professional’s Guide to Beer.” Wendt is better known as Norm from “Cheers.”

-A Wisconsin woman has started holding a church service at a bar.

-A week-long beer festival in Cleveland will wrap up this weekend. I don’t really expect any of my readers will now ship off to Cleveland to catch the last few days. Especially if you saw this or this!

1. Baylor (3-3, 0-2, lost to Iowa State 24-10; next, vs. Oklahoma State) What TTB said last week: “There may not be three more wins on Baylor’s schedule.” Certainly, there may not be three more wins. Especially after losing to Iowa State. There’s something very reassuring about knowing the Bears are who we thought they were.

2. Texas A&M (3-3, 0-2, lost to Kansas State 62-14; next, at Texas Tech) What TTB said last week: “The Aggies offensive line looked like a certain variety of cheese. That’d be Swiss.” And this week? How about allowing six sacks and totaling minus-13 yards rushing. And this was not against the likes of Alabama’s defense. This was against a team that lost to Louisiana Lafayette!

3. Kansas State (4-3, 2-1, beat Texas A&M 62-14; next, vs. Colorado) It’s not worth repeating anything I wrote about KSU last week; I slammed them. That must have shamed the team and rallied them for a forceful performance against the now-woeful Aggies. And now, three games into their conference schedule, the Wildcats lead the Big 12 North. These are crazy days, my friends.

4. Iowa State (4-3, 1-2, beat Baylor 24-10; next, at Nebraska) What TTB said last week: “Iowa State may have a more realistic shot at bowl eligibility than Baylor. Who would have thought that at the start of the year?”A lot of people are thinking that now. Somehow, Iowa State needs only two wins in its last five games to become bowl eligible, which pretty much was deemed unachievable at the start of the season.

5. Missouri (4-2, 0-2, lost to Oklahoma State 33-17; next, vs. Texas) What TTB said last week: “Whether is was the weather or their gimpy quarterback or their complete absence of a running game (91 yards), they didn’t look very impressive.” The weather didn’t hamper Missouri against OSU. Their gimpy quarterback and complete absence of a running game (68 yards) certainly did. In defense of the Tigers gimpy quarterback, Missouri ran so many empty-backfield formations, it’s no surprise they didn’t rack up running yards. They hardly tried. And speaking of the quarterback, will it take a severed foot for Gary Pinkel to put the back-up in? Gabbert could hardly walk, let alone use the correct mechanics to throw a football.

6. Nebraska (4-2, 1-1, lost to Texas Tech 31-10; next, vs. Iowa State) What TTB said last week: “As bad as Missouri looked, Nebraska looked just as bad — if not worse — for three quarters.” Well, the Huskers decided to go for the gusto and look terrible for all four quarters this week. I know Bo Pellini is a defensive-minded kind of guy, but surely someone on the staff knows when you’re down by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter you don’t need to be huddling and using up the whole play clock on every snap?

7. Kansas (5-1, 1-1, lost to Colorado 34-30; next, vs. Oklahoma) What TTB said last week: “Let me be clear: the Jayhawks have not been tested.” Lo and behold, the first time they were tested, they lost! And to the team coined last week by The Thirsty Beagle as the Lower Buffs, on account of how they would pretty much rate below anyone. With Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas losing in the same week, the Big 12 North’s reputation just took another big hit.

8. Colorado (2-4, 1-1, beat Kansas 34-30; next, at Kansas State) What TTB said last week: “The look on (coach Dan Hawkins’) face Saturday was somewhere between ‘I can’t wait to get out of here’ and ‘It’ll be hard to never talk to my son again, but at this point, I think that’s for the best.’” It’ll especially be hard to talk to his son now that the team’s new starter at quarterback led the Lower Buffs to their first big win of the year. But don’t get too high on that mountain air, CU fans: Beating the no. 17 team in the country is no excuse to storm the field. 

9. Oklahoma (3-3, 1-1, lost to Texas 16-13; next, at Kansas) What TTB said last week: “What’ll happen when the Sooners play live bodies on Saturday against Texas?” Apparently, not a whole lot of good stuff. I’m pretty sure the Sooners have a good defense, but an offense that averaged more than 50 points a game last season now can’t protect its quarterback and has scored a total of 46 in its three losses this year.

