Re: The national notes lead -- I would have suggested the National Guard help secure college football fields but, they're all in Iraq. ...

West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez didn't exactly poo-poo talk this week of him going to North Carolina.

"If a coach on our staff gets mentioned, it's very flattering," he said on Monday's Big East conference call. "It's something I've never viewed as a distraction. You take each job as if it's the last job you'll ever have (but) you never say never, particularly to something right now."

Coach Rod knows how to play the game. That kind of talk ratchets up a) the offer from North Carolina or b) his raise from West Virginia. ...

This is hard to comprehend. Thursday marks the biggest game in Louisville history. The program that AD Tom Jurich built is one win away from possibly qualifying for a national championship berth.

I was there at arguably the second-biggest game in Louisville history. The Fiesta Bowl in 1991 took Louisville because few other teams would come. At that time, Arizona did not recognize Martin Luther King's birthday as a legal holiday.

The bowl was scrambling because several teams turned down a bid because of the state's civil stance. While Louisville's decision to come to Arizona was distasteful to some, it did allow the Cardinals to post arguably their biggest win to date, 34-7 over Alabama. ...

They always say if you're going to lose, lose early. Texas did just that -- on Sept. 9 to Ohio State -- but finds itself unloved in the BCS computers.

Texas (8-1) is seventh in the BCS for the second straight week. Florida (7-1) is the highest-ranked one-loss team. But the Gators lost their game to Auburn on Oct. 14, five weeks after the 'Horns lost.

What happened?

It seems that Texas has been penalized in the computers for playing a non-conference schedule that includes North Texas, Rice and I-AA Sam Houston State. Plus, it is assured that the 'Horns (if they even win the Big 12 South) will play a North Division team with at least two losses. ...

It's becoming clear that nothing is happening in these coaching searches until Butch Davis makes his decision.

Davis is on the lists of North Carolina, Miami and maybe Arkansas. Arkansas? Never count out Frank Broyles' role in this. The Hogs AD is known to knee-jerk with the best of them.

Even though Arkansas has the inside track in the SEC West, a slump down the stretch could cause Big Daddy Broyles to do something rash.

Davis lives in Arkansas. He might want that job first over Miami and North Carolina. Once Davis makes his decision, the dominoes can fall into place. ...

Steve Mariucci remains a favorite to replace John L. Smith at Michigan State. But what about Ohio's Frank Solich, who has a chance to win the MAC in his second year at the school? Big-time resume. Proven coach major-college coach. ...

If the BCS ended today, No. 14 Boise State would be in. Normally a mid-major has to finish in the top 12 to automatically qualify. But if a non-AQ finishes in the top 16 and finishes higher than a power conference champion, it is in. This week No. 15 Boston College is the highest-ranked ACC team. ...

Where does the power reside in the Big 12? Eight of the dozen quarterbacks currently starting in the league are from the state of Texas. ...

Hawaii's Colt Brennan is on pace to throw for 57 touchdowns. The NCAA single-season record is 54 by Houston's David Klingler. ...

BCSbusters.com wants to go to extravagant lengths to make its point about a college football playoff. The site urges a step-by-step primer on how to change minds.

• With 2:10 remaining in the first half, fans should yell loudly and count down from 10 to 1. Then they should turn their backs on the game for the remaining two minutes of playing time.

• This, the site says, will serve as a "catalyst to write editorials to the student newspaper."

• Petition the student senate for resolution warning the AD and president to support a playoff.

Not sure, but there probably isn't much support at Ohio State, Michigan, West Virginia or Louisville right now.

Leftovers from USC-Oregon State ...

Saturday's win was the biggest since 1967 when the Beavs beat O.J. and Trojans 3-0. On a muddy field, Simpson ran for 188 yards but USC couldn't cross the goal line.

Oregon State tackle Jess Lewis, an NCAA wrestling champ, made one of the biggest plays of the game, hauling down O.J. from behind to stop a touchdown.

"I've had people tell me the L.A. cops couldn't catch O.J. but you did," Lewis said. ...

Not enough attention was given to Oregon State after what ranks as the biggest upset of the season. In the aftermath, it was all about USC, the BCS and the end of some amazing winning streaks.

So here we go: This is not a great Oregon State team. Maybe not even a good team. Coach Mike Riley -- 26-19 in his second go-around with the program -- has not been exactly inspiring. The Beavs were booed out of their own stadium during a 41-13 loss to Cal on Sept. 30.

Maybe that's why he turned to players for inspirational speeches on Friday.

Receiver Sammie Stroughter said something about David and Goliath. Then he pulled out a bag of stones and handed one to each player. Linebacker Alan Darlin even stuck one into his pants, the rub reminding him of the task at hand on every snap.

What, no slingshots?

Still, the Beavers were without Pac-10 No. 2 rusher Yvenson Bernard. His replacement, juco transfer, Clinton Polk didn't seem great even after the result (22 carries, 100 yards).

So how did it happen? USC's offensive line needs work even with stars Sam Baker and Ryan Kalil. Because of that, no go-to running back has emerged. Senior Chauncey Washington was thought to be the guy but fumbled twice.

USC turned it over four times (now 11 for the season, compared to 17 in all of '05). Stroughter had a career day, returning a punt for a touchdown and had 202 all-purpose yards.

Quarterback Matt Moore, who actually remembers when USC was vulnerable, threw for 262 yards. Moore was at UCLA in 2002 before transferring. His biggest contribution was heart. Moore got through the game despite a passing hand that had turned black and blue. It was smashed on a USC helmet on the fifth play.

The weekend began and ended quietly for the Beavers. Moore was asked to offer words of encouragement to the team on Friday. He didn't have the stones.

"Don't turn the ball over," Moore said.

The Beavers didn't. ...

At this point, the at-large BCS teams are clear(er): Notre Dame, Auburn and the Michigan-Ohio State loser.

Of course, Notre Dame and Auburn need to keep winning. The Irish probably won't be challenged until the USC game. Auburn finishes with Arkansas State, Georgia and Alabama.

If there isn't a BCS title game rematch between the Wolverines and Buckeyes, the loser will go to the Rose Bowl as an at-large. Look for Auburn in the Orange Bowl and Notre Dame in the Sugar. ...

Stop the voting, we have our national defensive player of the week. Middle Tennessee's Damon Nickson intercepted four passes against Louisiana-Lafayette, returning one for a touchdown. Other than that all Nickson did was lead the Blue Raiders in tackles (six), force a fumble, average 30 yards on two kickoff returns and return a punt 14 yards. ...

Temple coach Al Golden quickly left his team after its first win to be with his wife, Kelly, in the hospital. She's pregnant and was having what was being termed "mild" complications. ...

Seriously, it was nice to see Temple win but highly embarrassing for the victim. How far has Bowling Green fallen since Urban Meyer talking about a BCS berth in 2002?

Still trying to figure out how Temple won. It was outgained by 130 yards and had 15 fewer first downs. Bowling Green had an overwhelming time of possession advantage (35:08-24:52). ...

This is the fatal flaw of Mike Leach's Texas Tech passing offense: Graham Harrell threw for 500-plus yards against Texas but couldn't pick up a few inches on a key fourth-down quarterback sneak with five minutes left. ...

Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe is really done with only 136 yards in his past three games. Iowa held him to 66 on 22 carries. ...

You might have missed this: Cal Poly beat San Diego State 16-14. That's the seventh time this season a I-AA has beaten a I-A school. Chuck Long is having a disastrous first season with the Aztecs (1-6). ...

BYU (4-0) is one of only 12 teams left undefeated in conference play. I'd love to see a BCS playoff between BYU and Boise State. ...

Eight teams I want to rank but can't.

Missouri: Need to beat a good team.

Penn State: Pitched a shutout against Purdue but almost a Big Ten afterthought stuck behind Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Maryland: Boy, did the Fridge need to beat Florida State. Meanwhile, Bobby B. just needs to beat somebody.

Western Michigan: Best overall record in the MAC at 6-2.

Pittsburgh: Out of sight, out of mind during bye week.

Hawaii: Blew out Idaho but the game ended after 3 a.m. ET.

Washington State: Great bounce-back season by Bill Doba. Cougs are 6-3 after beating UCLA.

Ohio: Beat Kent State in MAC East showdown

11 a.m. PT here in Corvallis, Ore. This could get very interesting. There is thick fog. It looks like it is going to lift but it's going to have to hurry.

Already, people are comparing this to the USC-Oregon State game two years ago. That was a night game played in thick fog. USC trailed early 13-0 but won 28-20. Reggie Bush ignited the comeback with a long punt return.

If USC is a national championship contender it will have to win impressively this week and next (against Stanford), because then come Oregon, Cal, Notre Dame and UCLA. ...

