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20. A BMOC Soapbox Moment
Earlier last week, a day or two after the AP and the ESPN/USA Today polls had been released, I was talking to a college football writer. The writer -- a good one, too -- said he voted Colorado ahead of Colorado State. "I don't get it," I said. "Colorado State beat Colorado." "I know," said the writer. "But it was a rivalry game. It was the first game." It was also, 19-13, in favor of CSU -- the third time in the last four seasons that the Rams have defeated the Buffs.
Colorado State entered Saturday's game at UCLA ranked 19th in the AP poll, two places behind CU. But the media hacks weren't the only ones to suffer oxygen deprivation to the brain. CSU was 20th in the coaches poll, three spots behind Colorado. "You know how to change that," said CSU coach Sonny Lubick in USA Today. "Any time we beat one of those [BCS] schools, we get their share of the BCS money. . . But I guess that won't happen." Nope, it won't. That's because CSU, which is in the Mountain West Conference, is on the outside of the BCS store window. It would take a small act of God for a non-BCS charter member to work its way into the Fiesta, Orange, Sugar or Rose bowls. Instead, the guaranteed spots go to the champions of the ACC, the Big East, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the Pac-10 and the SEC. BCS-affiliated members who have won at least nine games and are ranked in the top 12 of the final BCS standings also enter the BCS pool. And the BCS also makes things a little easier for Notre Dame to get into the mix, should the Irish finally get their football act together. Then there are the sort-of-haves, such as the Mountain West, the MAC, Conference USA, Sun Belt, WAC and the remaining independents (like Utah State is going to have a chance at this thing). A team from these conferences gets a guaranteed slot if it's ranked sixth or higher in the BCS, provided not more than two programs meet that standard (fat chance). Just compare the situations of Florida and Colorado State. Both lost Saturday. But if Florida runs the table, it's right back in the middle of the BCS bowl mix. If Colorado State runs the table, it wins the Mountain West and a likely trip to the Liberty Bowl. In other words, it's still incredibly difficult for a non-BCS member to reach one of the big-money BCS bowls. And it doesn't get any easier when the voters don't reward the Colorado States of the world for victories. In a pinch, you can ask the AP to divulge the names and choices of the voters. But the weenies in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll have their votes protected by anonymity. Good thing, or else Lubick would have made a few phone calls to his peers.
19. Target Practice In the season-opening loss to Kentucky (by the way, not a good thing when you're trying to get on the Heisman short list), Ragone was sacked three times and popped, hurried and chased countless other times. This was the same Kentucky defense ranked 109th last season in yards allowed. Didn't matter. Ragone finished with just 14 of 39 attempts for less than 200 yards and a touchdown and interception. He regrouped in the 40-3 blowout win to Duke, but not before the Blue Devils recorded two sacks. What happens when the Cardinals face Colorado State this Saturday and Florida State on the 26th? None of this should come as a surprise. Louisville's offensive line, which features four new starters, gave up six sacks in the Cardinals spring game. Ragone threw two interceptions that day.
18. Render Unto Caesar USC did win the game. It controlled the clock in the second half. It saw quarterback Carson Palmer throw for 302 yards to eight different receivers. But sometime, somewhere -- perhaps against the Buffs -- the Trojans are going to have run the ball. Senior tailback Sultan McCullough had 58 yards and a touchdown, but it took him 20 carries to reach those numbers. It would help if Justin Fargas, the transfer from Michigan who earned raves on the 2001 USC scout team and during 2002 spring drills, could overcome a temperamental hamstring. But he hurt it shortly before a recent scrimmage and tweaked it again not long before the Auburn game. Fargas isn't the only running back waiting to make his 2002 debut. Much-acclaimed Colorado tailback Marcus Houston, who suffered a torn hip flexor in 2000 and a partially torn groin muscle in 2001, is iffy for the game against USC. He's trying to recover from a partially torn knee ligament suffered during the loss to Colorado State.
17. Trickle-Down Effect Whatever happens, athletic directors and coaches from top 25 programs are struggling with how best to structure their future non-conference schedules. Do you shape your schedule based on the present BCS formula, on a different formula, on the possibility of a D-IA world that finally features a playoff? "We really don't know where to go," says Texas coach Mack Brown. Brown used to be a non-playoff guy. No longer. If it were up to Brown, there'd be a playoff featuring the top eight teams.
