Big 12 North: Somebody Has to Win

When Nebraska and Kansas State took a tumble, so did the Big 12 North. In the last two Big 12 title games, the North champion has been humiliated by a 112-6 margin. Of course, the North's representative in the past two titles games was Colorado, and now the Buffaloes are falling on hard times. So is the Big 12 North still going south? That might be the case, especially when you consider the correlation between athletic budges and football success. In a nutshell, all the money is in Austin. ... Thanks to John for his help on this!

Game of the Week

Because our gridiron guru, Mark Mathis, is MIA this week, the Wiz has volunteered for the daunting task of picking a winner in our game of the week. Do not be concerned, ladies and gentlemen. The Wiz has exceptional credentials, having spent considerable time at various betting parlors, race tracks, sportsbooks and other dens of inequity. When it comes to putting the money down, the man knows how to do it. So let's get to it!

Iowa City is the place to be Saturday. The Hawkeyes take on No. 1 Ohio State in the biggest game in these parts since 1985, when No. 1 Iowa beat No. 2 Michigan, 12-10. But there will be no such party this time around. We're looking for the Buckeyes to take it to the Hawkeyes. Now before Hawkeye fans jump all over the Wiz, the health of quarterback Drew Tate remains a concern in this corner of cyberspace. He sat out the Syracuse game three weeks ago and when he has played, Tate has not looked sharp against so-so competition. Tate's backup, Jason Manson, threw four interceptions against Syracuse. Putting it all together gives us no reason to believe Iowa can spring the upset. Too many offensive weapons, just too many athletes on the Ohio State side of the ball. The Buckeyes win this and win it easily, 27-7.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Ted Ginn Jr. a Hawkeye? "If it wasn't Ohio State, he'd probably be at Iowa," Ted Ginn Sr. said (subscription, story is in comments).

Andrew Logue, Des Moines Register: Button down or business casual? Jim Tressel and Kirk Ferentz walk the coaching catwalk.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: To be considered among college football big boys, Iowa has to win.

Doug Lesmerises, Plain Dealer: Talent-rich Northeast Ohio has always been a recruiting target of Ohio State. Now Iowa is trying to get into the mix.

At Clemson, Inflation Is a Good Thing

It's called college football's grandest entrance. Clemson players emerge from the locker room, rub Howard's Rock for luck and race down the hill into Death Valley while the band plays the Tiger Rag. When the cannon is fired, the exclamation point is provided by the release of 25,000 balloons. It's a spectacle second to none, but getting all the environmentally friendly balloons ready is a monumental task. How does Clemson do it? It couldn't be done without students, who volunteer to their services and arrive early in the morning at Memorial Stadium. "We have a system, but it's still a process," said Jeff McDowell, a co-director of the committee in charge of the task. Now nothing will top the effort of Nov. 12, 1983, when Clemson released 363,729 balloons before its game against the Maryland Terrapins. "They were nationally ranked and had [quarterback] Boomer Esiason and they were never in the game," said Sam Blackman, an associate sports information director.

Crystal Ball

Double D, Boston Herald: USC is a big favorite at Washington State, but the Trojans should have no trouble covering the spread.

Jon Wilner, Mercury News: Coming off his best week of the season, he will take three underdogs and two favorites.

Jody Demling, Louisville Courier-Journal: Expect Rutgers, Ohio State and Oregon to win on the road.

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News: Texas Tech rolls into College Station to play Texas A&M, but which team has the edge?

Fan IQ: The search continues to find the real "experts" and compare the results to fan predictions.

Betting Fool, San Francisco Chronicle: Who needs a publicist when you can pick winners?

For the latest lines, check with Doc's Sports. And thanks to Hester Graphics for all the help with the site.

Reporters' Notebooks

Mike Knobler, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: When it comes to marketing, Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer is in a class by himself (registration).

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: You have questions? Mr. College Football has answers (registration).

Christian Ewell, Baltimore Sun: National notebook. Surprises? Try Rutgers, Wake Forest, Missouri and Washington (registration).

Carlos Frias, Palm Beach Post: Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, whose team plays South Florida on Friday night, has taken advantage of his Florida roots.

Rich Radford, Virginian-Pilot: A guide to help you plot which games to watch and which games to skip when you're channel surfing.

Shuler Race Is Heating Up

They know how to hold a grudge in Washington. Former Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler, who won the Democratic primary in North Carolina's 11th District last May, is now in a neck-and-neck race with incumbent Charles Taylor. But a website based in Washington does not want the former first-round bust of the Redskins back in town. Stop Shuler is on the attack, producing Internet ads like the one above. In the interest of fairness, we present all sides. The site Scrutiny Hooligans, which says Taylor has outspent Shuler 4-1 on media buys, has produced a segment supporting Shuler. You can view it by clicking here. And here are links to Shuler's official site and to Taylor's site.

A Meltdown Second to None

Mike Valenti of the Sports Inferno on Detroit's 1270 XYT loses it after his Michigan State Spartans collapse against Notre Dame. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the rant of rants, and you can listen to it by clicking here or visiting House Rock Built, who we thank dearly for this. A sample of what you are about to hear: "Michigan State handed it away like nice a three-button coat at the Salvation Army. ... I paid my $75 and I got a bunch of old asses off their feet, into the air and got them cheering their ass off. ... Note to John L. Smith: Learn the f-ing rules and understand that your timeouts are not like cell phone minutes. They don't carry over! ... Notre Dame got away. They had them by the throat and instead of cutting it real deep and watching the blood squirt all over, you let them get into halftime so fatboy could feed them pudding! ... Pucker, pucker, pucker! ... You're asking Drew Stanton to run the option in Hurricane Katrina!" Stick with it, this is well worth it. Thanks to the Midwest Correspondent.

Queer Eyes for the Buckeyes

Todd Heustess of Outsports is back on the tailgating tour, and his first stop was Sept. 16 in Columbus for the Cincinnati-Ohio State game. "I was drinking from a keg at 9 a.m. with a couple hundred of my newest friends while proudly flying a rainbow flag at a school-sanctioned tailgate party," he writes. Heustess, you may recall, correctly predicted last November that Texas would beat USC in the Rose Bowl. Rob Rochholz and Richie Weldon also offer up their Dirty Dozen. And Buckeye fans, don't forget to stop by Muck Fichigan for your latest gear.

Reporters' Notebooks

Todd Schulz, Lansing State Journal: An alum who gave $5 million to Michigan State to help renovate the football building before the loss to Notre Dame said of the 40-37 defeat: "Ridiculous. That was hard to watch, wasn't it?"

Michael Rothstein, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Notre Dame running back Darius Walker and assistant Michael Haywood got into it during practice, with Haywood telling Walker to "shut the (expletive) up and do what the (expletive) you're told." It's the second item in the notebook.

Bill Sanders, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Auburn's Kenny Irons returns to South Carolina Thursday night, a program that essentially didn't want him (registration).

Earl Kelly, Annapolis Capital: The Naval Academy and Annapolis residents want to see an end to a decades-old tradition of football fans throwing candy to Naval Academy midshipmen while they march to Navy-Marine Corps Stadium for games.

Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, the youngest Division I-A coach, meets Penn State's Joe Paterno, the oldest.

Doug Lesmerises, Plain Dealer: Work is progressing on replacing the turf at Ohio Stadium, with the project expected to be completed Thursday.

Indianapolis Star: Graduation rates for Division I-A and I-AA football teams released by the NCAA.

Kevin Tatum, Philadelphia Inquirer: Yes, help is on the way for Temple. Two players who were suspended will be in uniform for the game against Vanderbilt.

Ted Miller, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Pac-10 notebook. Like it or not, Arizona State will sink or swim with Rudy Carpenter at quarterback.

Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle: Big 12 notebook. Texas A&M's pass defense leads the conference, but here comes Texas Tech.

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: Inexperienced quarterbacks are a big reason Big 12 teams struggled in nonconference play (registration).

Ron Higgins, Commercial Appeal: SEC notebooks. A look at the Western Division and the Eastern Division.

Columnists' Corner

Eric Crawford, Louisville Courier-Journal: If college football were serious about credibility, it would establish national oversight of its officials and disallow the affiliating of officiating crews with individual conferences.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Alabama is in trouble. Mike Shula is impersonating a head coach.

Mike Lucas, Capital Times: When you look at the numbers, there's no defense for over-hyping Notre Dame.

Ron Bellany, Eugene Register-Guard: Oregon needs a victory at Arizona State to validate its controversial win over Oklahoma.

Pat Dooley, Gainesville Sun: The challenge facing Florida officials: How to get fans to quit tailgating and get into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: Prep coaches are not happy about South Florida's game Friday night against Rutgers.

Urine for a Bad Time at N.C. State

And you thought coach Chuck Amato was North Carolina State's biggest problem. Well, get a load of this. It appears students have been relieving themselves in the stands at Carter-Finley Stadium. "I know people were urinating in their sections," student body president Will Quick said. "I have heard reports of individuals being splashed by urine." Yes, we know the Wolfpack played Saturday's game against Boston College under the threat of showers, but little did we realize the forecast called for golden showers! ... Officials say the problem can be traced to overcrowding in certain sections of student seating. It starts with students making copies of friends' tickets with more desirable seats. These sections become overcrowded. Officials then tell anybody leaving one of these sections that they won't be allowed back in, even if they need to use the bathroom. So the solution for many is to relieve themselves in the stands. Thanks to Joe Ovies at 850 and 620 The Blog.

Columnists' Corner

Dennis Rogers, Raleigh News & Observer: North Carolina may end up firing John Bunting, but the Tar Heels won't find anyone with his qualities (registration).

Dave Hyde, Sun-Sentinel: Larry Coker's survival may not be in the best interest of the Miami Hurricanes.

David Teel, Daily Press: Virginia Tech's season could well hinge on its game against Georgia Tech.

Steve Dilbeck, L.A. Daily News: He has started only two games, but it's clear linebacker Rey Maualuga is the next big thing at USC.

Art Thiel, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Washington's Tyrone Willingham wants fans to get silly for a night, but don't get stupid over a couple of wins.

Reporters' Notebooks

Bob Clark, Eugene Register-Guard: What happened to that image of the Pac-10 as an offensive league?

Tucson Citizen: Who is the better team, USC or Louisiana State? After seeing both, LSU gets the vote.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Where is Ron Dayne when you need him? Wisconsin ran for only 12 yards against Michigan (subscription, story is in comments).

Bryan Strickland, Durham Herald-Sun: Duke coach Ted Roof said his team shouldn't stare at the scoreboard in the middle of a game.

Gary Lambrecht, Baltimore Sun: Navy knows how to rebound. Over the past four seasons, the Midshipmen are 10-1 after a loss (registration).

Kyle Tucker, Virginian-Pilot: Teammates supported and coach Frank Beamer defended two suspended players.

Ralphie Between the Hedges

Colorado mascot Ralphie made the trip last Saturday to Georgia, and from the looks of things, she (yes, Ralphie is a girl) really enjoyed the romp around Sanford Stadium. And we move from the beast to the beauties, who were enjoying the tailgate before the Bulldogs' 14-13 victory. Thanks to Matt for sending these images!

Reporters' Notebooks

Dave Dye, Detroit News: Michigan State coach John L. Smith says video shows no Spartan player hit Notre Dame coach Crewcut Charlie Weis during a sideline scuffle.

Ryan Suchomel, Iowa City Press-Citizen: Tickets for the Ohio State-Iowa game are going for as much as $1,000.

Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: In Penn State's case, numbers do lie.

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune: Baylor has a problem. It's the most penalized team in the land.

Tom Luicci, Newark Star-Ledger: Rutgers has started to promote running back Ray Rice as a Heisman candidate.

Doug Segrest, Birmingham News: A look back at the week that was in college football.

