Former Denver Broncos great John Elway.

Here we go with Week 2 of our Keegan vs. Tait college football picks showdown.

The younger generation jumped out to an early lead with an 8-2 record last week and there are a couple of differences in this week’s picks as well, so the lead could grow or change hands.

Enough with the chit-chat, though. Here’s a look at this week’s games and picks.

Week 1 Results
Tait: 8-2
Keegan: 7-3

Week 2 Games
Kansas at Rice
Tulsa at Oklahoma
Georgia State at West Virginia
Iowa at Iowa State
UMass at Kansas State
Lamar at Oklahoma State
Ole Miss at Texas
Alabama at Texas A&M
UCLA at Nebraska
Purdue at Notre Dame

Question: You’re starting a pro football franchise and can draft any player in his prime in NFL history. Who do you take and why?

MATT TAIT:
Kansas 35, Rice 27

Oklahoma 41, Tulsa 21
West Virginia 42, Georgia State 13
Iowa 20, Iowa State 14
Kansas State 47, UMass 10
Oklahoma State 56, Lamar 7
Texas 23, Ole Miss 19
Alabama 30, Texas A&M 20
Nebraska 33, UCLA 31
Notre Dame 35, Purdue 9

Answer: You know the whole quarterback run thing that has swept over the NFL in recent years thanks to guys like Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III and Cam Newton? Yeah, John Elway did that. OK, so maybe Elway was not the smoothest man on the move and maybe he did not run the zone read, but he did run. And he did win. A lot.

Former Denver Broncos great John Elway.

The two-time Super Bowl champion, who capped his sensational Denver Broncos career by winning MVP honors at Super Bowl XXXIII before riding off into the sunset, is second all-time in career rushes by a quarterback, one tote behind former Phily QB Randall Cunningham. He also threw a ball so hard that his receivers had a name for the little indention the tip of the football made on their bodies when it hit them — The Elway Cross — and was as competitive a player as the NFL has ever seen. Remember his helicopter run and dive that set up a crucial touchdown in Super Bowl XXXII?

For a while, before Brett Favre wound up passing him, Elway owned the top spot in the one category that should be listed first on the list of most important statistics for any player — career victories. And if I’m starting a team, I’m picking a guy who knew how to win and did anything and everything within his power to make it happen.

The ultra-athletic Elway, who twice was drafted in the Major League Baseball draft — first by Kansas City in the 18th round out of high school in 1979 and then again by the New York Yankees in the second round in 1981 — led the Broncos to five Super Bowl berths, two Super Bowl victories (back-to-back, no less) and belongs in every conversation ever had about the greatest quarterback to play the game.

As for my opponent and boss, this is probably the right time to point out that he went 4-1 in the office’s NFL picks contest last week and doesn’t follow the NFL a lick. He could be tough to catch in the pro picks, but since he does follow college football closely, I’m not too worried about keeping my early lead here.

TOM KEEGAN:
Rice 31, Kansas 24
Oklahoma 35, Tulsa 10
West Virginia 49, Georgia State 7
Iowa 28, Iowa State 21
Kansas State 42, UMass 7
Oklahoma State 55, Lamar 10
Texas 35, Ole Miss 21
Texas A&M 35, Alabama 31
Nebraska 35, UCLA 31
Notre Dame 35, Purdue 17

Answer: Jim Brown. Normally, I would say a quarterback, but there was nothing normal about Jim Brown, No. 32 for the Cleveland Browns. Retired Lawrence Journal-World editor and columnist Bill Mayer likes Jackie Robinson for his pick as the greatest athlete of all-time and there is a lot to like about that selection, but my vote goes to Brown.

The greatest football player of all-time, Brown also was inducted into the College Lacrosse Hall of Fame, located on the campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He was a first-team All-American as a senior and ranked second in the nation in scoring. Many are aware of that, but the amazing thing about Brown’s athletic career is how few know of his basketball prowess. Brown led the Syracuse University basketball team in scoring one season.

Brown led the NFL in rushing eight times in nine seasons, averaged more than 100 rushing yards per game and more than five yards per carry. Brown never missed a game because of injury. He was bigger, stronger, faster and had better vision than any other running back in the league. He demoralized opponents in a way no football player had before him or has after him.

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate you, Matt, on your strong Week 1 performance. For a guy who has to shave three times a day — your 5 o’clock shadow, I’m guessing, arrives at about 11 a.m. — you do a terrific job of keeping up on college football.

Former Cleveland Browns great Jim Brown.