16. Carolina On My Mind "It wasn't emotional for me at all," he says.
But walking into lovely Kenan Memorial Stadium, seeing the state-of-the-art facilities that his success at Carolina helped build, soaking in the atmosphere of a fall day on one of the prettiest campuses in the south. . . that might make for a slightly different reaction. After all, Brown spent 10 seasons at Carolina. He won a grand total of two games during his first two years at Chapel Hill, but won 20 in his final two seasons. It was after the 1997 regular season that Texas and Brown met in an Atlanta hotel for an initial interview and, as it turned out, a surprise job offer. According to Brown's book, "One Heartbeat," which was written with UT assistant athletics director Bill Little, the decision to leave Carolina was made easier by UNC administration. Even before the Atlanta meeting, Brown asked Carolina for a 10-year contract and a salary bump, from $375,000 to $1 million per year -- which would match then-first-year basketball coach Bill Guthridge's salary. Instead, writes Brown, Carolina said he should interview with Texas -- then a decision would be made about renegotiating Brown's package. Texas offered the job and also offered to double Brown's salary. Carolina AD Dick Baddour counter-offered with the 10-year deal and the salary increase, but, writes Brown, said the new package would create an economic hardship on the department. Plus, there was no guarantee the school's Board of Trustees would approve the deal. After the meeting with Baddour, Brown's wife, Sally, turned to her husband and said, "I don't think we have a choice." On Dec. 2, 1997, they were Tar Heels. On Dec. 4 they were Longhorns. Now Carolina blue meets burnt orange. "Five years is a long time," says Brown. "This game is not about me." Brown still owns a home near the Boone, N.C., mountain area. He says he still roots for the Tar Heels. Still keeps in touch with several Carolina staff members and ex-UNC players. "I loved my 10 years at Carolina," he says. But will Carolina love him back? "This is about the only business when you leave the school and you're winning, [they] feel jilted, like a divorce," he says. Brown says he isn't sure what to expect from Tar Heel fans. Cheers? Maybe. Boos? Likely. Brown has heard it before. "I've got some rude fans here too," he says.
15. It's Not The Years, It's The Mileage
Successful former coaches such as John Cooper, Dick Tomey, Bruce Snyder and Larry Smith -- all in their 60s -- can't seem to squeeze their way back onto the sidelines. Part of it is supply and demand. There were 13 coaching changes made during or after the 2001 season, compared to 25 a season earlier. But the other part of it is ageism, pure and simple. "Without them telling you that, age has to be a factor," says Cooper, who was canned by Ohio State after the 2000 season. "But they don't tell you age is going to be a factor." Cooper turned 65 two months ago, works out four times a week, does some consulting work for the Cincinnati Bengals, does some TV work for ESPN, spends quality time with his family. . . and would give it up in a nanosecond if the right coaching opportunity came along. "I would be a better coach now then when I coached," he says. Cooper wasn't exactly a slug before OSU waved goodbye (Memo to Buckeye administration: See, off-the-field messes can happen to any coach -- Cooper, as well as Jim Tressel). Only 21 other coaches in the history of D-IA have won more games than Cooper (192). Tomey, who made an unsuccessful run at a couple of job openings during the offseason, won 158. Smith won 143. Snyder, who is giving it one more year at coach job hunting, won 124. None of them have losing career records. And yet, says one conference commissioner, "You have to wonder how much fire they've got in their bellies?" Good question. Let's ask non-spring chickens Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden, Lou Holtz, Jackie Sherrill, R.C. Slocum for a pyro-stomach check. Look, age means zilch, especially if you assemble a good staff, have the support of your AD and can recruit. "The name of the game is recruiting, getting players," says Cooper, who still lives year-round in Columbus. "That's something all of us (Tomey, Smith, Snyder) can bring to the table."
14. Jill Arrington Attire Update
School marms, clerics and assorted fashion police can rest easy. The CBS sideline reporter, criticized for her semi-provocative clothing ensembles and her recent photo spread in For Him Magazine, was at her conservative best in her season debut at the Florida-Miami game. Arrington wore a pair of light blue slacks, tan loafers, a lightweight red sweater with ¾ sleeves and a tasteful red top that would have made the nuns at the convent happy. Meanwhile, Todd Blackledge wore a little low-cut number with sequins.
13. Player Of The Week Rushed for 204 yards in Miami victory. "I told myself I'd get 120. Two-hundred came a long with it."
Runners-up: Nix ran for 201 yards and two TDs, despite not playing the second quarter after he suddenly became ill from dehydration, and led the Golden Eagles over defending Big Ten champ Illinois 23-20.