10. Texas Tech (5-2, 2-1, beat Nebraska 31-10; next, vs. Texas A&M) What TTB said last week: “I’ve never played quarterback, but since apparently anyone can throw multiple touchdowns for the Red Raiders, I should be good for at least 300 yards and five touchdown passes.” Texas Tech’s back-up quarterback is 6-foot-4 and 175 pounds. He may be the thinnest college football player of all time. But it hasn’t stopped him from averaging four touchdown passes a game and pretty much turning Texas Tech into an unstoppable juggernaut.

11. Oklahoma State (5-1, 2-0, beat Missouri 33-17; next, at Baylor) What TTB said last week: “Several receivers got into the act with big third-down catches and the offensive line appears to be gelling a little. Both good signs going forward.” Against Missouri, the Cowboys allowed zero sacks and six players had receptions. All the sudden, OSU’s chance of making a run at the Big 12 South title looks a little more promising.

12. Texas (6-0, 3-0, beat Oklahoma 16-13; next, at Missouri) What TTB said last week: “What a couple weeks ago looked like a sure-thing Texas win in the Red River game got a little dicey over the weekend.” And of course, it was more than a little dicey. Texas impressed exactly nobody with its offense, and was surely fortunate that Sam “Porcelain Shoulder” Bradford went down early. The Longhorns perch at the bottom of this poll is a precarious one.

The Thirsty Beagle, who was tapped by the government a year ago to help develop the program, said he is pleased with the new system.

“People who are used to drinking some watered-down, no-good beer may not know what they’re missing by choosing a beer that may fall on the danger end of the warning system,” he said. “This new set of labels will make it clear which beers to enjoy and which to avoid with a 10-foot pole.”

A government official from the U.S. Department of Consumer, Industrial and Foodstuff Satisfaction said The Thirsty Beagle’s expertise in developing the warning label system was invaluable.

“Quite frankly,” the official said, “a lot of people in America drink irredeemable beer. We hope this new system will take the country on a track to more thorough beer enjoyment.”

The new warning label system will look like this:

So how does the system work? Suppose you’re about to open a can of Natural Light, you would notice a red, or Severe Risk of Terrible Beer, label on the can. Maybe you were going to crack open a Chimay Red; that bottle would have a green, or Low Risk of Terrible Beer, label on it. All beers would fall somewhere in the five-color range.

Some beer industry insiders have balked at the new system.

“You don’t see warning labels on orange juice or a loaf of bread,” one insider said. “Surely some orange juice is not as good as some other orange juice, but you don’t see the inferior orange juice being singled out.”

The government official responded by saying that comparisons to the orange juice industry are not warranted, mainly because no one really cares about orange juice comparisons.

“To argue that the government has no responsibility to safeguard the beer-drinking public’s interest when it comes to the quality of beer they drink, that’s just foolhardy,” he said. “Inferior beers of the world need to be unmasked for what they really are.”

The next step in the program will be an intensive project by The Thirsty Beagle to assign correct colors to each of the world’s beers. A series of tastings will be carried out nearly around the clock to bring the labeling system online before the Jan. 1 deadline.

“It’s a tough job,” The Thirsty Beagle said, “but somebody’s got to do it. And that somebody is me.”

Balloon boy, Colorado, Wife Swap, Megan Fox, Cheney, Bush, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, Britney Spears

-A Canadian passenger jet recently was forced to make an unscheduled landing. Not because of engine trouble or some sort of terror threat, though. The jet was brought down because some no-good passenger stole beer from the beverage cart and then tried to flush the empty cans down the airplane’s toilet.

-SABMiller reports that the difficult market has beer sales down.

-A New York college has banned beer pong because of swine flu concerns.

-I can’t do a better job of explaining this story, so I’ll just paste the lead here: “A beer advertisement featuring Snow White blowing smoke rings while lying in bed with seven semi-naked (dwarfs) has reportedly left Disney fuming.” You can find the story here.

-Anheuser-Busch is buying all the ad time on this week’s episode of “Saturday Night Live” to push its new Bud Light Golden Wheat. On a side note, blog reader Dave had this to say about Bud Light Golden Wheat: “Just had first bottle of BL golden wheat, delicious. First Budweiser product I have liked. My family is laughing at me because I have always disliked Budweiser. If you like (hefeweizens), give this a try.” Britney Spears, Garth Brooks, Barack Obama, Angelina Jolie, Dancing with the Stars, baseball playoffs, hot air balloon, Megan Fox, balloon boy

 ”Hey, Nick. Good to hear from you. We get the “This is brewed in Mustang, right?” a lot. I just want to be as transparent as possible so as not to be misleading or cause any ill will with the guys who are brewing local. We are still working with the City of Mustang and the state on getting the brewery off the ground. We will brew in our own facility in OK, hopefully early 2010 . We may look at some partnerships with local breweries, as well.”