Dave Reardon, Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Problems with the charter flight kept Hawaii on the road an extra 16 hours after the loss at Boise State.

Chris Dempsey, Denver Post: Missouri is 4-0, but are the Tigers for real or merely a pussycat?

Richard Lake, Clarion Ledger: A star recruit pushes on and disputes a "learning disabled" label.

Jeff Carlton, Greensboro News-Record: North Carolina coach John Bunting has been given a vote of confidence.

Jeff Latzke, Associated Press: A Conference USA replay official has been suspended for overturning a call in the Houston-Oklahoma State game.

Columnists' Corner

Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star: With no wins in nine games against ranked teams, the Big 12 has been far from impressive in nonconference play (registration).

Dave Hickman, Charleston Gazette: Despite a 4-0 start, West Virginia may have a glaring weakness: no pass rush.

Jim Moore, Seattle Post Intelligencer: Washington has gone from rank to almost ranked. But is it deserving?

Bob Lutz, Wichita Eagle: Four nonconference games were meant to provide answers. But the games created more questions for Kansas and Kansas State.

Dave Joseph, Orlando Sentinel: Forget the losses. Florida Atlantic's Howard Schnellenberger has a larger plan.

Expect Further Review of the Replay System

They just can't let it go. Oklahoma fans remain livid over the blown calls that led to the Sooners' 34-33 loss at Oregon on Sept. 16. Never mind that Oklahoma gave up 501 yards to the Ducks. A group of animators has developed the site Quack Squad, which features a "press conference" regarding the controversial calls. The site also has the Quack Squad Game, where you can take on the officials. Now given the scene Saturday in Norman, it seems everybody was trying to cash in on the controversy. T-shirts protesting the calls were sprinkled throughout tailgates, including one that said "Fowl Play." Even former WWE announcer and Sooner honk Jim Ross has something to say about it in his Slobberknocker Report. Oklahoma fans are not the only ones upset with Pacific 10 officials. Baylor coach Guy Morriss asked the league to review six plays from the Bears' 17-15 loss to Washington State on Sept. 16 in Seattle. In all six cases, Pac-10 coordinator of football officiating Verle Sorgen agreed with Baylor's assessment and "graded down" the referee, back judge and head linesman. But unlike the Oklahoma-Oregon fiasco, there was no public apology or suspensions handed down to officials. Maybe this is because there simply are not enough officials to go around. Two of the "suspended" officials from the Oklahoma-Oregon game worked Saturday's USC-Arizona game, and three other "suspended" officials worked the Idaho-Oregon State game. The business of a replay system likely will be revisited at season's end. Oregon State coach Mike Riley says he doesn't like the coach's challenge. And Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter is simply not in favor of any replay system. "It's the biggest joke in the world. It's sickening. It's ridiculous," he said (some registration).

Checking In on Plays Lost, Time of Games

If you are not familiar with cfbstats, you should be. Marty, the site's administrator, has logged every play of every team from the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Simply put, his database is something the NCAA drools over. For example, did you know Arizona State is a better rushing team on the road in 2006? Or that Louisville running backs are averaging almost two more yards a carry on grass fields compared to turf fields? These are just some of the goodies available. Now Marty is tracking the impact of the controversial rule 3-2-5-e, which is designed to reduce the time of games. As we've stated before, the rule is also reducing the number of plays. Now we've never really heard of anyone complaining about the games being too long, but we've heard many complaints about too many commercials. That is the real problem here, folks. ... Again, if you use any of this information, please credit the great cfbstats. One other note: The time of games is that given by the official scorekeeper.

Overall...G........Plays......Plays/G....Min.......Min/G......Time/G
2005......224.....37527.....167.53.....44923.....200.55.....3:20:33
2006......257.....39035.....151.89.....47625.....185.31.....3:05.19

Here are the five shortest games from Week 4:
Wake Forest-Mississippi: 2:35
Marshall-Tennessee: 2:36
Middle Tennessee State-Oklahoma: 2:43
Indiana State-Northern Illinois: 2:44
Kent State-Bowling Green: 2:44

Here are the five longest games from Week 4:
Iowa State-Texas: 4:17
Notre Dame-Michigan State: 3:31
Hawaii-Boise State: 3:30
Central Michigan-Eastern Michigan: 3:23
Iowa-Illinois: 3:21

Week 5

We're almost halfway through the regular season for many teams and yes, baseball is still playing its endless regular season. But we're talking football here folks. Every game counts! We have four weeknight games, beginning Tuesday with Southern Mississippi traveling to Central Florida. On Thursday, Brigham Young plays Texas Christian and Auburn meets South Carolina. On Friday, it's Rutgers at South Florida. Check out some of Saturday's games: Texas Tech at Texas A&M, Boise State at Utah, Ohio State at Iowa, Oregon at Arizona State and, of course, Nevada at Nevada Las Vegas in the battle for the Fremont Cannon. Now you can get all the numbers by going to Doc's Sports, one of our sponsors. Please check out Doc's and if you also enjoy the NFL, all the numbers are available by clicking here. Remember, Doc's is located under Free College Football Picks in Sponsored Links.

Arkansas Digs Into Its Bag of Tricks

Nice find by Hogs, Hill, SEC, which has the You Tube video of Arkansas' trick play against Alabama. You can view it by clicking here. According to the site, Razorback players were complaining after the game that officials tipped Crimson Tide players and coaches shortly before the ball was snapped that something was coming, and Alabama held the Razorbacks to a 10-yard gain.

It's Not Easy Bleeding Green and White

This season certainly has all the ingredients for another collapse by Michigan State. That certainly was the case Saturday, when the Spartans trotted to the locker room at halftime leading Notre Dame, 31-14. Did anyone really think Michigan State was going to win? You got the feeling that Spartan fans were expecting the worst. They've seen this time and again in East Lansing. The turning point — besides the obvious ... the Spartans coming out for the second half — came with under five minutes left and the Irish trailing, 37-33. In a bizarre move, Michigan State's Demond Williams fielded a kickoff at the six, ran six yards and took a knee. That pinned the Spartans deep in their territory and three plays later they scored the winning touchdown on a 23-yard interception return. No, it appears even the Spirit Squad can't save the Spartans from themselves. As for Notre Dame, a 10-1 record is possible entering the Nov. 25 game at USC. Oddly enough, USC was probably cheering for Notre Dame to win Saturday. Why? A victory over a 10-1 Irish team could help secure a spot in the BCS title game for the Trojans, who will be without star receiver Dwayne Jarrett for two to four weeks (some registration).

Just Some Passing Thoughts

The longest run of a sluggish first half Saturday between Penn State and Ohio State was by Joe Paterno, who dashed into the locker room after becoming ill. Woody Hayes would have been proud. By the way, they are having a contest over at the fine M Blog asking readers to guess where JoePa was for much of the game. ... Nebraska coach Bill Callahan was under fire last week for throwing only 17 passes, including one on a fake punt, in a 28-10 loss at USC. Was he playing to keep the score close against the Trojans? With overmatched Troy in town, the Cornhuskers attempted 23 passes in a 56-0 win. In four games, Nebraska has averaged 25.5 passes, making that USC gameplan seem rather peculiar. ... Brigham Young and Utah State played for the first time since 2002 and tensions were high, with four personal fouls called. With 2:16 to play and the Cougars clinging to a 31-0 lead, quarterback Jason Beck threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Jonny Harline, completing a 38-0 win. ... Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter is 0-12 in games played in the state of California. That likely will become 0-13 when the Sun Devils play at USC on Oct. 14.

Battle Over the Big House Continues

Not so fast with those planned luxury suites at Michigan Stadium. John Pollack, who is spearheading a move to prevent the building of the suites, has put together an alternate plan that would cost less and add about 10,000 seats to the facility. Fielding H. Yost III, the grandson of the athletic director who built the stadium, unveiled Pollack's proposal last week at Michigan Union. Pollack's proposal would add 15 rows of seats in a second concourse encircling the stadium and would cost $93.1 million (compared to Michigan's $354.7 million). It also addresses the long waiting list for Michigan season tickets. Michigan officials do not seem to be impressed. "We are not considering alternates at this point in the process," said Timothy Slottow, the university's executive vice president and chief financial officer. Pollack's site is Save the Big House.

Applewhite Is Down on the Field

Our man Carl is back with another interesting creation. This time he pokes fun at the announcers at the Sept. 16 game between Texas and Rice. If you don't remember his earlier creation dealing with Mack Brown, here is the link.

Columnists' Corner

Mark Blaudschun, Boston Globe: Boston College had built up a lot of respect in its first three games. It lost all of that and the game at North Carolina State.

Bob Kravitz, Indianapolis Star: Minnesota coach Glen Mason's decision-making against Purdue recalled the greatest moments of Barry Switzer, Marty Mornhinweg and Sam Wyche.

Jeff Rice, Centre Daily Times: Most of Penn State's players had no idea an ill Joe Paterno twice retreated into the locker room during the loss to Ohio State.

Pat Harty, Iowa City Press-Citizen: Forget the side dishes. Let's get to the main course: Ohio State vs. Iowa.

Greg Hansen, Arizona Daily Star: Look at the bright side, Arizona fans. A year ago, USC gained 724 yards in a 42-21 victory over the Wildcats.

Steve Kelley, Seattle Times: What did we learn about Washington in its victory over UCLA? There is bite to the Huskies' bravado.

David Teel, Daily Press: Virginia Tech's sins went unpunished for the fourth game in a row. But if the Hokies continue to play this poorly, their day of reckoning is coming sooner rather than later.

Peter Hockaday, Casper Star-Tribune: Wyoming just lost its third game in a row, but running back Devin Moore has something to say: "I'm going to guarantee a win next week against Syracuse, and every other conference game."

John Henderson, Denver Post: Air Force is showing signs that its F-16 is back on course.

Steve Scholfield, North County Times: San Diego State wants you to believe it is returning to the glory years of the early 1990s. It's a fool's dream.

John Clay, Lexington Herald-Leader: It was fun in Gainesville for the Kentucky Wildcats, but only for a half.

Michael Lewis, New York Times Magazine: The ballad of big Michael Oher, an offensive tackle at Mississippi (registration).

Quite the Catch for Iowa State Receiver

Sorry to inform you, but if you are running around Austin on Saturday and see this young woman, she's taken. Her name is Janna Skrabanek, and she is a cheerleader for the Houston Texans. Skrabanek is also the girlfriend of Iowa State receiver Austin Flynn, whose team is playing Texas. "He's out-kicked his coverage —— by a mile-and-a-half. That's the only reason I room with him on road trips — to see her," Cyclone teammate Todd Blythe told the Des Moines Register. Skrabanek and Flynn are from Deer Park, Texas. "High school sweethearts," he said. So is Flynn feeling insecure now that his girlfriend is hanging around NFL players? "We've been together so long that I trust her in whatever she does, but I get a lot of flack from the guys about that." Blythe is most prominent in this regard. "From what we hear, she's now dating David Carr," he joked about the Texans' starting quarterback.

A Gloomy Forecast From Mike Leach

We can't imagine many coaches who would want to forecast weather. Then again, there aren't many coaches quite like Texas Tech's Mike Leach. This past week was a prime example. Leach ripped into his team after last Saturday's 12-3 loss to Texas Christian. It was the Red Raiders' worst offensive effort since a 60-15 loss to Oklahoma in 2002. What did Leach make of his team's play? "I saw a bunch of prima donna pretty boys prancing around like they thought they were too good to be there," he said. Leach was just getting started. "I think there's too many golden calves around here that are either being worshipped or think they're being worshipped or worshipping themselves. We need to melt them all down and make silverware if we're ever going to get anywhere."