Last night was heaven. For the first time in 24 years the Cardinals won the World Series. It hardly seems possible. It's like the World Series that wasn't. Neither team hit. The Tigers couldn't field. St. Louis had the worst record of any World Series winner.

It's clear to me that baseball is becoming more and more like hockey, in that the postseason is a complete crapshoot. Whoever is hottest, wins it. Remember No. 8 seed Edmonton getting to the Stanley Cup Finals.

I had the feeling throughout the season that if the Cardinals just got to the postseason they could do something. Not necessarily win the World Series, but make a run. But this was ridiculous. Four weeks ago the Cardinals backed into the NL Central title by LOSING on the last day of the season. Chris Carpenter was held back on the last day of the season against the Brewers to save him for a possible playoff.

Who knew the pitching staff would come together like it did? Jeff Weaver started channeling Sandy Koufax. Adam Wainwright looked like Dennis Eckersley. The Cardinals hit just enough.

It's embarrassing (for them) that the Yankees and Mets were wiped out. Those teams' combined salaries of $350 million didn't mean a thing.

Royals in '07?

What a fun ride it was. A 5-foot-7 shortstop who was basically cut by the Angels became the MVP. Weaver came off the scrap heap. Scott Rolen had his feud with La Russa, and now has his ring.

The best thing: The new Busch Stadium got christened with a world championship in its first year.

Yes, there is a way Michigan and Ohio State could meet again for the national championship. It's far-fetched but listen up:

-- Ohio State beats Michigan 20-19 (or a similar close loss). It's harder if Ohio State loses.

-- Michigan stays in the top five.

-- USC, West Virginia and Auburn lose.

In that scenario, there are still two weekends of football after The Big Game. That could be an advantage for the Buckeyes-Wolverines loser, having those other teams lose after its regular-season is completed. ...

Charlie Weis was bitching about dropping from eighth to ninth in the BCS this week. Who is he kidding? The Irish only have to finish in the top 14 to be "considered" for a BCS bowl. That means the Irish are in, even with another loss. Now if he's still thinking about getting into the top two, dropping is something to complain about ...

Former Kansas State coach Bill Snyder wrote a cryptic open letter Thursday to "all K-State fans" calling for "caring and loyal support" for Ron Prince and his staff. The weird thing is K-State is 4-4 and in line for its best season in three years. This is Prince's rookie season as a head coach. ...

Yes, we said tap-in for Alabama. Florida International will be missing nine starters among those suspended from the Outrage at the Orange Bowl. Mike Shula, by the way, was a ball boy for the Dolphins with Don Strock, currently Florida International's coach, who was playing quarterback. ...

Colorado (1-7) is still alive for the Big 12 title. It is 1-3 in the league and could get to the championship game by winning out against Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Nebraska. The Buffs would still need help from other teams but could advance to Kansas City on Dec. 2 with a 5-7 record. If it somehow won (a dicey proposition considering last year's filleting by Texas), it would advance to the Fiesta Bowl at 6-7. The Big 12 has no language keeping a sub-.500 team from winning the conference title. ...

The all-ACC quarterback? It might be BC's Matt Ryan who has played the entire season on a sore ankle. Ryan leads the league in total offense (237.3 yards per game) and has thrown for a conference-best 1,661 yards. Thos stats will be padded this week against Buffalo. ...

Vince Young symbolically anointed Colt McCoy last week. Young was on the Texas sideline during its 22-20 victory at Nebraska. McCoy completed 25 of 39, led the game-winning drive late in the game and didn't turn the ball over.

"He (Young) congratulated Colt in front of the team," coach Mack Brown said. "I thought he was kind of passing the torch there a little bit, saying, 'We did this last year. You're doing it now, and I'm proud of you.'" ...

West Virginia's nation-leading 14-game winning streak is the program's longest in its 118-year history.

Pop Culture Recommendation of the Week: Can't get The The's haunting Kingdom of Rain video out of my head. The best video I've stumbled upon since Interpol's Evil.

Breaking from the ACC conference call: Bobby Bowden just responded to a question about pressure from boosters upset at the recent downturn.

"I've been through this before. I've been coaching 54 years and I haven't had 54 winning seasons.

"It's like this: ... A writer told me, 'All your fans are upset.' I said, 'Who's upset? Name one.' He named a guy. I said, 'All right name two.' He couldn't think of another one. There are 300 million Americans, how many of them are mad at me? I'm kidding.

"I have to not worry about it, I have to coach my football team. To be honest, most of it is overrated." ...

David Garrison has a problem. The problem is me. The Atlanta promoter says he owns the trademark for the name "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party."

He is planning a bash bearing that name Friday in Waynesville, Ind., about 50 minutes north of Jacksonville, Fla., where Florida and Georgia will renew pleasantries.

Hank Williams Jr. is the headliner for party that Garrison says will attract 10,000 folks.

"The red flag for me went up because of Dr. Adams (Georgia president Michael Adams) and his remarks," Garrison told the Atlanta Constitution-Journal.

Me too. If Garrison says he trademarked the name, he might want to read this first.

(Note to readers: Garrison actually trademarked the phrase. I didn't, and I'm p.o.ed.) ...

Charting 2005's conference winners vs. this year's races. Champions in seven of the 11 conferences have a legit chance to repeat.

ACC: Florida State (4-3, 2-3) is in last place in the Atlantic Division. Big East: West Virginia is in a three-way tie for first with Louisville and Rutgers.

Big Ten: There were co-champs in '05. Penn State got the BCS bid. Ohio State shared the league crown.

This year Ohio State is ranked No. 1 and is undefeated. Penn State (5-3, 3-2) is fourth in the league having lost to Ohio State and Michigan.

Big 12: Texas leads the South Division and is the favorite to defend its conference title.

Conference USA: Tulsa (6-1, 3-0) is the only undefeated team in conference play and should be favored to defend its '05 title.

MAC: Akron (3-4, 1-2) is in fourth place in the East Division.

Mountain West: TCU (4-2, 0-2) has tumbled from being a preseason BCS bowl darling.

Pac-10: USC will have to survive a tough November to win a league record fifth consecutive conference title.

SEC: Georgia (6-2, 3-2) dropped back this season, losing at home to Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

Sun Belt: Arkansas State tied with Louisiana-Lafayette but won the New Orleans Bowl berth based on head-to-head. This year the Indians (5-2, 3-0) are tied for the Sun Belt lead with Middle Tennessee State.

WAC: Boise State and Nevada tied for the '05 title. This year Boise (8-0) is one of seven undefeated teams left and ranked No. 15 in the BCS. Nevada (4-3, 1-2) is tied for fifth. ...

We've turned cartwheels over the seven undefeated schools still left. Consider the winless:

Temple: The nation's second-worst rush defense took Garrett Wolfe out of Heisman consideration (for now) by limiting him to 45 yards. Wolfe was removed in the third quarter of a 43-21 Huskies' victory.

Stanford: Walt Harris can't win with Buddy Teevens' players. No surprise there. Buddy Teevens couldn't win with Buddy Teevens' players.

Duke: Trying to confirm if a loss to the Blue Devils would have caused Miami to shut down its program.

Florida International: Don Strock's job security was iffy even before the brawl vs. Miami. Missing nine starters this week against Alabama. ...

In three weeks, Wolfe has seen his per-game average shrink from 236 yards to 176. ...

Defensive tackle Derek Lokey is the sixth defensive starter Texas has lost to injury this season. Lokey, also the short-yardage fullback, is out indefinitely after breaking his leg against Nebraska.

Five other starters have had to sit out at least one game. ...

How strange is Ameer Ismail's situation? The Western Michigan linebacker tied the NCAA record with six sacks against Ball State last week.

The junior was the scout team offensive player of the year when he was red-shirted in 2002. Two years ago he was switched from running back to linebacker. Last year he was All-MAC.

Oh, yeah, one more thing. Ismail was born in Lansing, Mich., and came to Western Michigan from Holland, Mich., which is roughly halfway between Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor. How did this guy end up in the MAC? ...

Speaking of the MAC, Ohio has its first three-game winning streak since 2000. Those Bobcats finished 7-4, their last winning season. This year Ohio is 5-3 and a game behind East Division leader Kent State. The teams play Saturday. ...

Add to the list of Paul Hornung's indiscretions (gambling, racially insensitive remarks), dropping his pants.

Hornung was the featured speaker Friday at Notre Dame's pep rally before the UCLA game. During his speech his pants fell down around his ankles revealing blue boxers. Hornung blamed the "accident" on recent weight loss that left him with clothes that didn't fit.

Huh?

So how good is the North Carolina job? Potentially very good for the same reason Clemson, Boston College and Wake Forest have the ACC's best record at this point.

Miami and Florida State are fizzling out.