I also scanned back through my earlier blog posts to a three-part interview I did with Tim in January and February. In those interviews, he made it clear that his company was sure to call itself Mustang Brewing Company — note the distinction between a brewing company and a brewery. He also said they would likely rely on other breweries to get their recipes off the ground at the outset. In reviewing everything, I think Tim should be commended for being upfront. Truth is, beer fans in the area likely could have gone on assuming or believing the beer was made here in Oklahoma if he hadn’t said anything. Realistically, he was under no obligation to spell out the out-of-state connections. But he did, and you have to at least appreciate the honesty.

Now we can keep our fingers crossed for the opening of another brewery on home turf.

“How low do you have to go to be lower than low? At Colorado University, we’re pushing those boundaries every day. With a coach who’s developing permanent creases on his forehead from wearing a constant worried look to a coach’s-son quarterback with questionable arm strength, at CU, you can aim low!”

Now on with the rankings!

1. Colorado (1-4, lost to Texas 38-14; next, vs. Kansas) Is it even accurate to describe this Colorado team as the “lowly Buffs”? I mean, lowly suggests they’re pretty low, but maybe not the lowest. I’m going with the “lower Buffs” from now on. Throw out any team you want, the Buffs will be lower. Also, I’m taking up a collection so Colorado officials can afford Dan Hawkins’ buyout. The look on his face Saturday was somewhere between “I can’t wait to get out of here” and “It’ll be hard to never talk to my son again, but at this point, I think that’s for the best.”

2. Kansas State (3-3, lost to Texas Tech 66-14; next, vs. Texas A&M) Remember how Kansas State lost to Louisiana-Lafayette? The TameCats must have been so impressed, they decided to play with as much skill and talent as ULL against Texas Tech. Certainly an embarrassing in-conference loss.

3. Baylor (3-2, lost to Oklahoma 33-7; next, at Iowa State) The Bears put up a good fight Saturday; too bad Baylor’s good fight still nets a 26-point loss. Alas, the drive for six (wins) remains alive. Only problem? There may not be three more wins on Baylor’s schedule.

4. Iowa State (3-3, lost 41-36 to Kansas; next, vs. Baylor) Iowa State put up a heck of a fight at Kansas, and even had a chance to score the go-ahead touchdown late. Pretty wild turnaround for a team whose coach basically admitted they’d be in for a dogfight against the likes of North Dakota State. What’s even wilder? Iowa State may have a more realistic shot at bowl eligibility than Baylor. Who would have thought that at the start of the year?

5. Texas A&M (3-2, lost 36-31 to Oklahoma State; next, at Kansas State) The Aggies offensive line looked like a certain variety of cheese. That’d be Swiss. And not baby Swiss. We’re talking big-eye Swiss. Really big. Put it this way: When OSU’s underwhelming defensive front gets four sacks and bats down like five passes, you’ve got protection issues in a bad way.

6. Missouri (4-1, lost 27-12 to Nebraska; next, at Oklahoma State) It’s kind of difficult to rate a 4-1 team this lacking in power, but Missouri certainly stunk up the joint on national television on Thursday night. Whether is was the weather or their gimpy quarterback or their complete absence of a running game (91 yards), they didn’t look very impressive.

7. Texas Tech (4-2, beat Kansas State 66-14; next, at Nebraska) After the completion of this blog post, The Thirsty Beagle will enroll in classes at Texas Tech so I can take one last stab at college athletic glory. I’ve never played quarterback, but since apparently anyone can throw multiple touchdowns for the Red Raiders, I should be good for at least 300 yards and five touchdown passes.

8. Kansas (5-0, beat Iowa State 41-36; next, at Colorado) You might think it’s wrong to put an undefeated team this low in the standings. Let’s look inside the numbers (What does that even mean? Can I open up numbers and see inside of them?). Kansas has played five nobodies and with the lower Buffs, have a sixth on tap. Those six teams right now have a combined record of 13-22. None of them have a better-than-.500 record. Let me be clear: the Jayhawks have not been tested.