Honorable Mention: Oklahoma WR Mark Clayton accounted for over half of the Sooners' offense with 129 yards receiving and 2 TDs in the win over Bama. . .North Carolina kicker Dan Orner made field goals from 51, 52 and a school-record 55 yards as North Carolina beat Syracuse 30-22. . .Michigan State WR Charles Rogers caught nine passes for 155 yards and two TDs in the Spartans win over Rice.
12. Coach Of The Week
Coker still hasn't lost a game as Miami's head coach. His game plan against Florida was near-flawless: run until the Gators dropped. . . sic UM's defensive line on Rex Grossman. . . pick your spots to pass. Miami has a gimme at Temple this week, then plays Boston College and UConn before the Oct. 12 meeting with Florida State. So far the 'Canes are 2-0 in the state (a 63-17 win against Florida A&M in the opener, the convincing victory against Florida) and get the Seminoles at the Orange Bowl. After that, UM's toughest remaining games are Nov. 9 at Tennessee and Dec. 7 against Virginia Tech. "To put it all into perspective, we are 2-0," said Coker. "We have a lot of football left to play and we have a big challenge ahead for the rest of the season." That's great for the Rotary Club luncheon, but you don't beat Florida like this by accident. Honorable mention: Kentucky's Guy Morriss. The Wildcats are 2-0 (with wins against Louisville and UTEP) and have scored 99 points doing it. . . . Notre Dame's Tyrone Willingham. The Irish are 2-0 without scoring an offensive touchdown. . . . Alabama's Dennis Franchione. Gutsy calls, gutsy coaching job.
11. Rumor Of The Week Some presidents at some major D-IA schools wanted to bag the final four years of the 12-game plan. They basically got politely ignored. Don't be surprised if the 12-game schedule is here to stay and athletic directors push hard for an extra conference game in the package. Money makes the world go 'round in this business.
10. The Kiss of Lee But when ESPN's Lee Corso announced his preseason picks for the national championship game were Texas vs. . . . LSU, we were more stunned than headphone-hurling Nick Saban. LSU, as in Louisiana State? LSU, as in a brand-new quarterback? LSU, as in road opener against Virginia Tech and remaining toughies against Miami of Ohio, Florida, Auburn, Alabama and Ole Miss? Corso has called them right in the past, but someone must have slipped him a Mickey on this one. LSU not only lost to Va. Tech, but it lost convincingly. There's still a divot in the turf from one of Saban's throws. There are other little-known Corso mis-picks: Put a strong buy Enron at 107½. . . Phil Donahue over Connie Chung. . . "Dude, Where's My Car," for the Academy Award. . . Insists on acquiring franchise rights to fast-food chain specializing in worm meat. But the choice of LSU is our favorite. That, and him picking Florida to beat Miami. On behalf of all of us who thought UCLA would play Georgia Tech in last season's BCS Championship (both teams spun in long before it mattered). . . Lee Corso, we salute you.
9. The Best Of The Best
There were almost 200 names on the ballot, and you could add more if you wanted. BMOC's head still hurts from trying to choose our 10. In order, from bottom to top: John Hannah, G, Alabama; Glenn Davis, HB, Army; Lee Roy Selmon, DT, Oklahoma; Johnny Lujack, QB, Notre Dame; Charles White, HB, USC; Ricky Williams, HB, Texas; Tony Dorsett, HB, Pittsburgh; Jim Brown, HB, Syracuse; Archie Griffin, HB, Ohio State; Red Grange, HB, Illinois. If I could have picked 15, Jim Thorpe, Jim McMahon, Herschel Walker, Barry Sanders and Ty Detmer would have been on the list.
8. Quote Of The Week
"They gave up in the third quarter." Florida had cut the lead to 27-16, before Maurice Sikes intercepted a Rex Grossman pass for a 97-yard touchdown. Miami scored against about five minutes later.
"It should have been a lot more."
"It should have been zero. We should have a goose egg." And how about this one out of Tallahassee. . .
"If he can't look at the film and see [his mistakes], we're nearly helpless.