North Carolina announced Sunday night that John Bunting would not be retained. The potential is there, though, at Chapel Hill. This is a program that Mack Brown left in fine shape, going 22-3 in his final two years (1996-97). Since then, Carl Torbush and Bunting are 40-60 with only one season of more than seven wins.

Though the Heels are 1-6 this season, Bunting beat then-No. 4 Miami as recently as 2004.

Unless AD Dick Baddour fumbles the process -- which is entirely possible -- Carolina will end up with an impressive list of candidates. More about that later in the week. ...

Six teams in the Power Poll had to go down to the final minute or overtime to keep BCS bowl hopes alive. Texas, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Boston College, Texas A&M and Cal. The six won by an average margin of 3.5 points. ...

Those teams have nothing on Kansas, though, for playing it close. The Jayhawks are arguably the most tortured program in the country after losing Saturday at Baylor, 36-35.

Blown leads, close losses and anguishing finishes are nothing new for KU (3-5). It might lead the country in all three categories.

Consider that in its five losses it has blown leads this season of 1, 7, 10, 17 and 18 points. It has lost games by 1 (twice), 3, 7 and 10 points.

In its five losses it has turned the ball over 13 times and has a minus-5 ratio.

Now for the litany of tears:

-- It started last month, when KU rallied at Toledo to tie late in the fourth quarter, only to lose 37-31 in overtime. The last of freshman Kerry Meier's four interceptions sealed it. It should be noted that this is the worst Toledo team in years. Until this season, the Rockets have basically been the best team in the MAC this decade.

-- The Jayhawks were down at Nebraska 17-0 and 24-10 before rallying to take a one-point lead in the fourth quarter. The game was eventually lost 39-32 in overtime. That left Kansas 1-16 in Big 12 road games under coach Mark Mangino.

-- A week later, Kansas allowed Texas A&M to drive the field to score the winning touchdown in the final minute to lose 21-18 in Lawrence. Kansas had led 10-0 at home and the Aggies had basically done nothing offensively until the fourth quarter.

-- On Oct. 14, KU led 17-0 in third quarter at home against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys rallied to score 42 second-half points in a 42-32 victory. Bobby Reid threw five touchdown passes. Adarius Brown caught four of those scoring passes and piled up 300 receiving yards.

-- On Saturday, KU blew a 35-17 fourth-quarter lead at Baylor. Shawn Bell threw for a school record five touchdown passes for the Bears. Three of the five came in the final 9:22.

KU has won only eight road games in the last 10 years. But at least its coach is getting paid well. Mangino got a pay raise from $610,000 to $1.5 million per year at approximately the same time the NCAA notified Kansas it was being charged with lack of institutional control and academic fraud in the football program.

When the sanctions came down last week, Mangino dismissed the loss of three scholarships and a three-year probation. "I don't need to cheat to win," he said. Either, he might consider trying or he did a horrible job of it in the past. ...

Nebraska's not quite there yet. Not when the running game is as disjointed as Nebraska's was against Texas (24 carries, 38 yards). Not when all Terrence Nunn has to do after catching a late pass is fall to the ground, and the Huskers run out the clock.

Instead, Aaron Ross jarred the ball out of Nunn's hands on Saturday with five minutes to play. Texas recovered and reasserted itself as the dominant team in the Big 12.

Coach Bill Callahan is 6-2 and probably has the best team in the Big 12 North. But he is still looking for that corner-turning win in Husker Town. Dec. 2 can't come soon enough. ...

Minnesota needed a blocked field goal as time ran out to beat North Dakota State 10-9.

This was no ordinary I-AA pushover, though. Fargo, N.D. is less than four hours away from Minneapolis by car. There are approximately 12,000 alumni in the Twin Cities area. Fired up Bison fans clogged the Metrodome.

Plus, you had North Dakota State players with a chip on their shoulder because they weren't recruited by Minnesota.

Gophers fans were so apathetic for the game that Minnesota required fans to buy North Dakota State tickets in order to purchase tickets to the rivalry game against Iowa on Nov. 18.

By the way, the mighty Bison went from Division II to I-AA only four years ago. ...

Here's one reason why Michigan's defense is so tough. It might be taking a cue from its former coach. Bo Schembechler was taping a Big Ten preview show last week when he became ill. Someone called 911, Bo was treated and eventually taken to a local hospital for treatment, but not before he finished taping the show. ...

If only Drew Stanton could have played like this against Notre Dame: While leading the largest comeback in I-A history (35 points against Northwestern), the Michigan State quarterback was hit late out of bounds and fell on concrete.

Stanton hurt his shoulder, wrist and cut the palm of one hand late in the third quarter. He was out one series. Stanton eventually led four touchdown drives and the game-winning field goal drive in the final 22 minutes.

"I just told his parents, 'That kid is one of the toughest kids I've ever met,'" backup quarterback Brian Hoyer told the Lansing State Journal. "He'll do whatever it takes to win a game." ...

Hawaii won that showdown against New Mexico State 49-30. Colt Brennan took the battle of the top two passers in I-A (over New Mexico State's Chase Holbrook). The Warriors quarterback threw for 330 yards and five touchdowns. Aggies coach Hal Mumme is now 2-16 at New Mexico State which has lost 18 straight against I-A competition. ...

Teams I want to rank but just can't right now:

BYU (5-2): The TCU win was great, but the Cougars still need to take the next step.

Georgia (6-2): No team that losses to Vandy at home deserves consideration.

Hawaii (5-2): Games end so late that even the Internet is slow posting the results.

LSU (6-2): Disappointing in big games.

Oklahoma (5-2): A diminished team without Adrian Peterson. Other teams are more deserving.

Pittsburgh (6-2): Panthers were in the Power Poll until losing to Rutgers.

Virginia Tech (5-2): Tied for third in the ACC Coastal. C'mon.

Washington State (5-3): In the BCS standings for the first time in three years.

How many of you remember the first time you really fell in love?

For me, it was on Oct. 3, 1968. The day was clear, cool -- and naughty, because we skipped school. OK, with our parents' permission. It was the greatest time to be alive. Ever. When you're 11 and you've just fallen in love with baseball, well, that's just the best.

The past two summers I had been a shut-in. While my friends were playing outside, I sat in front of the radio, watching it like it something was going to spring. I'd spread out my scorebook and listen to Harry Caray and Jack Buck.

I went back a few years later and counted up the games. Something like 80 each season. That's right, I spent half the season in my living room staring that big, old console stereo radio. It was long, heavy and wooden.

While cities burned and wars were fought, those were my summers of love in '67 and '68.

Back then the World Series was like Oz. A faraway thing that could not be touched. Never mind actually getting to see one. The hometown Cardinals had won it all in 1967. My biggest piece of swag was a button that read, "Bravo, Bravo, El Birdos." Orlando "The Baby Bull" Cepeda had started calling his Cardinals the El Birdos and would dance after every big win.

That summer of '67, Bob Gibson took a grounder off his ankle from Roberto Clemente and continued to pitch with a broken leg. Roger Maris played out his career with his typical class. (It was actually a prelude to three decades later, when Roger's family would sit in the first row at Busch and watch Mark McGwire break the single-season home run record. Under dubious circumstances, it would turn out.)

All the while it seemed like the Cardinals beat the snot out of the Cubs. Almost as good as the World Series.

Nineteen sixty-eight was a lot like '67. The Cardinals rolled the National League. Gibson was even better, posting the most unbreakable record in sports -- a 1.12 ERA.

School started and another scorebook was being filled up on Sept. 30, 1968. That day my grandfather died of a heart attack. That's never good but for an 11-year-old who idolized his grandpa. Well, it was beyond bad.

It was the first time I had to deal with the grieving process, funeral, burial etc. Through the tears word began to filter among the family that Grandpa had died with two World Series tickets in his pocket. Try mixing that grief with the guilt over hoping that maybe. ...

It was decided, by whom I don't know to this day, that my cousin Al and I would use the tickets. Al was (and is) five years or so older than me. My elation was stifled by grief. Then there was elation again. I wanted to scream for joy but shame wouldn't let me.

The day I fell in love we bagged school, sat in the bleachers and froze our behinds off. Willie Horton hit what seemed like an ICBM near us. It was a home run so magical and disgusting that it was hard comprehend. Magical, it was hard to believe a human could hit the ball that hard. Disgusting because the Cardinals were losing.

In the end there was an empty feeling, not just because of the 8-1 loss. It was because I started to realize that Grandpa continued to give us his love after he was gone. Who knows where those tickets would have gone had he not died. But the family decided what his wishes would have been.

That's the day I really fell in love with baseball. Not because of the smell of the grass or crack of the grass or, later, the beer. I never spent another summer as a shut-in. High school was looming. Work. College. Marriage. Kids. Cynicism. Steroids. Bonds. Labor strife. One year there was no World Series. That, to me, was heresy. Bud, you will never be forgiven.