'Suspended' Ref to Work USC-Arizona Game

Seems like the Stoops brothers can't catch a break. Referee Dave Cutaia, who was among the officials suspended in the wake of last Saturday's Oklahoma-Oregon fiasco, won't be serving his suspension just yet. It turns out a shortage of referees has required that the officials will have to stagger their suspensions. So where does Cutaia turn up? In Tucson, of course, where he will be among the crew refereeing the USC-Arizona game. Of course, Arizona is coached by none other than Mike Stoops, the brother of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. Are you kidding me! ... Now as bad the errors were in Eugene, they can't compare to what happened in 1990 to J.C. Louderback, the referee who awarded a fifth down to Colorado that stripped Missouri of an upset and helped the Buffaloes win a share of the national championship. Louderback still thinks about the blunder. "The feeling has never gone away," he said. And fans were not quick to forget. It took five or six years for the phone calls to stop, and he still has a sack of hate mail that he has yet to read (some registration).

Game of the Week

Is Notre Dame out of the chase for the national championship? Far from it. Despite Saturday's humbling loss to Michigan, the Fighting Irish have plenty of time to get back in the hunt. Nine games are left and Notre Dame should be favored in all but one — Nov. 25 at USC. And in what could be a good omen for the Irish, a rainbow appeared over the Golden Dome on Wednesday morning (thanks to Brendan Loy). But nemesis Michigan State is next, and going 0-2 against teams from the state of Michigan won't get the Irish a ticket to the BCS title game. It's our game of the week, and fearless forecaster Mark Mathis — arguably the greatest scout team quarterback in Baylor history — will put his 3-0 record at risk. Let's see what the pigskin prophet has to say:

"Can a team from Michigan actually beat Notre Dame twice in as many weeks? ... Can the hangover from last week's game still be in the heads of the Notre Dame players? Trust me, it is!
Here is what the Notre Dame practice schedule was like this week. Coaches and players came in on Sunday, watched the film and analyzed the game. Coaches say 'that game is over and we need to move on.' Players are thinking bullsh--! Players never quite get over a loss until Wednesday or Thursday. Because of this, the players have missed a few days of practice mentally.
"Can the Irish recover? Is Notre Dame that much better than Michigan State? This kid seems to think the Irish are. Don't get me wrong, my two favorite teams are Baylor and whoever is playing Notre Dame. But, I'm going with Notre Dame to win at East Lansing, 38-31.
"Look for some scattered showers at kickoff. It's the first time the game of the week has seen some rain. The temperature will be hovering around 67 with a light north wind when they tee it up."

Al Lesar, South Bend Tribune: Legend has it that Crewcut Charlie Weis said, "We will never lose to Michigan State again on my watch."

Blue-Gray Sky: The Notre Dame blog breaks it down, including the Spartans planting their flag at midfield after last season's victory at South Bend.

Detroit Free Press: Michigan State's captains are sending emails to students urging them to act responsibly on Saturday.

Joe Rexrode, Lansing State Journal: Motivational games often don't live up to the hype.

Crystal Ball

Betting Fool, San Francisco Chronicle: What have we learned thus far? Oklahoma is not that good.

Jody Demling, Louisville Courier-Journal: Can Kentucky pull the stunner and beat Florida? Don't bet on it.

Fan IQ: The site that tracks the "expert" picks each week and reveals the "real experts" each Monday has a good read on Notre Dame's chances.

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News: An under-rated Michigan State, playing at home, gets the nod over Notre Dame.

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: Trying to rebound off a tough week, he'll take No. 1 Ohio State over Penn State.

Fearless Forecasters, Roanoke Times: The staff of experts take a stab at 20 games of interest.

For the latest lines, check with our sponsor Doc's Sports. And a big thank you to Hester Graphics for all the help making the site look spiffy. Check them out if you have special needs for your site.

Rebel Without a Cause

Maybe this replay thing isn't such a good idea. Just take a look at Nevada Las Vegas coach Mike Sanford after his team's 16-10 loss to Iowa State on Sept. 9 in Ames. Sanford races from the officials' locker room and onto the field in an attempt to persuade a review of the final play, a pass to the Rebels' Aaron Straiten in the back of the end zone. Straiten caught what could have been the game-winning touchdown, but was ruled out of bounds (it turns out the play was reviewed, but word didn't reach Sanford until long after his tirade). In the interim, Sanford kept his team on the field for 15 minutes after the final play in protest. The situation started to turn ugly when Cyclone fans began chanting "Let's go home" to the Rebel players, who were more than eager to respond to the chants. Eventually the Rebels took the fans' advice and headed to the locker room, but each player was escorted to the team bus by police. Thanks to the Midwest Correspondent!

How About a Beer Bong, Senator Kerry?

Iowa, with its first-in-the-nation caucus, is where candidates test their presidential timber. So it should come as no surprise that Senator John Kerry was making the rounds Saturday through the various tailgates before the Iowa State-Iowa game in Iowa City. Now when reader Jacob alerted us to the top photo being on an Iowa message board, we were skeptical that it was another fark job. But after a little investigation, we found the bottom shot available through the website of the Burlington Hawk Eye. Authentic? Certainly appears to be the case.
Update: Thanks to reader Mikey, who found the photo on Wonkette. It was taken by Rodney White of the Des Moines Register.

Number of Plays in a Game Down by 15

Marty from the site cfbstats is back with his statistical wizardry. He is helping us track the impact of rule 3-2-5-e, which is designed to reduce the time of games. The problem is, it's also reducing the number of plays, and anything that results in less college football is not a good thing. Especially when more and more commercials are interrupting play. Again, if you use any of this information, please give credit to cfbstats. It's a terrific site and if you want to see how your team is doing from a statistical standpoint, it's the only place to go.

Overall...G........Plays......Plays/G....Min.......Min/G......Time/G
2005......178.....29736.....167.05.....35593.....199.96.....3:19:58
2006......199.....30261.....152.06.....36988.....185.86.....3:05.52

Here are the five shortest games from Week 3:
Colorado State-Nevada: 2:25
Buffalo-Northern Illinois: 2:34
Western Michigan-Virginia: 2:40
Eastern Michigan-Northwestern: 2:42
North Texas-Tulsa: 2:43

Here are the five longest games from Week 3:
Kansas-Toledo: 4:00
Oklahoma-Oregon: 3:54
Brigham Young-Boston College: 3:50
Michigan-Notre Dame: 3:28
Furman-North Carolina: 3:27

The Human Side of Officials

Gordon Riese, the Pacific 10 Conference replay official who acknowledged making errors in the last minutes of Saturday's Oklahoma-Oregon game, has been granted a leave of absence for the rest of this season. Riese, 64, who earned $400 a game as a replay analyst, told the Associated Press earlier this week he received death threats after the game. "I can't sleep, I can't eat, my blood pressure is skyrocketing." Riese added: "I'm struggling with it. I feel so bad I missed the call, it's driving me crazy." We certainly feel for Riese. Imagine being in his situation, with the world coming down on you. These men make a lot of sacrifices to officiate games. Take Mark Johnson, a back judge who has worked 160 I-A games, including Saturday's Iowa State-Iowa game. "We don't just jump out of a van 10 minutes before kickoff, do the game and go home until the next assignment rolls around," Johnson told Eric Pratt of the Fort Dodge Messenger. "This isn't a few hours a day for one day a week. It's an extensive, exhaustive process." Johnson is a assistant principal at a middle school, is married and has a daughter and son. "It's not always easy. There's no way you could even consider something like this if your family wasn't on board and on the same page. I really appreciate their respect for what I do." Thanks to reader Bruce!

Hey, Aren't You Chris Perry?

Kenny from the site Westside Rider is still recovering from his trip to South Bend, but he was able to regain consciousness long enough to send us some nifty shots from Michigan's bludgeoning of Notre Dame. Among the Maize & Blue faithful was Chris Perry, the former Wolverine running back and current member of the Cincinnati Bengals. There are many other shots to look over. Check them out by clicking here. And if you plan to go to a game this weekend and can provide us with a shot or two, we'd love to hear from you. The address: dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

Reporters' Notebooks

C.J. Spang, Minnesota Daily: A student reporter has a discouraging encounter with Star Tribune columnist Sid Hartman (thanks to the Midwest Correspondent).

Scott Carter, Tampa Tribune: A Florida State alum, upset over the team's fall from the elite, has started Retire Coach Bowden.

Tom Oates, Wisconsin State Journal: If the Miami job opens, don't look for former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez to apply.

Molly Yanity, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Oklahoma is threatening to back out of its 2008 game at Washington if the Pac-10 doesn't change its policy regarding officials.

Dave Hickman, Charleston Gazette: West Virginia running back Steve Slaton is playing with a painful injury to his right wrist.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Suddenly, Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is no longer known as LLLLLoyd Carr (subscription, story is in comments).

Paul Buker, Oregonian: Former Oregon State coach Dennis Erickson brings his Idaho team to Corvallis and some Beaver fans would like him back on their sideline.

Steve Sneddon, Reno Gazette-Journal: Reno mayor Bob Cashell wants area businesses to close early so fans can get to Nevada's home game against Northwestern, scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Pacific.

Reid Hanley, Chicago Tribune: The Big Ten is looking more and more like the Big Two and the Little How Many? (registration).

Bob Clark, Eugene Register-Guard: The biggest potential challenge ahead for USC could come from an attorney's office.

Greg Wallace, Anderson Independent-Mail: Clemson has announced that a trust fund has been set up to help defensive back Ray Ray McElrathbey raise his 11-year-old brother.

Luciana Chavez, Raleigh News & Observer: Duke is trying anything to get a victory. The latest is computer simulation to help prepare the Blue Devils for games (registration).

Mike Knobler, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Tech will wear throwback jerseys in Thursday night's game against Virginia (registration).

Michelle Hiskey, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Maybe this is Colorado's problem: Ralphie IV, the Buffaloes' mascot, is a girl (registration).

Tim Gayle, Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama coach Mike Shula says Tyrone Prothro's third surgery is "not a setback."

Lee Barfknecht, Omaha World-Herald: It's clear that the Big 12 is suffering through a power outage.

Replay Official Was Involved in 'The Play'

A replay official involved in Saturday's Oklahoma-Oregon game was the line judge in the 1982 Stanford-California game that ended in "The Play." Gordon Riese, the lead replay official on Saturday, was on the field in the 1982 game. This development comes from Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News. The Pacific 10 Conference issued one-game suspensions Monday to the field officials and instant replay crew, but the result — a 34-33 Oregon victory — will stand. "Errors clearly were made and not corrected, and for that we apologize to the University of Oklahoma, coach Bob Stoops and his players," Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen said in a statement. Former Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill ripped into the officials during a speaking engagement in Montgomery. "The officials on the field, they're human. They make mistakes," he said. "One game for them is right. But the replay officials, they should be suspended for the year. Because you do not miss those two calls with the 11 [camera] angles he had to look at. That guy had every angle to look at those plays, and he still missed it. I'm in the studio. I know." Sherrill is a college football studio analyst for FSN South.

Reporters' Notebooks

Larry Stewart, Los Angeles Times: USC officials have complained to ESPN about a disclosure by ABC's Brent Musburger of what they consider privileged information.

John Koblin, New York Times: Rutgers is facing big cuts in its budget and has cancelled hundreds of classes, but the football team has helped ease the pain (registration).

Doug Segrest, Birmingham News: A look back at the winners and losers of a memorable weekend.

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska's Bill Callahan is defending his conservative play calling against USC.

Robbie Andreu, Gainesville Sun: Turns out some comments made by ESPN's Lee Corso got the Florida defense fired up for its game against Tennessee.

Phil Stukenborg, Commercial Appeal: Joe Lee Dunn was fired as defensive coordinator at Memphis (registration).

Mike Huguenin, Orlando Sentinel: One thing is clear after "Showdown Saturday." USC, although young, is to be feared.

