Dennis Dodd

Far from the national championship chase, SMU celebrated on Saturday.

A drought older than any of its players came to an end. By beating Tulane, the Mustangs are going bowling for the first time since 1984. As bowless streaks go it was only the fourth longest in the country. In terms of historical significance, it was No. 1.

SMU was the first, and to this point only, school to be given the NCAA death penalty. The program was shut down by the NCAA in 1987 due to widespread cheating. The school took itself out of competition in 1988 as well, perhaps out of shame.

No school has been given The Big Haircut since. Maybe schools have gotten the message, maybe they’re just getting better at cheating. Maybe the NCAA has been a bit reluctant too.

Some came close – Oklahoma State in 1988, Alabama this decade – but the wrongdoers always seemed to have an innate sense of putting a toe on the line, but not going over it. That’s because SMU’s case gave rise to “fixer” attorneys and former NCAA investigators who, for a price, could lead a school through the maze that is an NCAA investigation.

While other schools test the NCAA enforcement process, SMU has stayed clean. That’s a plus. On the field, SMU has found it impossible to get back to the competitive heights it enjoyed in the 1980s. Back then it was a top five program featuring the Pony Express – Eric Dickerson and Craig James at running back. It was competing with Southwest Conference and national powers.

But the reason for most of the excellence had a dark side. There was an extensive pay-for-play scheme that was so entrenched that it reached the state governor’s office. Four coaches have tried and failed since the death penalty to get SMU to a bowl.

The school had to scale down just to attempt to stay competitive. It built a smaller, on-campus stadium. It joined Conference USA where, until recently, it was fodder even at that level. Saturday, then, was a history on some small and most unnoticed level in the sport. SMU was “back”, assured of a bowl at 7-5 (most likely the Hawaii) Bowl after defeating the Green Wave.

The fixer, in this case, is June Jones who knows about resurrecting programs. In his second season at SMU, Jones completed on odd circle. The Mustangs are going to Hawaii where Jones coached for nine seasons. So entrenched is his legend that the coach who left the Warriors for more money, the mainland and a modestly better chance of long-term success, is seen as a drawing card for the Hawaii Bowl.

Ten years ago Jones led Hawaii to the biggest one-year turnaround in NCAA history (from 0-12 to 9-4). Despite a small budget and deplorable facilities, Jones then did the unthinkable. He led Hawaii to its first major bowl two years ago, the Sugar Bowl. The fact that the Warriors were 12-1 was less important than what the game meant.

Seeing 20,000 or so islanders walking around downtown New Orleans should stand as state of Hawaii, Sugar Bowl, BCS and college football lore for decades.

So Jones has worked his magic again. Saturday’s result means SMU has the best turnaround in the nation this season (from 1-11 to 7-5). Only one of the seven victories came by more than eight points. Shawnbrey McNeal became SMU’s 1,000-yard rusher since 2003. He was declared eligible the day before the season started.

Former Estonian track Margus Hunter blocked seven kicks. Freshman quarterback Kyle Padron beat out two-year starter Bo Levi Mitchell.

Rival recruiters no longer can no longer lob that 25-year thing around like a grenade. It isn’t going to end with this season, either. These Mustangs are scaled down but they’re much easier to like.

“They talk about the Pony Express and all that, well, guess what, they're going to talk about you guys from here on,” Jones told reporters Saturday. “I really believe that.”

 

It was the weekend to abuse bad defenses. Colt McCoy turned the quarterback draw into Texas’ biggest weapon. Toby Gerhart used his arm to help beat Notre Dame. That left Tim Tebow and his five touchdowns lagging behind in third place

1. Colt McCoy, Texas: Moves up to No. 1 because without him Texas would have lost to Texas A&M. Four touchdowns passing, one rushing and almost 500 yards in total offense. Texas stared into the abyss. Colt pulled it back.

2. Toby Gerhart, Stanford: The kid taking 21 units this semester – 21! – got some national TV love against Notre Dame. Charlie’s angels – they certainly weren’t demons – allowed Gerhart 205 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He also threw for a score.

3. Tim Tebow, Florida: It’s a fairly tight race when Superman throws for three and runs for two and ends up only third. Were those camera phones going off in the end zone during his final series at home? Yes, they were.

4. Kellen Moore, Boise State: The poor guy has been forgotten all year. All five of his touchdowns were needed in an 11-point victory against Nevada. The best thing: Boise is all but in the BCS.