It would have been easy to fall out of love. In fact, I've gravitated toward minor league ball because of its purity. That, and the beer's cheaper.

But nothing matched that day. In one emotional week, I suffered tremendous loss and was thrilled to the tips of my toes. Grandpa was gone in body, but he left a spirit that burns inside.

That's why the World Series matters. Thirty-eight years and 19 days later, it's the Cardinals and Tigers again in Game 2 of the World Series.

I've still got the ticket stub from '68.

I'll be holding it, thinking of you on Sunday night.

Thanks Grandpa.

Now, if you could just have a talk with the Big Fella about getting Albert going too, that would be great.

Community service? Hands up, all of you who want Miami players performing community service in your area. ...

Media watch: An irascible Minneapolis columnist wrote that the Big Ten "apologized" for a pass interference call against the Gophers on Oct. 7 vs. Penn State.

Turns out that never happened, or at least that's what the Big Ten said in a blunt statement a couple of days later. No league anywhere has ever apologized for a pass interference call. It's strictly judgment. It can't be reviewed. Besides, it was a bang-bang play. The officials didn't "blow it." ...

Nebraska has produced 378 yards and 35 points in its seven game-opening drives. What does that mean for Texas? Baylor hit a 67-yard scoring pass on its first snap and led 10-0 after the first quarter. Texas won 63-31. ...

A sign that there is a finite number of "experts" for talk radio. After upsetting Iowa last week, Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner had a cell phone shoved in his ear for a radio interview. At the other end of the line was former Indiana coach Gerry DiNardo, the coach Hoeppner replaced. ...

Just to remind you: Colorado is going to win at Oklahoma with Sooner heads still spinning over the loss of Adrian Peterson. ...

Has an Iowa-Michigan game been less relevant since, oh, the early 1980s? ...

Lamar Thomas gets fired for condoning what Miami is doing on the field. But the players who are actually doing it get suspended. Weird.

Yadier Freaking Molina. A .216 hitting slow-footed catcher just put the Cardinals into their 17th World Series.

The Cardinals catcher turned around a season, a series and a town with the two-run home run that launched St. Louis into the Series. Thankfully, that ends those endless Fox shots of Mets fans praying.

My grandfather died in 1968 with two World Series tickets (Tigers-Cardinals) in his pocket. I proposed to my wife at Game 5 of the 1987 Series (Cardinals-Twins). I took my son to Game 4 of the 2004 Series (Red Sox-Cardinals) to share my love of the game. Do you need a hint to know where I'm coming from?

Jack is asleep now but he'll know in the morning. Baseball is more than just hot dogs and beer. It's about your relatives who cared. It's about Aunt Agnes who gave you her scorecard from the 1944 All-Star Game. It's about saving that ticket stub from Game 2 of the '68 Series. It's about huddling around a radio listening to Harry Caray before there was wall-to-wall cable.

After all that, you remember the game never disappoints. One of the Flying Molina Brothers decides it. At the end of the season they were calling this the Gas Pipe Gang because the Cardinals almost choked away all of a big lead.

Now Yaddy's name will be lasered into memory banks. Along with:

--Babe Ruth who made the last out of the Cardinals first World Series in 1926 after being caught stealing in Game 7.
--Pepper Martin who batted .500 in the 1931 Series.
--The Dean brothers (Dizzy and Paul) who combined to win all four games in 1934.
--Enos Slaughter scoring all the way from first in 1946.
--The epic seven-game series with the Yankees in '64.
--Brock and Gibson in '67 and '68.
--Bruce Sutter and Whitey's Cards stoning the Brewers in '82.
--Jack Clark's homer for the ages against the Dodgers in the 1985 NLCS.
--Seven unbelievable games against the Astros in the '04 NLCS.
--Seven unbelievable games against the Mets in the '06 NLCS.

Jeff Suppan won both of those Game 7s. On Thursday, he became the NLCS MVP.

Nothing about this season makes sense. (Didn't Scott Miller just write that?) The Cards had the worst record of all the postseason teams (83-78).

"Rule of thumb, you're not a good team until you win your 90th game," St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa said. "Tonight we won our 90th game."

OK, so now we have a "zero tolerance" policy from Miami president Donna Shalala. What exactly is that? A helmet can be raised only 45 degrees before it comes crashing down on the opponent's skull?

Almost nine decades of football at Miami, 23 years into a modern dynasty, including three embarrassing episodes in the past 10 months and now we have zero tolerance? Slow down, Donna.

Pardon me if I'm skeptical. I'm also assuming that you, the public, can sense that Miami hasn't exactly been proactive in this post-brawl environment.

Saturday night: After the brawl was over, Miami players "celebrated" on the sideline by jumping in a tight circle on the sidelines.

Sunday morning: Coach Larry Coker says, "We have a strong grip on this program," and "We have great kids in this program."

Sunday night: The schools suspend a combined 31 players.

Monday: Florida International kicks two players off the team. Included is mandatory anger management classes for some offenders as well as community service.

Tuesday: Shalala shakes her fist saying, " ... we will not throw any student under the bus for instant restoration of our image or our reputation."

First, Donna, you've got to have a positive image to restore. Shalala can shake her first all she wants, I don't think she or certain other South Floridians understand what happened on Saturday.

"I think we were right sticking up for each other."

That sentence was uttered Tuesday by center Anthony Wolfschlager ...

There's still a vibe I feel from South Florida that what happened Saturday either 1) wasn't that big a deal or 2) was a sign that the old Miami spirit was returning.

Bullpoop.

Check these comments from former Hurricanes coach Fran Curci:

"As a Hurricane ex-coach and ex-player I'm embarrassed about it," he told the Los Angeles Times. "It was obnoxious. It was a black eye for college football.

"The Miami program back then, it was almost silly in some ways, kind of funny. It was done in a high-spirited way -- Jimmy Johnson and all that baloney. It wasn't malicious, just silly nonsense. It wasn't harmful. It was not guys hitting guys with helmets or crutches. That's a different game." ...

Poor Darrell Dickey. In the last year, the North Texas coach has had his gall bladder removed, discovered he has diabetes and suffered a heart attack last week. Dickey was taken to the hospital Friday and had a stint but in an artery that was 95 percent blocked. Assistant head coach Kenny Evans will fill in this week against Arkansas State. ...

Numbers game. What is the significance of 19 and 23 in a giddy Big East this week? Nineteen is the rank of Rutgers in the AP poll. Twenty-three is the total number of votes for former Big East members Miami and Virginia Tech in the same poll. ...

Ohio State is the first Big 10 team to debut No. 1 in the season's first BCS standings. Among major conferences, only the Big East has not been represented in the first set of standings. ...

This is also the first time in 61 all-time standings that that neither Miami nor Florida State have appeared. ...

Penn State is the first team this season to play three top five teams (Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan). ...

Pittsburgh (6-1) is off to its best start since 1982. Name the Panthers quarterback that year? (Answer below)

Saturday at Duke should be all about cornerback John Talley. He is second among active players with 15 career interceptions and holds the ACC return yardage record with 358 yards. Sadly, it won't be all about Talley. Miami is in town. ...

If you guessed Dan Marino for the above question, give yourself a pair of Isotoner gloves. ...

Glen Mason is against booing. Not against booing him, necessarily, but booing the Gophers. "Fine, if you don't like me, whatever, but do you love the Gophers?" the Minnesota coach said this week. "Are you really a Gophers fan? Now ask yourself that question, because you can't be if you're doing some of those things." Minnesota is 2-5 and has seemingly gone backwards since Mason received a new five-year contract worth $1.65 million per year. Gee, Glen, do you think that might have something to do with it? Or maybe it's that 36-point loss to Wisconsin last week that dropped Minny to 0-4 in the Big Ten for the first time since 1997, Mason's first year. "For the Wisconsin game, they can say whatever they want and I'll agree with them," said quarterback Bryan Cupito. ... Sorry in advance to you edge-of-the-seat fans but Ascension lost to St. Patrick's 18-0 Tuesday night to finish 2-3. The fourth-grade crew made great strides. What they don't know is mandatory offseason conditioning begins in January with 6 a.m. wake-up calls before school. ...

Temple donated $1,500 to the Fahmarr McElrathbey Trust Fund last week before its game against Clemson. You'll remember Fahmarr is the 11-year old brother of Clemson's Ray Ray McElrathbey. Ray Ray had to take in his brother due to their mother's drug addiction. The NCAA eventually relaxed its rules and allowed a trust fund to be established. Temple players donated $1,200 of the amount, sacrificing their per diem for a home game. That decision was made so more players could donate. The size of the travel team is significantly smaller.

Transcription from Monday morning's Sun Belt Conference call regarding the Miami-Florida International brawl.

First, Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger:

Q: As the person who is given credit for starting the Miami dynasty, what is your reaction to the brawl?