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The SEC is showing its strength and the ACC is in a world of hurt (registration).

Jim Young, Greensboro News-Record: North Carolina State coach Chuck Amato wants to know why the critics are always picking on him.

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: A 1-2 start appears to be having an impact on prep players who are considering Miami (registration).

Bill Sanders, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Miami coach Larry Coker was a no-show Monday at a gathering in Atlanta at which he was to be the keynote speaker (registration).

Chris Dempsey, Denver Post: There is little to like about the play of Big 12 teams thus far.

Terry Hutchens, Indianapolis Star: Indiana is using a high-tech device to monitor players for concussions.

Doug Lesmerises, Cleveland Plain Dealer: Crewcut Charlie Weis doesn't have much practice licking wounds, but his Notre Dame team was left bloodied by Michigan.

Jake Curtis, San Francisco Chronicle: USC is very hard to please and Duke is just glad to be alive.

Ken Goe, Oregonian: Washington State quarterback Alex Brink is taking the brunt of the criticism for the Cougars' struggles.

Desmond Conner, Hartford Courant: The Big East was once thought to be unworthy of its BCS affiliation. Now it has the upper hand.

Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Advertiser: Hawaii defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville missed the bus after the Rainbows' 42-13 victory over Nevada Las Vegas.

Rob Biertempfel, Tribune-Review: My Space and Facebook continue to present problems for coaches and athletic administrators.

Turns Out, Oregon Didn't Recover the Ball

How complete was the screwjob Oklahoma got at Oregon? Take a look at this video. On the disputed onside kick, you will see that even though Oregon is awarded the ball, it is recovered by Oklahoma's Allen Patrick, who simply scoops it up after it pops out of the scrum. Amazing. ... Said Sooner coach Bob Stoops: "I see my guy stepping up inside of 10 yards to go up and gain reception, gain possession of the football, I see their guy go in front of him and hit the football before my guy is allowed to at 10 yards and I see him collide with my guy inside of 10 yards as well. That's illegal touching and interfering with the reception. And then I see my guy get up with the football that's laying on the ground." While the Sooners cry about this, they might want to turn their attention to the defense, which gave up 501 yards to the Ducks. In other words, learn how to finish a tackle. As for Oregon, it's a good thing the Ducks have a week off. The last victory of this magnitude in Eugene came in 2003, when Oregon beat Michigan, 31-27. The Ducks followed it up with a 55-16 loss to Washington State at Autzen Stadium.
Update: The Pac-10 suspended for one game the officiating crew and instant replay officials that worked the Oklahoma-Oregon game.

Barnett Feels 'a Little Vindication'

Former Colorado coach Gary Barnett told the Colorado Springs Gazette said he has mixed feelings over the Buffaloes' stumbling start under new coach Dan Hawkins. "I hurt for the kids," he said. "Those are my guys. I know the talent that we have there, the maturity and the leadership, and I want those guys to get everything they deserve, and I want them to play in the [Big 12] Championship Game again. Then, on the other side, I got taken out of that situation. I got removed from it and someone else made that decision. Part of me felt a little vindication because of it." From Barnett's perspective, there is no shortage of talent at Boulder. "There's plenty of talent there," he said. Barnett, 60, is not sure if his coaching days are over, but when asked about the possibility of succeeding Fisher DeBerry at Air Force, he appeared interested. "Fisher and I are very close, so who knows. I don’t know about that one. . . . I’ve always had great respect for that program and institution."

USC's Jarrett, Image of Sport Score Again

USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett was a man among boys Saturday night, catching 11 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the Trojans' 28-10 victory over Nebraska. This crisp image of Jarrett comes to us from Image of Sport, a premium photo service for daily newspapers, editorial publications and websites. If you're looking for the right image or just love good sports photography, check out Image of Sport's gallery. It's top-notch photography. Image of Sport is also located on the links list, under Sponsored Links.

Once Again, Iowa Is the Hawkeye State

Two fantastic images sent to us by Tony, who attended Saturday's Iowa State-Iowa game in Iowa City. The top photo is a shot of the Kinnick Stadium Jumbotron as the Hawkeye captains lead the rest of the team from the locker rooms to the field. The second image shows the Hawkeyes as they swarm the field moments before kickoff. Iowa, which had lost six of eight games to Iowa State, prevailed, 27-17. In two weeks, Iowa plays host to Ohio State in a night game. Should be a wild scene.

Week 4

There's still time to get your copy of Doc's Sports Journal, a must for those who follow the gaming end of college and pro football. It's a 120-page schedule booklet that also contains helpful articles and statistics. You can get a copy by going to this link. Doc's is one of our sponsors and we urge you to check out their site. By the way, Doc's correctly picked the over on the Kansas-Toledo game last Friday. As for this week's games, the action begins Thursday with Virginia at Georgia Tech. On Friday, we have Northwestern at Nevada. The Saturday schedule includes Wisconsin at Michigan, Penn State at Ohio State, Arizona State at California and Notre Dame at Michigan State. Check out all the numbers by clicking here.

Michigan's Punishing Victory at South Bend

It was a glorious Saturday in South Bend, and the big, bad Wolverines were in town. When it was over, Michigan had a memorable 47-21 victory over Notre Dame, the most points given up by the Fighting Irish at home since a 51-19 loss to Purdue on Oct. 1, 1960. Brendan of the excellent site Irish Trojan sent some terrific photos, and there are more where these came from. Additional shots can be viewed by clicking here.

Quack Calls Do In the Sooners

Officially, Oregon defeated Oklahoma, 34-33. But the Ducks could not have prevailed without two calls in the final 66 seconds that went against the Sooners (video). The plays in question — an onside kick and a subsequent pass interference call — brought back memories of the Sooners' loss last season at Texas Tech, when a series of calls went against Oklahoma in a 23-21 loss. This latest gut-wrenching loss has Sooner fans in an uproar and the players believing that a victory was snatched away by the officials. Oregon players, of course, have a different opinion. Oklahoma did have a chance to win, but a field goal attempt was blocked on the final play. (Some registration).

Columnists' Corner

Buck Harvey, San Antonio Express-News: Texas A&M's Dennis Franchione didn't lose a game or his job Saturday night, but he's on his way to doing both.

Bob Kravitz, Indianapolis Star: The honeymoon is over for Notre Dame's Charlie Weis and the clock on the Crewcut Era officially began to tick.

Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press: Michigan's victory is what salesmen call "value added" — like getting a free airline ticket and then being bumped to first class.

Israel Gutierrez, Miami Herald: It wasn't the end of Larry Coker's tale at Miami, but the final scene is painfully predictable (registration).

T.J. Simers, Los Angeles Times: It could have been worse for Nebraska's Bill Callahan. He could've woken up on Sunday and still been the coach of the Raiders.

Bud Withers, Seattle Times: Washington's victory over Fresno State could mark the turning point in the program.

Mark Purdy, San Jose Mercury News: Now all Stanford has to do is field a competitive team to play in its remodeled stadium.

Rick Bozich, Louisville Courier-Journal: A huge victory and a huge loss. Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm is out three to six weeks because of a thumb injury.

David Climer, Tennessean: Tennessee is separating itself from the upper crust in the SEC East, but the Volunteers are moving in the wrong direction.

Joe Starkey, Tribune-Review: The plain truth: Pittsburgh isn't ready to play with the big boys.

Jeff Jacobs, Hartford Courant: Connecticut's surprising loss to Wake Forest revealed that the Huskies have a lot of work to do.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: Auburn's Tommy Tuberville is the SEC's best big-game coach.

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: Needing money sometimes means getting clobbered. Just ask Alabama Birmingham what it feels like.

Ferd Lewis, Honolulu Advertiser: Hawaii safety Leonard Peters, a sixth-year senior, was a man on a mission in the Rainbows' 42-13 victory over Nevada Las Vegas.

How Clemson Fans Play the Money Game

Last we checked, it was illegal to deface currency, but rules are meant to be broken and it appears Clemson fans have been breaking rules in a big, big way for 30 years. Clemson faithful who invaded Boston last week left their mark with $2 bills stamped with the Tiger Paw logo. The locals took notice. Boston College officials are now considering putting Eagle stamps on dollar bills or larger denominations. The reason behind leaving a money trail is to reinforce the economic power that Tiger fans bring to an area. This in turn can enhance the team's reputation in the bowl community. It seems to work. Example: Last season Boston College defeated Clemson and had a better record than the Tigers. But when bowl assignments were handed out, Clemson was sent to sunny Florida and Boston College was shipped to Boise. Thanks to the Sporting Gnomes.

Graphic Evidence of an Intense Rivalry

Bill Penisten of The Daily Iowan, the student newspaper at Iowa, captures what a rivalry is all about in his graphic titled "Grudge Match" for the Iowa State-Iowa game. In the process, Penisten gets in a few light-hearted jabs at the visiting Cyclones. You can view a larger version of the graphic by clicking here, or by clicking on the image itself. This is one of the under-rated rivalries in college football, and although the Hawkeyes have experienced more success in recent seasons, the Cyclones have won six of the last eight games in the series. Iowa State officials decided to drive home that fact with a billboard this summer that was put up outside of Iowa City. As for predictions for Saturday, one writer says this is Iowa's game to win. Thanks to the Midwest Correspondent and Bruce for the tips!

Hit Us With Your Best Shot

This is your chance to be a playa. If you are headed to a game this weekend and happen to have a camera in tow, we'd be interested in photos from the scene. Ground rules? We really have none. Send us shots from your tailgate party, cheerleaders, the band, mascots, the view from the top row of the stadium, the view from the press box ... hey, even shots of the game will do! It's also a good way to get a cheap pop for your website or any other cause you feel like promoting (within reason, of course). Just remember to include a brief description with the photo. The address: dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

Reporters' Notebooks

Rick Cleveland, Clarion Ledger: Not everybody is upset over shorter games. If you're a newspaper columnist, it is cause for celebration. Thanks to Richard.

David Wharton and Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times: USC's involvement is key to the Reggie Bush case.

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News: Big 12 Insider. Five of the conference's teams will be underdogs on Saturday.

Ian R. Rapoport, Birmingham News: Alabama has ceased its recruitment of a prep player who faces armed robbery charges. He had narrowed his list of schools to Alabama and Ohio State. Thanks to Crazy Tider!

Tommy Hicks, Mobile Press-Register: All the talk is about LSU-Auburn and Florida-Tennessee, but let's not overlook other games involving SEC teams on Saturday.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: The LSU-Auburn game is important, but for the winner, it will only create the potential for a bigger game later in the season.

Joseph Person, Columbia State: A criminal charge against South Carolina quarterback Blake Mitchell has been dropped.

Game of the Week

Can he do it again? Can the nation's hottest handicapper keep his perfect record in place? There's a lot of pressure being No. 1, but fearless forecaster Mark Mathis has been up to the task, nailing winners the first two weeks of the season, including last week's biggie between Ohio State and Texas. Now he faces his biggest test yet: Louisiana State at Auburn. This is a toughie folks and frankly, there are easier games on the board. But their are no creampuffs on Mathis' schedule, no I-AA opponents to fatten up the winning percentage. So let's listen in on what the man has to say about this classic SEC tilt:

"When I think of Alabama football I don’t think Auburn. Sadly for Auburn, neither does the rest of the country. They are kind of like the fat ugly baby no one wants to look at but they have to. Or, they are more like the uncle you never speak of because he is gay (not that anything is wrong with that). The Tigers could run the table this year and not be in the title hunt. Oh well!

I will always love LSU, because the greatest recruiting trip I ever went on was to Baton Rouge. Trust me when I say that Louisiana women are the best! This one is a tough one, but to keep the winning streak alive I am going with Auburn, 21-20! It will be a party worth watching at Jordan-Hare Stadium! Beautiful but hot weather for the game. Look for a kickoff temperature of 87 degrees under mostly sunny conditions and a very light north wind! It should be fun!"