9. Oklahoma (3-2, beat Baylor 33-7; next, vs. Texas) So the OU receivers had a team-wide case of the dropsies. That’ll happen. But when it happens against guys that could barely qualify as walk-ons at OU, that’s not good. What’ll happen when the Sooners play live bodies on Saturday against Texas?

10. Oklahoma State (4-1, beat Texas A&M 36-31; next, vs. Missouri) Cowboys benefited from Texas A&M’s general lack of ability, but still, a road conference win is not to be treated lightly. Several receivers got into the act with big third-down catches and the offensive line appears to be gelling a little. Both good signs going forward.

11. Nebraska (4-1, beat Missouri 27-12; next, vs. Texas Tech) As bad as Missouri looked, Nebraska looked just as bad — if not worse — for three quarters. But pulling out a road conference win in those conditions has to count for something, so the Huskers find themselves in this poll’s second best/worst spot.

12. Texas (5-0, Beat Colorado 38-14; next, vs. Oklahoma) What a couple weeks ago looked like a sure-thing Texas win in the Red River game got a little dicey over the weekend. The Longhorns didn’t look like world beaters against the lower Buffs. They turned the ball over twice near their own goal line and only scored two offensive touchdowns. Texas’ blocked-punt touchdown came when Colorado lined up a snapper and punter and sent everyone else over to the sideline, and the interception return for a touchdown came on a throw that was sooooo (extra Os added for emphasis. I mean, did you see that throw?) bad it caused a father to bench his quarterback son. Needless to say, the Longhorns will have to try to make their own breaks this weekend or risk having their first gain in (lack of) power rankings this season.

The Thirsty Beagle: Why did you guys decide to do an iPhone app?

So there you have it. If you’ve got an iPhone, and are a beer fan, you should download this one. Can’t beat the price, obviously, and it’s good to have when you’re trying to track down a nice beer from the guys at COOP.

OSU's most infamous dropped pass.

So Dez Bryant is out, maybe for the rest of the year. Maybe we’ve seen the last of Bryant with the OSU football team. As an OSU fan, I’m not really too worried about it. I’m more worried about the next horribly depressing thing that’s going to happen this season. Don’t blame me for the negative expectations. I’ve been conditioned that way over the years.

The OSU football team is the master of the figurative punch to the gut of its fans. You know what I’m talking about. Two years ago against Texas, blowing a three-touchdown, fourth quarter lead, then missing a go-ahead field goal in the closing minutes just to watch the Longhorns march down the field at will and kick a game-winner. How about the infamous and super-demoralizing loss in Austin a few years ago when the Cowboys raced out to a big lead in the first half only to allow 1,307 unanswered points? Even a stringy Mike Gundy finding an open Brent Parker in the end zone for an OU-beating touchdown in 1988, only to see the ball fall to the turf, uncaught. All great examples of the punch to the gut. Trouble is, if you were already down and battered, that punch to the gut would be a whole lot easier to absorb. That’s how OSU rolls: They give you hope first, lift you up a little, get you off guard. Then they bring the hay-maker to the midsection.

Maybe that’s the part that makes it the hardest to be an OSU fan. They always seem to find a little glimmer of hope. You’re tantalized with it. Tempted with it. And in the end, tormented with it. It comes with the territory of being an OSU fan. So maybe before this season started, we should have checked the hope meter and realized things were too good to be true. Maybe when you have games like those I mentioned above — those games where you find yourself saying, “You know, this game is like a mircocosm of my existence as an OSU fan” — you just have to sit back and realize things may never be as good as you want them.

But who wants to be that guy? That’s the old guy who’s had season tickets for like 50 years and now goes to the games with a stone-cold look of resignation on his face. I sat next to that guy in Gundy’s first year. He didn’t talk. Didn’t move. Didn’t seem to care OSU was barely beating the likes of Montana State, roundly being shut out by an average Colorado team, or somehow winning their only conference game against Texas Tech.  He had seen it all. He had learned his lessons. He would not be tricked by a mere glimmer of hope.

Thing is, I was finding myself turning into that guy. I mean, how many punches to the gut do you have to take before you can’t help but turn into that guy? Then came this season. Like so many fans, I’m sure, I let my guard down. I let hope sink in. OSU beat Georgia. Hope ballooned. And then the Cowboys started swinging the giant fist of football despair. Against Houston, it connected. Kendall Hunter got hurt. The team looked average against Rice. Bryant and Perrish Cox got hurt. Jeremy Smith ran wild against Grambling, then he was out for the season. Houston lost to UTEP, which lost to Texas by like 700 points, making OSU’s loss to Houston that much harder to take. We’re not talking about just a glancing, one-time shot to the gut here, we’re talking about a punch that landed hard, brought the pain and wants to keep on giving. 