A: I was watching the game. It was just really disheartening seeing two Miami teams, two South Florida teams fall into that trap of trying to beat somebody with talk rather than with play.

It was really disheartening for everybody that loves college football ... to have something like that happen is really disgraceful. Those things are going to happen occasionally it doesn't last so long and it doesn't get so vicious.

Q: FIU is not blameless, but is there a way to explain to an outsider Miami's swagger and confidence it has played with all these years that sometimes does go over the top?

A: I don't buy that at all. There's a whole lot of difference between being confident and playing with confidence and getting into a brawl like this. I don't think one leads to the other.

Somebody lost their composure and starting something. There was a retaliation factor. There weren't enough of those inclined to get into that to stop it before it got started.

Q: Can you explain the rivalry between the two city schools and how something like this could happen?

A: I don't think it's Miami or South Florida or anything like that. Everybody is about the same. There have been a whole lot of fights at a whole lot of different places other than South Florida.

Florida International coach Don Strock:

Q: How does this affect your team and your response to criticism that these players were only suspended for one game?

A: We're making that decision today. We're having a press conference at 5:30 (ET). They are suspended for one game. Some may be much harsher penalties. Probably will be much harsher penalties.

Q: What's your reaction to this?

A: It's embarrassing. It's disgraceful. It's amazing, I've run out of words. There's no place for it in college football, football period.

College football is a great game and that's the way it's supposed to be. This is way overboard. I apologize to all the fans of college football this taking place.

Q: You cannot stagger these (18 suspensions)?

A: From what I understand right now, they are all for the very next game (Oct. 28 at Alabama).

Q: How many guys do you have on scholarship, and how many guys are part of that? In other words, are there any walk-ons in this group?

A: I think just one is a walk-on.

(Note: While Strock didn't say how many scholarship players he has, FIU is believed to have approximately 80).

Q: Did you lobby for having these suspensions staggered?

A: No. Whatever the penalty that is handed down, we'll live with. It's something that never should have taken place. The penalties are justifiable.

Q: How do you tell kids to compete and to have each other's back, but then what something like this sparks to back away?

A: That's part of it, but it's also about sportsmanship and knowing how to play the game. It should never happen.

Notre Dame is in a BCS bowl -- by .0237 of a point.

Some qualifiers:

--It's a day after the first BCS standings, so nothing is certain. In fact, the Irish (5-1) are only halfway through their season.

--ND's No. 8 position in the standings represents its new situation in the BCS. The rules were changed a couple of years ago when the double-hosting model was adopted. Previously, ND grabbed an automatic BCS berth if it finished in the top six of the final BCS standings. Now it's top eight. That's kind of transparent. The Irish can still be considered an at-large team if it finishes in the top 14, meaning that no bowl alive would pass up Notre Dame in that position.

--The more liberal access was a concession granted by the BCS commissioners after they revamped Notre Dame's BCS payout. The program is guaranteed $1 million per year from the BCS, even if goes winless. However, if it qualifies for a BCS bowl the most it can earn is $4.5 million, basically at-large money. Previously, it earned a full share ($13 million-$17 million) for playing in a BCS bowl.

--It seems that Notre Dame can't afford to lose again and hold that automatic spot. Directly behind the Irish are No. 9 Texas (.0237 behind), No. 10 California and No. 11 Tennessee.

--That being said, does it matter? As many as four teams ahead of the Irish in the BCS could lose, solidifying Notre Dame's spot. No. 1 Ohio State plays No. 3 Michigan, No. 5 West Virginia plays No. 7 Louisville and there is a possible SEC rematch between No. 4 Auburn and No. 6 Florida. Notre Dame plays No. 2 USC on Nov. 25.

--ND doesn't necessarily have to win out. It could probably absorb a season-ending loss at USC and at least stay in the top 14.

--Most likely landing spot for Notre Dame? All indications point to the Sugar Bowl against the SEC champion if that school isn't in the BCS title game. ...

Random BCS thoughts. ...

The computers love:

--No. 25 Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane are the only team in the top 25 that isn't ranked in at least one of the human polls. Still, Tulsa is No. 25 in the BCS. Go figure. The non-conference schedule includes Stephen F. Austin, BYU, North Texas and Navy.

--No. 4 Auburn. No. 7 in the human polls, the Tigers' average computer rank is No. 5. We'll see how those computers react to a remaining schedule that includes Tulane, Ole Miss, Arkansas State, Georgia and Alabama.

--No. 15 Boise State. The Broncos are still having trouble getting love in the human polls (18th in Harris, 17th in coaches) but they average out to No. 11 in the computers. Chris Petersen's only hope seems to be to blow out Idaho, Fresno State, San Jose State, Utah State and Nevada and hope for the best.

--No. 2 USC. While the Trojans are No. 3 in the Harris and No. 2 according to the coaches, they are No. 1 in all but one of the six computers.

The computers hate:

--No. 5 Texas. Despite playing Ohio State in non-conference, the Longhorns are as low as No. 18 in Peter Wolfe's computer index.

--No. 19 Georgia Tech. No. 13 in both human polls, the Techsters are actually unranked in one of the computer indexes. ...

For now, Boise is rooting against the ACC. Any non-AQ (automatic qualifier) champion gets in if it finishes in the top 12. However, if it finishes in the top 16 and ahead of a power conference champion, it gets a BCS bowl.

Clemson is the highest ranked ACC team at No. 12. Boise is sitting there at No. 15. ...

Tennessee might be in the best position of any SEC team. The Vols could finish 11-1, not have to play in the SEC title game and have an outside shot at playing in the BCS championship game. ...

Vanderbilt's upset win at Georgia put it within two victories of Georgia Tech in all-time SEC victories (115-113).

That's misleading because Georgia Tech was last in the SEC in 1963 and spent only 31 years in the league. Vandy has won its 113 in 74 years of SEC membership. ...

Western Michigan quarterback Ryan Cubit has a sixth year of eligibility because of a series of injuries throughout his career.

The latest was a lacerated index finger on his throwing hand suffered in the opener against Indiana. Cubit's finger was cut on an Indiana player's chin strap as he was throwing.

"It looked like a piece of sausage," said one assistant coach.

After beating Northern Illinois on Saturday, Cubit is completing 65 percent of his passes and averaging 200 yards per game. ...

Miami (Ohio) won 38-31 at Buffalo on Sunday in a game that was delayed a day by that monster snowstorm in the region. ...

Ohio's three-point win over Illinois was the MAC's first over a Big Ten team in almost three years. ...

Florida receiver Percy Harvin rushed for a career-high 72 yards in the first half Saturday at Auburn. He touched the ball once (6-yard loss on a reverse) in the second half. ... Stanford is beyond bad. It is coming off the program's worst offensive output in history (52 yards) in a 20-7 loss to Arizona. The bedraggled Cardinal are 0-7. Quarterback Trent Edwards could be out for the season with a foot injury. Backup quarterback T.C. Ostrander was sacked six times. Third-string quarterback Tavita Pritchard spent the past three weeks practicing at receiver.

On its way to what will no doubt be a winless season, the Cardinal still must face two top 11 teams (No. 11 Cal and No. 3 USC).

Oklahoma's career rushing record is safe for now, for the most tragic of reasons.

Adrian Peterson's college career is possibly over after OU's magnificent tailback broke his collarbone Saturday in a 34-9 win over Iowa State.

It was widely assumed this would be the junior's final season. His family already had been in discussions with agents regarding professional representation. One of the best players in Oklahoma history and in college football this decade had little else to prove on the college level.

Now, the argument might be moot. With Oklahoma a diminished national power and Peterson having suffered a major injury, there would be little reason to return for his senior season in 2007.

The injury impacted Peterson and the Sooners on several levels:

--Ended are the junior's Heisman hopes. As a freshman two years ago, Peterson finished second in Heisman voting, rushing for 1,925 yards.

--Since Aug. 2, Oklahoma has now lost its starting quarterback, a starting offensive lineman and starting tailback. Quarterback Rhett Bomar and lineman J.D. Quinn were kicked off the team in August for accepting money from a booster for work they did not perform. While a bowl is not out of the question, Oklahoma's return to national prominence next year definitely is.

--An emotional day was ruined. Peterson was playing in front of his father Nelson for the first time since elementary school. Nelson Peterson had just been released from a halfway house after spending eight years in federal prison.

--The injury has to affect Peterson's draft position. Before the game he was thought to be one of the top running backs available in 2007. Now, his situation might resemble that of Miami's Willis McGahee. After the Miami tailback blew out his knee in the 2002 BCS title game, he slid down to the 23rd pick in 2003 draft. The Buffalo Bills took McGahee while he was rehabbing the knee.