Andrew Lopez, Times-Picayune: A look at some of the memorable games between the teams.

Randy Rosetta, Baton Rouge Advocate: Despite missing five of six field goals the last time the teams played, Auburn's John Vaughn says he's ready this time.

Mobile Press-Register: It's a high-stakes game, but Auburn's Tommy Tuberville indicates he's ready to roll the dice.

John Pruett, Huntsville Times: A professor emeritus of history at Auburn says football at the university has gotten too big.

Football Saturday in the South: Blogging it from deep in the heart of Dixie. Everything you wanted to know about the game but were afraid to ask.

Playing In the Band

Stanford is ready to unveil its $100 million stadium renovation Saturday against Navy, but not everybody is invited. The school's marching band has been banned from the game. In July, members allegedly vandalized an on-campus trailer that had served as the band's temporary home while it waited to move into a state-of-the-art $2.8 million facility. The damage, estimated at $50,000, led to the suspension. In addition, the Santa Clara County District Attorney is reportedly considering criminal charges against several band members. Now the Stanford band has a long list of infractions, including a suspension for urinating on the field. And in 1991, at Notre Dame, a band member dressed as a nun and conducted the band with a crucifix instead of a baton.

Crystal Ball

Betting Fool, San Francisco Chronicle: The Fool says Texas Christian's 12-game winning streak is about to end.

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News: You think Michigan will upset Notre Dame? Think again.

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: Yet another prognosticator takes a stab at the Michigan-Notre Dame game.

Dan Hinxman, Reno Gazette-Journal: The pros bounced back last week in the Great Handicapper's Challenge.

Jody Demling, Louisville Courier-Journal: Call it what you want, but when the smoke clears on Saturday, Louisville will have beaten Miami.

Fan IQ: Terrific site tracks the "expert" picks each week, tracks the results and reveals the "real experts" on Monday.

For the latest lines, check with our sponsor Doc's Sports. And a big thank you to Hester Graphics for the 3-D images.

Iowa's Fry Feared Assassin in 1982

Former Iowa coach Hayden Fry revealed that he was the target of a death threat in 1982 and wore a bulletproof vest on the sideline, the Des Moines Register reported. Assistants first noticed a change in Fry when he walked out on the field for a game at Nebraska wearing black pants. Fry always wore white pants. "I asked him what the deal was, and Hayden said that he was wearing black pants so he could blend in on the sidelines because someone was trying to kill him," said Iowa State coach Dan McCarney, a former assistant under Fry. The man who made the threat was later institutionalized and has since died. Only a handful of people knew of the threat. "We tried to keep it a secret because we thought publicity might set the guy off," Fry said. "The authorities were searching for him." ... It's a big week in the state of Iowa, as Iowa State travels to Iowa City to play the Hawkeyes, and Ron Maly is keeping tabs of the developments.

All Eyes on Notre Dame's Quinn

Outsports has fired up its entertaining college football coverage. The gay site's panel of experts — Rob Rochholz, Richie Weldon and Micah Kushner — were asked who were the hottest players in the nation (question No. 5). Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, right, topped the lists submitted by Rochholz and Kushner. Of Quinn, Rochholz said, "Hot face, hot body, great player." ... Weldon also has his Week 2 recap and Todd Heustess' tailgate tour is back with the first stop Saturday in Columbus where Cincinnati plays Ohio State. Thanks to Jim Davidson of the O-Zone for the image.

Reporters' Notebooks

Joseph Person and Devon Marrow, Columbia State: Steve Spurrier wasn't kidding. There will be changes in the South Carolina offense. Quarterback Blake Mitchell was arrested after a fight at the Five Points bar and has been suspended indefinitely. Reaction.

Paul Strelow, Columbia State: Clemson offensive lineman Nathan Bennett and Roman Fry will not face serious charges in the accidental death of assistant track coach Jarrett Foster.

Kevin Tatum, Philadelphia Inquirer: After being penalized nine scholarships in March because of its subpar rating in the Academic Progress Report, Temple has had those scholarships restored.

Terry Hutchens, Indianapolis Star: Brain surgery performed on Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner was called a success.

Detroit News: Former Michigan State coach George Perles, running as a Democrat for Michigan's Board of Trustees, has gotten a rude welcome to politics.

Columbia State: The paper takes a look around the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences.

Chip Alexander, Raleigh News & Observer: The bill for the damage caused by a burst water pipe at North Carolina State's Murphy Football Center will run about $250,000 (registration).

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: North Carolina State's Chuck Amato took the low road after his team lost to tiny Akron (registration).

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News: USC has Denzel Washington, Henry Winkler and Snoop Dogg. Nebraska? It has Larry the Cable Guy.

Anthony Gimino, Tucson Citizen: It's revenge week for Pac-10 teams, who finally have some home cooking after playing a series of road games.

Craig Smith, Seattle Times: Washington State plans to continue to play one "home" game each season at Seattle's Qwest Field.

Las Vegas Review-Journal: A look at the Mountain West Conference from top to bottom.

Michael C. Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune: Even Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson can't solve the mess over the conference's new television network.

Chris Low, Tennessean: Tennessee defensive tackle Justin Harrell has a ruptured left biceps tendon, but will postpone surgery to play his final college game against Florida.

Columnists' Corner

Mike Wise, Washington Post: There is a reason West Virginia could be unfairly shut out of the BCS title game even if the Mountaineers stay undefeated: the Big East (registration).

John Brasier, Anderson Independent-Mail: There's no excuse for Clemson to lose at weaponless Florida State.

Frank Dascenzo, Durham Herald-Sun: Numbers can tell you a lot. Example: 1, the number of victories combined for North Carolina, North Carolina State and Duke two weeks into the season.

Dick Weiss, New York Daily News: Michigan may be the winningest team in I-A, but lately it has had Carr trouble.

Joe Biddle, Tennessean: So far, so good for Phillip Fulmer's rebuilding project. Now comes the real test for the Tennessee coach.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: Nebraska's visit to USC will be a measuring stick of a makeover of the Cornhusker program.

Jim Polzin, Capital Times: From the looks of things, Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema wants to tie one on.

Paradise Is No Place to Play Football

More than any college trip, the one to Hawaii presents the most bizarre challenges to the visiting team. And it's not only the plane ride. In 1995, Ted Tollner was the coach of San Diego State. He brought his team to Oahu for a game and decided the team should stay in a resort hotel on a remote section of the North Shore to avoid all the temptations of Honolulu. On the afternoon the Aztecs arrived, they were greeted with a large banner draped over the hotel's entrance: Welcome to the Miss Hawaiian Tropic Pageant. This Saturday, travel-weary Nevada Las Vegas makes the trip to Honolulu, a week after playing Iowa State in Ames.

Reporters' Notebooks

Michael Wallace, Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom, who lashed back at critics, has been reprimanded — by his wife.

Collin Mickle, Opelika-Auburn News: So, ESPN's "GameDay" is headed to L.A. instead of Auburn. It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact CBS has the rights to the LSU-Auburn game?

Ira Berkow, New York Times: Terrific piece on Clemson's Ray Ray McElrathbey, who received a rare waiver from the NCAA that will allow him to get assistance in raising his 11-year-old brother (registration).

Chip Alexander, Raleigh News & Observer: It has gone from bad to worse for North Carolina State. A water pipe burst in the building that houses the coaches' officies, weight room, meeting room and main locker room (registration).

Kevin Van Valkenburg, Baltimore Sun: West Virginia's Steve Slaton, who was stood up by Maryland, is ready to make the Terrapins pay (registration).

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: Three South Florida starters have been suspended and won't play in Saturday's game at Central Florida.

Patrick Finley, Arizona Daily Star: Different strokes for different folks. Pac-10 coaches talk about their logic behind scheduling nonconference games.

Bob Clark, Eugene Register-Guard: Discontent is growing on The Farm, where Stanford has stumbled and tumbled to an 0-2 start.

Robin Washut and Dirk Chatelain, Omaha World-Herald: Nebraska cornerback Andre Jones says the Cornhuskers will beat USC, and 300 season tickets to Trojans games were sold to people with Nebraska zip codes.

Natalie Meisler, Denver Post: Quarterbacks in the Mountain West Conference are having trouble staying healthy.

Dave Reardon, Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Hawaii has decided against renewing its rivalry with Brigham Young in favor of a home game against Oregon State.

Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman: Boise State might be on its way to a 12-0 season, but the Broncos are not impressing voters in the Associated Press poll.

Columnists' Corner

Bob Kravitz, Indianapolis Star: By now, Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner knows a little bit too much about mortality, having lost friend Randy Walker, seeing Ben Roethlisberger injured in a motorcycle accident and now facing a second round of brain surgery.

Steve Dilbeck, L.A. Daily News: It has come to this for USC: Nonconference games have become more important than Pac-10 games.

John Hunt, Oregonian: If Oregon is ever going to beat Oklahoma, this would appear to be the year.

Pete DiPrimio, Fort Wayne News-Sentinel: Will somebody please bad-mouth the Notre Dame defense? Ask them to wear dresses, bring up last season's Fiesta Bowl.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Alabama has defeated Don Ho U. and Vandy, but the Crimson Tide's 2-0 record is misleading.

Wally Hall, Northwest Arkansas Times: What's this? James Street and Bob McKay, two of the main players in Texas' 15-14 victory over Arkansas in 1969, getting a standing ovation in Little Rock?

Mitch Vingle, Charleston Gazette: Big East teams are creating quite a buzz with their flashy play in nonconference games.

How Much Shorter Are the Games?

Many have been asking how much time has been shaved off games because of rule 3-2-5-e. To get the answer, we went to the man, Marty of cfbstats.com. We once again ask that you give his site full credit if you plan to use any of this information and remind you that his site is also listed on the right under "Sponsored Links."

Overall...G........Plays......Plays/G....Min.......Min/G......Time/G
2005......119.....19837.....166.70.....23824.....200.20.....3:20:12
2006......137......20837....152.09.....25497.....186.11.....3:06.07

Here are the five shortest games from Week 1:

Army-Arkansas State: 2:30
Minnesota-Kent State: 2:36
Northwestern-Miami (Ohio): 2:43
William & Mary-Maryland: 2:43
Appalachian State-North Carolina State: 2:45

Here are the five longest games from Week 1:

Toledo-Iowa State: 3:38
USC-Arkansas: 3:35
Stanford-Oregon: 3:31
Florida Atlantic-Clemson: 3:29
Brigham Young vs. Arizona: 3:22

Later tonight we will have the shortest and longest games from Week 2. We would also like to call attention to the best piece we've seen to date on the rule changes designed to shorten games by cutting down on the number of plays. Phil Mushnick of the New York Post simply nails it. A must read. Thanks to the Midwest Correspondent.

Here are the five shortest games from Week 2:

Toledo-Western Michigan: 2:27
New Hampshire-Northwestern: 2:35
Southern Methodist-North Texas: 2:35
Chattanooga-Memphis: 2:44
Middle Tennessee State-Maryland: 2:46

Here are the five longest games from Week 2:

Tulsa-Brigham Young: 4:04
Clemson-Boston College: 4:00
Iowa-Syracuse: 3:45
Hofstra-Marshall: 3:45
Oregon-Fresno State: 3:42

Happy Times at Chestnut Hill

Quite the scene Saturday night at Alumni Stadium in Boston, where Boston College defeated Clemson, 34-33, in overtime. This short video shows the hysteria after Boston College scored and then kicked the game-winning extra point.

Columnists' Corner

Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune: You have questions? He has answers, even if Crewcut Charlie Weis is in a grumpy mood.