I've always said this about quarterbacks and Rix is no different: A quarterback in his first year learns to find his first option, no problem. Now, in his second year a quarterback learns to find the first guy and the second option. By the time he's a junior he can find the first, second and third option. A senior has learned to go here, here, here, then here. Charlie Ward had to learn it. Danny Kanell, Chris Weinke. . . they all do. He (Rix) is just not multi-dimensional yet." Don't get Bowden wrong; he loves Rix's upside (how couldn't you?). But Seminole coaches spent the off-week trying to put a polish and buff on Rix's recognition skills. FSU is 2-0, but Rix already has three interceptions in 43 attempts, has thrown for just 210 and 117 yards, respectively, and has forced a few too many passes for Bowden's liking. Help might be on the way. The Seminoles face Maryland this week, the same team Rix lit up for 15-of-24 completions for 350 yards and five touchdowns last season.
7. Stat Of The Week "In this position, it's going to happen sooner or later," Zook said. "Mine just happened sooner. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise." No, that's not exactly how it works at Florida. Gator followers are used to success -- spoiled, actually, Spurrier used to say -- so a whupping at the hands of an instate rival on national television isn't going to go over real well in Gainesville. Plus, the Gators have to visit Tennessee on the 21st, followed by a stretch where they play suddenly resurgent Kentucky, at Ole Miss, LSU, Auburn and Georgia. But Gator fans should also remember one other stat: Zook has the same number of wins against Miami as Spurrier.
6. Read The Small Print
News: Washington's Rick Neuheisel agrees to a 6-year contract extension, which could to stretch another five years to 2013 if the option is picked up. And, according to the Seattle Times, Neuheisel could earn as much as $1.879 million per if he were to stay for the entire length of the package. Reaction: Bonuses kick in when Huskies learn to count to 12. OK, it's a cheap shot, but you're going to take some heat when your team turns a last-minute 29-28 lead against Michigan into a last-second 31-29 loss. For the memory impaired -- and Neuheisel wishes he could forget the whole thing -- that was the Aug. 31st game where Rick called a timeout with 12 seconds remaining and Wolverines at the U-Dub 42-yard line. As the Huskies' defense gathered on the sideline, Washington coaches decided to go with a four-man rush instead of three. Problem is, one of the defensive backs never got the word, and stayed on the field. Moments later, a mind-boggling 15-yard penalty on the Huskies for illegal participation (12 players). With 5 seconds left, and Michigan now at the UW 27, the Wolverines kick a 44-yarder -- all made possible by the series of knucklehead events put in motion by Neuheisel's timeout. Since then, news of Neuheisel's extension was made public ("A little embarrassing," said Neuheisel to The Times, what with the Michigan mess still fresh), as well as a vow by the UW coach that a situation like that "will never happen again." Instead, Neuheisel said Huskies coaches will use hand signals to communicate defensive changes to the players on the field, rather than risk confusion in a sideline huddle. By the way, Neuheisel might have made a knucklehead move that day against Michigan, but give him brownie points for charity. Neuheisel sent $7,500 to Alcorn State to help pay more than half the costs for the team's new uniforms. Alcorn State defensive coordinator Karl Morgan is is a close buddy and former teammate at UCLA.
5. Miami vs. Florida -- The Aftermath
4. Miami vs. Florida -- Part II Miami knocked Florida silly. How else do you explain this quote from Gators safety Todd Johnson: "[The Hurricanes] were nervous and they know we can play with them and beat them." Frank Gore likely would have been the starting running back had he not torn a knee ligament last spring. That gave McGahee an opportunity to assert himself, something he hasn't done in the past. "I'm glad to see he brought it tonight," said Romberg. "There were times when everyone was doubting him. "His attitude has kind of changed." Romberg said that when McGahee is at his best, he runs as well as former UM star, Edgerrin James.
3. Heisman Trophy Race
2.Whatever Happened To. . . Wherever it is, the fellas in the SEC can't seem to find it. Or read it. Seven -- count 'em, seven -- SEC schools are now on NCAA probation (Kentucky and Alabama) or the subject of assorted investigations (Arkansas, Mississippi State, LSU, Tennessee and the latest participant, South Carolina). Recruiting infractions, alleged academic fraud, players tooling around in $60,000-plus Cadillac Escalades. . . you name it, the SEC apparently has it. NCAA investigator Jeff Higgins has spent enough time at Mississippi State and South Carolina that he probably has a nice drawl by now. If the NCAA ends up proving all this stuff, the SEC is going to go to three divisions: Eastern, Western, Probation Free. Lucky Mike Slive. The new SEC commissioner a downtown Chicago pad and relative boredom of C-USA for this? Whatever they're paying him, he'll earn it trying to clean up this conference.
One Hack's Weekly Elite Gene Wojciechowski is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. He can be reached at gene.wojciechowski@espnmag.com. |
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