OSU’s season has gone beyond anything we’re used to seeing as fans. You might argue the Houston game was one of those microcosm games I mentioned earlier, but I won’t do that. That would take attention away from the season as a whole. In fact, I think we’re smack in the middle of OSU’s first microcosm season. It’s just like those games when you thought they had a chance, only to see it squandered away in agonizing fashion. Only this one ain’t lasting just for 60 minutes. This truly could be OSU’s most devastating punch to its fanbase’s gut yet. And we’re only one third of the way through the season! What’s next? Losing to A&M and Baylor? Zac Robinson getting hurt? Boone Pickens asking for his money back?

That’s why I’m not all too worried about losing Dez Bryant. I’m fairly certain it’s not the last terrible thing that’s going to happen to OSU’s football team this season. If I start bracing for that punch to the gut now, maybe it won’t hurt as much when it lands.

1. Colorado (1-3, lost to West Virginia 35-24; next, at Texas)  The Buffs didn’t get killed by West Virginia, but I never really thought they’d win it, either. Well I especially don’t think they’ll win against Texas or Kansas in the next two weeks. How about they just get used to the idea of trying a 1-5 record on for size.

2. Iowa State (3-2, lost to Kansas State 24-23; next, at Kansas) The Cyclones had a chance to double their win total from last year, but alas, they had a game-tying extra point blocked by the juggernauts from Kansas State.

3.  Kansas State (3-2, beat Iowa State 24-23; next, at Texas Tech) Speaking of the unstoppable force known as Kansas State, following this week’s tilt at Texas Tech, the Wildcats have A&M and Colorado at home before playing four straight (OU, KU, Mizzou, Nebraska) which they will almost certainly lose.

4. Texas A&M (3-1, lost to Arkansas 47-19; next, vs. Oklahoma State) You had the glitz and glamour of the new Cowboys Stadium. You had a traditional, throwback match-up of former Southwest Conference rivals. And then you had Texas A&M showing what would happen when an actual football school was on the schedule. Needless to say, the Aggies proved The Thirsty Beagle right when he said he was unimpressed with their 3-0 start.

5. Baylor (3-1, beat Kent State 31-15; next, at Oklahoma) Bears respond with win after losing starting quarterback and definite Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin. Wait, Griffin wasn’t gauranteed to win the Heisman? My bad. The national media had me believing Griffin was the second coming of Tim Tebow, or something.

6. Oklahoma (2-2, lost to Miami 21-20; next, vs. Baylor) Sooners have lost to ranked teams, beat unranked teams. Based on today’s AP rankings, they’d finish 6-6 if that trend continues. Not likely, but neither was a 2-2 start and the rash of injuries to make all other rashes jealous.

7. Texas Tech (3-1, beat New Mexico 48-28; next, vs. Kansas State) Red Raiders looked sluggish against horrible New Mexico team. Just like they looked sluggish at times against Houston. Just like they looked sluggish at times against Texas. Just like they looked sluggish against North Dakota. I’m no rocket scientist, but maybe this is just a sluggish team?

8. Missouri (4-0, bye; next, vs. Nebraska) The Thirsty Beagle is a big fan of Thursday night college football. And Friday night college football. That stretch during bowl season when there’s a game on like 14 straight days? Great! So while I’m really looking forward to this Missouri-Nebraska game, I’m just a little bit more pumped on account of the fact the game’s on Thursday night.

9. Oklahoma State (3-1, bye; next, at Texas A&M) Unlike the fickle voters in the AP and coaches polls, The Thirsty Beagle will not drop OSU in this poll simply because they didn’t play last week. I’ll have no choice but to drop them if the offensive line doesn’t find a way to gel in time for the A&M game, though.

10. Nebraska (3-1, bye; next, at Missouri)  Huskers were tested once and they lost. They’ll face a test this Thursday at Missouri.  I don’t really have anything else to say about Nebraska. So let’s talk about self-serve frozen yogurt. The Thirsty Beagle is a big fan, especially with some Heath bar crumbles and cocoa-dusted almonds. Yes sir, good stuff. But how long will this craze last? Have you noticed that 75,000 self-serve frozen yogurt shops have opened in the Oklahoma City area in the past couple months? I mean, aren’t they all going to cut into each other’s bottom lines? I’m just hoping one or two survive. 