5. Danario Alexander, Missouri: Slowly and quietly, Alexander has become the best receiver in the country. So slow that he isn't a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. Against Kansas he caught 15 balls for 233 yards. That was the third time in four games Alexander has surpassed 200 yards. Prior to that, Missouri had three 200-yard games by a receiver in its history.

Kansas now can fire Mark Mangino with cause.

‘Cause the KU coach can’t manage the clock. ‘Cause Mangino was handed the game by his almost-equally-inept clock manager, Gary Pinkel. ‘Cause it cost Kansas a bowl game and face in one of the nation’s most hate-filled rivalries.

 

If this is the way it goes down for Mangino – accused with verbally and physically assaulting players -- Kansas could fire its coach for nothing more than losing. Kansas did plenty of that dropping its final seven after a 5-0 start. This one, though, has a certain air of stupidity to it. 

Stupid decisions. Stupid play calls. A stupid way to end a season for Kansas which has had to deal with enough turmoil.

The game was won, Pinkel had seen to it, by punting from his own 39 on fourth and 2 with slightly more than three minutes left, down by three. With only one timeout left, there was a good chance Missouri would never see the ball again. It was a better bet to go for it instead of watching KU’s unstoppable offense bleed the clock.

Kansas had moved the ball all day. Dezmon Briscoe alone caught 15 passes in what was probably his last game before the NFL. It wasn’t a day when Missouri’s defense distinguished itself.

Given the gift, all Mangino’s offense had to do was pick up a couple of first downs and take a couple of knees. It took exactly 14 seconds off the clock.

Missouri’s punt landed inside the Kansas 5. Still, there was plenty of room to make those first downs.  Instead, Todd Reesing came out passing. Incomplete. Twice. On third down he tried to run a quarterback draw from his own end zone.

What?

Predictably, Reesing was tackled for a safety cutting the lead to one. Given the short field on the free kick, Missouri drove easily for the game-winning field goal.

It was enough to make a man lose his temper. Fortunately, Mangino was able to maintain his. It will all be over soon anyway. Maybe this week when Kansas formally fires Mangino for cause – not related to football.

But it could be.

Kansas now can fire Mark Mangino with cause.

‘cause the KU coach can’t manage the clock. ‘Cause Mangino was handed the game by his almost-equally-inept clock manager, Gary Pinkel. ‘Cause it cost Kansas a bowl game and face in one of the nation’s most hate-filled rivalries.

 

If this is the way it goes down for Mangino – accused with verbally and physically assaulting players -- Kansas could fire its coach for nothing more than losing. Kansas did plenty of that dropping its final seven after a 5-0 start. This one, though, has a certain air of stupidity to it. 

Stupid decisions. Stupid play calls. A stupid way to end a season for Kansas which has had to deal with enough turmoil.

The game was won, Pinkel had seen to it, by punting from his own 39 on fourth and 2 with slightly more than three minutes left, down by three. With only one timeout left, there was a good chance Missouri would never see the ball again. It was a better bet to go for it instead of watching KU’s unstoppable offense bleed the clock.

Kansas had moved the ball all day. Dezmon Briscoe alone caught 15 passes in what was probably his last game before the NFL. It wasn’t a day when Missouri’s defense distinguished itself.

Given the gift, all Mangino’s offense had to do was pick up a couple of first downs and take a couple of knees. It took exactly 14 seconds off the clock.

Missouri’s punt landed inside the Kansas 5. Still, there was plenty of room to make those first downs.  Instead, Todd Reesing came out passing. Incomplete. Twice. On third down he tried to run a quarterback draw from his own end zone.

What?

Predictably, Reesing was tackled for a safety cutting the lead to one. Given the short field on the free kick, Missouri drove easily for the game-winning field goal.

It was enough to make a man lose his temper. Fortunately, Mangino was able to maintain his. It will all be over soon anyway. Maybe this week when Kansas formally fires Mangino for cause – not related to football.

But it could be.

It was like old times heading into Saturday: Oklahoma and Nebraska holding the key to the college football season.

For Boise State.

The Sooners came through for God, for country, for the Broncos who were down to their last BCS chance. Either Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State on Saturday or the Broncos might have been relegated to bowl purgatory.

For the love of all that is decent, Detroit? Really?

The BCS critics’ flamethrowers were at the ready before Oklahoma slogged through a somewhat boring 27-0 decision over Oklahoma State.

The result, though, meant a whole lot more in Idaho and in the Prairie Village, Kan. office of BCS executive director Bill Hancock than it did anywhere in Norman.
The Broncos are going BCS bowling for the second time in four years. Tentatively. The OU win knocked out Oklahoma State (9-3) and probably locked up a spot for Boise in the Fiesta Bowl against what looks like either TCU or Iowa.