Mike Downey, Chicago Tribune: New Hampshire's victory over Northwestern is being called the greatest athletic conquest in the history of the university.

Frank Dascenzo, Durham Herald-Sun: North Carolina, North Carolina State and Duke. Put them together and you might have a winner.

Mike Huguenin, Orlando Sentinel: Last year it was Vince Young. This year it is Troy Smith. Unless something unexpected happens, the Buckeyes look to go 12-0.

Reporters' Notebooks

Eric Boynton, Spartanburg Herald-Journal: The NCAA says Clemson cornerback Ray Ray McElrathbey will be allowed to receive help in raising his 11-year-old brother.

A.J. Carr, Raleigh News & Observer: The ACC says game over, even though a photo appeared to show that Akron failed to score on the last play of the game against North Carolina State (registration).

Marlon W. Morgan, Commercial Appeal: Mississippi is one of six teams ranked 100th or lower in offense and defense.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: How did college football exist for so long without overtimes to settle ties? (subscription, so story is in comments).

Andy Staples, Tampa Tribune: Ten things you need to know about the Florida-Tennessee rivalry.

Mike Kern, Philadelphia Daily News: What you might have missed from the second week of the season.

Chip Scoggins, Minneapolis Star Tribune: No decision has been made regarding the Oct. 7 Penn State-Minnesota game, which might have to be moved to Oct. 5 or Nov. 25.

George Schroeder, Oklahoman: Nike founder Phil Knight helped build Oregon athletics to a level Oklahoma State hopes to pass (registration).

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune: The Big 12 is in for a rough weekend. Several league teams face stern tests on the road.

Suzanne Halliburton, Austin American-Statesman: Texas is trying to figure out what went wrong against Ohio State (registration).

Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News: Two Texas players who were suspended have been reinstated to the team.

Scott Wolf, L.A. Daily News: A former USC player and current administrative advisor has moved into an apartment complex where several players live to make sure there are no problems this season.

Scripps Howard News Service: How about this? New Hampshire, which beat Northwestern, is ranked sixth in this week's Matthews/Scripps Howard computer rankings.

All USC, All the Time

It's a labor of love for USC fan Ken Romig, who has put together a Flash presentation for 2006 that is second to none. It's the seventh consecutive year Romig has devoted a good chunk of his time to such a project, and it's doubtful fans or marketing departments of any team can top his productions. Here is a link to his past efforts and a look at his classic dig at rival UCLA.

Columnists' Corner

Pete Thamel, New York Times: A look at the seven games between teams ranked in the Associated Press top 25 this Saturday (registration).

Chris Dufrense, Los Angeles Times: By not playing this past weekend, USC once again proved it is the best team in the Pacific 10.

Barker Davis, Washington Times: After two weeks, it's clear that Ohio State and Notre Dame are the best teams in the land.

John Niyo, Detroit News: Never underestimate the value of a senior quarterback in a big game, especially on the road.

Norman Chad, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: The Couch Slouch says intercollegiate athletics should be abolished.

Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune: If Notre Dame stops Michigan's running game, the Fighting Irish likely will be 11-0 entering the finale at USC.

Jeff Rice, Centre Daily Times: For those who are gluttons for punishment, here's a rundown of what Penn State needs to fix and fix fast.

David Whitley, Orlando Sentinel: Who needs Tim Tebow when you have Chris Leak? In other words, there is no quarterback controversy at Florida, at least this week.

Doug Segrest, Birmingham News: A look back at the snapshots from an entertaining Week 2.

Week 3

There's still time for you to get Doc's Sports Journal, a 120-page booklet that will guide you through the season. You can get a copy by clicking here. Doc's is one of our loyal sponsors and we encourage you to visit their site. The week starts Thursday with Maryland traveling to West Virginia. On Friday, Kansas travels to Toledo. Saturday features Florida at Tennessee, Oklahoma at Oregon, Miami at Louisville, Michigan at Notre Dame, Nebraska at USC and Louisiana State at Auburn, just to name a few. Check out all the lines here. And for the pro football crowd, all the numbers are available here.

Reporters' Notebooks

Chris Low, Tennessean: Tennessee's defense took a beating against Air Force, and starters Justin Harrell (defensive tackle) and Inky Johnson (cornerback) have been lost for the season. Johnson's injury could be career threatening.

Joseph Person, Columbia State: South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier says changes are ahead for his struggling offense.

Robbie Neiswanger, Clarion Ledger: It's back to reality for Mississippi Madman Ed Orgeron after a humbling loss at Missouri.

Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News: The heat is on. Southern Methodist's athletic director has given the old vote of confidence in the ability of coach Phil Bennett (registration).

Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera: The rats are jumping off the ship at Colorado. Quarterback Brian White, whose claim to fame was leading a touchdown drive against Clemson in the Champs Sports Bowl, is leaving the team (registration).

Chip Scoggins, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota's loss at California should rank right up there with getting a root canal.

Michael Rothstein, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Notre Dame coach Crewcut Charlie Weis talks about how his life was shaken by 9-11.

Matthew Aguilar, El Paso Times: Texas El Paso coach Mike Price is trying to gather his emotions after a narrow loss to Texas Tech.

Iliana Limon, Albuquerque Tribune: A collection of jokes readers submitted for the rivalry between New Mexico and New Mexico State.

South Bend Tribune: A man was arrested on the Notre Dame campus in connection with a ticket counterfeiting scheme.

This Year's Game of the Decade

One can only imagine the super-charged atmosphere at Memorial Stadium in Austin minutes before kickoff between Ohio State and Texas. Matt of the site Lmfanzon provided us a glimpse of the scene, and we get another look at "Godzillatron," the $8 million scoreboard. If you have a shot you want to share from Saturday, please send it to dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

Lee Corso Is Still a Penis

You've seen the photo, now check out the video. Lee Corso talks during a College "GameDay" segment before last year's Georgia-Florida game at Jacksonville and a fan holds up a sign that says it all. The site Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer later got an interview with the fan. Thanks to reader Ken!

Cover Two

For the fan who has everything, you can now get a customized team-logo air conditioner. Over 60 team styles are available. We thank Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer for this.

Columnists' Corner

John Henderson, Denver Post: Guess Ohio State coach Jim Tressel knows who he'll vote No. 1 this week.

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State students celebrated the victory by setting a series of fires on campus. Slideshow.

Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star: Despite the loss, Texas remains the team to beat in the Big 12 (registration).

Curt McKeever, Lincoln Journal Star: Now that it knows the rout to L.A. after a 56-7 woodshed beating of Nicholls State, Nebraska can turn its attention to USC.

Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: Oklahoma has fixed its quarterback problems for a week, so it can now look to repair a leaking defense (registration).

Dick Kelly, Ames Tribune: A controversial ending to the Nevada Las Vegas-Iowa State game had Rebel players protesting the outcome on the field for 15 minutes after the final play.

Terry Foster, Detroit News: The audition is over for Michigan. Up next will be the Wolverines' first true test in Notre Dame.

Bob Kravitz, Indianapolis Star: Notre Dame haters — and you know who you are — say hello to your worst nightmare.

Bud Poliquin, Syracuse Post-Standard: Syracuse won't get many chances like this against a likely overrated opponent that mismanaged the clock and continued to throw the ball despite four interceptions.

Greg Hansen, Arizona Daily Star: Promise, the step backward Arizona took in a 45-3 loss at Louisiana State will be forgotten by October.

Ray Ratto, San Francisco Chronicle: It's only two games into the season, but California has a split personality.

Mark Tupper, Decatur Herald & Review: Worst team in the Big Ten? It has to be Illinois.

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: Auburn began planning for the showdown against Louisiana State months ago.

Bruins Enjoy Large Serving of Rice

Reader Jack has a nice angle on the action at the Rose Bowl. He fired off several shots of UCLA's victory Saturday night against Rice. His work is often featured at the entertaining Trojan-Haters Club/Beat SC.

Colorado Football: 1890-2006

People take this stuff seriously, don't they? After Colorado lost to Montana State in the opener, a Buffaloes fan decided to put together a video obit. Colorado State paid its (dis)respects Saturday by tossing more dirt on the grave with a 14-10 victory over their rivals. As for Montana State, the Bobcats came crashing back to reality. Dreaded Chadron State marched into Bozeman and stunned Montana State, 35-24. Thanks to the Midwest Correspondent.

Mack Brown Explains

No, Mack isn't discussing Texas' humbling loss to Ohio State that ended the Longhorns' winning streak at 21 games. This is something entirely different. New York City resident and Texas alum Carl, who said he was a critic of the Texas coach during the Longhorns' five-game losing streak to rival Oklahoma, decided to repent his sins after last season's run to the national championship. So he put this creation together in a You Tube video, which you can view by clicking here.

Crewcut Charlie: Aloof and Arrogant

Notre Dame coach Crewcut Charlie Weis might be the big man on campus these days, but he certainly is not the big man in the coaching fraternity. Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer says Weis is winning games, but not many friends. Jensen also makes note of a CBS Sportline column that said Weis "wasn't too willing to mingle with the Little People." It's our guess he probably doesn't like to mingle with the Village People, either. ... Now it's not all bad for old Crewcut. Jensen points out two bold decisions by Weis that helped the Fighting Irish win their opener. And others care dearly about Crewcut. Check out Weis Watchers, a site dedicated to helping Crewcut drop a few pounds. "When Weis Loses, N.D. Wins in the Long Run!"

You Can Call the Shots Around Here

Want a share your Saturday shenanigans with the world? Send us a photo of your football experience. In case you haven't figured it out, we have no standards, so there's a good chance it will run. It's also a good way to get a cheap pop for your website or any other cause you feel like promoting (within reason, of course). We had several terrific shots last week from Tennessee, Auburn, Texas, UCLA and Arkansas. Keep them coming! The address: dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

UCLA Fans, Please Explain

USC fan Mike sent us a link to 8 Clap Sports. "This is so bad and funny on so many levels I can't begin to explain it in an email," he writes. Well, it is so bad and funny that we can't explain it in one posting. The Wiz is just an innocent bystander in this war between USC and UCLA (in other words, we won't take sides), but we do have one question for the Bruins in the audience: Why?

SEC Can Begin Crackdown on Cowbells

Although the NCAA had eliminated a rule that allowed officials to assess a penalty if an offense was unable to call signals because of noise, the governing body has granted the Southeastern Conference a waiver to put the penalty structure back into place. Talk about consistency in the rules book, eh? This means the SEC can once again try to silence cowbells used by Mississippi State fans, beginning with Saturday's game against Auburn in Starkville. The first time a referee detects significant use of the artificial noisemakers, he will issue a warning through the public address system. If a second incident occurs, a five-yard penalty will be assessed against the offending team. Any subsequent incidents will result in 15-yard penalties.

Online Gambling Hit Again by Feds

More shockwaves in the online gambling business. Peter Dicks, the chairman of the London-based Sportingbet PLC, was arrested at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport after he arrived on an overseas flight. He was held on a criminal warrant issued by the state of Louisiana. The company asked the London Stock Exchange, where its stock is listed, to halt trading in its shares. The arrest of Dicks follows the July 17 arrest of David Carruthers, then the chief executive of Bet On Sports, during a layover at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Carruthers remains under house arrest in a St. Louis suburb and is awaiting trial early next year. The company discharged Carruthers and has closed its U.S. operation. Gambling law experts said the arrests underscored an intensified government attack on Internet gambling at a time when the customer base was expanding rapidly. It is not illegal under U.S. law for Americans to make online bets, but federal prosecutors maintain that it is illegal for online operators to solicit or accept them. So will the aggressive moves shut down online gambling? Doubtful, according to Nelson Rose, a gambling law expert at Whittier Law School. "It's pretty clear you can't prevent it completely — the Internet was designed to survive a nuclear war."