--If this is it for Peterson, he ends his college career with 3,968 rushing yards in 2½ seasons. Coach Bob Stoops said Peterson could possibly return for a bowl game. Peterson entered the season needing 1,068 yards to break Billy Sims' OU career rushing record. He currently has 935 yards this season.

During a three-game winning streak, Pittsburgh's Tyler Palko has completed an amazing 83.9 percent of his passes (47 of 56). The Panthers are 5-1 (at Central Florida on Friday) and control their own destiny in the Big East.

Greg Schiano was my halfway coach of the year, but Dave Wannstedt is right there.

"The best thing that could have happened to me was to have an office next door to Bill Cowher," said Wanny whose team shares some facilities with the Steelers, "and see up close how they won a Super Bowl.

"Really, look at it -- playing good defense, running the ball and when you throw it, be efficient. I think if you look at Tyler Palko's numbers and compare them to Ben Roethlisberger's last year, they are very similar. Not taking sacks, not having negative plays, not turning it over ... gives your team a chance to win." ...

Wisconsin's band apparently went Stanford band during a Sept. 23 visit to Michigan. The school's chancellor sent a letter to the band director asking the band members to pull up their socks, wipe their noses and mix in some Clearasil.

Kidding, sort of. Band geeks will always be band geeks in this space. Even when they try to act like Sturgis bikers, they screw up. The band is on proby for "severe misconduct." What, the trombone player passed Mountain Dew through his nose? Cool.

Kidding, sort of. Seems that probation is of the double-secret variety. The chancellor warned that any more reports of "gratuitous vulgarity, sexualized banter or joking, hazing, or other forms of demeaning conduct," and Bluto is out. This time for good. ...

Not to compare punishments, but there seems to be a slightly different standard at Connecticut.

Huskies coach Randy Edsall threw five players off the team for buying beer last Friday during a roadie to South Florida.

"No one drank. No one did anything with it. Nothing happened with the alcohol and I am 21. There was no crime committed at all," said receiver Nollis Dewar, one of those kicked off.

Meanwhile, Huskies basketballer Marcus Williams was suspended (and eventually allowed to return) after trying to sell some stolen laptops.

The football Huskies need some Calhoun love. ...

Fourth-grade corner: Anticipation is building for Ascension's season finale Sunday against St. Patrick's. Did St. Pat's really scout us?

Kansas got off relatively lightly Thursday after the department was slapped with NCAA penalties in football and basketball.

Lack of institutional control, academic fraud. That sounds bad but only three scholarships were taken away in football and one in basketball for two years each.

The infractions occurred mostly during the administrations of ADs Bob Frederick and the incompetent Al Bohl. At one point, the compliance department -- of a Big 12 institution, mind you -- was staffed by one person.

When told she needed help, Bohl is quoted (although not directly in the NCAA report) as saying, "Compliance doesn't sell tickets." Upon his eventual firing, the unpredictable Bohl held a going away press conference on his driveway ala T.O.

There is a larger issue here. This might be the first time a school was guilty of lack of institutional control at the same time it was led by the sitting NCAA board chairman.

From 2002-2004 Kansas chancellor Bob Hemenway held that position, one of the most powerful in the NCAA. Before that, Hemenway was a member of the NCAA executive committee.

Neither infractions committee chair Gene Marsh or influential committee member Tom Yeager (also the Colonial Athletic Association commissioner) could remember such a situation ever occurring.

Hemenway is also the only common denominator in the NCAA investigation. Sure, the ADs messed up. Compliance was a mess.

But the chancellor oversees athletics, hires the ADs who put the compliance people in place. The athletic department is the front porch to the world. Hemenway let it get awfully cluttered, if not rotted to the core.

His overseeing the NCAA's most powerful body while his athletic department failed was ironic at best. Shameful at worst.

Good to see the Georgia governor has his business in order. Sonny Perdue fired off a letter to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week protesting its headline above the Tennessee-Georgia game story:

"Dogs get put in their place"

Seems rather accurate considering the Dawgs got punked by 18 at home and Tennessee became the second team ever to hit 50-plus points in Sanford Stadium.

What did ol' Sonny expect the AJC to say?

"Dawgs hang on to lose by less than three touchdowns" or

"Defense keeps it under 60"

Hey, Guv, pick your spots. If the AJC "gleefully awaits lousy news" about Georgia, then this is not the time to protest. This was one of the biggest Georgia meltdowns in years. Your former team was terrible (Perdue was a walk-on quarterback in a previous life).

That, and keep your nose out of the journalism business. We've got the pen, the First Amendment and the facts. You've got the bias.

Oh, by the way. Perdue is running for re-election. Let's just say it might benefited his campaign if his letter showed up in the state's largest paper supporting the state university. ...

Unfortunately, concussions are one of the themes of the week. Arizona is trying to decide when -- and whether -- to play quarterback Willie Tuitama, who suffered two concussions within 28 days.

Rhode Island is weighing whether receiver Arman Shields is healthy enough to play against Rhode Island -- two weeks after suffering a concussion against Northeastern.

As players get bigger, stronger, faster it seems that concussions have become more prevalent. It's widely known that the affects of multiple concussions are cumulative. Players can literally become "punch drunk" and suffer neurological damage.

Tuitama is definitely out this week against Stanford. A Tucson columnist already has called for the school to shut down the quarterback for the remainder of the season.

The potential for permanent injury has to be weighed against winning games -- always a touchy decision that should be taken out of the coach's hands.

Kansas City quarterback Trent Green's return is open ended as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered on Sept. 3.

Cardinals centerfielder Jim Edmonds was out for most of the final six weeks of the regular season with post-concussion syndrome. Edmonds crashed into the center field wall playing against the Chicago White Sox in late June.

Obviously the potential for re-injury is higher in football. Multiple concussions at least entered into the retirement plans of Steve Young and Troy Aikman. ...

By now you've figured out I'm not doctor, but I do play one on the Internet.

Why rush Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm back into action against Cincinnati this week? Brohm has pronounced himself ready after recovering from a sprained thumb, but why risk it against Cincinnati (3-3)? There are much bigger things ahead for Louisville. Hunter Cantwell has proved he is more than capable.

Let Brohm rest at least one more week. Bobby Petrino is going to be kicking himself if Brohm is re-injured against the Bearcats. Then the season might be shot. ...

Speaking of seasons at risk: UCLA is a surprising 4-1 and has lost quarterback Ben Olson for an extended period because of a torn MCL. Redshirt sophomore Patrick Cowan threw his first pass last week and now has to start consecutive games (at least) at Oregon and at Notre Dame. No pressure, kid. ...

Among top 25 schools, Ohio State (6-0), Michigan (6-0), Tennessee (5-1), Arkansas (4-1), Missouri (6-0), Clemson (5-1), Boise State (6-0) and Rutgers (5-0) are all two games better than they were a year ago. ...

Steve Logan is my new favorite talk show host, which, to some, might be akin to selecting your most desirable form of pneumonia. But Logan, the former East Carolina coach, is so easy on the ears he may have missed his calling until joining a Raleigh, N.C., radio station in late August for his two hours of daily wisdom.

As a coach, Logan has been described as an "SID nightmare" because he's liable to say anything. Which, of course, makes him a favorite with writers -- and now listeners.

On a recent show, Logan come out of each break with some fine blues music by the likes of Tommy Castro, Buddy Guy and the great Coco Montoya.

A sampling of some of Logan's sports takes:

"I wanted to play everybody after they won, never after they loss. ... If you've got any competitiveness to you that's when you are going to perform your best, coming from behind, digging up out of a hole."

On Thursday night football ...

"There has been a lot of torture in the Iraq war. ... If I wanted to torture a terrorist, I'd put him in charge of a football team, put him in a hotel and tell him we're not going to kick it off until 8 o'clock that night, watch I Love Lucy reruns for about eight hours. I could get him to confess to anything. I've been there."

Logan believed so much in routine that he refused to change even for those Thursday games. His teams would practice Monday through Wednesday, then go out Thursday morning in helmets and shorts sort of like a game-day shoot around in basketball.

"I've seen kids play that computer football stuff and never blink and never swallow for two or three hours at a time. To shake the lethargy out of these knuckleheads we would go to the field."

After some of those mid-week games, Logan admitted to telling his players not to go to class the next day.

"I remember going to TCU on a Tuesday night. We finished there about 11:30 at night. Now we get on a plane fly back and get back, I guess it's 4 a.m. I told my kids, 'Don't go to class. Don't even attend,' not that very many of those knuckleheads would. But even the smart ones I didn't want them to go. It cost us about three days of academia.

On the effect of the BCS on mid-major leagues like Conference USA:

"The talent level has dropped significantly in Conference USA because the BCS -- I don't care if you're Baylor or Duke -- if you've got a BCS sweater on, I don't I have a snow ball's chance in hell of winning that battle. If you're not a BCS, you hope and pray some day to get there."

