Notebook: Tout your own 'Horn, Mack, and lobby for Colt

The program that gave Bevo its own air-conditioned trailer apparently won't be pushing its record-breaking quarterback for the Heisman.

You wonder what Texas' motivation -- or lack thereof -- is in not promoting Colt McCoy for the sport's most prestigious award. Forget McCoy's actual chances of winning, coach Mack Brown basically pooh-poohed his redshirt freshman's eligibility for the award over the weekend.

Colt McCoy is already the big man on campus. (Getty Images)

"I just don't think personally that freshmen should be up for the Heisman," Brown said.

What!?

That's so wrong on so many levels that it boggles the mind. First, McCoy is a second-year player, a redshirt freshman, who has already broken the school record for touchdown passes in a season (27, along with only four interceptions). His, and Texas', only loss is to No. 1 Ohio State.

Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma was second in the voting as a true freshman two years ago. A rival recruiter from, say, Norman might have fun with that one. Why, he might argue, go to Texas where they don't promote their young star players? Come to OU where you can win the Heisman as a freshman.

To say nothing of the problems Texas is creating for itself in the future recruiting of quarterbacks. Using Brown's logic, McCoy shouldn't even be eligible for the Maxwell (most outstanding player) and Davey O'Brien (best quarterback) awards either.

Too young.

"Colt should be looked at for some first-year awards," Brown said. "You look at Troy Smith and Brady Quinn; they have been around four years. To me, that is what the Heisman Trophy is about."

How can Brown deny his quarterback the thrill of a trip to New York? Great pub for the program, great reward for the kid. And the family. Colt's dad Brad, a Texas high school coach, said "You can bet I'll be there," if his son made it to New York.

"I'm sure in his mind when he is in bed at night, he says, 'What a thrill it would be to go to New York,'" Brad McCoy said, "'and watch Troy Smith win the Heisman.'"

That's the assumption that Smith will win it, but not the point here. Why can't a second-year player win the award?

Age shouldn't matter in Heisman voting. Ever. If it's a lifetime achievement award, as Mack suggests, then we proudly present Carson Palmer. USC's previously underachieving quarterback basically won the award in late November 2002 in a victory over Notre Dame on national television.

That year Palmer threw 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. McCoy is on pace for 38 touchdowns and six interceptions, which would shatter the NCAA freshman record.

"I think Mack is probably surprised too," Brad McCoy said. "What Colt has done has taken them aback too. I trust Mack Brown with my kid. I don't have any qualms with what Mack is saying."

There seems to be a vibe emanating out of Austin that McCoy doesn't need the "distraction." This is a kid who lives in a dorm three times the size of his hometown. This is a kid who came out sleeveless in 36-degree temperatures at Lincoln and beat the Huskers.

"More than anything else, he's handled the attention so well," Brown said.

Which further boggles the mind.

Let the kid go to New York, Mack. He's gaining national buzz. Voters are starting to consider him for their ballot. You don't even have to air condition his trailer.

Headlines we thought we'd never read

Arkansas wins SEC with third starting quarterback: Houston Nutt hasn't nailed down the SEC yet, but his team is in control in the SEC West. That despite the Arkansas coach doing more juggling than Bozo to get the Hogs into this position.

Sophomore Casey Dick will be the season's third starter this week against Tennessee. Robert Johnson started the season against USC, lost by 36 and was shifted to receiver the next week. In came freshman Mitch Mustain, who went 8-0 as a starter. Mustain was yanked last week against South Carolina. Now it's Dick's turn.

Dick had his redshirt pulled as a freshman in '05, then injured his back in spring practice. Dick only recently became healthy.

Among the questions we have for Nutt are: How do you bench a quarterback who is undefeated? How do you keep Dick from looking over his shoulder? Is Robert Johnson even still on the team?

Nutt spent much of a Monday conference call throwing around bromides about teamwork, but there has been a certain amount of luck to get the program this far without it blowing up.

Joe Paterno surgery successful: OK, you thought maybe Penn State's indestructible coach might have to face the knife someday. But not now, not like this.

I have no problem with JoePa putting on the macho brave face after breaking his leg at Wisconsin. But please, Joe, you're playing Temple this week. Sit out. It almost mocks the Owls that you're going to be out there, perhaps in a wheel chair. Let Tom Bradley coach. Somehow, I think he'll be able to pull the Nittany Lions through.

Allen Patrick leads Sooners to Orange Bowl: Five weeks ago you would have said "Who? What?" Oklahoma had just lost running back Adrian Peterson to a clavicle injury. The Sooners were 4-2, hoping for a bowl game. It looked like the season was shot.

Since the spring, coach Bob Stoops already had lost six starters to the NFL Draft, his starting quarterback and a starting offensive lineman.

Then, the week after Peterson was injured, right tackle Branndon Braxton broke his leg and was replaced by a true freshman.

Patrick, an unknown junior from Conway, S.C., replaced Peterson as the starter on that day (Oct. 21) against Colorado. In 2005 the juco transfer converted from defensive back and rushed for 136 yards in 11 games. Somehow, behind a banged-up offensive line, Patrick has helped save Oklahoma's season. Patrick has averaged 147 yards per game in three games since Peterson went down.

Meanwhile the Sooners (7-2) have kept winning and have an outside shot at a BCS bowl. If Peterson returns to get the 65 yards he needs for 1,000, it's possible the Sooners could finish with two 1,000-yard rushers for the first time since 1973.

If Patrick (518 yards) stays at his current 147-yard pace, he would cross the 1,000-yard mark sometime in the bowl game.

That banged-up offensive line is the only one in I-A to produce a 100-yard back every game this season. The line consists of one senior, three sophomores and one freshman.

The end of the new clock rules

If you saw it live or visited youtube.com, you saw the tipping point for these crazy game-shortening clock rules.

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema intentionally ran down the clock in the first half against Penn State by instructing his players on the kickoff team to go offside. Twice.

The first kickoff came with 23 seconds left in the half. After two flags, there were only four seconds left. Wisconsin then kicked off conventionally and recovered a Penn State fumble, but time had run out.

Paterno was livid, but Bielema had done nothing more than exploit a loophole in the rules. Beginning this year, the clock starts when toe meets ball on kickoffs. Never mind that no actual football was being played.

Bielema's gamesmanship received national attention. Rightly so, because the rules have made a mockery of the game. Teams have had to call a timeout late in the game after a change of possession just to get their offenses on the field.

The prediction here is that this will be the episode that will lead the NCAA rules committee to begin to change these insane roles when they meet early next year.

For the rest of the national notes read Dennis Dodd's Tuesday blog.