Crystal Ball

Dan Hinxman, Reno Gazette-Journal: Not a great start for the Handicapper's Challenge, as the four experts all lost.

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express News: A look at what to expect in games involving top 25 and Big 12 teams.

Jody Demling, Louisville Courier-Journal: Tough start, with a 3-4-1 in the opening week.

Fearless Forecasters, Roanoke Times: The panel of experts puts it on the line for Week 2.

For the latest lines, check with our friends at Doc's Sports. Thanks to Hester Graphics for the 3-D image.

Game of the Week

The eyes of Texas and the eyes of the nation will be on Austin Saturday night when Ohio State and Texas square off. A game of this magnitude requires the expertise of weatherman extraordinaire Mark Mathis, who is off to a flying start. Mark not only nailed the forecast for the California-Tennessee game, he predicted the Volunteers would crush the Golden Bears, so in our book he is 2-0. Mark is back for more and has a surprising prediction:

"Is it me or is it getting hot in Texas? Lake Travis, Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium, the State Capital, Willie Nelson, George Bush and a real stupid defensive back! Matthew McConaughey says "a very good team is coming to our house and wants to steal something that we own ... a national championship ... when the University of Texas Longhorns play for the love of his brother lining up next to him, for the pride of giving his personal best every down, for the honor of every grandparent that could and could not be at the game, the final whistle will blow and we will be victorious ... and the wannabe thieves will be sent home hurting, humbled, and with a respect for our character ... let's hook 'em."

I think I'm going to throw up! Maybe McConaughey and Tarell Brown shared the same jail cell.

I have to apologize to my family and friends in Austin, but the Buckeyes are heading home with a 21-7 victory over the national champions.

Look for partly cloudy skies in Austin with a temperature of 83 degrees at kickoff. There is a 30% chance of showers but don't look for any at D.K.R Memorial Stadium."

John Maher, Austin American-Statesman: Texas fans returned from Columbus a year ago with horror stories of rude, abusive Ohio State fans. Has all been forgiven? (registration).

Brian Kollars, Dayton Daily News, and John Bridges, Austin American-Statesman: Why Ohio State will win. Why Texas will win (registration).

Doug Lesmerises, Cleveland Plain Dealer: When you add it all up, this is a matchup of the largest athletic departments in the country.

B.G. Brooks, Rocky Mountain News: To Ohio State, it's big, but it's not Michigan big.

It's Hard Out Here for a Coach

Grey Blackwell, the graphics editor of the Raleigh News & Observer, is back with his latest animation, once again taking on North Carolina State coach Chuck Amato. If you missed last year's Amato animation, you can find it here. Blackwell also has animations of North Carolina coach John Bunting and Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski from last season (registration).

Grass-Roots Effort to Overturn 3-2-5-e

It all started Monday in Austin when a group of fans from Big 12 South schools were discussing the weekend's games at work. Now it's rare to get Aggies, Longhorns or Red Raiders to agree on anything, but they were united in their dislike over the impact of the 3-2-5-e rule. A domain name was registered, and on Tuesday We Hate the New Clock Rules went online. The site "is a campaign by college football fans to let the TV networks and, more importantly, the NCAA Football Rules Committee know that we hate the new clock rules, and we want them gone after the 2006 season!" The site has a resolution that thousands of fans have already signed. The backers say they plan to present it to major media and the Football Rules Committee.

Eye Patch Not Included

Piracy is a big issue online, and East Carolina is hoping that piracy once again becomes a big issue on the playing field. The team has successfully blended the Pirate theme onto its poster schedule, beginning with a background of an old map. A playing field of water with a ship is then layered over the map. Now comes our one complaint: a cluttering display of 10 players. But given the overall strength of the piece, this is a minor complaint at best. Thanks to Michael for sending us the image. If you have an image to share, send it to dawizofodds (at) aol.com. The list: Miami of Ohio, Missouri, Tulsa, Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Miami, Memphis, Arizona, North Carolina State, Oregon, Wyoming, Nevada, Kentucky, Clemson, Fresno State, Rice, Alabama, Oklahoma, Toledo, Vanderbilt-Tennessee, Washington State-Washington, Brigham Young-West Virginia-Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Louisiana State, UCLA, Ohio State, Mississippi State, Auburn, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida State, Florida, Iowa State and USC.

Columnists' Corner

Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune: If Notre Dame is the fourth-best team in the land, then I'm a supermodel (registration).

Mark Story, Lexington Herald-Leader: Rich Brooks needs to win the next two games for Kentucky to retain any hope of a winning season.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Alabama coach Mike Shula's biggest mistake? Allowing linebacker Juwan Simpson to play on Saturday.

Richard Stevens, Albuquerque Tribune: New Mexico's stunning loss to Portland State was just a ploy to fool rival New Mexico State, which plays host to the Lobos on Saturday.

Kurt Kragthorpe, Salt Lake Tribune: Not only did Utah's three I-A teams lose, they scored the fewest total points of any weekend in 32 years.

Reporters' Notebooks

Suzanne Halliburton, Austin American-Statesman: A lawyer representing two Texas players said deputies unnecessarily used a Taser on the players before they were arrested (registration, thanks to Covers).

Gregg Becnel and Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: South Florida starting tight end Will Bleakley was arrested and starting running back Moise Plancher will miss the season after suffering a knee injury.

Bob Clark, Eugene Register-Guard: Pac-10 notebook, leading with California struggling to solve its problems at quarterback.

Mitch Vingle, Charleston Gazette: The Big East has reason to strut. League teams won seven of eight games to open the season.

John Pruett, Huntsville Times: Southeastern Conference official Steve Shaw is used to boos, but he got a standing ovation on Tuesday night.

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Leftovers from the slugfest between Florida State and Miami (registration).

Ryan Wood, Lawrence Journal-World: Kansas coach Mark Mangino's new contract allows him to leave without paying a penalty.

Doug Segrest, Birmingham News: A look at the snapshots from the opening week.

First Hard Data on 3-2-5-e: 18.32 Plays Lost

We have our first round of numbers regarding the impact of rule 3-2-5-e. Now this information comes to us from Marty at cfbstats.com. We ask that you give his site full credit. The man has put in a lot of work to get to this point, starting by documenting every play from the 2005 season. For future reference, Marty's site is also listed on the right under "Sponsorsed Links."

Here are the parameters we are dealing with: Every play that takes time off the clock is counted — rush, pass, punt, kickoff, field goal attempt — including those plays nullified by penalty. This is the fair way to judge the impact of 3-2-5-e because the rule was instituted to cut down on the time of the game.

.....................#Plays.......#Games.......#Plays/Game
2005 Total........121044......718............168.58
2005 Week 1........8664........52............166.61
2006 Week 1.......10368.......69.............150.26

Marty adds this note: We're talking about 18.32 plays (lost) per game from all of 2005 vs. week 1 2006. This includes games through 9/2/2006. I follow the NCAA guide of each week being Sunday-Saturday, so Sunday's and Monday's games are not included in the totals above, but will be in next week's totals.

Reporters' Notebooks

Georgia Sports Blog: Alcohol-free family friendly tailgate zones set up by Georgia officials attracted only three tailgates. Thanks to EBSBS.

Dave Dye, Detroit Free Press: Michigan State coach John L. Smith is having a tiff with the Lansing State Journal after the paper ran a section titled "Official fan blowout guide" to preview the narrow victory over Idaho.

Rick Bozich, Louisville Courier-Journal: What's it like to be sitting in the stands and watching your son get injured? Michael Bush Sr. now knows.

Dave Rahme, Syracuse Post-Standard: There is little evidence of improvement at Syracuse, where the offense continues to be awful.

John Hunt, Oregonian: A stadium renovation might have taken the edge off Fresno State fans, but Oregon is still expecting wild and crazy times.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Big Ten teams combined to go 11-0 in Week 1, but were any of the victories over teams of significance? And what about Watson Brown's curious coaching call in Alabama Birmingham's loss at Oklahoma? (subscription, so story is in comments).

Consider This Your Last Warning

Random thoughts regarding Week 1 from the laptop of the Wiz: We took great interest in ESPN's Lou Holtz predicting Arkansas would defeat USC. Back in the day, Holtz wouldn't even begin to make such a brash statement. Remember when he coached Notre Dame and expressed fear about Navy's team speed? What a croc. ... The studio pairing of Mark May and Holtz just doesn't work and is awkward at best. The Saturday studio show has never recovered from the loss of Trev Alberts. Now before you flame us for once again saying good things about Albert, give us a replacement who would bring the juice back to the Saturday studio show. Holtz certainly isn't the answer. ... News item: Arkansas coach Houston Nutt says quarterback Robert Johnson is a better receiver and freshman Mitch Mustain will take over the quarterbacking duties. Reaction: This is a move of desperation by Nutt and is wrong on so many fronts. First, why do you spend all this time getting Johnson ready to play quarterback, then pull the plug after one game? Second, Nutt is putting Mustain in a tough spot. While the kid is no doubt happy to start, Nutt has his job security tied to Mustain. And to remember just a few years back when Nebraska came knocking and Nutt had one foot out the door. Things do change quickly.

Does Rule 3-2-5-e Fail to Shorten Games?

Week 1 is complete and the data is starting to roll in on the number of plays lost because of rule 3-2-5-e, which the Wiz has been ranting about all summer. The rule was instituted because games were too long. Check this out: Saturday's Alabama Birmingham-Oklahoma game featured only 110 offensive plays, the fewest for a Sooner game over the last 50 years! That bested the 112 offensive plays in the 1960 game against Colorado and the 1962 matchup against Missouri. Here is where it gets interesting: The game lasted three hours 16 minutes. Last year, Oklahoma's shortest game was three hours 13 minutes (against Kansas in Kansas City). So the 3-2-5-e rule results in fewer plays and games that last just as long. Frigging brilliant! Judging by this example, 3-2-5-e doesn't work and officials are merely running circles around the real problem: Too many commercials! We would be curious to know if more commercial time has been sold for telecasts this season. If anybody can help answer that, please let us know. If requested, we will keep your identity a secret. As a point of reference, the shortest Oklahoma game in the Bob Stoops era was the 2004 affair against Nebraska, completed in two hours 49 minutes. Now if you haven't checked out John Niyo's fabulous piece in the Detroit News we linked to Monday, you must take a look. The Vanderbilt-Michigan game had 125 plays. Last season, Michigan games averaged 145 plays. At this alarming rate, it can only be a season or two before we have more commercials than plays. Stay tuned, and thanks to the Midwest Correspondent for his help.

The Other Miami

Those scrappy invaders from the Mid-American Conference are back. Miami of Ohio, which brought you Ben Roethlisberger, has come forth with its 2006 poster schedule. They say if you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all. So we will leave it at that. The list: Missouri, Tulsa, Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Miami, Memphis, Arizona, North Carolina State, Oregon, Wyoming, Nevada, Kentucky, Clemson, Fresno State, Rice, Alabama, Oklahoma, Toledo, Vanderbilt-Tennessee, Washington State-Washington, Brigham Young-West Virginia-Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Louisiana State, UCLA, Ohio State, Mississippi State, Auburn, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida State, Florida, Iowa State and USC.

Columnists' Corner

Ray Parrillo, Philadelphia Inquirer: It's never too early to have opinions. Ohio State's Troy Smith is the best quarterback. Lee Corso needs to remove the lampshade from his head, do a little homework and offer some insight. Notre Dame is not the No. 2 team in the land (registration).

John Niyo, Detroit News: They shorten the game and lengthen the schedule. Will the powers-that-be please give us our game back.

Pete DiPrimio, Fort Wayne News-Sentinel: Notre Dame acquired mental toughness, which is an optimistic way of saying it struggled to beat Georgia Tech.

Rick Bozich, Louisville Courier-Journal: Michael Bush ran as if he intended to wrap both hands on the Heisman. Then the Louisville running back suffered a season-ending injury.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: One problem with the new 12-game format is that a team such as Montana State had to go out and find an extra easy-money game against a team such as Colorado.

Jake Curtis, San Francisco Chronicle: Is California's season over? Far from it. Here are several reasons why the Bears are likely to bounce back.

And California Volunteered for This?

It certainly appears the fans at Tennessee had a good time on Saturday, and why not? The Volunteers cut down California, 35-18. Loser With Socks was kind enough to share photos of the debauchery, and the site has many more photos posted.

Is It Time to Abolish the NCAA?

The latest entry on the blog of New Yorker magazine writer Malcolm Gladwell is an intriguing read. Gladwell cites the case of Clemson cornerback Ramon McElrathbey in introducing an argument to abolish the NCAA, then transitions to a presidential address given at the Western Social Science Association meeting at Phoenix. The address was given by Jim Peach, a professor at New Mexico State, and Gladwell obtained a copy from David Berri, author of "Wages of Wins." Now although the NCAA's mission is to insure competitive balance, Peach contends it has failed miserably. And he has the data to back it up. In the past 50 years, five teams account for a quarter of all top-eight finishes in football, 12 teams account for more than half of all top-eight appearances and 22 teams account for three-quarters of all top-eight finishes. There's more, but we don't want to spoil it for you. Gladwell also has an entry on Rhett Bomar you might want to read.

Football in the South

It doesn't get any better than this. We received several outstanding shots from the Washington State-Auburn game from reader Greg. Despite some Tiger fans having a bad hair day, Auburn was able to blow the lid off Jordan Hare with a 40-14 victory. If you feel like sharing your football Saturday experience, send us an image: dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

Week 2

The Wiz received his copy of Doc's Sports Journal this past week and it is a must for those of us who follow college and pro football. This 120-page handy-dandy guide is filled with information and will keep you covered — no pun intended — through the end of the season. You can get a copy by going to this link. As for this week's games, there are some doozys. We have one Monday night, with Florida State traveling to Miami. On Thursday, Oregon State plays at Boise State. As for Saturday, they don't come much bigger than this: Ohio State at Texas. Toss in Penn State traveling to Notre Dame and Georgia at South Carolina. The numbers are only a click away by visiting Doc's, one of our sponsors. And for pro football fans, your time has arrived. All the numbers from Doc's are available here.

Show-Me State? Show Me What Not to Do

Nice choice of a background color for the Missouri poster (black, our favorite color if you haven't noticed). That said, Missouri has committed a big no-no in the publishing biz: When cropping a photo, you do not cut off an individual at a joint. Missouri has fumbled and fumbled badly, trimming the wrists of several players in the centerpiece photo. And this from a university with one of the nation's finest journalism schools. Back to the drawing board. We hope the Tigers can do better in 2007. Thanks to John for sending this along. The list: Tulsa, Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Miami, Memphis, Arizona, North Carolina State, Oregon, Wyoming, Nevada, Kentucky, Clemson, Fresno State, Rice, Alabama, Oklahoma, Toledo, Vanderbilt-Tennessee, Washington State-Washington, Brigham Young-West Virginia-Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Louisiana State, UCLA, Ohio State, Mississippi State, Auburn, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida State, Florida, Iowa State and USC. Send your poster schedule to dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

You Have Got to Be ... Me!

Matt of the site Lmfanzon sent along this beaut of "Godzillatron," Texas' new massive scoreboard at Memorial Stadium, taken during the Longhorn's 56-7 dismantling of North Texas. Read about the $8 million scoreboard here (registration). And if you have a photo you want to share, send the image to dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

Another Fan Favorite

UCLA coach Karl Dorrell addresses the crowd at the Rose Bowl after the Bruins' 31-10 victory against Utah. Thanks to Ken for sending this image.

Hog Heaven

Here was the view Saturday night from high atop Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, where USC blitzed Arkansas, 50-14. Thanks to Hogs, Hills, SEC for sending the shot, taken by John, the "Godfather" of Hogville.net. You can click on the image to get a better view.

Stand Back, There's a Hurricane Coming

Thanks to Cowboy Cane and Mike for sending us the Tulsa poster schedule. Nothing extraordinary here. Pretty basic stuff. We do like the use of type on Blue Is Back. The list: Notre Dame, Texas Tech, Miami, Memphis, Arizona, North Carolina State, Oregon, Wyoming, Nevada, Kentucky, Clemson, Fresno State, Rice, Alabama, Oklahoma, Toledo, Vanderbilt-Tennessee, Washington State-Washington, Brigham Young-West Virginia-Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Louisiana State, UCLA, Ohio State, Mississippi State, Auburn, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida State, Florida, Iowa State and USC. Keep those poster schedules coming! The address: dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

Columnists' Corner

John Rohde, Oklahoman: OK, what exactly was T. Boone Pickens doing in a men's bathroom at the stadium that bears his name, wiping up excess water around the sinks. (registration).

Ray Ratto, San Francisco Chronicle: The comprehensive, tavern-style beatdown California absorbed at Tennessee could do permanent damage to the team's psyche.

Jerry Brewer, Seattle Times: People pay $900,000 for this view, overlooking Lake Washington and the Cascades loitering from a distance. But only 52,256 made it to Husky Stadium, the least-attended home opener in a quarter century.

Jim Moore, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: On game, one loss and a quarterback controversy for Washington State.

Ron Bellany, Eugene Register-Guard: Oregon was supposed to be a year away, but after rolling Stanford, one has to wonder if the time is now for the Ducks.

Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press: Michigan State nearly chocked on a cupcake, clipping Idaho, 27-17. It was unimpressive, and even worse, uninspiring.

Joe Posnanski, Kansas City Star: Kansas State somehow edged I-AA Illinois State in a game that featured one of the worst coaching decisions this writer has ever witnessed (registration).

Reporters' Notebooks

Nancy Armour, Associated Press: Michigan is regarded to have the best uniform design and Oregon the worst.

Eric Petersen, Ames Tribune: Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg is putting pressure on Iowa State to improve its facilities.

Chad Hartley, Reno Gazette-Journal: Nevada's passing game had its moments, but the Wolfpack didn't have enough firepower to overtake Fresno State.

Mick McGrane, San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego State quarterback Kevin O'Connell suffered ligament damage in the thumb of his throwing hand in the loss to Texas El Paso and could miss the rest of the season.

Jim Kleinpeter, Times-Picayune: Expect to see more day games at Louisiana State if TV has its way.

Ryan Wood, Lawrence Journal-World: If Kansas is hit with major NCAA sanctions, it has an out in its new contract with coach Mark Mangino.

Arizona Republic: Breaking down what went right and what went wrong for Arizona State in its victory over Northern Arizona.

Joseph Person, Columbia State: South Carolina's offensive line needs to improve drastically if the Gamecocks are to have a chance against Georgia.

Tim Prister, Indianapolis Star: Notre Dame does not plan to launch a Heisman campaign for quarterback Brady Quinn.

Crystal Ball

Rick Bozich, Louisville Courier-Journal: The 'Book is back, wiping the suntan oil off the crystal ball, harvesting a new collection of tea leaves and flipping coins whenever necessary.

Betting Fool, San Francisco Chronicle: Just because your newspaper covers California doesn't mean you have to pick the Golden Bears to beat Tennessee.

The Wildcat, New York Post: A new entry this season, boasting a record of 55.4% since 1997. The 'Cat says take Utah against UCLA (registration).

Dan Hinxman, Reno Gazette Journal: Live from Reno and back for season No. 2 is the Great Handicappers Challenge.

Detroit Free Press: What the experts at the Freep say about Michigan, Michigan State, the Big Ten and the BCS title game.

For the latest lines, check with our friends at Doc's Sports. Thanks to Hester Graphics for the 3-D image.

Game of the Week

It's our first installment of game of the week and it's a beauty: California at Tennessee. If you are attending the game, there's no need to check the forecast because we have you covered. Our weatherman and onetime Baylor scout team quarterback, the incomparable Mark Mathis, is here with his exclusive forecast. He even has a prediction on the outcome:
"I can't believe it, the game of the week! Cal at Tennessee. Lee Corso is predicting that Cal will win the national title even after losing in Knoxville. I do know this — Corso needs to quit sipping on the Johnny Walker Black before making predictions like that! My job is the weather and I can guarantee you that my predictions will be far more accurate than Corso. Look for partly cloudy skies in Knoxville on Saturday. You might see a lightning strike near the stadium and possibly a few sprinkles and a temperature at kickoff of 74 degrees. But the only real lightning you will see will be the Vols lighting it up north to south and sending Cal back home with a 28-7 loss! Remember my job is the only job that pays to be 100% wrong!"

Jay Heater, Contra Costa Times: The veteran Cal beat reporter is blogging it, answering all questions Cal.

Jake Curtis, San Francisco Chronicle: There is one good reason the Bears might win the national championship: Somebody has to.

Ryan Callahan, Tennessean: Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer has plenty of concerns entering the game, but injuries won't be among them.

Loser With Socks: The blog gets an exclusive interview with Volunteer offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe.

Thanks to Hester Graphics for the 3-D image.

A Poster Schedule Worthy of a Title Run

Notre Dame, with its rich tradition, has a lot to work with. Bringing it all together in a poster schedule is not easy, but the Fighting Irish have pulled it off in stunning fashion. This ranks in the top five of the poster schedules we have displayed thus far. Thanks to Pat for this, who spotted the poster on N.D. Nation. Keep them coming! The address: dawizofodds (at) aol.com. The list: Texas Tech, Miami, Memphis, Arizona, North Carolina State, Oregon, Wyoming, Nevada, Kentucky, Clemson, Fresno State, Rice, Alabama, Oklahoma, Toledo, Vanderbilt-Tennessee, Washington State-Washington, Brigham Young-West Virginia-Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Louisiana State, UCLA, Ohio State, Mississippi State, Auburn, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida State, Florida, Iowa State and USC.

Opening Shots

Sean Keeler, Des Moines Register: Iowa State has plenty of warts, but it also has a 45-43 victory over Toledo in three overtimes.

Todd Kelly, Arizona Republic: Arizona State defeated Northern Arizona, 35-14, but entering the fourth quarter tied with the Lumberjacks — a substandard opponent — is cause for concern.

Mick McGrane, San Diego Union-Tribune: This appeared to be more than a Miner setback for new coach Chuck Long and San Diego State, 34-27 losers to Texas El Paso.

John Canzano, Oregonian: Oregon State's 56-17 victory over I-AA Eastern Washington was a cozy little eclectic back-alley whipping that proved little. Up next: at Boise State.

Jim Souhan, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Meet Alex Daniels. His name didn't appear on the first- or second-team depth chart, but he ran for 155 yards in Minnesota's 44-0 crunching of Kent State.

Jim Moore, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Everything was going well in the lovely Alabama town of Auburn, where Washington State will open the season against the Tigers, until emails flooded his inbox.

Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune: The only thing missing from Northwestern's 21-3 victory over Miami of Ohio was Randy Walker, the man who brought the teams together.

Ron Morris, Columbia State: Was South Carolina's defense that good, or was Mississippi State's offense that bad?

Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman: Boise State 45, Division I-AA Sacramento State zip. The scrimmage is over, now it's time for the season to start.

Steve Conroy, Boston Herald: Boston College committed several transgressions, but escaped with a 31-24 victory over Central Michigan.

Mike Kern, Philadelphia Daily News: Temple gets few shots at winning. That is why a 9-3 loss to Buffalo hurts.

Jeff Flanagan, Kansas City Star: Kansas State coach Ron Prince has canceled all newspaper and magazine subscriptions, and no print publications are allowed at the football complex (registration).