It gets better. Logan said he once kicked a player off the team for questioning play calling. He has been known to recommend wine (the 2003 Ravenswood Red Zinfandel is his current favorite) and quote Mark Twain on parenting before going into a soliloquy on recruiting:

"I'd walk into a half-million-dollar home with two parents, a prospect who had done relatively well in high school and have him come to college. ... He had all the advantages in the world and great parenting and completely implode, get involved in some really rough stuff.

"On the other hand, I've had many, many young men -- no dad, no mom in sight -- come and become great players, college graduates."

Steve, call me, I want to be on the show. Right now you're the smartest college football man alive. ...

Pop Culture Recommendation of the Week: Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia by The Dandy Warhols featuring the smash-hit Horse Pills. Released in 2000, it is still relevant in a too-frivolous world.

We're halfway through the season and these things I know:

USC is vulnerable. The Trojans barely survived Washington (because of questionable Pac-10 officiating? Hey, just asking). Cal has gotten better every week since losing to Tennessee and smashed Oregon on Saturday.

Don't confuse "vulnerable" with meaning "bad." There was bound to be some drop off after Leinart and Bush left. The Trojans have to be more precise, rely more on the defense. Don't forget that injuries have hit the receiving corps too.

The teams meet in the Coliseum in November. Right now you'd have to pick Cal. ...

Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams, LSU tackle Glenn Dorsey and Florida defensive back Reggie Nelson have a place on my All-American team halfway through.

The receivers are Mario Manningham of Michigan and Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech.

Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe might have a spot reserved for him too.

Watch for the halfway A-A on Wednesday. ...

No. 1 Ohio State has never gone wire-to-wire to win a national championship.

Aside from the Buckeyes, the preseason top 10 has been remade quite a bit. Here's a look at the AP top 10 on Sept. 1 with current rankings in parentheses:

1. Ohio State (1)

2. Notre Dame (9) 3. Texas (6)

4. Auburn (11)

5. West Virginia (5)

6. USC (3)

7. Florida (2)

8. LSU (14)

9. Cal (10)

10. Oklahoma (23)

....

It's impossible to sort out the SEC but it sure is fun trying: Tennessee (5-1, 1-1 in the East Division) is back in it but doesn't control its destiny. Florida (6-0, 4-0) is the league's best hope for a national championship. The Gators are on top of the East but for how long? Regardless, Florida-Georgia on Oct. 28 is going to be more than a Cocktail Party.

(To be totally politically incorrect)

Georgia (5-1, 2-1) trails both of its rivals if you count Tennessee owning the head-to-head advantage.

Arkansas (4-1, 3-0) suddenly rules the West and has a "favorable" SEC schedule the rest of the way. (Ole Miss, at South Carolina, Tennessee, at Mississippi State, LSU). Auburn (5-1, 3-1) has to keep winning and hope the Hogs lose twice. Which, of course, could happen. ...

Meaningless stat of the week: Arkansas entered Saturday last nationally in time of possession. It then held the ball for 31 minutes, 50 seconds, 3:40 longer than Auburn. ...

Freshman quarterbacks can be fearless.

Arkansas' Mitch Mustain has a chance to win the SEC less than a year out of high school.

Florida wouldn't be undefeated without Tim "The Finisher" Tebow and his productive cameos.

Texas' Colt McCoy is No. 8 in pass efficiency. That's down, only slightly, from where Vince Young finished last year. No. 3.

In his first career start, Kansas State's Josh Freeman ran 21 yards with 71 seconds left for the touchdown that beat Oklahoma State. Kansas State (4-2) is looking at a bowl after finishing the past two years down in the Big 12 North standings. ...

Temple went a year without holding to the lead (Oct. 8, 2005 to Saturday) before scoring on its first possession against Kent State. The Golden Flashes still won 28-17. ...

Meanwhile, Missouri has not trailed this season through six games. ...

Colorado (0-6) is more assured of a winless season after losing to Baylor in three overtimes. The 10th consecutive loss matches the longest in CU's history, which is only 117 years long. ...

Look who controls its destiny in the Big East. Pittsburgh is 5-1 after beating Syracuse. It ends the regular-season with back-to-back home games against West Virginia and Louisville. ...

North Texas was the only I-A team not to play an overtime game. Until Saturday. Then it went seven overtimes (tying an NCAA record) in beating Florida International.

Cal was drugged by the same Nike marketing rep who brainwashed Oregon. Did you see those butt-ugly Bears' uniforms? Someone please tell these athletic departments this is not roller derby. ...

Besides watching the game, the coolest thing in Gainesville over the weekend was seeing Tom Petty.

Well, seeing Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on the public access channel in a taped press conference from last month. TP returned to his hometown for a concert for the first time in years.

The man is in his 50s and still defines American rock n roll. ...

For those of you waiting on the Ascension-Christ the King final, it's finally here. A tough defense made a first-half touchdown standup and the Eagles defeated Christ the King 6-0. Ascension is now 2-2 and finishes the season Sunday against St. Patrick's. ...

Mets in four, because if the Cardinals even make the NLCS competitive the New York media will go A-Rod on the Mets. Heaven forbid, the Mets actually lose to a team that finished 83-78 in the regular season.

I had forgotten how much I like Gainesville. It's what a state university should be about -- great football, great fans and great, uh, scenery.

Put it this way: Check out this sign on top of a trash can on University Ave. "Game Blouses". ...

Just so you know, the tailgate drink of the day is the Bourbon Meyer. ...

Bad taste is in effect too, judging by this giant sign -- "Hey LSU, not even FEMA can slow down this Leak."

Ouch. ...

Went to a great pizza joint last night called Satchel's. Kind of a hippie place where the dish is deep, the beer is cold and the talk is Gator. ...

Available at the hotel's happy hour buffet on Friday: fried gator tail.

I don't want to know. ...

A couple of notes before we kick off. A lot of talk around here about Florida defensive lineman Marcus Thomas. He was suddenlty reinstated on Thursday after an appeal of a positive drug test. Thomas, the Gators' best lineman, argued successfully that a second test came from the same night of marijuana use.

The cynics are out in force. It's amazing how Thomas became eligible two days before the biggest game of the year. Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel had the line of the day playing off Florida's Mr. Two Bits:

Two grams, four grams, six grams, an ounce!

Big Marcus is back and ready to pounce! ...

Guess we don't have to worry about Auburn and the BCS for a while, if at all, after the loss to Arkansas.

Just to spare War Eagles the misery: Going into Saturday's play, Auburn had an average rank of No. 7 in the two human polls (Harris and coaches) and four computer indexes (there are six) that are available.

The first BCS rankings come out Oct. 15.

What critics?

Give Chuck Amato credit for confidence. Those are the two words he blurted into the camera his job-saving victory over Florida State on Thursday night.

The same coach who lost to Akron and Southern Miss is suddenly is in first place in the ACC's Atlantic Division (3-2 overall, 2-0 in the league).

Meanwhile, FSU continues its descent into mediocrity. Anyone who can't see it now, needs corrective lenses. It's everything, really. The defense that was so good early on allowed NC State to come back from a 20-10 deficit. Drew Weatherford looked like he had no touch at all, at times, missing on 13 of 29 throws.

Check out that last interception. Weatherford threw into coverage and threw it too hard. The running game continues to be a problem (98 yards on 30 carries).

The Noles aren't out of the Atlantic race, in fact it's easy to see them winning out in the ACC. But they are currently in last place in the division (1-2).

This is really getting painful to watch. The Noles are deconstructing in tiny steps. Five losses last year. Flat-out ugly football this year.

Here's what's the worst: FSU doesn't do anything particularly well. ....

Get used to it on Sunday if the voters have any sense: No Miami or Florida State in the polls. ...

The other thing I took away from Thursday night was that Air Force is in good shape. The same Air Force that was picked in the bottom half of the Mountain West.

Check out the Mountain West standings after Utah beat TCU. The first-place Falcons (2-1, 2-0) have both teams tied for second place -- BYU and Utah -- at home later in the season.

We'll know more about the service academies when Air Force plays host to Navy this week. The Commander-in-Chief's race should be great. ...

The injury situation is significant this weekend.

See whose absence will have the biggest impact:

Oregon: Defensive tackle Cole Linehan is out with a broken foot.

Concern: High. As we mentioned in the Weekend Watch List, Linehan is the third defensive starter lost in the last three games. Oregon will need all the muscle it can get going to Berkeley.

"Oregon is so much about trickery and misdirection," Arizona State defensive lineman Davis Smith said. "Cal is just plain physical. It's not even close."

Clemson: Leading receiver Chansi Stuckey is out three to five weeks with a broken foot suffered on Tuesday.

Concern: It should be high with games coming up Saturday against Wake Forest and in two weeks against Georgia Tech. Stuckey was tied with Calvin Johnson in the ACC for receptions per game (five).