Tentatively, because there is one more hurdle to clear. If Nebraska upsets Texas next week in the Big 12 title game then Boise’s spot in the BCS will be taken Texas. The Horns would most likely go as an attractive 12-1 at-large team.

For Boise, Oklahoma and Nebraska have become teams of the century. If form holds – Texas will be a prohibitive favorite next week – then all five current undefeated I-A programs would be in BCS bowls. (TCU, Cincinnati, Boise, Texas and the Florida/Alabama winner)

Relieved: BCS bosses were ready to take more hits if Boise had been shut out despite a second consecutive undefeated regular season by the Broncos.

Comatose: Oklahoma State which shouldn’t have bothered to get off the bus. With a Fiesta Bowl berth staring them in the face, the Pokes choked.

What else do you call it? Sure, quarterback Zac Robinson was banged up, but didn’t we see a former minor league pitcher Brandon Weeden rally Okie State against Colorado?

As we’ve learned, the BCS has different affects on different people.

Zac Lee is no Jerrod Johnson.

At least Texas has eight days to correct what was a train wreck of a defensive performance against Texas A&M. The 39 points given up to A&M tied for the most in two years. Johnson, A&M’s quarterback, had more than 400 yards in total offense.

Lee, Nebraska’s quarterback will be the next challenge for the Longhorns who were pushed Thursday night. The Big 12 championship game should be a lot easier. As good as Nebraska’s defense is, just like with A&M it doesn’t match up athletically with Texas.

There’s too much speed, too much brawn, too much Colt. Colt McCoy, for the first time this season, revealed himself as a running threat. His Heisman candidacy took a giant leap with almost 500 yards in total offense and five touchdowns.

Asked about embattled Kansas coach Mark Mangino, Texas Tech's Mike Leach went nuclear Monday during the Big 12 conference call...
 
“Nobody really knows what’s gone on at Kansas but my suspicion is that Mark is in the middle of a witch hunt. Heaven forbid that [a player)] is asked to pay attention and focus for the sake of his teammates and coaches. There are different ways to ask a guy for his attention. After you’ve asked it a number of times you raise the bar …

The interesting thing to me is [the allegations] went from he hit some guy in the face to that he didn’t touch him but said some mean things to him. ‘The mean man told him something he didn’t want to hear.’ Well, you know, there’s a mean man in Lubbock and he tells people what they don’t want to hear, too. It’s just part of it.”

Classic Pirate.

John Walters of Fanhouse.com sat down with Charlie Weis just hours after Saturday's loss to Connecticut.

Some interesting revelations:

Weis is particularly disturbed at the way his family has had to deal with his on-field failings. For the first time on Saturday, his wife did not attend a home game. "You think I don't know that I'm fat? Duh!" Weis said.

Senior safety Sergio Brown was in Weis' office Saturday night "bawling" after committing a key personal foul that allowed UConn to mount its comeback.

Weis has "heard" that an official may be fired over blowing the third-and-16 replay review in the Pittsburgh game. A clear incomplete pass by Jimmy Clausen was ruled a fumble. An incompletion (clearly the right call) would have set up a fourth-and-16 but still ...

A reader passed along some good points. At least they seemed reasonable at the time ...

It's the best interests of Oklahoma, New Mexico and Nevada this week to lose showdown games.

--An OU loss to Oklahoma State all but clinches a BCS berth for the Cowboys.

--New Mexico should lose to TCU to make sure it shares in the $19 million booty TCU and the Mountain West will collect for playing in a BCS bowl.

--The same for Nevada against Boise State.

The reader was missing one thing: That thing beating inside of every player. Imagine telling any Auburn Tiger that would be best for the school if they lost to Alabama this week. Although the Bedlam Series looks more like Bedtime this year, you better believe Oklahoma will want to kill the Cowboys.

The reader said the BCS incentivizes (if that's a word) "cheating". The BCS is a lot of things but it's not a stage for cheating.

For now, the BCS bowl pairings come down to this week's Oklahoma State-Oklahoma game

If Oklahoma State wins ...

Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. TCU
Sugar Bowl: Alabama/Florida loser vs. Cincinnati/Pittsburgh winner
Orange Bowl: Clemson/Georgia Tech vs. Iowa
Rose Bowl: Oregon/Oregon State vs. Ohio State
BCS title game: Texas vs. Florida/Alabama winner

If Oklahoma wins ...

Fiesta Bowl: Iowa vs. Boise State
Sugar Bowl: Florida/Alabama loser vs. Cincinnati/Pittsburgh winner
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. TCU*
Rose Bowl: Oregon/Oregon State winner vs. Ohio State
BCS title game: Texas vs. Florida/Alabama winner

*-In this scenario if Clemson wins the ACC it cannot meet TCU in the Orange Bowl. That would be a rematch. If that's the case, the Orange most likely would pick the Big East winner, especially if it is Pittsburgh. That would put TCU in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama/Florida loser.

When is the last time a Heisman winner wasn’t the all-conference quarterback?

Time to do the research if Tim Tebow wins another Heisman becaus isn’t going to be the all-SEC quarterback. That honor goes to Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett who threw five touchdown passes for the third time this season.

Mallett set a school record throwing his 28th touchdown pass to go along with 313 yards in a 42-21 victory over Mississippi State.

More evidence that TCU can play: It won at Wyoming by a more impressive score (45-10) than Texas (41-10).

In the last six games, all blowouts, the Horned Frogs have won a cumulative score of 278-63.

“Two dominant defenses, two different offenses,” Wyoming coach Dave Christensen said comparing the Frogs and Longhorns. “TCU can play with anybody.”

TCU has played three teams currently ranked in the top 25. Texas and Florida have played one.

Don’t assume anything, Boise: Nevada is attempting trying to become the first team with three 1,000-yard rushers. It will attempt to do so in a WAC showdown Friday at Boise.

Tailback Vai Tua has 1,059 yards, quarterback Colin Kaepernick has 1,015 and running back Luke Lippincott has 866 yards.

Facing the nation’s leading rushing team could pose a problem for the Broncos. If Nevada can run its stuff, it would keep Kellen Moore off the field. The teams are tied atop the WAC at 6-0 each.

<>Georgia meltdown:<> The cries you hear are from Athens where Georgia has slipped to 6-5 going into the Georgia Tech game.

Kentucky won in Athens, 34-27, for the first time in 32 years.

The book should sell well: Oregon’s season is reaching epic proportions. From The Punch to being within one game of the Rose Bowl.

The Ducks survived Arizona 44-41 in overtime to remain in first place in the Pac-10. Kicker Morgan Flint tied it for Oregon 24-24 midway through the fourth quarter on a kick that the crossbar and dropped through the uprights. It’s been that type of season the Ducks who need to beat Oregon State on Dec. 3 to go to Pasadena.

Bonehead move of the year: Yale coach Tom Williams’ team lead Harvard 10-0 with seven minutes left. It had dominated all day in “The Game.”

Still leading 10-7 with 2:25 left, Williams somehow decided to go for it on fourth-and-22 from his own 26. It didn’t work, Harvard cruised in for the touchdown and won 14-10.

Somewhere, Bill Belichick thinks Williams deserves to be fired.

The right-now, not-what-they-did last year, no B.S. Heisman list: Got my ballot in the mail last week. Holding onto it until after the games of Dec. 5 are played. (Sorry Army-Navy. You can do on with your Dec. 12 game without worrying about having a winner.)

1. Colt McCoy, Texas: The Horns absolutely cannot run the ball. You wonder how they’ll do against the defense of Florida or Alabama. Fortunately, they have McCoy who threw four touchdowns Saturday and has at least one in 47 of his 50 career games.
As of this moment, the 2008 runner-up deserves the 2009 hardware.

2. Mark Ingram, Alabama: Steady performance (102 yards, two touchdowns) against Chattanooga. His chances will be decided in the SEC championship game.

3. Toby Gerhart, Stanford: The rest of the Cardinal stunk against Cal, not Gerhart who remained in the top five by averaging almost seven yards per carry against the Bears.

4. Case Keenum, Houston: I’m still on my crusade to at least get Case to New York for the ceremony. Keenum threw for 405 yards and five touchdowns against Memphis in a 55-14 victory.

5. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska: Glanced at the TV and noticed Nebraska’s All-American tipping passes and harassing the quarterback. Good enough for me after the Huskers’ Big 12 North-clinching 17-3 win over Kansas State.

How do we evaluate Tebow and Ingram today playing against air? Tebow threw for a couple of touchdowns and ran for another against Florida International. Ingram ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns in limited action against Chattanooga.

Good Lord, it looked like a Utah State game at Doak Campbell. Not FSU playing Utah State, a game AT Utah State. There have to be at least 30,000 empty seats. Florida State survived Maryland 29-26 meaning Bobby Bowden will probably return in 2010 for a grandiose farewell tour.

Rich Rod will be back too at Michigan. You give him another year after the 21-10 loss to Ohio State. Then you let the new AD, whoever that is, make the decision. Bill Martin won't be gone until June and is on record as supporting Rodriguez. The problem is, Michigan most likely is going to have change cultures again if it makes a change. Summary: Don't look for the Wolverines to be in the national picture for at least the next four years.  

Tallahassee Democrat Florida State beat writer Steve Ellis passed away Thursday. He was one of the greats.

So dedicated was Steve that he asked his wife to hold off calling 911 after a suffered a heart attack on Nov. 10 before sending his story to the office. That is dedication to the craft. Ellis was the authority on all things FSU. The school literally will find it easier to operate without the beat writer keeping track.

Goodbye. Steve. We will miss you.

It has been a bad year in our profession. The great Tim Mimick passed away earlier this year. Another friend suffered an apparent heart attack this week. More details on that one as they become available.

Please keep Stefanie Spielman in your prayers. The wife of former Ohio State linebacker and NFL star Chris Spielman died of breast cancer on Thursday.

Chris is a great man and I admire him for taking care of his wife and family through this ordeal. May the Lord be with him and his family.

It's that insane time of year when we have been asked to pick the best players in the country -- before all the games are played.

Some awards are narrowing their lists of semifinalists to finalists after Saturday's games. That would be with two weeks left in the regular season. Those kinds of deadlines are particularly unfair especially at  quarterback and running back where there are multiple candidates.

(I never understood the whole semifinalist-finalist thing anyway. It’s just a way to string out and hype the award.)

The Heisman has always been a pet peeve for me. So much can happen in bowls that sometimes the winner is diminished (see Oklahoma’s Jason White in the 2004 Sugar Bowl) or the person who should be the real winner emerges (see Vince Young in the 2006 Rose Bowl).

But at least the Heisman gives voters enough time to wait until after all the regular-season games are played. Not so for most of the other awards, of which there are way too many.

A couple of pieces of information came across SOWWL's desk this week. The list of three finalists for the Davey O'Brien Award (best quarterback) are expected by 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. How, on Sunday, are we supposed to pick between Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, Case Keenum, Kellen Moore, Jimmy Clausen, Andy Dalton and Bill Stull? Those are seven names that come to mind at the moment . There might be more.

Consider that McCoy and Tebow still have to play conference championship games. Moore is the nation’s most efficient passer working on an undefeated season. Dalton and Stull are among the most improved quarterbacks in the country.

I'm considering waiting at least another week to vote. If the O'Brien folks don't approve, tough spit.

The  Doak Walker Award’s list of the 10 semifinalists was released this week. The list did not include the nation’s fourth-leading rusher Bernard Pierce (Temple), the SEC's second-leading rusher Anthony Dixon (of Mississippi State, eighth in the country) or the Pac-10’s second-leading rusher (LaMichael James of Oregon).

It did include the nation’s No. 46 rusher, C.J. Spiller of Clemson who should be considered the best all-purpose runner in the country, not the best running back. 

Missouri’s Danario Alexader is fifth in catches per game and third in receiving yards per game after catching 10 balls for 200 yards against Kansas State. You won’t find him on the list of the 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award (best receiver). Three of the 10 players have been injured or left their team.

There is a safety net. Candidates can be written in, however voters are a group are traditionally lazy. They tend to vote for what is in front of them. One exception was 2007 when the Biletnikoff process was so off the mark in 2007 that Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree won as a write-in candidate.

The main reason for these incredibly early lists is college football’s awards show. It airs the Thursday after the end of the regular season. If the awards committees want to be seen on national TV, then they have to cow tow to ESPN deadlines.

Here’s another idea: How about setting yourself apart and waiting until after the bowl season? Somehow I think some network or another would still televise the Heisman ceremony.

Etc: Cincinnati is one of the few teams that could afford having a quarterback in jail. No biggie, there’s always Tony Pike …  A loss to Ohio State would doom Michigan to its worst Big Ten finish since 1962 … Iowa (vs. Minnesota) and Penn State (at Michigan State) both need to win to stay in BCS consideration … Connecticut’s Zach Frazer has a chance this week to become one of the few players in history to play both for and against Notre Dame. Frazer transferred from ND in 2007 … Receiver Jordan Shipley will replace the suspended D.J. Monroe for Texas on kick returns this week against Kansas … Texas has scored 10 non-offensive touchdowns this season (defense and special teams). That leads the nation and is a school record … Miami’s Jacory Harris (at home vs. Duke) has thrown 16 interceptions, the most of the top 100 passers rated by the NCAA.