11. Kansas (4-0, bye; next, vs. Iowa State) Jayhawks have games against Iowa State and Colorado next; have a chance to be a sneaky 6-0 when they host OU on Oct. 24. Keep your eyes on this Kansas team. For all the preseason talk about Texas, OSU and OU threatening for BCS games, the Jayhawks have a favorable schedule and may crash the party before all is said and done.

12. Texas (4-0, bye; next, vs. Colorado) The Longhorns will be 5-0 heading into the game against OU. The Sooners will be 3-2 at best and missing their best tight end, their best wideout and playing with a either a rusty quarterback or one who’s never played against Texas before. Either way, looks like things are looking up for the Longhorns.

It’s taken months of hard work, sweat, tears and blood, plus several pints of cool, refreshing beer, but TTB has now made the big time: 20 followers on Twitter.

Yes, yes, I know what you’re saying. Twenty Twitter followers? Well, believe it, folks! Clearly, The Thirsty Beagle has come after the world of multimedia and social networking with a vengeance the likes of which the world of multimedia and social networking has never seen in weeks.

So you’re probably asking yourself, “How can I join this great, outstanding and inspirational movement?” Glad you asked. You can follow me at www.twitter.com/thirstybeagle. Simple as a tall, cold mug of golden lager.

-Big winners for me were COOP’s Octoberfest and Zeppelin German Wheat, Erdinger Octoberfest and Moose Drool Brown Ale. Also, kudos go out to Chase and JD of COOP for being the only beer guys to tough it out outside with the band all night. While it started to get chilly outside, you couldn’t hear the band inside where all the other beer was. So credit to COOP for keeping beer and music together on Friday night.

-Big loser for me was Sam Adams Coastal Wheat. The girl at the table said Coastal Wheat will be replacing Sam Adams Hefeweizen on liquor store shelves. She said it was made with lemons from California. That’s nice, but the beer tasted flat and lifeless. Rather than a hint of refreshing lemon, like you get with Leinenkugel Summer Shandy, I got a hint of cardboard sprayed with Pledge. Definitely underwhelmed.

-Other losers included the people who splashed the tiniest amount of beer into my miniature souvenir collector’s plastic beer mug thingy. I know it’s a beer tasting, but more than one little taste would have been nice. And I know it’s a miniature souvenir collector’s plastic beer mug thingy, but that doesn’t mean who should just sprinkle a little beer in there. Fill that thing up!

Another interesting development from Zoo Brew came from my conversation with JD from COOP, who tipped myself and Mrs. Beagle off to the presence of the COOP iPhone app. If you’re a COOP fan, you know you can’t find their beers in bottles. That means you have to find a restaurant that serves it. Enter the iPhone app. I’ll get more into the specifics in a later post.

Anyway, to wrap up Zoo Brew, it was a good crowd enjoying some good beer. Full marks to the Zoo for putting the event together. If you’re reading this, Zoo people, let’s find a way next year to bring the music and beer together. Whether that’s moving the beer outside or moving the music in, we need to get it done!

-Zoo Brew. The Oklahoma City Zoo’s beer-tasting event is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. tomorrow (Oct. 2), at the zoo, 2101  NE 50. As of today, tickets are still available by calling 427-2461, ext. 618. The Groove Merchants will perform. I don’t know all the beers that will be there, but I can confirm that local breweries COOP and Mustang Brewing will be there.

-Art on Tap. The Oklahoma City Art Museum will celebrate its sixth annual beer tasting event from 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 9. As many as 80 varieties of beer are expected. The event sold out last year. Tickets can be had by calling 236-3100, ext. 207. The museum is at 415 Couch Drive.

-Beer Dinner: The art museum will get back on the beer bandwagon three days later when it hosts its fifth annual Beer Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 12. The theme of the dinner is Belgium beers, including Lindemans Cuvee Rene, Orval, Lindemans Kriek, De Koninck, Westmalle Dubbel and Duchesse de Bourgogne. Reservations can be made at 235-6262.

“Though just a baby on Oklahoma’s brewing scene, Marshall has already become a local media darling with beers like McNellie’s. Delicately complex, this bitter gets its zing from English yeast and American hops.”

Marshall described McNellie’s Pub Ale as inspired by the house ales found in the pubs of Great Britain and Ireland.

It’s always nice to see an Oklahoma beer getting some national publicity.