Freshman Jacoby Ford could see more action. He has one catch this season.

USC: No. 3 receiver Chris McFoy is out for a month with chipped bones in his shoulder. All-American Dwayne Jarrett is questionable with his own shoulder problem.

Concern: Medium. Steve Smith stepped up and had a monster game against Washington State last week. Expect freshmen Vidal Hazelton and Travon Patterson to get shots this week against Washington. ...

We threw roses at John L. Smith. We should throw him a life preserver. After Michigan, he gets Ohio State in East Lansing. Oy. ...

Tickets are still available for the monster Ascension vs. Christ the King fourth grade clash Sunday at Bishop Ward High School out here in the Great Flyover. Who needs the NFL? ...

So why is Todd Dodge such an authority on college football?

People tend to listen when you're the coach of the defending two-time Texas 5A Division II state champions (including a couple of mythical "national" championships).

Us older guys remember Dodge as the Chris Simms/Major Applewhite/Vince Young of his day at Texas. Coming out of Port Arthur Jefferson High School, he was a passing quarterback in a state where that was rare.

Coach Ronnie Thompson ran the old run-and-shoot in an era when Dodge once said, "You were less of a man if you threw the football." His 2,791 career passing yards still rank ninth all-time at Texas.

Now in his seventh season at powerful Southlake Carroll, Dodge is in the lead of a revolution. Texas high school football is producing some of the best quarterbacks in the country.

Why? Offseason seven-on-seven leagues that allow quarterbacks to sharpen their skills. Most high-profile programs using some form of the zone-read option offense. That means they come ready for the I-A experience.

Dodge's quarterback products include Ricky Lay (now a running back at Army), Chase Wasson (Texas State), Chase Daniel (Missouri) and Greg McElroy (Alabama). Son Riley, currently a junior, might be the next great one.

Dodge's teams have produced approximately 19 I-A players, 10 off last year's squad. Saturday he will have players on the rosters of both teams in the Oklahoma-Texas Red River Shootout. Daniel will start his second Big 12 conference game having lost once in 53 games as a high school and college athlete.

After Daniel's junior year, Dodge went to the national coaches convention in Orlando, Fla., promising his quarterback he was going to get recruited.

Asked his preference, Daniel said: "Missouri kind of excited me. They kind of ask their quarterback to do dual threat things."

Dodge tracked down Tigers coach Gary Pinkel, handed him a highlight tape and a relationship began. Daniel's arrival in Columbia was somewhat of an upset considering he was the nation's No. 3 dual threat prospect and Missouri was, well, Missouri.

And the Tigers already had Brad Smith. But Daniel was so impressive as a true freshman that he earned playing time. Through five games this season, Daniel has thrown 13 touchdown passes, including a school-record five against Murray State.

Dodge is an expert on quarterbacks because he was a successful one who translated that talent to coaching. Warts and all.

"I had it happen to me," he said. "Playing quarterback at the Division I level is a very informal, unwritten fraternity."

Dodge was recruited as the No. 1 player in state. He redshirted as a freshman, backed up as a redshirt freshman, won the job as a sophomore but was injured and missed the first three games.

That year, 1983, the Longhorns finished 11-1 and nearly won a national championship. In 1984, Dodge was part of a team that beat Auburn and Penn State to open the season.

As a senior he was booed in the home opener, Dodge said, as he began to share time with Bret Stafford. There seemingly have been quarterback controversies as Texas ever since.

Life is good and going to get better. At 43, Dodge is seeing his career take off. Several high school programs have come after him. Some colleges have offered a move up.

Not yet. There's at least one more quarterback to develop. Riley will be a senior in 2007. ...

Where did MTV go after Dodge turned them down? Hoover (Ala.) High, currently the No. 1 ranked high school program in the country.

The docu-reality show Two-A-Days premiered on the network in August. ...

New Mexico State's Chase Holbrook and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell played high school football less than an hour apart in Texas.

That's where the similarities ended until this season when they became the top two passers in I-A. Holbrook has 1,711 yards, followed by Harrell with 1,559.

Harrell you can understand, playing under Mike Leach. He remains Texas' all-time prep passer with 12,532 yards. Holbrook was an option quarterback at L.D. Bell High School with 1,215 career passing yards.

The kid was inspired to play college quarterback watching Harrell in a state playoff game. Few schools, though, recruited Holbrook at the position. Missouri's Gary Pinkel reportedly pleaded with him to come to Columbia, where Holbrook would be drafted in the first two rounds.

As a tight end.

However, Hal Mumme saw one play on the kid's high school film that intrigued him.

"It was veer left, veer right," Mumme told the Las Cruces (N.M.) Sun-News. Then it was option, option, option. But then there was this one pass. Chase threw the ball 65 yards and hit his receiver perfect."

Mumme was coaching at I-AA Southeastern Louisiana at the time but eventually moved to New Mexico State. Holbrook followed after sitting out in the Aggies' 2005 winless season.

On Saturday, he set the WAC record for completions (48) and attempts (77) in New Mexico State's loss to Texas-El Paso. Holbrook surpassed the records of Super Bowl winner Jim McMahon (BYU, completions) and all-time NCAA passing leader Timmy Chang (Hawaii, attempts). ...

Of the 12 undefeated teams remaining, Georgia might be the shakiest. Mark Richt's team has been able to remain unblemished while starting three quarterbacks, none of whom have distinguished themselves.

The Dawgs are eighth in SEC rushing, 10th in total offense and 89th nationally in total offense. Sooner or later this deficiency is going to be exploited. Why not Tennessee this week? ...

So much for firing Joe Lee Dunn in the middle of the season. Memphis' former defensive coordinator had to be chuckling Saturday when his former defense allowed 566 yards in a 34-point loss to Tennessee. ...

Kent State, 1-10 last year, is 3-0 so far in the MAC. More surprising: Its starting backfield (quarterback Julian Edelman and tailbacks Eugene Jarvis and Tony Howard) averages 5-feet-8½. ...

Hungry like Garrett Wolfe: Northern Illinois is tied with Minnesota with the second-most consecutive seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher (eight). Texas leads with 10 in row.

The Longhorns' streak is somewhat in jeopardy. Leading rusher Jamaal Charles is averaging 83.5 yards per game. Projected out to a full season (12 regular-season games, plus a bowl), Charles would rush for only 1,086 yards. ...

Was that painful or what, watching Brett Favre Monday night? If it wasn't for the $10 million, I don't know why he should still be playing. Of course, $10 mil is pretty good incentive to risk debilitating injury. Isn't it? ...

Florida State's band won't travel to North Carolina State on Thursday night, in order to concentrate on academics. When did this new school policy requiring actual class attendance start at FSU? ...

High school fantasy football? I need a shower.

It's too easy. Like throwing a firecracker into a tub of high octane. You put the names "Tyrone Willingham" and "Charlie Weis" in a story and it's like poking a caged tiger with a stick. Stop me before I sub-reference again.

Anyway, SportsLine.com owes me for bringing so many readers to the site today. I need to be reminded I'm an idiot sometimes.

It's amazing how ND Nation considers Tyrone Willingham some kind of homeless person with a whistle. The point has been for two years, let's see how things play out. Ty was a hero after his first year. So was Weis. Now they have the same record this season.

Both guys can coach. Both are accomplished. They don't need any of your spare change. ...

More on Garrett Wolfe (No. 2 in my Heisman Watch). If the Northern Illinois super back does play in the MAC title game and a bowl, Northern Illinois' star is on pace to rush for a staggering 3,308 yards. On his own, he has out-rushed all but four I-A teams through five weeks. ...

For the 14th time since SEC expansion in 1992, four teams are ranked in the AP top 10 -- Auburn, Florida, Georgia and LSU. Those same four teams have the top four scoring defenses in the country. ...

If you're a playoff supporter, this is why we don't need one. Playoff? It's happening now. There are a combined 14 one-loss teams in the coaches and Harris polls (both are part of the BCS ratings). All 14 have an undefeated or one-loss ranked team remaining on their schedule.

The point being, in theory, no one is out of it yet. ...

Teams reflect the personality of their coach, Part 3,216: Michigan State's Drew Stanton on his perceived hate of Michigan.

"More times than not you don't have a dislike for the people who went to Michigan. It's the thousands and thousands of bandwagon people that jump on there (who) went all over, went to community college, and all of a sudden they're Michigan fans because Michigan's No. 1."

Actually, Michigan is No. 6, but you get the point. The sinking ship that is the U.S.S. Smith is listing badly. ...

Texas is second nationally in rush defense. Adrian Peterson is No. 3 in rushing. Stay tuned for Saturday. ...

You know you have a sickness when you click on an e-mail that reads, "Top 10 Unchanged in Division III Coaches Poll". ...

Speaking of sickness, I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell.